Tangled webs - Elaine Cunningham [113]
"They are tritons," the ranger replied in a troubled voice. "Of them little is known. They do the sea elves no harm, and sometimes they come to the aid of goodly folk.
And just as often, not. My people believe they come from the plane ofwater, and that their purposes originate there. I suspect their interest is not in you, so much as in the elemental creatures arrayed against you."
The drow nodded thoughtfully as she took this in. In her opinion, the ranger's fears were well-founded. Elemental creatures of any sort were rare; she had encountered far too many for mere coincidence. Most had fought against her and her friends; these tritons had come to her aid. Liriel knew with the assurance of one born and bred to Menzoberranzan-style intrigue that she was caught up in something bigger than she could yet comprehend.
"Tell me all you know," she demanded.
Xzorsh told her of the merrow who had wielded the weapon of a triton. The tritons were skilled and fierce warriors, unlikely to be overcome unless the merrow had attacked in large numbers under a commander with more intelligence and battle knowledge than sea ogres usually possessed. He told her Sittl had been abducted by a band of merrow and brought to the shores of Ruathym.
The drow nodded thoughtfully, thinking of the nereids that haunted the waters near inthar and the elemental that had kidnapped the Ruathen ship. For some reason, Ruathym seemed to be the focus of extraplanar creatures. But who commanded them, and to what purpose?
"A wizard could have summoned that water elemental," Liriel mused, "but no wizard commanded that nereid. The creature still possessed its soul-shawl. There are creatures of the Underdark about, too. A banshee-the spirit of a really nasty drow female-has taken up residence in a well, though how in the Nine Hells it got there without anyone noticing is beyond me. Banshees generally tear up the countryside for a while before finding a lair and settling down. And an aboleth, of all things! What in the name of Lloth's twisted legs are we dealing with?"
The ranger shrugged helplessly. "Strange happenings have been occurring below the waves, as well. A message Sittl sent to the mermen ofWaterdeep harbor was altered before it reached its destination. Seldom is the Relay tainted so! innocent men's lives were lost as a result. And i must see HrolЈ; else three more will soon die. Where is he? Wasn't it he who summoned me?"
"No, that was me. Hroirs still off fishing in the mountains, or so his kinsman believes." Liriel took a deep breath and plunged in. "i needed to warn you about Sittl. With my magic, i can glimpse into a person's mind, determine his motives. I did that just before i set the two of you free. You passed, more or less; he didn't." Quickly she described the creature she had seen and the sense of evil that surrounded it.
Xzorsh listened in tight-iipped silence. "i have heard of this drow goddess of yours. You will forgive me if i don't trust the visions she sends."
The drow had no argument to counter this. "But what was that creature? And how do you explain what i saw?"
"i cannot," he said shortly. "Nor do i wish to discuss this further. Sittl and i have been friends and partners for years. He has given me no reason to distrust him, and i will hear nothing more said against him." He paused and eyed Liriel with sudden curiogity. "You said i passed your test, more or less. What evil thing did you see in me?"
"No vision of strange creatures, if that's what you mean. But it seemed to me you wanted something more from the situation than you were admitting," she said with uncharacteristic candor.
The sea ranger's eyes lit up. "That is so! All my life i have wished to learn more of magic, and i dared to hope you might teach me. I have heard magic is expensive to learn and to cast, but i can pay. Perhaps these might be a start?" So saying, he took two large rings from his bag and dropped them into the drow's hand.
Liriel glanced at the jewelry, then did an