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run naked, feast on succulent viands and feed them  garbage! We'll sack Menzoberranzan, and afterward those of us who wish it will r

eturn to our own

peoples laden with treasure, while the rest of us rule the  cavern as our own!"Not likely

,  thought Ryld. He turned to say as much to Pharaun, then blinked insurprise. The wizard looked as if he was taking this diatribe seri

ously.

"They're just venting their resentment  in the form  of a fantasy," the warriorwhispered. "They'd never dare, and we'd  crush them  in a m

atter of minutes  if

they did.""S

o  one  would  assume "  P,  haraun  replied  "C.  ome  on,  I  want  a  closer  look."

They started working their way forward through the agitated throng. Some oftheir fellow spectators plainly resented their shoving. R

yld had to toss onehobgoblin down onto the floor of the sunken arena, but no one seemed to think

it odd that they wanted to get closer to  the  charismatic  leader.  Others  were  dointhe sam                                g

e.

The Prophet continued his oration.

reward. W"I thank you for your work and your patience, which soon will reap their ord of our revolt has reached every street and alley.  We  have warriors

everywhere, and each understands what he  is to do when he hears the Call.Meanwhile, the drow suspect nothing. Their arrogance m

akes them  complacent.

They won't suspect until it's too late, until the Call comes and  we  rise as one—until we burn them."

Ryld and Pharaun had forced their way close enough to see the Prophet pick u

d                                pa  san stone  rod  and  anoint  the  end  with  an  oil  from a  ceramic  bottle.  The  rod

burst into yellow,  crackling flame as if  it were made of dry wood, that exotic

combustible product of the World Above. The master of Melee-Magthere

squinted at the sudden flare of light."Eyes of the Goddess!" Pharaun exclaim

ed.

"It's a neat trick," Ryld said, "but surely nothing special by your standards ".

"His bodyguards, I im"Not the fire, those two bugbears standing behind the Prophet."agine. What of them?"

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"They're Tluth Melarn and one Alton the cobbler, two of our runaways. They're wearing veils of illusion, too, but of a sim

pler nature. I can see past theirs."

slave revolt?""Are you serious? What are drow, even rogues, doing aiding the instigator of a

here.""Perhaps we'll find out when we tail the Prophet and his entourage away from

"I taught you how to use the fire pots,"  the orator continued, "and my  friends

hovering floatchests. "Tand I have brought plenty of themake them  and hide them." He gestured toward severalThe bright notes of a brazen glaur horn blared through the air until the day of reckoning.

.  For a moment

confused, R                              ,yld thought "the Call"—whatever that was—had arrived, then athrill of panic, or at least the m

emory of it, reminded him  what the trum

truly portended. Judging by the goblins' babbling  and  f        pet rantic  peering aboutthey knew                               ,

,  too."What is it?" Pharaun asked.

"You're nobly born," said Ryld, hearing a trace of an old bitterness in his voice.

"Didn't you ever go hunting through the Braeryn, slaying every wretch

could catch?"                            you

The wizard smiled and said, "Now that  you mention it, but it's been a long

time. It occurs to me  that this is probably Greyanna's

really, even though it involves a lot of waste m    doing. Not a bad tactic, otion. Once I shielded us  ourhunters couldn't pinpoint our location, but they knew our mi

ssion would brin

us to the Braeryn so they organized a hunt  for a party of nobles. The idea is that gall the turmoil is likely to flush us out and send us scramb

through the streets, at which point they'            ling frantically "What'              ll have a better chance of spotting us."

s more," said Ryld, making sure  his swords were loose in their

scabbards, "your sister gives us the choice of retaining our veils of illusion andbeing harried by our own kind, or casting them  off and facing the w

rath of the

undercreatures. Either way,  someone might do her killing for her ".The Prophet raised his hands for calm

,  and the undercreatures quieted a little."My friends, in a moment we will scatter as we must, for  a little while longe

r

but before you go, take the fire pots. Once the danger is past, share the weapons ,and news of our gathering with all those who were unable to attend. Rem

ember

your part in the plan and wait for the Call. NowSom                  ,  go!"

e

enough to take a jug or two from of the rebels bolted without further delay the hovering boxes. One ore lost h,  but at least half lingered li   ong s footinin the press, then screamed as other  goblinoids trampled hi        g

m  in their haste.

Meanwhile, the Prophet and his bodyguards slipped  out  a  door  in  the  back  wall."Shall we?" said Pharaun, striding after them

.

"What of Greyanna and all the hunters?" asked Ryld."We'll contend with them

as necessary, but I'll be damned if I hide in a holewhile two of the boys we worked so

The m            hard to find vanish into the night."asters stalked out onto the street. The Braeryn already echoed with

more trumpeting, the sporting cries of dark elves, and the screams of

undercreatures.

The teachers shadowed the Prophet and the rogues for half a block. The trio

moved briskly but without any trace of panic. Evidently they were confident

of their ability to elude the hunters. Ryld wondered why.Then the night gave him  other things to think about.

He and Pharaun skulked by a house  where several shouting goblins pounded

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War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

on the granite  front  door.  As  was  the common practice duri

inhabitants refused to admit them. They  wouldn't let in anyone but folk who ng a hunt, the

actually  lived  there.  Otherwise,  a  rush  of  terrified  refugees  flooding  into  the

already crowded warren might trample or crush some  of the residents—or theinflux might m

ake the house a more provocative target. It had happened before.

Finally Ryld heard the small, long-armed creatures turn away from  the structure. They cried out, then broke

drumming on the ground.          into a run, their rapid footsteps

R
         
1
 
the goblins were charging him  and Pharaun. Perhaps the

creatures had myld had no idea whyistaken them  for tenants of the house that had denied  them

entry and thus appropriate targets for  revenge. Maybe they simply  wanted  totake their frustrations out on som

eone.

Not that it mattered. The brutes were  no match for masters of Tier Breche.

The dark elves would kill them  in a trice.

Ryld drew Splitter from  its scabbard  and cam

in his assailants'  pitiful m           e on guard, meanwhile taking akeshift weaponry and lack of armor.  It was pathetic,

really, so much so that the next few seconds would almost be a bore.T

wo goblins spread out, trying to flank  him.

left, then right. The undercreatures fe    He stepped in and swung Splitter against the ground and the other keeping hold of its mll, one dropping its crowbar to clang

allet.

The next two bat-eared creatures hesitate

because R               d. They should have turned and run, yld couldn't stand and wait  for them

wanted to fight. The Prophet and the rogues were getting farther a to ponder whether they still way b thesecond.                              y

sword—a proper warrior'He stepped in and cut downward. A  goblin, this one possessed of a short s  weapon, and some  malifted the weapon to parry. It didn't m       rtial training to go with it—

atter

and streaked on into its torso.      . Splitter sheared right through its blade

Knife in hand, the fourth goblin dodged  behind its foe. Sensing its locationR                                   ,

yld kicked backward. His boot connected solidly, snapping bone, and when  heturned the creature lay m

o

R          tionless on the ground, likely dead of a broken back.yld turned to survey the battlefield. His eyes widened in shock and dismay.

Pharaun too was on the ground. Three goblins crouched over him  on their bandy legs. One scabrous creature had blood  on the iron spike that s

erved it as a

poniard.R ld bellowed a war cry

,  sprang at them, and struck them  down before thcould do any my                                 ey

ore damage. He kneeled beside his friend. Beneath the elegant

piwafwi, Pharaun's equally gorgeous robe had two punctures in it, and was  dark and wet from  breastbone to thighs.

"I heard them  coming a moment after you did," the wizard wheezed. "I didn't

turn around fast enough.""Don't worry     ld. "It'

In reality, he wasn'," said Rt  at all sure of that.y   s going to be all right.""The goblin thrust through the gap between the wings of m

y  cloak. The little b

astard  hurt  me  when  Greyanna  and  her  followers  couldn't.  Isn't  that  silly?"

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