[laXgrrl5]

Mmn. With what just happened to Shodun in mind, and what happened to Bae's sisters...

Arrogance is often the downfall of the Nids.

Who's to say that Eria won't take that knife, and either Ash or Faen empathically stabs Bae through Eria? Faen made those wolves attack Liriel's owner way back when... so there's another possibility.

[Marcellogo]

So, not only Faen is notvdoing absolutely anything but to add insult to injury, even a (former) slave would end up to show, whatever the choice she will take, any of them, even throwing the knife down, more spine than her.

[Moatl]

It's a fruit knife, right? Then it's just the propper tool to cut a banana.

[sunhawk]

how is ash'waren maintaining her illusion of drow skin even unconscious and bleeding profusely???????

Ash'waren's dark elf nature has been irrelevant outside of establishing her history. Even then it is sort of irrelevant. As her childhood friendship with Diva has never been a factor.

[Smokehammer]

It is and it isnt irrelevant. IF its true that Ash is indeed a Dark Elf, then her age explains why she can casually manipulate people into "feeling" her presence AS a drow making her the single most badass Empath in all of creation. The converse is of course that she really is a Drow, and that she could only manipulate Quain into thinking otherwise and that's why she weak, stabbed and laying on the floor. That later would make that illusion irrelevant, but the former leaves room for this whole "fight" being BS(Ash created or otherwise).

[sunhawk]

It is and it isnt irrelevant. IF its true that Ash is indeed a Dark Elf, then her age explains why she can casually manipulate people into "feeling" her presence AS a drow making her the single most badass Empath in all of creation. The converse is of course that she really is a Drow, and that she could only manipulate Quain into thinking otherwise and that's why she weak, stabbed and laying on the floor. That later would make that illusion irrelevant, but the former leaves room for this whole "fight" being BS(Ash created or otherwise).

Quain'tana was 800 something years old and basically invulnerable to mana arts. So Ash'waren manipulating her sight too, is a problem. Ash'waren would either have to be the greatest drow empath ever, or an incredibly old dark elf. In order to over come Quain'tana's immunity aura. Then we have to ask why Ash'waren would make Quain'tana think she is a dark elf. Drow dont treat dark elves well. So it would be a gambit into making Quain'tana think Ash'waren was older and stronger than she really was. In order to secure the mercenary queen's allegiance.

Ash'waren being a drow. Conflicts with Diva's memory from being a child on the surface.

[Silverrain]

Maybe (probably) there's something else going on, but wouldn't it be interesting if Bae'rali is turning to Eria because, despite everything else she has been party to, she just can't bring herself to be a mother-killer.

[wolfdancer95]

With relevance, it's possible that plot points were cut. There very well could have been a Ash/Young Diva plot point but was left on the cutting room floor, and there is no guarantee that it would happen either.

[Moric]

Unresponsive =/= unconscious

Ash'waren is going through a prolonged existential crisis, brought to a head by Bae's violence and perhaps the dead aura of her own mother attacking her. Just because she isn't fighting back doesn't mean that she's incapable of thought, especially one deeply trained for 900+ years for the sake of self-preservation.

Seriously, she probably keeps up the empathic illusion even in her sleep. Consider how paranoid every other ancient has been.

As for Quain'tana, she knew that her vision was being messed with. Perhaps Quain could see past it, but the incoming mana arts were an irritant.