Elaine Cunningham: The Best of the Realms, Book I

Xandra had her suspicions about the merchant's origins,suspicions that were too appalling to voice, but she did not doubt that the" human" was quite at home in the Underdark, and quite capable oftaking care of himself, despite his fragile, aged facade.

The half-drow merchant-for Xandra's suspicions wereindeed correct-appeared to be unaware of the female's scrutiny. He led the wayto the very back of the canvas pavilion. There stood a row of large cages, eachwith a single occupant. Hadrogh swept a hand toward them, and stepped back sothat Xandra could examine the merchandise as she wished.

The wizard walked slowly along the row of cages,examining the exotic creatures destined for slavery. There was no shortage ofslaves to be had in the Underdark, but the status-conscious dark elves were evereager to acquire new and unusual possessions, and there was a high demand forservants brought from the World Above. Halfling females were prized as ladies'maids for their deft hands and their skill at weaving, curling, and twistinghair into elaborate works of art. Mountain dwarves, who possessed a finer touchwith weapons and jewels than their duergar kin, were considered hard to managebut well worth the trouble it took to keep them. Humans were useful as beastsof burden and as sources of spells and potions unknown to the Underdark. Exoticbeasts were popular, too. A few of the more ostentatious drow kept them aspets or displayed them in small private zoos. Some of those animals found theirway to the arena in the Manyfolks district of Menzoberranzan. There, drow whopossessed a taste for vicarious slaughter gathered to watch and wager whiledangerous beasts fought each other, slaves of various races, and evendrow-soldiers eager to prove their battle prowess or mercenaries who covetedthe handful of coins and the fleeting fame that were the survivors' reward.

Hadrogh could supply slaves or beasts to meet almostany taste. Xandra nodded with satisfaction as she eyed the collection.

"I was not told, my lady, what manner of slaveyou required. If you would describe your needs, perhaps I could guide yourselection," Hadrogh offered.

A strange light entered the wizard's crimson eyes.

"Not slaves," she corrected him."Prey."

"Ah." The merchant seemed not at allsurprised by that grim pronouncement. "The Blooding, I take it?"

Xandra nodded absently. The Blooding was a uniquelydrow ritual, a rite of passage in which young dark elves were required to huntand kill an intelligent or dangerous creature, preferably one native to theWorld Above. Surface raids were one means of accomplishing that task, but itwas not unusual for the hunts to take place in the tunnels of the wildUnderdark, provided suitable captives could be acquired. Never had theselection of the ritual prey been so important, and Xandra looked over theprospective choices carefully.

Her crimson eyes lingered longingly on the huddledform of a pale-skinned, golden-haired elf child. The hate-filled drow bore aspecial enmity for their surface kindred. Faerie elves, as the light-dwellingelves were called, were the preferred target of those Blooding ceremonies thattook the form of a raid, but they were seldom hunted in the Underdark.Accordingly, there would be great prestige in obtaining such rare quarry forthe ritual hunt.

Regretfully Xandra shook her head.

Though the boy-child was certainly old enough toprovide sport-he was probably near the age of the drow who would hunt him-hisglazed, haunted eyes suggested otherwise.

The young faerie elf seemed oblivious to his surroundings.His gaze was fixed upon some nightmare-filled world that only he inhabited. Theboy-child would command a fabulous price; there were many drow who would paydearly for the pleasure of destroying even so pitiful a faerie. Xandra,however, was in need of deadlier prey.

She walked over to the next cage, in which prowled amagnificent, catlike beast with tawny fur and wings like those of a deepbat. Asthe creature paced the cage, its tail-which was long and supple and tipped withiron spikes-lashed about furiously, clanging each time it hit the bars. Thebeast's hideous, humanoid face was contorted with fury, and the eyes thatburned into Xandra's were bright with hunger and hatred.

Now this is promising! she thought.

Not wishing to appear too interested-which wouldcertainly add many gold pieces to the asking price-Xandra turned to themerchant and lifted one eyebrow in a skeptical, questioning arch.

"This is a manticore. A fearsome monster,"wheedled Hadrogh. "The creature is driven by a powerful hunger for humanflesh-though certainly it would not be adverse to dining upon drow, if such isyour desire. By which," he added hastily, "I meant only to imply thatthe beast's voracious nature would add excitement to the hunt. The manticoreis itself a hunter, and a worthy opponent."

Xandra looked the thing over, noting with approval itsdaggerlike claws and fangs.

"Intelligent?" she asked.

"Cunning, certainly."

"But is it capable of devising strategy anddiscerning counterstrategy, to the third and fourth levels?" the wizardpersisted. "The youngling mage who will face her Blooding is formidable. Ineed prey that will truly test her abilities."

The merchant spread his hands and shrugged.

"Strength and hunger are also mightyweapons," he said. "These the manticore has in abundance."

"Since you have not said otherwise, I assume itwields no magic," the wizard observed. "Has it at least some naturalresistance to spellcasting?"

"Alas, none. What you ask, great lady, are thingsthat belong rightfully to the drow. Such powers are difficult to find in lesserbeings," the merchant said in a tone calculated to flatter and appease.

Xandra sniffed and turned to the next cage, where an enormous,white-furred creature gnawed audibly on a haunch of rothé.

The thing was a bit like a quaggoth-a bearlike beastnative to the Underdark-except for its pointed head and strong, musky odor.

"No, a yeti is not quite right for yourpurposes," Hadrogh said thoughtfully. "Your young wizard could tracksuch a beast by its scent alone!"

The merchant's uncovered eye lit up, and he snappedhis fingers.

"But wait! It may be that I have precisely whatyou require."

He bustled off, returning in moments with a human malein tow.

Xandra's first response was disgust. The merchantseemed a canny sort, too knowledgeable in the ways of the drow to offer suchinferior merchandise. Her scornful gaze swept over the human-noting his coarse,dwarflike form, the pale leathery skin of his bearded face, the odd tattoosshowing through the stubble of gray hair that peppered his skull, the dustyrobes of a bright red shade that would be considered tawdry even by one of thelow-rent male companions who did business in the Eastmyr district.

But when Xandra met the captive's eyes-which were asgreen and as hard as the finest malachite-the sneer melted from her lips. Whatshe saw in those eyes stunned her: intelligence far beyond her expectations,pride, cunning, rage, and implacable hatred.

Hardly daring to hope, Xandra glanced at the man'shands. Yes, the wrists were crossed and bound together, the hands swathed in athick cocoon of silken bandages. No doubt some of the fingers had been brokenas well-such precautions were only prudent when dealing with captivespellcasters. No matter. The powerful clerics of House Shobalar could heal suchinjuries soon enough.

"A wizard," she stated, keeping her voicecarefully neutral.

''A powerful wizard," the merchantemphasized.

"We shall see," Xandra murmured."Unbind him-I would test his skills."

Hadrogh, to his credit, didn't try to dissuade her.The merchant quickly unbound the human's hands. He even lit a pair of smallcandles, providing enough dim light so that the man could see.

The red-robed man flexed his fingers painfully. Xandranoted that the human's hands seemed stiff, but unharmed. She tossed aninquiring glare at the merchant.