*****
Zak continued on through the forest, after ditching the surface elf child once again. He was quite annoyed that she had decided to follow along after him, what was he, an interesting pet? He didn't appreciate it in the slightest and hoped to get to Skullport without meeting up with her again. That was not to be as several trained fighters suddenly sprang up in front of him. Lost in thought, he had let his defenses relax for a moment, distracted by the elf child, thus these rogues had been able to sneak up on him. They were drow.
"Sent by the Matron, I see?" he inquired, eyeing them all speculatively, having drawn his longswords as soon as his reflexes allowed. They were silent, but the one closest to Zak struck with both of his short swords, beginning the fight.
Zak stepped back to allow himself some room and struck quickly with both swords, first one in the direction of the thief's abdomen and then the other in the area of his legs, crouching down to avoid a swing from his sword. The thief, however, was quick and managed to escape with only a thin scratch down the inside of one leg. Deciding to try a different tactic, Zak feinted with one sword, aiming for his opponents' right shoulder and then darted in with the point of his sword at the drows' neck. Caught by surprise with this tactic, the lifeblood of the theif coursed down his neck as he fell to the ground. Zak noticed then that while he had been in his little spar with the thief, none of the others had tried to take advantage of him.
"If you wish to take me on one at a time, it is your folly, not mine." he taunted them, causing another one to step forward.
"We believe in killing our enemies with an honorable duel." he said shortly, raising his halberd to strike. Zak mentally sighed. This was going to be a long and tiring battle if they all wished to fight him in such a way. Did they not realize that the House he had escaped from had once called him their finest weaponmaster? His thoughts were rudely interrupted as the halberd-wielding drow was cut down by a black-fletched arrow that looked suspiciously familiar. He whirled to see the young sylvan elf child holding a long bow and advancing behind him, another arrow nocked even as she stepped forward.
"These are not your forests, drow, you will answer to me." she spoke menacingly, her second arrow flying off of the bow and striking another drow in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground in surprise. The remaining three drow gathered themselves up and charged Zak.
Groaning inwardly at the interference, he kept pace with one of them, the thief using twin long swords like his own, and separated him out so that he could deal with him as the other two were not as much of a threat. Two more arrows zipped by, barely missing Zak as they plunged into the chest of one of the drow he had decided to ignore. Swearing in drow under his breath, he quickly dealt with the one he was dueling with and watched in disgust as the last one ran away. He then turned his attention to Ryllinn, whom was standing in the midst of the carnage with a satisfied look on her face.
"With such enemies for one such as yourself in the forest, I might offer you some companionship to make it to your destination." she told him, her tone telling him she would not take no for an answer. Zak shook his head resolutely.
"No, you go back to your village. There is no place for a surface elf to be traveling with drow." he told her harshly, prodding one of the dead elves with his foot before turning away from her. He began walking swiftly in the direction he had been going, hoping she would give up. A few seconds later, footfalls behind him told a different story. Whirling again to face her, he tried to stare her down.
"WHY must you follow me, elf?" he asked pointedly. Ryllinn smiled and shrugged.
"Perhaps I've decided to make a pilgrimage to Eilistraee myself." she offered, a hint of a grin in her eyes. Zak snorted and shook his head.
"I can't stop you, can I?" he asked, turning away once again. She followed, feeling as if she had won the first round.
"No, you can't." she agreed.
*****
A scream of rage could be heard eminating from Matron Do'Urden's chambers, where she had been scrying on the Vhaerun theives as they were defeated by Zaknafein.
"If I want something done, I must do it myself!" she said aloud to no one in particular. "I am going to the surface to settle this once and for all. Watch the house." she told her eldest daughter, who nodded, afraid of her mothers' wrath as the snake-headed whip at her side writhed in fury.