nice touch addding drizzit, I'll admit, I didnt see that coming. [img]tongue.gif[/img] lol, does sefa meet drizzit? ;) post more [img]tongue.gif[/img]

LOL, no, nor Em, hence the following:

Shortly after, while they were still discussing this, Noemi came in, freshly awakened fom a nap. When she learned that Drizzt had been there, she exploded. "What!" she cried, "Drizzt was here and you didn't wake me up? Why? I've been wanting to talk to him for just forever."
Chorania raised one brow. "What, Noemi," she asked sardonically, "you interested in a mere male? I should not be surprised, though. He is very handsome. And I hear that he is not married."
"Oh," said Attalus innocently, "I believe that he is involved with some ranger..." He trailed off as nobody was listening to him. Noemi was glaring at Chorania, and his wife was laughing quietly. He hastily left, muttering about things that he had to do. Women, he thought. I'l never understand them.
When he had gone, Noemi blazed at the amused drow. "Cho, I never should have told you. You shouldn't say things like that in front of Attalus. He might guess, and hate me. I'd have to leave." She turned to her sister, who was still smiling, "And Gal, what are you laughing at? You know how I feel, and you're making fun of me."
"Don't be silly, Em," she said, "Attalus isn't jealous of you. And he'd never hate you. He's very fond of you, you know that. I was laughing because it was funny, not to upset you. Don't be mad." She came over to her and hugged her. "Come on, sweetie, calm down."
Noemi's face relaxed a little, but she remained angry. "You never take me seriously. Neither does Cho. Why can't I get any sympathy, at least? You used to be so nice to me. Now, since Cho came back, you are really mean."
Galadria shot an alarmed look at her drow friend. "Em, that is just not so," she said, reasonably. " I can see that you might be jealous because she has a problem that is taking up a lot of my attention, but it's always going to be like that Attalus complains when I neglect him, too, you know. But, when there's a problem, I have to concentrate on that. You know that I have to, for all our sakes. I have told you, repeatedly, that you are my best friend. Now stop sulking, and I'll give you a kiss."
"Well, okay," the redhead mumbled. Galadria started to kiss her on the cheek, but she quickly turned her head and kissed the dark woman squarely on the mouth. "There," she said with satisfaction. "You deserved that, and so did I." She licked her lips. "Mmmm. You taste good."
"Oh, Em," Galadria cried in exasperation, as she released her.
Chorania chuckled and then said. "I am sorry, m'zint to, I did not mean to upset you. You are right, I should not have said that in front of Attalus. Though I agree with your sister, he never would think anything bad about your love for his wife. He could not conceive of it. I would never do anything that would force you to leave this house, your refuge as well as mine. Now, come here." The redhead came to her as requested, and they embraced. " No kisses, though. I would not have you surprise me the way you did my Mistress."
Noemi laughed, good humor restored. "You don't know what you're missing, Cho."

lol; thanks for posting Lady G. hhm, why didnt I see it earlier? bah, prob coz I wasnt looking [img]tongue.gif[/img] heh. LOL at Em. Really, she is being the annoying little sister. [img]tongue.gif[/img] "Gal" should play mother to her and spank her, do you think it would settle her down? (A) prob not, keep posting ;)

Gal gets annoyed at Em all of the time, but it doesn't do a lot of good. ;) CD, I sent you a PM. Some more.

Just a few days later, they stood at the entrance to the Underdark that Chorania had used, years ago. It was not one of the more frequently used ones, and was far away from any drow city, so it was unguarded.. After checking carefully for traps and ambushes, they went in. Darkness immediately covered them, and they stood where they were for a while until their eyesight adjusted.
They found themselves in a small tunnel, stalactites hanging down. It was not completly dark as it seemed at first, because of the glow of phosphorescent minerals. Since there seemed to be no threat, they walked cautiously forward. Noemi then, without orders but because of long habit, went out scouting ahead. Galadria whispered to Chorania, "How did you find this place, Cho?"
"Calith told me of it, long ago," she whispered back, "This is where one of his war patrols went onto the surface in a night raid. It was used, he said, because it was little known. So I, thinking that any knowledge that was secret might be an advantage to me, sought it out. The day that I fled the Underdark, I chose it for the same reason: few used it, and I was less likely to encounter any of my family." She smiled. "If I had known that you and Attalus had been up here, I would have fled, sooner, perhaps."
"Will you two hush?" Cythera hissed. "Something is going to hear you and attack us. Cho, don't the drow have a system of hand signals that they use when they want to be secret?"
"We do, m'zint to," Chorania answered with amusement. "Perhaps I should teach you, so that the next time that we venture into the dark, we can chat without alerting the enemy."
A small animal ran across the little blonde's feet. She made a squeal, instantly supressed. "What was that?" she whispered to the drow.
She laughed silently. "Why, Cyth, that was you and Noemi, a m'zint."
Intrigued, Cythera asked, "You always call us m'zint to, but you say that is a m'zint. What is the difference?"
"A m'zint to is a female m'zint. A male is a m'zint ali."
Even more interested, she inquired further, "So why do you call us m'zint tos?"
"It is what you might call a mild insult," Chorania answered, "There is a saying in drow: Useless as a m'zint, no pelt big enough to wear, no trophy head to mount, not even big enough to provide a bite to eat."
Cythera shook her head ruefully. "I can't believe that I let you call me that over the years and never asked what it meant. I even thought that it might be an endearment, like 'sweetie.'"
Chorania laughed outright. "There are no endearments in drow, Cyth. You should know this." She put her arm around the little blonde's shoulders. "But you should also know that, over the years, it has become an endearment to me. I cannot bring myself to say 'sweetie,' as you and Galadria do. So, this is my substitute."
"Cyth," added the dark mage severely, "who is being the blabbermouth, now? You can get a drow lesson from Cho when we get to a place of safety. Pay attention, you two!" Attalus and Odo exchanged an amused glance. They had never felt the need to chatter in times of danger, and sometimes they felt irritation when their womenfolk did. Noemi reappeared, briefly, and gave the signal that all was safe. They advanced, once more in silence. Sefa was rather awestruck by the long trip in the dark. At first, she was tense, expecting attack at any second, but now her natural ebullience had reasserted itself. She looked back at her Mistress, and saw her on high alert, scanning every shadow, and the rest were doing the same. Her confidence drooped again, and she clutched her bow tightly.
They continued in this way until Noemi spotted a group of softly glowing plants. Every sense alert, she hid behind a boulder and watched as the weird mushrooms slowly moved about the circumscribed area, never quite leaving, but also never standing still. She carefully stole back and alerted the group.
"A myconid grove," said Odo with a whistle. "Well, Gal, what are we to do? Cho, can you communicate with those things?"
The drow shook her head. "I have not, though I have heard of drow that did. So, tell us, abbil, shall we attack, and alert every thing in the neighborhood? Will you roast them with magic? Drow are drawn to magic use, so that might be a way to contact them. But, also, the drow of the city, if any are nearby, will sense it and perhaps come hunting for us."
Attalus grunted. Except in great numbers, he had little opinion of drow patrols. They had fought off too many. Corhydras had drunk of drow blood, often, but he wouldn't think of mentioning it at this time. Chorania's feelings might be hurt.
Galadria considered. It was tempting just to flatten the things. They had to be dealt with, for they would attack them if they tried to pass. But, she resisted the urge. They wouldn't get very far if they just killed everything that they ran across. It might antagonise something better placated. After all, she reminded herself, this was, as she herself had said, a rescue mission and an embassy. However, just in case, she readied a great spell that would, with just a few words, blast the grove for eternity.

lol, I msut say that you seem to have captured Em's personality well, Lady G; I could just picture Em behaving like that on BG ;) oh, and I replied to your PM, thanks again ;) erm, could I "persuade" you to post some more please? thanks in advance. lol, you know its funny, for your last novel, (the one before this) KAT was the one asking you to post... now its me... ;) strange that eh? ;) I s'pose it'll be her turn next time ;) ...

LOL, thanks, CD. Here you go:

"Noemi," she called softly. In an instant, her sister was beside her.
"What is it, Gal?" she returned in the same tone, holding her head close to hers.
"How close can you get to them? The myconids, I mean?"
"Oh," she whispered, "about ten yards, I guess. There's a big rock outcropping right there."
"Can you make out the king?"
"Sure," Noemi replied, "he's the big one on the right."
"I want you to cast a confusion spell on him. He might just wander off, and we could try to talk to him."
"Okay," said the redhead with a nod, and slid off. Shortly, she returned and said, in a more normal tone. "All done. He's wandering around over by the big pool." They rushed over and were greeted by the sight of a giant Myconid wandering dazedly by a luminous pool of some dark liquid. Galadria made some magical gestures. "Alla zoo, alla zay, ripee," she chanted. The thing stopped wandering and focussed on them, after seemingly looking around and finding itself no longer in the midst of its fellows. Seeing himself surrounded, it waited passively to see what its confronters intended.
Chorania addressed it. In two different tongues she asked: "Do you understand Drow? Deep gnome?"
To her surprise it said something like, "DEEE NOOO..." Sefa couldn't understand how it made noises like that without a mouth, but chalked it up to a whole lot of things that she didn't understand.
The drow went on in the language of the Deep Gnomes, "Are there any other drow around here? Not from the city, but that live here? They would be in hiding from the other drow."
The Myconid King surprised everyone by turning to Galadria instead of its drow interlocutor. "NOOO KILL?" it asked.
"What did it say, Cho?" the dark mage said in puzzlement, "And why is it talking to me?" The drow translated, and Galadria shook her head in wonder. "Tell it that I'm not going to kill it or its fellow beings, now.. Tell it to answer your questions, though, or I might become angry."
Chorania managed to make herself clear to the creature, and it replied, "DROWW THERE..." and pointed a stumpy arm to a nearby cavern entrance. Satisfied, they parted and let it flee back to the grove in a rapid waddle, where it was quickly surrounded by its anxious subjects. They trooped to the cavern entrance, and, after checking it thoroughly, crept carefully in.

:D fun its starting to get going ;) action [img]tongue.gif[/img] (erm just holding up everyones steryotypical view of me being a blood thirsty addolescent male ;) [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) heh, post more? pleease? lol, I really should stop bugging you to post so much, I may finish your novel in a week at this rate ;) hmm, so what; I ask you to post about 4 to 6 times a day? [img]tongue.gif[/img] hehe. baaaaaad me, shouldnt read so fast ;) . Still, I suppose its a good thing ;) the story HAS to be good to keep me interested ;) . Have you considered getting these published Lady G? Seriously? I think they'd probably sell quite well, I mean some ppl here at IWs like em... of course theres the issue of copywrite, but since you didnt accutally use any of the names from the game it *shouldnt* be a prob... just a couple of thoughts there. ;) great work :D

Yes, Attalus keeps after me to publish them, and I thank you for your encouragement. As for the characters, Noemi is really the only one that I used, though obviously there is a bit of Nalia in Cythera. We shall see.

As usual, Noemi scouted ahead. Sneaking around a corner, she froze as she heard a pebble click on the floor. Carefully examining the area, she heard another stealthy movement behind a moderate-sized rock. She slung her bow around her neck, carefully crept over, then rushed behind it, drawing her sword Questioner. Cold blue light showed a small drow child cowering on the rock floor, with one ankle chained to a stake. The child regarded Noemi in horror, scuttling as far away as her chain would allow.
Her first impulse was to free the child at once, but the redhead had learned to her cost to disregard first impulses in such a place, especially in the literal light of her sword's warning glow. The sword's magic was to darken in times of danger, with a sunny pink glow in its absense.. This was why she kept it sheathed in the dark, when concealment was a virtue, and instead carried her bow. She carefully examined the stake and chain by it's light and felt her magic sense tingling. This called for her sister.
Galadria and Chorania took their turn examining the stake. The child, seeming to realise that they meant it no harm, was babbling to the drow woman in their native language, as the rest stood in the background.. The dark mage straightened and asked her friend, "What is she saying, Cho?"
Chorania faced her Mistress, grimly.. "She says, abbil, that a drow mage lured her to his room on promise of payment, then, after he had used her, he had given her some wine to drink. I suppose that it was drugged, for she woke up here, chained as you see. She has been here for days, without food, though some water was left in a bottle. If you allow, I am going to kill him. I know you would not sanction torture, which he deserves, but it needs consideration."
"Well, then," Galadria replied, her face equally grim, "that fits. This stake is trapped. There is a magical link that will give an alarm when it is cut or uprooted. I suppose that a patrol would be sent, then, I imagine, since Noemi did not find any fiery or mechanical device. Have you heard of such?"
"Yes, abbil," Chorania replied. "Calith told me of such training devices. They take waifs like this and place them in areas that training patrols of young drow males are going to be near. When some beast like a Hook Horror attacks the child for food, or anyone releases them, the patrol is told that a princess of some powerful family is kidnapped and, when they find the monster or whoever, they are encouraged to try to rescue the child, who, as I say, turns out to be no princess but a mudlark."
Sefa was shocked. As a former street child, herself, she could sympathize. She studied the child, who was looking hopefully at each in turn. Taking a bun out of her pack, she went over to her and offered it. She smiled. "Hi, " she said slowly. "My name is Sefa. These are my friends. We are going to rescue you."
Her Mistress heard her and turned to regard them. She was touched. Of them all, only Sefa was doing anything for the poor thing, set here as bait. For whom? Training purposes? Or, since this was the cavern where the Outsiders were reported as having been, for them? It did not seem likely that most drow would bother over a worthless urchin, but these were diffferent. It would be a fitting thing to try to betray them by their charity. Well, they were going to get more than a few skulkers around the cavern, she decided. "Attalus," she said firmly, "be a dear and cut that chain, will you? Places, everyone!"
They all formed around Galadria, now, with her back to the wall. Odo and Chorania were at the front, and Noemi and Cythera were on either side of her, Sefa directly before her, her bow at the ready. Attalus cut the chain with one swing of Corhydras and took his place at Odo's side.

Well Lady G, I *would* say "you should listen to Att" but I get the feeling that you'd probably smack me again ;) like you did during that "wedding" ceromony... [img]tongue.gif[/img] lol, and "we shall see" has overtones of ominous in it... or am I just reading it wrong ;) *grin* please post again, don't make me wait until tommorw to find out what happens, I'll be "good" honest... uugh, why am I acting like this? :| most out of character ;) ah well, "addopted" "cyberspace" "parents in law" I guess. ;) still it doesnt hurt (too much) to be poliet... ;) (especially because of ou being addopted in law parents..."mother dearest" *grin* ah I'm in a slightly silly mood at the moment... something from Em musta rubbed off... ;) or it could be lack of cafine... hehe, I really shouldnt type so much... ...)

Here you go, Calethis:

They all formed around Galadria, now, with her back to the wall. Odo and Chorania were at the front, and Noemi and Cythera were on either side of her, Sefa directly before her, her bow at the ready. Attalus cut the chain with one swing of Corhydras and took his place at Odo's side.
The air exploded with magiclly-arriving drow. They were, as predicted, young except for a mage that was urging them on in Drow. Chorania understood him to say, "Onward, drow warriors. Slay me these renegades for Lolth." He stopped in the middle of his diatribe, for, instead of the poorly-led Outsiders he expected, there were well-equipped and armed opponents. And mages among them, he realised too late, when Noemi and Cythera stripped him of his magic protections. Galadria saw this and launched a paralysis spell. He froze in mid-spell.
He could still see, however, and his mind was clear. He saw, to his amazment, a, to him, huge drow female, wearing no House badge. He felt a twinge of excitement. An Outsider, indeed. Let him get his claws on her, and Lolth would be pleased indeed. If only this cursed spell would wear off. He hoped his warriors would leave at least that one alive, for a short period. His hopes faded. His warriors died on Corhydras, Odo's mace Starshine, and Chorania's hammer. The spell held. He realised frantically that he was in the grips of no ordinary paralysis spell, which would have worn off by now. This one was the work of a master. The female drow? No, she was happily slaying his youngsters with single strokes of her great hammer. Ah, that one. He saw the surfacer in black standing with arms folded while the girls on either side of her were freezing, frying, and electrocuting the young drow of his party. She was looking directly into his eyes, he realized to his horror. She was maintaining the spell by direct mental command. She was, at the least, an Ipsissimus, a white magician who had gained conversance with her tutelary diety.
As Attalus cut the last drow warrior in half, the five women, the drow and the rest, surrounded him. Galadria still kept him in his spell until the ring was complete, with herself and Chorania before him. She placed an amulet around the mage's neck, then spoke a single word. "Amech." Suddenly, the spell was lifted. He could move! He started to cast a spell, but found he could not. The amulet! An anti-magic device! He felt the sting of two points in his back.
The big female drow spoke then. "Do not move, male," she said in Drow, with an amused tone. "If you do, you will be spitted with the biggest sword that I have ever seen, and a amusingly poisoned knife." He looked over his shoulder and saw the biggest human that he had ever seen with the huge sword poised against his right kidney. A young girl, almost his size, held a glowing knife over the other. The drow child that he had used to set the trap appeared in front of her. She regarded him accusingly. "Sorsha," said Chorania, "is that the male that did this to you?"
The waif glared at him . "Yes, Lady Chorania, it is. Bastard." She walked over to the mage and kicked him in the scrotum. It hurt like the hells, but he was a drow, and fought it off.
"Are you then," he gritted, "Chorania LeMeaux?" At her proud nod, he groaned. The greatest prize of all, save perhaps Drizzt Do'Urden. He looked at her hungrily. She was indeed a magnificent creature. Her glorious mouth, those sultry eyes, the heave of that magnificent bosom. He pictured her in his bed, then spreadeagled on the altar of Lolth.
His reverie was interrupted, however. She, recognizing the lusts in his eyes, strode over to him and slapped him hard enough to knock him down, then kicked him, repeatedly, in the ribs, while abusing him in Drow. Finishing, she asked. Galadria, "May I kill him, abbil?"
"Not just yet, Cho," Galadria ordered, grimly. "Ask him who he is and why he was here."
"Who are you, male?" she shouted, punctuating each question with a kick. "I know that you are of House D'Ospann by your badge. Why were you here, throwing half-grown boys against my Mistress, eh? Who were you hunting?"
When she relented, he got out, between gasps of air: "I am Amanta D'Ospann, damn you. We were searching for traitors like you. Who is your Mistress, anyhow? I've never even heard of that spell."
Chorania looked at the dark mage. "He wants to know who you are, abbil. Shall I tell him?" At her nod, she addressed the drow mage again. "Bow down, male. You are in the presence of the very Lady Galadria, she who destroyed the entire city of B'ren Naylor when it turned against her. Lolth's foremost foe, greatest of the drow-banes, and my rescuer. She who chose mortality over godhood. Are you afraid? Do you tremble? You should. You are very close to death."
The drow mage looked up from the bowing position that she had forced him into. He saw only the tall, slender woman in black robes that had enchanted him. He knew of the surfacer known as Galadria, but had always pictured her as something as terrible as Lolth herself, but she appeared very ordinary. Nothing like the beauty of Chorania or the women on either side of her. "That is Galadria? We never heard what she looked like. No one survived the fall of B'ren Naylor. Lolth would indeed have been pleased if I had brought you two in, but I had no chance. Chorania," he recoiled as she kicked him in the face, but went on: "Why have you come back, when you were safe on the surface, hmmm?" His breathing eased, though he could tell that he had broken ribs. "Are you looking for your brother, who went missing after killing the leader of his patrol, just because M'Burto had just siezed the great trophy of a surface elf female's head? That was like him, always a weakling, as they said you were, though I see that the reports of your weakness should have been limited to your heart."