"Is she always like that?" I whispered to Uncle Zophia. We sat at a table in the living room as Tinna bustled about in the tiny kitchen, putting a meal together.
"Tinna is a drow," he said, "But she's really very kind. She becomes angry when people don't take care of themselves, because they put themselves in danger."
I looked out the window at the lengthening shadows. "Do you always get up this late?"
"Well," Uncle Zophia said, "As you know, the drow city is underground. It's very hard for them to see with all the light on the surface, and the sun can be painful on their skin." He sighed. "Anyway, I'm afraid the Freeport Militia is not fond of either of us. We must avoid them, and that's easier at night, when the guards are sleepy or drunk."
"I can camouflage you," I offered. I stood up and concentrated on myself. Uncle Zophia applauded as I faded away.
"That's very good," he chuckled. "Much better than I could do when I was your age."
I'd forgotten that like Father, Uncle Zophia was a retired druid of more than fifty seasons. I sat down again, glad I was invisible, so he couldn't see me blush.
"I have finished," Tinna announced from the kitchen, startling me so much I became visible again. Her voice still scared me, but I was getting used to it. And Uncle Zophia had said she was kind. He himself had been kind to me so far, and I didn't know what he'd see in Tinna if she were really as mean as her voice. She didn't mean to sound nasty, I decided. It must just be the way drow spoke.
"Oh, vegetable stew!" I said, as Tinna put a steaming bowl in front of me. It smelled like home. "How did you know?"
"Surface elves prefer vegetables." Tinna shrugged. "Zophia's father was human, but his mother was a surface elf also. I cannot say I understand the eating of vegetables when snakes and rabbits are available." She put another bowl of stew in front of Zophia, then went to the kitchen again, coming back with a plate of meat for herself.
I tried not to eat too fast, even though with each bite of stew I felt stronger and healthier. I put my spoon down for a moment and breathed deeply.
"I hope the stew meets your expectations," Tinna said. "Eating is very important and not something that should be neglected at any time." She looked at me, taking in my battleworn leather armor. "Why have you come?"
"Huh?" I said. "Oh, well, uh..." I couldn't tell her about wanting to meet the humans after Ninian had laughed at me, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Uncle Zophia rescued me. "I knew Llewellyn would send you eventually," he said, "I was expecting to see you when you became old enough."
"He didn't send me. I wanted to come."
Uncle Zophia laughed, almost choking on his ale. Swallowing, he said, "Wanted to come? And what made you want to come?"
"Well," I said, "When I was very small, Father told me about Freeport, and about the humans, and the trees that lose their leaves. I always wanted to come here after that. The other places he told me about sounded so frightening -- like Erudin, with the will-o-wisps and the giant cats. Or Qeynos, with the wandering gnolls everywhere --" I stopped. Were the other places really that terrifying?
"Wait," I said. Uncle Zophia was smiling knowingly at me. "You mean he --"
"It is obvious," Tinna said. "He told you only the disadvantages of other lands. He wished you to come here and find Zophia."
"But why didn't he just ask me to come here?" I couldn't figure it out. "Why didn't he just go himself? It's not that long of a boat trip -- and anyway, Father has the ability to teleport. He could have been here in five minutes!"
Zophia looked at his stew. "I see Llewellyn hasn't told you much," he said. "He had his reasons. Foolish pride, perhaps, and yet in that I'm as guilty as he."
"Foolish pride?" Now I was really confused. I waited for Uncle Zophia to explain.
"It has become very late by your standards," Tinna said, pointing to the darkness beyond the window. "Zophia and I must go about our business. You may sleep here while we are away. Sleep is as important as eating." She took up her plate and walked out to the kitchen.
"But!" How could I sleep without knowing what this was all about?
"Tinna is right," Uncle Zophia said. "I shall tell you more in the morning. Now get some sleep."
