Nattara sat at the edge of the lake. Her boots were at her side and her legs were in the water. Her dark green dress was hitched up so it would not get wet. She gazed across the water and sighed. The assassin closed her eyes. All of a sudden her lips began to move and a soft, melodious song escaped from her mouth. Her song was gentle and motherly, making it seem like a lullaby.

"Sweet morning light fades away
Sadly, I cannot stay.
Night is when the dragons come out
Do not call them; do not shout
To the dragons is where I go
To a place that you do not know
So good bye my love, take care
I will be in the dragon's lair..."

((Eep, what a horrible song I wrote. x__x :paper bag:))

Night is aslo when the assassins strive, where the drows may rule, and where the drows are most alive... he spoke to the woman, after she finished her lullaby. And the dragons don't take to kindly to strangers, so I wouldn't be walking freely throughout thier lairs...

He spoke this, then revealed himself from behind the trees, walked over, and stood next to Nattara...

Her eyes snapped open and she retrieved her legs from the water and stood up. She slipped on her boots and took one step back away from him. "Hmph. I think I knew that already, thank you," she muttered in response.

Jessoko grinned at her Drow brethren's words. When the Drow come out indeed... She chuckled softly to herself, nibbling gently on the nail of her thumb as she sat under the shade of a large tree. Her red eyes glowed with her laughter, and she looked over at the young lady, standing with Jessoko's 'brother'. She stood, walking out of the shade with a delicate, fluid motion, her long white hair shining in the bright sunlight.

"Greetings, my friends." She said with a grin, bowing low with a flourish, her hair cascading in shining waves about her shoulders. "Fancy meeting another drow; and a pretty little woman, right here, in my favorite spot to sit and rest." She smiled kindly.

Hmph, he knows that dragons do not take kindly to strangers. Then he should know that I do not either, she thought, just before the other drow arrived. Her eyes narrowed and she took a step away from Jassoko. If there was one thing she ever learned, it was to keep your distance from most people and never to trust anyone.

"Salutations. What a pleasure it is to bump into two drows. My, 'tis a wonderful experience," she answered, trying to hide the flatness in her voice.

Jessoko gave an impish grin, her eyes twinkling with mischive. "It would seem the reputation of our kind preeceeds us. Wouldn't you say so, male?"

She looked at her brother, eyes questioning. She was unused to treating males below her, since she left the Underdark, but she was not quite sure how this man would react if she treated him as an equal.

A raven alighted on Jessoko's shoulder for a moment, and playfully pecked at her ear before landing on the ground a few feet away.
"The only reputaion you have," it said, begining to shimmer and change, "is one of being a poor drow."
It finished trasnforming as it finished speaking, becoming a thin, muscular young man with short grey hair. Deand smiled warmly.
"It's been quite some time, Jess. I'm honestly suprised you're still alive."

Jessoko's face lit up. "Deand." She said, her voice warm. "I'm hurt. Do yu really think I could be dispatched of that easily?" She smiled jokingly, and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"You appear to be in one piece." She noted, looking him up and down. "Tell me, dear friend, how have you been?" She chuckled lightly. "Did I have the underdark in an uproar when I left?"

"Uproar is putting it lightly. They blame your 'weakness' on our friendship. I had to fight my way out of the underdark, much in the way you did, except it was a suprise for me. I woke up to find a knife at my throat." Deand smiled ruefully. "The only reason I'm alive is because the assassin took the time to explain to me why I was to be killed. On the bright side, I've become quite the martial acrobat because of it, in addition to my magic."

"Hmm..." Jessoko tapped her lips in thought. "That is unlike a drow assassin, to explain why they are assassinating their target. You were very lucky." She gave a slight shrug, brushing her har of of her shoulders. "I'm sure my mother blamed my 'weakness' on our friendship since I was her daughter. A Matron Mother with a weak daughter is not gong to hold power for long. I imagine she said you had poisioned my mind and such."

She chuckled again, slightly. "Well, my apologize, if it means anything."

"It does, suprisingly." Deand grinned. "Funny, I learned more from the Drow after three days of fighting than from 6 months of peaceful relations. And as for your mother, those were the exact words she said, though I don't think many believed her. That may be why the assassins have stopped, for the most part." A mischevious glint entered Deand's green eyes.

She glanced back and forth between them all. "Tch. A wonderful gathering. I have no business here then," she murmured under her breath as she folded her arms. Nattara cleared her throat. "Ahem," she said, louder this time, "sorry to interupt, but how do I relate to all of you, hm?"

"Probably in the same way I relate to Mr. Drow over there. I have no idea who he is, and I doubt she," Deand said, gesturing at Jessoko, "does either. However, by creating an air of familiarity among others in a group, the one left out can usually be easily intimidated." He smiled disarmingly. "Of course, I could be wrong and they could be best friends, or he could have been hired to kill either of us, in which case he would know us quite well."

Jessoko chuckled. "Deand, please. Don't scare the poor girl." Jessoko bowed her head to the woman. "I am Jessoko Salris'Silron. A pleasure to bump into you here, m'lady." Jessoko looked at Deand, one perfect brow arched high. "Have you lost all your manners, male, or are yu going to introduce yourself?" She grinned impishly, and her eyes chuckled.

"It is embarrasing to be berated about manners by one such as you," Deand said, a mocking smile upon his face, "but I fear you are correct... just this once." He turned to the young woman and smiled, genuinely this time. "I am Deand Imajicae, at your service."

"Hmmn," was her simple response to what the young man said. Nattara unfolded her arms and did a little curtsey. "I am Vak- I mean, Nattara Himmela," she said politely. "Ehh, pleased to meet you two."

They seem nice enough, she thought. but I still cannot let my guard down... yet.

"The pleasure is mine." Jessoko said, her voice rolling off her tounge with the required respectfulness. She was trying to keep the situation light, the conversation simple. She had come here to relax, after all.

She walked a few steps away from Deand and Nattara, and sat down, crossing her legs daintily. "No use standing about like cattle." She said, smiling.

She glanced over at Jessoko and nodded. She walked a few paces towards her and sat down a small distance away. "Good idea..." she said quietly as she gazed up at the sky. She, too had come to relax for a period of time.

"Well, I can hardly be a gentleman and remain standing at the same time, now can I?" Deand asked, folding his legs beneath him a stitting where he had stood. "I am curious, if you don't mind my prying, as to what brought the two of you here? It is a bit out of the way."

She glanced at the lake and sighed, closing her eyes. "Err, for rest and relaxation, I suppose... and for the peacefulness, which, by the way was chased away," she answered, opening her eyes. "But I guess there's no escape from society, eh?" Nattara added, looking over at him.

Jessoko chuckled lightly at Nattara's words. "No escape indeed." She said under her breath, her eyes smiling. She brushed a few stray hairs out of her face absently, flipping her long silver hair with a jerk of her head. "I came, I guess, to escape the obscenity of the temple." She laughed slightly. "One can only take so much."

She looked towards Jessoko wit ha quizzical look on her face. "Hmm? Temple?" she said, sounding only half interested in what she meant. "What temple would that be now?"

"Indeed, please, explain the temple bit," Deand said, adjusting his position to make himself more comfortable on the ground. "I've heard rumors regarding you and temples... if they're true, I must say, you've certainly moved up in the world from when we last spoke."