Chapter 5

Aliyah, Deidra, and Ophila walked down the trail next to the River Surbin. The druid kept her eyes open, wondering if they would encounter any fiends sent by Malice.

Holding her scimitars, Aliyah looked back at the trail that had led them to Mithral Hall. She felt bad for leaving Drizzt behind, but she knew that if anything had happened to the dark elf ranger on their journey, she would have never been able to forgive herself. The blond ranger then looked up, her left eye staring at the trees.

"Something the matter?" Deidra asked her friend after a moment of silence passed.

Aliyah's magical eye spotted several shapes moving in the trees. "Nothing, just people moving in the trees. Hopefully they won't fall and break their backs."

Deidra also looked up in the trees. She saw one of the shapes holding a long bow. "It looks like we are in the company of archers."

"Those aren't just any archers," Ophila remarked as she looked up. "Those are Emerald Enclave archers."

The moment the druid's words left her mouth, a man jumped down from the trees. He was a tall and handsome young man, wearing studded leather armor and a dark green cloak. His hair was light brown and his eyes were violet. Aliyah's magical eye noticed the man's ears were slanted. She would have guessed him to be an elf, except that he had a thin brown goatee on his face.

"Ophila, I was getting worried about you," the half elf said in a tenor voice.

The druidess smiled. "It is good to see you too Cedric." She looked over at Aliyah and Deidra. "Aliyah, Deidra, this is Cedric Milstar. Cedric, this is Aliyah and Deidra. They will be joining the Enclave soon."

The half elf smiled. "Let me be the first to welcome you into the Emerald Enclave. My scouts and I noticed you three coming from Mithral Hall. We were wondering where you ladies were heading."

Deidra giggled. Aliyah smiled at Cedric and replied," We are going to fight a dracolich and her mad creator who has sworn to kill my sister's husband."

Another moment of silence passed between them.

"Well then seeing as you two will be members soon, we will help you," Cedric declared with a wide smile. Several archers jumped down from the trees. Cedric looked at Aliyah. "Do you know where the dracolich will strike?"

"Possibly in the Underdark," she answered. She was about to tell Cedric that they should leave right away, but then she saw a beautiful white unicorn appear several feet away from where she stood. The unicorn stared at Aliyah, then began walking in the east direction.

The blond ranger watched the beautiful creature. "We have to follow the unicorn," she said in a soft voice.

With that, Aliyah began to follow the white haired unicorn, and others quickly followed.

After having some lunch, Shadimir and Alustriel said goodbye to Juniper. The kender had cooked roast chicken and taters, which Shadimir had gotten the recipe for while Alustriel was casting her Gate spell. Juniper gave Alustriel and Shadimir each a hug, then handed the undead hunter the dragonlances and the silver horn.

Just as they were about to enter the portal that would take them back to Fauern, Shadimir and Alustriel noticed their cloaks were missing. They looked over at Juniper, who was holding the cloaks in her arms.

"Juniper, I see you found our cloaks," Alustriel said with a smile, throwing a another wink Shadimir's way.

The kender smiled back. "I was going to wash them before you left, but that's all right."

Shadimir laughed softly as Juniper handed him back his cloak. He knew that the kender must have absent mindedly taken the cloaks, just as she did earlier with Alustriel's pendant. The one thing Alustriel had told Shadimir was that you never called kender thieves. Calling a kender a thief was like offering a minotaur a large steak for dinner, or telling a filthy dwarven barbarian to take a bath. You just didn't do it.

With his cloak, the dragonlances, and the silver horn in his hand, Shadimir passed through the portal.

The priestess of Kelemvor and Cat Wyvernspur were playing with the twins when a circular hoop materialized at the doorway. Shadimir stepped from inside the hoop, carrying two heavy lances, a horn, and his cloak. Jacen and Andreya saw their father and smiled happily. Ten seconds later, Alustriel stepped from the portal and quickly brushed her hair.

"I take it the trip was successful," Stephanie said, standing up. She walked over to Shadimir and studied the lances in his arms.

"It was," Shadimir answered. The hunter looked down, and noticed Jacen standing next to him. The little boy tried to reach for one of the lances, but Shadimir held them high in the air, out of the child's reach. Jacen made a little squeal, then sat back down.

"We have the dragonlances," Alustriel said with a smile. "Now there is just one last thing. Are Tara and Giogi around?"

Running her hand through her curly reddish blond hair. "I think they are in the study with Jepetto."

"Tara?" Shadimir asked. "She's here?"

"That I am Shadimir," the blue haired woman answered, emerging from within the study. Taralona smiled at Shadimir, holding one of the wooden dragon figurines he had carved.

Giogi and Jepetto stood behind Tara. "Did someone call me?" Giogi asked, brushing back his brown hair.

"I did," replied Alustriel. "Did you bring the Wyvern's Spur with you?"

Giogi nodded. He reached into the pocket of his surcoat and drew out what looked like a mummified wyvern's spur. "Did you need it for something Alustriel?"

The High Lady of Silverymoon smiled at Giogi. "We do Giogi. We need to use the Wyvern's Spur and transform to help Shadimir defeat Malice and her dracolich.

"I've never fought a dracolich before," Giogi stated, a look of concern growing on his face. He had heard of the undead dragons from his uncle. He looked over at Cat. "Do you think I stand a chance love?"

Cat smiled at her husband and walked up to him. She had remembered many years ago when they first met. Giogi had used the spur and transformed to defeat the wizard Flattery. "Darling, you and I both know you can do anything. Even if you do get hurt or perish, they will speak of how you died bravely."

Giogi smiled and kissed his wife lovingly. he then turned to Shadimir. "Do you want me to transform now?"

Shadimir shook his head. "No that's fine," the hunter responded, fearing for safety and the condition of his home. "You can wait until the battle." Shadimir looked at the twins, wondering who would watch them while he, and he others were at the battle.

As if reading the undead hunter's mind, Cat looked at Shadimir, and said," I'll watch Jacen and Andreya."

"Thank you Cat," Shadimir responded with a smile. He handed the lances to Alustriel, and bent down and hugged his children. For a moment, he pictured that he was holding Dalla. He then let them go and looked at Stephanie.

Elros and Jepetto walked over to Shadimir. "Do you want us to stay here?" the deep gnome asked. The snow tiger looked at his master with innocent eyes.

Shadimir shook his head and patted the snow tiger on his head. "Of course not. Jepetto, you're my closest friend, and Elros, you're my animal companion." The snow tiger smiled and licked his master's hand.

Stephanie bent down, and held the twins, then kissed their small cheeks. She silently prayed to Kelemvor to watch over them.

As a cleric of the Lord of the Dead, Stephanie understood that death was not the end of life, but rather a new beginning. If she died in battle, Stephanie knew that she would always watch over her children.

"So, how are we going to find Malice?" Jepetto asked, staring curiously at the dragonlances.

Shadimir shrugged, wondering the same thing. Alustriel smiled and answered," We start looking in the Underdark. With any luck, Malice will find us."