Quile's teleportation spell brought her back to a room in the Promenade that was reserved for the sole purpose of her private mediations to Eilistraee. She looked up at the glowing caraciature of the drow goddess and sighed, rubbing her temples with her slim fingertips as she paced. Zaknafein was a strange case, one that she did not know how to handle. She hoped that being the "benevolent, gentle" priestess might work with him, but given his known abhorration for all drow, priestesses in particular, she had an idea that it hadn't worked. Quile cursed the luck that had brought Drizzt's mentor into the picture. It would be even more difficult now to enlist the assistance of the powerful drow ranger when he found out that his mentor was not dead as he had thought a tenday ago when he had spoken with her. Pacing, she wracked her brain trying to think of another way to deal with this complication.
***
Zaknafein crept silently out of the forest and toward Skullport. He was heading in the direction of the Promenade, but not necessarily for the purpose of worship to Eilistraee. The drow had his own reasons for wanting to get closer to the major center of worship to the goodly drow goddess. A sudden squeaking and thudding of hooves brought him out of his thoughts. Thinking quickly, the drow camoflauged himself in the brush beside the road and watched.
Sure enough, a large wagon pulled by twin draft horses rolled by right in front of the ever watchful drow. A wizened human farmer and his wife sat in the front bench with the reins, and a good six browned children sat in the back of the wagon. Before, Zaknafein may have been ordered to slay the commoners, for the sole purpose for giving glory to Lloth, but in his current state, he was content to let them pass.
Not everyone in the forest was content to let them pass, however, a green cloaked rider on a white charger thundered up in front of the farmer, causing him to stop his wagon. The rider held up a black gloved hand and threw back his hood. Zaknafein contained his shock at seeing the one that he had thought lost years ago. The rider was none other than Drizzt Do'Urden.
***
"Stop here, you must not go any further." Drizzt said, the farmer finally recognizing the drow rider. "There is a dangerous beast loose in these woods, and the people have asked that I keep all from traveling this road." He explained as the farmer nodded. Pulling out a jingling pouch, the drow threw it to the farmers' wife, who caught it, a surprised look on her face.
"This is the offer we make to reconcile any trouble that is caused by preventing your travels. Good day." He finished, watching until the wagon had turned completely around and was heading in the opposite direction. Satisfied, he turned again to ride back to where he had come when he stopped and looked around, as if sensing something odd about the forest. Not seeing anything, he shook his head and rode off. Zaknafein, cloaked in the shadows within the shrubbery, watched him go.
Drizzt. The dark elf weaponmaster did not know if he was ready to see his flesh again. Knowing Drizzt, the ranger would be overwhelmed with joy at seeing him alive, but Zaknafein did not know if he should contact him just yet. A feeling told him that Drizzt might not agree with Zaknafein's chosen plan of action upon reaching Skullport. Waiting a good amount of time after the ranger had left, Zaknafein once again struck out towards the city.