m: 'Special' Brownies scene inspired by 'That 70's show' This is a bit random, but for some reason, the song 'Suffocate' by Cold always pops into my head when I think about this chapter. Sorry for the long wait, so I promise a long chapter. Review…damn it…. (blinks) Where did that come from?
Horong: Thank you. :D
Chapter Seventeen
Ana and AJ were walking home from school. AJ looked at his twin. The seventeen-year-old had seemed a bit distant as of late, lost in thought. He decided to ask about it. "Hey, Ana."
"Yeah?"
"What's up? You've been acting kinda weird lately."
Ana frowned thoughtfully. "I've been thinking, we're gonna be adults in just one year. If you look at our parents, they've both done incredible things. Both for good…and evil. What have we done?"
"We made tuna fish casserole for the homeless a few years ago at Midwinter…"
Ana glared at AJ. "Funny. Really funny. Seriously though, what have we done? I mean, Mom and Dad are amazing in their accomplishments. Dad's a former conqueror, a hero, a powerful sorcerer. Mom's a former assassin, living proof of redemption through the path of Eilistraee, and easily one of the most deadly women in the world. We're their kids; we should have done something significant by now. Or at least started."
"Ana, we're seventeen years old. We gotta start small."
"Dad was twenty when he first started his conquest. Mom was…well…I don't know. She doesn't really like to talk about it, ya know?"
"Yeah. Listen, Ana, if ya wanna do great things, ya gotta start somewhere." He shrugged. "Personally, I don't see what the rush is. We've got a long life ahead of us. What with our elven blood and the Bhaal taint."
"You may not be concerned, but I am."
"So whatcha gonna do?"
"I don't know yet…I have to think about it." A grin suddenly crept across her face. "I've got it!"
XXXXX
Sharwyn was in the middle of a conversation with Nathyrra. "…So anyway, when I met Jor, I found more than just good sex."
Nathyrra smiled. "I know, you found commitment."
"No. I found great sex."
"I know!" Nathyrra gave her a brilliant grin. "I don't know if it's Bhaal taint but-" Nathyrra abruptly stopped.
"What is it?" Sharwyn asked.
"My children are home."
AJ headed upstairs, but Ana walked into the kitchen where her mother and her aunt were. "Hey, Aunt Shar. Mom, can I talk to you?"
"Certainly." A surprised Nathyrra said. She turned to Sharwyn. "Would you excuse us for a minute?"
Sharwyn nodded.
When they stepped into the hall, Ana informed Nathyrra of her desire to do something. Nathyrra listened intently as her daughter spoke.
"…And so anyway, I know that you're going on a mission for the Seer next week and…well…I'd like to come with you."
Nathyrra's eyes widened. "Ana, I can understand that you wish to do great things. If you didn't, you wouldn't your father's or my daughter. But going on a mission for the Seer is far from safe. I don't feel comfortable letting you go yet. When you're eighteen, we'll discuss this more. Alright?"
"But-"
"No. Not until you're eighteen."
"Mom! I want to do something! It's not exactly like its safe for you either!"
"I know, Anathyrra. But I am much older, and far more experienced than you. Conversation closed."
"This is so unfair." Ana mumbled before storming off.
Nathyrra sighed and walked back into the kitchen. The look Sharwyn was giving her was unreadable. Nathyrra gazed at her sister-in-law. "How much of that did you hear?"
"Everything."
Nathyrra sat down and ran her fingers through her hair. "It just seems so…soon. It seems like just yesterday that she was waving around my tampons in front of guests and yelling at me 'Are these popsicles? Can I have a popsicle, Mommy?'"
"Well, she is seventeen, Nat." Sharwyn shook her head. "I'm gonna tell you how do your job as a parent but—Nat are you crying?" Sharwyn looked at Nathyrra with open astonishment.
Tears streamed down Nathyrra's face. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. "It's a bit ironic, actually. I didn't cry when my fingers got chopped off, I didn't cry when I was buried alive, I didn't even cry when I learned that I could lose my beloved to another woman. Yet, here I am, weeping at my growing daughter."
Sharwyn sat down next to Nathyrra put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to be sobbing when Delilah starts to truly grow up." She looked at Nathyrra. "As I was saying, I'm not gonna tell you how to be a parent, but you need to know when to cut the apron strings."
"I realize that. It's just…hard."
"I understand."
XXXXX
"Didn't work?" AJ asked as his angry sister stormed up the stairs.
"No." Ana snapped. "She's so unfair. I'm seventeen! I think I can hold my own in a battle if I need to!"
"Well, my dear sister, I have something that may help your cause." He pulled a package of brownies out of his pocket.
"I don't think bribery will work, AJ."
"It's not needed. These are 'special' brownies."
Ana blinked. "Why do you have them?"
"I was saving them in case Mom or Dad was being really, REALLY anal and needed something to… 'help their judgment'"
"Where did you get them?"
"That's classified."
"It seems wrong…"
"Ya gotta start somewhere." AJ replied before walking down the stairs.
XXXXX
"Hey, Mom. These brownies came for you and Dad." AJ said nonchalantly and placed the brownies in font of her.
"Ooh! Brownies!" Ano cried as he entered the room with Joragin.
"Do want one, AJ?" Nathyrra asked as she picked one up.
"No thanks. I'm not hungry."
"Suit yourself."
XXXXX
An hour later, the four sat at the table. The tray was almost empty.
"Ya know, I'm glad a stay at home dad. It gives me stuff to do." Ano stated as he ate another brownie.
Nathyrra suddenly laughing. "Ha-ha-ha! What?"
Sharwyn grinned. "I can see my own eyebrows." She said, looking up.
"I love chocolate." Joragin declared.
"What. That's such a cool word." Ano grinned. "What. What. What. Kinda looses its meaning after awhile. What."
"You what's beautiful?" Nathyrra began, "Fruitcake. All those neat little colors all in one big cake…"
Sharwyn blinked. "I jumped out of a cake once."
"Vanilla is good. But there's just something about chocolate. Even though it looks a lot like crap. Hey! Maybe crap tastes like chocolate! It just doesn't smell like it!" Joragin cried.
"What. What. What. What." Ano continued.
Ana walked into the room. "Hi."
"Heeeeeyyyy!" The four greeted in unison.
"You know, Ana." Nathyrra began, "You're the best daughter I ever had. You may be a bit bitchy sometimes, but I love that. You get it from my side of the family. I love you. You're beautiful…like fruitcake!"
"Uh, thanks. Mom, can I come with you next week on your mission?"
"Sure! In fact, why don't you invite all of your friends? It'll be fun!"
"What?" Ano asked.
Ana blinked. "I'm just gonna leave now…"
XXXXX
"How'd it go?" A grinning AJ asked as his sister walked upstairs.
She glared at him. "That was sneaky, rotten, and low. I'm disgusted. Both at you and myself."
"Thanks, babe."
Ana sighed. "I'm gonna call Del and tell her to come and pick up her parents."
"Tell Tam I said hi."
"Whatever." Ana walked into her room and grabbed her wisp.
"Hello?" Delilah answered a moment later.
"Hey, Del." Ana sighed. "You won't believe this. AJ got some 'special brownies' and my parents got into them. And-" Ana was cut off by a loud voice coming from downstairs.
"DUDE! MY NAILS ARE PAINTED PURPLE! I NEVER REALIZED THAT!" Nathyrra exclaimed.
Ana gritted her teeth. "As you can see, Nathyrra and the others are high as kites."
Delilah's face screwed up with laughter. "Ha-ha-ha!"
"Ha-ha-ha." Ana mimicked. "Ya know-" She was once again cut off by another voice.
"MY EYEBROWS ARE RED LIKE MY HAIR DYE!"
Delilah immediately stopped laughing. "Was that Sharwyn?"
Ana smirked. "As I was saying, your parents ate them too."
Delilah instantly severed the connection.
XXXXX
A day passed. The twins sat at the dinner table, staring at their parents. A literal feast rested on the table. Their parents were devouring every ounce of food like starving dogs.
"You know what would be great for desert?" Ano asked as he finished off his eighth chicken drumstick.
Nathyrra looked up from her fifth steak. "Pork chops!"
They both got up and raced towards the pantry.
"I'll boil the water!" Ano declared.
"No time!" Nathyrra proclaimed as she grabbed a raw pork chop.
Ana and AJ sat in stunned silence.
XXXXX
"Why did I agree to allow you to come?" Nathyrra asked a week later.
"Because you love me. And I'm beautiful…like fruitcake." She added the last two words under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
XXXXX
Several hours, Ana and Nathyrra walked towards a room. The Eilistraee followers had traveled to small village where rumors of a drow surface raid were to happen. The Seer had spoken with the village leader, and the followers were to aid the villagers against the attack. Nathyrra's personal assignment was to get information from one of their informants.
"Remember, Ana, do not say anything unless I speak to you. This is a serious matter and I need my full concentration."
Ana nodded.
They entered the room. A duerger sat at a desk in the middle of the room. His head was shaved bald, though he retained a beard. He wore secondhand rags, suggesting that he was undercover as a slave in the raiding party.
:Stand by the door.: Nathyrra said in draconic. Ana obeyed.
Nathyrra sat down across from the dwarf.
The dwarf spoke, "Before we get started, would ye give me yer' name, lass?"
"Alurl Faen." Nathyrra said coolly.
What the hell? Why is she calling herself 'Best Wizard'? That's the crappiest name I've ever heard, Ana thought.
"Alright then."
"Might I ask yours?"
"Ye can call me whatever ye want, lassie." He said, wagging his eyebrows at the drow.
"In that case, I will refer to you as jaluk." Nathyrra stated. She removed her black gloves as she spoke.
The dwarf frowned when he saw Nathyrra's wedding ring. "Do you have the money?" He asked bluntly.
"Do you have the information?"
"I might. My memory's a bit foggy, however."
Nathyrra pulled a gold piece out of her pack. "Are you certain you don't remember?"
The dwarf grinned. "It's coming back to me. Was it thirty…forty soldiers? I can't seem to remember."
Nathyrra scowled and produced another gold piece.
The informant grinned and reached towards the two gold pieces.
"No gold until I receive valuable information." Nathyrra said, idly drumming her fingers on the dagger that was strapped to her waist.
What the-? Is she threatening him? A surprised Ana wondered.
"Well then, lass. That'll cost ye a hefty sum."
"How 'hefty' "are you implying?"
"Considering I'm putting m'life on the line, I'd say…around fifteen thousand."
Holy shit. Ana thought.
Nathyrra let out a cruel laugh, something Ana had never heard before. "Do you truly believe your life is worth that much, jaluk?" She unsheathed her dagger. "I have ways of making you speak without the lure of gold." the drow said viciously.
What the hell is she doing? Ana thought once again, now astonished.
"You wouldn't."
"How well do you know me, dwarf?"
Ana couldn't stay silent any longer. "What are you doing? Mom-"
"SILENCE!" Nathyrra roared at Ana.
The dwarf smirked. "What's the matter? Can't keep your little half-breed under control?"
Nathyrra turned around. Quick as a flash, she pressed her dagger to the man's throat. "If you make one more smartass comment, it'll be your last. I'll make sure of that."
"You're a worshiper of Eilistraee!" the dwarf cried, horrified.
Nathyrra smiled coldly. "I'm more of a freelance worshiper." One of her hands glowed with a prepared spell.
"STOP IT!" Ana shouted. She ran towards her mother and knocked the knife away. "This is wrong!"
"Get away from me." Nathyrra hissed.
The dwarf took advantage of this moment to run towards the door. With lightning speed, Nathyrra spun around and threw her dagger at the dwarf.
He let out an incomprehensible gurgle as the dagger became embedded in his back. He collapsed to the floor.
An expression of pure horror adorned Ana's face. "Y-You killed him!"
"I had to. He would have told our enemies about us." Nathyrra said emotionlessly.
Ana turned to face her mother, her eyes scarlet. "And so his life is worth nothing?"
"It's worth less than the seer's." Nathyrra surveyed the body. "Good thing I got most of the most of the information I required from a different informant last week."
Ana gaped at her. "Y-You just killed a guy and you're talking about it so casually…it's like you're talking about the weather or something!"
"I did what was necessary, Anathyrra." she snapped.
"Necessary? What kind of fucked up logic do you have? You worship Eilistraee! How is this a demonstration of what she stands for?" Ana snarled.
"I'm not perfect."
"Is that all you can say? You kill with that much ease, how can you possibly worship a goddess who believes in mercy? How many informants have you killed? You claim that you're no longer an assassin? You always taught me about mercy and compassion, though it seems you're not quite as 'redeemed' as you thought you were-" Ana was cut off by Nathyrra pushing her against the wall.
"You speak of things that you do not understand, Anathyrra." her mother hissed. "And you may be my own flesh and blood but if you ever speak to me in such a tone again, I swear to Eilistraee I will-"
"Kill me? Like the dwarf? It wouldn't surprise me at this point." Ana growled. She pushed her mother away and stormed out of the room.
Nathyrra let out a sigh.
XXXXX
Hours later, Ana sat on a tree branch. She was determined to get away from her mother and had sought refuge in the forest outside the village. Lying bitch, the teenager thought bitterly.
Nathyrra made her way though the forest, searching for her daughter. She spotted her in a tree, sitting on a branch with her legs dangling over the side.
Nathyrra walked over to the tree and began to climb it. A memory flashed before eyes.
"Where are the twins?" Ano asked Nathyrra.
Nathyrra surveyed the playground. Many children were running around, but none of them were her offspring. "I have no idea."
"I'll look for AJ. You find Ana."
Nathyrra nodded.
Anathyrra was not too difficult to find. She was on the jungle gym, sitting in one of the various tunnels. She had gotten rid of her wings—an ability her father had taught her several months before—and was playing with a ball of divine magic. Nathyrra pulled herself halfway through one of the entranceways. "Ana?"
The four-year-old turned around and smiled at her. "Hi, Mommy."
"Didn't you hear me calling? It's time to go."
"Okay."
Nathyrra attempted to dislodge herself from the entrance. She frowned when she realized she couldn't get out, and her scowl deepened when she realized why.
"What's wrong?" Ana asked.
"I'm stuck." Nathyrra replied.
"Why?"
"…My chest won't fit."
"Oh. I thought your chest was good."
"What?" Nathyrra asked, puzzled.
"Well, Daddy stares at it all the time so I thought it was a good thing."
"Right. I'm going to have to speak to your father about that."
"Do you want me to go get Daddy?"
"That would be nice."
Ana got rid of her ball and left out the other entrance. A few minutes, Nathyrra felt someone tapping her back. "Ano?" she asked.
"Hey. I'm gonna try and pull you out." He began to pull.
"Cool! Mom's stuck." AJ declared.
"Shut up, stupid male." growled Ana.
"OWW! Dos waele jaluk! Nindel jivviim saph uoi'nota!" Nathyrra shouted.
"This is gonna hurt me a lot more than it's gonna hurt you, Kitten."
"Count on it." Nathyrra spat.
Pain exploded in Nathyrra's chest as Ano pulled her out. She glared at her husband. He gave her a weak smile.
Nathyrra was about to say something when Ana ran up to her and hugged her around the waist. "Are you okay, Mommy?"
Nathyrra smiled, her anger gone. "I'm alright."
XXXXX
Elsewhere, Anotalex Senior and Junior sat on the living room couch.
"AJ."
"Yeah, Dad?"
"This might be good time to tell you." Ano wrung his hands. "You remember how I would cook whenever your mother was out a few years ago?"
"Yeah. That was until Ana learned to cook five years ago."
"Well…I uh…always ordered takeout and said it was my cooking."
"You mean you can't cook?"
"Buddy, I can barely boil water."
AJ was silent for several seconds. "…We're gonna starve, aren't we?"
Ano glared at him. "Of course not! We're gonna make pasta and bread!"
"Wonderful." AJ said sarcastically.
XXXXX
Why am I thinking about that now, Nathyrra pondered as she scaled the hundred-foot tree. I suppose because this isn't the first time I've climbed something to see my daughter.
Ana had heard her mother approaching. She frowned when Nathyrra sat down next to her. "What do you want?"
A pang of anger hit Nathyrra but she ignored it. "I'm sorry, Ana. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. You didn't understand."
"Whatever."
"Look, I can't change the fact that I was an assassin, but I'm now I'm doing something that uses my skills for the greater good. It may not always work out the way I wish it could, but I try my best. I had hoped to protect you from my sins, but like I said, things don't always work out for the best."
An awkward silence passed for several minutes.
"Why did you become an assassin?" Ana suddenly asked.
"What?"
"You heard me. And don't give me that 'It was drow society that compelled me' bullshit. I know it was more than that."
Nathyrra sighed, "Very well then. I suppose I should start with my days before I was an assassin. I was the youngest daughter of my mother, Matron Vasenna. At that time, I had no other ambitions rather than my dreams of matron hood and overthrowing my mother."
"But you told me she was a lunatic."
"Vasenna was not a lunatic. On her way to becoming one—possibly, but during her life she was merely different from most matron mothers."
"How so?"
"In a strange way, she was a bit more maternal than most other matrons. Or at least, she was to her daughters. For instance, she preferred that we call her 'mother' rather than 'Matron Vasenna'. If anyone said she was soft however, their entrails would most likely be hanging on the gates of House Kant'tar within the next ten minutes."
"Okay, so my grandmother was a nutcase. Anything else you wanna add to that?"
"No. As I was saying, my only ambitions were of matron hood, until one day, something happened."
"Let me guess. You had an epiphany?"
"In a sense. I met Seelamin Silver Panther."
"So that's where AJ gets his middle name from."
"Yes it is. Seelamin was a barbarian. He was a surfacer and a slave under my mother. My sister, Zarra, had her eye on him."
"She was the whore, wasn't she?"
"No, she didn't get paid. She was a tramp. I just wanted to make that clear."
"Okay, my aunt was a slut. Go on."
"She was intrigued by Seelamin, as was I. We placed a bet. We challenged each other to see who would win Seelamin's heart first."
"Side of you I've never seen, but you seem to have a lot of sides that I've never seen before."
"I was much different then, Ana." Nathyrra continued, "Seelamin and I grew close, closer than I would have thought. He told me of his honor, his barbarian tribe, and even his wife and child."
"What happened to them?"
"Their names were Arayna and Tianna. They were killed by Seelamin's brother, Gargonis. Seelamin took revenge on his brother. He was ashamed of what he'd done, for it violated his code of honor."
"Kind of a twisted honor."
"There's no reasoning with barbarians. I grew quite close to him, in fact I…I…"
"Loved him?"
Nathyrra smiled. "I did. I did love him. However, we had to face certain obstacles."
"Like what?"
"One day, my sister…"
"Asked him to do the horizontal mambo with her?" Ana suggested.
"I was gonna say 'go all the way', as Nackor put it, but yes."
"Who's Nackor?"
"Nackor was Seelamin's best friend. A duerger, he had an uncanny knack for telling obnoxious stories."
"Sounds like he really got under your skin."
"That's an understatement."
"How so?"
"I'm getting to that. I remember sitting in my room, trying to forget what Nackor had told me by painting my nails."
"Let me guess. Out of sheer frustration, you threw the polish against the wall."
"Yes, actually."
Ana blinked in surprise.
Nathyrra continued, "After that, I attempted to sleep. Awhile later, Seelamin came to my room. I'm not quite sure how much time passed, but not nearly enough time for him to do anything with Zarra. We talked for a bit, and he told me he loved me—not Zarra—and we…took our relationship to a new level-"
"Mom, I'm a big girl. You slept with him. That's pretty obvious."
"I did. The morning afterwards, I had a bit of a panic attack and left the room, believing that our relationship would never work. After I left, Nackor told Seelamin of the bet between me and my sister. Several days later, we received word that Matron Sinvyl—The Valsheress—was going to attack House Kant'tar. Seelamin would have to fight, and I wanted to speak to him before. To a long story short, we worked things out, planned to escape to the surface together, and we had sex again."
"That's a wonderful visual." Ana said sarcastically.
"I could into details if you'd like." Nathyrra said acidly.
"Please don't. I don't think I want to be scarred for life."
"The morning afterwards, I remember waking up to the sound of warfare. Matron Sinvyl had attacked early, and Seelamin had left to fight. I joined the battle. I saw him once, but someone knocked me out. When I woke up, the battle was over. I found Seelamin, dead from a stab wound. I cried over his corpse for an amount of time, until I realized something. The knife protruding from his chest belonged to Nackor."
"But he was his best friend!"
"I know. There was no doubt that it was him, however. I swore revenge on the dwarf and spent the next year searching for him. During the time, the Valsharess learned of my survival, and sent her assassins after me. I continued to survive—my lust for vengeance made me—and she even sent me an invitation to join the red sisters. I went to meet with her. We conversed for a time, and she told me of how Nackor was her spy. He had opened the gates to my home, allowing the enemy in. Afterwards, he had had stabbed Seelamin. In return for becoming a red sister, she offered me power, prestige, and the location of Nackor. The last one I would receive after I became a red sister and completed enough missions to the Valsharess's satisfaction."
"So you became an assassin?"
"Not a first. First, I had to defeat a red sister—Sabal—to prove my worth. Afterwards, my training began." Nathyrra cleared her throat. "I was placed in a class with six other students. There were seven instructors, one head teacher and six lesser. Our first task was to perform a test that would reveal our abilities. I was called 'Alurl Faen' for my skills in magic."
"So that's where the name comes from."
"It is. My personal instructor's name was Ilivarra, or Ili, for short." A small smile played across Nathyrra's lips. "She is easily the hardest teacher I've ever had. She was cantankerous, wise, and sharp. She knew how to attack me, both physically and emotionally. If I recall correctly, she once even used me as a virtual battering ram in the combat rooms. For the first time in years, she was the one person I didn't have an advantage over."
"What happened to her?"
"She died, Ana."
"How?"
"I'm getting to that. As I was saying, Ili was hard on me, but it was because of this that I was the last survivor of my class. I graduated to become a full red sister…but you already know this."
"Then tell me something I don't know."
"Very well then. Several days after my graduation, I walked into my instruction wing and saw that Ili's door was open. I walked into her room and found a drow house symbol, an eyeball, a locket, and a file with the name, 'Nackor Blackhammer' on the cover. There was no location listed."
"What the hell-"
"Quiet, I'm trying to explain. Ilivarra caught me in her room. She was furious, as you can imagine, and roared at me to get out. I fled, not wanting to face her when she was that angry. Some time later, I was soaking in the baths and reflecting on what I had just seen. A duerger slave walked down the hall, his hood drawn up. Then I remembered; the red sisters didn't keep slaves."
"So what did you do?"
"I followed him to the kitchen. He meant to poison me through my food, but I stopped him. It turns out he was an assassin, sent by Nackor. He knew Nackor's location, and I tortured him for hours to learn it."
"Where was he?"
"Nackor was at a tavern in the city. Before I left to face him, Ilivarra warned me that I would not be able to defeat him. I did not listen, and lost three of my fingers in the process."
"But…he…"
"He fought with the same techniques I learned as a red sister. However, he was far more experienced than I. Ilivarra herself had trained him."
"So that's how she knew so much about him…"
"Yes, and that's why she told me that I should wait until the Valsharess gave me his location, then I would be ready. Of course, due to my fingers that wasn't happening anytime soon."
"What did you do about your fingers, exactly?"
"Ili sewed them back on. And while I was waiting for them to return to their full strength, I managed to convince her to tell me more about herself. Like me, she was a noble drow. Until one day, something happened."
"She fell in love?"
"With a surfacer bard. His name was Corran Kaseret. Her mother did not approve, and even attempted to sacrifice Corran to the spider queen when Ilivarra became pregnant. The ceremony was interrupted by the Valsharess, coming to slaughter the rival house. During the all the chaos, she was able to free Corran and escape with him."
"What did they do next?"
"They attempted to escape to the surface. Ili's pregnancy slowed them down, as you can imagine, but that was not all. The Valsharess sent red sisters after them, but they defeated them all. So many that she turned to mercenaries. And it was Korve Besair that finally defeated them."
"What did he do?"
"He killed Corran, killed Ili's unborn child, tortured Ilivarra for days, and finally left her for dead. She was on the brink of death, but her will for vengeance kept her alive. She joined the Valsharess, and in time, received her revenge. Afterwards, she became an instructor."
"Her story sounds really similar to yours."
"It does. Years passed, and I became a great assassin. The day finally came that I had one more mission to complete before I received Nackor's location. Ilivarra sent me to the island of Xukuth's Thalack. It was part of a chain of other islands, inhabited by outcasts from drow, duerger, even surfacer society. As I waited for further instructions, I met a young girl. Tialla Silvapanthoron was fourteen, full of life, and a half-drow. Despite myself, I was charmed by her personality. Her father, Seelomar, was quite charming as well."
"Did you fall in love with him too?" Ana asked.
"No. Infatuated? Yes. With time, perhaps I would have loved him. Who knows?" Nathyrra stated, shrugging.
"So what happened to them?"
"I received further instructions. My assignment was to kill Tialla and Seelomar Silvapanthoron. Seelomar's wife, Araynalla had been a follower of Eilistraee, and had been killed by another assassin. The Valsharess wanted me to finish the job."
"What did you do?"
"I killed them."
"But-"
"I know." Nathyrra wiped at moist eyes. "And it's one of the things I regret the most. They were both innocents, but I wouldn't let anything come between me and my revenge."
"So, what happened next?"
"I received Nackor's location. Ilivarra tried to talk me out of it, telling me that revenge would never make me feel better, but I refused to listen. I took my revenge, and crushed Nackor's heart with my own hands."
Ana's eyes widened.
Nathyrra ignored this. "With the need for vengeance gone, I felt empty. My life had no purpose. At the time, I blamed on Ilivarra, believing that her words had made me feel that way. I then believed that the only way to feel alive again, was to kill her. I returned to the academy. She was waiting for me, knives unsheathed. It turns out that my last assignment had been a test. I had failed by killing Tialla and Seelomar, and Ili decided that she would rather kill me than allow me to live as a monstrous assassin. It was one of the hardest battles I've ever fought, but I won. As she took her last breaths, she told me that this would haunt me, there was no escaping my feelings. I didn't believe her, but I now know that she was right."
Ana nodded.
"When hearing of Ilivarra's death, the Valsharess offered me her position. Before I received her position, I had to bring beck the Seer's head."
"I know the story. You went to the camp, pretended to be a refugee, tried to kill the seer, but couldn't. Now here's my question; what really stopped you?"
"I suppose it was my own conscience or even divine intervention by Eilistraee. Whichever it was, I began to question myself. The most significant realization was without a doubt, the meaning of my dreams."
"What are you talking about?"
"During my years as an assassin, I suffered from many nightmares. Mostly they consisted of me killing Nackor before he could kill Seelamin. But then, I would kill Seelamin myself, without meaning to. He would smile at me, and take out a knife of his own. He would make a small cut on me. Instead of blood, a green substance would poor out. It was then that I realized the meaning. I-" Nathyrra abruptly stopped.
"What is it?" Ana asked.
"Quiet." Nathyrra whispered. She looked down at the forest floor. Twenty drow soldiers marched towards the village. The leader gave them a signal and they all started to make camp on the forest floor. Nathyrra cast a spell to improve her hearing and began listening. "They're stopping to make camp for about four hours. Then, they'll attack at two hours past midnight." She continued listening. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "There are one hundred and eighty more soldiers, scattered throughout the forest. They've surrounded the village. We must warn the seer."
"You go. I have an idea."
"What?"
"I have an idea that could help to even the odds. One hundred eighty to fifty is a lot better than two hundred to fifty, don't you agree?" Seeing the reluctance on her mother's face, Ana added, "Trust me, Mom. I know what I'm doing."
"If you get killed, I swear-"
"Go."
Nathyrra scowled and silently leapt through the trees.
Ana smiled at the soldiers. First, she called out with her animal empathy. Dozens of animals answered her call. She explained the importance of her cause, and how their lives were at stake as well. They readily agreed to help. The teen assigned each of the animals a job. The bears were to eat the hordes of supplies. The wolves and cats were to howl and keep the soldiers awake. Squirrels would disable any traps. Chipmunks would steal magical scrolls. Beavers would chew ropes. Badgers would steal weapons. Many other assignments were given.
Remember, Ana warned, If anyone with a weapon sees you, flee. Don't look back, just run.
Ana grinned at the soldiers. Now for my job. She stealthily crept down to the forest floor. The animals brought her spare ropes, knives, and the other necessities she required. Within thirty minutes, Ana had made all the traps she needed, and the soldiers were quite disgruntled.
Ana crept back onto a tree branch and listened to the soldiers.
"Commander, we should rethink-" a male soldier began.
"Silence, ibilth!" His female commander roared. "We will not leave until I give orders."
"But Ma'am, I may not know much of the surface world, but this is truly unnatural. We should consider-"
"Silence!" The commander pulled out a whip. "Do you wish to taste the pain that I was educated to perform? It can be arranged, jaluk!"
The male shook his head.
"Good." The female turned around.
Ana grinned. Now for phase 2. The young ranger pulled a color scroll out of her pack. Though she possessed no arcane magic, Ana knew how to use arcane scrolls. She used the color scroll to change the irises of her eyes from blue to red. And the whites to gold. Her hair turned from light brown to jet black. Silver rune tattoos stretched down her entire body. She took out another scroll. It bestowed horns and a tail on her, replaced her dragon wings with demon wings, replaced her teeth with fangs, her tongue with a forked version, and her nails with claws.
Ana jumped forward and landed on another tree branch, making sure that she was not silent.
The soldiers spun around and looked up.
Ana grinned at them, revealing her pointed teeth. The ranger let out loud roar. If anyone had heard her several leagues away, they would have thought it was the roar of a mountain lion. Thank you, Snuggles, for teaching me that. Thank you, Mom, for perfecting it. Thank you, Dad, for jumping in surprise whenever I decided to practice.
"Demon!" One of the soldiers cried.
"Get your weapons! We'll fight her, despite our lack of preparation!" The leader shouted, unsheathing a long sword.
"Our weapons are gone!" Cried another voice.
The leader looked up at Ana.
She unsheathed two daggers and opened her mouth, letting out a stream of fire.
The commander's eyes widened. "RETREAT!" she screamed.
The soldiers obeyed, running away from the camp. Unfortunately, they triggered the traps Ana had set and found themselves caught in a multitude of nets, both magical and rope.
Ana jumped down from the trees. She smirked at the sweating leader. "I'll take that." the ranger informed her, taking the long sword out of the commander's hand.
Ana turned around. "I believe I'll just leave you all like this for awhile." She ran towards the village.
XXXXX
At that time, Ano and AJ faced the challenge of making pasta.
"Dad, are you sure that we're supposed to add THIS much yeast?"
"Of course." Ano said as he poured yeast into the pan.
Ten minutes later, Ano was up to his knees in batter. AJ, being the shorter person, was up to mid-thigh in yeast.
"Dad, this says TEASPOON. Not TABLESPOON."
"Now they tell me." Ano frowned. "Think we can get rid of all this before your mother and sister get home?"
"Sure. Let's not mention them to them, by the way."
"We'll discuss it over takeout. I think it's safe to throw away the pasta now."
"I'm not touching it! I've got a long life ahead of me!"
XXXXX
Nathyrra snarled and plunged her dagger into a soldier's chest. She quickly spun around and slit the throat of a different soldier with her other knife. Where's Ana?
The village was in chaos. Soldiers and Eilistraee Followers fought each other relentlessly as remaining villagers attempted to escape the carnage. Nathyrra's personal mission was to find the Seer and protect her at all costs. But first, she needed to find her daughter.
The drow heard a presence approaching behind her. She turned around and raised her dagger in an offensive stance.
Before Nathyrra could attack, the soldier collapsed. Ana stood behind him, a bloody dagger in her right hand.
That was her first kill. Nathyrra distracted herself from that morbid thought by saying, "That's an interesting new look."
"Oh! I'd forgotten about the spell." Within seconds, the demon attributes faded and Ana's normal appearance was restored.
"I'm not gonna ask." Nathyrra shook her head. "I need to find the Seer." She looked at the city hall. "She's probably in there. I'm going."
"I'm coming too."
"No you're not. Stay here and find cover."
"Mom, I'm not a child anymore."
Nathyrra sighed. "You're a pain in the ass."
"Just like you." Ana shot back before running towards the hall.
Nathyrra approached the door. It wouldn't budge. Ana tried to move it as well, but it still wouldn't open. They both looked at the window. "One…Two…Three!" They leapt towards window, breaking the glass and gaining an entrance.
"Kill them!" cried a voice inside. Ana and Nathyrra fought side-by-side, successfully dispatching their enemies.
"The Seer will be upstairs." Nathyrra noted.
"Hey! Look what I found!" Ana opened a chest and pulled out two sets of leather armor, one black and one brown.
"Put one the brown one, then. I'll take the black."
"I want the black one!" Ana protested.
"Give me the black one." Nathyrra said irritably.
Ana muttered something along the lines of 'gothic freak' under her breath. Nathyrra pretended not to hear her as she donned the armor.
Upstairs, the Seer and two followers of Eilistraee battled three soldiers, a wizard, and a priestess of Lolth. An insignia on the cleric's armor revealed her to be the first born daughter of a powerful house, and the leader of the raid.
"Protect the Seer!" the followers cried.
"Oloth plynn dos!" their enemies retorted.
Nathyrra fought the wizard while Ana took on one of the soldiers. Nathyrra defeated the wizard with ease before turning to fight the cleric. She thrust her blades at the cleric. The priestess dodged and aimed her mace at Nathyrra's torso. The former assassin blocked.
Ana let out a slight yelp as the soldier's blade nicked her forearm.
Nathyrra immediately looked at her to see if she was alright. The cleric took advantage of this and swung her mace at Nathyrra's arm. Nathyrra let out a grunt as her arm shattered.
Ana pulled her dagger out of the soldier's neck just in time to see the priestess swing her mace at Nathyrra's head and knock her unconscious.
Ana stared at the cleric in disbelief. "You bitch!"
The priestess laughed. "Come and get me, half-breed!"
Ana let out a cry of rage and ran towards the cleric. The drow was caught by surprise by the ferocity of Ana's attacks, and hurriedly tried to keep up. With one mighty blow, Ana knocked the mace out of the woman's hand. The ranger soon brought down the hilt of her knife on the cleric's head. The priestess succumbed to unconsciousness and would have fallen backwards, had Ana not caught her.
"Halt!" Cried a voice.
Ana turned around. The remaining enemy soldier had a sword pressed to the Seer's throat while the remaining ally soldier watched helplessly.
The enemy grinned. "Surrender."
Ana grabbed the cleric and pressed her knife to her throat. "How about we exchange prisoners?"
"No."
"Let the Seer go, or I-I'll slit your leader's throat. And we both know that you'll be punished by the matron of your house for her death."
The soldier laughed. "You're a follower of Eilistraee! You don't have the guts to go through with it!"
Ana smiled grimly. "I'm more of a freelance worshiper."
"You let her go first."
"No way. You go first."
"Listen, you half-breed tramp, I'll spill your precious Seer's entrails all over the floor if you don't let my mistress go."
"I'll spill more than your leader's entrails." As Ana declared this, her eyes turned bright crimson.
The soldier looked a bit more nervous as he looked at Ana's eyes. His expression hardened and he raised his sword to behead the Seer.
A dagger suddenly whizzed through the air. The soldier cried out as it became buried in his back. The Seer pushed him away from her.
Ana looked at the direction where the dagger had come from.
Nathyrra lay on the floor, her chest heaving with exertion—or pain—and one of her daggers missing. She gave Ana a weary smile.
Ana smiled back.
XXXXX
Two days passed. Due to the fact that the healers used up most of their healing on the gravely injured, Nathyrra's arm rested in a sling. Along with the twenty soldiers that Ana had captured, the cleric of Lolth had been taken into the follower's custody, and the Seer had granted Ana and Nathyrra permission to leave.
"I wish they had taught us how to heal broken bones this year rather than deciding to teach it next year." Ana commented as she and her mother walked towards the town exit.
"Don't worry about it, Ana. I'll have Jaheira look at it when we get home." Nathyrra responded.
A momentary silence passed.
"Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I understand now, about the informant. It's hardly an easy position to be in. I'm sorry for how I acted."
Nathyrra smiled and hugged her daughter. Ana hugged her back, taking care not to jostle her mother's injured arm.
XXXXX
When they arrived home, the first thing the mother and daughter noticed was the large pile of takeout boxes on the kitchen table. AJ and Ano were sitting at the table, eating more takeout.
Nathyrra arched an eyebrow. "I'm not even gonna ask."
Ano grinned and stood up. "Hey, Kitten." His brows creased in confusion. "What happened to your arm?"
"Mace wound. Not enough healing."
"I call Jaheira."
"No, call in the morning. It's late."
Ano nodded.
"And clean up those takeout boxes." Nathyrra commanded.
"I'll get the garbage bags." AJ said.
"I'll get the shovel." Ano stated.
As soon as they left, Ana turned towards her mother. "By the way, what was the meaning of the dreams? You never did tell me."
"Well, the dreams meant…"
Arrow Maker: Hah! Like I'm gonna reveal that before I finish HoI. Mwhahaha. Drow translations below.
jaluk: male. (if you don't know that by now, I would suggest you get help.)
Dos waele jaluk! Nindel jivviim saph uoi'nota: You stupid male! That hurt like hell!
Xukuth's Thalack: Heart's War.