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They were shadows a movements that disappeared before the eye could take theh three hundred dark elves ht flank, left flank, center, there was no sound

They had co the easier and wider tunnels that would swing them back toward the east and all the way to the surface, to Mithril Hall Blingdenstone, the city of svirfnebli, whom the drow hated above all others, was not so far away, another benefit of this roundabout course

Uthegental Aro paused in one small, sheltered cubby The tunnels ide here, uncomfortably so Svirfnebli were tacticians and builders; in a fight they would depend on formations, perhaps even on war machines, to compete with theof these particular tunnels was no accident, Uthegental knew, and no result of nature This battlefield had long ago been prepared by his eneental had coroup leading an arht thousand dark elves and thousands of hudenstone itself could not be more than a twenty minute march from his position-and his scouts were even closer than that-there had been no sign of svirfnebli

The wild patron of Barrison del’Ars predictable, at least as far as enemies were concerned, and had hoped that he and his warriors would have seen sonoroup, that he, was at the forefront of the drow army That had been a concession by Baenre to Mez’Barris, an affirmation of the importance of the second house But with that concession came responsibility, which Matron Mez’Barris had proental’s sturdy shoulders House Barrison del’Arlory, particularly in light of Matron Baenre’s incredible display in the destruction of House Oblodra When this business with Mithril Hall was settled, the rearrangein Interhouse wars seeest holes to be filled those ranks directly behind Barrison del’Aro

Thus had Matron Mez’Barris pro personally excused fro her house’s position and working closely with Triel Baenre in for a web of lies and allies to insulate House Baenre froreed with Mez’Barris’s offer, knowing that she, too, would be vulnerable if all did not go well in Mithril Hall

With the lory of House Barrison del’Arlad for the task, but he was edgy as well, filled with nervous energy, wanting a battle, any battle, that he ht wet the end of his wicked trident with the blood of an enely little svirfnebli? he wondered The denstone proper- not on the initial journey, at least If there was to be an assault on the gnome city, it would come on the return from Mithril Hall, after the iven perh, and to skirnomes he and his warriors found out in the open tunnels

Uthegental craved that, and had already deternome defenses and discovered sufficient holes in the to return to Baenre’s side with the head of the svirfneblin king on the end of his trident

All glory for Barrison del’Aruards, ers flashed in the silent drow code, explaining to her leader that she had gone closer, much closer, had even seen the stairway that led up to the level of Blingdenstone’s n had she seen of the svirfnebli

It had to be an ambush; every instinct within the seasoned weaponin wait, in full force Al with others (mostly because the dro they could alin such encounters if they struck at the appropriate tiental’sexpedition, was now complete, and he could return to Matron Baenre with a full report that she would be pleased to hear

But fierce Uthegental was not like other drow He was less than relieved, was, in fact boiling with rage

Take ers flashed, to the surprise of the female scout

You are too valuable, the feental roared aloud, his volu every one of the ental wasn’t startled, and did not relent "Send the word along every coludenstone!"

More than a fe soldiers turned nervous looks to each other They nudenstone held many times that number, and svirfnebli, full of tricks with the stone and often allied with powerful monsters from the Plane of Earth, were not easy foes Still, not one of the dark elves would argue with Uthegental Aro, especially since he alone knehat Matron Baenre expected of this point group

And so they arrived in full, at the stairway and up it they cliineer found devilishly trapped, with the entire ceiling above theental called to a priestess that had been assigned to his group

You can get one of us past the barrier? his fingers asked her, to which she nodded

Uthegental’s stream of surprises continued when he indicated he would personally enter the svirfneblin city It was an unheard-of request No drow leader ever went in first; that’s what coue with Uthegental? In truth, the priestess really didn’t care if this arrogantat once, a spell that would ental as insubstantial as a wraith, would h the slightest cracks When it was done, the brave Uthegental left without hesitation, without bothering to leave instructions in the event that he did not return

Proud and supreental simply did not think that way

A few uard chaly built trenches and fortifications, Uthegental becalance at the rounded, natural houses of the svirfnebli and the winding, unredenstone was fronomes had found in the natural caverns, rather than sculpted and refor

Uthegental, who de about him, found the place repulsive He also found it, this most ancient and hallowed of svirfneblin cities, deserted

Belwar Dissengulp stared out frodenstone, and wondered if he had done right in convincing King Schnicktick to abandon the gnomish city The ic returned, the droould surely march for Mithril Hall, and that course, Belwar kneould take theh he had little difficulty in convincing his fellows that the dark elves wouldup their belongings and deserting their ancient home, had not settled well For nomes had lived in the ominous shadow of Menzoberranzan, and more than once had they believed the droould coainst them

This time was different, Belwar reasoned, and he had told theht of his relationship with the renegade drow fro Schnicktick and the others until Councilor Firble piped in on the burroarden’s side

It was indeed different this time, Firble had told them with all sincerity This tiether, and any attack would not be the anoh to fall in the path of the drow march, could not depend on interhouse rivalries to save them Firble had learned of House Oblodra’s fall from Jarlaxle; an earth elemental sent secretly under Menzoberranzan and into the Clawrift by svirfneblin priests confirmed it and the utter destruction of the third house Thus, when, at their last , Jarlaxle hinted "it would not be wise to harbor Drizzt Do’Urden," Firble, with his understanding of droays, reasoned that the dark elves would indeed march for Mithril Hall, in a force unified by the fear of the one who had so utterly crushed the third house