'What have I gotten myself into?' She thought to herself. She started as she heard something—voices. Suddenly, the drow in her cell leapt at her. Fast. So fast that she had no time to react before his hand was over her mouth.
"If you want to live, surface Elf, do not make a sound once they reach you." A voice hissed into her ear. Then the drow was gone. Just like that. The voices got louder, and a key jangled. A word was spoken. A powerful word. Apparently, a key was not enough. Then, another drow entered the room. This one was covered in full plate armor that seemed to be made out of mithral. He held a crossbow, which was loaded.
"I see you're alive, Elf." A voice that made Sihri's very blood turn cold resounded in the cave. Suddenly, a thought whirled through her mind.
'They shouldn't be able to speak my language...' She remembered that from the days in her early childhood that were spent reading the book that her was her only possession. It was all about drow. She glanced around the room, and suddenly, an orb floated in. An orb that radiated a small amount of light, and, however dim it was, Sihri was glad. Soon after it had settled into the center of the small cell, a drow female entered.
'A priestess of Lloth.' Sihri realized. The female was dressed in chain mail, with a whip that sported snake heads—seven of them—in her hand. Her cruel smile made the Elf boil with rage.
"Don't make a sound if you value your life." A voice warned her. She bit her lip to keep from yelping and glanced around. It seemed the drow priestess who was staring at her and the guard with the crossbow had not heard it. It was the drow who had been in her cell earlier. He was communicating with her. Telepathically.
"Follow my instructions," His eerily echoing voice came again, "If you want to live."
"So, elf," The priestess snickered, "Would you like to know where your companion is now? Would you, elf?"
"What have you done with him?" Sihri almost shouted, but kept it in.
"We've sent him to the second hell." The drow priestess snickered again. Sihri could feel her blood boil. 'Lies!' She wanted to shout. She wanted to jump at the drow and strangle her. But a voice stopped her cold.
"It's bait. Don't bite." The telepathic voice echoed in her mind again. The priestess seemed to grow mad at Sihri's silence. She sped over and raised Sihri up by the collar of the tunic, slamming her up and against the wall.
"Why don't you say something, elf?" She snarled. Then, as suddenly as she had picked Sihri up, the drow priestess dropped her, backing out of the room.
"Come, Yulnan." She beckoned to the guard with the crossbow. The guard bowed and followed the Priestess out of the room. Only then did the elf dare to breathe.
"Good." The deadly quiet voice came from the drow who had first been in her cell. Only years of training as a warrioress kept her from yelping in surprise. The elf bit her lip and turned her head to fully face him, thinking of something to say.
"I believe these are yours." The drow, before she could say anything, held out his hands to her. He held her chain mail, cloak, pouch, longsword, and whip. She gratefully nodded, stretching out her hands to take the gear, but the drow suddenly pulled his hands back. She snarled, and then she saw the slightest glimmer of sadness in his eyes.
"Please, Elf, promise me that I will be able to travel with you." He said, his voice just above a whisper. Quite surprised at the request, the Elf struggled for a moment. For all she knew, he might be a traitorous back stabber. After a moment's hesitation, Sihri finally gave a curt nod and the Drow handed the weapons to her. After a relieved sigh as she put them on, she finally glanced at the dark elf.
"Who are you?" She finally worked up the nerve to ask.
"You may call me..." He paused for a moment, as if not sure what the answer was, "Tir." He finally said, hesitantly. Sihri glanced at him sharply, but he returned the gaze.
"That is not your true calling, Drow." The elf commented. The drow shrugged.
"You are Sihri." He said. The elf drew back, surprised.
"How do you know this?" She growled, her voice laced with suspicion. A shrug was given in reply. He turned away, and she knew he would not answer. He finally turned back, and held out a palm to her once more. In it was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen.
"This was meant for you." The drow said in a whisper. Sihri was too breath taken to even be suspicious. She reached out with a shaking hand and gently touched the necklace, and, before she could blink, the drow had transferred it to her hand. She held it up before her eyes, studying and feeling its intricate designs. On it was a dragon, a red dragon, with talons of steel and eyes of pure emerald. Its scales were painted crimson, and it seemed to be holding a crystal orb in one paw. Its wings were unfurled to their full splendor. The chain itself was a work of beauty. The whole necklace was made entirely of gold, and the chain shone the purest light. It was light, and virtually indestructible. She held her breath as she felt the dragon's face with her fingers, following the way its tail curled down to rest by its left forepaw.
The drow watched this with a hint of a sad smile on his face, he then took the necklace from her and Sihri let him. He walked around to face Sihri's back, lifted up her hair, and instructed her to hold it in place. She did so. He then placed the necklace around her neck, and a blinding light took place in the cavern. Sihri almost cried out, but then it was gone. She whirled to face Tir with a questioning look in her eyes. She felt...different.
-Who are you?- She heard several voices in her mind. She gasped and plugged her ears, turning away from Tir. The Drow glanced at her, an amused expression on his handsome face. She whirled to face him again.
"What's going on?" She whispered heatedly. The voices were still there, asking her who she was, and why she looked like one who walked on two legs. The drow shrugged, a coy expression on his face.
"You will learn..."
"Great. Wonderful. Listen, dark elf, as of the time I fell asleep, I have been kidnapped by drow, my companion is gods know where, most probably dead, a priestess marched in and was seemingly enraged when I was silent—"She had gone white with fury, and would have continued, but the drow elf raised a finger to his lips.
"This is no place for a heated discussion. Now, you either follow me to safety, or have your heart sacrificed to Lolth." He walked—no—slunk across the tiny chamber and inspected the cell door, more specifically the lock, with interest. A smile spread across his face as he made a soft noise, somewhat like a very soft whistle, and the lock simply disappeared. Sihri glared at the drow.
"Any other surprise talents you want to tell me about, Tir?"
"Not for now."
"Excellent. Let's get a move on, then, shall we?" She hissed. He shrugged, letting her comments slip past him, and led her into the darkness outside of the small prison cell.