Redemption of the Drow

Jim found his voice again and made another effort to assert his authority. "I would prefer Maxi to stay and command the army, and we will need Jade's enchantment ability too".

Kerri spoke. "Sir, I am sure his Grace has competent generals who can command any army led against Xiana in conventional battle. But Elspeth desperately needs military and strategic counsel. We also are battling not flesh and blood but a spiritual enemy. We need members of our own people who can understand this, and who can fight the spiritual nemesis of the drow."

Then Jade spoke again. "I think I have some idea where this spiritual battle must be fought. Xiana gets her strength from the Spider goddess she serves. We will need to project ourselves to her web and fight Xiana and the Spider."

"But that way lies certain death!" cried Mira suddenly. "The Web exploits everything that is evil. Unless someone approaches who is totally pure of heart, the Web will destroy them.

"

"Counts me out I guess," said Maxi. "I raped, pillaged and tortured my way to the top when I served the drow. There is no way I have the requisite purity. Mira is probably the only one qualified."

Mira shook her head. "There is evil in all of us," she said. "To a greater or lesser degree. It doesn't matter how tiny the portion, the demons will find it and make it grow. There is no way we mortals can enter the Web or any other part of the underworld and survive."

"We mortals... The wages of sin are death". Jade thought aloud. "That's it! Freda told me of the unknown god who conquered death. The immortal elves still have enough of this god inside them to hold back death. And then there is Elspeth's new power to heal. She didn't get it from that spider creature."

"I don't believe in these gods and devils and such," said Maxi defensively.

"So you can help out Elspeth," said Jade. "With Terry. Mira and I will go god hunting. And our first journey must be to the elves."

Mira flushed with excitement at the thought of having Jade all to her self on a journey to the elves. Then she felt surprised and a little guilty to discover that she had not given much thought to Terry making his way back to Elspeth. The pang of jealousy had gone.

Maxi looked at Jade and Mira pointedly, then turned back to Jim. "I think I would be better off going back to the drow stronghold. They will need a good military commander who understands their enemy. They are a bit short of top brass since we thinned out the ranks a bit."

Jim nodded at Maxi "Very well, the last visit you made to the drow turned out profitable for us. You can go again. But that still leaves Jade. We could do with her here."

Jade smiled at Jim. "You certainly needed my charm ability dealing with that ineffectual Duke. I'm sure Harald is right. Xiana has got to him somehow. Probably through her spying, which is not all one way, and can transmit thoughts as well as receive. Hopefully her charm is dispelled and replaced by mine, which is stronger. But if it comes to a straight fight, then you need military wisdom, not spells. And like Maxi said I am sure you have that in abundance. What I can give you is my insight into the drow. I would therefore like to search out this unknown god and use it to defeat Xiana. For good."

Jade seemed to sense that Jim wanted desperately to avoid losing face. His leadership had already been challenged once in this chamber, and so she continued in a more conciliatory tone. "I am sure you are more than capable of leading yourself. You have the wisdom; look at the way you got rid of that inconvenient Duke."

Jim gave her a sharp glance. Then he realised her political strategy and nodded. "Very well, you can go and search for your unknown god and fight the renegade High Priestess on your own terms. I will even give you a letter of introduction to the elves."

Jade bowed. "Your influence would be most beneficial. Thank you Sir."

Chapter 4: Partings

A fast horseman galloped from Formen to the semaphore station on the King's road with a message from the Duke. The message was relayed from station to station until it got to the Kings City. The cavalry arrived four days after the meeting as Duke Liam had promised. The reinforcements were gratefully received. On the day after the meeting reports had started coming of raids on villages and farmsteads by small groups of orcs and half-orcs -- slave orcs from the drow, not larger feral goblins from the Deep. The troops were kept constantly on the alert, and Jim firmly requested that Jade and Maxi stay put until the present threat had been repulsed. It appeared as if Jade had been right; Xiana had some long distance influence, and she had been wasting no time.

Once the cavalry had arrived, it did not take long for them to dispatch or scare away the raiders. Jim gave orders for Maxi, Terry and the drow emissaries to leave for Elspeth's temple city, accompanied by a platoon of cavalry to boost Elspeth's numbers. Jade laughed aloud on seeing how uncomfortable and undignified her normally self assured lover looked, perched on a bad tempered quadruped with an attitude problem that no amount of drow-style coercion would tame. The smile vanished when she was told that she and Mira would also be travelling on horse back to save time.

For the first time in her life Jade was confronted with a horse; an enormous looking intimidating beast, chomping and shaking its head in a singularly aggressive manner. As Jade tiptoed towards her steed she saw the grinning figure of Jim out of the corner of her eye, but pretended not to.

Mira said something soothing to her own horse and asked the groom to remove the tack. When the horse was unencumbered she jumped on his back with an agility surprising in such a short stocky figure. The horse gave a whinny, and to Jade it appeared to combine fawning delight at Mira and a contemptuous snort at Jade. Jade had no wish to lose face in front of Mira, Jim and some of the other men who had come to watch, but it appeared as if she would soon have to make an attempt to get on her horse.

Just as she was about to do so, Mira slipped off her mount again and said something to the groom. The groom removed the saddle, bridle and reins, and Jade's horse was presented back to her, totally naked.

Mira whispered something in the horse's ear and the horse bent down on its knees so that Jade could get on. Jade mounted without a word or a glance in the direction of Mira, who had mounted her own horse again. Then Jade's horse started moving. Jade was jerked backwards and she had to grab hold of the horse's mane to steady herself. The two horses ambled out of the gate of the city, but Jade waited until the people watching were dots in the distance before she spoke to Mira.

"Where did you learn those tricks with horses?" she asked.

"There are shamans in my blood, which is why I have an affinity with nature as well as the subterranean caverns. I can see you are not used to riding, so I was trying to help you. Please don't be angry with me Jade, I hate it when you're angry."

Jade's own reaction to this plaintive complaint surprised her. It was an intensity of feeling she had not experienced since her slave days. White hot anger, and a need to harm. She once more saw the slit eyed priestesses, smelt the purple incense and felt the fear and shame.

But Jade now had more self control than she once possessed. And less movement control, being perched on a rather shaky edifice higher from the ground than she liked to be. So instead of charging at Mira and beating her until she was bloody, she merely went into a sulk. For hours. And hours. Until after they had ridden all day in silence, Mira had to scream at her to say something.

Jade looked at Mira. Her own feelings had frightened her. She wondered why it was that Mira worshipped her so intently. She thought back to Maxi, who she had also led on for several months before she gave herself to him. Jade forced out a smile.

"I'm sorry Mira. I get jealous. You have such a way with horses and I felt such a fool." Her honesty now surprised her as much as her previous anger. Why did she tell Mira the truth? Her survival instincts, honed from years of being a temple slave, were crumbling in the face of too much of a good thing - like being able to trust the people around her.

Mira beamed at Jade. It did not take much to make her happy, thought Jade. A bit of praise, and a bit of understanding. Jade tried to stop her horse the way she saw Mira doing so, and only succeeded in tumbling off the back.

"Oh, are you okay?" cried Mira, slipping off her own horse and running towards Jade. Jade was winded and embarrassed but otherwise unharmed. She decided the best thing would be to make a joke of the situation, so she burst out into forced laughter. Mira hesitated a bit, and then joined her, and soon they were rolling round in the turf, clutching each other and giggling.

They stayed the night where they had fallen, holding on to each other. Mira had wanted to make love to Jade but had sensed she was not in the mood.

In the morning Jade was cheerful and pleasant, as if the events of the previous day had not happened. Mira helped Jade back on her horse and whispered something to him. "His name is Steadfast," she said. "I don't know whether horses understand speech the way we do, but they do respond better if we call them by name. Shows respect."

Jade nodded. Showing respect to anybody who had not earned it in combat, let alone a dumb beast was something she had difficulty with, but then she was always willing to learn.

Mira showed Jade how to speak soothingly to Steadfast, and how to grip on to him with her legs in a way that she would not fall backwards with sudden starts, or forwards with sudden stops. Jade had good balance and co-ordination, so under Mira's tuition she actually found herself becoming quite an accomplished rider, with the result that they made good time, and were close to the elven settlement just before sunset.

Jade wanted to continue through the night, but Mira told her the horses were tired. Jade had to think for a bit over this. It had not occurred to her that horses could feel tiredness. Nevertheless she bowed to Mira's superior knowledge in this regard, and the pair stopped by a river bank where the horses could drink. The two women dismounted and Jade watched Mira lead the two horses down to the water, using her voice alone since they had no bridles.

When Jade looked up again, the air was filled with black dots flying out of the setting sun. Too large for ravens; too black for hawks. Jade cursed her lack of vigilance and ran down the slope to the river. The front flight had seen them, and they wheeled round squawking.

"Uruma," cried Jade. "They've seen us."

Just then, an even larger darker shape appeared, screeching raucously, its maw wide open, talons extended, flapping at the speed of a galloping horse, and advancing on Jade until it seemed to fill the whole sky. Jade's sword was in her hand before she even thought of it, and she aimed a swipe at the beast as it bore down on her.

If the sword had been guided by Maxi or Trieste the bird-like creature would have been dead or injured at their feet. But Jade was not a master swordslinger, and the creature veered suddenly upwards to avoid the blow. As a result the talons that would have pinned Jade to the ground merely raked her face as it sped past.

The blow dislodged Jade's dark glasses, and she was blinded by the sudden glare of the setting sun on eyes that had been adjusted to near darkness. So she did not see it swing around and flap towards her again from behind.

Mira shouted a warning, and Jade, bloodied and blinded, played to her strengths. She dropped her sword, grasped her lyre and began to sing. Not the militaristic drow melodies she had plied as a temple slave, but a song she had written while thinking of Maxi and his love. As she sang and accompanied herself, she conjured thoughts of Maxi, Mira, Freda and Trieste, all those who had loved her, and imagined them present. She could not judge the effect of the song on the absent and the dead, but with the sun now slipping below the horizon and her eyes readjusting to the shock, she did notice the way Mira was gazing at her in rapt adoration.

The bird creature squealed and catapulted skyward, flapping furiously. Jade kept singing until she could hear it no longer. She had wanted to pump some bolts into the retreating dark figure, but then decided that it would be a pity to interrupt the song.

Mira wiped away the blood from Jade's forehead, and pressed a herb poultice, chanting the while; her chants blending well with Jade's song. Jade felt the pain leave her, then a curling warmth seep over her head, drifting down until it covered her whole body.

Mira kissed Jade, soft and passionate, then they slowly removed clothes and lay down on the grass, hands and lips stroking naked bodies. They explored each other's nooks and crannies, then relaxed and held on to each other.

"That was beautiful," sighed Mira her head resting on Jade's chest, her fingers buried in Jade's pubic hair. "Your singing is out of this world."

"I was thinking of all those who loved me as I sung it. And how tardy I have been loving them back. Freda would not have died but for me. The Über-drow dragged out my new friendship for Freda, knowing my mind spells were killing it. It wanted to take revenge on its killer first."

"How many people have survived a mind slayer attack? You are the bravest person I have ever known, Jade, and I love you very much." Mira leant over and kissed Jade again.

Jade wondered how she could break it to this little woman that she intended to go back to Maxi, woo him back to her in spite of his present repulsion to Jade's deformity. It would be a challenge to be the one doing the chasing for a change, and without her magic or even perfect looks to help her.

Mira's heart would break, but then it was made of breakable material. She had pined for Terry when she couldn't get him, then when she had got him she couldn't keep him. She had only agreed to come with them on Jade's revenge trip because her first lover had betrayed her. Women like Mira ended up tossed around, washing up on whatever hostile shore the world wanted to throw them on. Which is why it is necessary to build a thick carapace and not let the world push you. And that is why she should have killed that evil bird, rather than finish her sentimental song.

"What was that bird?" said Mira suddenly.

"Durkkhauma" replied Jade. "Dragon bird. I've never seen them before, but I know of their legend. The uruma guide them. They are not beholden to dark elves or anyone else, they just want to kill and injure in blood lust. They would do the same to Xiana if they could. But only the uruma know where to find them. Some say they are summoned from another world. They hate goodness, which is why I started my song."

"And I thought it was for me." said Mira.

"I started it for the bird. I finished it for you".

Mira snuggled closer to Jade. "Are we safe from them now?"

"Oh yes, I think so. They and the uruma only hunt during the day. They cannot see at night. That's where we have the advantage. The dragon bird attacked me out of the sun. Probably banked on my not being able to see it. Thank all the gods for the sun shades so I could see it in time. They literally saved my life."

"I would die if anything happened to you," said Mira. "You are the only person who understands me."

That was not true, thought Jade. Freda's killer had understood her only too well, which was why he had been able to exploit her weaknesses. Jade chose her words carefully, now understanding how easily she could hurt Mira.

"Your previous lover understood you; which is why he used you. Terry understands you too. Which is why he prefers Elspeth. Terry is a warrior like my Maxi. He likes hard women. I told you before you are worth ten of Elspeth, and I still believe that. You are loyal, gifted and compassionate, and when you need to be you are incredibly brave. But you are wasted on Terry. It is like putting fine wine in front of a beer swilling yokel with a raging thirst. He will only take you in certain moods, and even then he will always be dreaming of someone else."

"So what am I to do, Jade," asked Mira quietly. "Should I stay with you?"

"I don't think so. I'm not right for you either. I need to win back Maxi. I have enjoyed our times together, you are a wonderful lover, but I realise I prefer men. Have you ever liked women before?"

"No. I too have preferred men. But you... you are so different. You understand me so well."

"And I have taken advantage of you too, I'm afraid. But I will always be a friend. And friends often last longer than lovers. Let Terry go. He will return to Elspeth with his son, and they will fight Xiana's army and maybe live, maybe die together. Terry is not a bad chap, a bit slow, but no less worthy for all that. But he is not for you. There is someone better waiting for you but you need to be patient."

Mira was silent, thinking about her life. Jade was right, she realised. She felt more peace wrapped around Jade than she had felt for a long time. Her marriage to Terry had its moments, but not many as she was forced to admit. Then suddenly she sat up. "The horses!" she cried in alarm. "That evil bird would have got them."

"Relax," replied Jade. "It was after me. I drove away the bird with my song, and it was dark by the time the effect faded. No dragon bird will attack tonight. Their eyesight is sharp enough in daylight but they have no dark vision. This means we need to make a move before morning. And now we know that Xiana's spies are around we will need to keep watch and only travel at night. If you want to sleep now I will keep first watch." Jade sat up.

Mira wrapped herself in her cloak and fell asleep at Jade's feet. Jade reached under the cloak and stroked her back firmly. Mira gave out a sleepy purring noise.

Chapter 5: Reinforcements

Xiana, High Priestess of the Spider, strode into the Temple. The dark priestesses in their purple robes, their eyes made up to appear like slants, had already prepared the chant and the black fire; crackling malevolently over the centre of the pentacle. It was fed not with earthly fuel but with torment and cruelty, and now it was blazing fiercely, giving off flames so black they could only be seen in contrast with the slightly less dark surroundings.

The priestesses stood around the pentacle chanting, as the black flames rose higher. Two twisted black and purple figures formed themselves from the fire. They wrenched themselves sideways, writhing and twitching, breaking off black bubbling masses, which soon formed themselves into about a hundred dark dog-like creatures. Blacker than the night, even their eyes. These demonic hounds were totally blind and hunted by scent. Xiana stepped into the centre of the pentacle. The fire crackled and hissed around her, the blackness shimmering in an aura about her body. The dogs bristled and snarled but moved aside for her.

"The temple slave and the dwarfen slut are near the elven grove." she told the assembled company. "We cannot touch them there, but we will be waiting when they return. Our spying glass failed to find them. The slut has somehow found some way of blocking our attempts.

The birds spotted them last night and they summoned the durkkhauma. For some reason it failed to kill them. Some malevolent force is lending them the magical ability to stare straight into the sun. This means day and night are open to them as they are not to us. Our birds hunt at day; we will let the dogs loose to hunt at night. They will know no peace from us. In the meantime, let us find the apostate.