Chapter 9
Dressed elegantly, yet modestly enough to walk about relatively unnoticed, Sab'vrae strode down Ched Nasad's streets. He wore an expensive, yet simple outfit of lizard leather, protected by a layer of hidden chain mail underneath. He kept his piwafwi draped around his shoulders, the hood pulled up to hide his face. His leather boots scraped soundlessly against the stone ground. He wove his way through the crowds, through the noble district and into the slums.
Passing through the commoner's quarters, he finally entered the market and shops, merchant territory. Aleanani's temporary errand boy scanned the crowds, seeking out any potential soldiers for the upcoming house war. Identifying a slave trader, he approached the greasy drow, inquiring about his stock. The dirty, overweight dark elf grinned, revealing several missing teeth. On hand, he claimed, his service stocked hundreds of the finest kobolds and goblins, and even a few bugbears and orcs.
Haggling briefly over prices, Sab'vrae finally purchased two hundred kobolds, one hundred goblins, a dozen bugbears, and three orcs. He instructed the merchant where to send the slaves, warning the lower drow of the consequences in the event of a failed delivery. The merchant, no fool, nodded quickly in understanding and ordered one of his apprentices to aid him in sending the monsters to House Aleanani.
After watching the two drow lead hundreds of chained slaves towards the noble district, Sab'vrae continued on his task, scouting for mercenaries. He questioned a few locals about Erel'kiira and Rhyl'dorl, foreign drow mercenaries. Most dark elves, commoners, really, stared blankly at him in response. The noble drow sighed in frustration, ready to abandon his quest for the apparently renowned legionnaires.
"So, you seek the drow mercenary Erel'kiira and her companion, is that true?" A heavily accented voice questioned behind him. Sab'vrae turned to see an somewhat tall female drow with unusually curly hair, followed closely by a relatively tall male.
She held herself with confidence, dressed much differently than most women he knew. Obviously a warrior, not a priestess, she wore clothes depicting such. On her torso she wore a simple white long sleeve shirt with an unbuttoned collar. Over the shirt was an open red vest. Sab'vrae figured she wore thin armor underneath. Brown trousers covered her long legs, ending at midway on her shins, where her leather boots began. A thick belt held her pants up and bore two sword filled scabbards, one on each side. Somewhat attractive, her amber almond eyes scanned the streets in caution. The only makeup upon her face was a very subtle purple hue, complimenting her dark skin quite well.
Her companion stood a good head taller than the female, well over a foot above most male drow. He kept his white hair short and spiked up by some substance. His frame was slightly bulkier than most elves', more like the body of a human male. Though still long and pointed, the male's ears fell shorter than most drow's. The elf's chin looked much more square than normal, and his eyebrows were thick above his yellowish eyes. By dark elf standards, he wasn't very attractive, but Sab'vrae sensed an unusual handsome quality about him.
"If so, then search no further. I am her, and this is Rhyl'dorl." She motioned towards the vertically inclined dark elf, who simply grunted in response.
"Ah, good." Sab'vrae sighed, relieved he wouldn't have to return to his mother in even mild failure, "my matron needs spare soldiers, and she specifically requested your services, if possible."
"How long does she intend to employ us?"
"I am not sure, but probably for at least a month or two." Sab'vrae answered.
"Our ware don't come cheaply, but, if you can pay our price, we will gladly serve your house." Erel'kiira promised.
"How high is this service fee?" the elderboy questioned. Erel'kiira named a price and Sab'vrae sighed, shaking his head, "I don't have the funds to pay you that amount, at least, not at the moment."
Erel'kiira pondered to herself for a few moments, scrutinizing Sab'vrae closely. "A compromise, then. We'll lower our prices by half if you agree to one condition."
"And what is that?" Erel'kiira smirked.
"When the time comes, you must respond to and obey a request I shall give later."
Sab'vrae frowned, "You may be a female, but you are still a foreigner in our city. I don't need to take orders from you." Erel'kiira shrugged.
"Very well; then you must seek mercenaries elsewhere." She turned to leave when Sab'vrae reconsidered.
"Wait! I…" he sighed, deciding he'd rather agree to her terms than face his mother's wrath, "… I accept." Erel'kiira grinned widely as Sab'vrae tossed her a bag of coins.
"Excellent! Lead us on to your house… master."
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Marching through the gates of his family's estate, Sab'vrae led the small band of mercenaries into the building. After Erel'kiira and Rhyl'dorl, the elderboy managed to recruit a few dozen more minor fighters, most of them drow, but a few were duergar, gray evil cousins of surface dwarves. Drow and duergar hated each other, but often kept trading compacts and paper-thin alliances to fend off mutual enemies.
Reaching the hole leading to the upper levels, Sab'vrae halted. He turned to the mercenaries, motioning them back. "You stay here. I will send an officer soon to give you orders." He turned to the traveling duo, "Except you two -- can you levitate?" Erel'kiira snorted.
"What do you take us for? Commoners?"
"Very well then. Follow me." Sab'vrae called forth his natural abilities, easily rising above the ground and into the floor above, closely followed by Erel'kiira and Rhyl'dorl. Entering the long hallway, Aleanani's elderboy silently led the two mercenaries down the way to his mother's throne room. The guards recognized their elderboy when Sab'vrae removed his hood, and quickly let the trio pass.
"Matron, I have hired small hordes of slaves and mercenaries, and here, I bring you Erel'kiira and Rhyl'dorl." Sab'vrae announced, entering the center of the room and bowing at his waist. The two soldiers followed suit, but were careful to bow even lower. Matron Bhin'ree stroked her chin in obvious interest.
"Well done, Sab'vrae." Her son rose to leave, but she held up a hand to halt him, "No, stay, captain. I need to here as well, because you three will be working together." Her son blinked in surprise, but slowly walked back, awaiting her orders. For the moment, Bhin'ree directly addressed the two legionnaires.
"Erel'kiira and the male… what was your name? Oh yes, Rhyl'dorl. You two will assist my son in infiltrating the Tor'ana stronghold. He will oversee a small band of my best assassins, and you two will be his seconds in command."
"You would trust outsiders with such an important task?" Erel'kiira asked.
"For the money you'll be paid, and from the reputation that precedes you from Menzoberranzan, Yathchol, and Eryndlyn. I trust you can be up to the task. And, if not… you are quite expendable, which is why I'm not risking anyone too important in this mission."
"But aren't you sending your own elderboy on this mission?" the female mercenary questioned. Sab'vrae said nothing, knowing full well he'd only cause trouble.
"He is still a male." Bhin'ree retorted, stating what seemed to be the obvious, "but… knowing my son, I'm not too concerned with his well being. He can handle himself, so I don't think he's truly jeopardizing himself." Stunned at the compliment, Sab'vrae rubbed his neck. In his few years of life, he'd served his house well and often received compliments on his skill from the matron, but never in front of visitors, especially not strangers.
"Besides, if he does muddle up and die, I'm still young. I can sire other children." Sab'vrae sighed lowly. No surprise there.
"I see. How large will our force be?" Erel'kiira inquired the matron.
"No more than a dozen drow, aside from yourselves. You must use as much stealth as possible -- your goal is to locate Matron Irr'bryn and any of her remaining sons, other relatives, and priestesses. Then, you must eliminate them. Without the heads of the house, the rest will fall easily to our forces. They'll be expecting a large attack from the main entrance and some from above, but not a infiltration force coming from inside immediately."
"Perhaps they should." Sab'vrae stated simply, to which Matron Bhin'ree laughed.
"If they weren't fools, yes." She chuckled, missing Sab'vrae's meaning: drow never stab from the front, but from the back. Family, friend, and foe alike.
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"Are you sure this is wise, Erel'kiira?" Rhyl'dorl finally voiced his worries once Erel'kiira and himself were sent to their private quarters inside the stronghold. His companion laid on her bed, looking up at the ceiling.
"What? About the mission? We've faced far more dangerous tasks, Rhyl'dorl." The female assured.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it! Are you sure this… this… Sab'vrae elderboy is a sure thing? He could be just like the others -- a lost cause."
"You place such little faith in drow, despite the fact you are one." Erel'kiira retorted with a smirk.
"I do so with good reason." Rhyl'dorl argued.
"This is true," she admitted, "But his is different than others. He doesn't have the same arrogant and sadistic aura most nobles have."
"That doesn't mean he isn't. I just don't… want to risk getting caught, especially not in a place like Ched Nasad."
"We've succeeded in many cities just as bad as this one," his partner reminded him, "And already from my observations, this Aleanani elderboy holds more potential than any of his peers. We've been doing this for decades, my friend. We can do it again." Erel'kiira declared with confidence.
"I hope you're right…" her pessimistic comrade muttered.