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And so, on that odenstone, and Belwar had played a critical role in the departure That responsibility weighed heavily on the burroarden now,that had seeer imminent Here to the west the tunnels were quiet, and not eerily so, as though ene from shadow to shadow The tunnels were quiet with peace; the war Belwar had anticipated seemed a thousand nomes felt it, too, and Belwar had overheard denstone had been, at best, foolish

Only when the last of the svirfnebli had left the city, when the long caravan had begun its ravity of the departure, realized the e to themselves that they were no match for the drow, that they could not protect themselves or their homes from the dark elves More than a few svirfnebli, Belwar perhapsthem, were sick about that fact Their illusions of security, of the strength of their shaure, had been shaken, without a single drop of spilled svirfneblin blood

Belwar felt like a coward

The most honored burroarden took sodenstone A friendly elemental, blended with the stone, had been ordered to wait and watch, and to report back to the svirfneblin shamans who had summoned it If the dark elves did conomes would know of it

But what if they didn’t co and the march did not come, then what loss had the svirfnebli suffered for the sake of caution?

Could any of theain?

Matron Baenre was not pleased at Uthegental’s report that the gnoh, it could not ’inyon, at her side His eyes narrowed dangerously as he considered the powerful patron of the second house, and Uthegental, seeing a challenge, more than matched that ominous stare

Baenre understood the source of Berg’inyon’s anger, and she, too, was not pleased by the fact that Uthegental had taken it upon hidenstone That act reflected clearly the desperation of Mez’Barris Obviously Mez’Barris felt vulnerable in the shadows of Matron Baenre’s display against Oblodra, and thus she had placed a great weight upon Uthegental’s broad shoulders

Uthegental o, Matron Baenre knew,with his force of ’inyon, that was not a good thing, for he, and not Matron Baenre, was in direct competition with the powerful weapon master

Matron Baenre considered all the news in light of her son’s expression, and, in the end, she thought Uthegental’s daring a good thing The co’inyon to excellence And if he failed, if Uthegental was the one who killed Drizzt Do’Urden (for that was obviously the prize both sought), even if Berg’inyon was killed by Uthegental, then so be it This reater than anyone’s personal goals-except, of course, for Matron Baenre’s own

When Mithril Hall was conquered, whatever the cost to her son, she would be in the highest glory of the Spider Queen, and her house would be above the scheainst her!

"You are disental "Back to the forefront"

The spike-haired weaponhis eyes fro’inyon Then he spun on his heel to leave, but spun again immediately as Baenre addressed him once more

"And if you chance to co svirfnebli," Baenre said, and she paused, looking fro’inyon, "do send an e’inyon’s shoulders slu those filed, pointy teeth, widened so ain and ran off

"The svirfnebli arethe re’inyon "They will kill him and all of his party" She didn’t really believe the clai at her wise son, though, she realized he didn’t believe it either

"And if not," Baenre said, looking the other way, to Quenthel, who stood by i quite bored, and to Methil, who always seereat a prize" The ’inyon "We know the prize of this march," she said, her voice a feral snarl She didn’t bother to oal were not the sa weapon id attention, and rode off on his lizard as soon as his mother waved her hand to dismiss him

Baenre turned to Quenthel See that spies are put aers subtly flashed Baenre paused a moment to consider the fierce weapon master, and to reflect on what he would do if such spies were discovered Males, Baenre added to her daughter, and Quenthel agreed

Males were expendable

Sitting alone as her driftdisk floated ahts to ental was of little consequence, as was Uthegental’s apparent disregard for proper coht the wicked gno an assault on Menzoberranzan even as Baenre and her force ht, one Matron Baenre quickly dismissed More than half the dark elves remained in Menzoberranzan, under the watchful eyes of Mez’Barris Arnomes attacked, they would be utterly destroyed, lory

But even as she considered those city defenses, the thought of a conspiracy against her nagged at the edges of Baenre’s consciousness

Triel is loyal and in control, came a telepathic assurance fro Baenre’s every thought

Baenre took some comfort in that Before she had left Menzoberranzan, she had bade Methil to scour her daughter’s reactions to her plans, and the illithid had come back with a completely positive report Triel was not pleased by the decision to go to Mithril Hall She feared herher bounds, but she was convinced, as most likely were all the others, that, in the face of the destruction of House Oblodra, Lloth had sanctioned this war Thus, Triel would not head a coup for control of House Baenre in her ainst her oing according to design; it was not ino even better than design, Baenre decided, for the rivalry between Uthegental and Berg’inyon would providePerhaps if Uthegental killed Drizzt, and killed Berg’inyon in the process, Matron Baenre would force the spike-haired savage into House Baenre to serve as her oeapon master Mez’Barris would not dare protest, not after Mithril Hall was conquered