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"You&039;re late," Drisinil Melarn snapped as Ssipriina Zauvirr strode into the audience chamber of House Melarn

The matron mother of House Zauvirr forced herself to suppress the hot retort that she ached to unleash, contenting herself instead with pursed lips

"I a low to the other h the use of such forent business matters to attend to, issues that keep your coffers full, Matron Mother"

Ssipriina liked the dangerous glitter she was creating in Drisinil&039;s hot eyes It would be hard for the head of House Melarn to chastise her ently to keep her wealthy, and Ssipriina knew that That&039;s what made these subtle jibes all the nity would perood news They have entered the city"

"You&039;re sure?" the matron mother asked "Do you have any indication that they&039;ve changed their plans?"

"Yes, I am sure of it," Ssipriina replied "My o, and she informed him that they were headed toward the Fracture Gate in the lowest quarters of the city Apparently, Mistress Baenre is still bent on stealing your goods My spies saw theo"

Drisinil sat in thought for a fewexpectantly Finally the matron mother stirred

"They don&039;t suspect that we know, do they?"

"I don&039;t believe so I have instructed Faeryl to be as agreeable as she can to whatever Quenthel is planning, and I have o They won&039;t know a thing until it&039;s too late"

"And you want to let theh with it?"

"Well, not exactly, Matron Mother I aet inside We&039;ll be there to catch them in the act We&039;ll have the proof, then, and we can present it to the other matron mothers"

"H her considerable weight atop her throne Her face held a look of determination "I very much want to see Quenthel Baenre&039;s face when she realizes she&039;s not getting a single scrap of my wealth I want her to realize she&039;s just crossed the wrong House"

Truer words were never spoken, Ssipriina thought

"Yes, of course I will make plans for us to be there before they arrive at the storehouse I trust that you wish for uards?"

"Absolutely" Drisinil said "She needs to see just who she is trifling with I want a strong presence there, Ssipriina, and when this crisis is over and the council lifts the ban on exportations, I&039;ll ence"

"Of course," Ssipriina said, bowing "I will see to thiscity filled with drow, duergar, and even the occasional illithid during nor The scout was certain three times as many creatures occupied the place than was usual It was bri hfares, raising a deafening ruh which the Menzoberranyr had entered was near the bottoe, V-shaped trench in the Underdark The entirety of the city was crisscrossed with ic, a hundred or more layers of pathways that ran every direction and supported the population Thousands of rounded, a-sacs or cocooned prey, thrusting up or dangling below and housing the citizens, guests, slaves, and their businesses Right now, it looked like a writhing colony of ants swarmed over the webs, for as far as Valas could see overhead, the streets literally vibrated with the e there

The scout would nore, but it was nearly impossible to move, so croere the streets Instead, Quenthel had ordered Jeggred to run point, and the towering fiend was pushing his way slowly through the throngs Valas stayed close behind the draegloth, and the rest of the group pressed in close behind the scout, fearful of getting cut off in the ain sullen-looking faces glowered at Jeggred while he growled and rumbled at everyone to stand aside They all did, intimidated by the formidable creature

There were fe in the city, but just about every other race was present Many of the slave races, as well as representatives of the other , pushing, bartering, or justabout The Menzoberranyr stood out,and it was plain that they were being sized up by the populace Sooner or later, there was going to be a probleer as so crowd deftly attempted to pilfer a trinket from one of his pockets He had already snatched two hands away fro each with a nasty gash across the pallanced over his shoulder Faeryl and Quenthel were both right behind hi bystanders with her horrid whip Behind the two priestesses, Pharaun held hispii closed and kept his head bowed, protecting hiht up the rear, using his bulk to shield the wizard in front of hi his head We&039;ve got to get out of this part of town

He started to lean over and tell Quenthel when a disturbance in front of Jeggred interrupted hiloth pounce on an ogre arre stood beside hired leaped forward like a coiled spring, raking one of his razor-sharp claws across the front of the first ogre The attack was so sudden, the creature didn&039;t even have time to react It stared down at its stomach as blood sprayed Several screaet out of the way and others pushed and shoved to get a better view - or a chance to scavenge thebodies The first ogre opened itsits hands across itsthe huled and flailed, wide-eyed with fear

The second ogre snarled and swung its club at Jeggred, slaloth&039;s shoulder The fiend spun with the blow, hisbehind hired back to face his enemy from a crouched position

At that oblin, teeth bared and daggers drawn Before the scout could kick the wretch away from his sank into the goblins flesh, and it fell to the ground, writhing and frothing at the mouth Valas lurched back to his feet before e over him He put his back to Quenthel and openly brandished his kukris, holding back several shouting, cursing gray dwarves

The entourage had formed a defensive circle, Valas realized Ryld had Splitter out, and the wizard&039;s ical rapier danced in the air before him, while Pharaun hily angry crowd Even Faeryl held her ha it back and forth experired wasn&039;t a part of the defensive for his bloody ith the two ogres Out of the corner of his eye, Valas could see the fiend biting his foe, ripping chunks of the ogre&039;s face off

"We&039;ve got to get higher!" Valas yelled at Quenthel over his shoulder When the high priestess didn&039;t seem to hear hiet to a higher section of the city This is not working!"

Next to hiainst hispii, Soest?" Quenthel called back, extending her whip and flailing at an unfortunate kobold that had squeezed to the front of the gathering and was shoved forward froan to lift froet to the mercantile district, and this is the fastest way"

No," Valas groaned, eyes widening "I can&039;t - ! I have no way to stay with you!"

But it was too late The other drow had began to follow the around Valas backed into the center of what had once been their circle, warily eyeing the crowd around him

"Ryld!" he shouted "Wait!"

Valas saw the warrior look down at hirabbed from behind He tried to spin around and slash out with his kukri, but the grip on hi in A split-second later, he was glad, for Jeggred was the one who had a hold of hiloth held tightly to the scout as he left the ground A couple of bold gray dwarves stor sith their war axes at Valas&039;s feet, but Jeggred still had a large, clawed hand free and slashed out at thear to leap back to safety

Several loth&039;s flank next to Valas, but Jeggred only grunted and spun away, levitating upward to where the other drow had gone Valas looked back dohere they had been standing only moments before Even as the webbed street receded, the scout saw theiteht

Above, Faeryl had stopped on a sher than where the drow had been previously, in a quiet space between rows of vendors In the hfare, the croere less dense than below, but only slightly Valas knew they were still relatively low in the city, for the gliht that eht when he looked up, twinkling far into the distance overhead He knew that the higher they got, the better the neighborhoods would be Near the top of the cavern, where the trench-shaped chamber was at its widest, the nobles had constructed their sprawling Houses sufficiently beyond the stench and noise of the coo before they would be in that vicinity

"Is it always thatrevolting down there?" Quenthel asked as the group settled to the stone avenue, huddling together and keeping their voices low "Why do the red released Valas, who straightened and turned to look at the draegloth, wondering how much of the blood on the fiend was his enered&039;s fur was matted with the hot, sticky fluid, but other than the crossbow bolt in his hip, the beast didn&039;t see and noted sullenly that he was sticky with ogre blood, too

"The lesser races are not perher sections of the city without special peret a little higher"

"I doubt it," the high priestess said, sniffing "I doubt the htly Likely they&039;re dealing with ent problems are"

Over Quenthel&039;s shoulder, Valas could see a trio of fered as the fiend yanked the crossbow bolt free with a grunt of pain One of the dark elves whispered so to her companions, and the three of the hispii clean and straightening the garain

"You arein acquiescence "Still, it would not hurt for us to find a place to stay for the night, gathering our wits and perhaps some more information, too I&039;m sure that between the six of us, we can find out a littlea place to stay may prove difficult," Ryld commented "I wonder if there&039;s a vacant roo the looks they would receive as they inquired after accouard will attract substantial attention Even noe are drawing looks We should not stay out in the open forin her pack of supplies and produced a wand Moving closer to Jeggred, she ai puncture wound and uttered a feords The bleeding stopped, and the hole began to close

"Be h priestess ad ic is limited"

"Even as overcrowded as the city is," Faeryl said, "the higher levels will not be that bad I know of a place where we et rooms"

"Perhaps we need to rethink this," Quenthel countered "It seems obvious to me that there are troubles here I think it would be wiser to pay House Zauvirr and House Melarn a visit We would be assured of accommodations there"

"No," Pharaun said, and Quenthel&039;s eyes widened in surprise The h priestess could lash out at hiht, but even so, you don&039;t want to lose the opportunity toa claioods and coin for your House, we must be able to avoid theto waver, "I&039; like couh priestess bit her lip, deep in thought

Pharaun continued, trying to press ho if there is a problem They will keep that information to themselves at all costs This e can explore a little bit, try to discover possible clues to Lolth&039;s disappearance It will allow us the chance to deterht Ched Nasad to this condition" He leaned in close to avoid being overheard, as another pair of drow -past this ti else, we can learn froave the pair of males a level look, and they quickly averted their eyes and continued on their way

"Whatever we do, we&039;d better do it now," the weapons htwe&039;re attracting too much attention"

"Then shall I show us the way to the inn I know of?" Faeryl asked "It&039;s called the House Unna," Quenthel interrupted "You seeer to help us, and at the expense of your own House"

Faeryl gaped at the Baenre high priestess

"Mistress Quenthel, I ah," Quenthel cut the ambassador off "Until I decide to let thethered, it will be your responsibility to loth grinned, first at Quenthel, then at the arimaced at the fiend&039;s attentions, and Valas wondered just what had happened between the two of theroup&039;s departure She&039;d behaved in thatthe entire trip He made a mental note to ask Ryld when they had ato the other three of them, "which of you knows this city best?"

"I have visited Ched Nasad a number of times, Mistress Quenthel," Valas answered, and the other two e

"Good Find us an inn, soood one, ht be used to"

Valas raised an eyebrow but said nothing He found it interesting that the high priestess had changed herto Pharaun&039;s plan without actually ad to it He wondered if they would have words about it later, but for the h to do as she had instructed

"The quickest way to get where ant to go is going to be by floating there," the scout said "As long as Jeggred is willing to bear loth, then at Faeryl, and said,"You&039;re not going to giveto run away, are you?"

Faeryl glowered bur shook her head

"Good, then lead on, Valas I am weary and would like to enjoy the Reverie on a proper couch for a change"

Jeggred lifted the scout up in one arher parts of the city Faeryl had been right As the group reached higher and higher elevations, the crowds abated somewhat It was still busier than Valas had ever reher levels, it was at least tolerable He led them toward an upscale business section of the city, a zone where h power topowerful enough to run the city, maintained commercial offices

It was this section, Valas knew, that ions of the Underdark frequented while visiting the city The inns were extravagant enough that they would support the creature co community&039;s elite, and they wouldn&039;t do red Valas hoped that there the Menzoberranyr would find a roo and not draw undue attention to themselves If they could find a roootiate with the innkeepers The first two establishhed in the wizard&039;s face, and the third onethe "Wrath of Lolth" before suggesting that a pay would buy theether The fourth place had nothing either, but the proprietor there, a half-orc blind in one eye, suggested a place that was near the edge of the city, two sections higher He claimed that his cousin ran the place and catered to mercenaries who hired on with caravans - or at least, they used to, when caravans still ran Valas wondered which side of the fa before the group finally found the Fla hive of stacked cocoon-shapes nestled together where one lonely strand of calcified webbing was anchored to the wall of the cavern It held promise, if only by virtue of its out-of-the-way location and its appearance

Quenthel balked upon first seeing the inn, but Pharaun suggested that they at least inquire inside before disain let the male convince her

She reallyhiht&039;s Reverie, and that&039;ll all change

For a pleasant surprise, the inside of the Fla than the outside had been While Pharaun approached the innkeeper, a fat orc with silver caps on his tusks and two ogre bouncers to back him up, Valas looked around There were certainly plenty of folk sitting in the tap roo stare as he crouched beneath a ceiling that wasn&039;t quite the right height for hinized why They really were old and little else, and as longas no one interfered with them or their livelihoods, they would keep to themselves They were Valas&039;s kind of folk

Quenthel&039;s expression was one of distaste, but Pharaun returned with a gleaed to get the Flame and Serpent&039;s last two rooms When the wizard mentioned the price, Quenthel rolled her eyes, but Valas realized they had probably still gotten a bargain

"Only two?" Quenthel said doubtfully "Then the males will have to share one, while Faeryl and I take the other Jeggred, you, of course, will remain with me"