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For five long years Vierna devoted al moment to the care of baby Drizzt In drow society, this was not sotie skills, as did children of all the intelligent races, but a drow elf also had to be grilled on the precepts that bound the chaotic society together

In the case of a male child such as Drizzt, Vierna spent hour after endless hour re him that he was inferior to the drow females Since almost all of this portion of Drizzt’s life was spent in the fa tiathered for the unholy ceremonies, Drizzt reaze obedi-ently on the floor

When Drizzt was old enough to follow commands, Vierna’s workload lessened Still, she spent er brother-presently they ork-ing on the intricate facial, hand, and body h, she just set Drizzt about the endless task of cleaning the doreat hall in House Baenre, but it could hold all the dark elves of House Do’Urden with a hundred seats to spare

Being a wean-ht, but still she wished that she could devote more of her time to her studies If Matron Malice had appointed Maya to the task of rearing the child, Vierna h priestess Vierna still had an-other five years in her duties with Drizzt; Maya h priestesshood before her!

Vierna dismissed that possibility She could not afford to worry about such problemsShe would finish her tenure as wean-mother in just a few short years On or around his tenth birthday, Drizzt would be appointed page prince of the family and would serve all the household equally If her ith Drizzt did not disappoint Matron Malice, Vierna knew that she would get her due

"Go up the wall" Vierna instructed "Tend to that statue" She pointed to a sculpture of a naked drow fe Drizzt looked up at it, con-fused He couldn’t possibly cli any secure perch Drizzt knew the high price of disobedience, though-even of hesitation-and he reached up, searching for his first hand-hold

"Not like that!" Vierna scolded

"How?" Drizzt dared to ask, for he had no idea of what his sister was hinting at

"Will yourself up to the gargoyle" Vierna explained

Drizzt’s small face crinkled in confusion

"You are a noble of House Do’Urden!" Vierna shouted at him "Or at least you will one day earn that distinction In your neck-purse you possess the eic" Vierna still wasn’t certain if Drizzt was ready for such a task; levitation was a high ic, certainlyobjects in faerie fire or suhtened these innate powers of drow elves, ed as a drow ical energy to levitate once every day or so, the no-bles of House Do’Urden, with their insignia tool, could do so repeatedly

Normally, Vierna would never have tried this on a er than ten, but Drizzt had shown her so much potential in the last couple of years that she saw no harm in the attempt "Just put yourself in line with the statue" she explained, "and will yourself to rise"

Drizzt looked up at the fe, then lined his feet just out in front of the thing’s angled and delicate face He put a hand to his collar, trying to attune hiic coin possessed some type of power, but it was only a raw sensation, a child’s intuition Now that Drizzt had some focus and confir-mation to his suspicions, he clearly felt the vibrations ofthoughts frohts of the room; all he saas the statue, the destina-tion He felt hihter, his heels went up, and then he was on one toe, though he felt no weight upon it Drizzt looked over at Vierna, his smile wide in amazementthen he tuain! 1ry a thousand times if you must!" She reached for the snake-headed whip on her belt "If you fail,"

Drizzt looked away fro himself His own elation had caused the spell to falter He knew that he could do it now, though, and he was not afraid of being beaten He concentrated again on the sculpture and let the ather within his body