The fairene quickly donned a leather glove and then reached forward and took the axe. He turned it for a cursory examination and said, "Diola lle ... thank you." The surface elf placed the battle axe in his backpack, careful not to let the weapon touch his flesh out of concern that it might be poisoned or otherwise trapped or cursed.

Watching from behind Arielana, Zacnefear's shoulders shook in silent, suppressed laughter at the exchange.

Arielana proceeded to give Elenlanta a leather breastplate and a few other items, all of common craftsmanship and not magically enhanced. It was a gesture of courtesy between enemies, which conveyed an unspoken subtext.

Elen knew that Arielana gave these items so that he could sell them and then buy better equipment. She wanted him to be well equipped because her pride demanded that her old foe should be at full strength when they met once again in battle. He also knew that Arielana could have simply given him coins. However, by gifting Starrbolt with mundane items, she was calling ironic attention to the fact that, as a new arrival in Bastille, presently he was at a distinct disadvantage compared to the dahkrin of house Dur'Eben.

From a side street, a third dark elf approached. She was a maiden clad in the same house colors as Arielana and Zacnefear. She curtseyed low to the matron and said, "Vendui', Ilhar." Her eyes flashed an inquisitive glance at the fey elf.

"Vendui', dalharil," said Arielana. "Meet one of Dur'Eben's greatest enemies, Starrbolt of the Grey Company."

Starrbolt thought, "Dalharil ... daughter. This scenario worsens by the moment." From her garb, he presumed that the maiden was a priestess of Lloth.

The younger female grinned as she looked at Starr appraisingly. She said, "He will make a worthy sacrifice."

Arielana smiled appreciatively and said, "Dos will find ussta dalharil as beautiful and evil as ussa, Starrbolt."

Starr wondered, did Arielana mean that the maiden was literally her offspring? Or did the drow term for daughter merely indicate that the girl was a priestess, born of other parents, who was assigned to serve Arielana's house? Looking at the three dark elves, Elenlanta thought there could be a family resemblance. Silently, he asked, "Is she truly the child of Arielana and Zacnefear?" However, Elen was not familiar enough with drow ways to know the answer.

The matron turned toward the priestess and said, "Zac and usstan will head back to the inn. Why don't you show the fey elf around the city?" Starrbolt presumed that Arielana's body position and cloak obscured additional communication via hand signals -- the silent language of dark elves, developed to enable them to converse without sound in the preternatural quiet of the Underdark.

The priestess nodded as she curtseyed again. Then, Arielana and Zacnefear glided away, disappearing into the night mist, leaving Starr with the young drow female.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They strolled through the deserted night-shrouded streets of Bastille, talking. Elenlanta learned that her name was Rhiannon. Mostly, their conversation consisted of an exchange of views based on their different backgrounds: hers as a Lloth-worshipping dark elf of the Underdark and his as a Seldarine-worshipping faerie elf of the forest.

For Elen, the experience evoked the memory of his earliest discussions with Arielana in old Neverwinter. Characteristically open and forthcoming, the Grey Company elf told Rhiannon that he had known her mother when Arielana was a young priestess.

Starrbolt related an anecdote about how, once, he and Arielana had traveled the woodlands of Red Larch together, in apparent friendship, battling side by side against predatory beasts and other perils of the journey. Starr had enjoyed sharing with Arielana his love for the verdant surface land and its canopy of starry night sky, clouds, and moon. Additionally, he had enjoyed hearing Arielana's description of her home -- the foreign, exotic realm of the Underdark and the subterranean dark elf city, Rilauven.

Elenlanta asked Rhiannon, "Do you feel the call of the forest?" The drow priestess responded, yes, she had explored the forest lands and liked them. The fairene wondered, did this exploration come with her training as a priestess of Lloth, during military raids on hapless surface dwellers? Perhaps while dark elves ransacked holy places of mystic artifacts or magic shops of spell components for unspeakable rituals in service of the spider queen?

If there was truth to what Elen had heard of drow priestess training, then Rhiannon had already participated in evil, abhorrent ceremonies. He remembered that, earlier, she had said, "He will make a worthy sacrifice" with a smile on her lips and excitement in her eyes.

However, now, while walking beside her, it occurred to Starrbolt that she looked like a typical young elf maiden -- strong and talented, yet unmade and full of potential. Starr felt a pang of empathy for her plight, even pity. Here was a youthful elven spirit, he thought, who has lived in opposition to the Seldarine, not necessarily by her own choice, but, rather, because of the circumstance of her birth.

A notion struck Elenlanta: Rhiannon's circumstances may not be typical of a dark elf. For, it was rumored that Arielana and Zacnefear had bonded in the traditional elven ritual of communion -- requiring complete trust between partners -- which was possibly unprecedented among drow. The fairie elf wondered, if Rhiannon was the progeny of Arielana and Zacnefear, and her parents had bonded, then would it not mean that she was born a child of elven love?

Perhaps, Elen thought, the goodness that he had once sensed inside Arielana had endured long enough for her to achieve communion with Zacnefear? Maybe the goodness that had long since died in Arielana's eyes had been passed on to her daughter, Rhiannon?

No matter what sins Rhiannon may have already committed, and despite her lifetime of knowing only the ways of Lloth, Starrbolt chose to believe that Rhiannon's elven spirit could yet be redeemed.

"Tell me," he said, "do you have a love? A male whom you care for above all others?"

Rhiannon looked into his eyes with a disarmingly seductive smile and traced her long-nailed index finger along his cheek to his jaw. "Nau," she said playfully.

Starr drew back, flustered. He had meant to learn what Rhiannon knew about love. Apparently, she had interpreted his questions as flirtatious solicitation.

It was typical of their conversation thus far: verbal sparring, in which neither one fully understood the other's meaning. Elenlanta was determined to make Rhiannon understand.

He articulated for her the rumor that Arielana and Zacnefear had bonded in the traditional elven way and what it meant. Elen asked her to consider their communion in relation to the drow saying, "Jal khaless zhah waela."

"All trust is foolish," Starrbolt said, "and yet your parents bonded in an elvish ritual that requires complete trust." He urged her to ponder the paradox and think upon its implications for her.

Starr said, "If you would come to know surface elves, you would learn of the traditional elven way."

"You wish to convert me?" she asked, laughing.

"I would see you in the forest, free. It is my wish for you."

Intelligent and strong-willed, Rhiannon met his challenge with the honed focus and wit that are characteristic of dark elves. At one point during their debate, Elenlanta said, "I see the same light in your eyes that I once saw in Arielana's." He added a statement about how the matron of house Dur'Eben had changed and now only evil shone in her eyes. Rhiannon leaned near and whispered in Elen's ear, "Let me tell you a secret ... without evil, there can be no good."

"A profound observation," the fairene replied. "You are wise beyond your years."

Eventually, as the sunrise approached, Rhiannon indicated she must take her leave. In parting, Starrbolt reiterated his wish for Rhiannon to ponder the paradox of her parents' bond and the drow saying, "All trust is foolish."

While watching Rhiannon depart, Starr thought, "Whether or not she is truly the child of Arielana and Zacnefear, there may yet be hope for her. However, for the mother, I can hold no hope."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The elf felt drained, weary, and, in some way, defeated. As the dawn's light broke over the horizon, a flash of insight came to him. "Arielana knew," Elenlanta thought. "'Twas her doing, leaving me alone with Rhiannon. The wicked drow matron knew that I would see in Rhiannon a reflection of our past ... and it would torment me."

Elen sighed heavily, his shoulders slumped. "'Twould seem, I have not learned my lesson as well as I had thought."

Already, the fairene conceded, during the short time he had been in Bastille, the dahkrin had drawn him into their web of deceit and intrigue, like skilled weavers of an intricate, infernal tapestry.

With effort, Starrbolt marched his heavy legs through the city streets. He spoke with townspeople who had opened their shops, asking about Tizer. No, none had seen an elf matching the description that Starr gave.

"No sign of yaa'kano Tizer," the nomadic high elf concluded. "Perhaps I was mistaken and he did not come here." Elenlanta shrugged. "If the dark elves had found Tizer and done him harm, they could not have resisted taunting me with such hurtful information." He nodded. "Likely, Tizer is safe. I must have faith in him to care for himself."

Elen decided to leave. Perhaps later, after resting, he would return to renew the search for his missing friend. "And, to thwart the dark elves."

With gestures and words of power, the elf used tarna'ista im palurinea magic to leave the forgotten world of Bastille and return home to Tel'Mithrim glade in the Neverwinter Wood.

Elenlanta Ranar ~ Starrbolt Wanderer
o'Tel'Iantdor ~ One of the Old Land
Tel'Mithrim ~ The Grey Company
>>>==========>