((Yeah, another one already and the first one hasn't even been read yet, lol. Don't hold your breath the next one may take longer. So we finally have two of our heroes join the story and what is this they found? Well, you'll see. I am warning you now, it's weird, so don't say I didn't warn you. *Grins* As always I own nothing from TSR, Wizard's of the Coast or Forgotten Realms I just can't get them out of my head. Rowen))
Nolu'Tazraen reluctantly followed his sister through the gate he had constructed specifically for this purpose. The idea of a Matron Mother giving up her place even to a returning Matron was unfathomable to him, but, like his sister would possibly say, he was only a male and could not understand what Lolth wished. So, he did as any loyal male would do and followed the orders of his current Matron Mother. He waited, a few steps away from the current Matron mother of house Zau'ghym as she set the large mirror like portal device in the middle of the clearing.
Nolu'Tazraen wondered again why she insisted on doing this on the surface. He had done as she asked and found a remote clearing at the top of a hill, he had researched when the moon would be at it's fullest and had constructed the gate that had brought them here. Now, he waited while Shuruque set the items once belonging to their mother around the device and stepped back. He didn't know what she was expecting and he assumed that soon enough he would be reopening the gate to take her and the mirror back to their house.
Just as he was about to suggest going home, the moon broke over the tree line and it's silver beams struck the dark, mirror like surface. The whole thing glowed softly and slowly an image appeared. Both siblings gasped as the figure of a female human appeared to them in the glass. She was average height for a human, some, not the Drow, would consider her rather pretty. She had fare skin, long white hair and blue eyes. With the white hair one would think her old, but looking at her face they would see a young woman. She wore black pants of some strange material and a shirt with no sleeves that hugged her curves. Nolu'Tazraen's jaw dropped open and he moved closer to confront his sister. "A human? It searched out the Matron Mother and found a human?" he said, anger tingeing his voice after all he had done to be led to this end.
"This is no human female, you see before us, dear brother, this is Matron Alydiira Vicfryn Zau'ghym. The spell chose a form that would keep her spirit safe until she could be returned to us," she said laying a hand over the image, the surface unyielding ass if they peered through a window.
"How do we reach her?" the male asked watching the woman as she put on a large blue cloak like piece of clothing.
"We wait for the moon to reach it's highest point and the portal will be open for us to help her through," the priestess said, glancing over her shoulder to squint at the bright orb rising above the horizon.
It had been a long journey thus far for Wolfgar and Drizzt, traveling to Icewind Dale on a whim. They had visited Ten Towns, one of the few places far from Mithral Hall that accepted Drizzt, then made their way up the side of what was once Breunor's Lookout. Of course it had been years since they had been there last and the look out no longer existed, having collapsed so long ago. Now, the pair headed home.
They had stopped on the side of this hill to camp for the evening before finishing the last leg of there travels. It would be another week to home and they were in no hurry. As they relaxed by the fire a sudden flash from the peak near them caught Drizzt's attention. Wolfgar followed his friend's gaze and notice movement on the bare peak. "What do you think it could be?" he asked.
"I do not know," he said, his brows furrowed as he tried to discern what was going on up there.
"But, you aim to find out?" the big man smiled, and Drizzt looked to him with his own grin.
They quickly moved up the slope, coming to the tree line below the two figures and a strange mirror in the middle of the clearing. The moon was only moments from being at it's zenith and they kept silent and still as they watched the pare of Drow watch the image they could both see was a human female. Sure the pair could not hear them, the barbarian leaned close to his friend, "What are they about?"
Drizzt shrugged, his eyes never leaving the scene before him. "I do not know, but it can not be good. What do they want with that woman and why scry for her out here in the open?" He grew silent as the moon peaked and the mirror glowed with an eerie light.
"Yes, it is time," Shuruque whispered excitedly as the portal opened. The young woman set down the object she had been holding and stretched, It was late and she was more then ready to go home. She pulled the strange plugs from her ears and tucked them in her shirt. A soft glow behind her made her turn and she gasped as she watched a ring of light expand before her, the image of some mountain top revealed to her and two creatures she did not recognize right off. She shook her head, thinking she had not gotten enough sleep and was hallucinating. When she looked again, she didn't even have time to scream as the creature closest to her in the strange robes reached through and took hold of her arms, pulling her through.
The adventurers watched in shock as the Drow priestess reached through and pulled the woman to their side of the portal. Once through the glass, the woman stumbled against her captures, looking back and forth between them. "What's going on here? How
did you do that?" she said, loudly enough for Drizzt and Wolfgar to hear her, the panic in her eyes clear. The male Drow looked at the female, both confused and said something in their own language. The human just stared at them as they tried to understand why she could not understand them.
The priestess snapped something to the male and all Drizzt could make out was 'gate' and 'take her home.' The wizard turned and cast a spell, opening a magical doorway near them. The woman screamed as the priestess started to pull her toward the gate.
Drizzt and Wolfgar went into action, the Drow, moving to a better vantage point close to the Gate and the male Drow and Wolfgar charged straight in, his mighty war hammer leading the way. The male Drow had already leaped through the gate before the barbarian's war cry had sounded and the female jerked her head toward the sound with a scowl. She had no time to even think of starting a spell or striking out at the human male barreling toward her, for the woman in her grasp stumbled and cried out as if she were in pain and the priestess looked at her and smiled. All she had to do was get her through the doorway and all would be well.
She yanked the human to her feet and tried to rush to the gate, but the human female had other plans. She kicked the other female as hard as she could then punched her full in the face, yanking her wrist free and sending the Drow into the gate that closed right after her. The effect on the woman was not good as she tripped over a rock and stumbled herself straight at the now black glass of the mirror thing. Her head made contact with it as she fell and she passed out, face down, her white hair covering her shoulders and back nearly to her waist.
Seeing there would be no fight, the barbarian slowed and looked about confused. Drizzt appeared from the trees and looked around himself confused. "They were alone?" he asked, shocked by the turn of events.
"It would seem so," his big friend replied. "Why would they want the woman?" he said remembering her and turning at the same time as the ranger to rush to her side. Wolfgar gently rolled the woman on to her back and both men gasped in surprise, for laying there in the clothes of the human they had seen only moments before was a Drow female with a nasty gash on her for head from the fall into the strange device.