Jaci, Alsandair, Crimthann, and Conall had fallen into a bit of a rhythm. Conall would step out from the tunnel wall, his shield and armor blocking the arrows and darts shot by the attacking drow, and as he stepped out, the other three would move with him, staying behind him and using him as a massive wall, firing off a few shots, Alsandair over his head, Jaci from his side, and Crimthann on his other side. This was keeping the drow at bay, though Conall knew it wouldn't work forever, once drow clerics and wizards entered the battle, things would change and not for the better.
Detric felt rather helpless, standing there with his rapier ready, Jasmine and Cahan beside him, both uneasy, and seemingly as annoyed as Detric that they had nothing to contribute to the ongoing battle. Conall had advised against Detric using his pipes until they were absolutely needed, fearing they might cause a cave in. So Detric stood there and watched his friends. He was surprised at the speed and energy Conall possessed, the warriors of his old homeland would be amazed at such a large man moving with the energy of a child, and as the frustration of the drow warriors grew, the glee as well it seemed, as Conall began to openly mock them.
What happened next seemed to occur almost in a blur to Detric, and for that matter, to the others as well. On the far side of the cavern, across the city from them, the sounds of combat were becoming louder and louder, it seemed a battle was occurring there as well, far more intense than the cat and mouse occurring on their side of the cavern. On one of their shooting sprees, Jaci hesitated to try and see what was going on, throwing her timing off, and she was caught in the open as the others returned to the wall. A dart struck her in the throat, and she stumbled back to the wall, collapsing at Detric's feet, unconscious. Detric dropped to her side, and Crimthann, checking her over, saw the dart and recognized it nearly immediately.
“She has been struck with a piosoned dart that has knocked her uncouncious, the drow favor these, so they may capture their enemies for later torture or enslavement. Your Jaci will live”
Detric barely even heard him, and rose to his feet, pulling his pipes from his back. He began to move into the cavern, playing as he moved. The sound was an angry, fierce battletune, and it soon grew to a nearly deafening volume as it echoed off the cavern walls, soon sounding like there were thousands of bairds playing throughout the caves. The drow they had been fighting seemed frozen in terror, and some of them began to grab at their ears and writhe in pain.
Conall moved out to cover Detric, in case any of the drow should regain their composure and move to attack. Alsandair and Crimthann remained behind with Jaci, watching in amazement.
Suddenly, Crimthann jumped to his feet
“Do you hear drums joining Detric's song?” He turned excitedly to Alsandair.
“Yes...Yes, those are battle drums, from across the cavern!”
They decided that Crimthann would remain behind with Jaci and Jasmine, who by the way, was now pacing in earnest around Jaci's limp form, and Alsandair and Cahan would go on after Detric and Conall.
***************************
As Alsandair caught up to them, they were approaching the drow city, and amazingly, encountering little to no resistance, most of the drow in sight writhing in pain from the effects of Detric's music, both magical and the sheer volume, yet somehow Detric's friends were not harmed by it. Suddenly, up ahead, a group of gnomes approached. They stopped when they saw the three before them, seeming unsure whether these were friend or foe. Detric stopped playing, and the gnomes decided he was a friend, after all, it was his music that had so disabled their enemies the drow, but they were still highly suspicous, as most deep gnomes are, these were outsiders after all.
Conall understood the situation. He had been through caverns before, and understood the behavior of deep gnomes and their deep distrust for anything they didn't know.
“My friends, we thank you for destroying the drow. Without your intervention, we would have surely been overwhelmed. We mean you no harm, we are hunting a surface elf who has turned evil and attacked his own kind, he is called Emil. We think he was working with the drow, perhaps you could help us in our hunt?”
The gnomes remained silent, staring at these strange outsiders, unsure if their offer of friendship could be trusted.
Conall attempted to negotiate with these strange new creatures, Detric had never seen a deep gnome before, and these were quite different than the gnomes he had met here and there in some of the cities around Sylvian Forest. After what seemed an eternity, Crimthann and Jaci approached. Detric forgot about the gnomes and the battle, embracing his dear Jaci, overjoyed to see her alive and well.
Crimthann approached the gnomes, slowly pulling a large ruby from his pack, and the gnomes were suddenly interested. One of the gnomes approached to look closer at the ruby. After examining it for a time, he spoke
“The one you seek, this...Emil, we do not know him, but we saw a figure, not a drow, cross the river and enter a tunnel there” He pointed, across the river surrounding the city, revealing a hidden tunnel, accessable only by crossing the river. “He left as the drow began to lose the fight, as that one began to work his powerful music magic” The gnome pointed to Detric.
“And now, we thank you for your help in defeating our evil enemies the drow. Our village can now live in peace, we shall go our separate ways”
“Very well, may you live in peace, If you do not mind, we will have a quick look around the city.” Conall spoke
“Do as you wish, but kindly do not follow us”
“Agreed”
With that, the gnomes melted into the shadows, back the way they had come. No doubt their attack was the reason Detric and his friends had been able to hold out against and defeat the drow.
As they quickly searched the city, they found several slaves hiding here and there, elves, humans, drawves, gnomes, and a few halflings, a large number in fact, perhaps seventy in total, as well as a boat to bear them across to the secret cave. They did not stay to hunt for treasure or artifacts, they could not allow the trail of Emil to grow cold. But what to do with the slaves? They could not simply leave them, and they could not easily take them along, as they had no weapons, and were indeed a hapless lot. It was decided to send them towards the surface by way of the tunnel they had come down, it was safe from traps and enemies so far as they knew, and was the surest path to safety. The former slaves were able to gather enough food from the drow stores, and headed off on their way, carrying faery fire for light and grateful to be free once more. Once certain that the freed slaves knew the safest way to the surface, Detric, Conall, Crimthann, Jaci, Alsandair, and the panther Jasmine and wolf Cahan piled into a boat along the shore and headed for the hidden cave entrance.
Detric and Jaci were glad to be back together again, and Jaci even made light of her possible near death
“See, now we are even, you made me afraid for your life, and now I have returned the favor, now, lets niether of us almost die again, agreed?” She laughed
“Agreed, we shall leave these caves, together, hand in hand” Detric smiled at her
“We had better, your son will need you!”
Detric nearly fell from the boat, overcome with joy
“My son? you mean-”
“Yes, I mean we are to have a child, so no dieing allowed you foolish prince!”
They were both overjoyed at the moment, and too enthralled in one anothers presence to notice a solemn look overcome Conall, his lips moving in near silent prayer
Crimthann and Alsandair did not miss it, and Alsandair wished he had
“Take this burden off of Detric, pass it instead to me. Surely the will of the Source would not be to take his life, not as it is just beginning. Pass your mantle to me, this one must not die!” He continued praying, and Alsandair thought his own prayer of sorts “Detric will walk from this cave, hand in hand with his beloved....if he does not, I shall not, that is my oath before the Source this day”
Crimthann suddenly felt sick, and wished that his ears, for once, had heard wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment