Surfacing Ch. 13

*******

Auslan hadn't been expecting her back so soon, but he did want the hot meal. Indeed, he seemed to have a greater appetite than usual after she'd set the tray down and he'd straightened it.

D'Shea wanted to start talking as he began eating to save time, but she waited for him to get most of it into his body before possibly upsetting him and causing him to lose his appetite. The only reason she did this was the fact that Auslan wasn't using his genteel manners and dining as if he for her viewing pleasure. He was eating as someone who needed serious replenishment, and with fewer of his recently-developed quirks.

She wanted to chuckle in thinking that all the Consort had needed was a good, satisfying fuck to set his head straight again. It was a pity the effect likely wouldn't last.

The urge to laugh faded as she thought about her own parallel with Phaelous. Did she have her head straight again as well, after a similar reunion? And would both rekindled fires merely serve as weapons against them once they were found out? D'Shea did not see how it could be otherwise, but they could also be tools to prepare somehow for the Illithid attack.

At least, that was most certainly how she would explain it, to herself and anyone else who forced her hand. For the first time in her life, D'Shea wasn't looking into the next two or five or ten or fifty years. She had perhaps six months. And beyond that...?

It depended entirely on who was left.

She needed Rausery's expertise in this; the older Drow was the one who handled a year at a time on the ground and could organize their focus quickly as changes occurred, usually taking D'Shea's information into account. She was the one who had handled the bulk of the Purge; D'Shea had advised and manipulated a few important details that she needed to see happen, or not happen.

Rausery, more so than the Prime even, had acted quickly to shut the City down and minimize escapes, to hit their targets as quickly as efficiently as possible. Meanwhile, D'Shea had been planning for the next few years following the Purge, capturing Curgia, give cover to Auslan's disappearance, covering Sirana's tracks.

D'Shea had long been the Prime's and Rausery's Right Hand, providing connections, strategy, intelligence, and magical support and tools. It remained that Rausery was, by necessity, D'Shea's effectual Left Hand, her general, even if Jaunda—her "official" Left Hand for her teams—hadn't been tasked to leave and go so far outside the City so frequently.

Auslan had finished eating and glanced respectfully her way, leaving an empty and precisely placed tray, placing his hands in his lap and waiting as she came out of her thoughts.

"Tell me something you remember about Juliran," D'Shea said quietly.

He was caught completely off guard; he jerked and looked at her. "W-what?"

"Your Priestess. The one who initiated you to serve, and was the first female to mate you and hear your name."

If Auslan caught the gender qualifier, he didn't show it. "Do you seek something particular, Elder?"

D'Shea shook her head. "Just talk, Auslan."

The Consort looked at his empty plate, used his napkin to wipe up a few crumbs, and put it down again. He seemed to be trying to recollect something relevant. "In hindsight, she treated me well. Better than Wilsirathon."

"How so?"

"She wanted more for me; powerful Matrons, status and refined magic to increase my value. She said she did not want me 'retired' before three-fifty if she had anything to do with it."

That was no surprise if Juliran was aware of this Consort's blood relation to her. Which was an interesting thought; had she been aware? Were all the Priestesses, or just some? Tarra had needed to work for decades to get close to the "how" of Wilsira's methods, but could Juliran and others have been aware of the theory? Aware enough to know their own sons when they saw them.

Perhaps it was not even necessary to be aware; D'Shea would like to think she would recognize Shyntre, even if she had not birthed him.

"My Priestess would talk to me," Auslan continued, "tell me more what to expect inside and outside the Sanctuary, indulge my questions. She was tolerant."

"Is that why she died?" D'Shea asked. "Did she give you too much knowledge?"

Auslan shrugged. "Perhaps they did not know if I was left alive after her."

"What kind of information did she share that perhaps she should not have?"

There was a pause. The Elder Red Sister nudged him harder at his hesitation.

"Consort. There is nothing you can tell me of the past that will change the fact that you have high value to me at present. The Priestesses have lost you, to their own detriment, and the old way has been destroyed. Speak. Or you leave me, as your protector, at a disadvantage to those Priestesses still alive and wanting their old status back."

That seemed to convince him.

"She told me about the Draegloth, how they grew, how they and the Valsharess and the Sisterhood maintained the balance. What would happen if one of them was killed, and who would perform the execution."

D'Shea smirked. "Irrelevant to your function, wasn't it?"

Auslan nodded. "Just one of the many things we talked about, Elder."

"Your innocent face must have been very disarming to her, Consort."

Or perhaps she was vain enough to be thinking she was looking into a mirror.

D'Shea chuckled as he flushed again. "What about the forming room?"

He recognized it and nodded. "Some about that, too. Where I came from."

The Elder shifted in her seat, straightening a bit. "What do you know of where you came from, Auslan?"

"That I wasn't formed by natural breeding, Elder."

"Is that all? So you know specifics?"

He shook his head in the negative. "I could have been floating in a magic bottle, for all I know. Most Consorts—if they ever ask the question, even to themselves—assume one of the Priestesses carried us, at least until we discover the scars and meet the Draegloth. And some of us think differently."

"Thinking isn't encouraged."

"No, Elder." He was completely serious in his answer. "But I could not help it. Shyntre changed me as much as I changed him."

Indeed. The beauty was as inquisitive as both herself and her boy. Interesting to consider that he was this way because of the Red Sisters, quite indirectly, and no one except perhaps Lolth ever knew.

"So you could talk to Juliran in a way unique among Consorts," D'Shea mused, and he did not comment. "I can somehow imagine a Priestess's weakness, having both a beautiful son and one able to speak back in some intelligent way. It only clarifies why those would hybrids hate you so. Kerse would have been quite willing to kill Juliran on Wilsira's behalf."

Auslan flinched and looked away, stubbornly adjusting his napkin again. His voice was surprisingly firm. "I was away from the Sanctuary when she was killed, Elder, though I felt it. Wilsirathon visited me at House D'Verin and simply announced my Priestess's death and that she was my new Priestess. Kerse was not happy, but he obeyed her, as always."

She arched a sardonic eyebrow. "Almost always. How did Wilsira learn your name?"

"Extracted it from my first Priestess, I would assume."

"She did not hear it from you?"

Auslan shook his head. "I felt the magical pull to her only once she stood before me, but I never gave it to her willingly. She never bedded me."

"Interesting. Was the bond weaker as a result?"

He nodded. "It was, Elder."

"Compared to Juliran?"

Another nod. "In time I could speak and act against Wilsirathon, give Sirana information she could use when she and Kerse were trying to trap her."

D'Shea grinned suddenly, delighted to know that. "Marvelous. What about Shyntre? How does the bond with him compare?" She glimpsed the absolutely stark fear just before he covered it up. "Just answer me, Auslan. I've seen how your aura has changed since last cycle. I know you are bonded to him."

He swallowed. "Shyntre is strongest."

"Did it just happen?"

He was quivering slightly, staring at his plate. "Uhm...no."

D'Shea nodded, glad that he hadn't tried to lie about that. A lot of things were making more sense in retrospect. "Were there any others like you that you knew about in the Sanctuary? A Consort bonded before a Priestess claimed him? Or bonded to another male at all?"

He shook his head. "Neither. Not that I was aware of. But everyone keeps secrets."

"Oh, yes. And yet it hasn't made either of you unwilling to bed females. Or made you infertile."

Auslan actually lifted his eyes to look at her. It wasn't a question, so he did not offer a response but he was uncertain with her point at first.

D'Shea smiled. "Just as you said in our very first conversation, after solitary, if you recall."

He unstuck his lips. "I do, Elder. Clearly."

"And now that you've had him again? Do you wish to forego females entirely and never breed again?"

His face became very, very warm and there was some sort of turmoil inside him. He shook his head.

"What was that?" she asked. "I can't hear you."

"No, Elder. I still want Sirana. So does Shyntre."

"How do you know that?"

"He has told me."

"No other female would do?"

Auslan shrugged. "I would not speak for him on that, Elder. I have already told you I would rather have no other, and this has not changed sitting here in your quarters."

D'Shea smiled shrewdly. "Then you would want to help in any way you could, should you have an opportunity to know Sirana could come back at all. You would help her again, as you did before."

He saw the trap too late but after the initial rush of emotion—as he no doubt thought of ways to escape—he seemed to come to terms with his fate and simply face her on it.

The Consort nodded. "I would help her, Elder."

"Even work to convince Shyntre it is necessary?"

"I would not lie to him, Elder," he said firmly. "But I would offer to be willing to try."

"Excellent. Your wit and will pleases me, Consort."

It was clear on his face that he had never received a compliment like that from a female before.

*****

Jaunda was glad to be back at the Cloister, even if it wouldn't be for long and she probably wouldn't have much time to have any fun. She saw her ripe-smelling and exhausted team released only after their equipment was seen to, and felt a tiny twinge of envy as she saw Kirin walk off with her hand on Berayla's ass.

The Lead still needed to report to Elder Rausery. Maybe if Kirin took her time and didn't wear Berayla down to a nub, she could join them later.

Qivni would only interrupt her Elder for Jaunda's return, though D'Shea's Lead was a bit shocked when they now, all of a sudden, had to decide what to do with her Elder's son.

"Send him back to Elder D'Shea?" Qivni asked Rausery, who shook her head.

"No. She'll be joining us."

Both Leads stared for several moments before forcing their eyes down. Really? Both Elders at once? She hadn't been expecting that, not now especially as she had something tangible on her hunt.

"Back to her quarters, Elder?" the Collector suggested.

Rausery seemed to note Shyntre's body language at the suggestion. "He can stay here and continue scribing. He'll never finish otherwise. We can go to the strategy room."

He seemed to relax a bit at this idea.

"Alone, Elder?" Qivni said with a touch of the territorial in her tone. "Unsupervised?"

Rausery shrugged. "D'Shea does it with the Consort. And I don't trust anyone else here to watch him and keep their hands off."

"With all respect, Elder, it's by order of the Valsharess that none touch him."

"Yeah, but why tempt them, hm?" she replied with a small chuckle. "Some have more libido than sense."

"So why protect their weakness, if that's the case, Elder?" Jaunda was smiling a bit and had asked with a smooth, somehow inoffensive curiosity that she had no doubt learned from working with D'Shea.

"Because I can't risk losing more bodies at this time," Rausery told her flatly. "Sometimes we have that luxury, to weed out the weakest of us. We don't right now, so I'll not waggle a familiar cock in their faces if it's not necessary."

Jaunda nodded with respect. "Will the Prime be present for this report, as well as my Elder?"

Rausery took a second, closer look at her while she stood at attention and met her eyes for a few moments. The pause was pregnant with what she intended to say—but not yet. The Elder got the hint.

"Hm," Rausery grunted. "No. But it's just a routine report, right, Jaunda? You didn't suddenly break into the Illithid conclave."

Jaunda refrained from laughing. "Not yet, Elder. My report won't take long."

"Alright. I've also got business outside the Cloister that has been waiting on me for a while. Maybe you can come with me to save time." Rausery shifted to Qivni after the other Lead agreed. "Pick up where you left off and report to me, later, Qivni. You'll be able to sense of anyone tries to get in this room to Shyntre and message me."

Qivni dared to quirk a confused eyebrow but nodded. "Always, Elder."

"Let's go, then, so Shyntre can concentrate."

Rausery didn't like to rely too much on message pellets in general, especially figuring those magically sensitive like D'Shea and Gaelan could tell when they were used inside the Cloister. However, she used one now to call D'Shea, because the Prime was only barely more sensitive than she was.

This should be interesting.

*****

Rausery and Jaunda ended up taking the lizards outside the boundaries and farther out into the Underdark, and D'Shea caught up with them on her own some time later. Jaunda half-expected her Elder to be really annoyed with her, but...instead she seemed to have been expecting this.

*What has been discovered?* D'Shea signed to Rausery, as blunt as the other Elder typically was.

*Don't know yet,* Rausery replied in her usual abrupt, abridged sign that nearly matched her speech for its missing words. She motioned to Jaunda. *Waiting on you.*

D'Shea was clearly surprised at this, but looked at her Lead. Jaunda nodded and made a subtle sign that was code even from Rausery that it was truth.

*Alright. Begin. We cannot be gone long,* D'Shea signed. *Our reasoning barely holds and the Prime is watching for the Valsharess while Shyntre is in the Cloister.*

Jaunda itched to ask exactly why he was there in the first place, but she followed the order first. *I found two things of note.*

D'Shea called her on a minor hesitation; she knew her too well, it seemed. *Two?*

She grimaced. *Three. Apology, two are closely related.*

*First?* Rausery asked.

*Closely related,* she reiterated. *I found the edge of Illithid territory—*

Both Elders pinned her with their gazes, even in the dark.

*--and it is very close to what I think is a Dragon Ward.*

She paused to let that sink in, and it wasn't even the discovery that was closest to them. The two Elders looked at each other; perhaps they were disbelieving, or dismayed. She wasn't sure.

*Explains why we never got close before,* Rausery commented.

*How did you identify each?* D'Shea asked.

*I saw thralls working a field for food. My ring told me Illithids were near though I didn't see one,* Jaunda answered. *I did not get close enough to be detected. As for the Dragon Ward...you can't help but feel that one in your bones.*

Rausery was smirking; D'Shea caught it.

*I've never felt that,* her Elder admitted. *What of you, Rausery?*

She nodded. *Memorable. Makes you forget you have an oath to any queen for a moment.*

*Yes,* Jaunda agreed, glad that she would not be doubted on this or sound weak in describing it. *You only think of survival.*

*And you can pinpoint this Ward and field on a map?* D'Shea asked.

*They're not on any of our maps, but I could extend it out, I think.*

Her Elder nodded. *Tell me more of what you witnessed. Details.*

*Like what led you there in the first place,* Rausery interjected, seeming for a moment to want to bump D'Shea with her shoulder to get her to slow down. *Start over, Jaunda.*

The Lead did, recounting the run-in with the Ward, her flight, her eventual return, and noticing the sign, which she used to track to the alternate cavern.

D'Shea was frowning. *What left the traces? You seem to think it deliberate.*

*It was.*

Jaunda had thought for a long time on her way back to the Cloister, and in the end, she could not see herself being anyway but straightforward and entirely truthful. She had no loyalty to that mystery group, even if they were helping her, even if they said she had been "selected."

She was a Red Sister; she would tell her Elders about this male and female and their implied group. What else could she do that would not see her immediate execution upon its discovery? What if the Illithids attacked with the help of this group and Jaunda had withheld vital information from her Elders as if she should be making the decisions?

The Lead was not one who enjoyed playing the really complex games; neither was Rausery, really. D'Shea was, and she was here. It was really quite perfect, as the Lead had wondered whether Rausery would somehow interfere with D'Shea's knowledge of this, or miscommunicate it, after hearing about it from her first. She was very generous with the details the first time revealing it so that both Elders would have the same information.

Both Elders were clearly stunned when she described the one female and one male Drow who had not only already found the Dragon Ward but also had worked well ahead of time to dig that entry from beneath which led to the fields. They had anticipated Jaunda reaching that area eventually.

How? Why? It was a very unsettling leak.

*They had one of Sirana's bracers,* Jaunda told them. *And a piece of her cloak.*

*The cloak the Illithid took.* D'Shea caught that much faster than she had. *They could have been thralls themselves. Or illusions.*

*They were real,* Jaunda insisted, and explained why. *But I admit I do not know how well a thrall may act independent of their Illithid master. I've only seen the combat forces, and they are like sleepwalkers on rage-moss.*

Rausery nodded. *My thought: if mindflayers had thralls that good, we'd already be dead.*

D'Shea seemed inclined to agree. *So these are independent Drow, seeming to act on our behalf, yet explicitly deny loyalty to 'our' queen.* She refocused on Jaunda. *And they said 'you have been selected'?*

Jaunda nodded.

*This is the first time you have seen them.*

*Yes, Elder. No hints before that.*

*Implying they have been watching you. Or that they want you to think so.*

The Lead shrugged, a bit helpless on that. *They could be bluffing. To think they are not bluffing means they have contacts inside the Sisterhood.*

*Or it has more to do with the Dragon in the area,* D'Shea signed slowly, thinking on more angles than either of them could keep up with. *They could perhaps belong to it. You said the male looked like a commoner from our City, and their sign was familiar.*

*They were well-trained,* Jaunda repeated. *Could a Dragon teach them that?*

*Possible,* Rausery gestured. *Proximity of a Dragon with Illithids is worrisome enough, though.*

*Could they come to a deal in some way?* her Elder mused.

*Again, if that were the case, why are we still there?* Rausery asked.

*Maybe we find that out soon enough.*

Rausery and Jaunda stared at her for several moments.

*What do you know, Varessa?* the elder asked with real irritation, dropping some of the formality in front of their subordinate.

*I do not know,* D'Shea answered in smart, final gestures.

*Then what pile of shit in front do you think we're about to step in?* Rausery refined her sign with a mocking lilt. *This is kind of important.*