Brilig was complaining again. This time, it seemed to be about the futility of trying to find one person on the face of Norrath. His companion ignored him, as she had ignored most of his complaints. Why they had saddled her with him as a companion, she did not know, but she intended to have it out with the High Council when she got back.

At least the name and description of the one she sought had brought results. It led them - albeit slowly - to this green hell of a jungle. She had some doubts, for the description of the group didn't sound very likely, but stranger things had happened. People, she had learned long since, were not bound to a single path.

The light of a campfire became visible ahead of them, and she angled towards it, wondering if she had found yet another group of the antisocial lizard-people who had once ruled these lands, some other group of travellers, or if, by some chance, she had finally located her quarry. As they drew near, she pondered the words she would use to deliver her message. She doubted it would be welcome.

She paused at a respectful distance to see if she could discern who - or what - was using the camp.

A figure moved between the pair of them and the fire, and she caught her breath at the familiar shape of the silhouette. Steeling herself, she took a step forward, to call out to the camp, when she heard her travel-companion's voice cry out in surprise and anger, "Troll!"

She spun, to see him levelling his bow at the figure by the fire. The huge creature had straightened, and turned at the shout.

"Bril! No!" She cried, and leapt at him, knocking him flying off of his feet. She landed on top of him in a tangle of limbs.

But she had been too slow. The arrow flew an instant before she struck him.

An echoing "No!" came from the camp, as the troll was sent sprawling by a flying tackle, as one of his companions tried to knock him from the path of the shaft. But there too, the reaction had been an instant too slow.

"Bril, what have you done?" she asked in despair and anger as she pulled herself off of him. She looked towards the camp, to see blue light surrounding the prone figure of the troll, and others bending over it.

Then her view was blocked by a gargantuan shape that reached down and plucked Brilig from the ground as if he weighed nothing. The huge hand tightened around his throat, and began to squeeze. "What have you done?" A voice emerged from the creature, deep and angry. "Attacked the wrong encampment, for starters..."

Brilig's struggles were growing weaker, and as much as he may have deserved it, she couldn't let the ogre kill him. She drew her sword.

The ogre's reaction was lightning quick. He reached out, caught her hand, and crushed it in his fist, shattering her bones as if they were twigs. Her sword dropped from her hand, and she fell to her knees, vision darkening with the pain. She did not resist as she felt the hand grasp her by the throat and lift her as it had lifted Brilig. The fingers tightened, and despite her resolve to die with honour, she, too, struggled to free herself until the blackness overcame her.

* * * * *

"He uses hooked arrowheads. Don't try to pull it out."

Arrek looked up from Korgoss to see Braag drop two frogloks beside the fire. They fell with a crash, and lay unmoving. The paladin's eyes widened with horror.

"Relax. I just knocked them out," the ogre said dryly. "One drew a sword on me, though. I broke his hand pretty well." Arrek nodded slowly, then bent back over the troll.

"Kor, we're going to have to push it through." The shaman's eyes opened, and he gave the slightest of nods. "This is going to hurt. A lot." The troll nodded again, and his eyes held those of the paladin for a moment, before closing again. The arrow in his breast quivered with each beat of his heart. Whichever way they moved it, it would have to be done quickly. If it had pierced the troll's heart, as Arrek suspected, any change in its position could kill in seconds. And leaving it in place would kill in minutes. Tiri continued to heal Kor as he lay holding himself still, to prevent further damage.

"Don't stop, Tiri," he told her. "I'm going to have to move him." She nodded, continuing her muttering, keeping the shaman bathed in the blue light of healing, as Arrek carefully rolled him to his side. The paladin took a deep breath, and took a firm grasp on the arrow.

He watched Tiri, and as she renewed the healing magick, he thrust the arrow the rest of the way through Kor's body, until it emerged from his back. The troll jerked, tensed for a moment, then relaxed with a sigh. Arrek snapped the head from the arrow, and withdrew it smoothly. A jet of blood followed it, but the paladin had released his Gift into the shaman even as he withdrew the shaft. Blue fire erupted around him, and filled him, healing the rents in his heart, and the rest of the damage from the arrow, and the fall.

For a moment the troll lay unmoving, and the paladin bent over him anxiously, then Korgoss took a deep breath, and coughed. His eyes opened, and he spat out a gout of blood. Arrek and Tiri sighed in relief, and helped him sit up.

In the next instant, he was knocked to the ground again, but this time, the smile on his face shone out at the bard as Merilee tackled him, and he embraced her as she clung to him, heedless of the blood that coated his chest.

The paladin and the druid got out of the way, and smiled as they watched for a moment, before letting the two alone.

Arrek turned towards the two frogloks, who lay motionless in the firelight. He bent over the first one, a deep green froglok with black speckled markings, and examined him.

"That was the archer," Braag told him, and folded his arms around the druid, who had come to join him.

Arrek nodded, and examined the stranger's hands carefully. He stared at the strange froglok's face for a moment, anger darkening his expression. But he sighed, and reached out to touch the stranger's bruised throat and whisper words of healing. The paladin followed this by removing the visible weapons from him, and dropping them well out of his reach, on the other side of the fire. He returned, and bent over the second of his people.

This one was white, with large black splotches, and a cursory examination revealed the crushed hand, already badly swollen. A trickle of blood ran from beneath the helmet and visor, startlingly bright against the stark colours of the skin. Arrek turned the head carefully, and fingered the deep dent in the helm.

"You dropped them a little hard, Braag," he said mildly, as he began to undo the chin-strap of the stranger's helm.

"They dropped Kor first," was the ogre's unapologetic reply. The paladin nodded once, but did not respond.

Arrek carefully slid the helmet off the other stranger. He caught his breath, his eyes widening, and he set the helm down slowly, staring at the senseless froglok.

"Ree?" he asked softly, bending near, and gently turning her head to see the bruise and cut where the dent had been. He touched it, and healed it, before stroking her face lovingly.

He looked up as Korgoss crouched down beside him. The troll had washed himself clean of blood, and he bent to examine the white froglok.

"He tried to stop the other," the shaman said, gently picking up the crushed hand. "I saw him." He began to chant a healing spell of his own, straightening the fingers carefully, mending the bones.

"She," Arrek corrected absently. "She tried to stop him." He bent again, to heal her bruised throat, and saw the flutter of her eyelids. He leaned close, stroking her forehead. "Ree?" he asked again quietly, and she opened her eyes to stare at him.

"Arrek?" she asked with disbelief.

"Yes, it's me, Ree," he replied, leaning back a little, and smiling down at her.

"Arrek...there was an ogre.....he killed Brilig!"

"Is that his name?" Arrek looked over at the other froglok, the touch of anger ghosting through his eyes again. "He's fine. Braag just knocked him out." He looked back at her, to see that she had finally noticed Korgoss, and was staring at him as he healed her hand. The paladin watched her curiously, interested in her reaction.

The troll finished the healing, and released her hand. She flexed it cautiously, and looked at it, then back at the shaman.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "This is more than I deserve from you." She looked up into the ice-blue eyes that met hers with a look of amusement.

"No," Kor replied. "You tried to stop him." He stood up. "Thank you for that."

"He's an idiot. I should have guessed what he would do when I saw you..." She sat up, and looked around the camp with curiosity. "He's a Dar, and Dar Master Griblok is... strongly opinionated."

Arrek stood up, and offered her a hand, which she took, and he helped her to her feet. They stood for a long minute looking at each other, then embraced warmly.

"This is my crechemate, Reedip," he said to the others, when they released each other. "Ree, these are my friends: Korgoss, Merilee, Braag, Tiri, and Ferret."

They nodded in turn, and Reedip bowed courteously to each of them, and greeted them. Then she indicated the deep green froglok who had not yet awakened.

"That waste of skin over there is Brilig. I suggest keeping a good eye on him, as I have no clue what he'll try next." She sighed. "I would like to apologise for his unprovoked attack. I should have been able to stop him."

They watched her shift in embarrassment, and Tiri disengaged herself from the protective circle of Braag's arms, and extended a hand.

"We were about to eat, before the excitement. Will you join us?" the druid asked, and smiled at the froglok who seemed to have a place in Arrek's heart. Reedip smiled in return, and bowed politely as she took the hand.

"Thank you, you are too kind," she began, but broke off as Brilig sat up, and rubbed his head. Her smile faded, and she watched the Dar warrior warily.

He looked around the camp with wide eyes, then scrambled to his feet. His hand crept to his scabbard, and finding it empty, he felt for his belt knife.

"I took that too, " Arrek told him dryly. "Why don't you sit down, and we'll contemplate feeding you." He indicated a log by the fire.

"Or we could feed you to something… your choice," Braag added, just as dryly.

"Braag..." Tiri turned a look of reproach on the ogre.

"Bril, if you make one move against anyone in this camp, so help me, I'll help the ogre beat the crap out of you!" The exasperation in Reedip's tone surprised Braag into a laugh, and she turned to him. "Thank you for not killing him," she said quietly, but Braag shook his head.

"It is Arrek you must thank for that," the ogre replied gravely. "Slaying either of you would have hurt him."

Arrek looked at him with an unreadable expression, then shook his head.

"Thank you, Braag. But somehow, I don't recall you swearing that..."

"It isn't up to you how I interpret my oaths, Sword of Marr," the shadowknight replied archly.

Arrek gave up gracefully, and bowed to the ogre, who grinned at him.
Reedip watched the exchange, astounded at the undercurrents that flowed between Arrek and Braag. She looked again at the group, and saw that the same undercurrents flowed and swirled about them all, that this unlikely group of companions had forged themselves into a family, bound by love.

She recalled her mission, and her heart ached, but there would be time enough for that later.

She caught Brilig by the arm, and propelled him to the log. "Sit down here. Keep quiet. And don't move," she ordered him. He sat, and waited for her to turn away again before edging his hand down towards his boot.

"I took that one. And the one in your legplates." Ferret's eyes twinkled as he displayed the daggers. "Maybe you should just do as the lady says, and behave." The twinkle in the rogue's eye disappeared. "You see, Braag might have sworn an oath... but I didn't."

The froglok warrior stared at the rogue in dismay, then sat in sullen defeat, eyes still following the shaman and shadowknight, and glowering. But as he watched them interact with the other two of his people, he was left bewildered. As they made ready to eat with them - and the thought of what might be in the pot made his skin crawl - he could stand it no more.

"But you are Shin!" he exclaimed suddenly, his voice filled with confusion, anger and fear. "How can you just sit there with them? Don't those oaths that they make you swear mean anything to you?"

"Bril," Reedip said quietly into the silence that followed the Dar's outburst. "There is a big difference between ‘standing against the darkness' and randomly murdering people you don't agree with." She looked at the warrior with sad eyes. "Out here, in the world outside Gukta's walls... things are not so black and white as they teach us." She looked up at Arrek, surprising a speculative expression in his eyes as he watched and listened to her. He nodded slowly.

"The choice you must make," he said, and brought a bowl of sliced meat in some sort of sauce to the warrior, "is how dark a grey you are willing to accept. And how you will work to lighten it. There are other, better ways to bring light, than with a sword." He held the bowl out to Brilig. "It's tiger meat. You'll like it."

The deep green froglok slowly accepted the bowl, looking from one paladin to the other. Arrek studied him for a moment, then went to the pile of weapons on the far side of the fire, stooping on the way to scoop something from the ground. He returned a moment later, and extended Brilig's belt knife to him.

"So you don't have to eat with your fingers," he said. "The sauce is sticky. And this is yours, I believe." He dropped the two pieces of the bloodstained arrow at the warrior's feet.

He returned, to collect bowls for Reedip and himself, and brought them back, then sat beside her.

The meal was shared in silence, as they watched the strange paladin and her warrior companion, and held their curiosity on tight reins.

Finally, Ferret could stand it no longer. He set his bowl down on his lap, and looked pointedly at Reedip.

"Okay. So here's the burning question of the hour: What the heck is a ‘crechemate?' Are you two ...like... married, or something?"

After an initial moment of surprise, both Arrek and Reedip burst into laughter. They got themselves under control, then made the mistake of looking at each other, and lost it again.

"No," Arrek gasped, when he could breathe again. "The closest you could come would be to say that she's my sister."

Ferret frowned. "So why not just call her ‘sister' then? And do you have any other brothers and sisters? What about your parents?" He leaned forward. "You've never told us you had family..."

Reedip answered before Arrek could. "He can't call me sister, because I may not be his sister. There is no real way to tell." She nearly burst out laughing again at the expressions on their faces. "We are taught not to discuss sex with outsiders, who may not understand our ways," she explained. "I can see it's never come up before." She looked over at Arrek, and he shook his head, motioning for her to continue. She nodded, and looked around the group.
"We do not... pair-bond... the way you do," she began, making a gesture at Braag and Tiri. "Every year, in early spring, we all must return to Gukta. The call is strong, and very hard to resist. I know Arrek has resisted it to stay with you several times. I don't know how he does it…"

"There are other things that can be as important," he said, his eyes touching on the others around the fire. "And we males have more choice in it than you do."

She nodded. "We females must return, to lay our eggs. We pick a male, or two, whose traits we admire, to fertilize them. The strongest, the smartest, the quickest, will find themselves asked many times to fertilize eggs., although they will only have the ability to do it once. Or perhaps twice. There isn't any... body contact... as you share. Nor is there necessarily any bond between the egg-layer and the fertilizer. And both will go their own ways after it is done, with no bond having been created. Although sometimes friendships do spring up that way. And sometimes friends will choose each other, even waiting for them despite being asked by others." She paused for a moment, to accept the cup of water Arrek offered to her, and she took a sip from it.

"As with you," she continued, "Mating within close family is undesirable. We have a system to prevent that. Our breeding period stretches around three weeks. All the females who lay their eggs during a particular day will use the same pool of water, and all that hatch from those eggs laid that day are ‘creche-mates', raised together as a family. The number of females on each day tends to be fairly consistent, with the fewest on the earliest and latest days. I imagine, that as our numbers grow, we will have to change it. Perhaps create more pools. But there are not many of us. If we number a thousand, I would be surprised." She looked around the circle of faces, seeing them rapt with fascination.

"So few?" Merilee leaned forward, her eyes widening.

"We are still within the lives of the First Ones," Arrek said, nodding. "Ree and I are of the first generation, born to those who were Chosen. Those who were changed by the hand of Marr were not that great in number, only enough to fight. And many fell in the war."

Reedip nodded. "Our numbers grow, but slowly. The males outnumber the females of our race, by some large amount. Every female is required to breed. Unlike our distant cousins, the frogs, who can lay hundreds, or thousands of eggs, we only lay a few, maybe three to ten or so. And of these, not even half will hatch. As well, many tads don't survive to grow their legs, despite the care given by those who tend them." She grew quiet for a moment, before she continued. "There are still things we learn about ourselves… the knowledge of our cousins doesn't cover everything. We are too different." She shook her head. "We have a caste – the Tal – who spend their lives raising our children. They are our 'parents.' It is a difficult profession, but they are greatly honoured. They learn as we grow, and each spring, a few more survive than before."

Arrek nodded, before adding "There were seven females who laid their eggs on our day. And of them, six of us grew to adulthood." He smiled at Ferret. "So if you wish, I have five brothers and sisters, raised with me. Ree and I were called to the Shin. Another went to the Yun." He paused, seeing their confusion. "The Yun are shamans, like Korgoss." He smiled again. "Preeki shares Ree's colouring, and we are enough alike that we have often thought that the three of us are, in truth, siblings. The others are different, and we are not really as close to them. One is a trader, and two others farm spiders."

Reedip nodded. "We do not breed within our creche," she concluded, "Any more than you would with your brothers and sisters. Nor do we breed with those who either laid or fertilized that day, as any one of them could be our parent."

The group sat silent, digesting the information, stunned by the alienness of froglok society.

Tiri shifted slightly, and Arrek looked at her. Uncomfortably, she looked down, and asked the question she wasn't sure she should voice.

"So... you don't... love?" she asked softly.

Reedip laughed again, and answered as Arrek blinked in surprise.

"You have lived, and worked, and fought side-by-side with Arrek, of all people, and you need to ask that?" Tiri blushed crimson, and shook her head mutely. "We love every bit as deeply and truly as you do. We just don't have it tied to sex, and procreation. We share our lives with those we love, often living in company with them – we call such people lifemates – but it may not be a pair male/female. It could be any number, and any combination. Much as the six of you share even now." She gestured to include the group. "Look at yourselves. You love one another. This shows with your every word to each other, your every look, and every gesture..."

She broke off suddenly, her smile fading, and she lowered her head. Arrek reached for her in concern, and she turned her golden eyes on him sorrowfully.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "But there is something I have to do."

Reedip fumbled in her belt pouch, and removed a small, carved box. "This is the hardest, cruellest thing that I have ever had to do. And I don't have any choice..." She sat for a moment, holding the box. Arrek's arms went around her, and she felt the strength of him, and she truly understood what hate felt like, for she hated herself for what she was about to do.

"Arrek," she said at last, into the waiting silence, "I was sent here to find you." She turned the box in her hands as she spoke. "Shin Master Grubbus... he's old, Arrek. He was one of the first Chosen, changed by the hand of Marr Himself. And he wasn't young when he was Chosen. He can't keep up much longer." The whole camp was still, frozen by her words. "He sent me to find you. To say this: ‘Gukta calls you home, Shin Master Arrek'." She placed the box into Arrek's hand. Slowly, he opened it, seeing the ring that marked the office nestled in the velvet within.

"Why me?" he asked after a moment. "There are so many Shin..."

She smiled slightly. "He said you would ask that. I'm supposed to tell you that it's because you passed something he called the ‘Ordeal,' and swore the ‘Second Oath'."

"The Ordeal…" He looked at her sharply, studying her face, then, to her surprise, he looked at the ogre, with a strange half-smile. She followed his gaze to see the stricken look on Braag's face, and her heart wrenched. She lowered her head, staring at her hands as she listened to the silence of her crechemate and his companions.

"May I have a day or two, before we go?" His voice shook, and she saw his hand reach down to take hers. She couldn't look at him, and, unable to speak, she nodded.

Slowly, she stood, and walked out of the firelight.

Her sword still lay where she had dropped it, and she bent, picking it up and sheathing it. She heard the footstep behind her, and straightened, expecting to find that Arrek had followed her. To her surprise, it was Brilig.

Wordlessly, the warrior reached out, and took her hand, and led her to a fallen tree outside of the ring of firelight. He sat her down there, and sat beside her. From their vantage point, they could see and hear those remaining by the fire, but not be easily seen themselves.

"Bril, why did you come out here?" she asked him finally. He was silent for a long moment.

"I watched them as you talked," he said at last. "As hard as it is for me to believe... they really do love him. The ogre and the troll, I mean." He watched as the group drew together, giving and drawing support, sharing their pain, and their hearts. "And we are outsiders. They need to be alone together."
She looked at him in amazement.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Brilig?" she asked at last, and he smiled slightly.

"You didn't see their faces, did you?" he asked. She thought of the ogre's stricken look.

"I saw Braag," she said. "I didn't see the other one."

"I've never seen such sadness," he said softly. "In both their eyes, when they looked at each other." He fell silent again. "I'd never have guessed a troll could love."

She smiled at him gently. "They are people too, Bril. Just like any people. They can love, and fear, and hope, and dream, like anyone else. Fight them if you have to. Kill and capture them if you have to. But don't hate them. If we give in to hatred, we lessen ourselves. Hatred serves no one but the enemy." She met his eyes. "We've been trying to teach that to our young Shin for years." She looked speculatively at Arrek, who was embracing Korgoss. "It has been hard on Shin Master Grubbus. He learned early to hate the trolls, long before he was Chosen. I don't think Arrek can hate. He's ideal to teach the young Shin." She stole a sidelong glance at the warrior. "If only we could reach the Dar, to teach them too."

"Maybe you will, someday," he said softly. A seed he had not known was in him sent a tiny root down into his soul. "We'll have to see."

* * * * *

The two days stretched into three, but neither Reedip nor Brilig begrudged Arrek the time. They stayed on the fringes of the camp, giving the friends the precious time together, without the intrusion of strangers.

Arrek packed lightly, giving some of his equipment, and all of his accumulated bits and pieces to his friends, carrying away nothing but some food and water, his sword, his armour, a quiver of arrows, and Braag's old bow. Braag had reluctantly accepted as a gift the beautiful bow Arrek had recently made for himself. The black and silver bow held powerful magicks, and Arrek had promised to make one for the shadowknight once he had acquired the components to do so.

At last, there was nothing left but to say goodbye, with a few words for each of them. Save one.

No words passed between the troll and the froglok, but much was said as green eyes held blue, and hands reached out to touch each other's faces.

Their hug was fierce, and broken reluctantly. The shaman's cheeks were wet, and the paladin's eyes were veiled by inner eyelids, as they released one another.

Arrek stepped back, and turned slowly towards the two who waited for him. The ring of office glinted on his finger, and his eyes were still veiled as he walked away from the life he had known, and the people he loved.

Reedip's heart went out to him, and an idea came to her. She smiled slightly.
"You know," she said loudly to him, pitching her voice so that it would carry. "You need a hobby." He looked up at her dully. "You should take up fishing." She looked at the group, and her smile broadened a little. "Gukta isn't a prison. Many races are welcome there, you know. And while the elders aren't likely to let you travel much, with your duties, I am certain they'll let you relax when those duties permit. Like, by going fishing out in the swamp. I know some places, particularly in the South-West, where no-one ever goes." Her smile grew even more, as he suddenly blinked, his eyes clearing. A glance showed her the hope blossoming in the faces of his friends. "You can even catch fish there," she added, as she led him away, and the jungle swallowed them from sight.

Fin