Chapter 3

Anna stared into the fiery eyes of the demon horse. She couldn't get on that thing. She just couldn't.

"I would advise against running." The drow said pleasantly. Anna tore her eyes away from the demon horse and looked at the outstretched hand. The last time she had tried to run the elf had coated her in green goo. She looked from the hand to the demon horse. Could she run quick enough to avoid being hit by the goo? "It won't work." Jarlaxle said, watching her expressive face in amusement. Anna looked up at the drow in surprise. How did he know what she was planning? Jarlaxle raised a pale eyebrow.

Taking a deep breath Anna took the proffered hand. Jarlaxle smiled widely and pulled her up in front of him. To Anna's amazement the flames of the demon horse didn't burn her, though she didn't have long to dwell on that strange fact. The moment she was settled the demon horse snorted, shook its head and took off.

Anna shrieked as she was thrown backwards against the drow. The trees became a blur as the demon horse picked up speed. The ground seemed to be eaten up beneath the blazing hooves as they sped through the forest. She wanted to close her eyes but couldn't seem to look away. "Breathe." A voice said from above her. She had been unknowingly holding her breath. Exhaling slowly, she tried to relax. She wasn't going to die, at least not yet. It was then she became aware of the hard body behind her. Anna was pressed up against the full length of his chest. Although she had worked with many injured men in the hospital she had never been quite as aware of them as she was of this elf.

She tried to lean forward a bit to lessen some of the contact. It really was ridiculous that she would notice the drow's body in such a fashion. Ladies weren't supposed to notice things like how hard a man's body was. A black arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back against him. Anna immediately stiffened but he didn't loosen his grip. Surely he didn't plan to restrain her. She wasn't about to jump off their fiery steed. To Anna's dismay she remained in the elf's embrace for the remainder of the ride, and by the time they stopped she was quite stiff.

Ancient trees towered above them, almost completely blotting out the sun. The woods were very thick here, and Anna had the feeling the twisting branches were closing in on them. The other demon horse trotted up to them.

Anna glanced over as the man pulled alongside them. He turned to look at her. His eyes were so cold. Anna shivered and looked away.

Without a word the man turned his attention to the trees. A shadow stepped forward from behind the massive trunk of one of the trees. At first Anna thought it was an animal, a wolf maybe. Then it straightened. Anna gasped and shrunk back against the drow.

Gleaming teeth jutted out from between the beast's lips and curved upwards. It stared at her out of beady blood-shot eyes. It was covered in coarse hair, yet it wore some kind of armor. At least she thought it was armor.

"Stay here." Jarlaxle said as he leapt off the demon horse's back and strode towards the beast. They exchanged some words in a guttural language and then the drow handed a small item to the beast. The beast nodded and turned away, disappearing into the woods.

Smiling broadly, Jarlaxle said. "We will camp here for the night." Reaching up, he motioned for Anna to dismount. After a brief hesitation Anna slid off the demon horse and into the elf's waiting arms. His grin widened as he allowed her body to slide against his on the way down. Bright red suffused Anna's cheeks. Embarrassed and confused, she ducked her head and quickly stepped away. Why had he done that? It couldn't have been on purpose. She glanced over at the drow. He wasn't even looking at her, so it obviously wasn't something he was even aware of. It must have been her imagination.

The drow's idea of setting up camp differed quite a bit from what Anna had imagined. Pulling a small box out of one of his pockets, he set it on the ground and backed away.

Now that was strange. Then again, he was an elf. Anna looked from the box to the man, who was standing across from her. He was watching also, but more with resignation than curiosity. The box suddenly began to grow. Within moments a full sized tent stood in front of them. Anna blinked and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again the tent was still there.

"Come, you must be hungry." The drow grinned at her expression and steered her towards the entrance. Anna made it through the flap that acted as a door and then stopped dead.

"Impossible." She whispered, staring around open-mouthed at the ostentatious interior. She had heard stories from some of the soldiers about the people that lived in the desert. Fabulously wealthy Sheiks who lived in tents that were nearly palatial in their splendor. This tent was everything she had ever imagined. Plush pillows surrounded a low, gold trimmed table that was laden with food. Heavy curtains, held back by gold tassels, divided the tent into sections. Everywhere she looked there were glittering gold ornaments or jewel colored fabrics.

Anna's eyes slowly wondered around the tent. "This is magic." She whispered, turning to look at Jarlaxle. The elf cocked his head, regarding her curiously. When he didn't answer she asked. "I'm right, aren't I? All of this is magic. Real magic."

"You thought it was an illusion?" The drow asked, gesturing to the richly decorated tent. Anna reached out and felt one of the curtains hanging near the entrance. "I can touch it." She told him. "So I am not imagining it." Dropping the curtain she slowly entered the tent. Stopping by the table, she knelt on one of the cushions and picked up a warm roll. Bringing it to her nose, she inhaled. "The food is real, also." She said, and then frowned. "You can summon food with magic?" She asked.

"Taste it." Jarlaxle said, sitting down opposite her. He glanced at the doorway. "Artemis, stop frowning and join us." He chided the man. Although the man named Artemis did move to join them, the scowl never left his face.

Anna stared at the food. An old warning that her grandmother had once told her came to mind. Never eat the food of faery. If you do, you can never return. Feeling a little sick Anna put the roll back on the plate.

"The food is quite safe." Jarlaxle assured her as he poured himself a glass of wine.

Maybe it was her grandmother's warning, or maybe it was the stress of the day, but Anna found herself unable to eat. Getting to her feet she said. "I am not feeling well, please excuse me." Without waiting for an answer she darted towards the exit.

Jarlaxle watched the girl exit the tent in fascination.

"Why are you keeping her around?" The assassin's exasperated voice drew the drow's attention. Jarlaxle smiled broadly. "She is quite lovely, don't you agree?" He asked. Artemis Entreri snorted in disbelief and picked up a piece of meat off one of the plates. "Have you noticed her clothes?" Jarlaxle inquired as he filled his plate with some delicacies.

The assassin shrugged and took a bite of the meat. "They are unusual, but I hardly think that warrants the amount of interest you have been exhibiting." Jarlaxle looked towards the door, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Her clothes merely hint at a much larger mystery." Artemis looked at the elf dubiously. "She is a waste of time." He said.

Jarlaxle stood and straightened his clothing. "Ah my friend, look beyond the clothing. There is a mystery here. One that I expect either you or I have yet to comprehend the greatness of."

Artemis watched the drow follow after the girl. For reasons beyond the assassin's understanding, Jarlaxle was fixated on her, and whenever something caught the wily drow's attention, trouble was sure to follow. "What have you gotten us into this time?" He wondered out loud, reaching for another piece of meat.

Night had fallen, making it difficult for Anna to see. Stumbling over roots and rocks she hurried through the darkness, needing to put some space between her and her strange companions. Anna had no concept of time as she ran. The light of the moon cast long shadows across the ground. Only the rustling of leaves broke the silence. It was so quiet. War was noisy. Anna hadn't realized how much she had become used to the constant gunfire and explosions that had been a part of everyday life. As the shadows grew darker, Anna slowed, then stopped. Breathing hard, she dropped to her knees. The stories her grandmother had told her about the people of Faery came rushing back. The Fae were the citizens of Faery; ancient and powerful, they were known for their beauty and coldness. The Fae weren't like people, and in the eyes of this powerful race the short life of a human had no more value than that of an insect. There were two types of Fae; Seelie and Unseelie. Though neither of the Fae valued human life, the Unseelie took delight in causing fear, pain, and suffering. The question was; which type of Fae was Jarlaxle? He hadn't hurt her yet, but that didn't mean anything. Obviously her being here was unexpected, so perhaps he was merely curious. She no longer doubted that she was in Faery. It was a terrifying realization, and she had no idea why she was here or how to get home.

Alone and afraid, Anna did what most people would do. She prayed. Folding her hands in front of her, she bowed her head and begged the Almighty for help.

Standing within the darkness of the shadows Jarlaxle watched the girl drop to her knees and fold her hands in front of her. He wondered what god she prayed to; Mielikki perhaps?

Stepping from the shadows the elf moved into the light of the moon and stopped. He looked even more inhuman with the moonlight reflecting off his onyx skin. "What is it you pray for I wonder; a heroic knight perhaps?" Jarlaxle murmured, more to himself than to the girl.

Anna shrieked and started violently. Falling backwards, she scrambled away. Clutching the front of her uniform, she tried to still the beating of her heart. "No, I was asking how to get home." She whispered.

Curious, the drow moved closer and crouched in front of her. "Where is home?" He asked.

"The United States of America." Anna said, relaxing a little.

Jarlaxle carefully repeated the strange name, and then asked. "What is the name of the language you speak?" Anna frowned at the odd question, but answered. "English."

Jarlaxle had never heard of a language called English, or a place called the United States of America. In truth, he doubted that anyone else had heard of them either. There were few places that the cunning drow had not heard of. He had no doubt that where ever this girl's home was, it was far away indeed.

"I don't belong here. I want to go home." The girl whispered in a despairing voice. Any normal man would want to help and shelter the poor waif. Fortunately, the drow wasn't burdened by anything as inconvenient as a conscience.

"Ah, yet here you are. Am I correct in assuming that I and my companion are the only ones you know around here?" The drow asked. The girl nodded glumly. "Then it is in your best interest to stay with those you know." Jarlaxle told her. When she didn't answer, he continued. "How long do you think you could last on your own?"

Tears blurred Anna's vision. "I don't know." She cried.

Rising to his feet Jarlaxle extended his hand and said. "Then come, and we will see about getting you home."

Anna stared at the black hand, hesitating. He wasn't forcing her. Perhaps he was one of the Seelie? Either way, she really didn't have a choice. Anna reached out and took his hand.

"Excellent!" Jarlaxle said, smiling widely. For some reason she didn't find that comforting.

It took far longer to get back to the tent than it had to leave it. She must have run much farther than she realized. Once they were safely back within the tent Jarlaxle encouraged her to eat. Although he repeatedly told her the food was safe Anna couldn't bring herself to eat it. The drow shook his head at her foolishness but did not press the issue.

Sleep was a long time in coming that night.

Anna awoke the next the morning to find both the drow and the man standing by the doorway watching the forest.

"He's late." The man said.

"He is indeed." The drow agreed, sweeping the huge hat from his head and tapping it against his leg. "I so dislike unreliable contacts." He said pleasantly. The man turned to look at him. Jarlaxle smiled cheerfully. "It has been far too long since we last visited his village." The man scowled, and prompted. "We?"

Ignoring the man's deepening scowl, Jarlaxle set the ugly purple hat back on his head and turned towards the tent. "Ah good, you're awake." He said, seeing Anna peering out from the doorway.

Anna hurried out of the way as the tent began to shrink. Once the tent was back to being a small box Jarlaxle picked it up and stuffed it back into his pocket. Anna barely had enough time to wipe the sleep from her eyes before the drow called his demonic horse. Leaping onto its back Jarlaxle steered the fiery steed towards Anna and held out a hand. This time Anna took the proffered hand without hesitation. Busy concentrating on the nightmarish horse she missed the look of surprise that flitted across the man's face. Of course, how was she to know that most people would brave hot coals before they would trust a drow.

The trip was over faster than she would have thought possible, and before long a village of sorts came into view. Rough wooden buildings scattered amongst the trees were the only sign of life. Only silence greeted them as they neared the ramshackle structures.

"It is unusually quiet for a village of Orcs." Jarlaxle observed, pulling his steed to a stop and dismounting. Reaching up, he pulled Anna from the saddle and dismissed their steed.

"Too quiet." Artemis grunted in agreement, dismounting as well. Moving over to where Anna and the drow stood, he slowly scanned the area until his gaze came to rest on a still form in front of one of the buildings.

"Our contact, I presume." Jarlaxle remarked, eyeing the still form. Artemis walked over and knelt beside the body. A moment later he looked up at the drow, a frown settling between his brows. "Take a look at this." He said, motioning for Jarlaxle to inspect the body. "Ever seen anything like this?" He asked, once the drow had crouched beside him. The drow shook his head. For one of the few times in his life Jarlaxle was at a loss for words.

The beast's skin had turned a ghastly shade of lilac. Dark splotches under the skin had appeared all over his body, and a thick dark liquid was oozing from his mouth, eyes, and ears. A sickening memory flashed through Anna's mind of a bleeding soldier with no wounds.

Straightening back up the drow said. "Let us see what we can find out."

Anna glanced inside the hut directly behind the beast. "There are more bodies in there." She said quietly, pointing at the doorway.

Author's Note: Okay, the story is finally starting, and oh do I have plans! Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter. I am shooting for monthly, but the holidays put me behind.

Anon: Thank for you reviewing, I appreciate hearing from my readers. I plan to post monthly, although this last month was really busy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. :)

Musingsage: Thank you for the compliment. I am so glad you are enjoying this. I have been thinking about this story line for the past year and I think it is going to awesome. I know there are some twists that you won't be expecting, so hopefully I will be able to keep you guessing! :)