„Old Fires"
„I see you found drow males to your taste" Viconia finally gave herself a break from shepherding their party and made an attempt to relax, returning to her sarcastic snarls the moment they reached their secure rooms.
"I didn't have much choice" Daria answered simply. She was considering how to breach the subject of Solaufein joining their team, but something told her that the time wasn't right just yet. The drow warrior went into hiding with a promise to learn as much as he could about silver dragon's eggs and plans the House Despana had for them. The confrontation could be delayed for few more days they had to complete the tasks they received under the command of Matron Ardulace. Until then she'd rather not mention either him or Phaere's slave, whom she served a memory altering enchantment, one she copied from Xan's spellbook actually, without his consent of course. Half of her party was already on the verge of nervous breakdown, only Minsc and Viconia seemingly holding up, and news of a serious risk she took in both cases could only cause the explosive mix to go off.
That, and they didn't deserve to know what was happening with her.
"Perhaps it's time for you to learn the pleasures drow society has to offer. Care a visit in Lust Chambers?" Viconia seemed to ask seriously, even despite the mocking tone of voice.
"Now wait a second, Viconia! What you're saying is just preposterous! I will not let you do any more harm to her, she suffered enough!" The familiar old fire woke in Jaheira, waking her from the indifference she made her mask in Ust Natha.
"You won't?" But the drow knew exactly how to put it out. "You weren't that keen on protecting her when somebody had to bed Phaere's pleasure slave." The drow cut where it hurt.
"I…" Jaheira's anger flickered and extinguished. But Viconia didn't finish just yet.
"And how about the all-caring attitude…" she opened her mouth to repress the half-elf even further, but a hand placed on her shoulder stopped her. A hand that didn't want another argument.
"Let's go" Daria asked. Viconia snickered and turned her back to the druidess.
With all the eyes turned on them no one noticed Xan sneaking out of the room.
"It's one of the most popular places of entertainment, next to the arena you like to visit frequently. I'm sure you've had enough of wimps by now, so perhaps…" Viconia kept talking as they entered the Lust Chambers, rich with scents of many perfumes and pieces of what the drow called art. Veldrin didn't even pretend to listen to her, but the priestess didn't realize it anyway, more than satisfied with today's events. It was a moment of triumph for her, the sign of power he held over the Child of Bhaal. So she allowed herself a little time triumphing.
"You, male!" Both women heard just behind their backs, a commanding voice of a priestess of Lloth, turning to some drow either fortunate or unfortunate enough to draw her attention. There were many of such voices here and this one wasn't any different.
"M-me?" Daria heard Xan's voice answering. She sharply turned back to see the purple-clad enchanter being approached by a woman certainly of a high position in the hierarchy of Houses. You could tell that just from the looking at her chin, raised almost to the ceiling.
"Yes, you, you in the robes. Come closer. I wish to have a good look at you."
Xan was almost paralyzed with fear, watching the high priestess making her way in his direction like an unstoppable dark doom. He raised his eyes to look at Daria, seeing she noticed he was following her, now cold and unfriendly, like a merciless goddess holding his fate in her hands. And then she made a step in his direction.
"Here you are male!" The diviner ignored the priestess completely, turning to the ash-colored enchanter. "I was getting sick of waiting for you, but you're here at last. Come" she stepped before him, cutting him off from the demanding handmaiden of Lloth.
"Wait. I saw him first." The woman stopped her before Veldrin had the time to push the terrified enchanter towards the exit.
"And what gives you the authority to command one of my males?" Veldrin, a powerful wizardess in favor of the Second House rose to her full height.
"You dare address me as an equal, whereas you are barely more than a slave yourself?" the drow woman stated with dark joy in her red eyes. "Amusing. Yes, I know you, Veldrin of Ched Nasad, which may be more than you deserve. I am Hunrae of the First House, and this male will go with me. Do I make myself clear?" This was bad, Xan thought feverishly. Even if she wanted she wouldn't be able to save him now. "Now step aside."
"No." Veldrin claimed harshly. It was all becoming worse and worse. And to think he came thinking he could do something, protect her, to stop this madness. Now she was protecting him and was going to blow their cover because of that. No drow female would ever cross her superior because of a man.
"You are nothing to me and yet you risk raising your eyes over a mere male? What say you male?" the priestess turned to Xan and he felt his feet rooting into the floor, his racing heart crying for him to run and ruin everything. "You feel honored to be chosen, of course, and the only obstacle is this impudent female next to you. Tell, me male… do you wish her out of the way?"
He didn't. He wished as strongly as he could for Daria to remain just where she was. To go with the Handmaiden… it would be unthinkable, to let it happen. It was impossible for him to accept it. What Daria was forced to… What she had to suffer for them to remain in this guise… He couldn't do it.
He sighed. "Most powerful female, I… cannot honor your request" he began, trying to think of a reason fast.
"What? What do you mean, 'cannot'?" The way Hunrae said this word finally gave him a ready solution, an effective if humiliating one.
"I, ah… Veldrin, will you explain my predicament?" Xan turned to Daria. He saw her tensed, but now relaxing. She knew he had a plan.
"Have you no tongue for yourself, male? Speak!"
"This is no possible. Physically." A humiliation, but that he could almost gladly suffer.
"Ah. You do not lie, I see." The Handmaiden lost all her fervor. "So why not tell me at once? Your female kept intervening as if you were the best lover in Ched Nasad!"
"Well, she…"
The Handmaiden didn't listen, walking away, muttering curses under her breath. Veldrin didn't watch the priestess leaving, instead took his arm brutally and dragged him outside.
"To the inn. And never came back here unless you really want to" she whispered angrily. She couldn't say much more here in the open. They could only ease their guard in their scrying-proof chambers.
"I… You're not coming?"
"No. Now go." She pushed him forward harshly and he had no other option but to go.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Viconia's eyes narrowed when she turned to her protégée, finding her in the crowd. She watched the entire event from the shadows and the result was far from satisfying. "You had him on your plate! You could have just left him there with the angry witch!"
"I don't know. I acted on impulse" Daria explained, imitating humility.
"You still feel something towards him." It was the worst accusation Viconia could think of.
"I thought like that for a moment, but no. It's most likely what's left of my divinations told me that he will ruin out carefully built disguise, because he would deny her." It was perfectly logical and probably true. Certainly she didn't feel anything when Xan was approached and his fear didn't cause her to react in any way. It was but an impulse, a fleeting, unimportant impulse.
"So be it" the dark elf settled with this explanation. "But don't try anything like that again. It would be a pity if Shar lost such a promising acolyte" she added threatening.
Daria was surprised. Such a boorish threat. Did Viconia really think she cared about her petty goddess and any sort cult? She didn't care about anything anymore. She suddenly realized that it was what the drow priestess was trying to do all this time, by teaching her. Bind her to herself, make her a powerful tool. A Bhaalspawn, the Slayer... Powerful indeed. She could get more than she ever wished for. But… should the sun elf be able to feel anything she really could be emotionally tied to Viconia, after suffering from Irenicus' hand, heartbroken and shunned from her friends. The problem was that she didn't feel.
Well, at least that one was clear. From the beginning it was obvious that the drow would try to use her, but Daria didn't expect Viconia's attempts of manipulation would be so crude. She probably overestimated the dark elf… But that hardly mattered. She began to walk back to the inn ignoring any questions from Viconia. She lost the interest in her schemes.
"You didn't kill him?" Jaheira yelled. But then she hastily corrected herself, realizing she's sounding like a bloodthirsty matron. "You didn't kill him because he was good in bed?" That sounded even worse, but it was essentially what she was going to argue about. "Our lives are at risk every second we spend here, we have to watch our every move and every impulse and you let a drow you were sent to kill live and tell him all about who we are and our goals? And for what! For…"
It was meant to happen, sooner or later. They spent few days relatively safe. Relatively, because hunting ancient beholders in their own lair was safe only compared to pretending a drow in the middle of dark elven city. When they came back to report results of their hunt to matron mother, then, more secretively, to Phaere, and get some well deserved rest in their rooms in the tavern, Solaufein was already waiting for them in their supposedly impenetrable hideout.
"Jaheira, calm down" Daria raised her hands in a defensive gesture, standing before the furious druid and Solaufein, who just came with a report his findings he gathered through the last few days. "There's been a misunderstanding. Solaufein is a new member of our party and he's going with us to the surface, no beds involved. In Eilistraee's name."
"And it didn't occur to you that he may be lying, only waiting to sell us out to his Matron Mother?" Jaheira's long suppressed fury finally found a let-out.
"No, never." The furious druid fell silent. Something in the eyes of the sun elf stopped her, something… silver?
"Step aside Jaheira. I will take care of this" Valygar drew his katana and stepped before the druid. Daria immediately clung to the drow warrior, shielding him.
"If you want to kill him you will have to face the Slayer first." Jaheira almost couldn't believe her ears hearing Daria protect the drow so fiercely, but Solaufein somehow looked even more surprised.
"Jaheira, Valygar! When are you going to begin to trust her?" Imoen joined her sister, turning her back to the drow with some fleeting hesitation. "She says he's going to help us, co could you at least consider having some faith?" The pink-headed drow was beginning to sniff.
Xan didn't join the argument. He barely said a word since he came back after trying to follow Daria. Viconia smiled, watching the conflict.
"I understand your worries" Solaufein of all the people tried to calm the situation. "I didn't want to cause any discord among you. I know it's not easy to accept me, but I'm not here to cause you any harm. I just want to help Veldrin… Daria and repay her for sparing my life. And I assure you that there is no way for me to come back to my house, even if I betray you. All I ask is a chance to prove my worth."
A long moment of silence answered his speech.
"I will trust you… Daria" Jaheira finally spoke. "This one last time."
Daria turned to Valygar.
"So be it" the ranger snarled. He sheathed his weapon. "But I will watch your every move drow." This seemed to be good enough to the leader of their chaotic group. Daria stepped away from Solaufein letting him to take a sit by the table. Valygar took his promise seriously, watching every move the warrior made.
"The ritual will take place tomorrow" Daria summarized, more to focus them on the current task, than as a reminder. "Matron Ardulace wants to make an offering from the dragon's eggs to a demon lord from Abyss, in exchange for his help in the war against the surface elves they are planning. The whole venture is Irenicus' idea and he's already out on the surface, preparing for an attack. But Phaere gave us those…" the sun elf pointed the duplicates. "…false eggs, so we'd replace them with the originals, which are in Despana House treasury, as she kindly informed us, using the key she gave us. I say we steal the eggs and scram."
"It's impossible." Solaufein shook his head. "Matron Ardulace sealed all the city gates with her personal seal. No one will get out or go in without her permission before the ritual takes place."
"So then…" Daria took a moment to think.
"I made another copy of the eggs" the drow warrior dared to say, unused to take initiative. It's been longer than he'd want to, since the last time he was engaged into a case that he'd put his heart into. "I saw Phaere make a copy while following her, so I decided to do the same. She most likely marked hers, but mine are without this mark…"
"So there are three groups of eggs" Daria fell in his thought. "To save the true ones from being sacrificed we need to swap them with marked copies Phaere gave us. Then the unmarked copy would go to Phaere…"
"…and the real eggs would be ours and the proper ritual will not take place" Xan ended. "If only it could be done as easily as you make it sound."
"You lost me. " Jaheira lifted up her hands in defeat. "But as long as you know which ones are which I'm fine with this plan. But then the next problem is: how do we get out?"
"Matron Ardulace has to die" Solaufein stated. All eyes turned to him sharply. "There's no other way" he sighed. "Only then her seal will be uplifted. Stealing it won't help, she'd still be the only person able to use it."
"Assassinating the Matron Mother of the House, do I have to remind you how hopeless this task is? We have one night, there's no way we could possibly succeed!" Xan found the obvious weak spot in their plan in less than a second.
"He's right" Solaufein admitted disheartened. "The Matron has a trained squad of assassins, warriors and mages protecting her at every time. And before the ritual the guards in the temple will be even more watchful than usual. There's no way for us to catch her alone."
"Except during the ritual" Daria stated calmly, silence falling over the table. "Phaere ordered me to come."
"That's crazy, Daria!" Imoen panicked. "You'd be there alone with two powerful priestesses and a demon lord!"
"I'll be fine." The sun elf tried to dismiss her worries. She was surprised that anyone was worrying about her still. It was a kind of an insult to the Slayer.
"No, you won't be! You're not immortal sis, no matter how powerful you feel! I can't let you go there alone." Imoen didn't stop and Daria knew she wouldn't be able to calm her sister so easily. After weeks in Ust Natha Imoen was on the verge.
"Phaere invited only me and the possibility that she'd change her mind is very unlikely. I'll be fine Imoen, or at least I promise I'll kill Ardulace. Then I will run."
"Sis… you haven't slept since you came here, did you?" The rogue changed the subject suddenly. So that was what was bothering her… Yes, Daria forgot her room could still be scried from the inside of the protective barrier she put around their temporary dwelling. It was no surprise that Imoen spied on her. She should have thought about it, she knew her sister well.
"You've been awake for sixteen days!" Xan lost his composure, but instantly recovered. "If you're going to faint because of exhaustion tomorrow you'll doom us all."
"I'll take care of stealing the eggs from the treasury, sis. Go got some sleep." Daria looked as if she was to protest, but Solaufein didn't let her.
"I'll help your sister, Vel… Daria. Don't worry about the magical defenses."
"I don't, I just…" she tried to say something, but she was interrupted again.
"I'll go too." Valygar had the last word.
"Where is she?" The barrier closing the gates disappeared only five seconds ago, but Jaheira was already getting impatient.
"Probably still in the temple. The seal is broken - Ardulace must have died, so all must be going according to a plan. Don't panic." Imoen answered Jaheira, or perhaps she was only talking to herself.
"There are thousands of possibilities for something to happen. And with her luck… There's no way she's going to make it" Xan despaired.
"We must trust Daria!" Minsc shouted, startling them all. They didn't hear him for that long that they got unused to his thundering voice. Luckily Xan secured the corner where they were waiting with a spell muffling the noises. "You are right Boo, we must trust Daria! She didn't fail us when we came to Nashkel, looking for help to rescue our witch, lost and confused. When sweet Dynaheir died, she didn't let us down, freeing us from the cage in the dungeon, she protected us and led us to the surface! And when we thought that she was killed by mad Irenicus, she survived and found us again, though it must have been HARD! Daria ever let down Minsc and Boo, so Minsc and Boo will trust Daria! Do you hear evil? MINSC AND BOO WILL TRUST THEIR FRIEND!"
Xan's Silence enchantment shivered, but held. The evil didn't hear.
"That's the spirit, Minsc!" Imoen cheered up. "You're right Boo! Sis will be fine. She faced Irenicus, she faced Bodhi, and she even faced her taint so far! My sis is a survivor!" The pink-head turned to the entrance on to the platform, expecting that Daria was already there, as a confirmation to her words. The sun elf wasn't there.
"She'll come any minute now" she confirmed, smiling shakily.
"The temple is on the other side of the city. It will take her some time to get here." Solaufein sighed. His eyes were stuck to the same point as Imoen's.
"If something goes wrong we should leave. We have the eggs, that's why we came here, right?" Valygar pointed out another option, which Imoen instantly rejected.
"You want us to leave my sister alone in here?"
"She knows the way to the Adalon's cave, doesn't she? We're in much more danger than she is now, probably. Should someone catch us with Adalon's eggs…"
"I'm not going to make her cross the Underdark all alone. And she might get lost! She doesn't have her divinations anymore!" Imoen protested wholeheartedly.
"Then how long do you propose to wait before she shows up? And if she doesn't?" Valygar asked coldly.
Imoen became purple with rage, but Viconia put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's only typical for a male to want to save his skin" she purred provocatively. "Flee, if you're such a coward, Valygar, but leave the eggs with us. We'll do a better job in protecting them, you sniveling wimp!"
"Viconia!" Jaheira raised her voice. Xan slowly raised his hand to his forehead. This conversation was pointless. Neither of them was going to move from place until Daria came back, no matter what they said, but starting a fight here, on the main platform of the city, now, that they finally had the eggs and only minutes were separating them from the moment when they'd be able to finally leave the place… That was indeed hopeless. He took another glance at the crowd.
A face appeared among the drow, Daria's face. He sighed with relief and then realized an important detail that any drow would notice on a first glance. Daria's face. Brown skin, chestnut hair, violet eyes. Daria's face.
"Corellon's mercy!" he cried, but that wasn't enough to interrupt the fight his companions were so absorbed with. Only Solaufein didn't take part in it, but he didn't notice the sun elf in the crowd yet. She was trying to hide her face in the cowl of a probably stolen piwafwi, only a low level enchantment of distracting protecting her from unwanted attention. One more careful glance and she would be discovered.
"Stop fighting!" Xan shouted. He grabbed someone's arm and began to walk in the elven woman's direction, putting all his effort in steadying his pace. He didn't need to draw any attention on her. He was just going to walk up to her, calmly, like if nothing was happening, stand on her left side, the other person covering her right, and they were going to walk out through the gates without any problems… No one's going to notice anything… He realized he's repeating it in his head and tried to stop.
Solaufein, the owner of the arm he grabbed so unceremoniously, bit his lip noticing Daria at last.
"Walk up to her right" Xan hissed. The drow nodded. Daria didn't change her pace and they fell into the right rhythm, appearing by her both sides. She sent them two fugitive glances and pulled the cowl lower to cover her skin in a shadow that made it almost as black as drow's. Soon Jaheira and Viconia appeared before her, two authentically angry females making a passage in the crowd. Minsc, Imoen and Valygar took the position as the rear guard, marching in steady but fast pace.
The moment they crossed the gates they simultaneously began to run.