Her eyebrows crinkled together for a moment, trying to puzzle out the offer of sympathy.  "It happened a long time ago, long before I found him.  But he has helped me, so I've decided to set it right," Caitlin finally said.  It was strange, each piece that she found made the inner sense of something wrong within herself grow.  But she shrugged, and their conversation moved on.  "So you want your revenge, and I want something they likely have.  I know you have nothing to gain by working with me… other than me owing you a favor perhaps," Caitlin said.  It was a gamble, but the drive to obtain the pieces of jewelry was all she cared about now, even if she did not fully realize it. 

She smiled when he agreed to her idea, and listened carefully.  "I knew that much about them.  Prickly, proud creatures, and I know they think… well, practically nothing of my kind.  Now, I propose that we have a bit of fun with this.  Come, we can plan on the way," Caitlin said, turning and walking to where she could sense the next piece.  There was a tiny sense of apprehension, like each step, each piece that she found was taking her further away from… something.  What that was, she did not know.  But so far, the tiny voice in her head that kept encouraging her had been nothing but kind and helpful.  To her, at least. 

Once they reached the gates of the drow compound, Caitlin knew that the next piece lay within the building.  And her idea had formed.  She knew drow were especially greedy when it came to the arcane, and she could prove that she had something they wanted.  The guard, a bored looking drow, only stared at her for a few moments.  But when she showed the iron bracelet, he sat straight up.  That told her everything that she needed to know.  He asked them to wait a moment, and Caitlin turned towards her new friend.  "The next piece of definitely here.  His reaction is disappointing though, I thought drow were supposed to be good at hiding emotions," she said, making a slight face.  She could see the guard returning with a female drow in tow.  From the hurried excitement of her steps, Caitlin could tell showing the bracelet had been the right move.

The devil looked to the young redhead and nodded pleasantly with a crooked smile. Helping a demon wasn’t the best thing to ever do for often those that did would find themselves getting burned. She was no different in the case of the one inside of her, nor in helping him in dealing with the drow. While he was very curious as to how she came across her partner, he kept his tongue to himself about the matter. When Caitlin had mentioned his revenge, Xunatar couldn’t help but look at her nonchalantly and clicked his tongue in protest. “I suppose I prefer to call it “re-educating” them about who’s higher on the food chain.”

The drow were crafty enough to capture weak demons and somehow were able to subdue and imprison him for a long while. Even to this day, he regretted getting caught in their web and surely he was ready to ignite them into flames.

“Remember well that revenge is a petty thing that those beneath us follow”, he spoke, speaking to her as if he held her on a higher standard than the rest of her kin. If she was going to be working alongside him, then he felt it would be necessary to iron out the details. The crafty look became more evident when the suggestion of a favor from her to him came. “We’ll see if that comes to be, dear girl. For now, we will look towards the bigger objective.” He’d give her credit where it was do, she was a thinker and knew what she spoke of. Too many times he had played with others that weren’t as quick thinking or thoughtful and it lead to many a downfall. “Indeed. It's in both their pride and their natural fear of others. Even so, they are no fools to deception and thus we will have to be a few steps ahead of them.” Xunatar followed the girl’s lead, watching with care as she directed them all the way towards where the drow they sought were. A guard stood in their way at the gate, but Caitlin’s cunningness came out in showing off a mere bracelet.

Oh, he would have to ask her at some point of its significance but now wasn’t the time. “They are, but the ones that manage to dwell on the surface are far less worried about expressing themselves than their counterparts”, he explained in private before the guard came with another one. The look one the female’s face looked extremely envious of the precious bracelet. While he could extract his re-education into these two, it wouldn’t sate his hunger.

He wanted inside their lovely abode.     

While they waited, Caitlin considered her options.  She could continue to work with him, and hope that she was not betrayed.  But they shared an interest in the house before them, and she hoped that would be enough.  Besides, she had a feeling that her new friend derived quite a bit of amusement from playing people for fools.  She just hoped it wouldn't apply to her.  "Once inside, I'd suggest we have a look around, get a feeling for the number of guards.  Then we can have some fun," she said, the cruel edge to her voice again.  Even with as isolated as her village had been, the cruelty of the drow was legendary.  It would be good to rid the world of a few more.  

She studied the female as the pair approached, and Caitlin suddenly noticed the earring the matron wore.  They were a match to her own collected pieces.  "Well, that was easier than I thought," she murmured to her friend, already thinking on the best way to relieve the drow of her jewelry.  The matron gestured to the guard, and stepped towards the pair, speaking the common trade language of Adeluna admirably.  "Welcome to the home of the Baen'rret family.  We are small, but we endure.  And you have something I desire.  Come, we should speak inside.  The street is no proper place for such a conversation," the matron said, a sweeping gesture offering them passage into the house.  It did not escape Caitlin's notice that her eyes never left the bracelet.  

The guard glared at the drow, but only for as long as her eyes were focused on Caitlin,  She invited the pair into the garden, and spoke along the winding path towards the door.  "Oh, do ignore my guard there.  Overprotective, that one.  Always thinking everyone is here to kill me.  But you will not, right?  You do not seem that stupid," the matron said with a soft laugh.  She gestured towards benches arranged around a pond.  So close to the interior of the house, but not quite there yet.  "Wait a moment, certain things must be observed.  I will bring some wine to share," the woman said before walking inside the home again.  The guard stayed where he was, silently trying to glare Caitlin and her friend into submission.

Normally Xunatar would be above such petty whims such as vengeance. Normally he would simply let insults and other minor things slide or at the very least, indirectly get back at them. But when it came to the drow, he would let himself become petty for once. Especially towards the family that had caused him to endure such hospitality in the first place. But even then he didn’t desire to simply maul them. No, no, no. There were fates far worse than simply physically hurting someone and then killing them. What he planned to orchestrating onto them was something on a much grander design. “Fair enough. It’s be a smarter approach to gauge options.” For now he would play by her book, though if something was to…slip, then who’s to say that it wasn’t needed?
 
His eyes latched onto the matron as Caitlin spoke to him, seeing that she found her piece. Meanwhile it looked as though their hostess was admiring her own bracelet as she greeted them. He pondered quietly if she knew to what importance of value these things truly had. Drow had a knack for knowledge, be it welcoming or not. “Indeed, the pleasure is all our, madam”, he spoke with an air of elegance and humbly bowed. Her guard dog annoyed him slightly but one would never tell from the pleasant look beaming across his face. “Shall we?”, he asked Caitlin before taking the drow up on her offer.
 
“Oh no no. We would be foolish to think of such things and come to your front door, Madam Baen’rret.” His eyes narrowed oh so softly and the smile grew a bit larger but kept his sincerity. Oh if only she knew… Caitlin could be hear for the earring and leave if she desired, but he would make this into a nightmarish game for the woman that had let them in. Her and her little guard pooch too. “But of course", he spoke to her as she took her leave. Now the two were alone with her guard with his tough guy bravado. Xunatar merely gazed at him sweetly for a moment before the smile dropped and within seconds, appeared before him and laid a hand onto his chest. As just quick as he was place the hand there, it withdrew and he casually walked away back to his partner’s side. The guard felt himself becoming tired and having a lack of energy before he yawned and slouched against a wall, appearing bored.
 
“That will take care of him”, Xunatar said as he relaxed his shoulders. “He was starting to become a thorn to my side with all that staring.” 

The guard was beginning to grate on her nerves, but Caitlin watched in silence as her friend moved towards him.  Her head tilted to one side, she was but a novice when it came to magic, and wasn't entirely certain as to what he had done.  "What exactly did you do?  It doesn't appear you harmed him," she asked, her ever burning curiosity driving her to yet more questions.  The matron reappeared a few moments later, the promised bottle in hand, and three glasses.  It was clear the guard was not to be included.  She only eyed him curiously for a moment before returning attention to her guests.  "So you bear the gems of fire, young one.  Have you any idea of the power that piece contains?  Of course you don't.  Merely human, and without the patience to properly learn how to harness it," the drow matron said, contempt dripping from her words.  In response, Caitlin's eyes only narrowed, but she said nothing as she took a sip of the wine. 

But her mind was busy, and her reply came quickly.  "Oh, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss what a mere human is able to do.  For example, this wine has poison  in it.  Drowish spider-blood wine, I think it's called?  Your kind are mostly immune to the effects, given you take small doses.  But me?  I've never had the stuff.  Yet I won't die from this drink.  The fires I've tamed will burn it from my veins long before it can harm me," the young woman said, a vicious smile on her face.  The matron's face went from gloating to uncertainly, the knowledge the girl displayed was closely guarded by the drow.  Even by the exiles.  But that little voice had whispered a few useful tidbits to Caitlin, emboldened by the nearness of the other pieces at sought.  "So you tell me, Mistress Baen'rret.  Just what makes you think I'd give up my prize so easily?" she asked, staring at the drow matron, her eyes burning blue in the dusk.  The little voice knew it was a risk, exposing himself to the demon at her side, but the drive to possess those last few pieces was too great to warrant caution.  

"You…  you really think that I would let you leave?  There's a logical explanation for how you know that, though I am not interested.  I will give you an offer, one time only.  Give me that bracelet you bear, and I will let you and your friend go.  I get what I want, and you both live," the matron Baen'rret said, then glanced to her guard.  It was clear she was tensing to attack, but Caitlin only relaxed, taking another sip of the wine.  She wanted to see what her friend sitting beside her would do at the direct threat.