Thema: Conversation (narzen/nata'al)

[Narzen]

 "Halflings..." Narzen starts, but stops right there and shakes his head. "Ah, nevermind that. As for my business, it went well indeed. I will soon run out of past favors to collect, but getting past the line to have a busy wizard weave magic to my items was worth it, I am sure."

A shadow crosses the man's face for a brief moment. "It is a harsh line of work we are in, after all."

[Zanan]

 "Was that the hint of a whish of a more settled life I was hearing there?", the female inquires with a raised eyebrow. "You, one or two comely females, half a dozen underlings and a well guarded home with laboratories and all?"

She sips on her drink and looks at the halfling cook in front of her. "One day, maybe, and certainly not in this smelly hole of Har'oloth."

[Narzen]

 Narzen grins. "I have my reasons for learning about the ways of the surface. Less competition from my brothers out there might be one of them."

The light in his eyes dies away quickly, however. "No, I do not dream of such things. It is not in our blood to seek peace and old age, not unless there was nothing else left in this world, and even then the search would be to destroy whatever remained."

Also turning his gaze on the halfling he continues, smiling sadly, "They have it different. Halflings and humans, when they have the time to stop and think about their lives, their time is already spent. Ignorant children who suddenly die upon becoming adults."

[Zanan]

 Nata'al's eyebrow remains raised: "We are in a philosophical mode today, it seems?!" A smile crosses her face.

Behind you, the drow with the shaven head looks around, raises herself from the table and makes her way towards the stairs.

Changing the topic, Nata'al inquires: "What are you planning to do right now? For my part, I don't want to stay in this place for longer than I have to."

[Narzen]

 Following the movement of the other drow from the corner of his eye, Narzen remains quiet for a while, one hand slowly moving toward the hilt of a dagger. Perceiving no threat, however, he turns his attention back to Nata'al.

"I had not made plans beyond the recent escapade; too much unfinished business only distracts the task at hand. Yet will you tell me now, malla abbil, does something trouble you? Or is it simply the atmosphere - or rather, the lack of a breathable one in this moldy pit - that you find irritating?"

[Zanan]

 "Moldy pit," Nata'al lets this roll along her tongue, "yes, that's a suitable name for this hole in the ground. And you are correct, the whole place is cramped with scum of surface and Har'oloth alike ... and I'm not willing to share the place I live with such scum for longer than I have too."
She looks at the halfing and a glint of sadness appears ... and disappears in a split second. "These must be desperate beings, these halfling folk. Would you willingly live down here?"

[Narzen]

 "Indeed," Narzen replies thoughtfully to nothing in particular, and leans back in his chair.

[Zanan]

 After a while, the female takes on an unanswered question.
"What troubles me in this place, as much as many other, so-called civilized places of Har'oloth is the proximity of too many cut-throats and would-be-assassins. And I rather rest on stony floor of a cavern of my choice in Har'oloth than in a small room in a cave cramped with thugs and what have you." She nods towards the window and as they had heard what the drow said, a group of humans, all grim expressions on their faces and wicked cutlasses in their hands walk by the front door of the inn. "How about a trip to the South?", she suddenly inquires.  

[Narzen]

 The man snaps out of his thoughts, and gives Nata'al a curious look. "South? The stone is no warmer to rest on there, leastways not unless you plan to see the sun."

Setting his elbows on the table, Narzen leans forward and lowers his voice. "As I doubt the latter is what you are after... what then do you have in mind, malla abbil? It sounds as though this trip to the south is what you have been getting to with the somewhat unexpected openness about your resentment of the life here."

"If I may be so bold with my assumption," he quickly adds, bowing slightly.

[Zanan]

 Nata'al sighs and looks into her glass, as if the wine could give her an answer. "It's just that I am not used to rumbling towns and lots of people all around me. ... A few maybe, but ..."

She looks up and smiles. "Of course, I have no intention to visit the surface realms. Have you been there?"

[Narzen]

 Narzen shakes his head. "I have merely overheard stories from sailors hailing from the southern ports. Exotic tales even to other humans, let alone one such as myself."

"While I can claim to have witnessed more of the surface than most of our people ever will, I have barely even seen the gates of the city, let alone the surrounding land. And even that little is through alien eyes, not the way surface-dwellers do."

"Curse the day I first experienced the surface," he scoffs, as if driving away stray thoughts. Nodding subtly in the halfling's direction, he grins, "Sometimes ignorance is a bliss. Or perhaps the little one is no different from myself, and I in turn will end up running an inn to a community of halflings..."

[Zanan]

 Nata'al sizes Narzen from head to toe and laughs mildly. "Forgive me, but I have trouble to envisage you in an apron, handing ale to the little folk."

"Well, I have heard from a few relatives of House Tanor'Thal that Karsoluthiyl is a decent enough place to visit ... and live in. It's more trade- and guild-driven than, say the City of Spiders or Eryndlyn. Maybe we should ... have you ever been to Karsoluthiyl?"

[Narzen]

 Narzen raises an eyebrow at the question, then shakes his head. "I was born here, and have ever avoided the cities of our people. I have little interest in getting caught in religious or political power struggles of the cities."

"Proper compensation excepted, of course." The man crosses his arms over his chest and continues, "This Karsoluthiyl... how does one get there?"

[Zanan]

 "Well, actually, it lies to the south of here," Nata'al answers with a smile. "And from what I have heard, there isn't that much religious strife and power struggle there ... well, compared to other places of our kin that is." She receives a plate with fresh bread and a loaf of meat and appetite burns in her eyes. "Then again, Karsoluthiyl can wait for a few hours, can't it?"

Chewing the meal, she looks like over-thinking the plan. "There should be caravans going there, but I am no friend of those. Attracts far too much attention from Har'oloth's inhabitants. But I can ask that Tanor'Thalian again."

[Zanan]

 Watching Narzen rise, she stops eating and listens to his words. She nods in agreement and says: "It's not that I will go out in search for work for the forseeable future either!"

Just as she settles down on her meal again, the door opens and a couple of drow enter. (See main thread, page 1.)