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.