Eowyna glanced at the mirror of purification and walked quickly away. She didn't particularaly care to see what might be lurking beneath the surface of the glassy water. The truth was that she was growing increasingly uneasy--frightened even.

It had been over a week since her return from Heartwood and her conference with the Elder Caelas the Wise. She'd told no one the details of her meeting--not even Maddux. Eowyna wasn't sure why she hadn't discussed Caelas' request with Maddux, except that she'd barely seen him since her return. But she could have summoned him to her side, and she hadn't.

Over the last few days she had begun to suspect that the secret Caelas had shared with her was somehow known to someone else, or it was at least known that she, herself, was in possession of the secret. For she was being watched. Black riders had begun to follow her as she travelled. And today, for the first time, she'd seen one of them in the Enclave itself. The rider had drawn a blade, but invisibility magic had served her well.

Now, however, it was clear. Her presence here endangered the people. She had to leave. Hastily, she left a note on the tavern message board: "Maddux, I must leave here or endanger the Enclave. I have returned to Yew. You will know where to find me. Amin ant llie tua. Eowyna"

She hoped he would soon return to the Enclave and find her message for she knew not where else to turn.

Having spent the day hunting on his own, as he did most often out of choice and out of his profession. Turned his head towards Zento and the enclave for a much needed drink to wet his parched throat and perhaps see if there may be a few of his fellow guildmates. He left the rotting corpse of a hellstead outside to keep the blood and body parts from littering the clean floors, taking little notice of the hastily scrawled note as he toured the area.

Another quick glance at the note as he left, "addressed to Maddox, none of my concern, but ahh well I'll juat take a peek". fine elven brow arched in concern at what he read. "Eowyna wun degahr? dal vel'bol?". H quick mounted the rotting steed, and called his oreb. "xxizz ussa ragar Maddox, dos ragarrl lil anulon lueth Usstan orn lor dal delmah" He parted way with his oreb and made haste to his temporary home in the frozen tundras to look apon his own mirror. "if you are in trouble my mistress I will do what I can to find Maddox before his finding the note makes it to late"

He stood before the mirror in his room at Marzan's home "Jabbress Kiaransalee jous ussa lil uss Usstan lac" He spoke q quiet word of command hoping his goddess will grant him what he sought. The mirror fadded in on Maddox loading his quiver then showed him slowly fade to shadows. "the one place my scrying cannot follow, I hope you find her well Maddox" the image swept away like fog as he turned from the mirror. "Black riders? where have I heard of those before, perhaps a journey to the Great library of my homelands will provide me the answers I seek"

Eowyna stood on the balcony of her home in Yew, cloaked in the spell of invisibility. Far below, and at some distance she caught an occassional glimpse of a horseman, all in black. They had followed. She should never have posted that message on the board at the Nesting Crane. But thank the Seldarine they didn't know where in the area she was. It would give her time. At least she hoped they couldn't detect her if she remained invisible.

As she stood watching, a black raven landed on the balcony railing. The bird eyed her expectantly, unusual intelligence gleaming in its black eyes. This was a messenger bird, but none she recognized, and there was no message attached to its leg. Whose? Eowyna had a way with animals, so she approached the raven slowly and held out her hand. To her surprise, the bird uttered two words, " Uk chu," and flew away.

"Uk chu?" Eowyna was startled. This was the language of the Drow! And the words merely meant "He comes."

He needed no supplies on his journey home, for he would be riding the paths of the spirits to reach his destination quickly. Thoughts continuing to swirl within his mind. "why have I not heard of these black riders? you would think some knowledge would be reclaimed since my change to the dark arts *shakes his head* but nothing" He heard the caw of his raven in the distance. "yutsu lueth lac ilta zhaunil del renor ur'thalrss, Usstan z'klaen zhaun ulu xxizz" the raven turned and winged his way back to the last place he had found her. Always his messages in Drow, an uncommon language above ground, knowing she could translate some if not all of it. "I hope she will part me the information I seek, perhaps then I may be of more use to this enclave"

This time when the raven landed on her balcony there was indeed a message tube. Eowyna read the message written in Drow and frowned. She wished she had some knowledge to send Miacus concerning the black riders, but the truth was, she had no idea who or what they were.

The one she had seen at a relatively close distance appeared to have form and did not appear wraithlike or undead, but who knew what his true form might be? His face, what she could see of it, seemed to be tatooed with an abstract design in blue wode--the design a diamond-shape with lines radiating outward. The horse he rode had seemed an ordinary nightmare. It was his blade which had seemed unusual...glowing with a silver hue, the diamond-like pattern of the tatoo repeated on the hilt in red.

This information she consigned to parchment and sent winging with the Raven. She knew that Miacus had planned to be questing for his goddess, but perhaps, when he returned, the Dark Warlock might be able to shed some light on the black riders.

He was about to enter the supposed drow templ when he heard the caw of his raven in the distance. He stopped just shy of the entrance to await what news the black bird would bring.

Arm outstretched to the bird, it lighted gently on his arm digging talons into the sparce leather sleeves of his quest armor. "What news dark one do you bring you master?" He nodded his understanding of Eowyna's description through the link he shared with his familiar. "perhaps we will find something inside dark one as to the identity of these black riders" He sent the bird away to Eowyna again, then grabbing the bladed staff he purchased from the wandering peddler outside the tavern he dissappeared into the darkness of the temple.

The black riders circled ever closer to the house. There were three of them now. Why, she wondered, didn't they just come in and get it overwith? Who had sent them and what did they want?

She was going to have to leave here as well, and there was no point in waiting any longer. If he were coming, he'd have been here long ago. Either Bob's idiot parrot hadn't gotten the message delivered, the raven was misdirected, or something had gone dreadfully wrong. This time she would leave no messages and send no messages. If she had only followed Caelas' instructions immediately, none of this would have come to pass. Now she needed to worry over whether Maddux was safe or not.

With a sigh, she cast the travelling magic which would lead her to Inu the Crone. For she sought the key to Armageddon.

He emerged from the depths of the drow temple, a black staff in hand and a cruel clint to his eyes. He looked around at his surroundings, searching for his familiar. "Oreb, doer ulu ussa", Arm outstretched so the creature may perch. "take this to Eowyna" he handed it a tattered cloth with a symbol she would surely recognize. "Tesso ilta lil ur'thalrss phuul ilythiiri lueth nind elggat Kiaransalee's temple, Usstan inbal tlus detholusin ulu plynn nar'hethi" He sent the raven on its way, hoping to catch her before the riders do.

So, they were Drow. And whoever was master or mistress of these Drow wanted Armageddon. Eowyna released the raven to fly back to its master. They also assumed that she knew more than she did, that was certain. Caelas had merely told her of the existence of the spell and the path to follow for clues to its secrets. The elves of Heartwood also wanted the knowledge of the wisps.

She studied the symbol on the scrap of cloth sent to her by the Dark Warlock. It was the same, that was certain. Why had these Drow been sent to desecrate a temple of one of their own goddesses? That was a secret she could not yet fathom.

The desert sand was hot outside the hut of Inu the Crone. Eowyna had gleaned what she could from the obscure utterings of the old woman. She'd not linger long enough here to find out if the dark riders knew the whereabouts of Inu. But uneasiness gnawed at her; she needed to see. There was no question of returning to the Enclave to use the mirror, and she needed shelter. Again the travelling spell, and she arrived at the moongate in Luna, and thence to the Shrine of Spirituality in Ilshenar. She would be comfortable at the Twin Oaks and the pool, their pool, was there.......