At times of rest, when the streets were almost empty, I was additionally cared by a dark figure in a cape and hood. It was not obvious to me who it was or even why. It was only noticeable that the naked, dainty feet, which had to belong to a female Drow, were marked by the road dirt. She must have been one of the slaves. The same cape that always stood between me and those perverts who wanted to get too close.
She roughly cared my wounds, gave me fresh water as well as bread, treated my fever and gave me an antidote to the poison that the guards were constantly mixing into the disgusting food they gave me. Only because of her I was able to survive the last days.
»Quick! Untie her before the guards come back!« I heard a female voice whisper as someone was manipulating the chains. I was too weak to open my eyes and since a stone hit me in the face, I could only breathe with difficulty. But I could feel a male body against me that seemed to be trying to free me from the handcuffs.
»Ykril?« I asked weakly »Did you get your gold?«
»I think she's already fantasizing« the man chuckled
»Shut up you fucking idiot. She is a Teleyal. Treat her with respect, or I'll throw you to the Zarethi!« the woman reacted angrily
After the man lifted me up I lost consciousness and regained it a few hours later in a rundown room on an old cot. When I realized that I was fully undressed, washed and the wounds were bandaged cleanly, I nervously patted myself all over.
»Relax. Nothing happened.« came from a calm voice in the room
The voice sounded familiar. Was it the same woman who freed me from the chains?
»Nobody touched you indecently. I've made sure of that. It was me who washed you.« she assured me as she came out behind the flames of the fireplace. Briskly I pulled the blanket to me and covered myself.
A Drow in slave clothes with bright white hair, yellow fiery eyes and a dark skin approached me.
»You got the beauty of Faral.«
»From where?« I asked weakly and incomplete, accepting slightly shakily the bowl with food she held out to me.
»Back then in Sshamath, she had taught my son in alchemy. Despite his status as born in slavery.« she told me as I hungrily emptied the bowl
»He was a slave in Sshamath?« I asked with my mouth full
»Me too« she nodded curtly and refilled my bowl with steady hands
»Who are you?« I finally got around to asking
She giggled softly
»Forgive my rudeness dear. My name is Jhanae T'orgh. Slave from the House of Vral.«
T'orgh. I only remembered very vaguely that Mother had mentioned the name positively.

Suddenly a horn sounded and the rattle of heavy armor pierced the streets
»Where is the prisoner?« someone yelled aggressively
»Hide, quickly!« Jhanae hasted, lifted some planks from the floor and opened a tunnel into a small hiding place
Shortly after she closed the entry again, a guard entered the room.
»Whose blood is this?« came a gruff voice
»From a slave who injured themselves at work.« Jhanae replied calmly as if she had lied to the guards more than once before
The creaking of the floorboards with each step of the guard worried me a little, but the guard seemed to leave disappointed again, while others outside threatened the slaves that anyone who would grant me shelter would be punished with death. But no one seemed to be willing to give them any information.
»Why didn't someone reported us?« I asked in surprise as I crawled back out of the hole some hours later
»Because of your parents. More precisely, your mother. Many slaves here were sold from Sshamath to Menzoberranzan years ago to stabilize the population and the name Teleyal is well known to them.« she answered gently and gave me a slave robe
»Your mother never had any interest in treating us slaves in a derogatory way. She taught us, gave us food and fresh water and always treated us respectfully, no matter what the other houses of Sshamath thought of her. She bought me and my family and gifted us freedom. But we stayed close and continued to serve her. Not as slaves, but as friends.« she told me with pride in her voice as I got dressed and continued sadly »However, after her banishment, we were enslaved again.«
»She has always been a very good friend to me, and it was an honor to have been present at her wedding with Cadran and at your birth.« she smiled broadly at me before she began to laugh »You were such an ugly baby.«
I looked at her shocked, but before I could say anything, she continued to speak
»But you have become a real beauty. The best genes from both cultures.«
Embarrassed, I stared at the floor
»Get some more rest. We'll smuggle you out of town later.«

Jhanae's riding lizard

Just a few hours later, she snapped me out of my meditation.
»Hurry. Slaves downtown reported that the guards are on their way again.« she spoke nervously while hastily helping me up. I still couldn't stand properly, so she dragged me through the startled slaves to a riding lizard and helped me into the saddle.
»I'll bring you to Ched Nasad. You should be safe there for now.«
I felt too weak to speak to her. However, I thought about what would become of her. She left everything behind and risked her life to take me to safety.
As she sat on the saddle in front of me I moved closer and tried to hold on to her.
»Stop the traitors!« someone shouted and the first fireballs and flames rushed towards us. It became a short chase through the streets of the city, and we were only barely able to escape.

After half an hour of riding, we hid in a secluded cave where I fell further weakened off the lizard.
»Xsa shu¹« Jhanae was cursing while she jumped after me and directly examined the blood-soaked bandage
»Your wound has opened up again. Please stay strong sweetie.«
When I regained consciousness, a campfire was already burning. The bloody bandages, stitches and ointments lay next to me and the lizard slept in a corner not far away.
»I didn't manage to hunt more than a few rats, but it's better than nothing.«
I nodded curtly and took one of the rats on sticks. She sighed and continued
»I guess I won't be able to do much more for you. Your lungs seem damaged. Probably from the dagger thrust. It's a miracle you're still alive at all.«
Her voice sounded surprisingly downcast. As if she were mourning her own child.

So I was already dead. Whether I was in Menzoberranzan or not. The more I became aware of this, the stronger rose my desire to be able to take Ykril one more time into my arms and kiss him.
»Can you take me to Ramshorn?« I asked softly
»To Ykril?« she grinned broadly at me,
I looked at her in surprise
»You were talking about him. At first, when Tjorven unchained you, you seemed to think he was Ykril, and later in your sleep on the cot.«
Embarrassed, I poked at the glow with the stick. Had I become so careless? So easy to see through? Suddenly she began to giggle
»He means a lot to you, doesn't he?« she asked with a grin
»He is my life« I answered quietly after a short sigh
Surprisingly she raised her voice
»Then – Why are you here and not with him? Why did you go to certain death instead of living for and with him?« came indignantly from her »Because …« I searched for words, but could not find any.
»Listen, dear – Just the fact that you're a Half-Drow doesn't make you popular at the Underdark as well as up there. You will always run into trouble and running away from them is wrong!« she calmly continued »Do you also mean something to him?«
»He had a ring for me« I whispered
»I'll take you back to him!« she jumped up enthusiastically