***We're back to the gang on the mountain in this chapter. By the way, the mountain that they're on is not the one referred to below. It's where they're headed to eventually. I've tried to be a little creative in trying to make use of features which I believe would likely survive the sort of things which have happened. Try to remember that from the viewpoint of the characters in this, something which you or I might just assume to be permanent would be ancient and many things have been forgotten. Four hundred years is twenty generations in human terms. The infrastructure which we all take for granted is largely gone. There are no highways. They've turned into the same sort of cowpaths that the many of the old well-built Roman roads are to us today. 0_o
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Book of the Mountain Clan, Part 3
"Vadren's showed me his mage staff," Sariel said over dinner with the excitement of a child, "It's alive, and it looks so – "
"I know," Rachel smiled, looking past her son at the staff as it leaned up against the wall. It had been placed there out of his sight for fear that the boy wouldn't eat a thing because of his fixation with the article.
The entire thing had been fashioned out of one piece of wood, the roots of a particular tree where they'd grown down through the earth to wrap themselves around an ancient Drow shrine. No one worshiped there anymore, the particular city where it was situated had been cursed and looted ages ago and now stood empty and deserted, save for the fearsome beasts which prowled the forgotten streets.
The head of Vadren's staff carried an intricate carving of a female with her arms out from her sides as though flying. Over her back, three spiked prongs carried past her, as though they were the points where her will left her when a spell was cast using the staff. The small figure moved a little slowly all of the time.
"The tree was the home of dryads once," Vadren said, "and my staff carries the spirit of one of them. It was left in the place where it was made, and the journey to the place was almost the death of me many times. I did not know that it was there. It was not the reason that I went there at all. But I found that the tree's roots were being consumed by many nasty little things. I thought that it was wrong, and so I killed them all. When the last one died, the roots moved and the staff was handed to me by one of them.
It serves me well, though I have tried to release the figure there several times, thinking that she was imprisoned, but it came to me in a dream that it was not so and that the staff was a gift. She does not speak to me often, but she has in the past and she told me that she is my servant.
Lately, she has told me that I ought to seek a young learner, promising to yield two small wands out of the wood – one for the learner. He or she must be young and bright, having no wish to harm nature or her trees. But I have found no one."
"You have not exactly looked very hard either," Cha'Khah smirked.
It was all that she had the time to say before Azriel began.
"I will think on it," Vadren smiled as he held up his hand.
Much later, after Sariel was in his bed they talked. "He's a boy, and though he has some ability, I haven't taught him very much at all" Rachel said. "I haven't had the time or lately, the desire to. But I know that he'll need to know something one day. Both of us have a lot to teach, Azrael."
"Not only us," he said, indicating the others.
"He has a quick mind and a good eye," Cha'Khah smiled, "it would be a waste not to show him something."
They fell silent for a few moments. "It will not be long before the weather begins to turn," Vadren said, "It leaves us only a very short time in which to begin here where there is little to distract him. He should know at least the basics for one of his young age before you think to return to Cheyenne Mountain."
"And try to remember that not all of us can fly like you three," Cha'Khah said, "and the drowling cannot fly far as you both likely can. There are too many of us for you to take back in an instant with your magic traveling, Azrael."
"I know," he said, "but I gave my word to Rachel that we would stay here until the beginning of the winter."
Rachel shook her head, "There's still time," she said, "teach him whatever you think that he'll need – as long as it's within his ability to use properly and not burn down the mountain or hurt anyone. I said what I did hoping that it would give him and you the time to get to know each other and form the kinship that I think really needs to be there between a father and his son – especially a pair who only came to know each other recently. But the way that you two are going, I don't think that I should have been worried."
Cha'Khah excused herself to go outside. "There will be a fine moon tonight," she said, "I wish to make my prayers to the goddess to ask for her guidance for the drowling and if I should teach him."
She stepped outside and Rachel looked at Vadren, "What was that about?"
"Most of our people worship a nasty spider goddess," he said, "one who rewards cruelty and intrigue. The society is ruled over by females who hold all power, something like ants. I do not care who holds the power, I only wanted not to be treated as dung because I was born a male.
There are few of us, but there are some Drow who live on the surface. They tend not to follow the spider-faith and many choose to follow a different goddess, one who does not hold males in contempt. I am coming to feel the want to see for myself one night soon. If we are quiet and offer respect, we may go to watch my cousin. She dances in the moonlight for the goddess."
"Your cousin?" Rachel asked, "That's the second time that I've heard you refer to her that way. She says the same thing when she refers to you, but from what I see you're a little close to use that word as though you were at a family reunion. You're almost distant enough not to be cousins at all."
He shrugged, "We are cousins several times removed. We did not know each other or grow up together, and we are far enough apart to wed if we wished to. It may come to that one day," he smiled, "There are few chances that we have found for our hearts otherwise. Neither of us wanted to remain where we were for much longer."
They went outside to watch Cha'Khah as she danced with a sword in her hand. Rachel fell in love with it immediately. She'd never seen anything so beautiful to watch, and it went on for a long time before she stopped.
Cha'Khah trotted over to Vadren, who had already begun to make his way to her and they walked off a little way before they began to kiss and before long, she had him out of his clothing and onto his back. Rachel saw her friend's red eyes regarding her as she rode Vadren with a smile of pleasure. Rachel felt a little silly, but she offered a small wave of encouragement as she walked away holding Azrael's hand.
