***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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