The travelers whirled around to see a group of ten drow standing behind them. Every single one was clothed in black armour, and girt with a sword.
Each one had the look of a seasoned fighter.
"How did you find me?" Makareth spat, his blades already drawn.
"I have plenty of experience tracking down stray dogs like you." The apparent leader of the group said; stepping forward with his arms folded across his chest, "Though, you have proven to be quite elusive. For that I applaud you." His face split in a satisfied grin, "But this time, I have you surrounded. Give up now, and maybe I won't drag you back to your mistress on a leash like the mongrel you are!"
Makareth's ear twitched at a clatter of pebbles behind him, and he looked over his shoulder to see five more drow emerge from behind rocks, and in crevices; moving to encircle himself and Liana. The wood elf saw them to, and turned her bow to face them.
"You won't escape this time." The drow leader said, "Even with the help of your ranger friend. Accept it, and lay down your weapons."
"Never!" Makareth growled, tightening his grip on his daggers, as his purple eyes flashed with rage.
The larger drow shook his head, drawing his sword.
"You will come with us; one way, or another." He snarled, signaling to his men. The circle of dark elves closed in as they surged forward; intent on capturing their prey.
They were caught off guard though when Makareth didn't outright attack them. Instead of fighting like they expected; he dropped to the ground and slid under one of the warrior's legs, bolting for a zurkhwood forest.
The leader cursed under his breath, leaving the others in pursuit of the smaller drow.
Liana fired off multiple arrows, felling the five dark elves in front of her; but her bow was knocked out of her hands a second later as one of the remaining nine caught hold of her. Her scream of pain at how the drow twisted her arm, caused Makareth to look back from the edge of the mushroom haven.
This slight pause allowed the pursuing warrior to catch up, making a lunge for the smaller dark elf. Makareth's eyes widened as the other drow slipped a cord made of spider webs around his neck; pulling him against the warrior's armoured chest.
He went limp, slipping out of his captor's grip; one of his knives finding the larger drow's leg, the other severing the silk cord. As the dark elf warrior's leg buckled under the pressure of Makareth's blade; the smaller drow fled into the mushroom woods, never looking back.
"Makareth!" Liana screamed, struggling against her captors as the slim drow vanished from sight.
The warrior leader cursed again, slamming his fist into the cave wall near where the small drow had stood only moments before.
"We'll never catch him in there sir." One of the dark elves said, clamping shackles onto the wood elf's wrists.
The leader sighed, running a hand over his face in annoyance.
"No matter." He growled, "We will find him again sooner or later. For now, I bet the mistress will find this little wood elf useful for a ritual."
Liana paled as she was lead away. Was she really going to have escaped slavery, just to die in a demonic ritual?
She kept staring at the zurkhwood forest where Makareth had vanished, until it was lost from sight behind a bend in the road.
0*0*0*0*0
The small drow continued running non-stop, ducking under, weaving through, and leaping over the mushrooms; until he was sure he was no longer being pursued.
He slowed to a walk, chest heaving as he caught his breath. Looking around to make sure of his location; he turned, circling back to the ledge where he left his pack. Picking it up, he glanced down at the raider wagons that still sat on the floor of the cavern. Seeing no other living creatures, he made his way down, searching the tunnel floor until he found what he sought.
His draconic mask.
Makareth knelt, taking the carved piece of bone, and setting it on his head. Having all that he came for, he returned to the ledges near the ceiling; making his way to the small secluded cavern he called home.
Hidden from the watchful eyes of the other drow as a supposed spider's nest; it was lined with soft silk on the walls, and the entrance was shrouded in sticky webbing which caught and held all who didn't know how to enter.
It was not entirely void of spiders though.
As Makareth stepped in past the death trap at the entrance; two large jumping spiders about a foot long each, ran up to him; climbing his tattered clothing one sitting on his shoulders, the other settling on his outstretched right arm.
"Hey girls." He whispered, removing his mask, and stroking the pair of spiders, "Sorry I took so long getting back."
He walked further into the cave, setting his pack, and mask against the wall; sinking to the floor to rest his tired limbs.
The two spiders also re-positioned themselves; the one moving from his arm to his lap, the other climbing from his shoulder to the top of his head. He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes with an exhausted sigh; running his fingers through the soft fuzz of the spider in his lap, while the one on his head fiddled with his silver hair. After a while, she stopped playing with his hair, and moved to pull at the bandage around his head, eventually tugging the knot loose so the piece of cloth fell into the drow's face.
Makareth cringed a bit as the spider's clawed foot scraped over the scab behind his ear, opening his eyes to see the bandage lying across his forearm. He couldn't help thinking of how carefully Liana had tended to his injury before binding it up; and how he left her to die at the hands of the drow warriors.
He shook his head; pushing the thought to the back of his mind. That's how life works down here. He said to himself, You look out for yourself, or you die! She made the mistake of helping me, and payed the price.
The image of the dark elves twisting Liana's arm back returned unbidden to his mind, accompanied by her screaming his name as he ran away. A strange emotion that was wholly unfamiliar to him gripped at his heart as the sound of the wood elf's cry echoed in his mind.
Guilt.
It would be foolish to go try and help her now. He thought, Maybe I shouldn't have run. But what's done is done.
Contrary to what he kept telling himself, the strange tightness in his chest persisted; until hours later he gave up with a muttered curse of aggravation, standing up and putting his pack and mask back on.
"I am so going to regret this." He said to himself, running out of the cave with his two spiders behind him; heading back towards the cavern where Liana was taken captive.