Chapter 11
"What are you two still doing here?" Sab'vrae inquired some days later.
"Are you implying you don't like our company?" Erel'kiira asked smugly, crossing her arms.
"I'm implying my mother rarely keeps mercenaries this long." The elderboy grumbled.
"Matron Bhin'ree was quite impressed with all her stealth commanders, Sab'vrae," Erel'kiira reminded, "She's promising Rhyl'dorl and myself wonderful rewards and benefits if we remain with her house for a while longer."
Sab'vrae snorted, "And you trust the word of another drow?"
Erel'kiira smiled grimly, "Not a matron. But it's the best situation we've been in for a long time, so we're going to take advantage of it while we still can."
The elderboy grunted in response, glancing up at the male mercenary. "You don't vocalize much, do you?" This time Rhyl'dorl grunted.
"That's because he's smart… for a male." Erel'kiira laughed, lightly punching Rhyl'dorl in the arm.
Sab'vrae shrugged, making his way to his chambers to practice his swordsmanship skills.
"Oh! And Sab'vrae…" The elderboy halted in his tracks, slowly turning to the female in mild irritation.
"Yes…?" he hissed.
"Don't forget, you owe me a favor when I ask for it." Erel'kiira reminded with a haughty smirk. Sab'vrae clenched his fists, biting his lower lip.
"I know." He growled, turning on his heel and stalking down the hallway.
"I still don't know about him, Erel'kiira." Rhyl'dorl cautioned once the elderboy fell long out of earshot.
"Such the pessimist." Erel'kiira chuckled. "If there's a drow male angry about the gender roles in his society, there's always at least a small glimmer of hope."
"Well, I still don't really think…" Rhyl'dorl sighed.
"You think too much." His companion retorted.
"You saw him fight. He's ruthless in battle." The male mercenary argued.
"Ah, but did you notice he only attacked those with weapons or spell casting abilities that made an offensive move on him first?" Erel'kiira pointed out. The taller drow sighed once again.
"I suppose you have a point, but I still don't like this. It's dangerous."
"Then you shouldn't have joined me in my life's calling, male." Erel'kiira warned, "If you don't like danger, then you're living the wrong life."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah… but we've never dealt with a noble before, especially not an elderboy." Rhyl'dorl rubbed his thick neck.
"I know, you keep making this a point. And I keep reminding you, a challenge is good for us. Now, come on. We have guard duties to tend to." She shoved her giant partner onward.
---------
After the incident in the hallway, Sab'vrae learned that his mother had temporarily promoted the two legionnaires to his sub commanders in patrol. Twirling a dagger between his fingers, he pondered his feelings on the issue. Barely ten weeks into their service, and the duo managed to achieve a rank close to the one he needed ten years in the academy to achieve. He did resent this fact somewhat, but also acknowledged that they had reputation to fare for them, and both seemed a fair amount older than him, though still young. Experience gave them an advantage.
He didn't dislike either of the dark elves, but he didn't trust them much, either. Granted, he didn't trust anyone, especially his own family, but he trusted Erel'kiira and Rhyl'dorl less than normal. Something about them, especially the female, struck him as odd, even for foreigners. Erel'kiira, while confident, somewhat arrogant, and smug at times, didn't give off the same sense of sadistic egotism every other female he knew did. And Rhyl'dorl kept to himself, at least around the elderboy. True, it might be wise to be silent around other drow, but even the most obedient slaves spoke more than the stoic mercenary.
Aleanani's eldest male heir sighed. He still owed the female a favor, something that bugged him to no extent. She may have been a foreigner, but with her current rank, her gender could play at a disadvantage against him if he chose to disobey her. After nearly five decades of enduring a subservient role in society, Sab'vrae's patience began to slowly wear down. He hated deferring to those he felt he was on an equal or higher level to.
Sab'vrae angrily flicked the dagger across the room, the blade embedding itself into the wooden door frame. He sighed, pushing his pearly bangs back and gripping the strands. He plopped onto his bed, slumping over onto his back. He really needed some rest to relieve his unusual bout of stress. Perhaps the extra help was a blessing, not a curse.
---------
Are you calling in that 'favor' today? Rhyl'dorl asked Erel'kiira in drow sign language from his post, utterly bored.
Perhaps, if a good opportunity presents itself. She responded in kind.
Nothing's happening anyway, why waste time? He questioned.
True enough. Tonight's as good as any night. She conceded. For the past two months the female mercenary had held the favor over Sab'vrae's head, constantly reminding him of his debt, but never calling up on it. She wanted to wait for the perfect opening, but Rhyl'dorl's patience had begun to run thin. Finally, they would commence the reason they originally came to Ched Nasad. They had no particular target until they met Sab'vrae, whom Erel'kiira deemed a worthy candidate.
Finishing their patrol, the duo headed back into the Aleanani complex. Their feet plodding softly through the hallways, they soon came upon a set of guards heading out for the new patrol.
"Do you know where the captain is?" Erel'kiira questioned. A few of the common drow shrugged, but one scratched his chin in thought.
"I saw him levitating up to the main floors, probably to his chambers."
"I see." Without any thanks, the female brushed past the guards, followed closely by her friend. Upon reaching the upper floors, the duo walked down the long corridor leading to the elderboy's chambers. Finally reaching his doors, Erel'kiira approached the guards standing on either side of the doors.
"Is Sab'vrae in?" she inquired. The guards exchanged glances.
"Yes… the master is in. Just came a few minutes ago. What is it that you wish?" the left sentry asked slowly.
"I seek audience with the elderboy. Let me through." She commanded. The guards hesitated, then decided it was best not to defy a female, foreigner or not. They opened the doors, allowing the mercenary through.
"Wait here." Erel'kiira instructed Rhyl'dorl, who immediately obeyed and stepped back. The guards closed the doors behind her.
Sab'vrae jumped from his back upon the female's entrance. "What are you doing in here?" he asked angrily. Erel'kiira tsked, shaking her head.
"You shouldn't talk to females like that, male." She reminded, hands on her hips. Sab'vrae growled, clenching his fists.
"What do you want?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"I've finally decided to call up on that favor you owe me," Erel'kiira answered coyly, sliding towards the elderboy, who resisted the urge to back away.
"What… kind of favor…?" he asked in skepticism.
"That," she emphasized and paused at the word, "you will have to find out later this evening. Meet me and Rhyl'dorl in the evening guard's barracks. They'll all be on duty, so the room will be empty. Be there three hours from now. Don't be late, and make sure no one knows you're coming." She warned, slinking out of the bedroom.
Sab'vrae eyed her retreating figure suspiciously, sitting himself down on his bed. He sighed in irritation, hoping his excursion would be worth his time.
---------
Hours later, Sab'vrae slipped quietly out of his room, passing his guards unnoticed. His door swung inwards and made no sound, and at its activation, his house insignia created a temporary invisibility spell that shielded him from visual detection, even in the infrared spectrum. Silently he wove through the hallways, breathing lowly. He levitated down to the main foyer entrance, then passed through the right corridor to travel down the stairs leading to the barracks.
Quickly scanning the hallway and finding no one within hearing or seeing range, the elderboy crept into the night guards' barracks. He whispered a command word, and his invisibility spell vanished.
"On time. Good. Looks like you are dependable." Sab'vrae jumped, finally noticing Erel'kiira leaning against a wall. The door closed quietly behind him, Rhyl'dorl stepping in front of it, blocking his exit.
Noticing the noble's unease, Erel'kiira chuckled, "Don't fret, elderboy. We're not going to hurt you, but you might not like what you hear at first, so Rhyl'dorl is just ensuring you don't flee on us before this session is over."
"What do you want from me?" Sab'vrae asked in agitation.
"Relax, there's no need to be terse. Sit down." She motioned to one of the chairs nearby. Slowly, Sab'vrae seated himself, keeping his eyes upon the woman mercenary. Erel'kiira herself paced about the room as she continued to talk.
"Answer me honestly, elderboy -- you won't be punished for your answer, though we will know if you lie," she held up a vial of a truth draft, "If need be, we'll use this. Now: what is your opinion of Ched Nasad's society as a whole?"
Sab'vrae blinked in bemusement. She dragged him out in the night to probe him about his personal beliefs? What was she getting at?
"Why do you want to know?"
"Just answer my questions without using your own." The drow legionnaire retorted. Her detainee sighed.
"You swear I won't suffer for my reply?" he asked.
"I promise on my word as a warrior." She answered without hesitation. Sab'vrae never trusted anyone, and Erel'kiira was no exception. However, if he refused to cooperate, he was sure he'd be punished more than he ever would if he answered with honest feelings.
"Fine. You want to know?" he grumbled, "I tolerate it, I've tolerated it for years, decades. I hate it. I despise Ched Nasad's culture."
"And why is that?" inquired the curvy mercenary.
"I'm sick of being submissive to every damn female I come across simply because I'm male! It's not my fault I was born that way!" Sab'vrae snapped. Instead of taking offense, Erel'kiira nodded, rubbing her chin.
"I see. And, what about your fellow drow themselves? How do you feel about their ways, their attitude towards life?"
"What do you mean?"
"The arrogance. The constant plotting against one another, the assassinating, the tormenting. What's your view on that?" He shrugged.
"Honestly? I really don't care much. Some of the higher nobles irritate me with their overflowing arrogance, and, frankly, all the assassinating is pointless."
"How so?" Erel'kiira probed, leaning her elbows on a table, resting her head in her palms.
"We may be more fertile than our surface cousins," Sab'vrae explained, "but sometimes I wonder how we manage to survive if all we do is kill each other. Perhaps it is no fault of fate we live so deep underground: many of our most dangerous enemies can't easily reach us here. Otherwise, we'd be wiped out long ago. Drow know not the meaning of working together past mutual advantage."
"There is wisdom in your words, elderboy." Erel'kiira agreed, much to his surprise. Before he could ask, she supplied him with another question, "What about the edict of Lloth?"
To this, Sab'vrae paused a long while before answering, "I'm… not the most religious drow you'll meet," he admitted, "I don't see much in trusting a goddess that only aides you when you please her ways, and at the slightest screw-up, or even for no reason at all, she'll turn on you with a vengeance." Why in all the Hells had he just admitted to that! He was as good as dead. He smacked his forehead with a groan.
Erel'kiira laughed, but, oddly, without any maliciousness behind it. That was a sound the elderboy was unaccustomed to. "That's just the kind of answer I was hoping for."
"Wha…What?" Sab'vrae nearly cleared out his ears. Had he heard correctly?
The mercenary woman reached into her vest, slowly extracting a small tome. She handed the book to the bemused noble man, "Take this book and read it in its entirety. Meditate over it. After you have contemplated over what you learn from it, contact me and we'll meet here again. Take your time. I'll know you're not truly ready if you're finished too quickly. I would think this would take at least a week or two."
Sab'vrae held the book in his hands. Unable to read the title in infrared, he furrowed his eyebrows. He'd have to fetch a few candles from his cabinet later and read using the light spectrum. Ink that radiated heat was expensive and rare in the Underdark, so it didn't surprise him much at the normal ink contents of the volume.
"What is this all about? You're not making much sense." He eyed Erel'kiira with much skepticism.
"Read the book first, and try your best to understand it." She simply replied, standing up, "But do not tell anyone, especially the matron mother, of this meeting or the book. And do not let that book leave your person. Should anyone find it on you, the punishment will be severe and painful."
"Are you just plotting my downfall? What did I ever do to you?" Sab'vrae questioned in irritation, rising to his feet. Rhyl'dorl clapped a strong hand on the smaller drow's shoulder, causing the elderboy's knees to buckle.
"No, not at all, Sab'vrae." Erel'kiira stated grimly. "We're trying to help you." She motioned to the door, "You can leave now. Keep the book hidden."
Still confused and suspicious, not to mention lightheaded thanks to the male fighter, Sab'vrae stared blankly at the duo while he exited the room. He slipped the book under his shirt and activated his house insignia's powers once more. Creeping invisibly through the hallways, he made it back to his chambers without any mishaps. He rolled his eyes at his oblivious room guards.
"If they can't notice the door opening, I need new men out there." The noble muttered to himself, latching his door and tossing the book onto his desk. He plopped down on his bed, running a hand through his head. What had he gotten himself into? Perhaps he should just go to his mother, claiming the mercenaries had planted the book in his room. Matron Bhin'ree was not a kind leader nor mother, but she knew her son well enough to take his side over such an issue.
Sab'vrae shook his head. He probably should do as such, but something inside him urged him not to. That same feeling made his eyes drift back towards the book with insatiable curiosity. Unable to resist its call anymore, the Aleanani male rose from his bed and ventured to his cabinet. Rummaging around, he soon found a handful of candles and a stand. He placed the stand on his desk and one candle into it.
Muttering a simple incantation, a small burst of flame leapt from the drow's fingers and onto the wick. Grinning, Sab'vrae congratulated himself on dabbling a little in sorcery while studying at Barra Velve. Shifting his eyes into the light spectrum, he sat down, allowing a few minutes to let his sight to adjust. The dim candle light barely lit up the center of his desk, but left plenty of light for reading. Pulling the book towards him, Sab'vrae scanned the cover.
The cover read, I' Nevae Nominwenea ent Liy, or "The Dark Maiden's Wisdom and Love." Sab'vrae blinked. The title was in eleven, a language he knew well, save for the last word, a term he didn't recognize. And who was this "Dark Maiden"? Perhaps, no, certainly the book would elaborate. Slowly pulling back the cover, Sab'vrae began reading the first page.
---------
"Once more I ask: is this wise?" Rhyl'dorl hissed lowly as the duo made their way back to their quarters.
"You heard his answers. There's definite hope for him." Erel'kiira replied with a shrug.
"But he could've been lying."
"He wasn't."
"How do you know?" the male asked skeptically. His female companion chuckled.
"I have my ways. You know that." She explained, opening the door and stepping inside.
"Fine, I'll give you that," Rhyl'dorl conceded, closing the door behind him, "But what if he turns us in?"
"He won't." She tossed her boots aside.
"You don't know that." He lay his coat on a chair.
"Even if he does, we'll be long gone by the time they try to catch us." Erel'kiira said, pulling off her vest.
"I suppose."
"Really, Rhyl'dorl, sometimes I wonder why you do this," the female mercenary sighed, only half joking as she unbuttoned her shirt, "This pessimistic attitude isn't a quality you want for this kind of life and job."
Rhyl'dorl sat on his bed, yanking off his boots, "I know. I'm sorry, it's just I… I dunno. I don't trust other drow much, and I let that get in the way of our missions too often. I really do hope we get Sab'vrae." He ran a thick finger through his buttons, unclasping them all with a single stroke.
Pulling her trousers down, Erel'kiira glanced up at him, smiling kindly. "Perhaps it's best that you maintain the silent treatment until we can ensure his cooperation. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a sleeping gown, sliding it over her body.
"You're the brains in this team, I'm just the brawn." Rhyl'dorl stated, removing his own pants and entering his bed in his loincloth. Erel'kiira chuckled, pulling her covers back and settling in for the evening.
"I personally thing they're half-and-half on each of us." She muttered, turning over to sleep.