Chapter One - Shadowdancer

Kallian Tobias could think of a dozen things she'd have preferred to be doing at this moment then dancing on sore feet while the men gathered around leered and stripped her with their eyes. It wasn't even something as clean as undressing her, but felt like their eyes were brutally tearing the silks from her body. And why shouldn't they? To them, she was little more then a toy. A pretty little elf in next to nothing who'd twirl and leap for their amusement as long as they tossed her a coin or two.

She would have liked to stop for awhile and sing rather then dance to the tunes a fellow street performer was playing, but this was the wrong area of town for such things. Here they wanted movement, the lifting and twirling of silk that threatened to expose what little they covered. And the dancing allowed her to keep just out of reach of grasping hands without starting a riot. Her eyes flickered to the little tin cup by the piper's feet and she suppressed a sigh. Not enough to split with her companion and still have enough left over to buy dinner.

She could take her share and leave to try her luck with other skills, of course. But the winter months made for lean hunting and leaner thieving. The wealthy kept their purses close and covered by their thick coats and heavy cloaks as they hurried about their business and the snow either kept animals n their dens or turned them mean. And dancing silks weren't suitable winter wear for either activity. She'd freeze before she found a target. Going home to change would take too long as well. Even if she found something to hunt, she'd never make it back within city walls by dusk and that would cost her a lesson. An already paid for lesson. Morgana wasn't big on refunds or on waiting and Kallian certainly couldn't afford to throw away an entire silver by being late.

So she'd dance and hope someone would toss something larger then a single copper her way to take her mind off the pain in her feet. Not much chance of that, she thought, but kept the bright, pretty smile on her face as she whirled and twirled to match the increasing pace of the piper's tunes.

Focused on the duel task of dancing and watching for grabby hands that had gotten just a little too bold, she almost missed seeing the elf. She would have missed him completely if the unusual sound of multiple coins falling into the cup hadn't made her spin towards the piper and his cup. For a second the white-haired elf met her eyes and Kallian had the odd feeling of being measured and studied - then he was gone, vanished into a passing crowd. A hand brushing her arse had her hastily dancing away and reminded her to keep her attention on the crowd rather then passers by. She might have forgotten the elf entirely if, when she and the piper were splitting their earnings at the end of the day, there hadn't been four silver pieces shining among the pitiful pile of copper. "Did you see who put those into the cup, Tommy?" she asked the half-elf piper, staring at the small fortune in wonder as Thomas began dividing the money into equal shares.

"It was the elf," Thomas replied before adding with a laugh. "Guess he can't have been from around here. Thanks, Kalli. My sisters and I will eat for a week on this."

"Why are you thanking me?" Kallian asked, baffled. "I danced, you played. This is the result of a team effort to feed our families."

"You didn't see how that elf was looking at you," Thomas replied. "He was so focused on you that it was a little unnerving, really. And his clothing... That was armour, Kalli. Better quality then anything the likes of us could afford. If he hadn't tossed us the silver, I'd be asking if you'd pissed anyone important off lately." He hesitated then cast Kallian a wary look. "You haven't, have you? Kalli, we both know how you... supplement your singing and dancing. No one in Rag's End has the room to judge you for it, but if there's trouble brewing... Trouble that'd bring men in armour down here... I want to know about it."

Kallian couldn't resent Thomas' attitude. They might have been friends of a sort, but when it came to trouble in Magnimar's poorest district, everyone had to look out for their own. Thomas, with three young sisters to feed, would drop Kallian faster then a hot pot if there was trouble following her, just as she would to him if the situation was reversed. "I haven't done anything that'd follow me back to the End, Tommy," she assured him. "He was probably just an adventurer passing through or something taking pity on a fellow elf and a half-elf."

"Some pity," Thomas muttered, looking down at the two silver in his hand. "Well, if you're sure, then fine. Might be better if you didn't work this area for a few days though, Kalli. Just to be safe. You don't want to be messing with anyone in armour and I'm telling you, he never took his eyes off you. And I don't think it was to try and get a peek up your skirt."

Kallian felt a chill run down her spine and nodded. She didn't thinkshe'd stolen from anyone particularly important lately. She didn't tend to test her skills in the areas where the truly wealthy gathered and their hired guards were on alert. And she was as certain as she could be that no one she'd stolen from had ever gotten a good enough look at her to identify or set the guards on her. And who would bother trying to find a thief in Rag's End? That was like trying to find a particular leaf in a forest. If someone lived in this neighbourhood, you could be certain they were either the lowest of lowly dockworkers, or a beggar, whore or thief. There was little else by way of putting food on the table here and even then, keeping starvation at bay was a daily struggle. With the elf's two silver in the hidden coin purse in the belt of her dancing silks, it was a struggle Kallian would be able to avoid for a few days at least. She'd try her pickpocketing skills tomorrow to help extend the reprieve from starvation's usual looming threat and enjoy the brief return to the days of her childhood, when she hadn't been so familiar with hunger and responsibility.

Some days she could remember those days clearly, could remember her mother's smile and the laughter that had always filled the house. Most of the time it seemed more like a fading dream, the details fuzzy with time. She did remember a house where the wind didn't whistle through the holes in the walls and a fire burnt constantly in the hearth. Vaguely she could remember dolls and other childhood delights, and bright, cheerful music. They'd wanted for nothing then, between her mother's thieving and her father's playing. Then Adaia had chosen the wrong pocket and their life had died with her. No one hired a bard who played nothing but laments for the dead, no matter how well the bard played them. The bright, warm house was swiftly a thing of the past when the rent fell too far overdue, traded in for a crumbling two room shack in Rag's End that Kallian could barely manage to earn the rent for and where cold and hunger had stolen the strength of her father's joints.

Kallian pushed those thoughts aside. With the money she'd earned, they'd eat well and that would lift her father's spirits and health back up to their old levels. Yes, their fortunes had changed since her mother's death, but they could always change back, she told herself as she hurried towards the market to do her shopping. She didn't have long to take care of such domestic chores before the sun slipped into twilight and it would be time for her lessons. The pressing awareness of time quickened her step and kept her from thinking over much on the past until at last she'd brought a good loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese and a decent collection of root vegetables and carted the lot home in a sack that was almost clean. The bread and cheese would be a quick dinner tonight, then tomorrow she'd take the time to properly make the vegetables into a soup. The thought had her humming happily as she stepped up to the door of her home, though not so much that she didn't swear when the old wood toppled onto the floor rather then swing inwards.

"Kalli, love, your mother and I didn't have you educated just so you could impress people with the number of curse words you know," Cyran Tobias smiled at his daughter as she strode over the fallen door and set her sack on the table. "I'll get the door, sweetheart," he added, bending to pick up the old wood and shove it carelessly back into place.

"Sorry, father," Kallian began, then frowned and stepped forward to snatch up her father's hands and take a better look at the swollen fingers. "Father! You've been playing again! You know you only hurt yourself, and I can manage for both of us! The stiffness will never get better if you keep straining yourself."

"Ah, Kalli, the stiffness is never going to go," Cyran replied, reaching out to cup his daughter's check. "But the pain isn't so hard to bare. What would your mother say if she saw me not looking after our little baby girl?"

"She'd say that your little baby girl is all grown up now and doesn't need her daddy breaking his fingers for copper," Kallian replied, but she leaned into her father's worn hand. "Please, daddy, let me worry about this, all right? You'll just hurt yourself." She sighed at the stubborn look in her father's eyes and simply dropped the subject. While they agreed on almost everything, she knew that her father would never agree to turn sole responsibility for the household income over to her. Despite the pain playing his lute and flute caused in his stiffened fingers, he still felt Kallian was his responsibility and it was his duty to provide for her.

"In any case, look at this!" She spread out the results of her shopping and all but a single silver of her earnings. "I did really well today and thought that tomorrow we could have a nice soup. And good bread and cheese for dinner tonight, before I go to my lessons."

Cyrion frowned at his daughter as he started to saw at the loaf of bread with their dull knife. "Just be careful that woman doesn't get you into trouble, Kalli love. I know you're a clever girl, but I don't know that your 'teacher' is all that trustworthy and I don't want you being led into anything dangerous. After what happened to Adaia..."

"I'm always careful, Father," Kallian replied quickly. She didn't want to think of her mother's last job and the ruined remains of her beaten body. "I'm not taking any risks, I promise. But I need these lessons, Father. They're honing my skills and one day we'll have the money to get back out of Rag's End." She stepped forward to kiss his cheek then took up her dagger to start slicing the cheese.

Father and daughter prepared and ate their meal in the usual silence that followed uncomfortable topics, such as any discussion of money or Adaia. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, just an acceptance of the disagreement and each of them needing a moment to be alone with their thoughts.

"Well," murmured Cyrion as he finished off his bread and cheese. "You certainly did well for yourself today. We'll make a bard out of you yet, my dear." He smiled fondly at her as he added, "Your mother would probably be horrified, but it is a more... acceptable skill set for a betrothal then some of the more, shall we say, specialist skills Adaia taught you."

Kallian pulled a face as she got up to wash her plate. "Father, must we talk of that? Besides, everyone around here knows of my picking pockets and anyone who doesn't is to well off to even look at a dancing girl from Rag's End. You'd have better luck getting me betrothed to the elf who passed by earlier. He had the money for armour and four silver to throw to Thomas and I. Tommy said he was watching me. Maybe he fell in love and would be willing to keep me in the style I'm not accustomed to?"

"An elf in armour? Here? Watching you?" Cyrion looked sharply at his daughter, all trace of humour gone now. "What did he look like? Did he speak to you at all?"

"I barely saw him, father. Tall, with long white hair and dark eyes. Probably older then you, but it's hard to tell. And of course he didn't speak to me, father. He was just watching the elven dancing girl, same as anyone else. What would he have to say to the likes of me, hmm?"

"Well... Just you stay away from him, Kalli my girl. We don't need the trouble of getting involved with the likes of him, understood?" Walking across the kitchen, Cyrion peered out the grimy, cracked glass of the window as if checking the street. "Sun's going down. Best you change and get yourself off to your lessons then. And don't you stop to talk to any strangers, you hear me? I mean it, Kallian. Not one word."

Kallian would have complained about everyone she knew assuming she went looking for trouble, but following her father's gaze showed he was right. She barely had enough time to change into street clothes and carefully put her delicate dancer's silks into their little wooden chest before she was running through streets coloured like rose-gold by the setting sun.

She couldn't have said why she felt uncomfortable as she took her usual shortcuts through the stinking back alleys or why she repeatedly found herself stopping dead and looking warily into the shadows. But the hair on the back of her neck kept standing on end and she couldn't entirely shake off the feeling of being watched. And it didn't seem to matter how often she told herself firmly that her father and Thomas' paranoia was simply rubbing off on her, by the time she'd reached Morgana's little shack she was jumpier then a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs and unease made her knocking a good deal more urgent then was usual.

"Well, no one could ever claim you're not punctual, girl," Morgana remarked as she opened the door. "Patient, on the other hand... Bang on my door any harder and it'll fall in. You can be sure you'd be spending your lesson time fixing it, in that case."

"Sorry, Morgana. I guess I'm just a little jumpy. You see, there was this elf on the docks today and-"

"The last I heard, there's no restriction on where you elves can go and you don't pay to talk at me," Morgana replied, already stepping into the dimly lit home. "Come in and close that door behind you. If you can manage the shadows in this house, we may try you out on the streets tonight. If you think you can control yourself?"

"Yes Morgana," Kallian murmured, following Morgana and carefully closing the door behind her to shut out the sunlight. At once she felt a delicate tingle run over her skin, as if the very air of the house were greeting the visitor. In respectful, and a little unnerved, silence, Kallian helped push the table to one side of the room and clear a space for them to work. She'd often wondered if the woman's so called lessons were nothing more then a scam to cheat Kallian out of her hard earned coin, but she'd never figured out how the woman could simply vanish in front of your eyes and it was true her lessons had honed Kallian's skill as both a thief and a dancer, so it was not as though she wasn't getting something from the lessons. But tonight something felt different and she couldn't help a thrill of excitement.

"Yes," murmured Morgana, looking at Kallian with a half smile. "Yes... I do think you're ready at can feel them, can't you?"

"Feel who?" Kallian asked quietly, looking around the room. "Something's changed but..."

"The fairies of the forest, come to make you their queen," snapped Morgana. "The shadows, of course! What else would I be talking about, girl? Come now, focus on what you feel and follow me. Let's introduce you, shall we?" As Kallian watched, Morgana began a slow, careful dance that tugged at something deep within the elf. "Yes, you feel it now, don't you?" Morgana murmured. "Come, follow me and concentrate. Feel the shadows and let them know you want to be as one with them."

Kallian thought she'd struggle with copying the steps, but after the first clumsy movements, it seemed as if she was preforming a dance she'd known since before she could walk. Confidence flooded through her and her actions became smooth and practised as the faintest hint of a tune played in the back of her thoughts. For once she wasn't startled when Morgana vanished, for she could still see the woman, a faint change in the shadowy gloom all around them. Suddenly she ached to be a part of that and reached out with heart and mind. The world changed, suddenly washed out of colour and yet brighter then it had been before and she knew, without knowing how she knew, that if anyone were to enter the room they'd see nothing but a dimly lit room. "I did it," she murmured and turned to grin at Morgana. "I did it!"

"You've started," Morgana replied firmly. "You're a true Shadowdancer now, child. But don't fool yourself, you've still got a long way to go. You don't see me dancing every time I disappear, do you?" Her expression softened. "Still, it's good to see you take this first step. Now, let's see you leave the shadows."

Kallian didn't want to. There was something soothing and comfortable in this washed out view of the world. It seemed muted and sharper all at once and... There was movement in the next room! "Someone's here!"

"Kallian!" Morgana's voice was sharp. "Listen to me, girl. You focus on me and obey what I'm telling you. Leave. The. Shadows. Now. Who I have in my home is no concern of yours."

Kallian hesitated a moment longer, but Morgana's tone suggested she wouldn't tolerate any arguments and Kallian had already been on the receiving end of the flat side of Morgana's short sword for arguing with her in the past. And really, Morgana's guests were none of her business. With a sigh, she nodded in agreement and asked, "How?"

"You should know. What are you instincts telling you?"

Kallian thought for a moment, then closed her eyes and stopped her dance. When she opened her eyes, colour had washed back into the world. It wasn't the same as it had been before she'd stepped into the shadows however. The colours were brighter, clearer then before and the dim lighting no longer seemed dim. She looked around in quiet wonder, then turned her head towards the bedroom. She caught a flash of white and movement, then Morgana touched her shoulder.

"It's a little overwhelming the first time you draw on the shadow plan. Come, sit down and we'll talk a bit about what you just did." Taking Kallian firmly by the arm, Morgana lead her over to the table and gestured to a chair. "Take a seat, Kallian."

Kallian sat down, still looking around. "It seems brighter in here now."

"Yes, that's one of the first things most Shadowdancers notice. I know most elves can already see well in dim light, but you'll find you can see completely comfortably even in total darkness," Morgana replied. "It's a gift given to Shadowdancers the first time we step into the shadows. Also, as long as you're reasonably close to a shadow, say about nine or ten feet, you'll be able to draw on the shadows to hide you from the sight of anyone, even people watching you."

"So that's how you do it!"

"Yes. You'll find it's a little harder to hide from other Shadowdancers, but that's solely because we are used to looking closely into the shadows. In time and with practice, you'll be all but invisible to anyone and everyone."

"That... could be very useful," Kallian murmured, considering just how useful it would be to be entirely invisible when picking pockets rather then simply trying to blend into the crowds.

"It can be," Morgana agreed, with a note of amusement in her voice that suggested she had a good idea of what Kallian was thinking. "Though you need to remember, you can still be heard, felt and smelt. Always be aware of all the senses, child, or being invisible won't save you. But invisibility is the least of a Shadowdancer's skills, really. As you grow more connected to the Shadow Plane, you'll gain access to other abilities, such as creating illusions and summoning a spirit of the Shadow Plane to assist you." Morgana frowned and gave Kallian a serious look. "Summoning a shadow companion is not without risk, though. Always be aware that if the spirit doesn't feel your reasons for summoning it was worthy of it's time, it may take a portion of your strength as repayment. Never be careless about such a summoning. Also, you may only summon a companion once a month."

Kallian nodded solemnly, shivering at the thought of an annoyed spirit.

Morgana smiled and gave Kallian a pat on the shoulder. "I wouldn't be teaching you if I thought you were a fool, Kallian Tobias. I know you'll be careful with what you are now learning to access. Now, let's try another cloak, this time with less dancing." Her smile was mockingly amused as she added, "By the time I send you home tonight, I want you able to disappear while standing still."

Hours later, Kallian was well aware of the reason for that smile. By the time Morgana was satisfied with Kallian's hiding, and had delivered more then half a dozen corrective slaps with the flat of her blade, she was aching everywhere, certain she was going to be black and blue and her head and eyes were throbbing with pain. Her legs shook with exhaustion and when she sank to the floor and glanced out the window, she saw the moon was at it's peak.

"That will do," Morgana murmured at last. "You're still taking a slight half step while you draw on the shadows though, girl. I expect that corrected before our next lesson. Which will be?"

Kallian pulled out her silver and handed it over to her teacher. "In two days?"

"Very well," Morgana murmured, the silver coin vanishing into a pocket before Kallian could blink. "I trust you can get yourself home? Or shall we extend the lesson and I'll escort you home?"

"No!" Kallian didn't even think about it. The thought of an extended lesson almost made her cry. "No, don't trouble yourself. I can make my own way home."

Morgana nodded and walked over to set her kettle to boil. Glancing back over her shoulder, she remarked, "Well? Last I checked you didn't live here, girl. Off you go."

Kallian laughed, not at all bothered by the abrupt dismissal and headed for the door. Out in the cool of the night though, she paused on the step to listen and look around carefully before drawing on her new found ability to vanish. It was always better to be careful on the streets of Rag's End at night, but her confidence in her skills meant she didn't bother to glance back at the house on her way home. As such, she never saw the two figures who stood at the window.

"How short-sighted invisibility makes her," murmured the elven man, glancing at Morgana.

"A common mistake of those new to the shadows," Morgana replied. "She'll learn better by the time I'm done with her, Kaerishiel."

"Indeed," Kaerishiel murmured. "If she has half the skill of her mother..."

"Did you see how quickly she drew on the shadows?" snapped Morgana. "She's got more then just a little skill. Give her enough time and you'll have a Shadow Master on your hands." The human woman narrowed her eyes at her elven companion and warned, "You'd just better keep the girl alive that long. I haven't put this much effort into training her for you to lose her before she archives her full potential."

Kaerishiel looked at her with unconcealed disdain. "No. You've trained her to repay your debt to the Shin'Rakorath. Do not try and pass your actions off as a favour, Morgana. Particularly not to me. I know full well that she is little more to you then currency. Something you've been swift to line your pockets with as you teach her."

"And you should not be so self-righteous with me, Kaerishiel Neirenar. Not when I can see the calculation in your eyes as you watch her. Your motives are no more innocent then mine and I at least can claim the relationship of teacher with her. Will you even tell her of the connection between you?"

"How much does she know?"

"Little. Fairytales learnt at her mother's knee. Nothing of the truth behind them."

"Her father's doing no doubt. He's the only reason Adaia would not have taught her daughter all she knew."

"Gods forbid a parent not want to raise their daughter as another solider for your little war, eh Kaerishiel? Who could imagine they might want something else for their baby?" She snorted, a bitter, angry sound. "I for one cannot blame Cyrion for taking his family from that."

"And look what he gave them instead!" Kaerishiel spat. "Adaia dead in some filthy back alley, reduced to nothing more then a common street thief. Her daughter stumbling through the slums, set to end up either sharing her mother's fate or whoring herself out to the scum who jeer at her on the docks. Yes, Cyrion did so much good when he lured Adaia from the Shin'Rakorath."

"From what I knew of Adaia, she went with him willingly and for love," Morgana hissed. "Something I don't expect you to understand."

The pair lapsed into silence, bitter and resentful, as each stared out of dingy window into the gloom. "Another week then?" Kaerishiel's tone was all business. "Or should I wait two before I approach her?"

"You are really going to do this then? You're going to draw that girl into your mess? By Calistria, you're a cold bastard. She's little more then a child."

"There are others her age in the ranks."

"Oh lovely. So she can die with other children."

"Our numbers are dwindling! We cannot hope to stand against the drow if we leave our children in the slums of your cities." Kaerishiel glanced at Morgana out of the corner of his eye. "You needn't worry. If she turns down the offer, then I will still consider our bargain concluded."

"Two weeks," Morgana sighed. "Then by the gods, I pray I never see you again. Get out."

"Not a word to Kallian, Morgana. I won't have you influencing her."

"Yes," Morgana hissed at his departing back. "You wouldn't."