I let Arishonna carry me further north after someone in Goldenfields told me the way. After a few days, we arrived at a small settlement, but there was no sign for miles to see which one it was, so I only hoped that this shabby barbarian colony was not Luskan.
As I dismounted from Arishonna several meters before the settlement, I fell directly down to my knees.
›Why do I feel so weak these days?‹ I thought to myself and was just able to turn away from her just in time to vomit.
»You better hide in the nearby woods. It doesn't look as if they accept giant spiders so fast.« I explained quietly to Ari as I fixed my staff under her armor.
»I'll leave it with you. Somehow I can't manage to charge it at the moment.« I mentioned, slightly disappointed.
On the way to the tavern, I felt the eyes on me. There seemed to be mainly human barbarians at this settlement, and the few women I saw were submissively engaged in low-level work. A behavior I had noticed in Faerun in a general way. Even with Drow in Baldur's Gate.
It didn't take long for me to find the inn, either. As expected for the settlement size, it seemed insignificant, but I was sure I would get the best information here. In the tavern were mainly, as appears to be usual among barbarians, half-naked, well-trained, tall men. Except for daggers, no one here seemed to be very armed. Only a two-handed sword behind the bar was present, which seemed to serve more as a warning than anything else. Obese women served the tables and let the drunken plebs grab them up without protesting. I merely wanted to stay here as long as possible and took a direct path to the bar.
I sat down at one of the higher seats, ordered a cup of tea, and stared at the steam, gently leaving the cup while the innkeeper babbled on about how rarely Drow visited his inn. In addition, I heard out of his babble that the settlement was called Griffon's Nest and was located some miles west of Luskan.
»Wow, what a pretty one!« I heard a relatively young male voice shyly utter among all the noises within the tavern.
»Well, go and talk to her!« another male demanded.
»Are you insane? She's a Drow.« the voice replied, slightly startled.
Wondering, I looked around briefly but couldn't see any other Drow in the room but me. I raised an eyebrow and perked my ears a little more.
»I chat her up, if you don't want to.« the other chuckled.
I puckered my face and wondered if they knew that Drow didn't have a good nose but that their hearing was much better and that I could hear what they were talking about.
»Fuck you! I'll do it - Somehow.« he answered hastily, initially confident but hesitant again at the end.
»How about we try these love drops?«
But before I could follow them any further, I was bumped by a drunken young man. Exceptionally muscular and scantily clad, as seemed to be average among the barbarians here. I turned to him and immediately started to grumble.
»Hey, bonehead. Why don't you watch where you're going?«
»Oh, excuse me, mistress. I hope you didn't spill your tea.« he immediately responded with an utterly exaggerated movement as if he wanted to mock the slightest bit of etiquette.
He left again without another word, and I returned to my tea, which had cooled down enough to empty the cup quickly.
»New cup of tea, please. But a larger one if possible.« I asked the innkeeper and hoped that it would be a better one.
›Fuck, I must find Ykril. Why do I suddenly lust after him so much?‹ I thought to myself as I sipped the new cup of tea.
»Hey, hot stuff.« it came with confidence from the guy who put his hand on my shoulder.
»What?« I queried him in annoyance, further with my mind on a naked Ykril.
»You look like you could use a fresh drink.« he teased, slightly nervous.
»Already have!« I answered shortly.
»Outsiders, especially Drow, only get served the nasty shit here. When I order you some, you'll get some better.«
He seemed more confident and moved his bar stool closer to me.
»Just a drink, I swear.« He said softly and placed his hand under my cape on my back.
Taking a deep breath, I finally turned my head toward him and saw a stocky, well-trained young man with short black hair whose calloused hand was slowly stroking my back, glaring at me with his green eyes as if he hadn't seen a woman for years.
»I am not interested. You also should back off before I get uncomfortable!« I demanded in a soft voice.
His friend pulled him slightly back and whispered something to him.
»It worked. She's already trembling with lust.« he replied in silence to his friend and immediately continued, »And her soft skin is so damn fabulous.«
»But maybe the trembling comes from anger because she's about to punch you right away.« his friend nervously stuttered, who saw that I stood up, looking at them furiously.
Hastily, he turned back to me and only managed a surprised »oh« when I grabbed him by his neck.
»Are you the one who's responsible that my tea before tasted so bitter?« I growled, to which he only responded cozily with a »Wow, you smell damn good. Is that lavender and mint?«
»Fucking shit!« I snarled in Drow as I pitched him back against his friend, mentally playing through sexual positions of how I wanted to fuck Ykril or get fucked by him.
»Use your damn potions on yourselves!« I hissed at them and rammed my shin between the lusty bastard's legs.
»Those two bastards are paying for my drinks!« I angrily declared to the innkeeper, pulling my hood over my head.
As I moved away, keeping my view down, a familiar pair of trousers and boots at the entrance to the tavern caught my eye. I looked up briefly and glanced toward him as if he was my shining hero in white armor while I slowly removed the hood again.
»Praise the gods.« he spoke with relief as he walked up to me and immediately took me in his arms.
»I wasn't sure if I could trust my feelings, but they have led me to you.« he whispered with relief into my ear.
»I knew you would find me. You always do.« I assured him gently, tenderly stroking his cheek before we began to kiss sensually.
After a few seconds, we released each other, and Ykril looked at the two from before.
»Is there a reason those two are looking at us as if they've lost their faith?« he asked with interest.
I looked at them with a grin.
»I'll tell you later, darling. Let's go to the room first! I'm in bitter need!« I demanded, almost begging, my lover with a big grin.
»Let's go, sweetheart!« he declared gleefully and lifted me into his arms. I merely giggled as I held onto him, not even caring that we just had attracted much attention at the tavern.
