«We've got to get higher!» Valas yelled at Quenthel over his shoulder. When the high priestess didn't seem to hear him, he repeated himself. «Mistress Quenthel, we need to get to a higher section of the city. This is not working!»
Next to him, Pharaun jerked as a crossbow bolt snapped against his piwafwi, Someone was taking potshots from the crowd.
«What do you suggest?» Quenthel called back, extending her whip and flailing at an unfortunate kobold that had squeezed to the front of the gathering and was shoved forward from behind.
«Follow me!» Faeryl cried, and she began to lift from the ground, rising up into the air. «We must get to the mercantile district, and this is the fastest way.»
No,» Valas groaned, eyes widening. «I can't—! I have no way to stay with you!»
But it was too late. The other drow had began to follow the ambassador's example and were lifting from the ground. Valas backed in to the center of what had once been their circle, warily eyeing the crowd around him.
«Ryld!» he shouted. «Wait!»
Valas saw the warrior look down at him, but before the other «row could take action, Valas was grabbed from behind. He tried to spin around and slash out with his kukri, but the grip on him was powerful, and he couldn't get a clean swing in. A split-second later, he was glad, for Jeggred was the one who had a hold of him. Coated in blood that matted the fiend's fur, the draegloth held tightly to the scout as he left the ground. A couple of bold gray dwarves stormed forward, intent on getting in a parting swipe with their war axes at Valas's feet, but Jeggred still had a large, clawed hand free and slashed out at them, forcing the pair of duergar to leap back to safety.
Several more crossbow bolts whizzed by, and one sank into the draegloth's flank next to Valas, but Jeggred only grunted and spun away, levitating upward to where the other drow had gone. Valas looked back down where they had been standing only moments before. Even as the webbed street receded, the scout saw the mob swarm over the dead ogres, ripping items of value from the bodies.
Savages, he thought.
Above, Faeryl had stopped on a smaller side street several levels higher than where the drow had been previously, in a quiet space between rows of vendors. In the main thoroughfare, the crowds were less dense than below, but only slightly. Valas knew they were still relatively low in the city, for the glimmering glow of spectral light that emanated from the mesh of stone webs still dazzled his sight when he looked up, twinkling far into the distance overhead. He knew that the higher they got, the better the neighborhoods would be. Near the top of the cavern, where the trench-shaped chamber was at its widest, the nobles had constructed their sprawling Houses sufficiently beyond the stench and noise of the common folk far below. The Menzoberranyr had quite a ways to go before they would be in that vicinity.
«Is it always that. . revolting down there?» Quenthel asked as the group settled to the stone avenue, huddling together and keeping their voices low. «Why do the matron mothers tolerate that rabble?»
Jeggred released Valas, who straightened and turned to look at the draegloth, wondering how much of the blood on the fiend was his enemies' and how much was his own. Much of Jeggred's fur was matted with the hot, sticky fluid, but other than the crossbow bolt in his hip, the beast didn't seem to bear any wounds. The scout examined his own clothing and noted sullenly that he was sticky with ogre blood, too.
«The lesser races are not permitted to wander so freely in the higher sections of the city without special permission,» Faeryl explained. «It'll get better once we get a little higher.»
«I doubt it,» the high priestess said, sniffing. «I doubt the matron mothers would suffer such an embarrassment lightly. Likely they're dealing with more urgent problems, and I think we all know what those urgent problems are.»
Over Quenthel's shoulder, Valas could see a trio of female drow who had stopped and were staring at Jeggred as the fiend yanked the crossbow bolt free with a grunt of pain. One of the dark elves whispered something to her companions, and the three of them scurried away.
Pharaun was making a point of dusting his piwafwi clean and straightening the garment so that he was looking stylish and well groomed again.
«You are most likely correct,» the Master of Sorcere said, nodding inacquiescence. «still, it would not hurt for us to find a place to stay for the night, gathering our wits and perhaps some more information, too. i'm sure that between the six of us, we can find out a little more about why the city is in this condition.»
«Finding a place to stay may prove difficult,» Ryld commented. «I wonder if there's a vacant room to be had in all of Ched Nasad.»
Valas frowned, imagining the looks they would receive as they inquired after accommodations.
If we can,» the scout said, «your bodyguard will attract substantial attention. Even now, we are drawing looks. We should not stay out in the open for much longer.»
Quenthel dug in her pack of supplies and produced a wand. Moving closer to Jeggred, she aimed the magical device at the drae-gloths bleeding puncture wound and uttered a few words. The bleed-ing stopped, and the hole began to close.
Be more careful,» the high priestess admonished her nephew as she stored the wand once more. «Healing magic is limited.»
Even as overcrowded as the city is,» Faeryl said, «the higher levels will not be that bad. I know of a place where we may be able to get rooms.»
«Perhaps we need to rethink this,» Quenthel countered. «It seems obvious to me that there are troubles here. I think it would be wiser to pay House Zauvirr and House Melarn a visit. We would be assured of accommodations there.»
«No,» Pharaun said, and Quenthel's eyes widened in surprise. The mage continued quickly, before the high priestess could lash out at him. «You may be right, but even so, you don't want to lose the opportunity to move about freely, do you? If we have any hope of staking a claim to the stock of goods and coin for your House, we must be able to avoid the matron mothers' notice.»
«Well,» Quenthel said, seeming to waver, «I'm uncomfortable with the idea of living like commoners in an inn, but your argument still makes sense.»
Valas watched as the high priestess bit her lip, deep in thought.
Pharaun continued, trying to press home his advantage, «You know they will tell us nothing if there is a problem. They will keep that information to themselves at all costs. This way, we can explore a little bit, try to discover possible clues to Lolth's disappearance. It will allow us the chance to determine what has brought Ched Nasad to this condition.» He leaned in close to avoid being overheard, as another pair of drow—males who had been strolling past this time— stopped and stared for a moment. «If nothing else, we can learn from this city's mistakes.»
Ryld turned and gave the pair of males a level look, and they quickly averted their eyes and continued on their way.
«Whatever we do, we'd better do it now,» the weapons master said over his shoulder. «Valas is right. . we're attracting too much attention.»
«Then shall I show us the way to the inn I know of?» Faeryl asked. «It's called the House Unnamed, and it's just—»
«You will do no such thing,» Quenthel interrupted. «You seem far too eager to help us, and at the expense of your own House.»
Faeryl gaped at the Baenre high priestess.
«Mistress Quenthel, I am merely—»
«Enough,» Quenthel cut the ambassador off. «Until I decide to let the matron mothers know I'm here, you will not be warning them ahead of time. Jeggred, it will be your responsibility to make sure she doesn't try to sneak off.»
The draegloth grinned, first at Quenthel, then at the ambassador.
«With pleasure, Mistress,» he said.
Faeryl grimaced at the fiend's attentions, and Valas wondered just what had happened between the two of them prior to the group's departure. She'd behaved in that manner during the entire trip. He made a mental note to ask Ryld when they had a moment alone.
«Now,» Quenthel said, turning to the other three of them, «which of you knows this city best?»
«I have visited Ched Nasad a number of times, Mistress Quenthel,» Valas answered, and the other two males nodded in agreement, giving the scout center stage.
«Good. Find us an inn, someplace other than this 'House Unnamed. Make it a good one, mind you. I won't put up with the squalor you might be used to.»
Valas raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He found it interesting that the high priestess had changed her mind, agreeing to Pha-rauns plan without actually admitting to it. He wondered if they would have words about it later, but for the moment, he was happy enough to do as she had instructed.
«The quickest way to get where we want to go is going to be by floating there,» the scout said. «As long as Jeggred is willing to bear me, that is.»