R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen: Dissolution, Insurrection, Condemnation (145 page)

“Will no one tell me what happened in the Demonweb Pits?” Jeggred railed. “I have waited in that empty stone room for days, guarding your sleeping bodies faithfully. I deserve to hear what happened.”

“You will,” Valas answered. “Later. I don’t believe any of us rightly know what to make of it. Give us time to rest, and to reflect.”

Rest? Halisstra thought.

She felt as if she could sleep—sleep in the unconscious and helpless manner of a human—for a tenday and not feel healed of the fatigue she carried. Her mind refused to reflect any longer on why Lolth had abandoned her, yet she had something in her heart that demanded examination, a grief that would not permit her the refuge of the Reverie until she had found some way to let it out.

With a sigh, she pulled her satchel close and opened it, taking out the leather case of her lyre. She carefully unsheathed the heirloom, running her fingers over the rune-carved dragonbone arms, touching the perfect mithral wire.

At least I still have this, she thought.

In the silence of the forest cave, Halisstra played the dark songs of the
bae’qeshel
, and softly gave voice to her unbearable grief.

Brotherhood of the Griffon

The Captive Flame

Whisper of Venom

The Spectral Blaze

The Masked Witches

The Year of Rogue Dragons

The Rage

The Rite

The Ruin

The Haunted Lands

Unclean

Undead

Unholy

The Halls of Stormweather

Shattered Mask

Queen of the Depths

The Black Bouquet

The Scions of Arrabar

The Sapphire Crescent

The Ruby Guardian

The Emerald Scepter

The Empryean Odyssey

The Gossamer Plain

The Fractured Sky

 The Crystal Mountain

Blades of the Moonsea

Swordmage

Corsair

Avenger

The City of Ravens

The Shadow Stone

Easy Betrayals

Prince of Ravens

The Last Mythal

Forsaken House

Farthest Reach

Final Gate