After speaking to Zevlor once more about what Kagha had told them, the group started making their way through the forest, as ready as they could be to take on the Goblin camp.

Wyll had decided to stay back at the Grove today to try to aid in teaching combat to the Tieflings, saying he would meet everyone at camp that night, given they made it back to the Grove. However, they weren't exactly sure where they were.

Aera looked at the map in confusion, stopping and turning slightly to her right. The others halted as well, waiting for guidance.

"Well, according to Zevlor's map, the goblin camp should be east...but this bridge up here is definitely north."

"Oh great, we're lost," Lae'zel sighed.

"Aren't you someone who lives in the forest?" Shadowheart asked Aera.

"Not this forest..."

Astarion fanned himself while he waited. "Gods it's warm today. Can't we hurry this up?"

Gale slowly walked closer to the bridge, studying something about it that the others hadn't spotted yet. "Everyone, would you kindly come here?"

They stopped looking at the map and did as Gale said, walking over.

"This bridge is destroyed."

Indeed it was. Aera took in their surroundings, keeping on the alert for hostile creatures. On the other side of the bridge, there was a broken wagon, a traveler's belongings scattered across the bricks.

"So...are we going this way?" Shadowheart asked.

"I don't see why not," Aera replied. "There could be people there, or even better, supplies."

"Shouldn't we be finding this camp?" Lae'zel asked. "Or better yet, the creche?"

"Do you think the camp is over there?" Gale asked.

Aera shrugged. "Let's just see what we find."

Lae'zel rolled her eyes and frowned at the back of Aera's head.

"Okay everyone, we're going to have to jump," Aera told them. "Does everyone think they can get across?"

They all agreed, some with a bit of hesitation.

"Okay... follow my lead."

Aera jumped across the broken bridge with ease, though the edge was most definitely weak. She noticed some bricks crack under her heel and she quickly moved, turning to face the others. "Be careful," she said. "The edge isn't very strong."

Shadowheart jumped first, aiming for a different part of the edge as to not weaken the one spot any more. Lae'zel cleared the edge by a long shot, a perk of being a Githyanki. She looked at Shadowheart and gave her a smug half smile. Shadowheart rolled her eyes and said nothing.

Astarion jumped next. He made it, but just barely. Aera gasped and lurched forward as he wobbled slightly backward. She grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the edge, helping him find his balance.

"Shit. Thank you love." Astarion's eyes were wide for a moment, but he threw her a smirk once he'd regained his composure.

Aera nodded, then turned to Gale.

"Gale? What's wrong?" Shadowheart asked.

He chuckled nervously.

"I'm not the most agile of beings," he admitted. "Or fearless."

"You're scared to jump?" Aera asked.

"Well... athletics aren't necessarily my strong suit..."

"With that physique? Don't be so modest," Astarion teased, earning a giggle from Shadowheart and an amused grin from Aera.

"Is the renowned Gale of Waterdeep scared of heights?" Shadowheart joined in.

Aera chuckled as she looked over at Gale, meeting his eyes and giving him a playful shrug.

"Oh stop it," Gale said in annoyance toward the group. "It's not the height that scares me, its the fall. Give me just a moment."

He conjured some white magic and cast it on himself. He began to fly, floating through the air and over to them safely. He touched down next to Aera. "There. That's better."

"Mm, show off," Astarion joked, then let out a short giggle.

Gale's face fell flat as he grew irritated. "Oh yes, laugh at my fear. How hilarious."

Aera hid a laugh behind the back of her hand, but Shadowheart couldn't manage to do the same. She laughed loudly at Gale's annoyed expression.

"We don't have time for this," Lae'zel snapped. "Let's go."

They grew quiet, then started forward.

It didn't take them long to begin hearing movement from up ahead on the path. There were squelching and crunching noises, as if creatures were feasting on an unlucky prey. Aera pulled her dagger from her belt and ducked behind a broken wagon, the others following suit.

"What are those foul creatures?" Lae'zel asked.

"They're gnolls," Shadowheart said, eyes wide.

The group watched as one of the dead hyenas on the ground burst open, a gnoll emerging with a growl.

"We have to take them out," Aera said.

"Finally! Something to kill," Astarion exclaimed quietly. "Follow my lead everyone."

Astarion quietly crept forward, pulling an arrow from his quiver and loading his bow. He aimed at the last alive hyena and silently sent the arrow toward it, hitting it straight through the eye. It barely had time to yelp before it crumpled to the ground.

"Wow," Shadowheart gasped. Everyone, even Lae'zel, stared at him in shock.

He turned to gloat over his perfect shot, looking at all of them with a happy, smug smile.

It was at this time that the gnoll noticed the elf. Aera then noticed the gnoll noticing Astarion, her face falling.

It growled.

"Astarion, duck!"

The gnoll began running at Astarion. He cried out and ducked as Aera stood, hurling her dagger toward the gnoll with as much force as she could muster.

It hit the creature directly in the chest, earning a piercing screech from the gnoll that made the party cringe.

It ripped the dagger from its chest and threw it to the side, preparing to lunge at them, Before anyone else could do anything, Lae'zel jumped in front of the group with her greataxe, hitting and killing the gnoll in two quick slashes.

As the party felt the slightest relief, they heard the growls and footsteps of more creatures. They came down the hill to their left, a group of four gnolls.

They didn't have time to think. Aera pulled her crossbow from her shoulder and began backing up as she loaded the arrow. Astarion grabbed his daggers and Shadowheart began casting sacred flame, missing her first shot but hitting one of the gnolls on the second. As Aera shot one of the gnolls in the leg, she watched as Gale rushed ahead of everyone.

Her heart stopped as the gnolls lunged at him.

"Detono!"

Without hesitating, Gale swiftly crossed his arms and swung them apart, casting Thunderwave with a wave of purple energy. With a shriek, the gnolls all flew backward and hit the ground hard. He backed up, giving Lae'zel, Aera, and Astarion the chance to hit the gnolls while they were down.

Astarion stabbed one of the gnolls with two daggers, but was clawed across the side in retaliation. "Ah!" He cried out, stumbling back. He'd barely processed the pain before Shadowheart was healing him.

It didn't take long for the group to take on the gnolls. Aera shot one in the head, Astarion and Gale worked together on another with daggers and Magic Missile, and Lae'zel took out the other two while Shadowheart healed them.

Covered in blood, the group reconvened, breathing heavily. Lae'zel and Astarion's eyes were wide with excitement.

"My my, that all happened so fast," Astarion said, wiping a bit of blood from his lip. "We make quite the team."

Aera walked over and grabbed her dagger from the ground. She hadn't had to fight so much in her entire life then she had in the past few days.

"Did you see Gale?" Shadowheart asked. "That was one of the coolest spells I've seen in a long while!"

"You looked ravishing," Astarion said. "And I'm only half joking."

Gale chuckled, glancing over at Aera. She nodded.

"That was awesome. All of you did great."

"Indeed," Lae'zel said, a small smile on her face. "Awesome, as you say."

Aera smiled at her. She felt a sudden pull at her heartstrings as she realized that she kind of liked these companions of hers.

"Well, let's not wait around for more of those things to show up," Gale said. "I say we loot this place, then get back to searching."

"I couldn't agree more," Shadowheart said.

They did as Gale said, grabbing the supplies from the broken wagon. There was some fruit and arrows that Astarion ultimately took for his bow. They stepped carefully past the massacre at the foot of the hill and made their way down a path that branched to the right.

On high alert, they began searching around, finding themselves near a building, the first one they'd seen since leaving. Aera decided they should search around first before venturing inside, just in case there were people that viewed them as unwanted guests. So, they made their way toward the river, where Aera spotted a red figure in the distance.

She stopped in her tracks.

"Do you all see that?" Aera asked. She nodded her head toward the figure, who seemed in distress.

They all agreed.

"Shall we go say hello?" Astarion asked. He ventured forward, the others following close on his heels.

When they crossed the river, walking carefully over a fallen tree, they noticed the figure to be a Tiefling woman. Aera remembered what she'd seen when she'd connected with Wyll and blinked in shock. One horn. Fiery red skin.

Karlach.

"Are you all right?" Shadowheart asked. The woman was engulfed in flames but didn't seem to be suffering any burns.

Karlach looked up at the group, getting up from the crouched position. "Me? Never been better."

The flames ceased and Karlach looked at them, her eyes falling on Aera. "Well fuck me. It's you. From the nautiloid. Please tell me I found you before those so called Paladins of Tyr did."

Aera glanced around at the others, then back at Karlach.

"I don't remember you from the nautiloid-"

Suddenly, Aera and Karlach's minds collided. Aera gasped at the sudden pain. She could feel the heat of Avernus, could see Karlach, a swarm of demonic armies, utter chaos.

The Blood War.

"What was that?" Karlach exclaimed. She tried to compose herself, cringing in pain.

"It's the tadpole," Aera said, her eyebrows narrowed as she tried to will away the discomfort. "It connects our minds."

"Fuck's sake," Karlach said. "Guess that explains the voices. From the peek I got into your head, you're trying to get things sorted. No luck yet?"

"No," Aera replied. "But we're hoping we can find a cure here soon."

Karlach nodded in disappointment, then introduced herself. With hesitation, Aera did the same. Wyll had said this was a devil, an evil being who needed to be stopped at any cost. As untrusting as Aera was of others, she almost couldn't imagine the woman standing before here being evil. Something in her eyes was gentle and genuine.

"Well met soldier. Say, now that we're old pals, maybe you would be interested in helping me kill some evil bastards?"

Aera stared at her in shock. Who was this woman?

"I'm sorry... we don't know anything about you," Shadowheart said.

Aera nodded in agreement. "The Blade of Frontiers spoke of you. He's hunting you down."

"Oh! Of course," Karlach said. "Gods, is he still on my tail? I'm embarrassed for him. I can assure you that I am not the monster he claims me to be."

"Well, who are you then?" Aera asked.

"Well, you already know I fought in the Blood War. I was good at killing demons. Really good."

She continued to speak of someone named Zariel, an archdevil that made her fight for her on the frontlines for ten years. They all listened to her story in silence, enthralled by this beautiful tiefling.

"Zariel's sent goon after goon to hunt me down, but believe me when I tell you I'm not going. The latest yappy little dogs she's sicked on me are nearby. A group of dopes posing as Paladins of Tyr. Want to help me take them down?"

Aera thought about it to herself. "Here, give us one moment," she said. Karlach put her hands up and took a step back.

"Of course. Take your time soldier."

Aera turned to the rest of the party. "This is the woman that Wyll was sent to kill?" Gale asked. "She seems perfectly nice."

"I agree," Aera said. "I mean he might be upset but she could prove useful on the road."

"I like her," Shadowheart said. "She looks like she could throw me over her shoulder and carry me to safety, should the need arise."

Astarion chuckled at the mental image. "Yes, I think she would blend in quite nicely with our little group of misfits."

Lae'zel let out a low hmm, then met Aera's eyes. "She's a warrior. We should keep warriors around."

"So we're all in agreement then?" Aera asked, shocked that Lae'zel was with them.

Everyone nodded.

"Okay. We'll deal with Wyll later."

Aera turned back around and gave her a small smile. "Yes, we can help you."

Karlach smiled. "Fuck yes. They cornered me outside the tollhouse, just up the hill. Doubt they've gone far after the scorching I gave em."

They all glanced back at the building they'd passed.

"Okay. Let's do it."

The group, now one tiefling bigger, started toward the Tollhouse, in search of the assassins.