Soar, as the others sleep and you keep watch, you see something out of the corner of your eye. It's dark and you're only seeing gray through your darkvision, but there's something small - a bird, or an insect perhaps - hovering behind a tree, peeking out from one side and then another. You get the strange feeling that you're being watched.

She keeps an eye on it but doesn’t stare. She rouses Candelabra from his foraging and gives him mental directions to a position widely flanking whatever it is. Asks him to let her know if he sees or hears anything that might be lying in wait behind the watcher. In case it’s a scout for a larger group or has more friends.

Another version of herself from long ago, maybe even as long as a few days ago, may have approached in a friendly manner and a grin, offering gifts and greetings. But she just sits there, slumped, and barely watches.

Soar, the creature continues to flit about behind the tree, but eventually seems to summon the courage to move a little closer. Candelabra watching from behind doesn't see any more than Soar at this point.

The creature hovers closer, then a little closer. You can now see the shape a little better - this isn't an insect but a little winged humanoid of a type you've seen before. It's a pixie. Not one you've met before, but the similarity is clear even though this one is a little smaller. They continue to approach, and even though Soar is not staring, they would definitely be aware that Soar is watching. 

Are you... you are, aren't you? The Lady Soar? The voice is quiet, and the words in Elvish.

Soar looks up as the pixie approaches, then looks around at the sleeping forms of her companions, and the working elves. She blinks, squeezing her eyes shut tight, and then pinches her cheek. She opens her eyes wide and looks at, yes, definitely a pixie. 

"I am known as Soar, yes, but not a lady. Are you a dream?"

Oh, you are most definitely a Lady, and also a hero and a great friend of my Queen, the pixie replies firmly. I... are you alright? You don't look much like the story I heard. But they said you needed help. And no, I'm not a dream. At least, I don't think so. The pixie mimics Soar's action, pinching they're cheek. Still here!

Soar's eyebrows furrow a tic and her head tilts marginally. A reflex of a smile begins to form but turns into a half-cocked grin, more puzzled and straining to remember than outright recognition. 

"Could it be? Oltara...? What's your name? How did you find me? And what do you need? Help... well, I don't even know where to begin on that front. I'm definitely not alright. It's been a very, very bad day."

The line about being a hero, and a lady, and a friend to a queen seems to flow right by her. But the dark clouds in her eyes are, if not lifting, at least brightening a smidge, thanks to a distraction. 

Oh... wow... I met... oh, goodness, the pixie seems suddenly very nervous. I'm just a humble servant, my Lady. My name is... um... you can call me... En. Yes, En is my name now. For the moment, I guess. I was told that you were having a very bad time, and I'm really sorry. I brought you a gift from Her Majesty, who's very worried about you but is confident you'll pull through, I was definitely told to say that. But the gift was a bit heavy so I've stashed it in a bush. Shall I go and get it?

“En, you can tell me your full name, if you like. You must be very brave, to seek me out so far from home. There are dangerous things even in this forest,” Soar says, looking at the direwolf carcasses. “Thank you. I too am a humble servant. Feel free to go to the bush, or if you like maybe I can help you retrieve it? You must have traveled far, perhaps you need a rest?” 

She forces herself to a standing position and signals one of the elves that all is well.

En smiles, you think - they're very small and it's hard to be sure - and flutters away back the way they came. Two quiet minutes pass, and they're back, carryout a pouch. It doesn't look too big, but is clearly heavy as En is flying slowly and straining a little, though trying to hide it. They drop the pouch into your hand, assuming you hold out your hand to receive it. It's made of dark green felt, and you think you feel something hard like a box inside.

One gift, delivered on time, En says. Well, almost. Yes, there were some spiders. I hid. I don't want to talk about it.

Soar’s eyes light up briefly, ever so faintly, and one smile line creases the skin near her left eye whilst her right eyebrow rises marginally. “Oh? You braved the spiders? We ran into some of them. Nasty things. You have nothing to be ashamed of, staying away from them. I bet you are very skilled at picking your battles, En. That’s something I need to learn. Plus there’s just one of you, fierce and wily though you may be. There were more… of us. Back then.” She trails off, eyes dropping to her hand, the light in them gone, harsh memories closer at hand. 

She looks at the bag, closes her eyes shut tight, and pauses, breathing slowly and deliberately. Tears dry. “Have you ever failed, totally, and completely at something you tried to do, En? I’ve had setbacks but nothing like this. I’ve tried to make more light and good in the world than dark and evil. There’s a lot of badness around. Some bad we need, it’s necessary, predators and mischief and frustration and loss and grief. Death, part of life, a cycle. But what we are fighting against, it’s worse than that. They’d take over, completely. No cycle. Broken. And we tried to stop some of them back there and we failed. We lost… people. Good people. Jalt over there managed to bring one back, and maybe if we are lucky we can bring another back. I had all these… fancy weapons, armor, tools. I wonder if they was all that made it possible for me to do all those hard, ‘heroic’ things. I’ve got a stick now. And some tricks. And the enemy has all our fancy tools, and no one to stand in their way, and they know everything there is to know about us. Well, maybe not everything.”

She opens the bag.

En listens quietly, thoughtfully, and takes a moment to respond. I have failed, yes. It's something I... well, something I'm trying to make up for. I was lucky to be trusted with this mission. It's good that there are some people who can find it in them to believe in me, when... They trail off, but attempt to speak again. I guess there was a time before when you didn't have much, right? I mean, everyone starts with nothing. But you do have your friends, and everything you've learned since then. And... they look down... it's a nice stick. Useful. I bet you could bash a spider real  good with that. Seemingly unsure what else to say, they fall silent.

You open the bag. It contains a box which opens easily, and holds a single large diamond.

Soar stares at the diamond for a breath, two, ten. "Oltara, you're a lifesaver." She looks up at En. She doesn't let herself smile though there's a reflex at the corners of her mouth. "You know what this means? We might be able to bring back Tangle. She's laying right over there, she fell when we all failed. You might like her. Then again, maybe not, she could be difficult. But sometimes we need difficult, right? Guess we'll find out if you'll like her. Jalt, the one with the vestments sleeping over there? He used a diamond to bring back Bazavur, the other sleeping dragonborn. I'd like to wake them both right now and share the news, but they need sleep. We all do."

She turns back to the pixie. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I think you've paid back whatever debt you might have had, and then some. You're welcome to sit here with me on the rest of my watch. I have a question for you, if you don't mind. I had a dream, after I last said goodbye to Udays and Oltara. 'A strange place, wild green forests, huge colourful plants, mists that cover the land and strange geographies that make no sense. It is the Feywild,' though I'd never seen it before. I was 'drawn through a doorway and into a forest glade where there seems to be a party going on. Much dancing, strange and beautiful music, and at the head sits a woman on a throne.' Her eyes locked on mine, and she whispered into my mind. 'A trinket only, with my thanks as well. But there is so much more I can offer you. If you choose it.' Then she smiled. I can show you what she looked like, little trick I've picked up, I know not where from." She uses mask of many faces to appear as the queen.

After she shifts back, she asks if what she dreamed is a real place, and if that is a real person, describing in detail everything she remembers about it. She also describes the 'trinket,' the ring she got from Oltara, lost now to the cult.

Later, assuming En doesn't have any recognition of this person or place, she says, "I'd love to hear your story. How you got here, where you're from. What your plans are now that you've accomplished your mission."

She hasn't unlocked her deathgrip on the diamond, and won't until her watch is done and it's time to wake up someone else (Jalt's next? Or Bazavur.?)

En does choose to remain with Soar.

They look over at Tangle briefly, and then turn away. I only know a little of Rúei... of Tangle's story, they clear their throat as though embarrassed and move quickly on.  I hope I will like her if I have a chance to meet her. I'm sure I will. She might not like me. I've never met a dragonborn, though I have met several... sorry, there's all sorts of things I'm not really supposed to talk about. Sorry.

I don't think my debt is done. Not even close. Thank you for your words though. I'm not sure what will happen next. Something exciting and fun I hope. They don't sound certain.

It's clear from En's reaction to Soar's story that they recognise at least some elements of the dream she recounts and the figures within it, but doesn't want to talk about it, or tell much about their own background or how they got here. I shouldn't say much. It's not a secret, not exactly, it's just that we don't talk about it much in this world. But I came from the Feywild, and I'll go back there when everything is done. That's home for me. There's a sense of reluctance to talk openly much further with someone they've just met, and Soar can make an Insight check to attempt to discern more, if you like.

Soar's watch ends, and presumably you wake Jalt. 

(Nothing else attacks in the night, so feel free to finish off any conversation you with to have with En or with Jalt.)

Soar nearly responds that she used to hope every morning that she’d win over Tangle, but the comment sticks in her throat and she swallows, and grips the diamond harder. 

She finishes her watch and, both impatient and reluctant, wakes Jalt. She gives him a full summary of what happened, and hands over the diamond. She introduces En to Jalt. She tries not to let excitement run wild, and once Jalt has asked any questions he has, she falls asleep as soon as her head hits the ground.

En is rather shy, but gives a slight bow to Jalt; they won't speak unless spoken to at the moment. :)

The sound of Bazavur's deep snoring wafts over the campsite.

Jalt wakes up and listen's to Soar's story as she hands him the diamond. He inspects it carefully and mutters... this should do. He has prayed for help and a sign that Bahamut is watching over him and he takes this moment to symbolize that. He thanks En and motions for Soar to go to sleep. It's his turn on watch and he's got a lot to think about.

Jalt's watch passes peacefully, and so does Bazavur's.

You all wake in the morning, having completed a long rest. You are only a few hours' walk from Altand through the ever mist-filled forest, and the elves are busy clearing up and preparing for the trip the rest of the way.

Soar wakes slowly. Blinks. And the memories, foggy, come rushing back. She feels each failure and loss again, like she's getting pummeled. She gets up to sitting like she's carrying weights.

Are we wearing our own clothes? Or like smocks? Also is En still near Soar?

Bazavur, who I assume is awake, gets a sleepy, confused, but empathetic look. "How are you feeling?"

She waits for Jalt to wake and says, "well, shall we see if Oltara's gift, and the grace of Bahamut, want to bring back one more?"

En is hovering some distance away, not leaving but keeping their distance.

While she waits for Jalt to decide, and Bazavur to reply, she moves over to En and asks what they planned to do now.