Chapter Eight

Remember When

"You look different," her voice reverberated through the minds of the elven twins. The tentacles thrashed forward with an outstretched pointing finger. "You green skinned one."

Montral let a pained sound escape his lips. Eralee compulsively reached for him with comfort.

"I recognize you now," the searing voice in their minds lashed out. The hissing and clicking grew louder. The creature stepped forward with it's tenticles writhing in agitation.

"I've told you myself to never return to these steps," it said and stepped down from the first stone block. The stirges shifted in their roost on the archway.

"You, Montral. I see within you." It took another step closer. "I know what you have done."

Gorn returned to consciousness for a moment. He could see the twins cowering amidst the ruins. With a turn of his head, he saw the creature step down from the last ledge.

"Master Vonna," said a pale human. It's gaunt face, bathed in vacant pain, bobbed up from behind her through the archway.

"What did I miss," it asked.

A giggling washed down across the ruins with a faint thumping of small drums.

With tentacles falling limp, the creature swatted at the gaunt figure creeping around it's legs. "Get back, Gorthain."

"Am I late?" Gorthain asked, with eyes blinking at each slap to the face.

"Shush," Master Vonna said. She looked across the ruins with irritation. "Focus, don't falter."

The drumming stopped and the sky grew darker with thickening fog. Master Vonna put her hands on the sides of her head and screamed. The stirges fell dead to the rubble from their roosts.

"Please," Montral said.

Drums began again, echoing through the ruins. All in unison, "Bawm bawm, bawm bwawn."

"I know what I've done," Montral said. The drumming rolled into one unified rumbling. "I also know what I am doing."

"Must we take their minds," Gorthain asked. It looked up to Master Vonna and clutched at the robes.

Other gaunt faces rose and peered from behind obscure places. Deep eyes and sunken pale faces appeared from their hiding places. "Must they be taken?"

"Hear me," Montral commanded.

"Not again," Master Vonna said.

"Please," Eralee shouted. "I know you have before taken mercy. I know you've healed. This man is husband to Thyrynn. He is Gorn, keeper of the valley."

She gained strength enough to gesture toward Gorn. "He's deadly wounded. This man. Husband to Thyrynn."

The drums stopped and hushing sounds whispered down the grotto edge.

Gorn stiffened, convulsively, as Vonna stepped above him. Gorthain scuttled forward in the shadows of her robes. It motioned to the other gaunt faces that were revealing themselves from behind roots and rubble.

"Contain the elves," Master Vonna said. "Take them to our grotto. I will be there shortly."