The Rebuilding to Eyllis.

From out of the fire the phoenix will rise. From the frosty earth the seedling will grow.

Homes will be rebuilt,towns renewed .

Forests will grow. The land will be green again.

And the people,the people will become strong again.Out of the ashes and blood of war shall rise the land and the people.

Though never the same the land will heal.

Zara sat around Vaernon lake with her gathered friends her family. She watched Delan walk with his sisters and mother. No doubt telling them all that had happened.

She saw both Aeila and Dyldra. They were with other drow elves,thsoe from Abban no doubt. There were two maybe three dozen of them spread out along the river. She recalled what Sydney Moon had said about Eyllis long ago in Hael. That it had not been good news. Then it had been bad, now it was far worse.

Ny was dead.Long burried. Eli and Dho had escaped and not been seen nor heard from since. Perhaps it was wise of them to stay hidden, to stay gone.
There seemed no true tribes any longer, though it seemed many still were alive. It looked to her as if all of the townsfolk and kin of Tindomerel were there. Most of Cael's Tribe were there save for a dozen warriors and the elders. Llewellyn stood there with them,speaking to those who had lost loved ones.

Near the water The tribes people of Uhar'Gar,Amaera,Sumean,Tyaear and Saeabrar stood. But Zara could teel they had lost many in the battles that had raged. No longer were lines drawn, they were just the people of Eyllis.

She leaned over to Ruvyn. "It all seems so different now." She scanned the lake and the forest. Therewas more light in the forest, for so uch of it had been lost. Tanseril and Luana stood with the Huavain tribe. Ael'Si people walked the shadows with the sacred cats. There were none from Kadrimme, they had all long fled. Viniten peoples were gone, as well as Shari. None from Deth'Rua had survived the first slavers attacks. Zara knew now more what ahd become of the people of Snow Haven.

"They have come together. No longer are lines drawn or races seen. It will take everyone to rebuild Eyllis. " He place his hand on her shoulder. "Once things are a bit more settled, I plan to go see Riz."

Zara turned her head to look at him on that. " If anyone would know how to rebuild Abban, it would be him."

Ruvyn grinned to that, "I was hoping to convince him to come back with me. But even if not. Llewellyn wants to come with me. Will you?" Zara looked to him then to the lake. " Once things are settled? That may be many months from now."

He shrugged, " Still, will you come with me?"

"Aye, I can not say that Delan will come. He has much more to rebuild here than I. I just have the land and the people he has his family."


"You are his family too. Recall what I told you when you came back? That I had fallen in love here, with this place and its people. Eyllis had long been my home but I had never ventured long out beyond Abban. Now I have a family here, not just you and our sisters. But Llewellyn, the people. I would fight and die for them, and I will wait as long as it takes to go and see Riz, as long as Llewellyn comes with me." His gaze panned to where Delan sat with his reforgeing family. " You saved them, as much as they saved themselves. "

Zara nodded softly. "Yet still so much to do." Ruvyn chuckled softly to that, "Sister, there will always be things to do. For now lets rest, enjoy a good meal and in the morning when the da is new, we will go about taking care of things."

The days that passed were filled with farewells. The dead some known, some never found were laid to rest there by the lake shore.

The people of Abban wanted to go home. Many of them were not comfortable there out on the surface. Ruvyn was to do short trip to Abban tos ee what remained of it and what the slavers had done to it wintin the week.

The tribes were no longer, most of their homes gone from the land. Even in the forest the old homes of the elves seemed to be changing, moving . The forest needed to be replanted,the people given new hope.

Today was a day for The Rahelia Plain. The land needed tilling, the dry grass to be pulled and plowed under. Tanseril and great tribe of the Huavain brought their horses in. The mighty craftsmen of Saeabra made plows and hoes of wood and rock. There were mena nd women some old some yooung ready to plow,pick and rid the land of the dry grass.

Zara and Luana patrolled the outter rim of the Rahelia. It was cold winter in The Lukiae. The snows fell heavy and the snow drifted down throught he empty snowhaven and to the west. The Valley of SnowHaven would grow bigger this year, it was already happening. Luana was the one to note that Nieli desert had grown as well spreading throught he dry grass to the reast in to the sand dunes south of snowhaven.

Winter was setting in. You could feel it. The fall had been plagued with slavers, blood and war and now it seemed the blood of war would freeze before it could thaw. But today the sun was warm as the people worked int he plain to rid it of its dry grass and weeds.

At dawn they readied their horses. Great Huavain horses. Llewellyn and Delan were off with Nakiasha, Meira,Aluenda and Caerthynna. They had a meeting with the old owl. the elder of the Uhar'Gar tribe. The other leaders were there also. As Llewellyn set up the Dulthaas women to head the replanting of The Taindira forest while she was away.

Ruvyn was reading their packs for the long journey. I could take many days to travel through Abban once they reached it, and there was no knowing what they would encounter once there.
Luana was with Tanseril reading the horses.

Zara stood on the far edge of the woodland, where the tree had been cut or bunred down. Soon there would be saplings planted here. She looked beyond to the Rahelia Plain . There would be new grass there, winter grasses. Far to the north the snows fell hard upon the Lukiae Mountains . The snow drift was looking over the far dunes and in to SnowHaven.

Winter was coming on hard from the north. A season had come and gone in the time of war, a fall with no celebrations, only blood shed.

It was before mid day when the six of them left. They said their goodbyes knowing all would be well. They ehaded to the north. They would not ride through the lain as it had just been replanted, but rather cut through the desert for a few miles before heading west to where Ibaea once stood.

They worked till it was dark.

As the moon rose. There was ntohign left of what the collector had brought upon the land. The buldings that ahd been there were gone now, even their foundations wee gone. It had taken hard work and a bit of magic.

They now laid to rest those fallen. Firend or foe, man or beast.

They lay them all to rest under a small grove of trees that still seemed to trive dispite all they had been through.

Under the light of the moon they built a place, a small staute of rocks fromt he outter wall. A place for those lost, for those of Ibaea and Eyllis. A place to morn and remember.

At dawn after they and their horses had eaten. They made way to the south along the river. The grass here seemed so different now, much of it had been destoryed in the time of the slavers. It was raw grass, brown and yellow. The best grazing still lie close to the river bank.
They traveled past the bridge to Teien at mid day.

At dusk they made their camp on the easten side of the river, they would cross at dawn. They had no shelter there out in the open between the river and the desert to the east.

They sat around a low fire. Far to the east they could see the lanterns lit within the forest.The Elandara River seemed the one thing uneffected by the slavers, they had tapped it some up near Teien, but any blood,sweat or tears had long ago washed away.

Zara could see across the river even now as the sun sank low. Kerani was gone. There were no buldings left, not even any foundations. The slavers had torn through it at the beginning of their raid. Homes, businesses lost to ashes. Friends, familys, tradions gone forever.

But They would still go at dawn to see it.

Lost, desolate, empty.

There was nothing left not even blood,bones or foundations. Kerani was gone. The ground was dead under where the city once stood.

Zara bent and let the dirt fall through her fingers. "I am glad Eli, is not here to see this. That he and his family fled."

Llewellyn stood quiet. Luana looked North towards Teien. That city still stood, much still in smoke.

"There is nothing here, we should move on." Ruvyn suggested and Zara nodded to that.

Two days to get there, but only moments spent. There was nothing there, not even dead to bury.

They left soon after ward making their way for Teien. It was a tow day ride back to the ruined city.

The wall that had been raised was gone, only bits and pieces stood. Beyond the city that had once been very small had over grown what Luana had known as a child.

The slavers had diverged the river to feed their crops. Elandara River would never be able to be one smooth line again.


Beyond the ruined wall buildings remained. Homes had been turned in to barracks and homes for slavers and those enslaved. Businesses that would not profit the slavers had been burned tot he ground long ago. But many had remained, for some had lived through it all, working there, they aided the slavers, but had no will of their own.


Now the town lay a shambled. Homes burned down, businesses left to smoke and blood.

"It will take weeks to clean this all up." Ruvyn held his hand over his face. There were many dead here, many bodies decaying.

Zara looked over the ruined city, and wondered how it had come to this.
"I will send word to the forest."Llewellyn looked to the sky, and gave a musical chirp. "We will help in making his city grand again, but we must continue to Abban, those in the forest will come and start our mission."

A bird landed on her out stretched arm and she seemed to talk to it for some time in elven.

Zara wandered away through the ruined buildings. Luana joined her. "It was not always a bad city. I remember the better times. But once slavers came, it changed forever. We must find a way to ban them from here, from all of Eyllis."

Zara nodded, looking at burnt out buildings and the bones of the dead. The smell was almost unbearable.

They dare not cover all the city. For they knew they would find too much death.

The left the ruined city, heading north for a few hours,away from the smell of death and decay to set up camp once more by the river bend.

They did not eat that night, only sipped at strong tea and watched the stars in silence. Tomorrow they would head for Abban.

They walked on in the dimly lit tunnel. Speaking lowly,keeping an eye out for danger.

" I had never seen a drow city. And Abban was amazing to me. Though Bailion is far more lovely. He kept me safe, even as others watched me. He led me away, when he could have easily killed me. I did not trust him then. When we were alone he explained everything to me. I told him who I was seeking, and it did not seem to surprise him." She saw her brother grin ahead of them.

"The snow child." She head his voice echo a bit and she had to smirk. She looked back to Llewellyn. Luana and Tanseril They were the ones who had never heard all of this story. Luana knew some, and Llewellyn knew some. But Tanseril seemed to be hung on every word.

"He was not ashamed of me, nor of our fathers many wives. He was and still is the only son, while we share two other half sisters. Aelia and Dyldra, who you have all met. "

"And Ruvyn's mother?"

"Seirye, she died." Ruvyn looked back.

"As it seems the women of Riz all did. Dangerously."

Tanseril's brows rose and Zara shook her head softly, it was a tale for another day. "Then Ruvyn thought our father dead, but as you know Delan and I found him, living well in the mountains of Bailion"

"Ruvyn vowed to tell me all he could of my drow bloodline. f the ways of the drow, drow magic and other things I learned on my own. He knew well of me, it seems I was whispered about here as well."

Luana grinned at her. "The mighty Zara."

"Not so mighty, but known." Zara looked over at Delan as he took in the darkness.

"I learned much in the little time I had here. I learned my brother was an early riser,one who liked to read as much as he loved to fight. He was kind to me, though surely he had his own thoughts."

Ruvyn looked back then stopped as they entered what used to be the old main room of Abban, the main crystal was gone, as they walked in the dim light of smaller blue crystals their boots crunched on the floor.

"It was shattered." Ruvyn knelt to the ground where the once great crystal was. "No one person could have done this, even a battle ax wielded by a mighty dwarf could not have done this."

Zara glanced around. "We need to stay close together. Ruvyn,lead on, see if we can find some where safe so when its time to make camp we can do so.

Ruvyn nodded and led the way. They passed rooms that had caved in, places where once drow had slept, or learned. They walked down a way Zara recalled and came to the entry way that once led in to his own room. It was gone, the room had be filled with rocks.

"This was no cave in...these rocks were placed here..some dragged here along the floor." He looked to the groves in the floor. "We are not alone here..."

Llewellyn touched her fingers to the rocks that filled the entry way to what had been his room. She had wanted to see it, the place where he was born,raised, become the man before her. But it was gone.

"Your books, scrolls, weapons?"

"I took it when I left, I hid it in a place outside. There was little I left behind. We need to keep going, down the tunnel here there used to be the barracks of sorts, a place where the warriors could train. We may find shelter there."

Zara nodded and let him lead the way down the dim tunnel. "Many of the blue crystals are shattered."

"Once night falls, we may have need of Delans fire powers to light us a torch." Delan merely grinned to that. "If we run in to what ever moved those rocks and shattered that main crystal we may have need of them before that."

They walked for some time. But they all smelt it long before they came to what had been the barracks. The scent of death.

The bones were rotten, the blood dried. "These were not all drow." Luana noted an elven blade on the ground, the hammer of a dwarf,then long bow that was likely human in make.

"A battle. The drow here did not keep dwarves as slaves. Some humans, other elves.. but these weapons were not brought in by any slave...perhaps they came from outside or deeper within these tunnels." Ruvyn had no answers. " The dead have been picked clean, the bones are rotting but there is no flesh...something cleaned these bones.."

Zara scanned around, Delan stood to her left Luana and Tanseril to her right. Llewellyn was by Ruvyn's side. "This place will offer us no shelter."

Ruvyn nodded grimly. He looked tot he passage ways, he knew where each one went. "To the left would have been the more private areas for soldiers...to the right a passage that leads to the class rooms, where war is taught.. and here before us the way straight towards another entry room, to where the magic users would gather sleep and learn, beyond that a temple of sorts. If anyone is alive here, they would hide there .. there are hidden levels of the temple."

"Then we head that way, but we need to check out the two other pathways, make sure."

Ruvyn nodded. "To the left then"

( Contains: Disturbing Images )


They stood a moment there in the main room before heading down the right passage.

" What was it like before? This place?" Zara could not answer Tanseril's' question so she left it to Ruvyn.

"Those shattered rooms we left behind us, were once as great as within any fine home on the surface. They held stories of their own. The main room once glowed with that crystal now shattered. " He led the way slowly through the dim tunnel.

He slowed as they came to an entry way. The room still stood. But it was a mass grave now.

"Oh gods.." Llewellyn shook her head. Zara wanted to look away but could not.

She had never ventured to this part of Abban before. Never seen it as it had been, but she could picture it.

Ruvyn didn?t move inside. "Once this room was a place for training. It was not always easy. The masters of arms and magic were hard on us all. " He saw them dead at the far back wall against a closed door.

"The floor under all this.. is covered with a fine cloth and padding, the weapons you see on the floor, and in those dead are of drow make. Like the ones Delan and I both carry, like the dagger I gifted you sister."

He stepped in a bit. "This was an attack..." They all could see none were spared, not the old or the young, the newly trained or the masters of arms.

"Stay here." He looked to Llewellyn,Tanseril, and Luana. "Guard them here sister. Delan, I could use your help." Carefully he picked his way through the bodies towards the back, where two lie dead.

Delan followed him as the others looked on.

"These were the grand masters of sword and magic, they died last."Ruvyn looked down to them both slumped at the door. One lay face up, her face was covered in long thin gashes, her right arm was flung out beside her, her left was gone at the shoulder. An ax the color of onyx was embedded in her stomach.

The man lay face down, in a pool of old blood. His right hand was gone,as were both of his feet. Delan winced at the death he must have faced. "This was an army.."

"Drows have enemies, many of them mighty, but I can tell you of none that would do so much. They all died, many fought, but many were new." He dared not look at them, the young ones. "These two died last standing before this door. It leads to private chambers that they would have used. "

He had noted the lock from the doorway. "I could possibly break the lock, but this door." He pressed his hand to it, "its one of the few here made of wood."

Delan nodded. He wasted no time burning a hole in the wood big enough for them both to slip through.

Zara watched them, and the others.

"Stay alert." She told them all as the two men slipped beyond her sight.

They distrubted the found weapons amoung the others along with the arrows.

"I found something that might be of help to us all." Ruvyn held out his hand and sitting on his palm were six stones, they shone soft white.

"Seeing stones." Zara took one from his palm and held it up.

Ruvyn nodded and handed the other four to Luana,Tanseril and Delan. "No more tripping over in the dark for you." He winked at Tanseril. "Keep them in your possession, they will help in more ways than one."

He moved ahead and took Zara up front with him. Delan took the flank as they headed on down the tunnel. "It will be dark above soon." Zara nodded, she had noted the crystals glow. "Can it be safe to stop any where here? With all this death, all the questions we all have?"

Ruvyn shugged, "It would not be safe, but we will need our rest. I will find a safe enough place for the night, we can take shifts watching over." He led on and Zara followed.

The next three rooms were filled with rocks like those in the other tunnel.
The final room was larger but in ttact, no death had happened there. "This is where the weapons came from , the ones we saw in the main room. Drows take weapons off kills, and like others find them and keep them. The human bow, the dwarvern tools, any others, were taken from this room, used to kill the fallen, left behind and some likely taken on ."

He looked around the room, there was on way in and one way out. It would be death for them all if they were attacked. "We can not stay back here, it would mean death for us all. We need to go back to the main entry tunnel, for the night."

Zara nodded. They made their way back to the main room and alls aw the floor was shimmering with light. "Night has fallen, and though the crystal is in shards it still serves it purpose. Find a place where we can make a small camp, a place where we can see our ways out and the ways in."

Ruvyn choose the spot. They made a small camp rolling out bed rolls and handing out cold food. But it was food none the less. "We will take shifts." Ruvyn looked tot hem all, "I think it wiser if Zara, Delan and I are the guards. We are all accustom to places like this. The last shift Luana, Llewellyn and Tanseril will serve as one before dawn comes."

They all silently agreeded.

"I will take the first shift." Ruvyn offered.

The night slipped on, in the shimmering darkness. No one got any real rest.
At the first signs of the coming dawn they readied to move on.

"Our way lies before us. We have ventured down the other paths to find, oddities and questions, death and decay. We may find more this way. Be ready, with blade and magic." Ruvyn led the way as the light from he shattered crystal faded behind them.

They pressed on straight ahead.

The tunnel was wide here. They walked in a tight group.

Llewellyn bow ready. Tanseril his hand on his new drow short sword. Delan seemed to be ready to draw any of his weapons. Luana walked slowly taking in every sound. Ruvyn walked his dagger already drawn.

Zara too already had her blade at the ready. "Is it not time that we learn what we could be facing?" Tanseril asked quietly.

"Many things all the darkness home, not just drow. If there are any alive they will not likely be welcoming. But with Ruvyn and Delan with us, they would not out rightly attack. Trolls ,goblins and orcs all call caves and tunnels home, as do many kinds of dwarf kind. " Zara glanced back down the way they had come.

"If any slavers escaped they may have come here, if they survived we may yet face some." Ruvyn added.

Ruvyn halted them at mid day, they had not yet crossed any rooms.
"Take a break, this is the deepest of the tunnels, the magic entry room will be up on the right in another half mile. There are three more branches that lead to rooms . We will check them as we did the last ones. "

Zara sat down and the others sat and broke in to a mid day meal.

"What can we expect ahead?" Llewellyn sat half perched on a rock.

"The main room will be much like the one we left hours ago. But there should be three crystals at the center,the blue, the white and the purple. There will be three tunnels, one to the right, one to the left and one straight ahead. Like before they lead different places. The right to training areas, the left to private rooms, and the one straight ahead down towards the temple. I suggest we check the left tunnel first. Then as we did before check the right before we head on at dawn down toward the temple complex."

"What of the temple?"

"We will walk the straight tunnel for two miles at least before the tunnel opens up to a huge cave. We will be directly under the high peek of the Aevir Mountains , this cave reaches high and wide. There should be three large buildings made from stone and crystals. Each one is a temple. The drow here all trusted in different things. The first two houses worshiped Eilitraee, the dark lady. " He took a breath and smiled dimly.

" She is the most...normal of the goddesses. Less hostile than any other. That temple is rather on the small scale. The other two are for Lloth and Selvetarm. Lloth is the darkest deity, she is the one that enjoys in the suffering of others. the other four houses truly worshiped her, for Selvetarm is Lloth's champion. He is the patron of unequaled battle prowess and blood lust. He cares only for battle and destruction everywhere. His is the last temple, smallest of them all, for only one house worshiped him. "

"Be on the look out for spiders. Large ones small ones and webs. Both Lloth and Selvetarm both use them to their bidding. If any drow remain they may have drow poison in their arrow heads, some of it may be sleep poison, but some of it may not be. There is no antidote for the poison that kills you. The sleep poison wears off in time. Those seeing stones Ruvyn gave us all, they will help detect the essence of drow poison on arrow tips. " Zara added, she knew well the deities of the drow and what they did.

She nodded to Ruvyn who pulled on arrow from his quiver. "Look at the tip."

When even glanced at they would all see it. It seemed to sparkle in purple and blue flames. "This arrow tip has sleep poison on it, it glows purple and blue. The poison of death glows red. There are other types. They all have colors that more or less match what they do. "

They all knew that Zara,Delan and Ruvyn had the poison of sleep and death upon them. "While we will not use the poisons we have upon anyone unless we must, if anyone is alive, they will likely shoot first." Delan added.

Luana,Llewellyn and Tanseril nodded.

"Come lets press on."

They all rose to their feet and headed on.

( Contains Blood and Some Disturbing Images )

In the morning they had some elven bread and broke camp.

"To the right. We will walk less than half a mile in, the first training room was for the young ones, then went along accordingly. "

They moved down the tunnel. The broken crystals crunched lightly underfoot there was no way to avoid it.

They walked in twos. Ruvyn with Luana, Tanseril with Delan , Zara with Llewellyn. There had been no more story telling. For Zara had never been this deep in to Abban. There was a shadow of fear that hung over them all.

The dead behind them, the questions unanswered.

The half mile passed with out a sound. Till Ruvyn slowed. "It will be on the right, an open entry way. It was craved from the very rock of these mountains. Beyond the entry way, the room will be as large as the main room we left behind us was. If it still stands in tact that is. Bows at the ready, they will be our most use full weapon. The room is large and oblong, there is no other way out. "

He led them on. The entry way was coming up. A few more paces ahead. But Ruvyn stopped short. He knew he was not alone in what he heard and smelt. "Bows ready.. were not alone." He pulled his own bow from his back.

The entry way arched from the living stone of the mountain. There were no boulders blocking it. Ruvyn stood on the far side of the entry way, the others filed behind him along the wall of the tunnel.

Ruvyn slowly eased to look around in to the room. When he came back his face was nearly pale. or as pale as any drow could get. "Well?" Zara whispered.

"I wish I could spare us all what's inside. Many dead young ones, and there are scavengers within. Three goblin kind, three orc kind and three of mixed breeding. Something between Orc and goblin. Llewellyn, Tanseril and I will take the right. Zara, Delan and Luana take the left. The orcs will rush us, the goblins will try to flee.. the others will likely attack. Take down the goblins the moment we move, arrows to their heads. Once they are dead, take on the mixed and the pure bread orcs."

They all nodded. Ruvyn held up his gloved hand and counted down from three.

Three, two, one.

They moved as one, right in to the room.

They saw the horror. The dead young there on the bloody floor.

Llewellyn and Zara were at the back their arrows flew first. Luana and Delans flew next. Three hit their marks on the goblin kind who, as Ruvyn had expected tried to flee. They were dead before they got three strides away.

The orcs rushed them as did their mixed breed allies. Luana's arrow hit a mark upon an orc, as did Tanseril's and Delans. But the arrows did little more than slow the orcs down.

They split in to groups.

Bows and arrows were quickly traded for swords and daggers.

They moved as small units. Zara and Llewellyn fought as if they had been fighting side by side for decades. When Zara turned to parry a thrust from an on coming mixed orc Llewellyn drove her sword through it. Then they moved towards the next.

Tanseril and Luana fought well together. Though it was clear from their styles that Luana was the better fighter. They took on an orc.

Delan and Ruvyn fell in to an easy fighting style. While Ruvyn's moves were quick, fast jabs with a short sword Delan used his long blade to slice the backs of two orc ankles .One of which had been on its way to Tanseril and Luana but now fell mercy to Luana's quick work with a blade.

There were four left two orcs and two of their mixed breed cousins. One orc was already wounded, its dark blood pooling behind its left leg. The two mixed breeds were pushed against the far wall. Their goblin nature had kicked in and they had wanted to run. But they were quickly held back by Zara and Llewellyn.

The orcs attacked the others. They rushed in at Tanseril and Luana. Tanseril drove to the left Luana to the right. There was the sound of the dying mixed breeds along with the ping of a cross bow being fired. Tanseril had come up from the ground with the cross bow in hand, it was small meant for a child but it still slowed the coming orc when the quarrel hit the beast in the eye.

The other orc limped its way towards Luana. She backed up on her hands and flipped over the dead on the floor, a moment later on her feet she had drawn her sword but saw in that moment it was not needed. The orc who?d been pursuing her was frozen to his spot his great war sword had been raised above his head.

Luana nodded to Zara. Ruvyn put the frozen beast out of its misery while Delan and Llewellyn dealt with the quarreled orc in dew measure.

They were left with three dead goblin kind, three dead orc kind and thee of their mixed breed cousins. But that was not all the death in the room. They had to put aside that they fought on the blood of young ones. Children.

They had died quickly. Some had raised weapons. But had died none the less.

Ruvyn stood at the back of the room. He watched as Tanseril lay the borrowed cross bow back to the floor. It had aided them, but had done little for these young ones.

Zara had seen much in her time. Much more once the slavers had come. Even in Rhydin she had seen much death. But this, this was a new low.

There was nothing they could do for them, so carefully they made their way back out in to the tunnel. They moved on silent. What ever lie beyond ,there would surely be more death.

The next room was eighty paces in. And as they walked they all noted the blood on the ground, on the walls. It stained the white crystals. There was the scent of blood and earth.

(Contains :Some disturbing images. )


They sat around a fire. Their only way out blocked by thick ice. They dug in to their rations as they sat on their bed rolls. But there would be no sleep tonight. The room was lit by fire and the glow of blue crystals. Ruvyn sat before them. Zara had never seen him so serious. He looked like Riz there in the fire light, a man ready for battle.

"The way to the temples lies before us. A half mile trek down in to the dark. I have a feeling that two temples may already be gone. Eilistraee and Selvetarms temples. If they still stand I will be rightly amazed. " He took a breath. He pulled some of the sticks from the fire and lay them to the floor. "This is our route ahead, half mile down."

He lay sticks as he spoke laying out a map of sorts. "There will be a large arch way, then the temple complex. "He lay that out, the entry and the large oval temple complex. "These rocks are the temples. Selvetarms to the right, a small temple." He had three oval rocks there placed one on top of the other. "It has three levels. If it still stands and any of its worshipers live we will face heavy battle. They are savages one and all. But I do not think any of them live, nor do I think that the temple stands." He lay five flat stones on top of one another.


"This is the temple for Eilistraee. It is five levels. If it stands we will be lucky. It would offer us shelter and help if any followers live. But I doubt it."

He lay eight stones at the back of the oval he had made. "This is the temple of Lloth. This temple I am mostly sure will be standing. It is seven floors, and has an exit here, " He made another line of sticks out the back of the oval. "It goes down to lower levels. Levels where the goblins and orcs likely came from, levels where many things happen. I have never seen the lower levels. Only those who worship Lloth were allowed there. But by the webbing we saw and the markings upon the floor. I fear that these acts of violence were not done by slavers, nor goblins nor orcs."

"But by spiders..." Zara whispered.

"Yes, likely some sort of devil spawn. There were whispers of drow kind being taken to this temple, females. They were being given to the spiders, as mates."

"Oh god.." Tanseril whispered.

"Yes, some sort of drow, spider spawn. Lady Lloth is the queen of them and does at times take on the look of a spider with a Drows body. " He held his hands over the fire.

"All this death, was caused from within. If there are any drow kin left they are either worshipers of Lloth or now slaves. If we press on we may find heavy fighting, and perhaps death."

He let his statement settle in. "At dawn we have a choice, we can press on and see if anyone is alive below. Or we can leave. There has already been much death, and it is likely that if any are living they are slaves or loyal to a vile goddess. Those in Lady Lloth's service will not hesitate to kill us all. They will be armed with cross bows and quarrels that have drow poison. There are many kinds, the first slows your movements, you become sluggish and you will eventually fall asleep. The next you to sleep with in moments, you wont even know what hit you. Those two glow blue and purple with your seeing stone powers. Then there?s the one that slowly kills you, it glows green, then the last one kills you in a breath, that one glows bright red. "

He rose and paced. "Better to be dead. For if you find your self feeling sluggish, or worse if you fall asleep. They want you alive, for torture and who knows what else. I am sorry to say it but the women are the most at risk. Young, lovely, and though not drow kind they would be able to be bread for spider spawn. " His eyes looked over the ladies then.

He went back to crouching before them. "At dawn I plan to push on. I don?t expect any of you to come with me. I may be walking to my death, and will not lead you all to yours. "

"I am going." Tanseril surprised them all as he spoke up first. "There could be survivors, ones we could save from slavery to this vile goddess."

Ruvyn nodded. "You are brave master horsemen."

"I am going. I faced the slavers in Teien and have been close to death before. I fear it not." Luana spoke her eyes serious over the fire.


"Many are dead behind us, many died above in the wars with the slavers, my people, my family. My home was destroyed. Now we have a chance to get Eyllis back. There is darkness here. I can feel it. All this death even from within. If this is our new foe we must stop it. For there is not much beyond these tunnels that would stand to the drow. If we must go on and fight and die, I am ready." Llewellyn rose and moved to Ruvyn's side. She took his hand and his face softened a little.

"I am with you brother. "Delan stated with a smile. "To the end."

Zara looked to her friends, her brave family. "I am at your side my brother, I am with you all. "

Ruvyn nodded. "We will be save in here for tonight, we can gain some rest. Shifts in twos. Llewellyn and I will take the first. These may be our last hours, spend them well." He rose and offered Llewellyn a hand up. They moved away from the main fire taking a torch with them.

( Note: Contains Sexual/passionate/ intimate images)


It was for the grace of magic that their ice tent had not melted. For Zara was sure she was but a puddle upon the bed roll.

Curled beside Delan wide awake she replayed he night that had dripped by in her mind.

She had expected passion. They could die tomorrow. But she had not been prepared.

He had started by kissing her. Slow tastes of her lips, her neck. His hands had moved over her sides and under her shirt. Warming her . He had taken his time undoing the buttons and ties of her shirt and tunic. So she had taken her time with his own clothing.

His lips had been torture upon her bare skin. They had skimmed and pressed, and left little hot spots all over her bare torso. His hands had cupped, grasped and skimmed along her bare body as if he was memorizing it.

In turn she had skimmed her cool hands along his body. Over that ebony skin. She had given him pulses of ice and he had returned them with pulses of fire.

He had feasted upon her breasts. His lips and tongue devouring her as if she was his last meal. He had taken her to the edge and left her there for a moment before driving her over it again and again.

Her hands had feasted upon his body, her mouth upon his lips and neck, across his fine chest. And when they had come together in the hours before dawn, she swore that she too could see in to his very soul.

Now there was the low crackle of the fire outside that had kept burning through the night. There were the low voices of Ruvyn and Llewellyn. Zara could hear her brother whispering to one of her most beloved friends.

"Your eves dropping. "Delan whispered. Zara smirked and looked up to him. He looked like a very satiated man. "Only a little. "She whispered back and moved to hover over him.

He grinned up at her and grabbed her hips and pulled her on top of him. Zara bit down on her lower lip to keep her self from moaning. Delan sat forward and nibbled upon her fine pale neck. "Mmm." He pulled away and cupped her breast in his hands. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are?" His fingers traced up over her shoulder up her neck and through the ends of her hair.

She cocked a brow at him and he chuckled and pulled her down on to him. That made her moan.

" And your alluring, and a little devil." She smirked at him. He ran his fingers through her hair and smirked at her then wiggling her brows he flipped her to her back and hovered over her.

"See...devil.." She ran her fingers up over his broad shoulders and through his hair. He took her right hand and nipped at her fingers then placed her hand over his chest, there over his heart. "No matter what happens tomorrow my heart is yours, even if we never see the sun again."

Her face softened at his words. "And my heart is yours. Always."

She felt him slide inside her again as he lowered him self closer to her. He took her again to the edge and over it. This time again he let him self be taken with her. He let the night take them.

Later when he knew dawn was closer he drew her sleeping form closer. He ran his fingers over her face. He hoped in his heart that they would see the sun again. He silently hoped that it had not been their last night.

Two weeks had passed. There had been no word from Zara. Bur Ruvyn trusted that his sister would come home, she would bring help. She had fled for all the right reasons, and now he knew she would return.
Every day it was running the trails of the forest. He had fallen in with the other warriors and rangers easily. He wasn?t sure what to think of the forest, it was so different from home, but it had its own beauty.

A month flew by, with no news. It was then that Tanseril had led them in tot he far reaches of the Nieli desert. Most of the remaining people of Eyllis had fled in tot he forest. But a few had stayed in the desert. The Huavain had remained,to tend to their wild horses. The men mostly, for they would not risk their families, there too were the few of Ael'Si. It was with them Ruvyn had to speak. It took some doing but they agreed to let him use two of their great cats.

He had to get a message to Zara.

It was luck that Llewellyn had something of Zara's. The cats left with his message. He had no way of knowing if Zara would get it.

Tanseril returned to the forest and Luana.

But Llewellyn was set on going through the desert on foot, to SnowHaven and beyond to the Lukiae Mountains. Some of the elves of Eyllis had fled to those snow capped mountains and beyond.
Ruvyn had chosen tog o with her. She didn't like the idea, but he wasn't about to let her go alone.

So they camped there in the dunes that night then headed out at dawn.
They hardly spoke that first day as they trekked to the mountains. He was sure they shared nothing in common. True Llewellyn was strong,powerful and one of his sisters friends, but she and he were very different.

Four days of walking with out speaking much, let him really watch her. She walked with cation,looking off towards where the cities and salvers now reigned, the tracked the markings of animals and elves a like. He could admire her, she was strong .Not only of body, but of will and spirit. Her home had been destroyed most of her family killed and yet she had stayed to fight on.

They reached the last of the dunes on the fourth night. That night they spoke of one of the few things they shared, the hate of the slavers.

They trekked through the cold of SnowHaven for two days. There was no one left and not a sign of a soul. They moved on ever on to the foot hills of the Lukiae Mountains.

Nine days later they were trekking their way through the pathways of the mountain. The snow fell on them and they followed tracks. Now they were on the hunt, some where up here there were slavers.

They found those slavers the next week. But the mighty wolves of the mountain had gotten to them first. There was nothing but blood and bone.

Ruvyn walked around the dead bodies,wishing he had the chance to drag those souls to hell. Llewellyn was tracking over the camp. The slavers had chosen to camp at the edge of a cliff. Ruvyn could see over the edge now. To fall would mean death upon the stones below.

"Ruvyn!" Llewellyn s voice calling his name had him turning. He saw it then,flying through the air right towards him. A mighty black wolf. It was larger than a bear and twice as mean. He had no where to go, so he started to draw his sword.

The mighty wolf flew at him. He then saw Llewellyn coming in fast. Her arrows led the way burring their heads in to the wolves flank. "Down!"

Ruvyn ducked as the wolf leaped . The wolf overshot him and flew off the cliff, and he had an arm full of Llewellyn on top of him. He looked up in to her eyes, "Th.." He was suddenly silenced by her lips upon his own. He let his blade slip from his reached grasp and grasped her instead. Her lips were soft ,warm and timid. But he had loved the feeling of them.

When she had withdrawn he once more starred in to her eyes.

They were packed. They all had dawned their darkest of clothing. Ruvyn knew they all carried those seeing stones. Weapons were sharp,bows at the ready.

They put out their torches and fire and stood before the walls of ice that had given them shelter through the night. Ruvyn looked to them all.

Luana Ashemmii, the ranger born of elf and human blood. She had proven a powerful warrior even for her size, even though she was the shortest of their group she had a strong heart, and was a devil with a sword. Her long dark brown hair was back in a braid over her tunic and pants of dark blue. Her eyes were deep pools of brown and when she looked over at Tanseril you could see how they warmed. She had been born and raised and Teien and had faced the slavers and survived now a few dozen times. Now she was ready to face a deeper darkness.

Tanseril Huavain was a dune elf. His skin showed that golden hue that those of Nieli did. He was born of the tribe of Huavain. The Great horsemen of the desert. A ranger as well, Ruvyn didn't doubt that he had seen his share of battle. The people of the sands had been driven out hard and fast, yet the great horsemen had fought back and won part of their desert back. He stood next to Luana he was at least nine inches taller than she was, his hair was sandy brown and his eyes were golden like a lions. He worn tones of dark brown. Ruvyn had thought him the weak link but he had proven himself a fine back up.

Then there was Llewellyn Cael . The woman he loved. Of the tribe of Cael, a mighty archer and warrior. A ranger of Eyllis she had stood on the front lines of the war with the slavers. She had been born tot he trees which the slavers had devastated. Most of her kinsmen had been killed, and many of the Cael elders. But she had risen as a strong leader for those who were left. She stood in her darkest tones of green, her hair the tone of starlight was in a long braid down her back, her moss green eyes were keen on the ice walls.

Then there was Delan Dulthaas. He stood at the ice walls ready to start melting them. He had put on dark clothes and armor. His long white hair was pulled back, his silver eyes shown the sight of fire that burned within him. Ruvyn was counting on that magic now, and would again. Delan was born in Shynt Raena. Drow kin and a brother as far as Ruvyn was concerned. His family had been taken by The Collector. He had lost his father in that battle and a sister had fled with the people of Snow Haven. But his other sisters and mother awaited them in the forest. He loved Zara, Ruvyn could see it. And as someone who loved his sister he prayed that they survived to see the sun again. Ruvyn knew somehow that Delan planned to marry Zara,soon. Once they were free of this darkness. Perhaps if they all lived they would have some sort of joint wedding.

Last as Zara Idande. His sister. He didn?t care if they didn't share a mother she was his half sister, she was his blood. Drow and Ice elf. She was strong and lovely. She wore all black, and looked out with those icy toned eyes, her long blue silver hair was also in a braid. He knew he could count on her and her magic . Her heart was for Delan. She had lost her foster family to the slavers after she had escaped with her life. She had lost her both mother long ago to The Collector. Some where beyond in the deep tunnels of the Bailion Mountains their father Riz still lived among drow kin. Ruvyn was counting on her as well, blessed with drow magic as well as her icy touch.

"Do it." They were ready. As ready as they could be.

Delan peeled off his gloves and pressed his hands to the ice walls. They stood behind him ready. Ruvyn smirked knowing that like him they would choose bows.

The ice began to melt. Layer by layer. Delan made them a passage through the ice walls. The tunnel beyond was empty. They all passed through the door Delan had melted in to the ice.

Ruvyn took point once more. He surveyed the ground and the tunnel walls. There were no new webs, only the ones that had been there the night before. The groves in the floor led forward. The blood was old, nothing fresh.

He began to move. Two and two they moved. Ruvyn had Luana walking beside him,Llewellyn and Delan behind them and Tanseril with Zara heading up the back. It would be a half mile trek down in silence.

They all knew to keep on the look out for cross bow quivers,and spiders no matter how small. They knew to stay away from the walls. Ruvyn had theories of what lie before them, but he had no way of knowing.

They walked soundlessly. He could be grateful that all his company were elves, their steps were light, the rocks and dirt in the tunnel barely stirred as they moved. There would be no tracks of theirs upon the ground.

Ruvyn walked slowly. He knew they all saw exactly what he did. The tunnel walls were lined with webs, spent quivers lay on the floor,in the walls,above them along the ceiling. Some of those quivers still glowed faintly,blue,green, purple and red. But most of the quarrels had no left over poison upon them. There had been a fight, what ever had come this way had fought back,taking those who fought it with it.

Two hours passed in silence. Ruvyn soon came to a halt. "Short break." The others stood in the tunnel, drinking their water,taking a short break. Ruvyn pulled Delan from the group by the shoulder.

Zara watched him but stayed with the others.

"Two more hours and we will be at the entry to the temple complex, before we get there , there should be a chimney that leads up. It goes towards the surface. If anything awaits us to ambush us, it may be there. But also if we need it, it could be our way out, in case." Ruvyn looked over his shoulder at the others. "I know you all are in this, but I need you to promise me something."

Delans brow quirked. "Depends on what it is."

Ruvyn smirked. "If something should happen to me, I want you to give Llewellyn this." He dug a folded note from his pocket. Delan took the sealed note. " Here I thought you were going to ask me to run, to save them all if something should befall you."

Ruvyn shrugged, "I thought about it, but then I knew you wouldn't."

Delan chuckled .Then He and Ruvyn walked back to the group and relayed the info about the chimney to the others. They headed on after that. This time Ruvyn let them walk in their coupled groups. It would likely be the last time they did that. One more moment was worth it.

The archway stood within their sight. Ruvyn took one last breath. The others stood with him. He drew his bow from his back and notched an arrow. He smirked seeing the others already had theirs ready. He edged closer to the arch way.

The temple complex bloomed out before him, about twenty feet down. There were fires both purple Faerie fire and the dull orange of real flames. Selvetarms temple was gone. The levels knocked down with great force. Some of the pillars remained, but the temple itself was nothing but broken rock and wood now,some aflame. There were dead bodies there in the ruins, those who had worshiped the god were dead. But there was movement below. A mass of it.

Orcs and goblins moved about carting rocks around. They were nothing but slaves, easily taken care of. Eilistraee's temple stood, but not intact. The building burned from within. He had seen that temple in its height. It had been lovely, carved from the stone, it had once glowed purple and blue, now that Faerie fire was dimming as the other fire took over. There were dead there too on the floor. Ruvyn traced the line of orcs who led bound captives towards the last of the temples.

Lloth's temple stood. It seemed larger than it had been before. But that was only an illusion. The orcs had been busy, whipped by their new masters. New pillars stood outside that dark temple. He saw their new masters, his own kin. But these were drow of houses he had long hated. House Arken, the mage house. Though many of them lie dead in tunnels far behind them he saw a few of them scattered below. He could pick them out with their flowing blue or purple robes.

House Hla, more mages and some fighters. Some had died behind them in the tunnels they had passed, but more remained. Their mages wore tones of green, their warriors wore red armor. He knew the tales of the Hla House, they had gifts of foresight,great seers. They would pose a problem.
Then there were the priestesses and Clerics of House Arab. Mostly female drow who loved to torture and desired power. Handmaidens of Lloth. They out numbered all others. They were easy to spot, they wore dark clothing in tones of black or purple with cloaks that seemed a mix of colors, truthfully their cloaks held much power. Ruvyn ducked his head back to look at his company.

"Orcs, goblins numbering in the hundreds if not thousands. They are slaves to the will of Lloth now. Selvetarms temple is gone, Eilistraee's temple burns. Most of those who worshiped are dead, or being taken inside Lloth's temple in chains. Three houses lie below, Arken, with a dozen or more mages that I saw. Hla with twice that many and a small but brutal force of fighters and Arab. They outnumber the rest. Priestesses and Clerics of Lloth. They are in charge."

He peered around the archway again. There were walking sentries on the walks of stone above and below them. There were mages who patrolled with goblins at their side and as he feared spiders. Pets of Arab and Lloth they scurried about higher along the walls and far up ceiling, they were not huge but not small either.

He saw it then, what he thought had been a statue on the face of the Lloth temple. It moved. It.. was massive. Its body was that of a spider, huge and black with long eight legs, that had sharp barbs of hair. Its cephalothorax, the area of the spider that was a combination of head and thorax was black as ink, spiny and as large as mountain bear .

It had chelicera. Those fan-like or claw-like appendages that served as mouth parts. He knew too much about spiders to not know that those appendages were are hollow and contained venom gland. The spider would use them to inject poison into its prey. The abdomen was large and black, but seemed spike free. Its head was small, and Ruvyn saw the reason for that. He thought at first perhaps she was a rider.

Her body was that of a drow woman. He could clearly make out her nude torso,white hair and red eyes. But her legs seemed attached to the spider below her, as if they were one. She had no feet. Some binding of drow and spider, as if Lloth walked among those who worshiped her. Powerful and massive. It moved with the gait of a galloping horse. It was then he saw it had some sort of long tail,it was a dark green,scaled and had what appeared to be a barb at the end.

He watched as the creature he had no name for moved down the wall of the temple to the ground. All the drow around bowed to it. The slaves both of goblin and orc kind fell to their knees. The creature was massive, and the woman who was attached to it was beautiful in a dark way. Where it moved all bowed to it.

Ruvyn sucked in his breath and ducked back around to face his comrades. "We have a bigger problem. There are spiders, but there is something else. Something I have no name for. Its body is that of a spider, head, cephalothorax, abdomen. But it has a drow woman..as part of it, she seems to be attached to it.. it also has a tail almost lizard or dragon like with a barb on the end. The spider itself is massive, its body is like that of two massive mountain bears, its head is smaller but it has poison no doubt in its chelicera. I am sure the barb has poison as well. The woman.. it is like Lloth made in to flesh. She is beautiful in a dark way, all were bowing to her, even the orcs. "He leaned against the wall carefully taking a deep breath.

Sticking his head back out he looked over the temple grounds below. The guards moved looking in to every adjoining tunnel. "We need to move, now." He wasted no time and moved out from his hiding spot. He kept to the high walkway where no guards walked, the others flanked behind him.

He moved quickly before they could be spotted. He ducked into an adjoining tunnel. "We are not safe. "He glanced behind them to the glow in the distance. This tunnel could lead them any where. "They have been making improvements. This tunnel is rather new. "He kept his voice low. He looked out to the temple complex again. It would mean them all death to go down there as they were. "This way."

He led them down the tunnel towards the light.

The temple rose from the ground, built from the living rock of the mountain. It rose high, but didn't even come close to touching the ceiling of the cave. The new pillars were made of found boulders, and pieces of the ruined temples. Orcs moved past them, paying them no mind. Goblins hurried along behind their masters. Zara kept her eyes forward. Now she understood why they had needed these disguises. Not one here was light skinned.

She followed in the flow of chained slaves. There was nothing they could do to help them now. It would have to wait. The doors of the temple were open, they were massive made of rock and what looked like mithral for there was a dull sparkle to them.

The arch way created by the open doors was large enough for a giant to pass with no trouble. The slaves were to her right, led in by massive orcs and drowess with whips. Some wore the same cloaks she Llewellyn and Luana did, others wore red armor, or robes of green,blue or purple.
An orc three times Llewellyn's size brushed against her as they moved in. The creature coward and lowered its head. Llewellyn shot it a dark look from under her hood.

Zara pushed them on, following the line of slaves.

Inside the temple was amazing. If it had not been so tainted with evil she would have thought it beautiful. They stood in a large open space,like a great entry hall. To her left she could see the blackish purple steps that led to the next level. Ahead the floor was covered with fine rugs, there was light here from torches ,Faerie fire and the crystals of Abban.

The slaves were being led in ahead, along the line of pillars that held the great room a loft. There were more drow here, more male drow in dark armor, as well as the reddish brown armor that Tanseril now wore.

There was a band of drow men who were dressed much like Delan and Ruvyn with bows quivers and swords and only light armor. Assassins perhaps or some form of rangers.

Zara kept going following the captives. They streamed in behind her, dozens of them. Her dist tightened at her side, she could do nothing not here out numbered. The room bloomed open even more to what would have been the temples cathedral area, the large dome over head, the alter ahead. The stone carving of Lloth was amazing, almost life like.

It was crawling with spiders , and to her own horror scorpions. On their knees drow prayed to the dark goddess, there was a large stone alter there in the basic shape of a person laying back arms spread. It was an alter for one purpose, sacrifice.

She knew the others starred at the horrid alter as she did. But they had to keep their minds on the slaves. So she followed them on as they were turned right with the crack of whips. Now in a hallway lit by purple Faerie fire and blue crystals. Zara could feel the fear the slaves had, many of them would know what was ahead.

" Jail these slaves." One drow female spoke at the head of the group. The slaves were parted from their long chain only to be shackled and taken off two by two. Ruvyn pulled their group to the far wall. "The jail is in the lower levels." He pointed to the door the slaves were being led through now.

From behind them came a call, something in drow. Ruvyn cursed under his breath. "They found the dead guards, they are locking down the area. The temple will be closed soon and our only way out will be through the back tunnels."

Guards rushed in and hurried the slaves along, while drow moved around checking every inch of the temple. "Zara, led us out, ladies following, we head for the higher levels as if we are checking them out, go..."

Zara nodded and led them along back out of the hall. No one stopped them as they moved back in tot he main room, nor as they went up the stairs. But as they moved towards the second floor the huge doors of the temple were closed. Zara looked back down behind them as drow hurried around looking for anything out of place. Ruvyn held up seven fingers. Zara hurried them along towards the seventh floor. Up and up they went,quiet and quick.

Once they came to the seventh floor Ruvyn took the lead. There was no one around. They had to find some where to hide till night fall. He could hear the calls of the guards on lower levels, the rush of footsteps up the stairs. He sent a silent prayer up and hurried them down the hallway then to the left quickly, over the rugs past the walls with Lady Lloth's statues next to them, past the spiders that crawled everywhere.

He moved them quickly and they all kept pace, he rounded the next right quickly. He knew the guards would be coming up on the the floor now, that they would look in to every room. But by now when nothing had been found they wouldn?t look too carefully.

"Here ." Ruvyn had been counting doors. Though his sister was no longer here her room would be. And it was likely not taken by anyone, he was hoping for that. He pulled open the door, the room was dusty and smelt of must, but there was no one within. "Inside."

They filed in and Ruvyn pulled and locked the door behind them. They all took long slow breaths. "Who's room is this?" Luana looked around the empty dusty room "My sisters." He saw the looks of question on their faces as they looked at Zara.

"Aeila's."

"Aeila was a priestess of Arab?" Llewellyn looked shocked at Ruvyn. "Do not worry when the queen of spiders did not answer her prayers over the slavers and their killings she lost faith. She turned to Eilistraee. We should be safe here. This whole hallway is full of old rooms of old priestesses, they wont check them. But we need to stay quiet."

There were nods all around. They set up a make shift camp on the floor. They sat and Delan started handing out cold provisions. The room glowed with light of the crystals.

"It will be dark soon. We came very close to being stuck below. Once it is dark the search will be given up. Then we head out again, back down to the jails. They will be guarded by orc and drow. We will head through the archway and through a door, then down a short flight of steps. The jails should be at the bottom to the right, to the left are the deeper levels. We will kill the orcs and drow that stand in our way and free the slaves. We must move quickly, they will be jailed in cells that can hold up to five, by my count there were at least one hundred slaves. "

Ruvyn bit in to the dried jerky and chewed. "We will lead the slaves away, down to the lower levels. There will be maybe one or two orc or drow guards down there but no more. There will be more spiders though, any we see we must kill, for they will tell their masters of our escape. The lower levels are a mass of tunnels. I was there twice as a boy. There are two ways out. One leads out past the mountains in to the plain beyond the Aevir Mountains. The other leads up. It is an old dwarven stair case, that leads in to the old ruined world of the dwarves the drow killed long ago. From there it leads out to the high passes of the mountain. Those slaves need to go out the pass to the plains."

As he was biting down in to another bite her heard something. "Someone is coming.. down the hall.. you four hide now." He looked to Zara,Delan,Luana and Tanseril. "In the closet there, under the bed, any where.."

They moved quickly finding places to hide. Ruvyn rose and pulled Llewellyn to her feet. " Follow my lead." He tore off his armor and shirt and tossed it to the ground then he climbed upon the bed. "You are a priestess, you answer to no one. On top of me now.. keep your hood over your head, and here." He pressed the cold handle of a dagger in to her hand. He lay back and Llewellyn moved quickly over him as if she was mounting him. "Someone will enter, likely a male guard, when he speaks say only one word.. DOEB. " Llewellyn nodded.

A breath later the door was opened from the outside. It was a darkly dressed male guard. He saw her a priestess of Lloth on her male and his head bowed. " Evagna ussta jallil." Llewellyn from under her hood glared at him. "DOEB!" She told him and he quickly backed out and they heard the door re-lock.

Ruvyn kept Llewellyn where she was till he heard the guards foot falls pace away. "It is safe.." The others all came out from hiding. Llewellyn pressed the dagger back in to Ruvyn's hand. He sat up and kissed her on the brow. "Even I would be scared of you."

Llewellyn felt the blush creep over her cheeks as she got off him and the bed. Ruvyn rose and put his shirt and armor back on, her then took his shed weapons from Delan. Beside the bed the blue crystals glowed more brilliantly.

"Its time."

Ruvyn moved along the passage with Luana close at his side. He wasted no time. As they neared the end of the twisting tunnel there was again another door. He reached out knocked on it.

Once more it opened from within. Two guards one drow one orc. They never saw what came next. Luana was a mighty warrior with a sword but Ruvyn couldn't discount her bow skills now as both drow and Orc lay very dead with arrows sticking from their skulls. Ruvyn bent down and picked the keys from them.

"This way." He left that door open and moved ahead. Their was the jail room beyond, it opened up a large oblong shape, there were fifty cell easily within the room.

He handed off a set of keys to Luana. "One will open the jail door, one will open their shackles, move quickly." He moved tot he left and Luana moved to the right.

~~~

Down their center passage Zara too came to a door. She knocked and it opened from within. Once more a drow and an orc stood guard.
They bowed to her. The drow began to speak but before he could utter any words his body was frozen. The orc beside him as well. They would die within that frozen shell, but to be sure she drew her sword and stabbed them both through the heart. She went two strides ahead and took the key ring from where it rested upon a small wooden table. With Tanseril silently behind her she moved in to the cell room.

"Good gods." Tanseril muttered when he saw the room. It was oblong and held at least fifty cells. There were drow kin, elven kind and even a few humans within those cells.

"Take these keys. "Zara handed him the set she had found. "Free them. " She moved off to the right. She wouldn?t need any keys. She merely walked up tot he cell door placed her hand tot he lock and froze it, it shattered with a swipe of her sword. She would do the same with the shackles of those imprisoned.


~~~~

Delan led the way down the far right passage with Llewellyn close beside him. They came to a door and he knocked. When it opened there stood one orc guard. Delan not waiting for any questions quickly and effectively killed the orc.

Llewellyn picked the fallen creatures pocket for the keys. "This one holds no keys."

Delan peered down the tunnel. "Come on. " He moved down towards where the cells must be. The room opened up before them,long oblong with fifty cells at least. Delan put his finger to his lips and moved in to the room.

Some where there was a drow guard.

"Natha tet mrimmd'ssinss." The voice was in Llewellyn's ear.

" Venorsh, telanth naut. " She turned to him and narrowed her eyes at him. He quivered and fell to his knees. He was then pleading for his life.

Llewellyn bent down as if to pardon him and slit his throat. The drow guard gasped and fell over twitching.

"Your accent is good." Llewellyn turned to look at Delan. "For a moment I was worried, how much Drow did Ruvyn teach you?"

"Enough. "She smirked under her face covering. "He had the keys." She tossed Delan a set. Together they made their way through the room setting free prisoners.

~~~~

In the passage they all stood with two hundred and fifty prisoners behind them.

"Far more than I thought." Ruvyn admitted. He had just spent a few minutes telling all those captured they were being led to freedom, in elvish,drow and the tongue of men. Everyone seemed to understand. He also told them of the possible dangers that may lie ahead.

None turned back to go to their cells. Ruvyn had given any who were able to wield a weapon a dagger, a sword an ax anything in case it came to a fight.

"We push on, you will flow forward then at the end of this passageway turn left, then go forward. We should come to a large room in about an hour from there. There are two ways out. One leads out past the Aevir Mountains in to the plains that should be on the left, the other will lead up to the old ruins of the dwarf kingdom. Your way to freedom lies ahead. "


"I will lead them out, pace your selves through the group. Zara I will have you at the end of this long trail of slaves. You will close the pass behind us with ice. We will not be over taken from behind." As one the group nodded and took up places in the line of Two hundred and fifty souls they were to save.

Ruvyn at the lead moved forward.

Ruvyn turned to move to his friends. The room began to grow darker. The crystals light fading with that of coming day. Ruvyn looked towards the prisoners who now fled in an easy flow. He turned to face his friends. "Do you feel that?" He pressed his hand to the wall.

They came then, not from behind or from the tunnels but from above. From above the three now dimming crystals they came. They repelled in on line and webbing, the dropped down with heavy force and seemed to float down with the grace of a feather. Drow, orc, goblin, spiders. Dozens of each came in to the room from above.

The prisoners fled many running. Some turned with their given weapons to fight.

The room exploded in to a melee of battle. Arrows flew with cross bow quarrels. Spiders danced along the wall and dropped down on to those who had chosen to stay and fight.

Of those who had run, they would have moments perhaps to flee in to the coming light of day. This attack had been perfectly planned, for the day light was coming. None would have thought the drow to attack in the day.

Yet here in the gloom, it might as well have been night.

Ruvyn knew his friends were fast at battle. Able to see with the help of those seeing stones. But he could not see any of them in the melee. He move quickly,sparing off with his own kin. House Hla had come as well as house Arken, there were a trio of house Arab he could see. He knew

Zara,Luana and Llewellyn had left their cloaks to the floor. He could see them now as he spun out of the reach of a blade.

He watched as those who he had freed now fought. Many had stayed. He hoped it would give those who fled the time they needed.

He slashed and parried ducked and let arrows fly. As of yet he had not sen any of the quarrels that flew glow with any poison. Drows did enjoy a good fight now and then.

He spun and dodged a flying quarrel only to watch an orc go stomping off one of the freed fighters. The man was human but showed no fear as he faced the beast. Ruvyn was sure the man would die, but his focus was torn from that fight to his own as a goblin and a spider came after him.

When his blade was both bloody and green he looked back to where the man had been. Half an orc stood frozen to the floor, it head was gone and the man who had faced it still stood fighting. Zara was alive somewhere in this.

Zara's focus was on the orcs that had come in to the room. She had watched as her friends spread out through the room then lost sight of them all. But she could smell the burning of flesh, so she knew Delan was out there in this. Now and again she'd see the arch of a flying arrow. She trusted in her friends.

Some of those who had been free had taken up the fight. Many were skilled drow and elves. But there had been a few humans. Though she never discounted the skill of humans she did her best to keep an eye on them.

So as she moved freezing and slashing with every other step, she came to the aid of those who might need it. As a man fought and killed a drow an orc went racing towards him. He showed no fear only lifted the ax he'd been given and yelled out at the beast.

Zara ran jumping on the back of a scurrying spider she jumped,flipping up in the air past flying arrows and quarrels, she came down behind the orc touching it once freezing it in mid stride as it went towards the human man. The man stood a moment shocked, then with a yell beheaded the creature and moved on to his next foe.

Zara was already on hers when the frozen orc head flopped past. She spun with her blade cutting and freezing all in one powerful move after the next. She ducked under the charge of a orc and saw that its hide was on fire. Some where in this Delan fought.

Delan killed with quick cunning. He stabbed drow that came at him, threw fire balls at racing spiders who tried to dart after those who had chosen to fight rather than flee. He used his fire to keep the goblins at bay as he moved through the chaos of the melee.

He saw the dead frozen orc as he moved around the room,killing and burning with every step. Somewhere Zara was alive. He saw the flash of Llewellyn's flying arrows. He moved towards an orc who was barreling down on a trio of friendly drow fighters. It was easy to tell friend from foe.

Their allies wore simple clothing, while their foes wore armor or reddish brown, and cloaks of blue,green or purple. He wanted nothing more than to get at the trio of Arab Priestesses he saw but they were well guarded still near the center of the room.

He saw Tanseril rush past, the horse men rode a spider and had departed from that armor he had borrowed. He rode past his foes and took them down. He rode that spider as if it was a mighty horse. Yet as the spider started to buck and try to climb the wall he killed hit stabbing it through its head. Tanseril then moved off on foot in to the melee.

Tanseril had ridden on rougher mounts than a spider. That dead one made for his third. It wouldn't be his last. He could see now where all this chaos had come from, there was a chimney there above the faded crystals. That was where the drow,orcs,goblins and spiders had come from. They had flowed in, they out numbered them all, even with those who had chosen to fight rather than flee. But no more had come down since the fight began.

Already some of the enemy lay dead. But two lay dead a few of those who had chosen to fight rather than flee. Tanseril moved with more ease than he thought he would. But he granted that tot he stone he kept safely tucked in a inner pocket on his tunic. he fought back to back with those he had helped to free.

He knew some where Delan lived for he saw the fires, he had seen the flash of Llewellyn's arrow and knew she was out there. He had seen frozen enemies upon the field of battle and knew Zara was alive. He hoped and prayed that Luana and Ruvyn were alive.

Luana had fought slavers in Teien. This melee reminded her much of that. The chaos of battle. He slight stature had he ducking under orcs with out them even noting her. When she came to face a drow foe they showed her no mercy and she could see as she killed the the surprise that she one so fair and short would kill them.

She fought with wicked sword hand and a great left hook. She knew her friends where out here fighting, she had seen the signs of them. The fries, the frost, the flying streaking arrows.

But they were out numbered. And there were three who stood at the center of the room, who seemed untouched. They had not moved, not since the battle began. Not even as those who could have fled joined the fight.

Not as drow,goblin and orc died. Not even as their beloved spiders died. Six allies with the help of maybe one hundred freed men, and women were beating back the forces. Ducking under one of the remaining orcs feet she saw Llewellyn go racing past, shooting arrows one after another in to spiders who were upon the wall.

Llewellyn did not just use her bow, though it seemed to prove the most effective. She had spun past orcs and cut at their ankles with her daggers, she had thrown one of the drow knives in to the back of a house Hla warrior then as he had turned buried an arrow in his face.

She had faced battle before. Though none like this. None with so many she loved at risk. They would live, she trusted in her gut. As she spun shooting arrows off at cross bow bearing drow.

Ruvyn watched as across bow bearing Drow was driven back to the wall by an arrow. He saw for a moment Llewellyn through the din of battle.

He could count the dead. He counted three dead of those who could have fled but choose to fight. But there were more dead foes. Of the goblins only four stood, there had been at least thirty. There had been fifty huge orcs now there were but twenty. Of the drow there had been the most over one hundred but now thirty or more lay dead. There had been fifty spiders and they were now dwindling fast as arrows flew towards the walls and the crawling spiders.

Another ally died before him, and he took up the orc and goblin that had killed the fair human woman. The clash of blades, the cries of battle and death flowed all around him.

"This place was once home to dwarves. " Ruvyn walked hand in hand with Llewellyn, they didn't look back as they headed on down the wide tunnel. The others walked along side of them, bathed in the torch light.

"When Eyllis was still young, when the first of the elven kind had come through the Lukiae to settle in the valley, desert and forest. Before any town or village. The dwarves had been here. The drow were here as well, but their was peace between them." Ruvyn walked looking to his left, the torch light lit up the markings upon the tunnel walls. Dwarven runes. Craved in to the rock.

"They came to know peace with the surface elves as well, trading in goods. The dwarven people were craftsmen,miners, great smiths, bards and tradesmen. They were wise, they could see in to the darkness and bring forth gold, silver and gems. Their kingdom was Toreurdost. A city made from the rock. They built the passage ways and expanded those that needed it. It was to their credit that the drow had a true home, more than
just the few tunnels. For the dwarves carves out their passages as well. "


"They had clans, names lost unto time. The King Horgar MoonHeart. He was the first king of kings under Abban. He had lived many moons, and he was the bane of orcs, goblins and giants. It is commonly known that drow and dwarven kind do not get a long. But in rare places they do. This was such the way when they lived here."

Ruvyn walked with an easy pace. Nothing followed them. There were no webs here, no signs of drow,or anything else but the old markings of the dead kingdom of dwarves.

"The drow then were goodly drow, drow that became part of the first two houses of Abban later on. They did not war with anyone, not even within their own ranks. Eilitraee was freely and openly worshiped then. "

He stopped to look at one of the massive carvings in the wall.

"The king was loved, and even more so was his wife and queen. She was said to be the most lovely of dwarven females ever known. She bared him four children so his line was set. They were miners and craftsmen, and warriors. For even though the did not war with the drow or elven kind, they rid their tunnels of orc and goblin. The rid the high passes of giant and troll."

He pressed his fingers to the rock and walked on.

"Great MoonHeart ruled for three score century before war came. When it did it was led by the will of Lady Lloth, a host of drow and spiders. The battle was not swift, nor were any spared. " There were bones now, old bones in armor of gold and silver, shields of wood and stone lay broken,bent baring old symbols of long forgotten houses of dwarves.

"There were some drow kind that fought with them, but they fell to their own kind. It is said even some elves from above came to the aid of the dwarves, but that none survived the bloody battle."
He came to a stop before them loomed a wide opening, on either side stood a statue craved from the rock.

"Dwarven gods." He looked to the statues. "They likely once held gold, silver and gems, but most of the goods were looted long ago. The few things left behind are said to hold a curse. But in truth I think the drow could not bring anything else with them and left the rest to rot, as a symbol. " The bones and old armor.

"The stone steps are close. The battle raged through there and in to the halls of the once great city beyond. It is said that the king and his warriors stood strong as the drow invaded. " They walked past the dwarven statues and around a wide bend. There were more bones here, bones of both drow and dwarf. They were old bones,nothing left upon them, some were turning to dust.

"Great MoonHeart sent his wife away, with two of his children. For those two one boy and one girl though grown were not warriors, they were a miner and a smith, craftsmen both. The other two also one boy and one girl were warriors so they stood with the others in he battle. It was told that the queen fled with the army raging around her. She had guards with her as she fled to the higher levels. But Lady Lloth and her drow were not so easily fooled. While drow and spider raged with the warriors of the great clans, and the king himself. Orcs and goblin kind spilled in through the higher tunnels. Lady Lloth has always loved chaos. "

Ruvyn ran his free hand through his white hair. " It was a war.. and the blood ran freely. The tale is told to most young drow, or it was when I was young. The orcs had brought cave trolls, and a giant. It is told that the queen in attempt to save her children fought with that giant. But she did not save her children. The drow, spiders, orc and goblins over ran the dwarves. "

"It was murder. For none are said to have escaped. Oh drow fell in the battle as well, but they were not wiped out. The story says that the king stood last, alone with his kin and kind dead and dying around him. There are tales that say Lloth appeared then, as if from the blood itself. A massive spider with the form of a drow woman on its back. It was told that the king was taken by her in to the drow kingdom and enslaved. He was broken now, his family and kin dead, his armor rent, his great battle ax broken. Lloth gave him to her new priestess's. " He let the end hang, for he knew they had all seen what the priestess's did to males.

"The result of those breeding?s, were odd creatures, that the drow slaved in to cutting the rock, they were made miners. Once they had outlived their usefulness they were fed to the spiders. The Dwarven king lived enslaved for two more centuries, broken and used. It is told that at the end of his life that Lloth herself mated with him before eating him. "

He saw the looks upon the faces of his friends,upon Llewellyn's face. "Yes, horrible I know. If any dwarven kind survived that day none ever returned. Even now some spider spawn seem to have the skills of a dwarven miner, yet the look of their mother. "

He saw both Zara and Luana shutter. Delan was speechless and Tanseril looked as if he might faint. "I merely tell you that tale so you know what awaits us. The battle is long over, but there will be bones, old blood and perhaps the ghosts of those who died. "

They rounded another sort bend and before them stood another huge archway held up yet again by stone statues. Ruvyn with Llewellyn's hand in his own stepped up to them.

"Behold Great King Horgar MoonHeart." The stone to he right rose high above them all. It had the look of a king. His bread was long , he bore a helmet that was a mix of crown and helmet, he wore armor that had been stripped of its gold and gems, but the workmanship in the stone remained. He had a huge battle ax over his right shoulder. The statue was quite impressive. Ruvyn bowed his head the stone.

"Was this his wife?" Luana stood before the other stone statue. Ruvyn looked over and nodded. "Yes, Ilrin Silverfoot MoonHeart . She was lovely. Strong and wise." That statue was no less impressive, the queen stood as tall as her king, she wore a long flowing dress, in her hands she had once held a necklace with the clan emblem upon it. Her fine necklace had been taken but the marks in the stone remained, her face was long and narrow, she almost didn?t look a dwarf. Her crown had been taken but still there were signs of it. She was a beauty, even after the ages had passed the stone showed the fine workmanship and love for both the long gone rulers.

" Come the stairs are close."

Through the archway and in to the gloom. Ruvyn led the way the fires barely lit the passage. Stone steps rose up and curved to the left. One by one they made their way up to the next higher passage.

Ruvyn walked out first. Then nodded back to the others. they flowed out, two and two. "Stay on your guard. If we are attacked from above or below we will not long survive."

He moved along the high walkway with Luana beside him. They had split in to their groups. Eyes ever watchful, the clicking noise echoed around them now and then. They passed more old death. The bodies of dwarven and drow. The moved silent and quick along the pass way. The level below them was a good hundred feet down. If one was brave enough to look down they could see what had been the city, the ruins of homes and businesses, those that still stood.

They came to another archway, this ones runes shown a bit more brightly. Ruvyn led the way his hand flared with purple flames. Against hey went up. Ruvyn was leading by his gut. Hopefully he wouldn?t get them all lost. When they crossed back out they were again higher.

"Well at least we are getting higher. Hopefully I am going the right way."He looked back to Luana, then over the others. "This way." He led them on over the higher pass way. Illuminated by the fires of purple and orange, flickered along the floor and across them as they moved. There were a few bones here,fewer than they had seen below. But Ruvyn moved on, they were dangerously vulnerable here.

So high out in the open. If they got attacked from above or below they would stand no chance. Ruvyn listened to the clicking sound. It was the only sound within the whole of the massive room. His company made no sound, that was a benefit. They moved silently as elves could do. Ruvyn moved quickly with purpose. He wanted to get them up and out as quickly as he could. The looming threat of the Drows coming to get them all was in the back of his mind.

Then there was the fact that he had no idea what else could be here within this ruined world of the dwarves. What that clicking noise was. They could face anything. Looking over his shoulder her sighed lightly. Able warriors all of them, had they not all proved that?But the drow were known for their tricky tactics.

When they reached the neck open archway. Ruvyn looked to the carved runes that were etched in to the solid stone. He then ducked in to the shadows followed by the others. Up again they went around a narrow stair well. He had one hand out before him the purple light lighting the way, the other hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

The clicking sound doubled in the deep. They all paused as they rounded their way up. Ruvyn slid his hand from the hilt of his sword and held it up in a fist just above his shoulder. The others stopped up behind him. He
listened he waited. The clicking continued. "Quick and silent." He looked back to the group then led them on fast as he dared move.

They crossed out to another high pass. He dared not look down. Quickly across they ran, past bones and old blood. Past the remains of the long ago forgotten war. The clicking sound getting ever louder with every step.

"Delan lay down some cover fire." Ruvyn called as he shot off arrows at the spiders that spilled out before them, they were on the run again, back the other way, down the unknown tunnel. Delan nodded and let the flames that he had race the floor over the crawling arachnids.

Tanseril and Rubyn shot off arrows to get the ones on the walls. The fire took many lives and kept the others at bay allowing the men to run for their lives down the tunnel and around an uknown bend.

They could hear the spiders dying behind them as the flames spread over the dead and dying to those who were still alive. It would hold the spiders at bay for a long enough moment for them all to catch their breaths.

"We need to keep going." Ruvyn bent forward his hands on his knees catching his breath. The other two took a moment to catch their breath. They had been on the run for hours,or at least it felt like hours. The battle below seemed like a distant memory now. But Ruvyn knew they did not have long. Soon the drow would follow, and likely other foes with them.

No one spoke of what had happend nor what could come. But dread hung over them all. "I should have asked her to marry me." Ruvyn sighed and he looked back the way they had come. He felt the sting of pain as he looked back the way they had come.

"Then you will , when we get the hell out of here." Delan offered. "Come on."He walked over and clapped his hand on Ruvuns sunken shoulder.

Tanseril soon joined them. "We are all in this together and we will make it to the surface. And those three women are some of the strongest women I have ever known. They will all make it, then you can propose to Llewellyn."

Ruvyn smirked and nodded to them both . "Your right lets keep moving. The spiders are just the beginning of it." He clapped his hand on Tanserils shoulder then as a group they walked down the new tunnel with the spiders burning behind them.