Content warning. Implied cannibalism, accidental & on purpose

Ira was a light sleeper at the best of times. Stuck in a twenty by twenty round stone building that amplified every little sound, including the rain drumming off of the tarps stretched above and then running down into the pit that had been dug in the center where the fire pit had been only made it worse. Still, practice and patience won out, and she while she never really slept meditation was the next best thing. It was a curious dichotomy between being able to rest through continuous, loud noises and remaining alert enough to defend herself at a moment's notice. As such, when Viconia started to shift across the tower while everyone else seemed to be more or less unconscious, Ira missed the sound of her steps over the sound of the rain but noticed the distinct smell of fear as it permeated the area.

One silver eye cracked open, and in the pitch black the world was an amusing mix of greys.

Viconia was leaned over the drow sorcerer as he lay prone where he had been feigning sleep, and they were flicking their fingers at each other. The way Baeloth was holding himself spoke of a concealed weapon, likely a dagger, but so long as he didn't draw it... Ira watched for a long moment as the cleric kept one hand on her mace, fingers otherwise continuing to flick and curl before she let out the faintest of breaths and moved to push herself up from her seated position. There was an art to moving quietly, and while she lacked the grace that most might have, the brawler was able to slink to the side, slip up behind Viconia, and then peer down at Baeloth from over her shoulder.

His eyes widened, and he went very still regardless of how Viconia flicked her fingers. Finally, she sucked in a breath as if to speak before Ira rumbled beside her ear.

"I -really- hope there's not a problem here."

The cleric's stillness was matched by the sorcerer's, though only one could see her.

"I'd really hate it if you woke the Kid up. He's got a lot of training ahead've him, and it'd be absolute butts for him if he had to wake up because someone fireballed the inside of the contained space because someone tried to club them with a mace. In fact, both've you, why don't we get some fresh air, yeah?" Reaching past Viconia, she snagged the sorcerer by the front of the robes and hauled him up, other hand clamping down around Viconia's forearm as she started to lead both out the door. One application of a foot later, and the door was open and she pushed them both outside and was able to turn to close the door behind the three of them. "Now then. The Kid asked me to make sure neither of you murdered the other. So you're gunna talk, out loud, and I'm gunna sit here and watch and listen."

"Or else what, hmm?" Baeloth pulled his hood up, trying to protect himself from the rain as best he could even as he folded his arms.

"There gotta be an or else? All the Kid wanted was that I stop you from murdering each other, not that I mediate every little dispute. But if you talk in common, I can at least get forewarning, and deck the first person who tries to make a move 'gainst the other, which plays to both've you's advantage." Ira leaned back against the tower, arms folded and watching both as she ignored the weather. "I don't care what either've you do with the other beyond how it factors into the coming fight, 'cause you both've been told there's one coming tomorrow."

"But... But don't you know who I -am-?"

"She does not care." Viconia gave the sorcerer a smug look from under her hood. "Do not worry, I only seek to learn where he hails from and his intentions."

"And I told you that I don't -care- about petty city disputes, disturbances or disruptions! I run the Black Pits, for pity's sake!" Baeloth threw up his hands. "No matter what House comes on top of what city, there are always slaves to buy."

"I do not trust you."

"Mutual, Miss Menacing, but must we meander through more mires and mountains of misleading manifestos? We both depend on these rivvil and the faerie for our safety." Baeloth jerked a thumb towards Ira and she let out a long suffering sigh. "Why would I damage or disregard the direct defensive demonstrations when it would only be detrimental? No, I think not! Not now, new nanny notwithstanding! -I- think you just want me under your -heel- like every male you must have met in Menzoberranzan!"

"You know -nothing- of me, let alone of what I did in Menzoberranzan!" The cleric drew herself up, glaring at the sorcerer through the rain, practically hissing at him. "You know -nothing- of what I endured, of what I went through to get out of there!"

"So it stands to reason that you both hate Menzoberranzan and the way things were run." Ira yawned widely, giving herself a slight shake to ineffectually shed some water. "I get that you both don't trust, but nobody's asking you to. All I think the Kid wants is for neither've you to stab the other, and considering you both aren't in the Underdark cities for the similar reasons - that being you both hate matrons and Lady Fuzzybutt, it seems - , why would you? Stab each other, that is."

Both drow stared at her for a long moment, and she held up her hands.

"Just sayin'. From my perspective both've you're wasting your time and effort on each other when there's a buttload of bandits I'd rather you blew up. They're even guaranteed t'be tryin' to kill you."

Baeloth and Viconia turned their stares to one another, remaining silent as the rain continued to soak them all.

Damion woke, and immediately had the feeling that something was wrong. One, there was no Ira waking him up. Two, he had -slept in-. Three, he smelled some form of meat cooking. These three things had him moving to sit up as he peered around, noting Xzar leaned over a fire and poking at strips of some kind of meat that were impaled on sticks. Viconia was a short way away, clutching her holy symbol in prayer as Baeloth tried in vain to swat at a small insect that buzzed nearby.

"... Where is Ira?"

"Punchy Nanny is out scouting. Breakfast?" Xzar turned and offered one of the strange kebabs out towards the archer, who looked queasy and shook his head.

"No, uhhh, no thank you. I'm... Not hungry yet, but thank you. When did it stop raining?"

"Oh, about an hour ago." The necromancer turned back to his work, starting to nibble on one of the strips of meat and humming cheerfully to himself. "Sssaid to let you sssleep, yesss... Sssaid to let you get your ressst..."

"I... Appreciate it?"

Xzar nodded absentmindedly, picking at some of the meat and murmuring under his breath in a sing-song tone.

"Tasty tasty Raaabbiiit~..."

Damion went slightly green, before nodding and pushing himself up to head outside.

"Rabbit you say? Riveting! Let me relieve you of some, rivvil..."

By the time Ira returned, everyone was up and ready to go, silent save for some idle chatter provided by Xzar and whoever would answer him. It was mostly Damion, as the other two were taking turns watching each other and watching the forest.

"Good, nobody's left and nobody's dead. I've got news."

"Bad news first." Damion shifted where he sat on a section of broken tower, bow across his lap.

"Al... Right. Well, we're outnumbered. There's at least two dozen gnolls, three dozen humanish people and four dozen hobgoblins. Most've the humanish ones are archers, though I saw a few wearing better than average armor. The three wearing vibrantly red robes, those are the ones that're troubling to me. It's Thavian red, though I didn't recognize any of them. Of the gnolls I think one're two seemed different than the others, but there's a mix of both archers and melee fighters among the hobs."

"So what you're saying is it's impossible."

"Those the words that came out've my mouth, or are those the words that you -wish- did." Ira gave Damion a rather pointed look, before he wilted slightly and she shook her head. Peering down, she started to sketch a rough outline of the camp. "After the rain, things won't really be dry enough to burn, but there's other options. Taking them out one by one, long ranged, distractions, there's all kindsa roads to take. 'Sides, we've got things they don't."

"Like what?" Viconia leaned slightly to study the circles carved into the mud.

"You. Him, him and him. And me. We'll split into teams. Xzar and you, Baeloth and the Kid, and me. You can give Xzar cover, and Baeloth can give the kid magical protection. Atata- Don't give me that look Xzar, I know you wanna go with the Kid, but 'tween your tendancy for close range stuff and Viconia's shield that's the best chance you've got."

"And why are you on your own?" Damion frowned at the brawler, and she quirked a brow in response.

"Look me in the eye and tell me any've you can keep up with me once I start running."

"I... Good point. But why Baeloth and I? Aren't you worried about...?"

The sorcerer put a hand to his chest, looking shocked.

"Attack you? -Me-? You wound me, rivvil! I may be many things, but survival in a land I know -nothing- about takes -teamwork-. And you lot are the closest I have to a team to work with."

"As he says," Ira snickered, shaking her head. "He needs us about as much as we need him. 'Sides, if he's half as good as he says he is, he'll have no trouble at all with the Thavians. Three casters against you,what say you to that, Entertainer? Well, you and bow-boy."

Baeloth froze, eyes darting around for a moment.

"Hah! Nah, don't worry, I'm counting on your resistance to magic to buy you the time you need to get out've there, and on the Kid to know to keep a bit more've a distance and put arrows into anything that comes against you. I've got the Thavians. You guys need to draw out the worst've the forces, though, hence the two-man teams, each one with someone who's got a good chance've not dying immediately if one've the Thavian's gets away from me." Ira stretched slightly, before exhaling. "Which r'minds me. Whatever you see, whatever you do, try and ignore me as best you can. Viconia, reserve one healing spell for me. I'm prob'ly gunna need it, and all I gotta do is survive this encounter to get to you. I don't need t'be pretty afterwards. But all in all, even saying all've that, this is all gunna come -after- the smart thing to do."

"Which... is...?" The archer looked back down at the rough map in the mud. "From what you were saying, I thought that was the plan."

"Well, that's step two and three. Step one is you practice your hit and run skills shooting into their camp and trying to take people out before running like hell, and anyone that comes out after you the rest've us pick off and scatter. And if the whole camp comes out, you stick to your two man teams, one goes east and one goes south. If hear an explosion, prob'ly safe to start coming back and re-engage."

"Boom?" Xzar peered up at her from where he had settled next to Damion, nibbling on a strip of meat.

"Xzar's right. I didn't think you could use magic." The archer frowned once more.

"I can't, no. Not that type, 'least. But I'm pretty sure the Thavian's can, and I'm gunna use'em to blow up their own camp. You guys gotta realize that this whole thing relies heavily on all've us being able to kill a ton of people very quickly, be able to piss'em off back and forth, and nobody getting their asses kicked right off the bat, right?"

"What if one of us gets captured?"

"Then you're fucked, Kid."

Nimloth!
You're most welcome for my take on things, and I hope I didn't come across as rude or argumentative. I like when people question things, because no two perspectives are ever exactly the same. Regarding whether Xzar knows Sarevok, well, we shall see! But I will say that in the book, Xzar is killed by Sarevok. (Dun dun DUN!)
I'm glad that you're seeing noticeable growth in Damion! It's what I'm going for, is slow but inevitable progress! Also, the hardest part to write for Baeloth is that he's got a 50/50 chance on any given sentence to speak in alliterations. Which, while fun to write, can be vexing when I get two thirds of the way through a sentence and find that there's no word for what I want that starts with a specific sound.
Wise man once said, Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Leave a message after the tone!
-KD