War of Doubt

[redriver]

The darkness in the vast chamber pressed against the eyes of the hin.

/We've lingered here too long./ The thought came unbidden to the young mage, the image of the figure that had tracked them through the endless caverns during their descent was still fresh on his mind.

His narrowed gaze swept towards the unkempt visage of the dwarf digging through the chest.
"Empty. Bah." Her tone was terse, and barely managed to reach his ears, the silence of this place muffling her already low tone.

He shrugged, "As per usual."

He dared not let the disappointment creep into his voice, despite its tight grip on his chest.
/Another failure./
He forced the thought from his mind.
/The Warden. Where is The Warden?/
Panic gripped him. His Jaw clenched. How long had it been since The Warden had wandered off? He hadn't heard any fighting, but he could barely hear The Purser, and she was only a few steps away.

His feet carried him within sight of the stout dwarf near the entrance, his footfalls were light and carefully placed.

"Company. "

The words hit him like a punch, and for the briefest of moments the mage had to swallow back the rations that threatened to force themselves through his gritted teeth.

/Two drow. Greatsword. House? No visible markings./
Immediately the panic, the fear, emotion itself, faded. There was nothing, that deep grating emptiness he despised. He knew what was going to happen. He wished with all the fibers of his soul that it wouldn't.

/They were speaking. The hateful banter of the ink-skins. Maybe, just this once, we could walk away without-.. Her hands. Watch her hands. Why is she doing that with her hands? Think. Think. Think. /
The pad of his thumb dragged across the spine of his grimoire, the nail pausing in each of the ten finely carved notches.

/She's going to kill you/
The waving of her hand suddenly dawned on him, it was sign language.

"She's planning to strike"
The words barely escaped his lips before his fingers curled around the scroll tucked neatly in his belt. He could see the red of her eyes as she charged, greatsword held high.

The scroll crumbled to dust in his hands, and a few seconds later another notch was added to his grimoire.