Drizzt woke again. The candle Jade had brought in was still on the table it was hardly half the size it was when he fell asleep so he knew that he had not been asleep that long.

Sitting up again, he felt the affects of the poison but it was mild and his strength was returning slowly. He gazed around the room in despair. Though he was stronger then he has been since being there, he felt worse. And he knew that it was Jade's words that caused his distress. He felt a low depression creep in to his soul as he thought of all that had happened. What a predicament he was in. He also thought of Jade. How could he trust her? What kind of person would ransom another's life for a selfish cause? What being would not even give the comfort of knowing what it was he must do for the price of his life?

Again the questions burned in his mind. And to add to his puzzlement, he remembered the compassion that he saw in her eyes before she left him. Those eyes brought an ache in his chest and a longing in his body he had never felt before.

This confused him greatly, letting his head fall in to his waiting hands. There was too much to think of right now and he did not have the will to find the answers.

So he looked back up, and found the pile of his clothing sitting next to the bed. He reached out and pulled his pants from the stack and with all the strength he could muster he pulled them on and laced them up. Though the physical work that this required drained him he immediately felt better and a little more protected.

Now that he was a little more decent in his appearance, he decided to take Jade up in her offer and eat the cool stew that she had brought for him. She was right in that one observation, he did need his strength.

He slowly picked up the bowl and took a small mouth full, even though it was cool, it was still good. His stomach cringed for more and he had to fight to keep from gulping it down to fast. After all was done, he sat back against the wall, with the cup of tea that was with the stew and let his meal settle. He was almost content, but his situation still clung to the back of his thoughts.

His frustration rose when his thoughts again moved towards Jade. Why did he keep thinking of her? Shaking her out of his head, he decided that he need more physical action to keep his mind off of the witch.

He pulled him self to his feet by using the bed and chair for support. After a shaky moment when he thought his legs would collapse beneath him he was able to walk to the table on the opposite side of the room and then back to the bed.

He was aware of how much of his strength was indeed sapped by this small exertion and by the amount of effort it required. By the time he did collapse back on the bed he was covered in a cold sweat and panting for breath.

As soon as he was on the bed, Jade came through the door, Guenwhyvar padded in behind her, Drizzt saw that they both were exhausted and covered in dirt.

"What happened to you?" He asked. Jade leaned against the door, her hair was a mass of auburn tangles, and there was a long thin scratch down the side of her face. Guenhwyvar was covered in leaves and dirt.

"I thought that the spot the last ingredient grew would be watched, but I had no idea that there would be so many of them, it was a little more of an effort then I had originally planned for. If it was not for Guenhwyvar I would not have been able to get the plant." She held up a small flowering bud that Drizzt did not recognize, the flower was a pale orange with a white center, and even with the distance it was and the size, the fragrant scent hit him full in the face. It was pleasant and he felt him self relax a little more as he inhaled the sweet smell. With out thought he ask.

"What is it call?"

Jade saw the puzzled expression on his face, and realized the folly of pulling such a potent plant out in to the open. Putting it back in the pouch that she brought it in she waited for the effects to ware off of the drow.

"This is Tarliani, a very powerful plant, the scent, as you now know, causes a person to relax in any environment, it is used in interrogations, and such acts, it is not poisonous, but the reason I need it is because the white center. This has an anti venom in it that will heal every type of poison in the realm on its own, but since you have been poisoned by some thing from another plane you will need a lot more then just this."

Drizzt looked at her again. Her unusual long explanation was so unlike her normal short self he was taken aback. It was a relief that she now spoke open with him and he was quick to act on the sudden change.

"What else will it require?" He almost whispered, afraid that she would not answer. And her expression showed so much apprehension that he felt his anger flush his face. Biting back an angry retort Drizzt stared at her.

Then with a large sigh she stepped over to the only chair in the room, pulled it around to face him and sat down.

"The cure in itself is a complicated potion. There are so many elements required and steps to be taken that none have chanced it. But the potion is not what concerns me." She shook her head.

Again, Drizzt was shocked by the length of her answer. He did not interrupt her though, he was starting to see a new side of her that he thought not possible with the grim price she put on his life.

"The cure consist of two types of magic. Potion and ritual." She said. Drizzt faced darkened , he had witness many rituals and communions in his life to know that they were not simple to perform.

"Is it god or demond that you call?" He asked.

She looked at him, "How do you know that?"

It was Drizzt's turn to answer cryptically.

"I am a drow, aren't I?" He said simply. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, as she saw the truth behind his answer.

"Yes, your kin have been know to use ritual summoning in all aspects of their day to day lives."

"You know nothing of how much they rely on such acts." And his thoughts drifted back to his so called 'graduation' and how the priestesses summoned a demon from the nine hells to partake in the unholy union. That thought cause a shudder to pass down his back. And at the same time his thoughts went to Jade. He looked up at her. She was not looking at him. Her eyes were on Guen. Drizzt fallowed her glance and stared down at the cat as well. He saw that the panther was listening with her head cocked to the side. And he all most thought that she wore a smile. The drow looked up at Jade, who was still distracted by the panther, he wished that he knew what this strange woman was about. Where she came from. She appeared human but looking at her now, in the light of the low candle, Drizzt saw an old wisdom that one would see in an elf, or a drow that had seen several centuries. Though they will never age like a human, they wear the weight of their years in there eyes. Jade had such eyes.

Drizzt realized then that he has been staring at her. She looked up at him again. He quickly cleared his throat and looked away.

"So, you had said that you would need to perform a ritual along with the potion. Are a priestess or a wizard?" He asked. Looking up at her he was surprised to see her frown. He thought that the question was innocent and did not know what he had done to cause the transformation to the old Jade. But she just stood up. And walked to the door.

"You should get your rest. The resistance I faced this night was far greater then I have seen in facing Raven. She is hunting for you. I do not doubt that she will find this place, and if she gets past me before I can cure you, You will not be able to fend her back as week as you are." She looked over her shoulder. "Send the cat away. She may well be needed soon."

Drizzt sat in silence. To shocked to speak. What did he do? He asked himself silently.

And when the door shut for the first time he heard the tell tale sound of a bolt falling in to place.

The sound was more ominous then anything that he had ever heard. Looking down to Guenhwyvar, the panther's orb like eyes were looking still at the closed door. Drizzt could see the exhaustion in his huge friend, and though he did not want send her away, he knew that she was beyond exhaustion.

"Go my friend, go and rest." He said to her. The grey mist came forth immediately and in a seconds time the panther was gone. Drizzt was alone. He took a deep breath. And let it out in frustrated sigh. He did not know what he had said to Jade to take her from him so.

Laying back down on the pillow of his bed, Drizzt did not know how to view his situation. His instincts shouted for him not to trust Jade. But he could not denigh her actions. Especially when he thought about how she went from being a caretaker to his captor in such a way. She was hiding some thing.

His thoughts rushing about in his mind, he was surprised that he fell asleep before he could feel the dreaded poison seep up in to him again.