Arcadius and the Shadow Dragon

PART III - THE DROW

The fog of magic cleared, and I was standing in the darkling subterranean forest outside the city of Lady Gozen. A short journey took me there. It was much the same as before... shadowed, unearthly, lit by dim but beautiful phosphorescent light in purple, green, and blue, woven with nature in the Elvish way, but woven with natures's dark night rather than the daylight. The Drow are a people of long memory, and the guards had not forgotten me. Though unexpected, I was welcome.

I made my way through the dark streets to the house of Gozen, and was told the Lady was not home, but away on other business. Nonetheless, I was permitted entrance, and bidden to wait for her. I stayed in a room in the visitor's quarter of the house, healing with help from the Drow, and preparing myself for two days until the great Lady returned. She was as I remembered - noble, proud, and grave in her bearing - carrying herself in a manner that would make the most dignified Guardian of the Land of the Five Rivers honored to be in her company.

Indeed, I felt honored that she made time to speak with me within hours of her return. I described my mission and my plans to her. I explained that I wished to help her against her vile foes in return for the healing her folk had given me, but also asked the favor of teleportation for my purposes afterward. Though her bearing never faltered, it was clear she was concerned by my desire to visit the sea elves. She told me of the ancient perfidity of the surface elves, both sea and land, and how we humans were deceived in dealing with them. I replied that in this matter I believed I could trust their self-interest, for the sword I wished to trade would be of great use to them, and they could not take it from me by force except at great cost to themselves.

In the end, she consented to transport me to a place a few days travel from them, but would in no way send me directly into their power. What I did after that would be my own choice. I was most thankful.

For her part, she revealed that her foes, the wicked Drow who kept Alienists among them, had a small base of operations that I might be able to destroy single-handedly, however the exact time to strike would have to be chosen with care. It could be some weeks. She asked in the interim if I cared to aid her people against such lesser and local threats as they faced. I replied most readily that I did, for I greatly honored her. She told me to wait, and she would find someone from her house, one who knew the area intimately, to join me in dealing with such foes.

I passed a few more days, and spent my time well, learning about the house of Gozen and the people of the city. I was allowed to wander freely about the town. Certain things became apparent to me. The Drow do indeed carry themselves with great dignity, reminiscent of my homeland, and it is this trait which first made them so appealing to me. However, living among them I saw that they indeed have another side to their character, one that recalls the dark stories about them, for they are most subtle and not always trustworthy in their dealings with one another. Nonetheless, I think that those who speak ill of them choose to emphasize that which is bad and ignore that which is good. They are very brave, intelligent, show the gravest of courtesy, and have a complex but very real honor code of their own. I wonder what is the full and true tale of their ancient sundering from the rest of the Elven race?

In due time, the Lady Alis told me that if I was ready, she had work and a partner for me. She introduced me to her granddaughter, the lady Viriya Gozen, with whom I would go hunting in the dark caverns for creatures that sought harm to the Drow. I fear that some subtle faltering of my bearing and seriousness might have shown, for lady Viriya is beautiful even by the high standards of the Drow, who are a pretty folk. Indeed I think she is the loveliest women I have ever seen. She is young, very young for a Drow. Yet, like all her grandmother's kin, she is fearless and formidable, a great ranger and warrior of her folk... most worthy and admirable traits!

I called upon Pelor to give my heart steadiness, and focused my mind on that which must be done.