Hope 


Adaz watched the weasel perched on Sutekh's shoulder.  It rubbed its 
head against its master's cheek and under his chin.  Sutekh, though 
sad, smiled and stroked its sleek fur, then he looked into her
puzzled eyes and smiled again.  She knew something was wrong and was 
about to inquire when the weasel suddenly vanished.  
	"What happened?" Adaz was startled by the disappearance.  
	Sutekh closed his eyes and sighed.  "He's gone.  You might say 
our contract expired.  I'm going to miss him the most, I think.  He 
always watched over me while I slept."  Sutekh was silent for awhile.  
"Well, since you cannot work with me for awhile, I had better get 
another familiar.  Come on, I need to gather a few things."  

Two days later Adaz answered a knock on her door to find Sutekh 
leaning against the doorjam, a small, bright eyed, silver and black 
ferret sitting on his shoulder.  
	"Adaz, meet Chirrrlup."  
	"Oh, how cute," Adaz cooed, wanting to pick up the tiny
creature and cuddle it; however, she did not reach for it.  Sutekh's 
previous familiar had never tolerated her touch and she assumed that 
this one would be the same.  
	Chirrrlup's glittering eyes looked into Adaz's and then to her 
shoulder.  Without hesitation he leaped from Sutekh to Adaz, startling 
her.  He immediately poked his whiskered nose into her ear.  "Ah!" she 
cried, scooping the beast off of her shoulder and holding it in front 
of her.  
	"Now you know what it feels like," Sutekh chuckled.  He had 
found his link with this familiar to be better than any he had
previously had.  It had been a simple matter for him to explain to
Chirrrlup that Adaz was very important and to be guarded as closely
as himself.  He had also instructed the ferret to keep her happy.
	"Oh, my!  Sutekh, he has hands!"  Adaz stared closely at the 
creature's fore paws.  
	"Deformed paws, really," Sutekh replied.  "It seems that 
whatever god watches over familiars is pleased with the way I take 
care of them.  Chirrrlup is very quick with both mind and body.  
However, it is time to see how well we work together.  I think we 
shall leave tomorrow to do a little scouting."  

Sutekh crept through the night forest.  He was on the trail of a 
company of orcs and was hoping that one of them would drop back so he 
could learn something of their intentions.  
	As he walked the landscape slowly changed around him, the 
trees and undergrowth melting into a silver-tinged mist.  Sutekh 
halted and crouched low, disoriented and uncertain of what was
happening.  A silent wind suddenly picked up, causing the mists to
swirl and dance.  He glanced skyward and, through the mist, could see
stars, but he did not recognize them.  
	Voices drifted to him from somewhere; human voices, and one of 
them sounded painfully familiar.  As Sutekh moved towards the sound 
the mists parted and two forms materialized before him.  Old Bernaldo 
Bravos stood before Sutekh, apparently unaware of his servant's 
presence, speaking to a figure cloaked in shadows.  The latter was 
poised upon a cloud that flickered with lightning.  
	"But why should you bring my young friend into all of this?" 
It was Bernaldo's gentle baritone voice.  "I am dead, he yet lives.  
Allow him to carry the burden of life awhile longer."  
	"I do not bring death for your friend," an ageless voice 
replied.  "Instead I bring a gift of life.  I owe this Sutekh as much 
of a debt as I owe you, my dear Bernaldo.  Just as I am responsible 
for your own loss of life, so am I responsible for suffering and 
sadness in the life of the young elf.  My burden is great indeed, but 
the birth of the new Ecthalion caused me to seek out reparation for my 
sins.  The one named Delleb revealed to me the means for righting two 
wrongs through the same action.  Sutekh shall gain that which he has 
long desired yet feared for good reason.  You, Bernaldo, shall regain 
that which was taken from you in untimely manner.  These two young 
ones shall serve as the mold and kiln which will provide the vessel 
for you reborn soul."  
	The mists suddenly swirled, enveloping Sutekh and returning 
him to the forest.  Orcs forgotten, he collapsed to his knees, 
thanking Delleb for what he had seen.  At last he had a reason to 
think he might survive the year's end.  

Adaz and Sutekh sat on a divan, their attention on their hands.  It 
was Adaz's first lesson in the silent tongue of the drow.  "Something 
to keep your fingers nimble during the later stages of your 
pregnancy," had been Sutekh's explanation.  Though Adaz's fingers took 
easily to the strange gestures, her mind did not.  It was clear that 
it would be some time before she would grasp a usable amount of the 
language.  
	After the lesson Adaz leaned against Sutekh, wanting the 
security of his arm around her.  With a sigh she closed her eyes to 
rest; she had not been sleeping well of late.  
	Sutekh found himself staring at Adaz's pendant earring.  
Though apparently made of many tiny pieces of steel, it was small and 
delicate.  Curious, he tapped it with his finger.  Adaz smiled, her 
eyes still closed.  
	"I love them.  They make music in my ears that nobody else can 
hear."  
	"Where did you get them?" The accusation was clear.  
	Surprisingly, Adaz rose to the fight, a sparkle returning to 
her eyes.  "Do you know how bored I get around her?  You're always off 
having fun while I'm stuck here with no one but Lady Yolande and 
Federick to talk to, and they're too busy to spend much time with me.  
And then, when you finally come back, you spend most of Federick's 
free time closeted away with him.  What do you two talk about, 
anyway?" 
	"He is sharing his wisdom with me," Sutekh replied.  "Adaz, 
Lady Yolande is still responsible for our actions.  You will have to 
put them back."  
	The momentary fire in Adaz's eyes, once so common, was gone 
again.  "Oh, all right," she submitted, resting her head on his 
shoulder.  "I'll put them back tonight."  
	Soon she was asleep.  


						Jeff Stehman