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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Taboo" data-source="post: 581255" data-attributes="member: 5912">Kierwin and Minx came down the stairs to have breakfast, and found the others having breakfast with two new friends who were headed north to find children that were missing there. Apparently, Thorin had made friends with them the night before, and had even brought up the subject of joining forces. One had reddish colored skin, was around eight feet tall, and appeared to be all muscle, he said he was an Ogrun. The other was a ranger, and was six feet tall,  bluish gray, and was a Trollkin.  Kierwin wondered just what she'd missed out on last night at dinner, when she realized that Minx already knew about these two. Minx felt terrible, and wanted to talk to Turk about the rash she had that Dem had identified as mummy rot. He told her he didn’t know anything about it and asked why she was asking him.“Dem said something about you being touched by Pelor, and that you might be able to help me. I haven’t seen you until now, so I couldn’t ask earlier.” Minx was doing her best to be nice.Turk honestly didn’t know anything about mummy rot and couldn’t help her, he said he hadn’t even seen a mummy before yesterday.  He was genuinely confused about why Dem had told Minx to talk to him about it, he certainly didn't know anything about healing or diseases! Thorin had the same problem as Minx, but wasn’t as sick as she was. Thorin and Minx decided to go to the temple together to see Dem again, hoping she could help them, even though she couldn’t cure them of the problem, she could help with some of the symptoms.Geirmund and Snap finally came down to breakfast before everyone split up for the morning.  Turk finished breakfast after Minx and Thorin left for the Temple, and their new friends, finished their breakfasts, and after some further talk about what was happening in the north, left on their quest to find the missing children.  Kierwin was having trouble deciding what to do and barely touched her food. She finally decided to tell Turk about the baby, and asked if she could talk to him upstairs alone. She didn’t know when she’d have the chance again since they were headed back to the Sunless Citadel, and was afraid to wait given the circumstances. Turk nodded his head and they went upstairs to his room. They whispered to each other while they walked up the stairs, and shared a kiss for what seemed like no more than a few moments, lost in the passion that flared between them when their lips met.Suddenly, they heard Kierwin’s name screamed from downstairs so loudly that reality came screeching back. (Kierwin had never heard her name screamed so loudly, Meepo probably heard it all the way back at the Sunless Citadel.) Kierwin remembered what she had asked Turk up here for, and the chance was gone.  The longer she waited the worse things would be between her and Minx, and the harder it would be to tell him. It was already going to be hard enough to explain as it was! How did Minx and Thorin get to the Temple and back so fast? She knew the real question was how long had she been lost in that kiss?Turk and Kierwin walked out of his room, and Kierwin told Minx she needed a few minutes to finish her discussion with Turk. Minx was irritated to say the least, “Oh, PLEASE, Kierwin, it’s only been a few hours! We need to go get the apple,  because I’ll be dead if I don’t.”Turk winked at Kierwin, who tried unsuccessfully to restrain a smile, “And the reason we should go get the apple is?” Minx glared at both of them. “I am not even justifying that with a remark.”Turk replied innocently, “Oh, we are going to go get the apple for Osa.  I knew there was a reason.” Kierwin was frustrated, she’d just gotten her nerve up to tell him the truth! “But I only need to talk to Turk for a few minutes, please?”Minx obviously didn't believe her. Kierwin tried to explain exactly what she was doing with Turk upstairs (ok, what she’d meant to be doing), “We were trying to talk when we heard someone let out a scream my name from downstairs! It’s a serious discussion, not what you think.”Minx really didn’t care.  “Ok, you know what? I’m going on, if you guys want to come with me, please do. Because I’m gonna be dead if I don’t.  Talk on the way! Can you read and write Turk?”That produced glares from Turk and Kierwin, but it got Minx the desired effect.“Ok, we’ll talk on the way, but I need to talk to Turk in private. Not a problem, but we’ll keep our distance.” Kierwin got the picture and decided to talk to Turk on the trip back to the citadel, hoping this would work. This was going to be tricky, how was she going to keep all of this secret with everyone around? She really didn't want to hurt Minx, but she couldn't let anyone know about this, especially not her.They were prepared to move out when they realized they didn’t have Snap with them, Geirmund was standing silently in the back, faithfully and quietly as usual. Minx promptly screamed loudly “SNAP!!!”. Then they realized he was still having breakfast and went and got him, and they set off for the Sunless Citadel.They stopped by the Temple so Turk could go in and check on Rowena. The others waited outside for him.Kierwin didn't talk to Turk on the walk back to the Citadel. She was thinking about her talk with Minx that morning. Something Minx had said crossed her mind and she couldn’t get past it. Kierwin admitted she misunderstood the reasons Minx disliked Turk. Minx admitted that he was a good man, but she felt that he dishonored women. How ironic that Kierwin’s parents said she’d dishonored her entire family. Fault didn’t matter, all they cared about was the way it looked to the rest of the village. She’d brought shame to her family, and they hid it from everyone, while Kierwin suffered for nearly twenty years. That’s why she’d been getting ready to leave the Misty Isle when they’d been kidnapped.Granted, the circumstances were different. Kierwin’s parents were afraid of the village finding out about their daughter's dishonor. Minx saw the difference and offered to be the family she hadn’t had. Now her child’s father, and the one person closer to her than a sister couldn’t stand each other. Kierwin thought about what Minx had said about the baby if Kierwin was pregnant. A “bastard half-elf.” What would Minx actually think about the baby when she found out?Minx really was closer to her than a sister, that made this even more difficult. She would give her life to save her friends, or to save the person they were on a mission to save.  Kierwin also knew that once she’d made up her mind about something or someone, it was hard to get her to change it. What about how Turk had taken such good care of Rowena, a woman who was still in a state of shock, unable to speak, and whom he had met less than a month ago? He used his own money to take care of her, and found a place to keep her comfortable and safe.Didn’t the good he did mean anything? Turk had a kind heart, a good soul, that was part of what had drawn Kierwin to him in the first place. There was a lot about him that she didn’t know, like how he’d react to her past, or to the fact that he was going to be a father. That was what made it so hard for Kierwin to decide what to do now, but whatever she did, Turk would have a say in it.The more she thought about it, the more her thoughts turned toward the one person in the world who never thought she’d dishonored her family or herself and never would. The person who’d saved her life twenty years ago. He wouldn’t care that she wasn’t married, and would welcome her and the baby, the words “bastard half-elf” would never escape his lips.  She’d have to find out how to get to the palace of Gildor, maybe Geirmund would know. The next thing she knew they were back at the crevice leading to the Sunless Citadel and it was too late to tell Turk anything. She was back to reality as they readied themselves to descend into the darkness once again. She silently prayed that Ehlonna would watch over them all in this forsaken place.</blockquote>

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