Windwalker - Elaine Cunningham [44]
Qiluй whirled toward her, her face grim. A graceful leaping kick dealt a blow that sent the younger drow reeling to the chamber wall. Liriel hit hard enough to knock the breath from her body. For long moments she sat on the cold stone floor, struggling for air, helpless to do anything but watch as the high priestess called upon one goddess to banish another.
Finally the terrible Presence faded away, and so, more slowly, did the silvery light surrounding Eilistraee's priestess. Qiluй strode to the scrying bowl. She gripped the rim with both hands and leaned in. After a moment she straightened and raised a haggard face to Fyodor. "Come, Rashemi, and tell me what you see. The battle took more of my strength than I had thought possible."
He came to the priestess's side and gazed over her shoulder.
"Goblins are coming from the tunnels below," he said crisply, a warrior giving report. "There's a kobold horde nearing the postern gate. Small bands of drow fighters converge from these three tunnels. Those humans there-I've seen similar tunics worn by Skull-port bounty hunters."
The priestess spun away and shrieked for her battlemaster. Iljreen appeared suddenly. Her gaze snapped to Liriel and then returned to the high priestess, taking in the situation. "The wards?"
"Down."
Iljreen nodded crisply. "I'll see to the battle. You'll have your hands full elsewhere."
"Tell me what I can do to help," Fyodor offered.
The battlemaster's delicate face hardened, and her narrowed eyes again flicked to Liriel. "You can take that Lolth-loving bitch out of my stronghold before she kills us all," she hissed.
With that Iljreen was gone, as suddenly as she had appeared.
Sick understanding filled the pit of Fyodor's stomach. Somehow, he knew not how, Liriel had once again invited Lolth's touch. He glanced at his friend. Her eyes, enormous in her stricken face, mirrored his fears.
"How is this possible?" she whispered.
"Isn't it obvious?" spat Qiluй. "Liriel is bound to the Spider Queen. You shouldn't have come!"
Liriel's spirit returned in a sudden rush. In one swift movement she was on her feet and in the priestess's face. "You told us to come. Or was your talking raven lying through his beak?"
"You should have sent word of this!"
"We didn't know."
"Didn't you?"
The searing accusation in Qiluй's voice snapped Fyodor out of his horror-struck daze. Liriel was wychlaran, and while he lived, no one would accuse her of such treachery.
"Liriel has turned away from ways of her people and given up the evil goddess," he said with quiet certainty.
"That doesn't mean that Lolth has given up on Liriel," Qiluй retorted. She whirled on Liriel in magnificent wrath. "Do you know how many years of work, what a fortune in magical resources, went into warding the Promenade from Lolth's view? All that, undone! You have turned this place over to Lolth and her evil followers. Have you any idea what that means?"
The young drow's bravado faded. "Of course I know," she whispered. "How could I not? I was born in Menzoberranzan."
"A place not easily left behind," Fyodor said softly. "You yourself said that Liriel was pursued. I swear to you, she gives no more invitation to the huntress than the hare gives the hawk."
The bright heat of Qiluй's fury faded away, and her shoulders rose and fell in a deep sigh.
"I can do nothing more for you but show you a quick way to the surface. I will send word to my sister Laerel. She will see you safely out of Waterdeep. Word of a traveling drow will reach the Dark Maiden's followers. If you are stopped and questioned, show them this. It will grant you safe passage."
The priestess handed Liriel a small silver talisman, an engraving of a slender elf female armed with a bow and accompanied by a wolf. Both hunters lifted their eyes to a rising moon.
"Thank you," Liriel said fervently.
Qiluй's stern gaze softened. "A servant will guide you through the tunnels. Go,