{The same disclaimer applies to this chapter.

I really ought to stop staying up to the wee hours writing these chapters, but that happens to be when my muse smacks me.

I hope you enjoy this installment of my story.}

Chapter 4

Chenalai awoke shortly before dawn and found herself lying upon a soft bed with linen sheets covering her. Her eyes were at first unable to focus upon anything, but after a few moments her vision became clear. She slowly brought herself up to her elbows, staring about the small room. The bed was in one corner, a window overlooking its foot and a nightstand at its side. Upon the small table were the mage's belt, pouches, flask, scroll case and dagger. Her staff leaned against the corner nearest the foot of her bed and her cloak was draped across said bed. The wooden door to the room was almost closed, a small fraction of the hallway visible through the opening. Sighing, she leaned back against the pillow once more and put her hands to her head.

"What happened?" she asked herself aloud. "How could I loose control of it like that? Why did it happen? When I've spoken of such things before... It has only stirred... It has never tried to seize control like that..."

With a shudder, she rolled over and sat up at the edge of the bed. The first thing she noticed as she did so was that the floor was cold. The second thing was that her boots and gloves lay neatly upon the floor nearby. Sighing softly, Chenalai pulled the boots upon her feet and began to draw the gloves over her hands when she halted, eyes wide with shock. Upon the palm of her right hand was the symbol of dark flame. It had been there since... Since the incident... but now it was a greenish black and quite distinct, not the vague blur of before. It contrasted with her skin, as it had a purplish tint, in the spectrum of colors, but even more so in the inferred spectrum. There, it was the dark black of no heat as opposed to the soft glow of her skin. The half drow moaned and clenched her fist. The shade was growing stronger, strong enough to leave a mark even when it had been driven back into the deepest depths of her soul.

Chenalai shivered again, then pulled her gloves on. Standing up, she glared icily at her staff and proceeded to girt her belt. Then, after checking to make sure all its contents were in order, she fastened her cloak about her. She reached for her scarf, tucked away in a pouch, but thought better of it and walked over to her staff. With a grimace, she noticed that the symbol of dark flame stood out more than the others, though only slightly. The half drow reached out and gingerly picked up her staff and gasped as she felt a momentary shock of cold pain. It quickly subsided, but it troubled Chenalai. That... that shadow was fighting tooth and nail to gain control over her once more, even as it had those years ago in Menzoberranzan...

Driving such thoughts away, Chenalai strode out of the door and into the hall. There was a peaceful tranquillity in the air that only came in the solitude before dawn, when life began its cycle ever anew. The half drow looked up and down the corridor and located stairs to the lower level. She trod lighttly upon the wooden floor, the boards making the barest squeak, only detectable by ears beyond sensitive or one who listened for such a sound.

Drizzt barely heard the infinitesimal sound for the twentieth time since he had awoken, an hour ago. The first nineteen times it had simply been the house shifting. This time, it sounded different, though the drow could not place how. Therefore, he assumed that it was Chenalai, rose from his seat and opened the door. It creaked in protest causing Drizzt to wince and Chenalai to spin around in alarm, her staff raised and her right hand flexed, ready to cast a spell. When she saw it was only Drizzt, she sighed, relaxing and seeming very uncomfortable indeed.

Ever the one to be concerned for those he considered dear and even those he did not, the drow stepped quickly to her side. "Are you all right?" he asked, the worry quite evident in his tone and in his warm purple eyes. "What happened last night?"

Chenalai would not meet his eyes, but stared at the floor. "I am fine," she lied. "I..." Unsure what to say, she fell silent, turning from Drizzt and starting towards the stairs at a rapid pace. "Please do not follow me," she whispered as the other caught up, placing a firm hand upon her shoulder. "And please let me go... What happened last night is between my shadow and myself. You do not need to be involved and I don't want you to be."

"Chenalai," pleaded Drizzt, keeping his hand upon her shoulder. "Do not lift burdens greater than you may bear. Even now, I see you falling under this great weight you still carry. Please torment yourself no longer! Surely whatever it is may be conquered, but not, it seems, by you alone. Let other's aid you..."

A tear trickled down the cheek of the mage as she pulled away. "The burden I bear is one that must be born alone," murmured she, as the green eyes looked back at Drizzt. Her tone was soft and full of sorrow. "If you were to try and aid me, you, too, would be dragged down into fathomless shadows, never to return to the light. The shade that plagues me I took of my own free will... Farewell... Brother that I never had..."

With that, Chenalai was gone, fleeing down the stairs and out the door with all speed. Drizzt ran after her, but when he made it out the door of the particular section of Ivy Mansion, he could see her not. He ran to the bridge over the river to see if that was the way she had taken, but he saw no trace of the mage. Cursing and lamenting silently, he returned to his room to gather his things.

)(

Morro awoke suddenly, hearing voices outside the door of the guest bedroom he was using while his cousin slept in his own. He poked his head through the door and saw Chenalai and Drizzt conversing in low tones. Frowning, he strained his ears to catch the words. He heard only what Chenalai said before she hastened away. What was the shade, the burden she spoke of? Furrowing his brow, Morro thought through the few sentaces once more, puzzling their meaning. Something within her, the shade, was slowly pulling her into the darkness, the Harpell surmised, something she had willingly taken... But what?

With a worried sigh, the wizard retreated back into his chamber and sat upon the bed, brooding. It was not long before dawn came and with it came Morro's determination to find Chenalai and follow her. He had grown fond of her during their short journey and wished to help ease her suffering. The mage wasn't in love, but he was her friend.

Grim was his face when he crept down the staircase, bearing his staff and miscellaneous pouches. However, just as he reached to open the door, a voice from behind him called out softly.

"Leaving are you, Morro? Are you off to follow Chenalai?"

Spinning around, the mage was relieved to see that it was Drizzt. Morro nodded. "Don't try to stop me. I heard what she said, or part of it, and I mean to find out what in Nine Hells she is talking about."

The drow, leaning against the wall, nodded. "I would come with you, but I am bound to travel with my companions, most especially Bruenor and I would never break my oath to him. Still..." he sighed.

"I understand, but you can at least tell me a few things, though you may not go with me. You were speaking with her last night. Was there any sign of this shadow she spoke of? Was there any hint as to what it might be?"

The drow nodded once more and told of the darkening of Chenalai's eyes and the runes upon the staff. "Occasionally she would shudder. These instances occurred when she spoke of unpleasant memories, dark memories. When we had finished our discussion, she spoke of the shadow, but did not say much beyond this: Things happened to her after I had departed from our city, things she refused to speak of. Then the shadow came again and this time it seemed to gain control before she apparently thrust it back, opening her eyes wide and letting out a cry of pain. After that, she fainted and I brought Chenalai to her room. That is all... Wait! I do remember the rune of dark flame seemed to glow more than the others."

Morro's brow furrowed as he thought of that rune. It was an ancient and evil symbol of many things, but namely of three things: extremely powerful magic of darkness, unholy fire and the dragons of a plane of absolute darkness, so full of shadows that they consumed light itself. Shuddering, he said as much to Drizzt. "The magic of darkness it implies is simply the wielding of shadows, both on the material plane and elsewhere. The unholy fire is of another realm and is a black fire unquenchable, every tongue containing a strange evil power. The only thing it could plausibly be would be one of those creatures..."

"A dragon? But how could that be it? I know of that plain and of the creatures there for they are sometimes used by the drow, but the last dragon within that realm was slain a thousand years ago."

"That is what worries me. What if the dragon was not the last or if it was not destroyed but only wounded? It could be the shadow Chenalai speaks of, but I dearly hope that we are wrong, for if it is one such creature, then Chenalai is doomed no matter what we do. If this is so, she must have sacrificed herself to be bound with the dragon, one of the few ways of bringing such darkness under control," murmured the mage, his tone hushed and tense. "If one of those creatures is bound with one of the material plane, the one it is bound to is the shield preventing it from entering our plane, in any form save for that of the binder. Thus the two are in a constant duel for control. If the binder manages to completely thrust the creature into its home plane, then he might be able to gain mastery over the creature entirely, but it has never happened. It is only a theory. What has happened in the past is that the binder looses control over their own form upon this plane and the creature controls them, using their combined power to destroy and consume. However, sometimes it happens that the binder is able to prevent this from happening, but it usually means a long, slow and painful death..."

The two were silent long moments before Drizzt nodded, his lavender eyes sad, the faintest hint of tears at their edges. "Then you should go and find her. Bring her here at the least. Among so many wizards, it may be possible that something may be done to ease her predicament. If you hear of which direction she is headed and it be east towards Silverymoon and beyond, then come and tell me, for that is the way my companions and myself are headed. Then you might journey with us for a time. Otherwise, be gone after her as swiftly as you may."

"I will."

Morro turned and left, retrieving his horse and heading across the bridge. Drizzt, too, turned and headed to the rooms to awaken the others.

Author watchamacallit :

Hehehe... Getting a bit darker, is it not? In the next few chapters, you will see why this is rated PG-13. Right now, it would only be a PG, but soon... very soon...

Anyway, I am still having trouble with a title. Help is always appreciated on that subject.

You might notice that the chapters now have simple titles. I had enough inspiration left over after this chapter to think of titles to those, but not enough to think of a good title.

Please tell me if Drizzt or anyone is too out of character and let me know if you find something inherently wrong with this. I don't mind flame! Really, I don't!

Please R&R!!