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“Surprise!” Your voice called out over the open field as Halsin backed away into the tree line. Shadowheart stood a few meters in front of you, her eyebrows raised and mouth hanging open slightly in shock.
Through the silence, you began to hear your heart beating sharply in your chest, its unsteady rhythm reminding you of your fears about her reaction. It had taken a few hours and way too much magic between you and Halsin, but the field of Night Orchids had grown nicely around a small blanket right in the middle.
“What is this?” She took a small hesitant step away from the flowers, finally breaking her gaze on the flowers and looking you in the eye.
A nervous laugh rippled through you. “Well, it’s a field. Of Night Orchids.”
“I can see that.” You could hear the amusement in her voice over the tightness that had been there ever since your encounter with the Night Song. “Why?”
“I, well, uhm..” You trailed off. At the time you spoke with some of your other companions about your worry for Shadowheart and her dwindling sense of identity, this had seemed like a good idea. Now though, standing in front of her with dirt stained clothes and shaky hands, you weren’t so sure. “I know you like Night Orchids. And I, sort of, maybe, like you. So here we are.”
Your hands flew up to your face, hiding it as you hoped you hadn’t come off as too weird or awkward. Maybe you should’ve just let Halsin or Karlach handle the cheering up of the resident cleric.
Before you could spiral too far into your thoughts, hand on your own brought you back into reality. Shadowheart had crossed the distance between the two of you and gently pried your hands away from your face. “You did this for me?”
You nodded with a small smile. “Yeah. Well, Halsin helped, but yeah.” You took a deep breath, enjoying the way her eyes lit up while she eyes the flowers the two of you were now surrounded by. “I just, I thought you could use some time away from your thoughts.”
Before she could respond, you took tighter hold of one of her hands and pulled her over to the blanket that sat in the middle of the field. You let go briefly and gestured for her to sit down and pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Is that wine? Actual red wine?”
You nodded, laughing. “I managed to grab some from last light before we left. Hopefully Jaheira wasn’t too mad about it.” Shadowheart smiled again. “Just promise me you won’t tell Astarion. He’d probably up and leave if he knew I had been holding onto this and didn’t offer him any.”
This time Shadowheart let out a laugh, full and bright, so unlike anything you’d seen from her as of late. You’d do anything to live in this moment forever. “I promise.”
“Good.” You giggled along with her. “And now that you’re in on the secret, would you like some?” You conjured up the warmest smile you could, holding a now full glass of wine to her.
“I suppose it would be a waste not to.” Though her words were indifferent, you could hear the happiness in her voice.
For a few moments, the two of you just sat in silence. Enjoying each other's company and the way the moonlight hits the flowers around you was enough.
Shadowheart was the one to break the silence. “I don’t know what to do.” Your head turned, giving her your full attention while she stared straight in front of her. “To find out that I, that my whole life could be a lie. That I could’ve given my life to a goddess who… And now, it’s like I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
You took a moment to take in her words. It was obvious that finding out about Shar’s misdeeds against her had taken a heavy toll, one that couldn’t be fixed by anything other than time. “I do.”
She looked at you then, unsure of your words until you began to elaborate. “I know who you are.” You plucked a flower from beside you, placing it softly behind her ear and watching as her eyelids briefly fluttered closed.
“How could you know? I barely remember my life, let alone anything before Shar took hold of me.” With a soft smile, you dropped your hand from her hair and laid it gently onto her hand.
“I know that your favorite flower is the Night Orchid, and that you can’t swim. I know that you have a fear of wolves.” Shadowheart went to speak, but you cut her off. “I know that you value your privacy, and you’d rather tell someone about what you’re feeling in your own time than be forced to talk before you’re ready. And I know that I’d wait hundreds of years for you to be ready, even if it’s something small like your favorite food. I know that you live your life in faith of those you trust, whether it be a goddess or a friend. And that faith is strong and pure and full of light, and anybody would be lucky to have that faith put in them.”
“I don’t have to know every detail of your life to know you, to see you. And neither do you.” You finally broke eye contact, shifting to lay back against the blanket, your arm spreading to the side as a silent invite. “You are kind hearted, and strong, and you will get through this. With or without a goddess by your side.”
Shadowheart sat unmoving, gazing out into the field of flowers while you laid there admiring the way she looked. Some time later, Shadowheart shifted to join you on the ground. She tucked her head against your chest and laid her arm across you.
You slid your hands up, one lightly playing with her hair and the other just holding her. The night air seemed to still, and Shadowheart’s silence no longer seemed deafening. It was as if, for the first time since Dame Aylin became a part of their roaming pack of adventurers, she was content.
“You know,” Shadowheart whispered, her voice sounding tired. “I like you too.”
You tightened your hold on her and closed your eyes, falling asleep with those words ringing through your mind.