Chapter One

Kora was having the worst day of her life. It had started off great with her and Silvermoon ridding the storehouse of rats for a few coppers and being called away from her sparring practice by Gorion. "I'm leaving Candlekeep! He wouldn't even tell me where we're going! Just to get everything ready before noon! Can you believe it?"

Silvermoon cocked his head at his mistress as she threw a few things into a travel bag before asking if she was going to add apples to the bag, she threw some in to keep him happy. "And he told me to travel light! I can't bring any of my books along with me! I bet someone'll steal them while I'm gone!" Kora snapped the straps together with a flourish before throwing herself next to her fairy dragon who stretched out and began to consume one of the other pieces of fruit lying in a bowl.

"Are you complaining about getting out of here? That is just like you. And here I am staying behind with all the stuffy monks and nothing to do but boring chores, just dying to get out."

"I'll trade you places Imoen," Kora told the human though it was hard to hear her through the pillow she had buried her head into. The redhead rolled her eyes at the dramatics of her friend.

"Don't be silly. Gorion isn't going to decide to take me along instead of you. I mean that letter was talking about-" Imoen cut herself off and clapped both hands over her mouth and began to edge away. Kora leapt from her bed and barely missed grabbing a fistful of the other's hair. The human girl shrieked and ran, Kora hot on her heels.

"What letter? What did it say? Get back you fiend!" Kora screamed as loudly as she could at the retreating back. She debated running after Imoen and tickling the information out of the redhead, but decided that she really did not want to really get another serious talk about acting like a grown woman before leaving Candlekeep. And besides she really needed to give back Parda the book that Kora had borrowed months ago, the man was already complaining about her taking so long. Kora picked up Silvermoon, who happily draped himself across her shoulders, before making the walk towards the priests' quarters. The walk was slow, it seemed as if every single person had heard about Kora's upcoming journey and had to give her a piece of advice. By the time that she had gotten to the building quarter elf was ready to scream at the next monk she saw.

"You would be Kora, would you not?" A slimy voice asked. Kora started and turned around to face the man who had spoken, he barely looked older than the young woman but the sneer on his face clearly said that he thought himself way above her. Kora really thought that the look didn't fit his face, especially since he smelled as though he had rolled around in the horse stalls for hours.

"Yes, is there something that you wanted?" Kora managed to get out politely, maybe the man was one those who had so much knowledge in their minds that they forgot to bath? The man grinned at her answer and pulled out a knife, Kora took a full step back and her eyes went wide. "W-what? Why?"

The man shrugged, "Don't know who you pissed off girly but it's not my job to ask. Now just sit there and I promise this wouldn't hurt a bit." He swung the dagger forward towards the frozen woman but before his dagger connected a cloud of light hit him in the face. The man screamed and clawed at his eyes snapping Kora out of her daze. She went for her sword, thanking Deneir for the first time in her life that Gorion had forced her to learn how to fight. The first strike was tentative, she really didn't have to kill the man, right? Just show him that she wouldn't be taken down easily.

The assassin's roar was filled with rage as he lunged towards the young woman, she somehow managed to dodge the blade but ended up tripping over her own feet and crashing to the ground. Kora hissed in pain, her hand making motions in the air as the man advance, he didn't seem to know what was coming until the magic missiles hit him. Kora stared at his dead body with the blackened spots where her magic had hit as Silvermoon plopped down on the body and snarled out his displeasure, words forgotten in his anger.

"Kora? I hope you've come to return- Kora what is going on?" Parda kneeled down and turned Kora's head so that it was facing him. "Oh Gods, he got you on the forehead, here take this potion." Kora felt her lip starting to tremble and forced herself not to look back at the body.

"H-he smelled like the stables and he just came after me for no reason at all!" She managed to get out without her voice chocking too much. "Oh Parda, what's going on in this place?" The older man shook his head in reply before offering to walk her to where Gorion was staying. Kora thankfully took the priest up on his offer, glad to have someone around to help her walk on her shaking legs.

"Child? What is it? You look as white as a ghost," were Gorion's first words as he saw his foster daughter being lead up the stairs. "Parda, did anything happen to her?"

"Someone was hiding in wait for her. Don't worry Kora, Gorion will take care of you while I get your pack." Parda patted Kora on the head fondly, something he hadn't done since she was eleven, before hurrying off towards the female quarters. Gorion's face had gotten the closed look that Kora knew and dreaded. It meant that he didn't want anyone to know what he was feeling.

"Are you hurt in any way child?" Kora numbly shook her head. "Did anything… strange happen while he was attacking?" Kora felt a bubble of laughter rise up at the question, did Gorion really expect her to have noticed anything besides the man attempting to kill her? But she shook her head in response. "Good. Here child, I have a gift for you. Hold out your arm." The dark haired woman gave her foster father a puzzled look but complied; Gorion in return pulled out a bracelet of some sort and placed it onto the quarter elf's wrist, a faint tingle of magic traveling up her arm as Gorion snapped it shut. Kora raised an eyebrow wondering where Gorion had gotten the fancy piece from and, much more importantly, why he was giving it to her now. The old man noticed her look and smiled gently at her. "This is very important, do not ever take it off unless I tell you to, is that understood?"

"Yes father."

"Good. I also want you to remember, if we ever get separated for any reason at all I want you to travel to the Friendly Arms Inn. There you will meet two old friends of mine, Khalid and Jaheira. Repeat that back to me." Kora was still shaken enough by her near death experience to not have to heart to roll her eyes as she repeated back Gorion's words. Why was he acting so strange? "Good. I see Parda is coming with your travel pack. Do not worry child."

For some reason that made Kora worry even more.

' ' '

Hours later Kora had decided that the day really was the worst in her life. Not only had she been attacked by men who smelled like manure but she had been walking for hours in the dark (not for the first time Kora wished that she could have inherited the ability to see in the dark) while bugs bite at her flesh. Silvermoon wasn't any help at all, after a few games of 'Guess what I See' the fairy dragon had fallen asleep in Kora's pack. Gorion had told her to keep silent unless something was important, so Kora had to amuse herself by looking at rocks and guessing what type they might be. None of the books that she had read had ever talked about how boring walking through forests truly were or that after the first hour or so blisters would start to form on the feet of the one walking.

"We're in an ambush," Kora thought that she heard worry in Gorion's voice but that couldn't be right. He had fought dragons, battled hoards of monsters; nothing could worry him after that.

A booming laugh had Kora rush to Gorion's side, the seven foot figure that strode from the shadows did nothing to discard her of fear. "You know why I am here. Hand over your ward and no one will be hurt."

"Gorion?" Kora whispered trying to grab ahold of his sleeve to get his attention. What was the man talking about, why would he want her? "Father?"

"Kora, I want you to run. Run as far as you can!"

"What? No I can't just leave you!"

Gorion cast something upon her the world seemed to be moving at a much slower pace as he yelled at her not to be a fool, to obey him and get out of there. Kora stood frozen for a moment until pain ripped through her upper arm and she let her fear take over. The quarter elf turned and ran, tears streaming down her cheeks as she heard the noise of battle behind her. She wanted to believe that Gorion just wanted her away from the battle, wanted to believe that he would somehow win. But the same cruel laughter was drifting through the forest and there was no more sound of spells.

Kora had no idea how long she had run, but she had finally collapsed onto the ground as her legs gave out. Her tears had also given up and were drying upon her cheeks as the young woman looked around the area. She had no idea where she was or if the armored figure was still chasing her let alone how to get to the Friendly Arms Inn. But would going there be safe? The armored figure had known that Gorion and she would be walking on the path, who was to say that he wasn't waiting for her at the inn?

"Oh Silvermoon, what should I do?"

"I do not know Mistress. Are you sure that your father is dead?" Silvermoon leaned his face against Kora's cheek and purred in an attempt to comfort her. The dark haired quarter elf allowed herself to close her eyes at the sound. "Wait, someone is coming!"

Kora swore as she drew her short sword, thankful yet again for knowing how to use it. "Gorion had to have known something like this would happen. He didn't seem too surprised by the figure asking for me. Oh father, what did you keep from me?" "Do-don't come any closer or else!"

"It's me, Imoen! Are you alright?" Kora let out the breath that she hadn't known that he had been holding in before rushing to her friend's side. "Oh Kora I saw what happened to Gorion and I am so sorry!"

"I-is he dead then?" Kora's heart plummeted in her chest as Imoen sadly nodded. The quarter elf had known of course, but having it affirmed for her was heart breaking. The red head stood to one side awkwardly as Kora sniffled into her cloak and Silvermoon made whining noises inside of his throat. "Thank you Imoen. But what are you doing out here, shouldn't you be in Candlekeep?"

"Are you kidding? Everyone is such a bore and I'm not going to let my only friend in the world travel without me! And now that- Well I'm not one to let a friend down. You're stuck with me forever and ever." Kora smiled at that, if a bit watery, and straightened up. "So where are we off to oh fearless leader?"

"I don't know. But we should get out of here in case we're still being tracked. Keep your bow ready, ok Immy?" "I'll figure it out as we go. Hopefully someone with a bath, decent bed, and books."

Whew, so there is chapter one. Yes, yet another "CHARNAME from the start" but this story comes with a few twists. I'm adding in some storylines from mods, adding a few characters (hopefully interesting ones to other people, no worry there are no Mary-Sues among the bunch), and adding a few "WTF did this never happen?!" from my own insane mind. Hopefully you will give this story a chance!