Strangers

Note: This story is a collaboration with me and my dear friend, Silki Sil, and, therefore, I do not take full credit for its creation.

Nadia sat in a large armchair near the fireplace, the smoke from the roaring flames giving the common room a dank and musty atmosphere. The inn, the Deadman's Cove, was located at the southern end of town near the docks, an end that most dignified members of society openly refused to enter, save for the most extreme of circumstances. However, Nadia was far from being considered "dignified". In fact, she was barely considered to be anything above a parasite. This didn't bother the drow, though. She was used to such opinions, and it just helped to increase her reputation in her business. Slowly, she sipped her elven wine, her free hand wrapping tendrils of white smoke around her fingers. She then began to sing a small spell, the tendrils twisting and twirling until they formed the illusion of smoke fairies dancing upon her fingertips.

Lunia walked into the Deadman's Cove from the pouring rain. It wasn't the kind of place she would usually enter, but it was the only place open at this time of night and she had to get out of the rain. She stood there for a moment, seeping in the atmosphere of the inn. The air was dank and thick with smoke coming from the fireplace, giving the inn a mysterious air. Lunia glanced around the area, taking note of all the patrons - everyone was either absorbed in their drink or already passed out from drinking too much. All except for one drow. She was sitting by the fire, talking to herself, it seemed, until you saw the smoke fairies dancing around her cup. Interesting, she thought.

Lunia walked toward the inn keeper and asked if there were any rooms available. The innkeeper, a short and burly man, gave her a curious look over. She certainly didn't fit his normal patronage, but he wasn't one to turn away a potential customer. "Only one room left," he replied.

She sighed, knowing he will raise the price. "How much will it be?"

"Two gold..."

I guess it can't be helped. She paid the inn keeper the two gold, plus one silver for her wine and made her way to the interesting drow near the fireplace and sat across from her. Lunia didn't say a word, she just sat and sipped her wine.

Nadia looked up from the fairies, and took note of the woman that sat before her. Although it was normal for the inn to receive patrons this late in the evening, this particular patron didn't seem to quite fit in. In fact, now that she thought about it, Nadia couldn't recall ever seeing the woman around town. A newcomer? Perhaps... Many new people in town stumbled into the inn, a fortunate turn of events for the patrons, not so much for the individual. Although not richly dressed, the woman did appear to have some coin to spare. Perhaps tonight was the drow's lucky night after all.
 She smiled to the woman, giving a small nod of welcome and raising her glass as well. A simple greeting, but one she hoped would comfort the stranger. She then banished the fairies, thinking of something more entertaining for the Deadman's new guest. Nadia reached towards the fire, a spell on her lips, and it appeared as if she grabbed a branch of white smoke and tugged it free from its red-orange base. She then released the smoke into the air, where it began to wiggle and writhe until it took the form of a dragon. Throwing up another small piece of smoke, a human emerged and the makings of a great battle played out before them.


Lunia nodded and smiled back at the drow sitting across from her. She then watched in astonishment as the drow worked her magic on the smoke. She had seen things like this before, but it never failed to awe her. The drow sitting across from her was very talented at this - not all people with this talent could do what she was doing with such ease. Who was this person? She must be more than she appeared to be. Lunia was careful not to get too pulled into the battle between the human and dragon, she knew that the very image itself could be a spell meant to do her harm. As she watched, she distracted her mind to other, more important matters.



She had to find a way to help her city. The only clues she was given was to seek the lost brethren. Lunia had no idea who these lost brethren were or where to find them. In all the elves' history books, there has never been any mention of a long lost brethren of the elves. But brethren could mean many things. It may not have even been another group of elves but rather another race that was considered to be their brethren. 

As the smoke display came to an end, she looked at the drow across from her in the eyes, smiled and said, "That was a beautiful display of skill. I am Lunia of Zentra, pleasure to meet you." She bowed while still seated, all the while looking straight into the other drow's eyes.

The corners of the drow's lips lifted up into a small smirk. "Nadia Ardhan, milady," she replied, her eyes meeting the high elf's with a curious intensity. "And," she added, "I wouldn't do that again, if I were you." Her eyes flashed red for a moment, before they returned to the fireplace. "Looking a drow in the eye could be quite deadly. You never know what you are revealing to them." Now, Nadia wasn't the clairvoyant type, but she knew some of her kind that were and she saw no harm in letting this elf think the same of her. She could tell, however, that this Lunia was searching for something. Of who or what, she hadn't a clue, but perhaps she would be able to offer her services. It had been awhile since Nadia had taken up a job of any sort. Maybe it was time she was on her feet again.

"So," she finally began again, after a moment of thought. "What brings you to this fine establishment at such a late hour, Lunia of Zentra?"

The elf's eyes did not falter at the red glint in the drow's. Lunia had been taught about the drows; she was half drow herself, afterall. Her father had run away from the high elves' home when he was young and found himself at a drewen town. He was shunned by the drows, but one took pity on him and they eventually got married. They had decided to move back to her father's hometown when they found out her mother was pregnant with Lunia. A peaceful cottage is where they made their home for 18 peaceful elven-years when, suddenly, everything was turned upside down.