Chapter 8:


“I take it that up ahead on top of that hill is where we are headed?”  Mourn says while trying to get repositioned right while mounted on the back of the horse.

Allana replied with a friendly laugh.  “Yes, and you don’t have to act about like holding on to me is going to get you in trouble.”

Mourn wasn’t used to this type of treatment.  Before the deathblade had found the magical sword that is now located on his right hip, the female drow of Menzoberranzan would only call him good patron material.  His life would be bought by some needy matron and his only use would be that of mating and pleasuring the oldest priestess of the house.

~You know, as your friend and servant, I am able to inform you that you can change that fate~

~And how is that, Tatreane?  I am not what they think I am.  I am not a hero.  Hell, I am even that bladesinger’s natural enemy.  When he finds out what I am, we are bound to start fighting.~

~Mourn, I remember Spidera sent your dumb ass into a huge trap.  If I know you, and I believe I do, your pride will take you actions into wanting revenge.~

~Damn, this woman drow has a nice ass.~ Mourn thinks as he looks down her back.

~I see Mourn that could be some extra motivation.  I can tell that she already likes you.~

~Okay my dear woman, whose soul is trapped in a sword, how can you tell?~

~~Well, the fact that when you mounted onto the back of the horse, your pelvis region rubbed against her hind.  She replied with an embarrassed smile across her face.  I have what they call, "true sight", which allows me to be to see all things as their true form, or in this case, their actions in their true form.~

Mourn then starts to chuckle aloud. ~And even better yet, if she wanted to , she could be even more appealing to the eye.~

Anna rode her horse up beside the two of them.  Her smile that she was showing was seemingly forced from her full lips.

“Is there something that bothers you Lady Deacons?”  The monk asked the tall woman in concern.

“My father told reminded me that it is costume for a woman after she is saved by a man, to give her life to that man.”  She looks Mourn’s way.  “I am yours if you want me.”

Mourn back at her confused.  “I do not want to sleep with you.  I like your fighting style and your determination, but if I were to force you to be with me, I would be no better then a slave owner.”  Mourn laughs heartedly.  “If you need me to release you from this to make you happy, I am telling you now I have no plan on calling you up on it.  But, Anna, why did that matter to you so much that it showed?”

“I plan on becoming a fighter of the church, a paladin.  So if I was to aver to that customs, I wouldn’t be able to pursue my line of work.  A married woman around here is expected to cook and clean.  I plan on being more then that.”

Allana chuckles, “then you need to get on the move, you are already 20.  You have some training in fighting.”

The tall human nods and looks ahead down the path.  “I was told by my father that you made a mention of giving up on your monk abilities, why would you do something like that?”

This was a tough subject for the drow/green elf female to talk about.  All she does is look at Anna and give and honest nod while she thought of a way to put it.

Mourn gave a joking laugh.  “If you two don’t mind, can this wait until we reach the castle?  I don’t want to have an interruption a good story told by a remarkable female.”

The two women exchanged a laugh to each other.

~Nice one Mourn, she’ll notice that.~

“Allana, it would be an honor for you two to lead us through the garrison.  You two happen to be our proud guests.”  Hudson yells out over the loud rumblings of the cavalry as he makes his way to when Mourn and Allana are at in the formation.  

Castle Mori sits on top of large jagged hill.  The outer walls surrounding the nice sized compound are made of impossible smooth marble and formed to make a large circle.  The main building that makes up the castle is the just the size of a very large mansion; five stories high with twenty five well sized sleeping rooms for casual guests with five larger rooms meant for more important company.  Seen are three towers that protrude thirty feet higher from the base of the castle; one in the middle, and one two the east along with an exact copy on the west side.  The structure itself is made up of a handsome mix of black, grey and white marble.  

From the base of each tower there are three steel supported walkways leading directly to the walls.  This feature is obvious for it allows for quick access to the garrison so the defense can fire in a three hundred a sixty degree angle from inside during a siege attempt.

On the outside a man maid, ramp like, hill lead the only road forty feet from the drawbridge.  This wide will has large oak trees along side of the road pervading the only cover of any kind around the area, along with a beautiful trip to the royal home.  

The massive dwarven made mithril drawbridge was another marvel of design being fifty-plus feet high and twenty-five feet wide.  Mithril, the dwarven steel, was the strongest metal usable by those on the surface realm.  The large natural mound with a steep jagged incline made it impossible for any normal siege weapons to penetrate the wall.  While the drawbridge is not down, there is a hundred foot drop down to a rocky grave.  

Allana stops the mounted troops at the edge of the trees as the mithril device slowly descends down to allow them entrance.

“Wow, what a fortress.” Mourn says aloud with his eyes wide open.  “Almost as complexly built as the big ones in the underdark.  This must have taken years to build.”

“Actually, five of them to be precise my friend.”  Allana says as she gives a glance behind her at the man mounted on the same animal behind her.  

A loud thud sounds as the drawbridge meets the ground.  Dust kicks up for a moment causing them all to cough.

“Welcome to Castle Mori!”  Hudson says after clearing his dust filled throat.  “Go ahead.”

“Hold on tight Mourn!”  She then kicks the large horse into a strong gallop leading the cavalry through the huge gates.  

Once inside the walls, the crowds littered the excusive marketplace outside the personal gates of the castle.  A clear three-hundred foot area encircled the compound of the castle that is layered with mercantile businesses closest to the walls. Further inside are stables and housing for the castle guards, and personal servants of the royal family.

Allana kept the gallop up as the crowd parted and closed up behind her.  One guard yells out Hudson’s sir name and the frenzied swarm surrounds the rest of the group causing them to stall just off of the mithril lift bridge at the gates.

Allana doesn’t slow down until the get to the gates the surrounds the courtyard leading into the main structure.  Once the double mounted horse reaches inside the entrance, and past the guards; a stable boy greats the two of them with strong hello bringing a smile to the female.  Allana brings the horse to a stop permitting the youthful man to take the reigns from her with his hand.

“I would have certainly thought you would have claimed Anna as your bride sir.” Allana says sarcastically while making a quick dismount from the warhorse.  “She is a noble.”

“Claim Anna for myself?” Mourn replies with his an unusually confused sounding tone that sounded more sarcastic then Allana’s voice was.  He then removes his body off of the large mount with an extremely agile vault.

This caused Allana to take a double take.  “Who do you think you are the one you call Mourn?”  She questions the magically altered individual with a demanding tone.  “You might be able to trick the humans and the move-before-I-think bladesinger.  But not a wise lady drow like me.  No human moves like you just did.”  She walks forward with her hands away from her sides.

As the stable hand walks away from them, Mourns face showed his stunned mind as he tried to find something for a rebuttal.  His instincts try to take over as her begins to reach for his sword.

~Don’t even try to grab me.  I don’t want a new wielder.  At ease Mourn, this woman is littered with throwing daggers hidden all over her body.  She wouldn’t be walking over to you if she wanted to cause you any harm.~

Mourn gulps as he slowly and cautiously removes his hand from the hilt of the Lightning Sword.

Allana stands in front of him for a moment before beginning to speak.  “Give me a moment to explain.”  The female drow reaches out with her rough calloused hand up and touches his shoulder in an attempt to show comfort. “Some people have secrets that could scare others.  Yet others, like me, have to try their hardest to show others that you are a reformed criminal even though you are not even guilty of more then surviving when others didn’t.”  She looks him up and down as she moves her hand down his shoulder.  “I can see your walk, and I know what you are.”

“How’d you know?”  

Allana looks down to his right hip.

~Me, and don’t think I betrayed you.  I gave you a good word.~

Mourn blinked silently.

“I know you are scared.  My reason for being here is to prove myself.  I am a rogue nowadays.” She then takes his hand and lays it on the center of her chest.  “I gave up my monk ways because I could not follow their ways anymore.  I want a family and a life.  What can you think of me? I am an elf that is also a drow; a drow that likes your style.”   She looks at him with a suggestive, yet knowing smile.

Mourn gently takes her hand in his and looks deep into her sky blue eyes.  “I am not what you take me as, I myself am no criminal.  I am just a lost drow who was…”  

The sounds of horse hooves cause him to let go of Allana’s hand and turn around.  Jason’s horse stops suddenly and he quickly dismounts from the animal.

Mourn regards him with a small salute with the hand and a, “Hello sir bladesinger”

~You dumb ass Mourn,~  In a  loud booming voice the Lightning Sword starts. ~He never told you that he was a bladesinger.~

Mourns face betrays himself as it turns pale.

The veteran bladesinger hands his horse over to the kid and stares at Mourn for a few seconds without moving.  He then utters a simple cautious spell.

Mourn knew the spell but now his body locked up in fear.  The beginners spell detected magic and Mourn had it all over him.

“You have one second to start explaining the reason you have an illusion spell placed on your whole body.”  He gathers himself for an attack spell.  “Either let off the spell or I’ll force you out of it.  I have detected magic on you.  As far as I know you faked helping dear Anna.”

Allana quickly takes a finger and places it over Mourn’s mouth.  “Say nothing sweetie.  You fought valiantly and received wounds that the wood elf himself would be hard to run with.”

~Mourn, don’t move.  This is your chance.”

~But..~

Jason now became furious.  “Fine, we now get to find out what this man really is.”  He places his sword into a parrying stance as his off hand moves into the movements of the spell.  His mouth utters words that sound like gibberish and easily are forgotten to a non-magic trained person.

~BUT NOTHING!  You must trust her.  Your whole get up betrayed you and I doubt it would have been much more left on the spell Spidera cast on you anyways.~

Pain wracked Mourn’s spine as the world swirled around in his eyes.  Before he knows it, his body has already ends as a drow again.  The sunlight stings his ebony skin and his eyes lose sight as his eyes water as he flings his body backwards in a stumble barely catching his body from falling.

Jacynthyl pressed forward in a movement meaning to attack.  “I am not going to allow you to get to the king.”

“Huh?” Mourn looks behind and realizes that when he stumbled, it was in the direction of the castle.  While moving backwards to get to a wall, the drow then reaches to unsheathe his sword which causes his pants start to fall down causing him to now fall completely to the ground with out even getting his sword out..

Jason slowly stalks Mourn’s way ignoring the pleas of Allana for him to stop.  

~Calm, no weapons.  Trust.~  The sword begs her wielder.  ~Please don’t die from him.  Do not use me my friend.~

Mourn dips his head down removing his gaze from the crazed bladesinger.

The ancient sword was right.  Even if he was to win in a duel with the wood elf, he would prove the male right and the castle guard would swarm him trying to take him down.

~Why are you helping me?~

~Because of two reasons.~  The sword started with a quick speed to the words.  ~One, your life was used as a slave.  Second, although in your life you are never going to be a saint, your life is treasured by a certain young albino elf.  If you were to die, she would end up becoming like her mother; a killer.  Though, if you live, you become an inspiration.~

Jason looks down at the subservient male drow.  With vengeance in his eyes, he raises his magical blade to strike. Just as the shiny long sword starts its plunge onto Mourn’s skull, a metal plated shin plate backed by a powerful monk leg meets the groin of the wielder.

A loud scream widens from the mouth of the green elf bladesinger that causes the happy frenzied crowd ceases the sound of the celebration of Hudson’s return.  The pain causes Jacynthyl to drop the sword out of his hand.  That action causes the tip of the sword to go right trough the top of his left foot.  Another scream is unleashed as Jason falls to the ground.  He frantically removes the blade from the wound and clinches both injuries in agony.

As the cavalry rides over to the scene, Allana kicks Jason’s long sword away from his reach.  She then removes her magical cloak and the belt off her thin elfish waist and hands the items to the grounded deathblade.

“Here Mourn, make yourself decent.”  She says while showing the newly returned male drow a triumphant smirk.

“Thanks,” He then applies the cloak and slides on the new, smaller belt.  He then stands and nods her direction with an honest, happy smile.

Hudson jumps off the horse and quickly heals his friend of his injuries with a spell.  He then stands up and turns his attention to the two drow.  He focuses his detect evil power at their direction.  After a moment, he shakes his head at the situation and grins at Allana.

“It’s Mourn.” Allana acknowledges to the paladin returning the same expression on her face.

“I take it that this is his true form.”  Hudson points out while he helps his bladesinger friend up.

Jason on the other hand shows no such smile.  With a profound sneer written across his beat red tan face, the strong warrior heads to retrieve his discarded foil.  When he reaches down to seize his blade, one of Hudson’s boots step down on the flat sword pinning it to the ground.

“My friend,” Hudson warned sternly, the smile erased from his face.  “That drow male saved my daughter’s life.  I, as a paladin and a man of honorable virtue, I have to give him a chance.”

Allana helps the disorientated male drow to a wall with a protective arm around his waist  She pats Mourn side to easy him as she focuses her sharp stare to the chastised green elf.

“For the sake of privacy,” Allana says in a demanding tone.  “I move to take this whole altercation inside somewhere.”

“Why Allana, you want to cover up a spy?”  Jason snaps back as he prys the sword out from underneath his friends boot.

“No you hothead.” She returns back at him with a curious mix of demand and concern in the sixty-two inch female drow.  Her body shifts weight as she strides in front of Mourn using her well muscled, yet womanly body to shield him.  “He has no experience on the suface world and has the chance to get seriously burned in the clothing he is wearing.”

The gathered crowd parts as Miss Deacons takes a plodding route forward till she reaches Jason’s side.  “That DROW could have left me to die.”  She states while gently grabbing the well-built elf male’s hand.  “If you are so concerned with his merit there is a ring inside designed for exactly these situations.”  She then leans downward and kisses Jason on the forehead.  “If he is a spy, and/or not on our side, we can find out.”

“You know…” Jacynthyl starts but after looking in the eyes of the tall voluptuous woman in a moment of silence, his face shows defeat and he looks away.  “My cousin Sarrah Firelight has devoted her life in making sure that powereful sword the drow has doesn’t get used again.  If someone was to use it, the plan was to be the royal family of this kingdom.  Not some thin, worthless piece of black… “

The tall female noble decks Jason square in the jaw with a right cross dropping him to the ground and sprawling to find his senses.  The gallery of people groan as he squims around for a moment

“MY MOTHER WAS DROW YOU UNGREATFUL ARSE!  BE THANKFUL I LOVE YOU OR YOU’D BE DEAD.”  She spits at the ground just away from the downed bladesinger’s face.

Jason looks up startled at her, although, being speechless had nothing to do with that.

“I’ll tell you whatever you need to know!”   Mourn shoots out from his mouth trying to defuse the volatile situation.

“Fine, Jason, lead the way.”  Hudson demands as he picks the green elf back to his feet.

Mourn takes this moment to gaze the direction of Allana. He produces a grin like one he would send at a long time friend.  He had never had a friend before.  Hell, he had never known of anyone from outside House Despana give a damn about his safety enough to stick their neck out in front of a possible hostile crowd full of a different humanoid race.  His eyes then look her up and down.

The drow woman eyes him curiously before unleashing a modest simper in return.  “Later for those thought’s Mourn.  I only date those who can be truthful around me.”