That, too, Drizzt believed, had been only a lie.
On his second day home, when Narbondel, the time clock of the city, had just begun its cycle of light, the door to Drizzt’s small chamber swung open and Briza walked in.
"An audience with Matron Malice." she said grimly.
A thousand thoughts rushed through Drizzt’s mind as he grabbed his boots and followed his oldest sister down the passageways to the house chapel. Had Malice and the others discovered his true feelings toward their evil deity? What punishments did they now have waiting for him? Unconsciously, Drizzt eyed the spider carvings on the chapel’s arched entrance.
"You should be more familiar and more at ease with this place." Briza scolded, noting his discomfort. "It is the place of our people’s highest glories."
Drizzt lowered his gaze and did not respond and was careful not to even think of the many stinging retorts he felt in his heart.
His confusion doubled when they entered the chapel, for Rizzen, Maya, and Zaknafein stood before the matron mother, as expected. Beside them, though, stood Dinin and Vierna.
"We are all present." Briza said, taking her place at her mother’s side.
"Kneel." Malice commanded, and the whole family fell to its knees. The matron mother paced slowly around them all, each pointedly dropping his or her eyes in reverence, or just in common sense, as the great lady walked by.
Malice stopped beside Drizzt. "You are confused by the presence of Dinin and Vierna." she said. Drizzt looked up at her. "Do you not yet understand the subtle methods of our survival?"
"I had thought that my brother and sister were to continue on at the Academy." Drizzt explained.
"That would not be to our advantage." Malice replied.
"Does it not bring a house strength to have mistresses and masters seated at the Academy?" Drizzt dared to ask.
"It does," replied Malice, "but it separates the power. You have heard tidings of war?"
"I have heard hinting of trouble," said Drizzt, looking over at Vierna, "though nothing more tangible."
"Hinting?" Malice huffed, angered that her son could not understand the importance. "They are more than most houses ever hear before the blade falls!" She spun away from Drizzt and addressed the whole group. "The rumors hold truth." she declared.
"Who?" asked Briza. "What house conspires against House Do’Urden?"
"None behind us in rank." Dinin replied, though the question had not been asked to him and it was not his place to speak unbidden.
"How do you know this?" Malice asked, letting the oversight pass. Malice understood Dinin’s value and knew that his contributions to this discussion would be important.
"We are the ninth house of the city." Dinin reasoned, "but among our ranks we claim four high priestesses, two of them former mistresses of Arach-Tinilith." He looked at Zak."We have, as well, two former masters of Melee-Magthere, and Drizzt was awarded the highest laurels from the school of fighters. Our soldiers number nearly four hundred, all skilled and battle-tested. Only a few houses claim more."
"What is your point?" Briza asked sharply.
"We are the ninth house." Dinin laughed, "but few above us could defeat us…"
"And none behind." Matron Malice finished for him. "You show good judgment, Elderboy. I have come to the same conclusions."
"One of the great houses fears House Do’Urden." Vierna concluded. "It needs us gone to protect its own position."
"That is my belief." Malice answered. "An uncommon practice, for family wars usually are initiated by the lower-ranking house, desiring a better position within the city hierarchy."
"Then we must take great care." Briza said.
Drizzt listened carefully to their words, trying to make sense of it all. His eyes never left Zaknafein, though, who knelt impassively at the side. What did the callous weapon master think of all this? Drizzt wondered. Did the thought of such a war thrill him, that he might be able to kill more dark elves?
Whatever his feelings, Zak gave no outward clue. He sat quietly and by all appearances was not even listening to the conversation.
"It would not be Baenre." Briza said, her words sounding like a plea for confirmation. "Certainly we have not yet become a threat to them!"
"We must hope you are correct." Malice replied grimly, remembering vividly her tour of the ruling house. "Likely, it is one of the weaker houses above us, fearing its own unsteady position. I have not yet been able to learn any incriminating information against any in particular, so we must prepare for the worst. Thus, I have called Vierna and Dinin back to my side."
"If we learn of our enemies…" Drizzt began impulsively.
All eyes snapped upon him. It was bad enough for the elderboy to speak without being addressed, but for the secondboy, just graduated from the Academy, the act could be considered blasphemous.
Wanting all perspectives, Matron Malice again let the oversight pass. "Continue." she prompted.
"If we discover which house plots against us." Drizzt said quietly, "could we not expose it?"
"To what end?" Briza snarled at him. "Conspiracy without action is no crime."
"Then might we use reason?" Drizzt pressed, continuing against the barrage of incredulous glares that came at him from every face in the room―except from Zak’s. "If we are the stronger, then let them submit without battle. Rank House Do’Urden as it should be and let the assumed threat to the weaker house be ended."
Malice grabbed Drizzt by the front of his cloak and heaved him to his feet. "I forgive your foolish thoughts." she growled, "this time!" She dropped him back to the floor, and the silent reprimands of his siblings descended upon him. Again, though, Zak’s expression did not match the others in the room. Indeed, Zak put a hand up over his mouth to hide his amusement. Perhaps there remained a bit of the Drizzt Do’Urden he had known, he dared to hope. Perhaps the Academy had not fully tainted the young fighter’s spirit. Malice whirled on the rest of the family, simmering fury and lust glowing in her eyes. "This is not the time to fear! This," she cried, a slender finger pointing out from in front of her face, "is the time to dream! We are House Do’Urden, Daermon N’a’shezbaernon, of power beyond the understanding of the great houses. We are the unknown entity of this war. We hold every advantage!"
"Ninth house?" she laughed. "In short time, only seven houses will remain ahead of us!"
"What of the patrol?" Briza cut in. "Are we to allow the secondboy to go off alone, exposed?"
"The patrol will begin our advantage." the conniving matron explained. "Drizzt will go, and included in his group will be a member of at least four of the houses above us."
"One may strike at him." Briza reasoned.
"No." Malice assured her. "Our enemies in the coming war would not reveal themselves so clearly, not yet. The appointed assassin would have to defeat two Do’Urdens in such a confrontation."
"Two?" asked Vierna.
"Again, Lolth has shown us her favor." explained Malice.
"Dinin will lead Drizzt’s patrol group."
The elderboy’s eyes lit up at the news. "Then Drizzt and I might become the assassins in this conflict." he purred.
The smile disappeared from the matron mother’s face.
"You will not strike without my consent." she warned in a tone so cold that Dinin fully understood the consequences of disobedience, "as you have done in the past."
Drizzt did not miss the reference to Nalfein, his murdered brother. His mother knew! Malice had done nothing to punish her murderous son. Now Drizzt’s hand went up to his face, to hide an expression of horror that only could have brought him trouble in this setting.