"If I were an enemy," said Alustriel as she stepped out into the firelight, "it would be better that you not tell me so plainly that you have been having troubles. I might be able to use that knowledge against you."
The woman with the whip smiled in a none-too-friendly fashion. "We thank you for the advice," she said evenly. "Now, if you have a name, we're still waiting to hear it."
"I am Alustriel of Silverymoon... and I mean no harm to those who mean no harm."
The whip-wielder's smile became an uneasy frown. "Alustriel, eh?" she growled. "If you're a liar, you are a damnably bold one, that much is certain."
"I have no more reason to lie," replied Alustriel with perfect composure, "than you do."
The mage with blonde hair laughed shortly. "A lone woman walking at night and alone in the ruins of Myth Drannor, claiming to be the High Lady of Silverymoon, is not something I'd care to take at face value, if you don't mind my saying so."
"Hold yer disrespect, all of you. It's her all right," said a voice.
They all turned to look at the dwarf, who had placed her throwing axe back into her belt.
"Years ago," she said, "I went to Citadel Adbar, in the far north, to abide for a time with King Harbromm's people. I heard a deal of talk in those old halls, about the silvery-haired lady who held the howling hordes at bay and made it possible for the dwarves to keep what little hold they had left in those parts. If it weren't for her, so said the long-beards, the orcs and goblins and trolls would have filled every cavern and dwarf-delving from
Waterdeep to the Great Glacier.
"Then came the day this Lady Alustriel came to the Citadel on a visit to see the King. Believe me when I tell you I never seen dwarves so glad to see any woman without a beard on her chin or an axe in her hand."
The dwarf-woman looked evenly at Alustriel. "Well met, Lady," she said. "You look much the same as you did that day long ago when you came riding up to the Adbar Gate on that white charger."
"I remember the day," replied Alustriel softly. "Only I had no idea the dwarves felt so warmly toward me."
The dwarf shrugged. "It's not our way to let on to such things," she said simply.
The woman with the whip, who was quite obviously the Company's leader, looked back at Alustriel and laughed nervously. "Well, you seem to have allayed the suspicions of Kaldura Othmeir, and that is a feat not many have accomplished. Still, the nature of our present quest makes it more than usually likely that certain...shape-shifters might try to do us some harm. So, Lady, if you really are Alustriel, tell us what you make of this gem." Without warning, she drew a large, smooth stone from the folds of her tunic and tossed it to Alustriel, who caught it reflexively.
She examined it. "I'm no jeweller," she said, "and I can't say what sort of stone this is, save that it has a certain feel of magic to it."
"That it does," said the woman, nodding. "It's a Gem of Truth, fallen from the pommel of a Blade of Truth, which is the treasure we're seeking in these ruins. The stone's virtue is that falsehood and deception can't endure its presence. If you were indeed a shape-shifter, you would be a dead one at this moment."
Alustriel laughed and tossed the gem back. "An interesting test, though perhaps a bit hard on the shape-shifter!"
The woman caught the stone and replaced it in her garments. "I am a bit hard on shape-shifters. I hold only death in my heart for their kind," she said grimly. Then, her anger seemed to pass as quickly as it had come.
"You're welcome to share our fire, Alustriel of Silverymoon," she said. "I am Catlindra Serpentar, and these fine ladies follow me, for better or worse. The dwarf who had such fond recollections of you is Kaldura Othmeir. Our two half-elven mages are Taruele Elfrost, with the white hair, and Shaliira Duon, the blonde, and the only woman in the Realms who makes up her face to go adventuring." (Shaliira blushed as the rest of the group laughed with good nature). "Our priests and healers are Chaldara Immerstar and Jandeth Ilmura, both of Tymora." (The woman with salt-and-pepper hair and the one with long brown hair nodded in acknowledgment).
"I'm well pleased to meet all of you," said Alustriel, "but I fear I can't stay long. I've come here in some haste, in response to an urgent summons from ... an old friend. I must seek him out as soon as I can."
"It may be that our paths run in the same direction," said Catlindra. "This Blade of Truth we seek lies in these ruins. We have only the Gem at the moment, but when whole, the Blade has the power to expose any shape-shifter for what it is by touch alone, and to slay such creatures with ease. Also, any creature whose blood is on the blade cannot speak a lie to the person who holds the sword. We hope to put this sword to good use against the many doppelgangers and other false creatures who plague the Realms."
Alustriel looked troubled. "There is no such thing as an evil race, only evil hearts," she said. "But it sounds like a mighty blade. When you find it, you must seek out my sister Dove and show it to her. She's a great hand at blades and may be able to tell you some lore of it."
"I hope so," replied Catlindra. "We were led here on this quest by a certain bard who called herself Lady Nightbird. She was the one with the lore, and the directions. She saw fit to leave us today, with not much explanation and only a scribbled note to guide us... What's that noise?"
A hush fell over the group, and they could all hear an odd sound coming from out in the ruins, nearby. A sort of gasping, wheezing sound that seemed to rise and fall and come from several directions at once.
"The priests of Lathander keep this area relatively free of monsters," said Alustriel, "but nevertheless, it's foolish to let one's guard down anywhere around these parts. I suggest we have weapons out and spells at the ready."
Catlindra nodded. "Battle readiness, all of you," she said, and all the Companions of the Catlash drew out weapons and spell components as appropriate, and warily watched the darkness beyond the firelight.
Catlindra produced a crumpled piece of parchment and handed it over to Alustriel. "This is the paper Lady Nightbird left us," she said.
The High Lady read it aloud. "Seek the Blade of Truth in the abode of ... Lord Marogance, the lich."
Catlindra looked at her curiously. "Is something wrong? You've turned as white as your hair. Do you know where this undead lord can be found?"
Alustriel licked her dry lips and swallowed hard. "I should," she said. "He's the old friend that summoned me here."