Part of Laineth knew that at some point, it was possible that someone from his past might make an appearance in his new life aboveground, but nothing like this. Never once did he dream he would ever be worth so much trouble or merit such bitter tactics.
He would slaughter every last one involved when he reached them… if so much as one hair upon her head had been harmed… he was already seething as it was that they dared to involve his sweet and pure hearted Marina…
To be honest, he never understood why Marina loved him, he never understood what deity he had impressed so much as to be worthy of this blessing that changed his life in ways he never thought would be his to experience… those beautiful human eyes looking at him with such unprejudiced kindness that day in the Moonsong Butterfly Tavern, she awakened something inside her he didn't know was there and made him with a child-like wonder want to feel more of it, to fully understand what it was.
Eyelids closed over orbs of red…
Two years ago…
Laineth miserably raised the rim of his mug to his lips and took a drink, he didn't need to look around to know the humans and dwarves occupying the space were glancing at him with mildly fearful uncertainty… as it tended to be when a drow warrior walked among aboveground settlements and towns, he was doing his best to not be bitter about it… but after all he'd been through ever since birth… it wasn't easy.
A gentle hand landed upon his shoulder… Laineth first looked at the hand, stunned at the tender gentleness of the touch, it was most certainly not the touch of someone about to throw him out… he looked to see who owned the hand and found himself staring in the face of a beautiful human girl looking to be in her early twenties, if he had to take a guess.
"Are you alright? You look down" She spoke gently, compassion clear as a bell in her voice.
Laineth blinked, was she blind? Did she not realize he was a drow? Did the red eyes not frighten her?
"I… are you sure you want to be talking to me?" Laineth asked her "I don't think most of the patrons here like me very much…"
She responded to that by immediately taking a seat beside him on the bench, uncaring who stared, her eyes glittering warmly as she spoke "I don't buy into prejudice, every individual is unique and worth getting to know. Plus, you look sad and I hate to see people looking so sad… want to talk about it? It might help. I'm Marina Tallrose, my father owns this tavern"
Marina glanced slightly over her shoulder, speaking with a calm tone laced with warning "So if folks want to continue drinking here, they might want to mind their own business"
Laineth could only stare at this human woman dumbfounded, he had never met anyone up here so open minded like this until now, he wasn't sure it was possible to be here without a life of solitude… which he still would have taken, considering the alternative of being treated like a worthless slave or meat shield.
"I… think perhaps… I might like to talk, yes…" Laineth replied, stumbling to find his words "I won't lie, I've been rather starving for friendly conversation… well, my entire life, if I'm completely honest"
Marina leaned in, bracing her elbows on the table and resting her chin upon loose fists "Alright then, I'm all ears. I won't judge you, merely offer some support to a new friend"
"Friend?" Laineth asked, as if the word was foreign to his tongue "You would be friends with me?"
"I thought we already covered the 'I don't buy into prejudices' part" Marina replied with a playfully cheeky grin "Yes, we are friends now. Tell me your name and then tell me what has you so sad"
"Laineth…" He said, a slow smile starting to tug at one corner of his mouth "My name is Laineth Shadowstar"
"Oooh, exotic" Marina replied, that playful grin ever present on her lips "I like it. Now then, what has got you looking like someone just kicked your dog, Laineth Shadowstar?"
He began to explain everything to her, from the cruel treatment of his mother, the beatings he took from his brutal pig faced sisters and every other abusive detail of his entire life, leading up to him finally having the spine to say enough was enough and get the hell out of there.
Laineth opened his eyes and gazed ahead, the mouth of the cave coming into view… it was inside that cavern that his wretched sisters made their above ground hideout and it was there they would have taken their hostage.
No doubt, his sisters Wylstra and Kalstra, would expect to find their brother the same as he was two and a half years ago when he'd run away… but he'd spent this whole time training under Marina's father, a retired famous adventurer and hero, he was no longer weak or helpless, he was not the same as he had been. He would never be that weak again.
Right now, Marina's father Archibald waited back the tavern for Laineth to return with Marina in hand... refused to disappoint him, he had trained him and recently given him his blessing to ask Marina for her hand in marriage... the last thing Laineth wanted was to make old Archie thing he was wrong to entrust his beloved daughter to him... let alone the fact that he had yet gotten the opportunity to propose.
"I'm coming, my love" Laineth murmured, drawing his sword and entering the cave "If they have harmed you in anyway... I pray you will forgive me for what I must do them"
The tunnel eventually came to a set of steps carved into the stone, Laineth descended and found himself entering a large 100 foot diameter area filled with camping gear, various loot... and a cage, with his beloved Marina inside... his sisters standing on either side of it like the ugliest leather wearing bookends you'd ever seen.
"Look sister, we were right, he did in fact coming running after his silly human lover" Wylstra cackled, glancing over at her twin sister Kalstra "He really is making it just too easy to punish him"
"Look at his sword, Wylstra" Kalstra cackled, her red eyes gleaming with amusement "What do you think he plans to do with that? Perhaps we'll have to run him through with it before we officially end him"
"Darling, I can't see a thing in this darkness and these harpies are getting on my nerves" Marina spoke up from the cage "Teach this awful pair some manners and let's go home. I was going to bake a special strawberry pie for you... I'll be quite vexed if they'd gone bad from being left out, I'll have to get more"
"Insolent human!" Kalstra seethed "Insulting us and then going on as if we weren't even here?! I shall enjoy slitting your throat after we deal with out brother!"
"You are related?" Marina laughed "Well, it's obvious where all the good looks went"
Wylstra looked as though she might explode "Wretched human bitch! We shall definitely take our time with you!"
"You will do no such thing... you will both be far too dead to do so much as a lick of harm to her" Laineth replied coolly, he remembered what Archibald said about breathing and keeping a collected head, focus and strategy were going to be invaluable assets in any fight "Unless... you are smart and turn back, go back to mother and be the good little Lolth worshippers she wants. Leave me be and let me have my own life"
"Never! Traitors to the spider queen must die!" Wylstra howled with rage, brandishing her daggers and surging forward at Laineth.
Kalstra unsheathed her own daggers and dove forward with a wild unhinged look in her red eyes... she and Wylstra had always fantasized about killing their worthless brother, but mother always insisted on keeping him around in case Lolth chose him as a sacrifice... but sadly, the spider queen never saw fit to bless their house... but at least, now she and Wylstra would paint the walls of their hideout in their brother's blood.
The fight was brutal, the two female rogues were fast, but Laineth countered and avoided each jab their tried as if performing a graceful dance that would make any bard green with jealousy... but unlike them, Laineth had something precious to him worth fighting for more inspiring than any evil goddess or deranged unhinged fantasies of murder. He was going to marry that woman in the cage and nothing... absolutely nothing was going to stop him. Marina made him see that he deserved to be happy and for the last two years, he'd been nothing else... damned be everything if he wasn't going to get a chance to make her as happy as she had made him.
He envisioned their wedding day as he moved, lunging at the opportune moment to pierce through Wylstra's throat... he withdrew his blade... next, he envisioned a baby with skin slightly lighter than his with adorably pointed ears, it's mother's eyes gazing up at him trustingly before it happily smiled... he wanted this future... and next thing he knew, his blade swung hard and Kalstra's head soared across the cavern before tumbling to the ground.
Laineth spat at the corpses of his sisters before turning his back on them for the last time and approached the cage "Time to go home, my beloved"
"Yes, please" Marina replied "And when we get home... you should taking off your pants..."