***Mirror Image***
***
"Sir drow, you do not understand. My cellmate and I were not trying to escape, we were
simply trying to search your security for flaws, for we know that you would not want anything to
happen to your females." The quick thinking halfling said. Karsh looked at him a moment and
shook his head.
"No, I believe you are mistaken if you thought I would fall for that trick." He told the
shaking halfling solemnly. Bremis closed his eyes, waiting for the repercussion that would
befall him for trying to deceive a drow noble, but none came. Karsh actually moved back
several steps and watched the doorway for intruders until Karesck finally returned.
"Did the slave give you any trouble, prince?" he asked brusquely as he returned with a
yellowing, creased parchment. Karsh nodded his head no, causing Karesck to go over and kick
the halfling with the adamantite toe of his boot. The halfling yelped in pain, causing the drow to
grin.
"Please, sir drow, you have what you wanted." The halfling whined as he groveled on
the floor at Karescks' feet. The drow shook his head negatively.
"No, I do not. I need a guide. Karsh and I mean to leave this place." Karsh's eyes
widened as his brother spoke those fateful words. Leaving Matron Te'kari would look like
something that had already been done by another young drow a year back. Appalled that his
brother would even think a thought such as that one, he looked at Karesck fearfully, but was
silent. Karesck took the silence for acquiescence.
"We leave tonight when the guards change their posts the third time." Karesck ordered,
looking first at the halfling, then at Karsh. "Be here then, or you will not like the
consequences." He finished, turning and leaving the two standing in the hallway.
Karsh was confused. His brother had not spoken of any of this before, although he did
know that Karesck dearly wished to leave this city, and go to the surface where he could
establish a domain of his own, ruled by the male drow instead of the female priestesses. Karsh
did not know what would be worse, though, his brothers' wrath or the wrath of Matron Te'kari.
The halfling squeaked in the corner.
"Get out of here, but return when the guards change the third time." the page prince told
the frightened halfling. Bremis nodded and scampered off to his quarters. Karsh sighed and
levitated back up to the main floor to pack.
***
Qualinos Sillestre's sharp hearing detected the noise before he came upon the spectacle.
Hearing whimpers and cries, his first instinct was that an animal had been injured and was laying
in the brush up ahead in pain. Being a kind elf, he drew his dagger and crept forward on silent
feet towards the noise. He would end the misery of the animal, if it could not be saved, and be
on guard in case it was a trap. Carefully pushing aside the fronds of a tall fern, he saw, not an
animal, but a young drow, bound and gagged like a prisoner in spider silk rope, a piwafwi
thrown carelessly over her.
Not knowing what to do about this, Qualinos balked at the taking of a life of a helpless
enemy. Even though she was an enemy to him, he did not want to slaughter her as if she was a
dog to be put out it's misery. Or perhaps she was like a dog, he mused as he stood there, dagger
drawn, staring at the prone drow before him.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and glared at him, the hatred for his species showing in
her violet eyes. Qualinos took a step back at this into a defensive posture, before realizing that
she was no harm to him bound as she was.
"Ah, little drow, what am I to do with you?" He said quietly, looking over the ebony-skinned elf in front of him. "I cannot leave you here to perish, as you surely would, but I do not
approve of taking defenseless life." The drow continued to glare at him. Qualinos placed his
fingers to his lips and whistled. The tinkling of many small silver bells notified him that
Tirastae had arrived. The white stallion snorted derisively at the smell of the drow, but stayed at
Qualinos' command. The elf took a length of sturdy rope out of one of the saddlebags. Tying
her hands and feet securely, he secured her to the saddle, soothing the shieing Tirastae, and took
ahold of the steeds' bridle.
"Now we can let the elder council decide what to do with you." He said briskly, leading
his charge off into the forest.
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