Chapter 4
M'lar urged Ebony on his run, giving him his head she headed him towards the roadway from town. She knew if she had gone to the park, Marstoq could follow her and continue their discussion.
She was not so inclined to continue that discussion until she calmed down. As she lightly whipped the horse on in his run, she was no longer aware of her surroundings only that she was on the road to the fishing village on the other side of the island.
Moving him forward at break neck speed she saw the obstacle in front of her and ready to have him jump it. Rising from her seat she felt him leave the ground and then she felt the sting of something sharp as it hit her in her hip.
Landing with ease she held onto the horse's reins until the buzzing sensation filled her head. "Shit." She muttered as the darkness closed over her and she felt he body falling from the saddle.
Landing with a hard thump she subconsciously knew she would bruise and regret her rash action in the morning. Then the darkness prevailed and surrounded her world dropping her into nothingness that was unconsciousness.
Marstoq swore softly and then he got it from all those in the tavern.
"Why did you do that Marstoq? "
What the hell are you thinking?"
Is she not your mother?"
"Why are you condemning her for having a life outside your narrow world?" This last comment was made by the very man who had irritated him as he stood in the open doorway looking for a challenge thrown at Marstoq.
"Manshak this is none of your business this is between myself and my mother." Mars stood and glared accusingly at all those that had offered up a defense of his mother.
"As a matter of fact this is none of your business. You all should mind your own and leave me to mine." He glowered and for once no one back down from that temper.
"Then you should not be discussing it in plain hearing and view of those here." Manshak said as he entered the room. "So, in the future, you might wish to adjourn to a more private setting to discuss your family business."
Marstoq felt his emotions coming to the front as he growled low. "This is not your concern Doctor." Marstoq turned his back on those in the room.
"if it concerns your mother it concerns me and if it is a discussion I had with your mother earlier; then it most definitely concerns me. But as I feel this is not a matter for public display I shall return when she is here." Morgan turned and exited the bar.
Marstoq responded as he typically did when his ire had been raised, he flung his mug at the fireplace smashing it against the wall. "Not good for business boss." Baloq observed as the occupants of the bar stood and left the bar.
"No one wants to see a grown person having a temper tantrum and if you don't have butts in those seats and ale in their hands then you don't make money."
Marstoq was beyond reasoning, "Why don't you mind your own business. No one asked you for your opinion least of all me." He glowered his irritation at the drow tender.
"Fine, then run this place yourself." Baloq took his apron off throwing on the bar and moved out of the bar leaving him alone in his bar looking at an empty room.
Feleena entered the bar and looked around. Seeing her husband she set their son down and let him toddle to his daddy. "Poppa, poppa!" he called in his little boy's voice. Mars sighed looked at his son and then his wife.
"Another temper tantrum with your mother?" She asked glibly watching him bend and pick up their son. "You know my husband that if you wish to make a profit you need two things."
Feleena was moving to the bar stool next to him, sliding up to sit next to him she spoke softly, "One is to keep the customers happy and two what keeps those customers happy is your mother."
Marstoq did not need another lecture but he had no heart to argue with his wife. "I know but did you know Morgan proposed to mother?"
Feleena looked shocked and surprised all in one flick of her eyelashes. "And this surprises you how?" She asked with a degree of sarcasm edging her voice.
"They hate each other! The fact she would not come to me right away and tell me of this proposal irritated me and frankly hurt my feelings." Marstoq finally admitted what was the crux of his problem with his mother's lack of courtesy to him.
"You assume they hate each other but it seems to me that she is mending fences. You must realize her life and world does not revolve around you any more husband."
Feleena was trying to see both sides. "She has her own life." Feleena was his voice of reason as he set and listened to the idle prattle of his son trying to learn common from their conversation.
It was not surprising he would echo what his mother was saying.
"Own life poppa, own life." He muttered listening to his parents. He played with the buttons on his father's uniform. His little fingers tried to pull them and then he looked up noting his father's expression.
"Kan Tel love poppa." He spoke softly then smiled that cubby little cheek smile that would melt his father's heart.
"Poppa loves Kan Tel." He glanced around the empty bar and then to his son once again with a heavy sigh he shook his head. "I guess you should take him home while I go look for mother."
"Grandma gone out-of-town." Kan Tel remarked as he tugged on his father's buttons again.
"What do you mean mother left town?" Marstoq looked from Feleena and then to his son.
"We saw her on the road to the fishing village as we came into town and she was riding Ebony hard." The sound of pounding hooves out in front of the tavern gave a hint that someone in a hurry had arrived.
Orion entered the tavern pausing to look at the only occupants. "Where is M'lar?" He asked the hint of irritation edging his voice.
Marstoq thought another lecture as he slumped over the bar. "She left. Apparently according to my wife she was headed to the fishing village. Why?"
Orion frowned, "Because I just found her horse wandering into town with blood on its saddle." Orion nodded to the door and the front of the tavern.
Marstoq sighed deeply, slid from the stool handing Kan Tel to his mother. "Wait here. She probably fell off and when she tried to remount the horse bolted."
Marstoq moved out to the highly spooked horse that was snorting and breathing hard. "He needs to be walked out. He has worked up a hard sweat."
Looking around he spotted one of the local street urchins his mother was fond of feeding. "Dooley, come here!" He motioned him over. "Take this horse and walk him out until he has cooled off then stable him out back and give him some hay."
Dooley smiled his toothless smile took the reins and pulled the horse to walk him up and down the street. "Did you see it? There was a little blood on the side of the saddle and it was fresh."
Marstoq sighed deeply, "Yes I saw it, come on lets head to the fishing village road and see if we can find her."
M'lar felt her surroundings were damp and dark. The only sound that told her she was not on the surface or in the open was the constant dripping sound that ehcoed around her. Sitting up she pushed her hair out of her face and looked around. Adjusting her infra vision to the dark surroundings she could make out vague shapes.
They appeared to match the other sounds she had heard. The area that surrounded her was damp and filled with water in spots, which lead her to believe a cave at low tide.
The taste of the drow sleeping poison she had been shot with was tainting her taste buds. Licking her dry lips she sighed and sat back against the lichen covered walls of this cavern.
She had to wonder where she had ended up and why she was there but figured it would be revealed soon enough and true to form it was. The figure of the older male drow that had questioned her earlier appeared from the water pool that edged the shelf's lip where she had been placed.
Stepping on another lower shelf he made his way to her. "Get up. You are coming with me." He jerked her arm cruelly pulling her up to face him. He smiled and she shivered seeing his teeth.
"Can you read arcane drow?" He asked in that clipped tone that reminded M'lar of the military commanders that would frequent temple on Nissans when she would be on a visit.
"Yes, I read over one hundred languages." She said with a bite to her own words as she felt him tug her towards the water. "Wait, let me cast airy water so I can follow you."
He looked at her curiously, "You can do such a thing?" He was surprised that she was more than just meat or cattle. He studied her as she began to chant and move her fingers to cast ~airy water~ .
Pulling her along with him he forced her into the water and noted the area around them was now filled with air and not water she had put an air bubble around them.
"Interesting." He said as he tugged her along the water to another site nearby that held a shelf and pockets of air around them.
Leading her along the bottom of what she thought was the lake area he took her to another area near by that held a chamber that was filled with people. They looked frightened and hopeful as the leader of the group of sea drow brought another into the room.
She could distinguish many languages as they huddled in pairs around the opening of the cave. The older male sea drow shoved her past those gathered into a smaller chamber.
He pointed to a book that lay open on an altar structure that had appeared to be a butchering block. M'lar shivered thinking that is what those in the other room were designated as food for these horrible creatures. Moving to the open book she moved her fingers over the brittle pages and was surprised.
This book had to be over a thousand years old and was so perfectly preserved. Looking down at the arcane words written she moved her hands over the top of the book and chanted. Closing her eyes she cast ~dis-spell magic~ The words quit shifting and began to come into better focus.
Moving her fingertips over the pages she began to read the book, it was a historical accounting of those that used to dwell on Tal Shandor, the name of the floating citadel that had become New Damara.
As M'lar read from the book, another younger version of the older one entered the room. "Lomax there are others looking for the Priestess, Telder has been injured he will be passing on soon."
M'lar paused in reading the book turned back and looked at the younger sea drow. "Perhaps I can heal him? I am a Priestess blessed with a lot of power to heal." She had spoken in fluent drow. The younger one was surprised hearing her speak in drow.
Lomax turned to the young one. "Janar, take her to Telder and see if she can heal him. If she is unsuccessful then punish one of the hostages." His words were abrupt and to the point as he gave out the orders.
M'lar sighed, "If I am successful, will you let one of them go?" She tried to negotiate with Lomax.
"If you are successful I won't have him kill you, once you translate this book." He countered.
"Great no pressure." She muttered as she followed the young male sea drow known as Janar. She continued to follow the svelte form of the male sea drow only to paused briefly to check out the others in the room as they looked with a hint of hope to their eyes.
Speaking rapidly in all the languages she had heard upon entering the cave she tried to calm their fears, telling them to have faith and be patient and she would try to have them rescued.
Janar jerked her forward by her wrist, "Silence meat, and come with me." He pulled her towards another chamber where more of the male sea drow had gathered around one prone male. He laid on his back his breath was heavy as he tried to breath in the waterless air.
Looking him over she found he had been bandaged, removing the bandage she noted he had suffered a spear wound to his lower abdomen. Seeing the blue tinge to his blood she knew she would need to work quickly.
Laying her hands over his wound she closed her eyes and began to chant softly. The room grew restless hearing her chant and eyes fixed to her as they watched her hands begin to glow with the healing light her god granted her.
Telder had watched her through pain filled eyes as she pressed her hands to his now healing wound. Finishing that chant she took a deep breath and began to chant again, this time he whole body was surrounding by a light as she cast ~restore health~
The young warrior took a deep cleansing breath and sat up looking at his comrades. He shouted in drow, "I am healed, I no longer seek the ocean's depths to let my body rot and my soul to travel the grey waste until I see Umberlee again!"
M'lar felt her body weaken from casting two such draining spells to bring his health back. Slumping to the floor she felt a set of hands guide her none too gently up. "Come you have earned your life."
Janar drug her along the same hallway she had traveled earlier with all eyes of the male warriors watching her as she left. Each male giving one anther a knowing smile and a lascivious look at M'lar. "Good mating material." They muttered to each other with a nod.
Janar had heard them, as did M'lar. She kept her council to herself as she was dragged less gently down the hallway and back to the chamber where Lomax stood looking at the book. "Well?" He questioned without looking up.
"He lives and is in good health, she is weakened from the spells she used." Janar shoved her down on the floor. M'lar fell skinning her knees but hiding the pain of the action behind the fall of her hair over her face.
"Then she has earned her life." Lomax said as he continued to study the book in front of him.
"But we may have a problem Lomax. Grodno and the others now wish to consider her as a part of the herd for breeding purposes, they will challenge for their right."
Lomax sighed deeply, "I see. So they think they have the right to rape her?" He glanced at the figure on the floor and then to his son. "We need to bind her quickly."
Janar frowned, "To whom she is useless as a mate. The only thing she is good for is warming their beds or healing them from their battle wounds." Lomax considered her, as she seemed to cower on the floor.
M'lar was using the time to get her strength back and then she was going to fight her way out of this hell hole and take as many of those in the other room with her. "Look how pathetically she trembles on the floor. She would not make good breeding material because her off spring would be weak."
Lomax held his hand up. "She is smart enough to translate this book and to heal she has some uses, if someone should make a sacrifice to take her as breeder then I will take her and bind her to my line."
Janar started forward with a look of revulsion. "You would take this ugly breed as a bonded mate? Father surely you jest." He was outraged that he would soil himself with her.
Lomax held up his hand. "Silence Janar, we need her for now, once we have had our fill of her we will either feed her to the others or throw her to Umberlee and let Umberlee decide if she lives or die. Now leave us."
Janar turned in a fit of anger that was only held in place by his rage over his father's decision. He wondered at his father's thinking and continued to consider perhaps the time of challenge was upon him.
M'lar lifted her head and glared daggers of resentment and anger at her captor. "I will fight you all the way Lomax, understand I will not be taken and I am far more deadly than you could imagine." She spoke softly through her teeth as she parked her anger heralding her courage into the forefront.
Lomax laughed as he studied the pathetic breed on the floor at his feet. Moving to stand in a superior form over her with hands on hips he ordered, Get up!" M'lar sat still and waited.
Lomax did as she expected, when he reached for her, she shifted rolled and planted her feet into his chest and kicked backwards with all her strength.
It took little to send him flying back into the wall to land with a thud and a deserved grunt. "Unggh." M'lar tumbled backwards standing and moving to the door.
Making it through the door, she slammed it closed and slid the bar in place. Turning she peered around and followed the hallway back to the chamber that held the others.
Looking at them she spoke in languages she had heard earlier with a sense of urgency. "All of you lock hands and stay with me, do not let go of each other until I can get us to safety." She had done a head count and four were missing from earlier she frowned but time was of the essence.
Chanting she cast ~airy water~ then taking the small one on the end of the line by the hand she led them to the side of the basin and jumped in tugging them all into the water with her.
The descent was quick with the weight moving along the bottom of the ocean's floor, she led them in the giant bubble of air. Seeing the shelf drop she kicked with them to surface and look around for bearings.
That was when she saw they were not that far from the leeward side of Noble Island. Sighing with relief she moved quickly towards the shoreline, having all her rescued hostages lie on their back and float as she tugged them along to the shore.
Reaching the shoreline she pulled them one by one to shore and then collapsed to the beach. The sight they made as the tiny half-breed tugged ten people to shore had caused a stir of excitement on the shore line.
Those on shore began to move to help as best they could, noting the hostages were mostly under fed and weak from their ordeal. M'lar lay on her back waving off help as she got her breath and her strength back.
Word had spread over the island and the residents of Noble Island were showing up with carts and carriages to help those that had been rescued. M'lar kept her eyes closed as she concentrated on breathing normally and feeling her strength slowly return.
She knew after this she would be down for at least three days. It was from the distance she heard his voice. "Stand aside, let me through." Morgan made his way to her side.
"I see you over did yourself again my dear. Well nothing for it to take you to Mrs. Johnson and let her pamper you. She has missed you." He spoke so softly and his touch was as gentle as his voice which made M'lar's skin want to crawl.
"No just take me to my temple please." She spoke weakly while being lifted and carried by Morgan to his carriage.
"Non sense, you will come back to my home with me and no argument." He turned to his servants. "Help the others and see they are fed and a place to rest. I will be at my estate if I am needed."
M'lar wanted to protest but was too weakened by all the magic she had used to help them escape. Closing her eyes she gave in to her own weakness and slowly fell into unconsciousness.
Kait sat at the table watching Feleena move about the room taking orders like a drill sergeant. Kait had said little since her arrival and hearing that M'lar yet again may be in danger. Sat and chewed her bottom lip with a degree of concern as she waited for word from Orion.
Feleena's normal good humor was growing thin as she took orders and filled them. The afternoon was growing closer to the evening crowd coming in and she was in a foul mood. Turning to peer around she muttered, "Where the hell is Baloq?"
Kait looked at her root beer and then to Fel, sighing softly she stood moving to put on an apron. "You make the drinks and I will wait tables until we find out what has happened to M'lar."
It did not take long for the word to spread like wild-fire, of a miraculous rescue from the ocean's floor and they all had made it safely to Noble Island and of course the one name that kept being repeated was 'M'lar.'
Kait looked from Feleena to those coming in boasting of being there for the rescue. Then of all that would come into the bar looking for dwarven ale and shouting at the top of his lungs. "SHUT AYER PIE HOLES AND BRING ME ALE YA GIZZARD BRAINED IDJET!"
Kagar Fireyes had made it to town carrying his trusty axe and spoiling for a fight. He stomped into the room and laid his axe on the floor with a kerthump. "WHUT AIR AYE LOOKIN AT YE POLE EYED DUNDERHAID." The short stout dwarf was one of the most feared members of the King's court on the island.
Looking around bleary eyed he spotted Feleena behind the bar, "FELEENA GET AYE SCRAWNY BUTT IN GEAR AND BE BRINGING AYE A ALE AND NONE OF THAT CRAP THET AYE PASSED OFF AS DWARVEN ALE! BE BRINGING AYE THAT GOOD STUFF THAT FUNNY FACED WENCH SERVED AYE THE LAST TIME I BE 'ERE! MAKE IT A WHOLE KEG, AYE GOTS ME A POWERFUL THIRST TA QUENCH!"
He slammed his fist on the tabletop nearly cracking it into. Feleena wanted to laugh at the obnoxiously loud one but kept her features neutral and found the keg he referred to. "MOVE AY ARSE WOMAN! DON BE A TRYIN' TA GIVE AYE THET 'ORSE PISS AYE THINK IS DWARVEN ALE!"
He shouted while watching Feleena disappear through the double doors to the kitchen. Kagar knew that was where the good stuff was kept and he was not patient to wait. Looking at Kait he blew her a kiss and winked at her.
"WHUT AYE LOOKIN AT BLONDIE? THINK AYE CAN HANDLE A MAN LIKE ME?" Kait did a delicate snit and turned her back on the obnoxious male dwarf. "AYE BE A BETT'N LOOKIN' IF AYE 'AD A BEARD! BUT FER A CLEAN FACED WENCH AYE NOT BE TOO BAD ON THE EYES!" He watched as she snitted again with her head held high and her back ramrod straight.
"I do not know how Beau could tolerate such an uncouth man as that." Kait muttered under her breath as she waited patiently for Fel to bring him his keg.
Shifting the weight to her shoulder, Fel found the keg and carried it out to Kagar. "If you would just keep your pants on you would have gotten this sooner. Because you are such a shit, I decided to make you wait."
"WHY I OUGHTA PUT THIS AXE RIGHT UP THAT SCRAWNY ASS OF AYER'S.!" He snorted then waited to tap the keg. Filling the tankard with the ale he belched and then spit on the floor. "NOW BRING AYE SOME OF THAT GRUB AYE CALL FOOD!"
Kait was about to snit again when Marstoq came into the room. "We found her on Noble Island she had rescued about ten people from the sea drow." He spoke for those that were interested to hear what he had to say as he entered the room.
Kagar had raised his cup to drink when he heard Marstoq say sea drow. Spewing his drink across the room, he stood up. "BOUT DAMME TIME AYE GOT ME A BATTLE TO DO! TIME IS AWASTIN TIME TA KILL ME SOME SEA DROW! TEMPUS BE WIT ME AN IFN' AYE DON'T THEN SCREW AYE AND I DO IT ON ME OWN!"
