When Drizzt woke form this last attack he felt his strength returned. Had he overcome the poison, he wondered? He knew that drow had a natural resistance to magic, was the same said for poison? True or not, it did not matter, he could at least sit up on his own now and that was better then nothing.

Looking around, the room was in complete darkness. Switching his vision to infravision and found that he was alone. Jade had gone. The better for him, for he was disturbed and confused by her presence.

He sat in the darkness contemplating his situation. And Jade. He knew that he owed her his life, twice, for she could have left him in the woods after he was hit by Raven's dart, but he did not trust her. His conclusion of her motives were still clear in his mind. Why else would she wait to cure him? He could not think of what she might want from him in return for his life but there was an ulterior motive behind her kindness and he knew it.

Just then the door swung opened and Drizzt, his eyes still open to the darkness, was blinded by the light of a candle. He tuned from the light and tried to rub the spots from his vision.

"Well, you must be feeling better." Came Jade's voice from the door way.

Blinking fiercely he was finally able to see her a little more clearly. And the first thing he noticed was that she had changed from the simple grey dress she wore earlier, in to a pair of black breeches, and a matching black tunic, with her leather boots that matched he thought she looked more like an assassin then a witch. He caught himself starring at her again. Her hair was loose from its braid and hung in soft waves down her back. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he found his voice.

"Where are you going?" He asked. She looked down at her self as if she did not see the reason for his question, looking back at him she said, "Out." And that was it. He knew no other information was forth coming so he did not press her further. She in turn entered further in to the room then held the door for her companion that the drow had not noticed.

"Guenhwyvar!" He breathed. Drizzt had never be fore been so happy to his friend. And at his cry the panther bounded in to the room and jumped up on to Drizzt's lap allowing him to wrap his arms around her in a week hug.

Jade, still standing in the door way, watched with a small smile. When he looked up at her she looked away and moved to the chair next to the bed. She set the tray that she had in her hands down on it and waited for the greeting to finish.

He looked back at her, "How long have I been here?" He asked, he absentmindly ran his fingers through the this black fur on the panthers back, Guen's presence was comfort enough to allow him to confront Jade again.

"Four nights." She answered, motioning to the tray next to him. "You need to eat."

He looked down and saw a bowel of light stew, and a steaming cup of some kind of tea. He was again puzzled by her kindness. Shaking his head he felt a bitter frustration fill his being.

"What is it that you want from me?" He asked again. But no answer came, her face darkened and she turned back to the door.

"Come Guenhwyvar." She said.

Drizzt looked to the cat, as she slumped off the bed and fallowed her to the open door. Drizzt stared in bitter despair, she knew of Guenhwyvar's secret. Before she could shut the door behind her Drizzt finally found his voice.

"Wait!"

Jade stepped back in to the room and looked back at him.

"How did you know her secret?" He asked. Her smile returned as she looked down on the cat.

"I had been fallowing you for a long time, Drizzt Do'Urden. I learned long ago the magic that this creature is bound to. But rest assured I will not allow her to come to harm." She smiled softly again. Drizzt was to puzzled to notice her smile.

"You were able to fallow me with out my knowledge? How is that possible?"

Though the correct question at that moment was not how, but why? He did not go that way yet. Jade put her hands on her hips and gave him hurt look. "The same way I was able to be in the tree with out your knowledge, even though you were tied to it!" Her eyes sparkled as she reminded the drow of his humiliation at the hands of the Dark Raven.

He was not in the mood to play her games,he simply looked a way. She came further in to the room. He was aware of her nearness and he felt that same unsettling feeling creep up his body, while looking up at the woman who held him against his will. And was breathless at her beauty.

"I do not control her, drow, she is yours still." And she held out the onyx figurine,he gently took it from her hand.

"I do not understand, how dose she fallow you?" He asked.

Jade looked at him for a moment. He saw a silent struggle, as she glared at him. Then she found a solution, stepping back from him, And looked back through the door way. Drizzt saw Guenhwyvar's eyes move from him to Jade and then back.

"She caught me watching you once. You were returning to Mithral Hall from your time in Silvermoon." She said softly. Then sighing she looked down at the drow.

"You had stopped about midday, and were resting under an out cropping rock. She was beside you, I ,stupid in my arrogance that she would not sense me, crept closer then was wise. When I got to close she looked up, and Growled softly. Telling me, in her own way, that that was close enough." She looked back at the panther , who to Drizzt seemed to puff her chest out at her good judgment.

Drizzt remembered an incident that had happened quite similar to what she had just described. He remembered laying under the shading stone to regain his strength that the sun had drained from him. He remembered the cat getting irritated with some thing but the drow had seen and sensed no threat. He dismissed the panthers reaction. And as his realization sharpened he remembered other instances that Guen had acted the same way, Growling at an un seen threat, or staring menacingly at a tree. Drizzt thought that she saw things like an elk or a deer. And thought nothing of it. But all that time it had been this woman. Fallowing him beyond his sense's range!

"She allowed you to stock me?" Drizzt asked "Why?"

Jade looked back at him, and with a hurt look she stated flatly.

"Because she knew that I meant no harm to her master."

That statement brought a bitter smile to Drizzt face. "I never knew her instincts to be wrong, but I guess that there is a first for everything!" He said cruelly. And Drizzt did not have to see the anger flare in Jade's eyes, he felt it. As if the fire in the grate had suddenly just flared, the heated rage poured from her. Looking up at her face Drizzt was surprised to see a woman, and not a demon from the nine hells standing before him, as the heat was that intense.

"Listen to me, Drizzt Do'Urden. You do not know the torment that I have spared you at the hands of The Dark Raven, or the horror that a waited you at the hands of her patron. I can cure this poison, no other, besides Raven, know the cure, or have the power to edmister it." He stared up at her, he was about to ask again what she was waiting for but, he stopped as she continued, answering his un asked question, "And for that cure, you were right, I do want some thing in return from you." Drizzt felt a cold lump begin to form in his chest. But still, she silenced his unasked questions.

" I will require an oath from you. If you refuse, you will die more terribly then you can imagine. You have a choice to make, trust me, or…die." She breathed that last word as if it pained her to even speak it.

Drizzt sat there, his anger starting to rise, and with it the pain of the poison.

"What oath do you require?" And the bitterness was sharp in his voice.

Jade turned and went to the door, she stopped and with out looking back at him, she answered.

"Only after you agree will I ask it of you. So put it from your thoughts. The choice will have to be made with out that information. Think long on it. I go tonight to collect the last ingredient for the cure, I will be able to perform it in two days time. You will survive that if you eat and keep your strength up. In that time you may come to understand what your cat has already figured out."

"What is that?" He asked quickly, afraid that she would leave him there with no reply. Looking back him, finally, her eyes showed no hint of the anger that he had stirred in her, but a compassion he almost felt.

"That I mean you no harm." And then she was gone, all that marked where she stood was the closed door.

The pain in his body threatened to rise again, and he laid back on the pillow. Thinking of what she had told him. How could he promise to agree to an oath that he did not yet know? Yes his life did depend on it and yes he did own her still, with out the cure. But that is beyond his principles. How could he take an oath and not know what he promised to do? What if she asked him to kill an innocent? Or serve her permanently? These were the worst of his fears, and as he laided there with the pain rising he thought of his father. Zaknafein had chosen death for himself as to keep Drizzt alive so he could grow in his principles and to give him the courage to leave the sadistic world of the dorw to fallow his morals. Would he have to make such a sacrifice to protect those principles?

At that moment he did not know, and he was almost thankful when the pain finally flared and the darkness pulled him away from the questions he could not yet answer! Not fighting the darkness, the drow ranger welcomed it.