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The high elf looked at the building from across the flat slope, and wondered if he would find any wisedom there. His keen sight caught the lumbering forms of half giants or ogres, and his nose scensed the strong presence of old blood. The strongest scent would have to be the burning air, as though some form of fire elemental was making this area its home. The elf pondered for a few minutes whether to check for wisdom or not, and then decided against it.

Forboding places rarely held any decernable wisdom.

He turned his trek away from the keep, and towards the outer penisula. His feet were still rather shaken from the earthquake, and his pace remained mostly slow. He found very little in the green lands, in the valley just north and east of the keep, mostly peasent like folk who celebrated their independance, knowing little of philosophy or science, or any other spoils of a comfortable life. The people were free, and gay.

The elf found many rumers in the valley, talking of the fallen Wizen Tower, a mage school to the distant north, and of Malik and the Oracle. Rumours were often exagurated and unfounded, but the principles behind them often were born in truth.

By comparing various rumours and taking into account the apparent wisdom of the people speaking them, the elf figured out that the Oracle was a wise old lady who lived somewhere to the north, and had the ability to see the future.

Malik, the blue skinned elf, lived in the fortress to the west with his life partner, Piper. Piper was once a terrible fiend, but recently changed perspective and became more naive. The later, made no sense logically. For that type of change the spirit would have to completely change, or the person would have to forget everything they knew... Both were possible, but highly unlikely. The chances of either of those events occuring were as insignificant as this elf was in the vast populations of this underdark.

Other rumours talked about various pirates who have come to the area since the fall of the old king of Deep Water in the north. A perticularly band band of looters consisitantly attacked the shores of this Pura Penisula, taking with them any food or women they could find. The local population had organized some defenses against the raiding, but have had little success against these pirates who seemed to have infinate resources. The elf guessed that the pirates used the power vaccuum to gain entrance to the area, and then strike at the sparsely populated areas to maintain a level of obscurity. The simple farmers of the south would not mount and defenses that could indefinately stop them, unless a few battlemages were to be found about.

The high elf found a perticularly poorly defending place called 'Little Pond' where a small tribe of freed elves had sucluded themselves away from the rest of the demi-humans. They had lost two women, and a months worth of food to the murading pirates. The high decided to assist these people in their pirate hunting, and offered them his services, for some of their food and drink.

After earning the trust of the local elves, he and a few of the community leaders plotted a trap that would assist with the disposale of the pirates. By bring together a store of food, and usig a few of the mre attractive women to 'keep' it, the rest of the community could lie in wait and counter strike against the pirates.

The plan was set into motion, and within several hours of gathering sea weed, a small three mast schoner could be seen to the distant north east. The ship quickly road up the side of the land, and beached itself near where the women were gathering the food stores. The pirates, forty strong, disembarked and attempted to waylay the folk. As they begant to surrond the panicing women, the counter charge was sounded, catching the pirates off guard. Amonst their number, a single mage threw a fireball at the local defends, which was promptly countered by one of the guiding elders. The Pirates attempted to mount a defense, but landing for the purposes of stealing food and women, they did not bring appropriate gear for waging a small war. They were cut down rather easily, as the elfish lines concentrated on archery and javelin throwers instead of plain melee. The few defenders who were harmed were scorched by a few of the mage's less powerful spells before he was killed.

The pirates were routed, and the ship taken. In the hold, the high elf and the bording party found a few women, but unfortunately neither of the settlement's captives were there. The pirates were massaccured to the last, and now unable to speak of the fate of the captive women.

The high elf searched about the ship, and noted that the crew seemed to be opperating under a communal captaincy, as the cabin had not been dweeled in, nor was there any sign of command within the numbers when they were being battled. Either the ship sailed as a commune, or they had marroned the captain earlier.

Curiously, a few trinkets from the far north were found amongst the treasures captured, and a book was found which none of the local elves could read. The high elf could tell that the script was a form of Drow, but its lettering was adjusted with Infernal capitals. It was delicately writing, and the parts that could be deciphered suggested that it was a log book. Apparently, the author found the crew to be an unruly bunch.

The conclusion reached by the local elders suggests that the pirates worked under a commander, who lost control of them, and was either killed or marooned somewhere. They then started praying upon any vulnerable location alongst the shore, which were numerous in this penisula. They decided that they would keep the treasures, and sell the ship. The high was against selling the ship, because the name of it matched a well know pirate to the far north. He offered to dispose of it for them so that the pirate would not think to seek out revenge on the small place.

The elders agreed to this plan, and gave the high elf enough provisions to take the ship as far as a single person could sail, which wasn't far. After a few debates, it was decided that a few of the locals could assist with taking the ship to Deep Water, but were to return as soon as they completed that transaction. They were to then return to another part of the penisula, and after marching through a few settlements, come back here.

Within a few hours of disposing of the pirates bodies, some of the elves were guided into sailing by the travelling High elf, who seemed to have an extensive knowledge of seasmanship. He justified his knowledge with a few tales of his life, especially from the last five hundred years, where he spent the majority of his time wandering searching for wise men. Wise men have a tendancy to live in obscure places, often which could only be reached by sea travel.

The day after the attack, the pirate ship sailed into the ports of Deep Water...

Eliot a little nervous and unsure of how to act with a blind person, let aloen one that was an oracle. Stammered a little... "Um... well... I uh... And Aella helped, she did soem cutting and um..." She held them a little awkwardly ifront of her. "Well they were meant as a surprise but I guess you already know...uh... We used the skins from the rabbits I cought earlier to make you some mocosins. They will help keep your feet warm anyways..." Not sure what to do with them she merely held them out in front of her.

Kat nodded her head once as if she made a decision. No more eve's droppping. She walked briskly away from Onyx's room, down the staires and out the door. She went out side, and looked up into... well into nothing really she supposed. She sighed, enjoying the tug she felt in the muscles of her neck. She was sore and she hurt, inside. Why did she bother? What made her think that Moonstone would actually like her? She walked around, down pathways and aroudn the barn. She never went in it though she was not good with animals. She kicked at stones and grumbled, threw a pail at one point.

Adn then she stopped. Now that she thought of it... Moonstone had never really said he didn't like her... in fact he had said he would never use her. And that if anything ever did happen it would be meaningful. Kate perked up a little. Maybe he actually liked it when she bothered him.. and was only pretendign to become angry? She shook her head, don;t start thinkign nonsence. But she was feelign slyghtly better. She sat down on the ground, tappign her ankle. So... now what? She was sure her father would be home soon... and then they would leave... but she didn;t relaly want to leave, not if, just perhaps... moonstone really did like her...

Eliot walked out the door. Feeling happy that Meilikki was happy, and appriciated the present. She plucked her cloak from a peg by the door and wrapped it around her sholders. The making sure her knives where in place, two in her belt, two in each boot and small three inch blade tucked up her back, She walked around the house till she found Aella. "Well then, were do we find these spiders?"

"Um...." She had to think about that one. "There are some caves a short ways," Aella's idea of a 'short ways" was a two hour walk. "It's where the Oracle sued to live, and it's got a lot of spiders in it. We used to just buy the meet from Lostagrace, but it's not always the greatest." She shrugged. "Hope your up for a wlak." She turned around and started on her way. "I'd take us there, but I'm not excatly certian where it is. I might throw us in the middle of a lack or something."

Moonstone was perplexed to say the elast. How does one go about getting a hobby? How and when were your activities deemed as such? And what kinds were out there? Gees, he'd lead a boring life, hadn't he?

He walked around the fortress, a little sick with it's dark inside and sterile feel. As many slaves as there were running around, it sure felt lonely.

She sighed. That was stupid of you, woman. She wrapped a dish cloth around the wound, blushing a bit. Very stupid. "Warhammer does not need to worry about the food. And yes, I do enjoy it. It's good to make something that nourishes people, rather than just help them die for once."

She took of the cloth, felt the cut. Okay, it wasn't deep. She opened a cupbaord and started fishing through it. "I have desired company for a long time, sweet Tarathiel, long before Aella adopet me as her mother." She thought on that a moment. "Which I enjoy."

"Eca had a family." Her eyes narrowed, her voice grew bitter. "Then some ancestor of mine decided families weren't good enough for Oracles. Oh no, she had to have a mate. A perfect mate. Who was perfect? Why she was. She had to find a man like her. Which meant they had to survive seeing the future, which meant a lot of dead husbands, and no families."

She shook he head, pulled a bottle down form the cupbaord. "Sorry. I did not mean to vent."

The drow walked over to Meilikki, and stood beside her, and gently placed a hand on top of her reaching arm. "I distain my family, so I made my own." He gently placed it on the counter top, and then had another hand over her wound, which somehow became unwraped as the dark hand passed it over. A few drips fell from the floating hand, which landed directly on the wound, and closed it within a breath.

"You wanted a family, so you made one." The drow prince moved away from Meilikki and gathered his gauntlets, replacing them on his hands.

"Call me naive if you will, but it it better to have someone beside you than to be alone in the dark."

"Even if that someone will stab you in the back. Or kiss you on the hand."

Eliot looked at the staff suspicoulsy, the last time she had encountered a magical object she had had all recent ingueries thrown back at her ten fold. She had no diser to touch, hold, use and preferebaly come close to, the staff Aella was carring. "Were you born from a preistess then?" She asked her.

She laughed. "Yeah, never trust the staff." But she looked down at her feet as they kept walking. "I don't know. Maybe. I don't remeber my parents very well. I was in training to be a priestess when my small village was raided, and Iw as taken off to the harem."

"It's possible, I suppose." They walked for some time, catching aobut this and that, keeping the apce up but not tiring themselves out.

"My training has only just started. I didn't learn much." She smiled a bit. It did not hurt her that her childhood was fuzzy. Warhammer had helped her see that it did notn really matter, it was the events that ensued that helped make her who she was.

"What aobut you though? What's this pack like?"

"Being drow is not a very convincing argument." She shook her head. "I am blind. Stabbing me in the front os the same as stabbing me in the back. Either way, I'd die."

"I live on faith alone. Philosophers will say that you only exist if soemone sees you. I do not see anybody, do they therefore, not exist? Am I living in a world full of my own lies? I like to tihnk not." She heard the knife snap. She took a step closer, and took the fragments from his hand, careful not to cut herself this time. "It's just a knife, and I was its wielder."

"I do think you are handsome, and great. So does she, just in a different way." Unlike Tarathiel, who seemed to be sorting out some emotions, her voice stayed firm as it always had, confident as she always presented itself. "She proveds me a compliment if she thinks she must get rid of me. I had no idea I held such sway."

"That's all right. I like hearing your voice." She sighed. "I am tired. You know that."

"You know perfectly well I enjoy melee over murder."

Tarathiel pulled a hand from his pocket, and placed an amulet around Meilikki's neck. "If you did not exist, it would have fallen to the ground. Always, keep that on."

The drow shifted his stance, and his eyes turned towards a strange corner. "I have been watched through scrying for so long that I can sense each mirror upon me. Even though I am undetectable to their magics, and even to their god's sight, they always can find me, and watch. There is nothing I can do to stop them, there is nothing I can do that will provoke them beyond simple insult. Often, they will assist me in some way, sometimes they do nothing to test their demi-god. They hear me blastphomise their god, and they hear me outright proclaim myself to be a mere mortal. They do not believe me. They cannot believe me. I am the son of Lolth, Lloths chosen son. Every where I go, kingdoms fall into ruin, tribe beg for mercy, farms burn and people starve, and all I have to do is nothing. My simple presence increases the catastrophies common to the world. I am a cause of strife."

"It is impossible for that to be true, but it is. What then, is truth but the most widely accepted lie."

"If I love you, am I decieved or is it real? If I kill Malik, and he continues to live, did he ever die? Or did I just fail to kill someone? If I slay a dragon, and claim its treasures, and pay for a ship and sail across the seas, find nothing but death and destruction, challenge every brave fighter and never seem to lose, yet alone bleed, am I dreaming? Is that dream a lie? Are dreams nothing more than fiction, because if they are real, they cease to be dreams, they become reality. If it is real, is it not not a dream."

"If a person can continue to live without a soul, does that imply souls are unnecessary, or does it imply that there is a soul within the temple?"

"Can the irrelivent chatter of a drow who knows nothing beyond deciet ever mean anything more than Naivity and injustice, or merely mind games to toss people into confusion, or merely the fact that the son of chaos cannot think or act on his own without some guidence or a push from a divine being."

"Am I a son of Lloth? Yes. It is said by the traditions we were reborn from her sucling bossum, we were crafted anew by her malice and hatred, the chaos she so dearly loved..."

"Then, am I more or less drow than any other drow or simply trying to confuse you by saying so much so that you don't realize that I said I love you before and you hurt my feeling by not noticing and I am now going to run off to fight the strongest warrior who was born in this region. Or not because i don't know who that is or really care enough to find out because my love of fighting will have me against him soon enough anyways, when I go and sack Deep Water because I grew bored and malicious over a few hours because I am pron to doing that, or am I just talking because I like the sound of my own voice and drawing attention away from any real meaning in anything I might say because in a city full of drow, admitting that you like the darkness and hate killing infants can lead to situations where your older brother, Dantraag, challenges you to a duel because he thinks you are too popular with the masses because when you were a babe, a chaple collapsed in on itself, which to any other religion might be the symbol of the utter-anti-god, but to a culture based on destruction, merely a sign that you are special. Then again, I still believe that it is not my fault that touching that one brick in the walll should cause the entire thing to collapse."

"Did I just say all that to allow you to hear the sound of my voice? Damn, Aven has had an effect on me... He mad me into a flirt, or something." Tarathiel became instantly quiet, hoping that his massive out flux of... nothing really was... something... Or not.