Chapter Nine – Into Darkness

They didn't say anything else for a while as they travelled. Finally, Jathel decided that they were far enough from the village and the attacking drow to call a halt to the exhausting trek. "All right, that's enough. Keep alert everyone, but we can stop for the night. No sense going in exhausted. I've got some travel rations, if anyone's hungry."

"Not hungry enough for those," replied Merisiel and Oparal. They abandoned their invisibility as they sank to the ground to massage aching legs. Nearby, Zevran did much the same, though he also took out a flask and had a quick swallow.

"I'll take a ration," Kallian murmured and caught the small parcel Jathal threw to her. She grimaced at the sight of the thick bar of crushed nuts, dried fruits and oats, all bound into a small brick with honey and felt a little sick. The ration bars were good fuel, but they were firm enough to make your jaw ache if you ate them without a hot cup of tea to help dissolve the honey.

"I know how you feel," murmured Zevran, walking over to her and giving her shoulders a gentle rub. "But you were right to say you'd have one. You haven't had much of a dinner and the food will help you keep your strength up." He gave her a sympathetic smile then looked to Jathal, who was pointedly not looking at the semi-romantic gesture. "Throw one of those bars to me too please, Jath," he asked.

"Here," Jathal replied and took another waxed cloth wrapped parcel to Zevran. "Enjoy." With a wry smile, he took out a third package and set about forcing himself to eat another one of the sticky fruit and nut bars. In truth no one liked them and they all knew it, but they served a purpose and being pleasant to eat wasn't one of them.

Kallian screwed up her resolve and chewed stubbornly on the bar while her jaw muscles cried out in protest. As she ate, she glanced at Merisiel and Caladrel. Both had a distant look on their faces, prompting Kallian to begin summoning Talathel. Just as was happening with the other two shadow dancers, the shadows nearest Kallian began to darken and grow. All at once, three Shadow companions stood before their Shadowdancers.

"How slowly time passes," Talathel complained, but he smiled as he looked Kallian over. "The past moon has been good to you, I see," he told her, sounding pleased. "And you've fallen into good company, I see. Two more Shadowdancers who will assist me in guiding you and one who walks at least the edges of the shadows. Good, good. This will suit us well." He turned to the two other Shadow Companions and gave a small bow in greeting.

"This is Talathel," Kallian told the non-Shadowdancers in the group. "Apparently he thinks I've fallen into good company. But then, he hasn't had a chance to get to know you all so we'll forgive him the misunderstanding."

"And they've taught you to laugh already," remarked Talathel, chuckling. "Good." He smiled at her and looked to the other Shadows. "So, my dancer has introduced me but we've yet to hear your names."

"Ah, yes. Sorry," replied one of the Shadows. Kallian was certain was female despite it being difficult to judge the gender of any of the shadowy figures. "I am Vendethiel, companion of the Shadowdancer Merisiel."

"And I am Beinion and I doubt I need to explain who I am companion to as both you and your Shadowdancer look capable of rational thought. It is good to meet you Talathiel and Kallian. It will be good to have another partnership in our ranks." Kallian had the feeling he was rolling his eyes at the stiff formal tone Vendethiel had introduced to the introduction. "Though I envy you, Talathel. Getting a pretty girl for a bonded partner while I got stuck with a oversized jester."

Hearing the teasing in the tone and seeing Caladrel chuckling, Kallian allowed herself to laugh. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," she told the shadows.

"Ah, manners. Lovely." Vendethiel's tone held the approval her expressionless face hid and she gave a slight nod. "We will have to talk more later. Since I doubt any of you were foolish enough to summon us for a mere chat, I assume danger is about? Eat and rest, Shadowdancers and company. We will keep watch."

"Ven's offering to keep watch," Merisiel told the non-Shadowdancers in the group. "Along with the other Shadow Companions. So if any of you want to trance for awhile, now is a good time."

"Though one of us Dancers should be alert at any time," Caladrel added, giving Kallian an apologetic smile. "We'll take it in shifts. Merry, do you want first shift or second? Kalli, you look dead on your feet, so you should take third."

"I will partner with those on second, third and fourth watch," Zevran said. Glancing at Kallian, he tapped the ring on his finger and explained, "This allows me to need very little rest. Two hours total a night, in fact."

"Useful," Kallian murmured around a yawn. As much as she wanted to protest that she didn't need the gesture, she could barely keep her eyes open as she ate. She'd be useless on watch.

"I'll take first watch," Merisiel confirmed. "I'm a little too edgy to trance anyway. Okay, so Cal and Zev on second, Kalli and Zev on third and myself and Zev on fourth. Jath, you and Opal will need your rest, so that works out pretty well. Tomorrow night someone else will take the double watch."

"I will," Kallian said before anyone else could offer.

"All right then," Jathel concluded. "Everyone who's not on watch, trance time. Merry, don't even consider forgetting to wake Caladrel for his watch. Two hours, then you rest." He smiled at his team mate, but his tone still held a serious note. Kallian had a feeling this wasn't the first time he'd given Merisiel the warning.

"I know, I know," she replied, returning the smile with a rueful twist of her lips. "I've learnt my lesson, father."

Jathel snorted and shook his head. "And don't be cheeky."

"How should we know it was her if she wasn't?" Zevran asked, his eyes gleaming.

"Jesters. I have a company of jesters," sighed Jathel, throwing his hands into the air. Pointedly he closed his eyes and shifted so his back was to the group.

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to start following his example, settling themselves down for the night. Kallian, however, found it difficult to reach the appropriate state of mind to trance. She'd become accustomed to the relative quiet of night in Crying Leaf, but she still missed the noise of Rag's End. And this was the first time she'd rested completely in the open, without even a tent over her head. Beyond even that unsettling fact, there was the knowledge that people she'd gotten to know and like were under attack.

"Don't think of it," Merisiel murmured, moving to sit beside Kallian. "You'll only drive yourself mad." She smiled when Kallian's eyes snapped open and raised her hands. "No magic thought reading," she assured. "Your thoughts are written all over your face. Which reminds me, we'll have to get Jath or Zev to give you some lessons in masking your emotions at some point." She sighed. "But anyway, we all feel like you're feeling the first time. You have to learn to trust that the village will look after its self and focus on your mission. Otherwise, you're not going to be of any use. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's the truth. There's no room for hesitation in our Company, Kallian. Or for second guessing yourself."

"Don't apologise," Kallian replied. "You're right." She sighed, then gave her friend a small smile. "Don't worry. I'm up to this, I think."

"You'll be fine," Merisiel said. She reached out to pat Kallian's shoulder. "Now, trance and get some rest. Tomorrow's going to feel far too long as it is."

Kallian nodded and closed her eyes, pushing her fears and doubts away until there was nothing left. Then she knew nothing more until she felt a warm hand resting lightly on her shoulder. She opened her eyes even as Zevran pressed a finger to her lips in a reminder to keep silent. Sitting up, she battered his hand away from her mouth with a smile and glanced around the little camp. The moonlight seemed as bright as day to her shadow enhanced eyesight, so it took little to notice the new mounds under bushes. She raised an eyebrow and nodded to them.

"A few drow scouts," Zevran murmured, his breath hot on her ear. "Between the Shadows, Cal and myself, it was simple to take them down without the need to wake the rest of you. Cloak yourself now, and be wary. More will be about, weaklings looking to curry favour by hunting any who were not caught up in the main fight."

Kallian nodded, drawing on the shadows even as she stood and took up her bow. Talathel melted out of the shadows to be at her side even as Zevran melted into them. "Anything out there?" she hissed to her companion.

"None that risk discovering us, yet," Talethel replied. His voice in her ear caused Kallian to tense and glance around. Though she knew non-shadowdancers heard only a faint hissing, Talathel's words sounded like Elvish to her. "Relax, my Dancer," Talathel soothed, lowing his voice in acknowledgement of her strained nerves. "I would not bring harm upon you."

"I know," Kallian murmured. "Where are the closest Drow, Talath? We'll move a little that way. Better to pick them off as much as possible before they stumble on our camp."

"Agreed. Move north then, though stay within shouting of your friends. And if you wish to survive the night, hush Dancer. They can still hear you."

Kallian wanted to reply that she already knew that, but she also knew that would only prove Talethel's point. Half a century stealing and sneaking around but you still babble when you're nervous, she thought. Instead, she contented herself with a nod and started northwards into the woods. She noted the ease with which Talathel kept pace with her and wondered about it. Was it just another benefit of the bond between them? Or could the companions simply see through the shadows that hid a Shadowdancer? Well, in either case, now wasn't the time to ask.

Away from the camp and the soft sounds of her friends resting, Kallian's nerves seemed as taut as her bow string. Slinking into the darker patch of shadow under a broad tree, she scanned the forest over and over. A rustle in the undergrowth had her setting an arrow to her bow, then relaxing again as a young rabbit scurried out and across her path. She lowered the arrow point, but kept it on her bow sting. Breathing in air crisp and sharp with cold, she listened and waited. The old wood of the tree at her back was reassuring, yet not so comforting that she would drop her guard.

What was that? Kallian snapped her bow up. She searched the darkness to her left, listening and looking. She saw nothing at all. But on the edge of her hearing, was that a twig snapping? Could that be the sound of booted feet? She held her breath. There! Again the soft thump. Boots. Two sets of feet? Three? Kallian wasn't sure. Doesn't matter. Two, three or more, she needed to whittle their numbers down before they discovered the camp.

Movement to the right! She snapped her bow up. Then jerked it away again before she could shoot Zevran.

The blonde elf's eyes skimmed over her, fixed in the direction of the faint snatches of Undercommon they could both hear now. His lips were a thin line. His eyes were grim and dark with worry.

He was worried for her Kallian realised, seeing his gaze flick to the shadows and his lips thin more. Talathel might be able to see her, but Zevran couldn't. And she, damn it, had been too quick to dart off. She hadn't thought to tell him what she was doing. Kaerishiel would skin her if he found out about this.

Talathel appeared at that moment, appearing out of the shadows with no concern for how close Zevran came to shooting him. Then again, given an arrow could do no more harm to him then it could to the air, there wasn't much reason to worry. He nodded to Zevran, then gestured in Kallian's direction.

Zevran relaxed at once, then nodded to the spirit and towards Kallian. He touched one ear then held up three fingers. Three drow then. One for each of them. "Kalli," he hissed, whispering her nickname with the odd twist Undercommon put on it. "Let Talathel and myself strike first and draw their attention. Then you can shoot from the shadows."

Kallian suppressed her shudder at the language. She was never going to not hate the sound of Undercommon. Still, she knew Zevran was using it to throw a touch more confusion on the scene in case they were overheard. "Agreed," she whispered in the same tongue. As she spoke, her hold on the shadows slipped and Zevran was able to meet her eyes.

Then the moment was over. Zevran stepped forward and his own command of the darkness masked him from sight.

Kallian watched the night swallow Talathel as well. Then she drew in a breath and called the shadows back to her. As they cloaked her, Kallian realised that she was somewhat aware of Zevran up ahead. His touch of shadow ability was nothing like hers, yet it was there. Almost like a taste on the air. Unexpected and not quite right to her senses, a difference impossible to put into words. She pushed it from her mind for now and focused on keeping her footfall light and her hold on the shadows firm. Fear made sweat start to drip down her neck, cold and irritating. She tried to acknowledge the feeling and dismiss it from her mind. It didn't work. She gritted her teeth and listened for the first sounds of battle.

What she heard first wasn't, quite, a scream. There was a meaty thud, then a wheezing gasp. Then there were shouts. Curses made all the more vile by the Undercommon they were spoken in. Kallian darted forward a few steps until she could see past the trees. She lined up her shot. Drew back her arrow as she drew in a breath. Then released both. She was already moving and regaining her hold on the shadows as her arrow stuck a drow in the back. It wasn't a fatal shot. Her aim had been off. She'd missed the heart and lungs. Still, an arrow stuck in one's collarbone was distracting.

The drow howled and broke off his attack on Zevran. Furious black eyes searched the darkness. "There's more than one!" he snarled in his own tongue, the vile tones twisted still more in pain. "Kill this one, then find the other."

"Oh, I think not," Zevran replied in Elven. He stepped to the side and vanished.

Kallian smiled, reading another arrow. She sighted on the third Drow, the one who'd yet to be injured. Her arrow flew, just as those dark eyes locked on hers.

Before the arrow could reach its target, the Drow vanished.

Kallian froze, even as Zevran's dagger appeared across the throat of the drow she'd shot.

"Shit!" he cursed. "Back to back, Kalli!"

Kallian moved fast, abandoning stealth to race to Zevran's side. They turned, standing back to back so as not to present an easy target. Barely breathing, they strained their ears for the slightest sound that could be a footstep. Kallian, aware her eyes were better in the dark, watched for moment. The drow was invisible. The foliage around them wasn't.

There! Kallian's bow snapped up. Her arrow bounced off something. Zevran's hit left and lower, sticking in the target even as he tugged Kallian aside, out of the way of the crossbow bolt that flew back at them. She hit the ground hard, catching herself on a rock. Her hip exploded in fiery pain. She hissed as she struggled back to her feet.

Zevran blocked the drow's blade with his crossed daggers, inches from Kallian's head. "Stealth!" he snapped. "Fuck!" Staggering back a step, he managed to catch the drow's sword on his armour rather than his face. Twisting, he whirled around to return the favour. His left hand dagger caught the drow across the check. Only to pay for the minor wound with a hot pain up his right arm. He didn't need to look to know that wicked blade had found a weak point in his armour.

"Die," hissed the drow, dark eyes gleaming. "First you, then the girl." He smiled as he held up his sword, shining with Zevran's blood, then swung.

Clumsy, Zevran thought, ducking and spinning to strike back. There wasn't time to think more on that. His right arm burned. With more than just the pain of the cut. "Poison!" he called in warning, noticing he couldn't see Kallian. Gritting his teeth, he slashed at the drow in a complicated duel dagger manoeuvre. His right arm was numb. Was already becoming clumsy. He knew even before the drow blocked that his timing was off. Only my arm, he thought, letting his right dagger drop. He'd been exposed to enough poisons over the years to recognise this one. A nasty little cocktail of the drow, it would leave him completely paralysed if not treated. But Zevran's resistance was better than most. He had time.

The drow swung again, focused on Zevran's legs. He seemed to have forgotten Kallian, or assumed she'd fled, in his desire to disable the elf he could see. He only realised his mistake when an arrow stuck hard into his neck. Eyes wide, not quite understanding, the drow lifted a hand to the shaft. He stumbled back a slow step... then two... then fell to the ground like a felled tree. Blood seeped from between his lips as he lay, twitching, in the dirt. His remaining companion fell at the same time, his life force drained away by Telethel's touch on her ankle.

"Good shot," Zevran told Kallian, shifting to cradle his numb arm.

"Took too long," Kallian spat back in disgust. "You're hurt. How bad is it?" Reaching into her belt pouch, she removed a roll of bandage and hurried over to begin tending to her partner's wound.

"It's just a flesh wound," Zevran replied. "But it's poisoned." At Kallian's look of horror, he held up his good hand reassuringly. "It's one of those that I use. I carry antidotes to all my poisons, Kalli. A little support back to camp is all I need."

Kallian relaxed and wrapped Zevran's numb arm around her shoulders, bracing him. "Good thing you've built up a resistance. You're too heavy for me to drag your dead weight back to camp."

"Are you calling me fat?" Zevran replied in mock horror, smiling.

"You said it, not me," Kallian replied. "Now hush. There might be more listening to you run your mouth off."

"Unlikely," Zevran replied, becoming serious in a heart beat. "This far from Celwynvian and not at the attack on Crying Leaf? They'll be low ranked scouts or followers, hoping to curry favour with a Family by taking out a few escapees from the town. Those types travel in smaller packs. Less people to spread the praise to."

"Perhaps, but better to be safe then sorry," she murmured. "Talathel, keep a look out."

The shadow nodded, but it turned out that Zevran was right. They ran into no other problems on their short journey back to the camp. While the woods were no doubt full of drow, the important thing was that none were still close to their camp.

Kallian shivered a little as she lay Zevran down on his bedroll and went to get his pack. It was a cold night, made to feel colder by their close call and the silver moonlight. She'd learnt that she disliked cold camps, even more then she'd hated the dark nights in Rag's End.

"Cold?" Zevran asked as she returned. "There's a spare blanket in my pack. Wrap up. I need one of the blue vials in the inner right pocket. Yes, that one. It should smell of mint."

Kallian sniffed and raised an eyebrow at Zevran. "Mint?" She handed the bottle over. "Should I be concerned about drinking your mint tea?"

Zevran smirked, swallowing the contents of the vial. "Should I ever need to kill you my dear, I promise I shall be open about it."

Kallian met his eyes for a long moment, then nodded. "Same goes, Zev," she replied. "Same goes." Neither of them were joking now, she knew. The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable and Kallian dug out the offered blanket. Settling it around Zevran's shoulders, she murmured, "I'm going to go deal with the bodies."

"Take Talathel and don't take too long," Zevran replied. "Just because the area should be reasonably clear doesn't mean it's wise to be alone too long."

Kallian nodded and moved away from the camp, cloaking herself in the shadows between one step and the next. Burying bodies, particularly alone on a cold night in dark woods, was not a pleasant task. But it was necessary if the group was to go undetected.

"This will be easier when you can use the Shadow Plane to mimic magic," Talathel commented, watching Kallian digging. "Pit creation is one of the spells that'll be in your grasp."

"Great," Kallian muttered. "Can we skip to that stage now?"

"You'll be there soon," was Talathel's reply.

"Not soon enough," Kallian replied under her breath, dragging the cooling body of a drow into the ditch. By the time she'd covered up all three bodies and made sure the ground looked undisturbed, she was shivering. The work had been enough to ward off the chill of the night area, but it could do nothing for the gut churning, instinctive dread that had come from the gory work. Kallian was glad to have made it through the task without vomiting. At least she was spared that shame, and the almost equally unpleasant task of clearing up her mess.

She was gladder still when she was back in the camp and Zevran wordlessly shifted to share his blanket with her. "Zev…" Kallian paused, glancing back over her shoulder to make sure their companions were deep in trance. "I'm glad you're alright. You are alright, right? The poison…"

"Is nothing fatal, even if I didn't have the antidote," Zevran replied. "The drow don't often go for quick kills. A paralysed prisoner is more useful than a dead body. It's unpleasant and painful without the antidote, but it wears off after a half day." He braced himself as he saw the dawning realisation in Kallian's eyes.

"Zev," she began slowly, "you said you carry antidotes for all the poisons you carry. Do you also carry antidotes for poisons you don't use?"

"Some." Zevran knew he could leave it there. Could leave the flicker of relief on Kallian's face and not start shattering the last of her innocence this soon. But… Above and beyond the fact he was starting to care about this girl, he owed Kaerishiel a debt. Leaving Kallian innocent would kill her as surely as a dagger in the girl's heart. "But that's not one of those I just have antidotes for." He spoke flatly, his words blunt enough to ensure there'd be no misunderstandings.

Kallian was silent for a long moment, thinking through the implications of that. Finally, she asked, "I assume it's to capture Drow? Why? I haven't seen us making any attempt to do so yet."

Zevran nodded. "You wouldn't have. Scouts and stragglers aren't worth the effort, unless we find they've infiltrated our ranks. Sometimes though, it pays to take one of the higher ranks for... questioning." He glanced at her and saw she understood the darker implication behind his words. "We're not perfect people, Kallian. We may stand as the 'light against the dark' but that doesn't mean we don't get our hands pretty damn dirty. The Shadow Company gets even darker and dirtier than most."

Kallian was silent again for another moment, then nodded. "Sometimes it takes a wrong to right another wrong, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Zevran said. "The Drow are evil, Kalli. Don't ever doubt that. But don't get yourself caught up in the idea of being 'good' or a 'hero'. Heroes are fools who haven't died yet and good is for the clerics and the paladins." He gave her a twisted half smile. "Neither of those groups welcome spies, thieves and assassins and make no mistake, that's what we are. We're the darkness of the Shin'Rakorath and, while they'll use us, we'll never be fully trusted by most of them. Can you handle that, Kallian? If not, say so while there's still time for you to move to a standard soldier's role."

Kallian drew in a deep breath. "I've spent my entire life being mistrusted at best and outright despised most of the time, Zevran. I know what's out here now, and I want to do my part in stopping it. If this is where my skills can be best used, then I'm going to do my best to use them as you and the others need."

"Good attitude." Caladrel's voice startled Kallian as he came to sit beside her. "But make sure you use your skills as you need them too. You've got a good head on your shoulders, Kalli. We've all seen that. So trust your instincts. They'll do a lot more to keep you alive than strictly following orders." He smiled and added, "And my instincts are telling me to let you rest." He tapped the copper band on his finger. "This means I don't need any more trance time than Zev does and I don't feel like getting any extra tonight. So go on. Go trance and I'll take over the watch. No sense in you going into your first mission exhausted." He drummed his fingers on the dirt as he spoke.

"Cal's right," Zevran said at once. "Go on, Kalli. You did well in volunteering and in guarding the camp, but tomorrow is going to be a long day. Rest while you can."

Kallian considered protesting. She'd had late nights before, after all. But she didn't usually have them then go on to fight for her life. So the two men had a good point and, instead of arguing, she got to her feet. With a nod of farewell she moved over to her bedroll and settled down to trance, vaguely aware of Zevran's eyes following her.

With a sigh, Zevran looked back to Caladrel. "Go on," he told his friend. "Say what's on your mind." He knew Caladrel would not have given the signal he had if there was not something he wished to discuss without Kallian.

Caladrel sighed as well, leaning back to stare up at the dark canopy overhead. "Merry said Kalli was with you before the attack, but then Kalli ended up alone in the middle of everything. Is there a problem that Jath needs to know about?"

"No," Zevran replied. Then he drew a dagger and began toying with it. "Maybe. I don't know if it's a problem… exactly."

"Not like you to be uncertain," Caladrel replied. "Care to talk about it?"

"I don't know," Zevran said. He looked over at Kallian again, watching the steady up and down motion of her breathing.

"Merry's right," Caladrel sighed after a moment. "You're attracted to her, aren't you? Zev…" He paused then lowered his voice still more. "Are you sure that's a good idea? She's young, and she's likely to take things a lot more seriously than your usual bedmates."

"What if I want to take things more seriously than usual?"

Caladrel stared at Zevran for a moment, then muttered a curse under his breath. "Gods above, Zev… Is that really what you want? I mean, after what happened last time…"

Zevran closed his eyes, then opened them again. "That's rather the problem, old friend. Kalli looks so like her. I don't know what I want, or why."

"I suggest you figure it out then." Caladrel rose, giving Zevran a hard stare. "You two having a relationship is a complication. You two tripping over tangled heart strings is a death sentence. Jathel will toss you both before he lets you get killed out here." He turned and strode across the camp.

"I know, Cal," sighed Zevran to the space his friend had left behind. "I know."

Author's Note: Yet again, another author's note in a story that was meant to have none. And again it is to apologise for the delay between chapters. I am aiming for a chapter or two a month, however I have a full time job, a volunteer job and archery training. All of which have to be a higher priority than sitting down to write sometimes.

On top of these, I've had a torn rotator cuff (Don't do that. It hurts like hell for months) that's only recently healed and which for awhile made it too painful to sit and write. Now that it's getting better and we're coming into the slow season for archery, I hope to maintain a chapter a month. November is coming back around, however, and that means NaNoWriMo, so you may get two chapters this month and none next month. We'll see. All I can promise is that this story won't be abandoned.