Flight and Friends (Part 2 of ?)

[mynazzaraxxsyn]

Lavey glanced back at the bodies of his fallen comrades, two dear friends he had just brutally murdered for the love of his twin brother. Who now thought Lavey had betrayed him.

Lavey set out on the task of tracking down his brother, this would not be easy. The older twin had many years of assassin's training and knew how to cover his tracks. Lavey only had a rudimentary knowledge learned out of necessity. Nilan's bleeding wounds made this a much easier process then he thought it would be. For two nights travel Lavey followed the trail, he knew he was gaining ground on his brother. He stopped for a moment to inspect the blood. He tasted it, Definitely drow, still warm too. I can't be terribly far behind poor Nilan, Lavey thought to himself. His wounds need tending to, and I must explain what happened... I can not let my brother think I had anything to do with the attempt on his life. I would sooner kill myself then let harm befall him. Nilan must know this.

A slight movement in the edge of Lavey's vision snapped him back to reality. There was a cave ahead and something, or someone just went into it. He rose to his feet and headed into the cave. The entrance was littered with bones and rotting bodies. The stench of death hung in the air like a foul fog. A low rumble emanated from deeper within the cave; it was too far away for Lavey to determine the source of the sound. Then he saw the movement of what had taken him into the cave to begin with, a shadow bearing a striking resemblance to his brother snuck deeper into the cave. As Lavey began to give chase he was nearly blinded by a bright light. He turned to face the light and brought his hands up to shield his sensitive eyes.

"I wouldn't be going any deeper then this," came a near angelic voice from within the light. "There is a displacer beast just beyond that out cropping ahead," the voice said again.

Lavey turned and lowered his head taking all of the blinding light that he could handle. "Cryn, its a drow. Lower the torch," said a second voice, this one masculine but far from gruff it carried a most pleasing tone.

Whoever Cryn was he obeyed and tossed the torch aside reducing the intensity of the light greatly. Lavey turned back to the mouth of the cave and saw before him three excited adventurers. The first to catch his eye must've been the owner of the sweet angelic voice; she was the most beautiful thing he had ever set eyes upon. A human female wearing a very revealing suit of chain mail, the top was cropped very low offering almost no actual protection in combat unless her attacker was aiming for her nipples, even then there wasn't much coverage. She had long flowing red hair a pale complexion and blood red lip. She flashed a coy smile at Lavey and introduced herself, 'I'm Camarell, Priestess of Loviatar. This is my brother, Hatross half-drow bard." She tilted her head towards a half-breed who was dressed in bright tights and a horridly colored shift, he wore a stringed instrument of some sort slung over his back and had a flute tucked into his belt. Camarell pointed over her shoulder with her thumb indicating the largest humanoid Lavey had ever seen in his life. "This is Cryn, our muscle. He does the dirty work and Hatross sings about it." The large man nodded toward Lavey, he wore a furred loincloth and boots nothing else except for his scabbard and greatsword at his side.

"I'm, um pleased to meet you, I think," stammered Lavey. "But really I must be going, I'm tracking someone and I fear he may have put the slip on me." Hurriedly Lavey began to head back into the cave.

"Perhaps you didn't hear Camarell," spoke Cryn as he grabbed hold of Lavey's collar and hoisted him up so high his feet no long touched the ground. "She said there is a displacer beast right there." Lavey squirmed and struggled until he slid right out of his tunic and cloak, he tumbled forward a few feet and began to run again. From behind him a foot shot out and tripped him. Lavey sprawled to the ground face first, his vision blurred and mind went fuzzy. Cryn picked the stunned drow up and hoisted him onto his shoulder.

"It soon will be day break, we need to get him to some darkness." advised Camarell. The trio bound Lavey and Hatross placed a blindfold over his eyes to protect him from the approaching sunlight, then Cryn hoisted him onto his shoulder.

"We should be able to make it to the lake by sun up we can head for the caves on the western edge," Hatross said.

------------------------------

Lavey opened his eyes and shook the sleep from his head. He quickly surveyed his surroundings, there was a small fire burning near one wall of the cave, he could see the entrance in the opposite direction and beyond that the blinding light of the sun. He could hear the three voices of those he'd met, he wasn't sure how long he'd been out for. Lavey slowly sat up and noted that he had been bound, but they were all cut and still clung to his body but did not impair his movement.

"He is awake," noted Hatross, who stood and moved towards Lavey. "Come, join us for some roast deer and mead," offered Hatross. He put his hand out to help Lavey to his feet; he took the other man's hand and stood. The pair walked towards the fire, it was small enough that I didn't blind the drow, yet cast enough light that the others could see as well.

"What were you chasing last night?" asked Cryn. "That is a very dangerous area to be in, the displacer beast is quite ferocious."

"Nothing of any importance," lied Lavey. "I was merely looking for somewhere that I might use as shelter for the coming day."

Camarell shot a furtive glance at Hatross and mouthed, He is lying to the half-drow. "You must have been pretty intent on getting out of the light. You were carrying this," and she held up the dagger Lavey had buried in the paladin's throat. "And had such a death grip on it Cryn here nearly broke your fingers trying to pry it free."

Lavey's hand shot out to snatch the dagger from her but before he made contact with it Hatross was flying through the air and had Lavey's hand pinned to the ground. "Not so quick there, friend. We need a few answers before we're going to be comfortable with you holding a weapon here." Hatross eased up and let Lavey's arm free, but placed himself between the drow and his dagger. "We mean you no harm, if we don't like who you are, then you may go your own way. The same goes for you. If you decide we're a pack of crazed loons we'll let you walk out of here. But we can not get to know one another if you are going to lie to us."

Cryn knowing what it was like to be the newcomer spoke up, "Would it ease your mind if we shared who we are with you first?"

Lavey not wanting to trust anyone after his last encounter with surface dwellers nodded at the barbarian.

Hatross picked up his stringed instrument and began to strum it softly. Slowly he began to sing a light tune that was so moving that it made Lavey's head swirl at first. The light of the fire began to burn brighter, but it did not hurt his sensitive eyes instead it seemed as though it was beginning to seep into his mind. Camarell began to speak and as he did the words turned to pictures and Lavey could see what she was saying as though he were actually there as it happened. "We are a small group from the barony of Blood Stone Keep. We are what is known in this land as outcasts. We are shunned by our birth races for choices we have made some of them good... some of them bad, we are shunned because we do not slay the evil races of Faerun, rather we embrace them. Some call us troll lovers, or worse. The truth is we are more kind and genteel then those that seek to see us killed. We don't judge individuals by things their race has done. Hatross here is my half-brother; his mother was a drow who used to visit the surface. I was thrown from Waterdeep because it was learned that he was my brother."

"I have been exiled from Griffon's Nest merely for stepping in as a mob of villagers tried to stone and burn a troll. He meant them no harm, he was just coming to town to trade with them." Cryn spoke the words with distaste; "I pity those who hang wanted posters of us in their inn and taverns, for we are not the criminals. They are, the bigots and angry mobs."

"My name is Camarell Szandor and I am a priestess of the Mistress Loviatar, my path is one of cruelty and pain. I wish to see nothing but pain befall those that hunt us and our friends who take residence in Blood Stone." Camarell continued to speak, "Now that you know something of us, would you be so kind as to speak of yourself?"

Lavey nodded and told them his name and how he had been chased from the Underdark and Menzoberranzan. He left out his brother and how he had murdered his two friends. He spoke of Eilistraee and how she had abandoned him during his time of need and his subsequent loss of clerical abilities. After his story was told, Camarell offered his knife back to him. Lavey quickly sheathed it beneath his cloak.

Hatross brought his song to an end, as he did all the images that had filled Lavey's head dissipated as though he was waking from a dream. "There is the way out if you chose to leave us Lavey. I know I speak for my companions when I say I think you would be most welcome among us." The other two friends nodded in agreement to Hatross.

Lavey smiled, nearly forgetting the plight with Nilan. Maybe these are friends who I can trust; maybe they will help me find my brother. "I see no reason that I should leave, just yet," he finally spoke.

"Well then, when night falls we shall journey to Blood Stone. There are others there that might like to meet you as well Lavey. But 'till then, we should try and get some sleep,” Camarell said as she began to pull her bedroll out. Her two companions did the same, Cryn tossed an extra bedroll to Lavey who reluctantly used it.

Lavey laid awake in the cave his mind still swirling from the powerful song Hatross had sung. He could still see the visions the others spoke of; they were so real they felt as though they were Lavey's own memories. He thought back to the night before and nearly began to cry thinking of all the grief that had stuck him not a full day before. His brother must hate him, thinking he meant to kill him, the only two people he had ever called friends lay dead and their bodies beginning to rot. Lavey had also denounced his Goddess Eilistraee, no longer did he hear her words in the mind. There was now an empty void in his heart and it ached, most of all to know his brother would forgive him if he could only find him and explain what happened.

Lavey rolled onto his side and looked towards his new companions, assessing each of them. The burly barbarian who had put his life at stake for a troll his village had wanted to kill only because of its race. The agile and melodic half-drow that was shunned only because of who his parents were. Lastly the beautiful cleric who must live the life of an outlaw because her brother was hunted. His eyes lingered on the cleric, he studied the lines of her face and the shape of her body he could make out through the blankets she had on to keep warm. He saw her eyes open and looking back at him, quickly he closed his and feigned sleep. He heard the slight sound of movement then felt a soft warm hand upon his face, reacting without thinking he drew Nilan's dagger and had it pressed against Camarell's throat before she could react. She pushed the knife away and pulled Lavey close against her naked body.

[Nilan]

Very Very enjoyable read , myn:)

looking forward to see what happens to my brother

write more soon

Nilan
aka
Stabby