She refused any meal he offered her during their breaks and didn’t answer any of his questions. She simply just shut herself off from him and was literally just along for the trip. The thrall stayed 20 paces back from them and would not approach either Valas or the girl during stops. There was no doubt in Valas’s mind that the girl purposely had the thrall following them from behind. He would have done the same if he were in her shoes.
The caverns were growing colder the closer they got to the surface. It was winter in Luskan and it was a bad one this year. Valas looked over his shoulder toward the girl. She wasn’t dressed for the colder climate of the surface and he could tell she was cold. He gently tapped a silver and black button on his vest and instantly a black cloak appeared in his hand. Stopping, he turned to face the girl, taking to one knee and pulling the cloak around her shoulders.
“It’s only going to get colder from here on out and you aren’t dressed appropriately for the nasty winter that has the surface in its grip.”
“Thank you Valas, sir. I haven’t ever seen a winter before.” She cautiously admitted with a meek smile.
“Never? Not even when you were with your father?” he asked.
“No, not ever, nor have I ever seen, a summer, spring, or autumn. I have not seen any of the surface’s seasons.”
“I find it hard to believe that you, being human, have been down here your whole life? Child, your young, I am sure you must be confused, you probably don’t remember much.” Valas paused to look at her.
She could tell he was growing uneasy with her account of her past. Her abilities allowed her to remember everything from the time her heart first started beating in her mother's womb. Of course those memories are complicated and confusing and now she is able to recall them from a detached point of view.
Valas was a nice drow, as nice as a drow could be. Though she knew in her heart his kindness toward her was an outcome of her own doing. She also knew he was fully aware of the effect she had on him, but as long as she could keep his trust he would see no reason to challenge the emotions she was projecting into him. She sensed that he wasn’t the type to attack without reason and she knew he was smart.
Valas was a nice drow, as nice as a drow could be. Though she knew in her heart his kindness toward her was an outcome of her own doing. She also knew he was fully aware of the effect she had on him, but as long as she could keep his trust he would see no reason to challenge the emotions she was projecting into him. She sensed that he wasn’t the type to attack without reason and she knew he was smart.
She also sensed a deep rooted loneliness at the core of his being. He found strength in his solitude and how he lived his life. He liked it so much so, he preferred it over company. He found peace in it. The life of a rogue scout suited him well.
The shadows-the nooks and crannies of the Underdark were places where he found solace. There was an interesting story behind Valas and as she secretly scoured his mind, she found she liked his story. Suddenly, Valas scaled a wall up toward a hole in the tunnel. She noted how at home and in perfect harmony Valas was with his surroundings.
"We will rest here," he declared as he threw a rope out and motioned for her to climb up. Grabbing the end, she anchored her first foot in a crevice and began her climb. The wall was cold, wet, and slick. She was finding it difficult to climb the wall even with the help of the rope.
Fear was growing in the pit of her stomach as she grew to understand the predicament she was in. Should she fall, Valas would be free from her emotional grip and who knew what he would do to her. They were close enough to the surface now, that she could find her own way, but fear of the foreign world had turned Valas necessity.
"We will rest here," he declared as he threw a rope out and motioned for her to climb up. Grabbing the end, she anchored her first foot in a crevice and began her climb. The wall was cold, wet, and slick. She was finding it difficult to climb the wall even with the help of the rope.
Fear was growing in the pit of her stomach as she grew to understand the predicament she was in. Should she fall, Valas would be free from her emotional grip and who knew what he would do to her. They were close enough to the surface now, that she could find her own way, but fear of the foreign world had turned Valas necessity.
“Valas, I’m, I’m slipping, and I can’t climb any further. Help me, please, I am scared.” Her hands were wet and she couldn’t find her grip and her small fingers were quickly growing numb. Suddenly the wall fell away from her and the world around her whirled.
Valas, hearing the young girl's plea for help, was quick to react, reaching and grabbing her arm. The momentum of her fall combined with his sudden grip brought her face first into the rock wall. The thrall was also alerted to the girl’s situation and made a dash to help her. Valas began pulling her up into the cavern nook, her nose was bleeding, she had scratches on her fore arms, and tears were welling up in her eyes.
Valas, hearing the young girl's plea for help, was quick to react, reaching and grabbing her arm. The momentum of her fall combined with his sudden grip brought her face first into the rock wall. The thrall was also alerted to the girl’s situation and made a dash to help her. Valas began pulling her up into the cavern nook, her nose was bleeding, she had scratches on her fore arms, and tears were welling up in her eyes.
He handed her a piece of cloth for her nose, "You made quite a commotion, let us hope nothing lurking out there in the dark heard."
“I’m sorry,” she whispered through the cloth she held at her nose.
“Sorry?" he sneered with a harsh sarcastic tone. “I usually do not succumb to such dire pangs of emotions. I know what you are doing to me and I can't seem to stop it. I can't completely focus under your spell and a lack of focus here in the Underdark, or above for that matter, is the difference between life and death!"
Valas met her gaze with cold eyes, "Our lives depend on my ability to protect us. Your mental, emotional, or whatever in the nine Hells they may be are endangering our lives.”
Valas met her gaze with cold eyes, "Our lives depend on my ability to protect us. Your mental, emotional, or whatever in the nine Hells they may be are endangering our lives.”
"Don't think I don't know this. But I am doing what I feel I need to do to ensure my survival, surely you can understand this Valas?" her eyes returned his glare with equal coldness and a dash of contempt.
"Besides, these abilities or whatever in the nine hells they may or may not be, have kept me alive down here. That speaks volumes of my capabilities. Me? Alive down here? A mere child and human no less! You don't want to deal with me under any other circumstance Valas, trust me!"
Valas knew the child was right and didn't challenge her any further. All he had to do was remind himself of two illithids who had obviously met their doom in her small hands, or head. She was obviously very capable of surviving which had him wondering why she even needed his help in the first place.
“For such a small child, and a human no less, you have an impressive understanding of the world around you. Your ability to survive as long as you have, has me baffled, and I am not about to question your abilities, trust me when I say that whatever it is you are capable of, I am terrified. I despise psions, I hate them!" Valas openly admitted, realizing he didn't mean to say the last sentiment of his outloud.
He studied her expression thinking she would be angry about his last omission but instead she wore a sorrowful expression.
"I hate them too," she replied, "I wish I could be different than what I am. If I was, I wouldn't be here now. If I was, things would have turned out differently."
Again, Valas found her statement intriguing and wanted to know more but knew it was probably in his best interest to not ask, besides their time together would be short. It was in his best interest to get her to release him from whatever it was she was doing to him.
"Child, please listen to me, your grip on my emotions is jeopardizing my ability to survive, I will not harm you, you have me word,” Valas pleaded.
The child hesitated briefly before replying, "I don’t trust that you would protect me should we encounter trouble and all I care about is getting to the surface. Once there, you are done with me, I promise.”
"Besides, these abilities or whatever in the nine hells they may or may not be, have kept me alive down here. That speaks volumes of my capabilities. Me? Alive down here? A mere child and human no less! You don't want to deal with me under any other circumstance Valas, trust me!"
Valas knew the child was right and didn't challenge her any further. All he had to do was remind himself of two illithids who had obviously met their doom in her small hands, or head. She was obviously very capable of surviving which had him wondering why she even needed his help in the first place.
“For such a small child, and a human no less, you have an impressive understanding of the world around you. Your ability to survive as long as you have, has me baffled, and I am not about to question your abilities, trust me when I say that whatever it is you are capable of, I am terrified. I despise psions, I hate them!" Valas openly admitted, realizing he didn't mean to say the last sentiment of his outloud.
He studied her expression thinking she would be angry about his last omission but instead she wore a sorrowful expression.
"I hate them too," she replied, "I wish I could be different than what I am. If I was, I wouldn't be here now. If I was, things would have turned out differently."
Again, Valas found her statement intriguing and wanted to know more but knew it was probably in his best interest to not ask, besides their time together would be short. It was in his best interest to get her to release him from whatever it was she was doing to him.
"Child, please listen to me, your grip on my emotions is jeopardizing my ability to survive, I will not harm you, you have me word,” Valas pleaded.
The child hesitated briefly before replying, "I don’t trust that you would protect me should we encounter trouble and all I care about is getting to the surface. Once there, you are done with me, I promise.”
Valas let out a slight laugh, “Protect you? Child, you have your wretched illithid creation out there to protect you, I cannot fully control my actions with you in my head. I don’t like it one bit and I insist that you stop it at once."
She just looked at him with a blank expression. No response, nothing. In that instance she reminded him once again of his own master.
"Let me warn you that I do carry some very powerful magic items that could pose a challenge for you if you choose to press this issue with me.” he challenged.
She just looked at him with a blank expression. No response, nothing. In that instance she reminded him once again of his own master.
"Let me warn you that I do carry some very powerful magic items that could pose a challenge for you if you choose to press this issue with me.” he challenged.
“The trinkets you wear on your vest will provide you no safety from my interference. They are not strong enough and I am sorry, but you are a drow. I cannot trust you anymore than I can trust an illithid, or any other creature of the Underdark for that matter. I have learned my lessons the hard way many times over and I will not make the same mistakes twice. So forgive me when I say I cannot release you.” explained the girl with an uncanny amusement that Valas found rather insulting and out of context.
"Again, you have my word." he made one final attempt at persuading her.
"A drow's word?" she asked coldly.
"Valas's word."
The child sat in silence, staring at him, thinking with a look of consternation plastered all over her face. She was definitely in the midst of a deep dialogue with herself, debating whether to listen to him or follow her gut. He hoped she would listen to him.
“Alright then, if I can’t convince you to trust me then the very least you could do is tell me your name."
The little girl locked eyes with him, “Laenaia, Laenaia Manaallin that is my name. My father simply just called me Lanie, for short,” she looked away from him, as if considering saying something more, then met his gaze again, “you may call my Lanie, too, if you wish.”
“Lanie it is then.” Valas whispered, sitting back and studying her. He carefully looked her over he wanted to figure her out, he wanted to know more about her. He studied her carefully noticing how unusual she was.
Valas didn't know why he hadn't paid much attention to her appearance before, but her features were strange for a human. She was lithe and very angular similar to an elven build but she was a far cry from being an elf. He had attributed her odd pale skin color to her being malnourished, but he now believed that her skin was actually very pale, like she hadn't seen the sun at all in her lifetime.
Valas didn't know why he hadn't paid much attention to her appearance before, but her features were strange for a human. She was lithe and very angular similar to an elven build but she was a far cry from being an elf. He had attributed her odd pale skin color to her being malnourished, but he now believed that her skin was actually very pale, like she hadn't seen the sun at all in her lifetime.
“We will be on the surface tomorrow. You should know that the surface really isn’t much different than down here. It is still a dangerous place, and being that you are only a child, I don’t know how you intend on managing all by yourself up there. Have you even considered what you are going to be confronted with tomorrow?”
This time she did not look at him, she sat knees folded against her chest playing with her fingers. “I’ll figure something out.”
The numbness in the back of his head subsided and he felt his senses come rushing back to him like the oxygen rushing back to a set of lungs stifled by momentary suffocation. She had let him go.
“There," she said, "I can let you go now, I know you won’t kill me, you haven’t any reason to and you are not the type to go out of your way to kill someone for no reason, Valas Hune. I can trust you... slightly.”
Valas didn't know what to do or say. He was afraid to do anything really. He feared saying the wrong thing would land him right back in her grip but he needed to know more about her. Lanie was a curiousity and he couldn't help himself.
"I know you have psionic abilities but there is more to you than that isn't there? Your a psychic empath too, aren't you?" he asked pointedly, "I know you have psionic abilities, given the way you were able to subdue me when we first met and judging by the way I found myself so emotionally entangled I assume you are able to project emotions?
She crawled over toward him, "if you say so, I don't like talking about it" she said without confirming or denying his assessment of her.
He followed her stare down towards his magically enhance back bag where his Kukris were resting. She seemed oddly intrigued by something she saw there.
Valas didn't know what to do or say. He was afraid to do anything really. He feared saying the wrong thing would land him right back in her grip but he needed to know more about her. Lanie was a curiousity and he couldn't help himself.
"I know you have psionic abilities but there is more to you than that isn't there? Your a psychic empath too, aren't you?" he asked pointedly, "I know you have psionic abilities, given the way you were able to subdue me when we first met and judging by the way I found myself so emotionally entangled I assume you are able to project emotions?
She crawled over toward him, "if you say so, I don't like talking about it" she said without confirming or denying his assessment of her.
He followed her stare down towards his magically enhance back bag where his Kukris were resting. She seemed oddly intrigued by something she saw there.
"What is that?" she pointed toward the edge of a book that was barely visible from one of Valas's bags.
"That would be a book."
"I can see that Valas, but a book about what?" she questioned, "I like books."
"Its a collection of very ancient stories about Corellon Larethian." Valas explained.
"The creator of the elves? Lanies eyes went wide with intrigue.
"Yes, the creatore of elves and it tells of the times before..." Valas's voice trailed off with a hint of remorse to his tone.
"The times before your people were banished to the world below." Lanie concluded with a stare that felt as though her eyes were burning into his very soul. In her presence he felt transparent but he didn't feel threatened by it in the way his own psionicist master made him feel.
"Will you read some of it?" she pleaded with a youthful eagerness.
Lanie moved slightly closer to him, and he did not object, Valas no longer felt her as a threat, even with his own senses fully intact. He felt a certain pity for the girl and took comfort in knowing this feeling was on his own terms. He took out the book and began reading, she listened intently for awhile before falling fast asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Lanie, you best get your little rear end up.” Valas coaxed as he gave her feet a slight smack.
Lanie slowly sat up rubbing her eyes. She had fallen into a deep sleep and didn't even remember closing her eyes. Valas was leaning against the mouth of the crevice they had rested in. He was eating something and looking at her with a smile.
He handed her a small bowl of whatever it was, which to Lanie, looked like some sort of green goo. It didn’t smell very good either, but after turning Valas’s meals down during the previous days her hunger pangs had grown to a point she could no longer ignore.
“Go ahead child, take a bite, I know you need it. The grumblings and rumblings of your stomach while you slept sounded like the mating calls of rothe during breeding season!" Valas heartily. exclaimed.
She rolled her eyes at him and sat there staring at the bowl with contempt.
“Oh for Lolth’s sake just eat it.” He jested, amused by the faces she made as she considered the strange green grossness.
At his biding, she hastily took a bite of it and to her surprise it was quite good. She quickly devoured it and with a satisfied smile thanked Valas. He returned a nod and a quick wink then hustled down the ledge. Lanie stood up, brushed herself off and walked over to where Valas just stood and climbed down the rope. At the bottom she took his hand in hers but suddenly froze at the sight that confronted her.
The thrall's neck was slit ear to ear and left laying in a pool of its own blood. She tried to pull her hand from Valas’s, but he held it tight.
“Where we are going, the thrall cannot, I feared you would not agree, what is done is done, and it had to be done.” He explained as he kept walking, dragging her along by the hand, “furthermore, I will not tolerate you getting yourself inside my head again either, so you had best not be considering that."
“I’m not, I promise, but I wish you had asked me first before killing the poor creature. It didn’t deserve to die," she said somberly, "then again, what you did was for the best, it wouldn’t have survived without my will. It had no will of its own, no intent, other than to serve and protect its master. If I had merely let it go, I ran the risk of it bringing the illithids back to find me."She hesitated, then looked up at Valas wearing an expression that told him she thought she may have said to much.
Valas considered her proclamation, again feeling unnerved by it. Why would the illithids be looking for her? Before he could ponder his question any further, he suddenly felt her pulling on his hand with an unabound eagerness towards the light ahead that was setting the tunnel ablaze, it was daylight in the world above. The closer they got to the surface the brighter the cavern tunnels became.
“Ready, set, march,” she giggled with excitement, "I can’t wait to see the surface."
He was intrigued by her sudden display of childlike behavior. It was comforting to know that she still had it in her and whatever troubles and torments she endured during her time in the Underdark hadn’t destroyed it.
She was damaged, that was for sure, yet there was something truly innocent about her. There something naïve even, something he didn’t want to see her lose, something he could appreciate and found quite beautiful. Valas also felt sad for her, as Lanie knew nothing of the world above, and he knew she would be disappointed.
She was damaged, that was for sure, yet there was something truly innocent about her. There something naïve even, something he didn’t want to see her lose, something he could appreciate and found quite beautiful. Valas also felt sad for her, as Lanie knew nothing of the world above, and he knew she would be disappointed.
Valas acknowledged a deep feeling of pity, of his own devising, for the young girl. He had grown slightly fond of her during their travels, he was even protective of her to some degree, even if their time in the dark was short and uneventful.
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