The bar was busy tonight. Melody was playing the piano, providing the background music while nearby, Savarre was playing cards with the five D'Vreeze girls. It was not entirely odd to see all five of the sisters together, but all mutually cooperating in some project, even if it was something as ordinary as a game of Red Helms with Savarre was. Melody of course knew the tune she was playing by heart and the piano's keys were more than familiar with her fingers. So familiar that S'nae had more than once suggested it was indecent. Melody thus was able to play gently and observe the five sisters and note their contrasts. M'randa had the dancer's body of her mother, toned and trimmed, dressed in white silk which gently outlined every single feature of her figure. What ever natural modesty she still possessed was slowly vanishing. Melody was certain that this silk robe was even more diaphanous than the one she had worn the last time Melody had seen her. Next to her was R'seria, in her peasant smock, black, red, and white. The twins had identical faces, but once you saw them you knew who was who. R'seria's personality was more down to earth and impish. And unlike her sister's hair, which was long, piled high, and held in place by long thin hair pins, again like her mother, R'seria's hair was cropped, curled, and remained a tousled mass up upon her head, barely covering her long pointed ears. There was S'nae, her head nodding to Melody's melody, her bangs falling between her ears and two pony tails in the back. Next was Ches'rina, her sorceror's robes deep purple with silver threading creating a collection of patterns in the fabric. Her hair was long and flowing and curled and fell down past her shoulders. She looked positively powerful and deadly. But unlike such an outfit as might be found upon her mother, there was no spider web suggestion in the threading. M'thana was last. Dressed in a white blouse and black pantaloons and barefoot, she was still very much the young adolescent in the household and had a very bored look on her face as she looked at the cards. She had the button nose of the household and her hair was short, almost a boy's length.

Melody finished the tune and got up to stretch a kink out of her back. There was scattered applause from those patrons who had not yet learned that you don't applaud musicians who are providing background music. She walked over to the game. Savarre was winning as usual, but from what Melody had learned, M'randa and R'seria were almost capable of reading each other's minds and were always 'teaming up' as it were to take down Savarre in the games. Savarre had a nice sheen of sweat upon his brow, which told everyone who knew him that he was happy because the game was a challenge for him.

The cards began to fly thick and fast as Savarre led and tricks were taken and lost. One by one, the various players collected their tricks. Savarre with six, M'randa and R'searia with two each. S'nae with one. Ches'rina with five and M'thana with one.

"How's the game?" asked Melody from behind S'nae's chair.

"Unkasavi is usual," replied S'nae which meant he was winning again. "The Mimirhorho is running second and Chichi is going in third spot. I'm only ahead of Mithi."

"Don't forget Goudi and I both love you anyway," giggled Melody. She gave S'nae's shoulders a squeeze. "So what's the reason? Sister's night out?"

"Waxing Gibbous Moon," said Savarre in a quite voice.

"Oh!" observed Melody. She knew what that meant. Every girl past adolescence in Beldin knew that.

Delanna, her green gown flowing in the breeze behind her, and her long thin face calm and serene, walked down the street towards the D'Vreeze townhouse, carrying a basket of left over strawberry pie to give to her favorite children, M'randa, R'seria, S'nae, Ches'rina, and M'thana. She also hoped to have a nice cup of hot tea with Vikii and they could sit by the fire and chat about an upcoming wedding both would be assisting in. Above her head, the moon was a waxing gibbous, soon to be full. It was a quiet spring night in Beldin. The nights had not gotten so short as they would later in the spring before the beginning of the long day, when the sun would not set.

The D'Vreeze townhouse was at the end of a long narrow street, and the house was set against the wall. Vikii hated windows and liked the interior as dark as possible. So Delanna had a good view of the house for the last twenty five yards. And as she approached the door it suddenly flew open.

"Has Vikii foreseen my coming?" she thought. It was not entirely remote as a possibility, Vikii had been becoming more and more in communion with her Goddess Eilistraee as of late and was possessing more and more insights into the general state of affairs in Beldin. Of course, she had always been good at picking up the local news, quickly disseminating it and judging matters, but this was a new addition to her knowledge base. As it was, she was starting to be consulted by the crown. The young King Avery in particular was anxious that she be involved in the selection of his wife.

But this turned out to be not the case at all, as Delanna quickly concluded. For one split second after the door opened, and one of the family friends, Halen, leapt out of the house and sped down the street, while a torrent of high pitched shrieking drow following him. Delanna understood drow, but the combination of Halen's rapid passing and the flying of several small objects which were following Halen out of the door obscured the full text.

But phrases such as "waele kivvil jaluk" (stupid surfacer male) and "el nin lu' tlu cal'tuu" (die and be eaten) and "elrei dos saph natha orbb" (crush you like a spider) were comprehended by her.

Delanna calmly walked on.

A small blue genie rapidly sped out of the door screaming "Glorious master, do not leave your poor lamented servant to the fate of such a dark demon!" and flew by her in a zip. More objects followed out the door, most of whom had aerodynamic designs which prohibited natural flight. The last one however, had a sharp point which hit the genie in the backside and he sped forward even faster with a yelp.

Delanna walked calmly forward.

Savarre dashed out of the door next, his shirt bearing several long tears which suggested sharp manicured fingernails ripping in a cutting motion down.

"Hello dear," said Delanna as he passed.

A large chunk of some piece of furniture followed him.

Five young drow children, all girls, came tumbling out followed by several hurled bottles of acid that smashed and sizzled upon the ground around them.

"Strawberry pie for my darlings?' asked Delanna as they passed.

"Later Anadel!" cried S'nae (who was carrying M'thana, calmly sucking her thumb) as she scurried by.

"Ok girls," replied Delanna.

Vharaun emerged, every inch a Fearthegn's Rider, calmly retiring from the house while several pieces of china, a few teacups, and two copper pans, bounced off his armor.

"Vikii will be so happy to see you," he suggested as he walked by.

The last of the china bounced upon the ground around him.

"I'm glad," replied Delanna.

Vharaun passed on.

She reached the door. There was silence within the darkened interior. As she peered in, she could see the form of Vikii, seated upon the floor, her head bowed, only the faintest glimpse of her bright red eyes visible.

"Hello nigh cousin!" she called in a sing song manner to the hunched over Priestess of Eilistraee.

The form that was Vikii looked up. She replied in a soft, sad, lilt.

"Hello, Del."

"That time of the month, isn't it dear?" suggested Delanna with sympathy in her tone.

"Yeah."

In societies ancient and modern, where artificial light was not accessible or invented, women's cycles often - if the woman is receiving good nutrition - align themselves with the phases of the moon. The period will come on with the full and her height of fertility arrive with the new. In today's society, the employment of a low watt bulb (15) in the woman's bedroom, turned on around the full and left off during the rest of the month can produce the same effect if she sleeps under it.