# Bel and the Dragon [[11.13 Belaryl Horzza|Belaryl]] sat quietly in [[15.01 Ephialtes|Ephialtes]] office, playing with the Scavengers that had been removed from her. Ephalites was showing Bel what they looked like in their natural habitat in his home plane of Dream. In that light they flashed and coruscated with rainbow shimmers that felt good on her skin. Ephalites showed her how they were *meant* to behave, cleaning up negative spots in dreams or off of physical objects that are tainted with psychic damage, and letting those emotions sublimate into the shimmer that she was watching wash over her hand. "You saw my good memories" Bel said. It wasn't a question. Ephalites nodded, gently gathering up two of the Scavengers and putting them into a container made out of the stuff of Dream. "So you know... [[11.11 Tam|Tam'Mara]] and I..." She said quietly. Ephalites' eyes betrayed nothing as he nodded once, curtly. "The next time your child comes to my dreams, will he know too?" "Do you want him to?" Bel considered. "I think...I think Tam'Mara does not want others to perceive things about her without her control." Again Ephalites nodded silently. "So I think I don't want your child to see those memories." "Then [[15.02 Diphalos|Diphalos]] shall not." Belaryl reached around to the back of her neck, where the one remaining Scavenger was clinging to her. She couldn't feel it, but she thought if she focused *really* hard that maybe she could. It unnerved her slightly but there was no way she would admit to that openly. "When they are all gone, will I lose my edge?" She asked. She had her daggers with her, Ephalites had showed her how the Scavengers had cleaned the blades. Her daggers weren't nearly as drenched in pain as Tam'Mara's had been. Bel knew why but knew that *this* secret was *definitely* not hers to share. "What is your edge?" Ephalites asked. "You are not a weapon, Belaryl." "I have *always* been a weapon, Dragon. Honed and forged by my mother, tried and tested by each and every day of life in Drow society." Words came easier in Undercommon and Ephalites seemed to have no difficulty understanding her, and she suspected it was because he wasn't hearing sounds, but thoughts. "But you are not in Drow society now; do you still need that edge?" "I'm not good at anything *else*, Dragon! I can barely ride a horse, I can't make anything that anyone up here wants." She stopped speaking in the face of the Moonstone Dragon's silent and compassionate gaze, and huffed in exasperation. "Tam'Mara fights, kills, but you do not chide her for 'being a weapon'", Bel muttered. "Don't I?" was all the dragon would say in response. And then he nodded slightly. "When you do harm to others you must invariably harm yourself as well." Bel's mind flashed to the moment when Tam'Mara's grief over her maiming of a high elf ~~slut~~ [[Nicolette LaMontagne|woman]] ~~who clearly deserved it~~. "I think I see your point." "I am glad, Belaryl. You have found a rare gift: a second chance. I would delight in knowing you used it well." Ephalites said. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments. Bel felt lighter than she had ever felt in her life. "I am going to leave Threevale, Dragon. Tam'Mara knows this. But I think it will hurt her. Will I hurt her by leaving?" "She will experience pain but will not be damaged. She knows why you need to leave." "You will still watch over her? And [[15.02 Diphalos|Frogbutt]] will too?" "Always." "Okay."