TWO
I must admit, even I felt a pang of sorrow as I left the training grounds. The Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart had, even if they had failed me when I was younger, provided me with a home, and had given me a quality of training that hundreds would have killed for- although, technically, I did kill for it. The blood of Angar was already upon my hands when I entered the grounds.
The blood of about ten others had been added to it when I left.
Occasionally to test out the magical knowledge Tôleth had given me both of us would sneak through the streets, and break into houses. It entertained me to lead my victims in an elaborate chase… a great ruse. Sometimes, I would go, and pretend to be at the wizard's mercy, and the weak-hearted fools would come to save me, only to die, their blood pouring all over me, screaming and crying for mercy. And that alone was a sign of their idiocy.
There was no mercy in the world.
Tôleth would watch me with a wry grin on his face, and sometimes, laughing as we did so, we would make love in the blood of our victims. And every night, I would return through the secret portal into my dormitory. Sometimes, I wonder how the paladins, who supposedly had the ability to protect evil, failed to notice my night-time excursions, but if they had, I would have had another tool present to protect me.
Dami, who was two years older than me, watched me leave every night with interest. He knew more about me than any other person within the training grounds, for both our souls had some dark depths to them. One night, he confided in me that he despised all that these knights did. And as he confessed that, I found myself seeing him in a new light.
He was not some sanctimonious squire. No… he was an attractive son of a nobleman, who was concentrating on winning his spurs, so that he could please his father. And his father wanted Dami to gain his spurs, because it would win his family greater influence in Waterdhavian society.
There were many people in the training grounds like that, though I never bothered to find time to locate them all. I was content with Dami, for both of us understood each other. On the nights when Tôleth did not call for me, using a charm he had placed on my brand- it would feel unnaturally cold when he wished for my presence- me and Dami would enjoy ourselves.
His hair was raven black, his eyes a deep green, and when I kissed his firm, adventurous lips, I would look into those eyes, and melt away, both of us groaning in muffled pleasure, grasping onto each other for dear life. He took me to places I had never been too with Tôleth, for with the wizard, it had always been unequal. The wizard had been so much more powerful, so much more experienced.
Dami and I were equals.
He was the only one really that I missed in Waterdeep. As I left, riding behind Tôleth- who I had told Dami much about- he smiled at me, in a way that promised we would see each other again someday, and that he was looking forward to it. Tôleth would do for now, but one day, I swore to myself, I would return for Dami, and together we would rid the world of arrogant fools like the knights.
Tôleth looked at me, questioning. I shook my head. "Are you sorrowful to leave them?"
"No," I answered quickly and firmly.
It would not do for him to find out about Dami… the wizard had already proved to me that he was jealous. A peasant boy who I had once found enjoyment with had been seen hanging outside the grounds of the Order one morning. None of the knights knew what it was about, but I knew perfectly well- it was a deliberate action by Tôleth to tell me that I was his, and that any treachery on my part concerning my body would be met by swift reprisal.
As Waterdeep stretched behind us, the massive walls and towers becoming smaller with every league we travelled, I smiled, for a great sense of freedom had descended upon me. I and Tôleth were now equals… for the time being… we both served the same goddess… and we both had immersed ourselves in the arcane arts.
"Where shall we go, mrannd'ssinss?"
I deliberately used the drow word for lover, smiling as I did so, knowing that the strange music of the drow dialect would set fire to the senses of my partner. Indeed, his eyes brimmed with a sudden desire, and he moved his horse so that he rode close to mine. He kissed me softly on my lips.
"You do know how to please, don't you?"
And he ran his gloved hand through my hair, brushing my forehead tenderly. My breath caught for a moment, as a tingling sensation ran across my skin. I crooned slightly, and a near-purr of contentment left my lips. He nodded once, amused, and then nudged his horse forward.
"We travel south, to Baldur's Gate. I have an associate there that I think you would like to meet. There is great work to be done. The temple of Helm is in disarray, for their leader has been killed most brutally. Now is the time for the servants of Fury to strike. Umberlee, Talos, and Malar have urged their followers in the Gate to join in a holy crusade against the Helmite church. Auril's followers this far south exist rarely, which is why we must go there, to act as the representatives of the Frostmaiden in the venture."
A sudden surge of excitement shot through me when he said that, and I closed my eyes, imagining the duty-bound clerics of Helm bound before me, as I wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and gently teased their lips with my tongue, touching their bare skin, and whispering seductive words in their ear using the drow dialect, that they might travel to the underworld with the memory of my voice ringing in their ears as they stand before their god, disgraced.
"I can hardly wait, Tôleth."
He said, "I can see that. You are a dangerous man, Sion. I am glad that we are bound by bonds stronger than desire. It is a great fortitude that has allowed our paths to cross, that has allowed us to taste each other."
"It has nothing to do with fortitude, lover, it is through the will of Auril that we ride together this day."
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They attacked us about twenty miles north of Baldur's Gate.
A force of about twenty bandits, wearing crude chainmail and carrying rusted weapons. I looked at the bandits, hardly knowing what I was meant to do, but that faded swiftly once my instincts kicked in. The single bandit on a horse, who I assumed must be the leader, galloped towards me, his sword in much better condition that the rest.
Trained vigorously by the most talented knights of Waterdeep, I drew my own sword, and waited for the leader of the bandits to close the gap. He did so quickly, and I had time to register that he was a middle-aged, slightly fat man with greying hair- nothing that appealed to me. His sword slashed downwards, and I noted that his swing was rather clumsy.
Used to training with knights, I was about to warn him that his swing was flawed, but then I smiled. There were no knights to see me here. I could do what I liked. My blood started to pulse faster, and I must have grinned, because he frowned. I parried his clumsy blow and, as quickly as I could, slashed lethally, and cut a deep scar on his cheek. He paled, and raised his sword again to try to strike at me.
Giggling slightly, excited by blood as I always was, I stabbed him in his shoulder, and, limply, he dropped his sword to the ground, its loud clunk echoing loudly. I smiled comfortingly at him then, and, with comforting pat on his head, ran him through, my sword piercing into his heart.
He coughed once- blood spurting from his suddenly pale lips, and then he fell from the horse like a sack of wheat. His horse, agitated by the smell of blood, reared upwards, and started to gallop along the road. I could easily find it again and get whatever loot I wanted from the saddlebags.
I turned to look at Tôleth, and saw he had burned to ash any of the bandits who had come to close- only three of them had been stupid enough to try. Sighing, I wondered why my lover hadn't chosen the obvious spell that would dispose of them all, and in a way that would be beneficial to us all.
People that attacked supposed innocents on the road would hardly be opposed to us, after all, would they? Deciding to follow that train of though, I started to cast a quick spell, and the bandits looked at me in fear, realising that they faced two wizards. But that fear faded quickly, when I sent pale yellow ball of magical, glistening energy soaring lazily towards them.
It struck one of the bandits, and then scattered, touching each other bandit once. I smiled as they grunted, and each one fell to the ground, eyes closed, and a dopey grin on their faces. A simple sleep spell, that would keep the majority of them incapacitated.
Tôleth looked at me. "What are you thinking, Sion? We cannot have our way with all of them… not that I would even touch most of these…"
I chuckled softly at my lover, and said, "Is that all you believe I ever think of, sex? No… that hasn't crossed my mind. I have you at my side, Tôleth. What need have I of any other man? What I suggest is offering these bandits a chance for employment, and a chance for riches. Think of it: if we arrive in the Gate with only two of us, our presence and influence in the crusade will be minimal. If we arrive with sixteen bandits, then our role will increase, and our share of the glory will increase with it. Not to mention the benefit's that our mistress's notoriety will experience."
My lover nodded, and his eyes glinted. "Yes… a very good plan. But we will have to speak to just one of these bandits… the second in command. Then when the rest will wake up, he can tell them what is going on. Well done, Sion… I can see that you really are cut out for this, after all."
We had a moment's brief debate, deciding which one was the second-in-command, and we finally decided that a tall fellow with black hair and equally black eyes, who had weapons of slightly superior quality- he carried two katanas- was the most likely candidate.
Tôleth woke him up, and I watched as the bandit sat up, lethargically, blinking, as if unsure where he was. When he saw the wizard, he flinched, but did not attack. Whoever he was, it was obvious that he was intelligent, for he knew when he was outmatched.
"Why have you not killed us?"
Immediately, I knew he was something different. He referred to the bandits as us, which straight away told me that he viewed them as a group, as a unit of warriors. It meant that these bandits had been travelling together for a long time, and that anything that might threaten their 'brotherhood' would be refused. Any offer that posed a threat to their way of life would be disregarded
In the drow tongue, which few understood, I told Tôleth what I thought: "Uk telanthen d' mina 'zil natha vla'rinnyn. Uk gumash nauxahuu l' gultah."
He speaks of them as a brotherhood. He could refuse the offer.
The wizard nodded. "Usstan zhaun, drill plak'la orn drewst tangis' l' valmuth d' vla'rinnyn. Khaless uns'aa…"
I know, but gold will remove even the bonds of brotherhood. Trust me.
I rolled my eyes. "Dos telanth d' khaless wun l' xanalress d'lil ilythiiri?"
You speak of trust in the language of the Drow?
"Ves al. Ori'gato uns'aa telanth folbol endar: tlu venorik, Usstan zhaun vel'bol usstan tlun xunin."
Very well. Let me say something different: be silent. I know what I am doing.
Sighing, I let him speak. Tôleth had probably done this before, anyway, and I was just distracting him from the negotiations. I met the eyes of the bandit, and he gave me a slight nod, as if he recognised me… but that couldn't be possible, could it?
"Is that the language of the drow?"
Whoever this bandit was, he was far from the usual vagabond. Tôleth said, "Yes. It is."
"Where did you learn it?"
"I learned it from a drow elf who was a servant of my mistress. I was the one that taught Sion here, though I regret his skill with the language far surpasses my own. I suppose it comes from wanting to be part of their culture of seduction and murder."
I smiled. "Tôleth, hadn't you better continue with the negotiations?"
The wizard nodded. "What is your name?"
With a roguish grin, the bandit said, "Elbran. I am the leader of the Sixth Claw mercenary band… unfortunately, we have fallen onto hard times, and I recently hired out to that fool on the horse, who got himself so merrily spit on your sword… nice handiwork, by the way."
To humour him, I gave him a gracious nod. "Thank you. I trust I will get a chance to view yours at a later date…"
"I'm sure you will. Now…Tôleth, is it? Yes… what are these negotiations?"
He was very good, and hardly even seemed fazed that we held his life in our hands. That was partly what attracted me to him at the beginning. Later on, it was his loyalty- or rather, the way he gave it only to me, and not to my former master.
You see, even then, I was planning ways to elevate myself above Tôleth. No matter what we called each other, there was no love involved in any of it, only pleasure and convenience. We would serve each other as equals, until the time came when we reached a disagreement, and then we would pit ourselves against each other.
"My partner, Sion here, suggested that we offer your band an employment, and we woke you thinking that you were the second-in-command. Obviously, we were mistaken, but our mistake has turned out even better. If you are the leader, it gives you the authority to negotiate."
Elbran said, "I'll do it."
Tôleth raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what we are going to ask… and you haven't said how much you will charge for it."
The bandit said, "We owe you our lives."
I saw my partner sigh. "Debt is not a good way to conduct business, Elbran. We will pay you five hundred gold, and allow you to keep twenty percent of all plunder. For that, you will agree to defer to us in everything, no matter what we ask you to do."
An amused twinkle entered the eyes of the bandit. "Everything? That sounds interesting, though I doubt most of my men would approve… actually, I think I am the only one that would approve of such a turn of events. Rest assured, Master Tôleth, you can order me to do anything you like."
"Good", said Toleth, as he turned to me. "Usstan xuat saph nindol nest."
I don't like this man.