The jackal tracked the retreating form of her old companion. She was much changed from the frightened, dying girl they had found on this table. The years had made her brave, for she had put herself at great risk by coming here to warn them.
"See you around, Screamy McGetUsAllKilled." It wasn't really a fitting nickname, anymore.
There was no answer from Relka until her body was completely wreathed by shadow. "Take a bath, Lorn."
Lorn felt a pang of pride. She had taught Relka to jackal like that, long ago.
She turned and there was Siege, young as Relka was, watching intently the promise of violence about to be inflicted upon Neles, who had carelessly insulted half the party, and an old friend. He was also very drunk and gods how she envied that. In a party where an Aasimar, a Tiefling, and a Barghest managed to keep it civil, he was shaping up to be bad news.
Lorn saw Torrim's hand twitch, imperceptibly, on the handle of his axe.
Just how many of these whelps was she going to have whip and nurse?
The jackal stepped into the middle of it, as if unaware of what had transpired.
"So we're all in agreement that getting murdered by a bunch of brain-washed holy rollers is horse cock." Truth be told, Lorn was relieved. There were too many bad memories in Westyard, ones that she didn't see the need in confronting. She had everything that mattered to her, already. A rogue with everything to lose. "If we're going to take padre's jewelry back and become stinking rich, we'll need to find a tunnel to take us to the northern chambers." The surface would have to wait a little longer.
Lorn set off ahead of the group, following scent and memory to find the entrance to the Sun's Chamber, a gaping, broken serpent's maw, on the other end of the table. She let out a shrill canine howl to signal the others. Then waited for them to come.
The others winced at Lorn's shrill calls in the distance, at first not wanting to follow that terrible sound, yet their eagerness to breech the surface eventually won over. It was no surprise that much of the party kept Neles at a distance as they traversed the giant's table. Except for one: the saturnine silent girl, said to be the jackal's daughter. Neles didn't see the resemblance.
"I've heard about wolves, though I've never seen one." Siege was swallowed by a tatty, gray overcoat, only her fingertips, smudged with spent mana and spell components, peaked through the sleeves. She moved with confidence in the dark.
For his part, Neles was bemused, this was the most the girl had ever spoken to him. But he was also too drunk to make small talk with cursed children. Neles tried to widen the distance between them.
"I've heard about their strength and cunning." She followed him like a little shadow with shining eyes. "And what becomes of a lone wolf, separated from its pack."
Neles stopped, made a half turn towards Siege, then felt the dart kiss his neck. His slumped forward on numb limbs, tongue heavy as lead, vision fading.
Siege held him steady with an embrace. There was the odor of burnt bread around her. In his delirium, Neles saw reflected in her black eyes the void gnashing its teeth.
They didn't exist for a moment. In the next they did, within one of the empty wine bottles. "It's sad." Siege left the unconscious Neles sheltered within the glass, before Jaunting again, back to the others.
Erastian had witnessed it. He was watching her, an eyebrow raised, dubious, disdainful.
Siege shrugged, keeping silent as they left the table for the abandoned serpent tunnels. Lorn rejoined them later, her bandolier short one Drow Poison vial.
"Hmph, the signal was to leave him in the wine bottle that was still full, brat."
"The light must be affecting my eyes."