Chapter 18

The dog Kyrial steps on yelps and skitters over to the big fireplace, glaring at her reproachfully with big brown doggie eyes.

The clerk, who finally introduces herself as Latara, grabs another grey-garbed woman and instructs her to mind the reservations desk. Then she leads Gwenh, Kyrial, and Cael over to the wrought iron stairs.

She yanks up on a section of floor to lift up the trap door, as Gwenh saw her do earlier. Some patrons look at this curiously, others ignore it entirely. She calls down, "Guests for the temple!" and motions for the others to preceed her down the stairs, so she can properly shut the door behind them.

Starting down the stairs, you all see something that would look remarkably like a regular wine cellar (although a very large one) if it were not for the two male, dark-skinned elves flanking the bottom of the staircase. They hold fine silvery swords to their chests in a sort of salute.

The silver swords snag something else in Kyrial's memory. The Dark Maiden's symbol is a silver sword, she thinks. Recalling that detail opens up other memories from the book she'd read. Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden, daughter of the Spider Queen, who treasonously teaches that the drow should overthrow Lolth's web of rule and return to live in weak peace with the hated light elves. Silver hair was said to be a mark of her favor - drow with hair that color are routinely offered as sacrifices to Lolth.

Kyrial hugs her cloak to her tightly. Oh yeah, this should definitely be interesting... especially if they find out I'm a drow. Maybe I can just pass as one of them if I absolutely have to. Ugh. Low life scum. Oh well, Gwenh is such a "sweetie", she'll declare anyone her friend, so no problem there.

Although the unexpected presence of drow in the cellar is a surprise, the curious party moves forward. Latara comes spanging down the metal stairs behind them. "This way," she motions them past the guards to a stone archway which glows with a faint silvery light. It is decorated with silver inlays showing moonlit hunt scenes, moonlit dancing, and lots and lots of swords... much like the ones on the door frames in the rooms in the inn above.

"The temple was here before the human town was," Latara explains. "The complex actually spreads beyond the edge of town, with tunnels leading to the Maiden's Glade in the woods. We had the inn built a while ago, and it's been a real boon in spreading Eilistraee's word in the lands of light."

Cael's head throbs even more as he approaches the glowing archway. Latara notices his obvious discomfort. "Good sir, what pains you?"

Cael winces before he replies. "Ungh. Just a... headache, m'lady." He pulls some more willowbark from inside his robes. "It will be gone soon." I hope.

Latara nods, still with a look of concern on her face. Then she turns and leads the three under the archway. The hallway is cool and slightly damp. The walls and ceiling are polished white marble, all of which emmanates that soft silvery light. The floor is made of plain sandstone tiles... but, given the dampness, marble floors would be very slippery.

The hall is fairly long and downward slanting. You walk for perhaps five minutes at a fair pace before the hallway ends in a silver double door, embossed with a symbol - a downward-pointing sword surrounded by odd threadlike patterns.

Latara gently pushes the doors and they swing open into a large natural cavern - or once-natural. The floor has been smoothed and leveled, and the columns and stalactites have been shaped into fantastic swirling pieces of scuplture. The very stones seem to dance. Pale-haired figures in white robes flit here and there, their movements light and agile.

"Mother!" Latara calls out. One robed figure approaches, resolving itself into a shapely ebony-skinned elven woman. You can see where Latara gets those odd coppery eyes now. "Mother, look! Brethren from the surface!"

The drow takes in Gwenh's silver hair and eyes. "You must stand high in Eilistraee's favor indeed, sister. I am Moon Singer Faeryl Olonrae, honored to be the Dark Maiden's chief servant in this place. May I know your name?"

Gwenh took in the temple for a moment, wondering what in the nine hells this all was. Watching Moon Singer Faeryl Olonrae as she introduced herself, Gwenh wondered who Eilistraee was, she had studied dieties before being ex...leaving her home. Why wasn't this one familiar?

"I am Gwenhwyfar Silvanius." For the life of her, Gwenh wondered if maybe her name would sound odd to these strange elves. Looking at Cael and Kyrial, Gwenh introduced them in the same manner as herself

Faeryl smiles at Cael and Kyrial in turn, pausing to take in the cloaked and huddled form. "Do what pleases you," she says to her softly, "but none need hide their faces here..." She pauses again, weighing the statement for truth. "None, at least, who wish no harm."

Stepping back from Kyrial, she addresses all of them. "We are gladdened by your arrival, Gwenhwyfar, friends. Certainly, we shall all dance in the moon's light tonight. But I am rude... come, let us sit together and take some food."

Faeryl and Latara lead the three of you across the main cavern, to a smallish nook furnished with soft couches and low tables. "Latara, go and get some refreshment," Faeryl instructs, and her daughter springs up to do as she asks. You can't help but notice the half-drow seems terribly clumsy compared to the lithe, dark forms she moves among as she crosses the cavern again.

Sitting quietly for a moment, you can hear snatches of song, mostly sung in time to the crash of hammers on steel ringing faintly in the air. And among the drow women (and a few men) who seem to dance rather than walk in this place, you see a few heads of hair as silver as Gwenh's.

Faeryl makes some pleasant small talk as she waits for Latara to return, mostly sharing small stories about local happenings above and below the ground. After Latara brings in a tray of soft breads, fruit, ("One of the advantages of owning a surface inn," Faeryl smiles) and pours a wine which glows with a faint green light, the "chief servant" finally gets around to business. "So, what brings you here, Gwenhwyfar?"

The place felt strangely eerie, yet almost comfortable. Kyrial shudders. Here's to find out some information.. my elders will be glad to know of this nest of incompetents.

"I'm honored to be here. Of all things, to find a Temple of the Dark Maiden here... pray tell me, who is the leader of this mighty enclave? Surely they deserve the highest praise, bringing peace to this land." UGH. I need a bath.

Faeryl turns her palms up and bows her head slightly at Kyrial's question. "I have the honor of being Eilistraee's handmaiden in this place. You may praise her for bringing peace when such has been accomplished, but the Spider Queen's children remain stubborn foes. So long as they remain in darkness," she waves a hand out, "let the smiths continue their blessed work. There is good reason, I think, why the Dark Maiden has chosen the sword as her symbol." She sighs, momentarily melancholy, reaching out to take Gwenh's hand.

She looks at their entwined fingers, pale bone white and ebony black, sadly. "We need more such as you, Gwenhwyvar. So many of our surface cousins still mistrust us, think we are another face of Lolth in a pretty disguise. And still so many otherwise good-hearted dark elves cannot find it in themselves to trust their kin Above. Let alone the other goodly beings who dwell there," she adds.

"I do not expect elves to flock to Lady Silverhair and abandon those Powers which have served them so well for so long. But just acceptance..." She sighs. "We could fill a need for them, I think. Many of Seldarine," which you all recognize as the name of the elvish pantheon of gods, "are very... cerebral. Mayhap Corellon Larethian already blesses song and sword, or another the hunt, perhaps another dance... but none of them - none of them! - combine them into the joy of life as Eilistraee does." She lapses momentarily silent, a priestess of a tiny faith who fervently believes her goddess deserves much more.

Gwenh almost sighs as the elf's speach ends. A urge to tell her the truth, what she really is, washes over her. But they believe I am something I am not, and what if they knew the truth? My people hide our identies so that we can walk freely among the other races, but this? I am not a chosen of their god, I am not even an elf. Though my nature eludes me at times... She almost bit her lip but chose not to.

She smiled at the priestess and squeezed her hand briefly. "Their will be more like me ond day, their are a few in my homeland. Understanding can not be instantly gained, it must be earned. Sometimes it takes eons, sometimes mere years. But what is years to an elder race? Have patients my friend, all things happen for a reason." Taking in another breath she let her smile fade. "I have come here because we are traveling to stop the priest of Echo from futher destroying this land. We ran into one of their defilers, sucking the life out of a forest, and found that it is them who are destorying these lands and placing the blame on other races." She smiles an almost bitter smile. "But that is not the only reason I am no longer in my homeland, yet as I said, somethings one must wait awhile to know. Tell me, do you know much about different beast? Before all this I was conducting some research on dragons, and would like to know what you think on the subject?"

Faeryl nods, a little shame-faced. "You speak aright, Gwenhwyvar. But patience has never been a gift of mine." Latara makes a small, strangled noise, then bites her lip to suppress a smile.

She expresses some concern about this despoiler in the forests. The members of the temple retreat to forest glades for their most important rites, and would like to return to the elven woods to live, eventually. She promises that the Silver Swords, the best warriors of the temple, will guard their portion of forest at least, and keep it safe.

Then she gets on to Gwenh's other question. "Dragons? Precious few lair very deep beneath the ground, I know that and am thankful for it. I have heard they are mighty creatures, lords of the air above, yet rare."

Latara bursts in, "She should ask the Oghmites. They've got books on everything."

Gwenh lisened to Faeryl speak, when Latara burst in about the Oghmites, she tried hard not the smile. "It is wonderful that you will protect your forest from the defilers," she pauses, "if we succeed, their will be no more reason to do so." She smiled a bitter smile. "And I study and ask about dragons because I have had the privledge of knowing a few. If the priest can help me, then I must go talk to them in time." Looking at her friends, she wonders what else she needs to ask these strange elves. Still feeling guilt for appearing as a choosen of their god, Gwenh looks at the others for some sort of support. Almost without thinking she looks at Latara and smiles. "If you'ld like, perhaps I could introduce you to a dragon."

"Truly? Might I go with her, Mother, please?"

Faeryl looks a little apprehensive. "Wouldn't there be rather great danger? They are powerful creatures... if you anger one..."

"They say Eilistraee sometimes uses silver dragons as her helpers, don't they, Mother? Surely one of those would be friendly to me. Do you know a silver dragon, Gwenhwyvar?"

"Latara, simply because sometimes the Dark Maiden acts through silver wyrms does not mean the entire race will know who you are! We are little known in the Lands Above... I would imagine only the Lady's own servants would know you as a friend. But..." she finshes reluctantly, noting her daughter's eagerness and the strange expression on Gwenh's face, "I do not mean to doubt our guest's word. If you say that such a meeting is safe, Gwenhwyvar, I shall entrust my daughter to you." The look on her face makes it clear that it had damn well better be safe.

Cael only half listened to the conversations going on, too overwhelmed by his surroundings to really pay attention. The Drow encompassed all that he had been brought up to hate about elves; in fact, if it weren't for the intervention of Falling Leaf, he would have fought Kyrial to the death the night they met her.

But this place.... Here has been the first time he's seen a Drow truely smile, and not that evil half smile Kyrial had gotten when they 'questioned' those smugglers, either. In fact, it reminded him alot of the True priests of Eho. A small group, fighting not only against outsiders for acceptance, but against their own, as well. A potential ally, perhaps?

"Oh, they have got to see this!" he whispers, almost to himself.

Faeryl doesn't want to hold up the Blessed's important business, if she wants to see the Ogmites about dragons and Ehosians. "Latara, have someone else hold down the reservations desk for the rest of the day and make yourself available to Gwenhwyvar and her friends. Take them wherever they need to go in town."

"Please, we will be dancing tonight, if you and Kyrial would join us." She smiles apologetically at Cael. "The dance is usually for priestesses only, a ritual. Other female faithful are invited occassionally as well, especially one so obviously favored." A thought occurs to Faeryl. "So sorry, I had assumed that, because you are not a dark elf, Gwenhwyvar, that you are not a priestess, but there is nothing to preclude that." She directs the question to Gwenh and Kyrial. "Are you priestesses?"

Gwenh smiles at Faeryl. "Sadly, no, I am not a priestess." Looking over at Cael she wonders briefly why only female faithful were allowed to attend. But that thought was quickly disappated when she looked towards Kyrial, wondering if the drow would accept or decline the offer. And whether or not she would say she wasn't a priestess.

Kyrial graciously nods her head. "I would not want to claim the honor of being a priestess. I am only a humble follower of the blessed one. I would be honored to attend." As she says this, she indicates Gwenh.

After more well-wishing and leave-taking, Latara practically pulls Gwenh, Kyrial and Cael out of the temple. She's very eager to get to the surface, see the Oghmites, and maybe get to see a dragon. Rather than go back up through the trap door in the main room, she takes you up a set of stairs that lead from the wine cellar into the kitchen, and from there to the main room. "You never know when someone's standing on the trap, topside," she explains.