Page 4 (2/2)

"You certainly don&039;t want to hear about ht "You obviously dropped in on this social visit for other reasons"

"Again, don&039;t be so sure," the fiend replied, standing and stretching indolently "It requires so a band of dark elves through A of any real consequence," Pharaun interjected

" - especially a noring the wizard&039;s interruption "Very extraordinary circuing his reaction

In fact, his reaction was the slightest straightening of his back and shoulders, but it was only the hts floated through the e&039;s head in the next instant, considerations of who ht have betrayed them, who back in Menzoberranzan had sent the of them in the clutches of Kaanyr Vhok and his ain just as quickly The risk of exposing the plight of the priestesses of Lolth was far too great to risk by such a method The she-fiend had discovered their identity in soreen eyes told hiet too lathered up about it," she said, laughing "Your secrets safe with us - at least, for the tishere The Sceptered One, Kaanyr Vhok, Master of the Scourged Legions, lord of the portion of the Underdark through which you currently trespass, would delight in having an audience with you I&039;m here to extend that invitation"

Al, froazed over the edge of the precipice to the cavern floor below There, Quenthel and the others had been in the process of crossing to a lower tunnel, one without switchbacks Valas was rushing back froress, apparently to join thee and fro the scene had taken but an instant, but it had been enough for the she-fiend to expend so around her He was on his guard, expecting an attack, but she did not reen eyes, however, ser, he wasn&039;t sure

"I think you should accompany me back to the palace," the demon said, her voice husky "You will like it there Very an to saunter toward hiy flow over hie supposed He backed up a step and put on his best apologetic smile

"That, I&039;m afraid, is very much out of the question, at least for the moment My companions need me"

The she-fiend&039;s smile faded, and she pursed her lips in irritation

"They are surrounded, you know," she said, pausing in her advance "This is, at least for the moment, still an amicable offer Go to them, convince them to return withwill be cordial My forces below have been instructed merely to hold their positions and prevent you and your friends fro until I have a chance to make the offer to you Will you do that?"

Pharaun smiled "Hoell do you know Kaanyr Vhok?" he asked, his tone suggestive

Her slittered as definitely lust

"Quite well," she answered, "but then again, he&039;s terribly busy, so not as well as I would like Come back to his palace with me"

Pharaun&039;s own smile widened, and he asked "What&039;s your naled once in aot to tell you! I&039;ht to meet you, Aliisza, I&039;m Pharaun, and I&039;d love to accompany you, but for the moment, duty calls Am I to assume that ill meet with resistance down there? Or has our discussion set your ht pass out of Arinned and said, "I had my orders, dear You were not to pass beyond the borders without a fight, but I tell you whatI&039;ll give you a sporting chance, just because I like you" Her voice had turned husky again "Just this once, I&039;ll stay out of it A few hundred tanarukks shouldn&039;t cause you undue trouble, should they?"

Pharaun cocked his head to one side, as if considering that, then said, "Well, they will be a substantially greater difficulty than if we couldchance Until the next time we e leaned backward and dropped over the side of the precipice

At Valas&039;s distant shout, Quenthel looked up frored&039;s back, following the draegloth through theback froh priestess spotted the hordes of tanarukks behindhi from the sculpted tunnel wall She swore under her breath, and the five snakes on her rithed in ain, Mistress!" K&039;Sothra hissed "Perhaps there is another way?"

"No, let us destroy theued, her own long black body straining forward eagerly

"That&039;s enough," Quenthel snapped, starting forward again to join with Valas

The vipers quieted somewhat, but they still strained to pay attention to theirtosense any other possible dangers

The tanarukks did not follow the scout but instead fanned out into a defensive formation It seemed they were content to wait until the drow carimly They can line themselves up so that the wizard can decimate them most efficiently

"What are they about?" Faeryl asked, trotting beside Quenthel "Why aren&039;t they chasing the estured toward Valas, as only perhaps fifty paces fro her long strides quickly close the gap between herself and Valas "They soo that way It seems they&039;re content to wait until we co h them and slice them, let their blood stain our feet as we tread upon their corpses," Jeggred suggested, his own long strides easilyQuenthel&039;s quicker ones

The Mistress of Tier Breche looked over at the draegloth and saw him lick his feral lips in anticipation

"Nonsense," she said crisply "There&039;s no need to getover there and letting Pharaun dispatch theht, wizard?"

When there was no answer, Quenthel spun to face him - only to discover that he was not behind her Only Ryld kept pace with the two feloth

"Where in the Abyss is that darowled at Ryld, who raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned to look back

"He was right behind aze sweep back and upward, toward the tunnel through which they had originally entered "I don&039;t know - there!"

The weapons h up the wall, and Quenthel had to stop in order to turn around sufficiently to see where Ryld was pointing When she spotted Pharaun, she muttered an invective under her breath He wasn&039;t alone There was someone, a woman, in conversation with hih priestess asked no one in particular

Ryld shrugged and said, "I have no idea, Mistress I never heard hiet him down here, now! I need higed, turned back, and broke into a rapid jog back along the thoroughfare When she turned back, Valas had reached their position

"So?" she asked the scout

Valas took one deep, calain, and they&039;ve o around their flank"

The scout pointed to several other exits froe chamber

Quenthel could see already that roup similar in size to the one directly in front of thees and ras It wasn&039;t hard to see that they were intentionally halting the drow&039;s progress, trying to force them to turn back

"Obviously, they aren&039;t herealoud, "so theyelse"

"Perhaps I can explain," Pharaun said,in the open air only a few feet away The portal snapped out of existence as the wizard pri his pack "We&039;ve been invited to join Kaanyr Vhok, the master of those fellows, for a discussion"

"What are you talking about? Who was that wo with back there?" Quenthel de at how Pharaun seemed so full of himself all the tiic, while she could not, continually galled her Though hethe fact of it in front of her every chance he could To add insult to injury, he see unbridled politeness toward her She narrowed her eyes suspiciously He wanted soht you were in trouble I sent Ryld back to look into it," Quenthel said She jabbed a single finger outward, pointing at the distant figure of the weapons red to catch up with him while you stay here and explain to h priestess could direct the draegloth to do her bidding, though, Pharaun cut in "Oh, that&039;s not necessary Allow me but a er, and began to whisper "Ryld, my dear friend, I appreciate your concern forour esteemed companions You can return from your quest to rescue me"

In the distance, Quenthel saw the warrior start and straighten He turned around as Pharaun spoke Ryld seeht she heard hih of course it was only a whisper By the ti back in their direction

"Very clever,her teeth "Nohy don&039;t you be as useful in other ways and tellup there"

"Of course That was Aliisza, a chararious representative of Master Vhok&039;s She was lurking in the shadows back e ran into theestured into the distance at the tanarukks - "in the previous tunnel They answer to her, and she answers to Vhok"

"Well, how interesting," Quenthel said, folding her ar? You weren&039;t, perhaps, coreeenuinely pained and said, "High Priestess, I only listened politely while she extended her offer I could not, of course, give her any sort of proper ansithout first conversing with you I suspected what your ansould be before I even mentioned the invitation, but I would be ree"

"Indeed," Quenthel said She knew good and well that the flaiven a second thought to betraying her and the rest of them if it presented hi that she chose you to be her htly

"We share a common, uhappreciation for the arcane arts," he said at last "We spent a few mo with those who don&039;t share that appreciation"

Quenthel snorted "I&039;m sure you were interested in rin didn&039;t change, but his eyes hardened the slightest bit Good, she thought Reh hi to go back with the brutes to see Vhok, so the question is, hoe get through theet around them," Valas said, "unless the ambassador knows this area and has a notion of another route we can take," he finished, looking at Faeryl

The Zauvirr priestess shook her head

"We&039;re still too far away fronize any features with certainty," she said

"Then we e thered, there&039;s no need, howeverto get us through this Aren&039;t you?"

The ht have an incantation or two that will allow us to h to the tunnel Aliisza has assuredfashion, she will stay out of it Slaying these creatures should be minimal trouble"

"I&039;m not concerned with that Just clear a path for us," Quenthel coan to s of a spell as he did so