Trying to catch up once more :)

I still love how they slowly grow closer, but still none of them can admit to their feelings. At least they are slowly admitting them to themselves...

Evil cliffhanger you got there on the end of this chapter. I have the nagging feeling that something will go horribly wrong.

As always, great work, ladies :)

Hehe, playing for minutes of fresh air? Where do you get those ideas? That was hilarious :)

I have to say though, that although your writing is as brilliant as ever, the fight seemed a bit forced to me. Especially since there was no sign of tension between them before. On the contrary, they seemed to grow truly close.

I understand that they are stressed out by the situation, but still that fight happened a bit too sudden, and for too trivial a reason, I think.

Anyway, I'm not one to cavil at a gool lover's quarrel, and I'm certain the making up again will be worth it ;)

Oh my. I wonder how they will manage to slip out of the city like this.

It’s very touching to read how those two slowly open up to each other. But Sand made me smile. An offer that only comes once every few hundred years, huh? Lucky Torio indeed ;)

Great chapter again, ladies :)

Ah, good old Magic Missiles. Life savers, they are :) Very graphic description of their escape, you had me on the edge of my seat.

And it's good Sand and Torio (and your readers) get a breather for a moment. Seeing that there are quite a few chapters to follow, I'd guess it's just the quiet before the storm.

Somehow, I smell betrayal on the horizon...

Great chapter. Can't wait to read more :)

Ok, have to continue reading here, I guess, since this is the last chapter on yahoo.

Great work again - you made me wince more than once *shudders* I could nearly hear Sand's bones crack.

And poor Torio - figures it would need a truth serum to get her to admit she loves Sand ;)

Wonder who they ran in now. I have a bad feeling about this...

Can't stop reading now, work be damned ;)

Hey Morwenna!

Don't worry :) The reviews weren't taken personally and they weren't even that critical! We were just explaining to our readers our rationale for using that Wish spell. I think in terms of overall importance, if a reader can't suspend disbelief on that issue long enough for the story to move forward, then the rest of the story will be totally unbelievable for them anyway. There are several other spells that could have been used instead which would have worked the same but having Sand "wish" her away, especially after they talked about it, seemed poetic. The goal was to ultimately separate them and see how they would deal with that. We needed to get Torio on her own to face her own moral demons and we needed to send Sand back to Luskan to put his to rest finally. I hope I'm not spoiling Vol 3 too much by leaking that!

Avariel and I love your reviews and we certainly hope you keep reading in Vol 3!

I hate that there's no way we can edit our reviews. Don't take my comment about the Wish spell as any kind of criticism of your writing *hugs you both* This is one of my favorite stories. My comment was directed at Sand being so tender-hearted to think of saving Torio first. Besides, I've played PnP and DM'ed enough to know how the gods can twist a Wish. I had a player wish for a room filled with spellbooks, which I granted her. Then she had to deal with wizards from Elminster on down showing up to reclaim their spellbooks.

I understood your intent, and I understand that the story isn't over, so there's no happy ending yet. Your writing evoked a strong emotional response in me in that I wanted to smack Sand upside his head. I can hear the Luskan wizard mutter, "No wonder you couldn't make it in the Hosttower!"

Oh vow, guys... that was beautiful and epic...and I feel that Sand's use of Wish that way was perfectly justified. He's a man (okay, an elf) in love. Great job in portraying that almost full circle they came.

Hi Everybody
This is ryoushi writing, one of the authors of the story. We decided to stick with the Wish spell for several reasons, despite similar concerns when first writing. It had been previously discussed between them leading to some continuity. Also, we have tried to impress upon the reader that because of the telepathic bond, Sand feels Torio's pain and sends her away in a panic. Sure he may have an INT of 20+, but everybody rolls 1s occasionally. Consider that a critical fail on his part.

In addition, we believe that while canon has its place in a fan fiction, it shouldn't be used to the detriment of the story. Had Sand merely wished them back to the Keep, it would have prematurely ended the story arc we had 'planned' for the characters and stunted their development. Why couldn't the Eagles have flown Frodo to Mount Doom? Why couldn't Elminster just jump in and save the Knight Captain?

Because it doesn't make for an interesting story. Growth is acheived, we believe, through difficult times and trials.

Would it make everybody feel better if the spell was changed to a made up spell called Third Party Teleportation? But more importantly, would it make a difference in the grand scheme of things? Sand will still be returning to Luskan and Torio will still have been sent away.

Please note that Avariel and I will be changing canon rules occasionally and you have all have been forewarned, just in case this will be a problem. We're acting as your omnipotent DMs and for anybody who has played in a PnP setting, you know what the DM says, stays. We claim artistic licensing and as faithful as we have tried to be to the Forgotten Realms, it isn't always possible. In fact, if we were completely lawful writers, we would never have paired up Sand with Torio at all. We're still getting flack for it by some but we stand by all our decisions as writers.

Thank you to everybody for your continued support. When we first started writing this, it was a small hobby between the two of us and we never expected it to blossom as it did.

Yeah...Sand could have really thought of a better use for Wish. Hell, if he's powerful enough of a mage to use Wish, why couldn't he just "wish" that he and Torio be back at Crossroad Keep? That seems like a pretty big plot hole to me.

What an exciting battle scene! You are so evil ending it on a cliffhanger like this! I feel like smacking Sand though. He couldn't have thought of a better use for Wish?

I really like this story. Before, I had never thought that these two could make such an interesting couple. Now I am looking forward to the third volume. :)

Torio just can't let herself be vulnerable. "All right, so she knew she loved him, although it generally took torture, truth serums, and epically powerful spell-casting to get her to admit it."

Loved the old salts sharing their mythology with Torio. She has the makings of a bard.

Ah gods, I'm away for awhile and there's six new chapters to read! *grins* You guys are simply wonderful in your attention to detail and those small gestures of interaction between Sand and Torio. I love how they're exploring the prospects of being together.

Hats off to you! I shall eagerly await the next chapter. ^_^

Poor Sand, wipes himself out with the battle to come. He'll wake up, slap his forehead, and say, "I suppose I could have used a polymorph spell."