Finding himself back where he had been less than two days before leaving
for Trademeet, He looked up at the stars, already in uncountable numbers…a
little while after a young boy had been up to light the few torches that
"hung around", he felt a strange urge to turn around,… and did so just in
time to see Viconia step from the stairwell with a bearing worthy the lady
of the night she knew she was…
Looking up at the stars as she smoothly glided into place beside him, she leaned bare arms on the stone wall surrounding them, and sighed happily…a sound he honestly had thought her incapable of…
Looking back up at the black, light-dotted cover above them as he turned around to imitate her with his not-quite-as-bare arms, he could naught but copy her sound of contentment, as it finally connected what his eyes had been looking at while his mind wandered far and wide…
Lowering her head, she threw a glance into the yard…
-"Shouldn't we replace the dogs, before we leave?"
-"Pardon?"
Turning to look at him, she gestured at the pens below;
-"Just look. Ain't nothing worse than homes built for animals that has no animals to shelter."
-"I hear you've been talking to Jaheira." He smiled.
Thinking for a moment, she nodded, turning back to the stars above;
-"Yeah, you're probably right. Just some druid babble that got trough my defenses."
Copying her once more, he could see her looking at him from the corner of her eyes.
Chuckling, he looked down, feigning a moments consideration;
-"But Helm scold me if she isn't right, though."
Her lips sneering, her eyes were grateful;
-"You intend to get new beasts to attack us? Or are you planning to prepare in case another pair of Umberhulks should come knocking?"
-"Viconia, there's no-one here. There's no need for you to…"
-"I decide whether to drop my mask or not. You know…well, you just know."
Breath having caught in his throat at the start of the familiar phrase, he put an arm around her, pulling her close as he sighed in relief;
-"Thank you, Viconia…thank you for trying."
Gazing at the forest he in all probability had led them through in getting to the keep, she smiled gently, turning suddenly misty eyes on him;
-"I seem to recall a tale of Jaheira's…back with that Grove?
I was just imagining how that could be, done as right as only a Drow can make it…I need to know if I'm right, Negrath. Come with me?"
-"…we are still talking about this forest, are we not?"
Smiling, the brilliance of her smile only made brighter by the uniqueness of it's appearance, she shook her head lightly;
-"Negrath, I have no more interest in prolonging the time you and Imoen spend apart, than she herself does…and yes, I am talking about the forest you own."
-"Nalia…"
Mist gone from her eyes, Viconia sighed tiredly, taking on a scolding tone as she turned to shake a finger at him;
-"..Is a brat that has no interest in keeping herself apart from her precious "less fortunate". The Keep is yours, if you so throw it after her, and you know it."
Looking at her oddly for a moment, he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, and, leaning in, sealed her mouth with his own.
Pulling free after a moment automatic response, she stared at him;
-"How dare you kiss me…that well, and from whom did you learn it?" she queried, evidently as surprised by her question as he was.
Taking her by the shoulder, he turned towards the stairs, and chuckled;
-"What does it matter? Come, and I'll show you that my stay in the Candlekeep libraries also has a few things to improve such a night with…
Looking with him in utter amazement, she quickly took on an air as they began their descent, but lowered her tone suiting a private conversation in a keeps corridors;
-"Are you saying a dusty bookshelf or two contains more information of the Art, than can be gotten from what's up here?"
Noticing her pointing at her own head(and hoping he was right about which art she meant), he just repeated his amused chuckle;
-"We'll see now, won't we, Drow?"
Catching the glint in his eyes, she smiled mischievously;
-"So we will, oh reader of forbidden books."
Soon after, the corridor echoed from the Cleric's laughter, as she walked next to a Kensai that didn't acknowledge his brilliant blush with a word…
Looking up at the stars as she smoothly glided into place beside him, she leaned bare arms on the stone wall surrounding them, and sighed happily…a sound he honestly had thought her incapable of…
Looking back up at the black, light-dotted cover above them as he turned around to imitate her with his not-quite-as-bare arms, he could naught but copy her sound of contentment, as it finally connected what his eyes had been looking at while his mind wandered far and wide…
Lowering her head, she threw a glance into the yard…
-"Shouldn't we replace the dogs, before we leave?"
-"Pardon?"
Turning to look at him, she gestured at the pens below;
-"Just look. Ain't nothing worse than homes built for animals that has no animals to shelter."
-"I hear you've been talking to Jaheira." He smiled.
Thinking for a moment, she nodded, turning back to the stars above;
-"Yeah, you're probably right. Just some druid babble that got trough my defenses."
Copying her once more, he could see her looking at him from the corner of her eyes.
Chuckling, he looked down, feigning a moments consideration;
-"But Helm scold me if she isn't right, though."
Her lips sneering, her eyes were grateful;
-"You intend to get new beasts to attack us? Or are you planning to prepare in case another pair of Umberhulks should come knocking?"
-"Viconia, there's no-one here. There's no need for you to…"
-"I decide whether to drop my mask or not. You know…well, you just know."
Breath having caught in his throat at the start of the familiar phrase, he put an arm around her, pulling her close as he sighed in relief;
-"Thank you, Viconia…thank you for trying."
Gazing at the forest he in all probability had led them through in getting to the keep, she smiled gently, turning suddenly misty eyes on him;
-"I seem to recall a tale of Jaheira's…back with that Grove?
I was just imagining how that could be, done as right as only a Drow can make it…I need to know if I'm right, Negrath. Come with me?"
-"…we are still talking about this forest, are we not?"
Smiling, the brilliance of her smile only made brighter by the uniqueness of it's appearance, she shook her head lightly;
-"Negrath, I have no more interest in prolonging the time you and Imoen spend apart, than she herself does…and yes, I am talking about the forest you own."
-"Nalia…"
Mist gone from her eyes, Viconia sighed tiredly, taking on a scolding tone as she turned to shake a finger at him;
-"..Is a brat that has no interest in keeping herself apart from her precious "less fortunate". The Keep is yours, if you so throw it after her, and you know it."
Looking at her oddly for a moment, he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, and, leaning in, sealed her mouth with his own.
Pulling free after a moment automatic response, she stared at him;
-"How dare you kiss me…that well, and from whom did you learn it?" she queried, evidently as surprised by her question as he was.
Taking her by the shoulder, he turned towards the stairs, and chuckled;
-"What does it matter? Come, and I'll show you that my stay in the Candlekeep libraries also has a few things to improve such a night with…
Looking with him in utter amazement, she quickly took on an air as they began their descent, but lowered her tone suiting a private conversation in a keeps corridors;
-"Are you saying a dusty bookshelf or two contains more information of the Art, than can be gotten from what's up here?"
Noticing her pointing at her own head(and hoping he was right about which art she meant), he just repeated his amused chuckle;
-"We'll see now, won't we, Drow?"
Catching the glint in his eyes, she smiled mischievously;
-"So we will, oh reader of forbidden books."
Soon after, the corridor echoed from the Cleric's laughter, as she walked next to a Kensai that didn't acknowledge his brilliant blush with a word…
