Gothmoor IC (purple)

[Zarrae]

Zarraema:
(Map - guess what! ...it won't be in her sleeve for much longer!)

The sound of her name without the title shook her out of her penitent haze enough to look up. He'd been a lifetime in her House's service and months with her on the surface, and she'd never known of his assistance to others, only that he'd waited for her before escaping, himself. The depth of his devotion to the Dark Maiden and love for their people, despite the way he'd been treated...or, because of it...humbled her.

That his collar, a beacon of her shame, meant so much to him, caused a sudden impulse to touch the adamantite band at his throat - just a piece of metal, a relic from a minor House, that held such a dichotomy of meaning. As she touched it, she leaned forward to touch a kiss to his forehead, "I will never ask you to take it off, again."

"Here," a sudden thought caused her to push a shaky finger into her sleeve to fish the folded map out, "You should be the one to carry this. If it is what you suggested, then you are the only one that can be trusted with its safety." For a moment, she fumbled with the bit of parchment, still trying to pull herself out of the shadows of the Underdark.

Dark Lady, guide me, her spirit pleaded.