Standing before next door, they just had to figure out how it opened. Neither key that had been pilfered from the guard fit in what appeared to be a key hole. And neither drowlings' lockpicks worked. Nilrae then tried his house insignia as they did for the secret tunnel, waving it in front of the hole. A locking mechanism clicked, but the ward remained in place. Zarae impatient and losing too much time, just pushed the door not thinking about the consequences of setting off magical traps. However it did not go off on her, the door slowly grating on the stone floor as it opened. Nilrae, seeing nothing happened, helped her push until it was opened enough for both to squeeze out. Outside and standing on the dock, the door automatically closed behind them, causing both twins to jump at the sudden unexpected sound.

"So far so good."

The cavern wall was on both sides of them, the door behind them camouflaged into the stone. The dock they stood on was five feet wide and six feet long. On their right a small inlet of sharp rocks covered in slimy algae and small tiny mushrooms. Neither saw the fishing boat that should have been their. No ropes and no indication there had ever been one. Both knew that several of the poisons House Kilanatlar was known for came from a fish that dwelt in the river. Both sat on the dock almost defeated. Nilrae had an idea; deep in thought and concentration, he reached deep within to tap into the advanced magical abilities available by his noble heritage. Glittery gold auras lit up on both the drowlings and all around them. Their insignias shone brightest, the most powerful magic around them. Their piwafwi's showed slight bit of magic, the gold aura dull on the cloth. If Zarae had her pack open, a number of items inside would be glowing as well. The door was aglow as bright as their insignias. At the end of the dock, they saw the tell tell signs of the boat they had been looking for. An invisible rope tied to a post while the invisible boat's outline was highlighted under the dock.

"I think I found it," he called to her running to the end of the dock and began pulling on the invisible rope. He tugged hard, but it didn't budge.

"There's got to be an easier way," Zarae replied standing beside Nilrae, "apart from getting into the water?"

"Try standing on those and pushing it out from underneath."

Zarae sighed. Her cloak and pack was set down first on the dock. Then she sat on the edge, her foot stretching out to the slippery jagged rocks to feel for a foothold. Trying hard to balance, she leaned between the dock and the rock, maneuvering herself to a position to push. The aura of the magical detection spell still in place, she could make out the canoe like boat clearly. The girl pushed trying to move it out the side and maintain herself in position above the water.

Nilrae, lying on his stomach on the boards, "can't move it that way. It has to go forward. The rope is wrapped a specific way."

A frustrated sigh from Zarae, she moved her foot lower on the algae slick stone to steady herself and push again. The boat moved too much and Zarae lost her balance plummeting into the freezing waters with a loud 'SLASH'. Her knee caught the edge of an underwater rock pulling a gash on her right leg.

In the water, it felt like hundreds of needles and daggers stabbing into her. Kicking and moving her arms she tried to keep her head above water as the pain of the water nearly paralyzed her. Her head rammed into a support post, making her dizzy to add to the creeping hypothermia. The water around her grew darker with blood. Between mouth full of water and coughing she called out for help. Neither had ever been taught to swim. Worse, were the dangers that lurked in the depths of the waters. Blood would draw vicious predatory water creatures upon them if she didn't get out.

Nilrae sprang from his position as soon as he heard the splash, running over to the side and reaching out a hand to grab. With Zarae's flailing to stay above water it was hard, but finally he managed to grasp her hand and pull her twords the rocks, straining to keep himself from tumbling headfirst into the water. An object bumped into her foot then vanished. Her free hand reached out to the rocks for a handhold adding tiny scratches and both of them working to pull her out of the water and back onto the dock. She looked a little bluer, shivering violently. Nilrae grabbed her cloak to wrap around her, as she sat on the dock. Then pulled off his own cloak and placed it around her. The city cavern remained a constant 75 degrees, so his cloak was less needed. He also noticed red water dripping off her onto the dock.

"I.. I.. I…ddddont knnnnnow wwhatttt happennnn," she tried to get out between chattering teeth.

"I think you also cut yourself."

Moving the cloaks to look, she saw there was a 3 inch long gash from the knee twords the back of the leg. It didn't look too deep and at the moment it didn't hurt.

"That's gunna leave a scar," pulling out a cloth and ripping it into long shreds before wrapping it around the wound.

Zarae nodded, not attempting to speak till she quit shivering. Nilrae sat down, feet dangling over the edge to peer down into the water, a dark shadow disappearing beneath them. Looking back twords the house then to the small tunnel that Ryrrl leaked into, he figured their adventure was done with.

"Head back in then?"

She narrowed her orange tinted eyes and shook her head. No way was she gunna quit now! Instead a shaky hand reached for her pack. One of the potions she'd gotten from her older brother might have been useful. Pulling out two light blue in color, she handed them to Nilrae to hold looking for the anther one. She found it, the color a purplish hue with swirls of red and blue. Still shaking she had trouble grasping the cork, much less holding it still. Nilrae placing one of the healing potions in his pack, and the other in her hers, he tipped it twords her, pulling the cork quickly and then pushed it into her mouth before she shook all the liquid out.

"Next time, get a potion of swimming," he jested as the effects began to take place.

Shivering slowed down, and she began return to her normal color again. After a few more minutes she tossed Nilrae his cloak. She was still cold, but moving would warm her up. especially paddling and steering the boat.

"Thanks," slipping off her boots to dump out water followed by squeezing out the water in her shirt. "Alright, let's get moving. We already lost too much time."

With hard work they got their watercraft in the best spot out just as Nilrae's spell expired. The boat again was invisible. Close to giving up, Zarae dug thru her pack again to pull out the small ruby. Looking thru it she directed Nilrae how to get in and find the paddles. Zarae then hopped in before putting her gem away.

xxxxxx

Elbows were resting on the armrest of throne, finger tips touching near her mouth in thought. On float disk in front of her were Xullafay and Alylin. Both daughters were in priestess robes, all three sitting relatively relaxed and conversing.

"You still have to decide the pageprince's course," Xullafay continued, "He is nearing his eleventh year. It is time he begin his next stage. Is he to be a mage or a warrior?"

Matron Shyntyl looked over to Alylin, brows raised with the obvious question.

"He is a very intelligent male no doubt. His problem solving skills are up there with any wizard. He also has the ability to be a formidable warrior." Alylin shifted to lean more to the right, "Izzmurss is a wizard, and Neeryrd is a warrior as well as Rhylaun. We have a few skilled mages ranked among the House soldiers."

Xullafay nodded waiting for her younger sister to get to her point.

"If the weapon-master is as skilled and good as you believe, then why not train him as both? Rhylaun could whip him up in fighter better than half those in the Academy in half the time one of those inferior houses take. And if his skill is more suited to Sorcere, then he won't leave for a while anyway. But a battle mage would be a nice addition. Not to mention what we will have to do once the time is right."

"Really? Rhylaun is that skilled? Then explain Neeryrd," the eldest sister snarked sarcastically.

"He's a Kilanatlar only in name. House Vandee is poor stock."

"True," Xullafay conceded.

The matron looked at both, a quiet warning to each. She then sat up straight, "G'eldriina!" The woman walked forward from the back, then took a knee before the matron. "Fetch the elderboy."

"Yes ilharess," The woman replied, then whirled and headed out of the room for Izzmurss.

"What about the girl's progress? Zeb tells me how difficult she is."

"She too is intelligent and a wild card at that. Learning the material is not as much of the problem as she tends to refuse to learn it. There is no sense of desire to be a priestess, no drive or motivation for power. I also sense some other things in the girl that make her weak. She needs to be hardened and soon." Alylin then looked to Xullafay then back to her mother who was contemplating the words. "Zebeycyrl would be right on most accounts. Tho I think half of the problems stem from Zebeycyrl. The girl is a pure rebel and Zarae hates her with a passion. I would not be surprised if Zarae ended up attempting to strike her."

Xullafay had a sense that her mother favored the girl, allowing her to get away with things otherwise would not. The high priestess knew the root of the problems that had been occurring. Alylin had confirmed it plainly.

"I don't how she is going to accomplish what you believe, this…prophesy if you will," Xullafay spoke up what was on her mind. No point in hiding it when her mother could just read her mind. "This girl is of no use to our house. And how long before the Spider Queen tires of it? We all know she would not pass a test of loyalty as of now."

"But," Alylin started a new plot forming in her head, "if we cultivate that…hatred. Give her a reason and a taste of power,"

"Oh so send her to get killed? Zebeycyrl would no doubt kill her in minutes."

A grin of amusement on her face, "No. of course not yet anyway." If Zebeycyrl was killed, the third daughter would be the replacement in the Red Sisters. Alylin would have to wait to use the girl on the assassin, if that could ever happen. "That will come later. The twins are rather close. We can assume that when she comes of age, that will change. If not, we make it. I refer to something else. One of the slaves she is particular fond of. If Zarae were to believe she turned on her…"

"What and make the girl kill or force their death?"

"Why not?"

"a slave. How do you expect a slave to have that kind of effect?"

"trust me." Both daughters laughed at the thought. Alylin continued, "This slave is like a beloved pet. Or a favorite mount. Force her to willingly slay that pet."

Matron Shyntyl's lips curved into an amused wicked smile brushing the dyed streak of hair out of her face. "Alylin, start training the girl in magic."

xxxxxx

The tributary's water was flowing so they needed little help in getting moving twords the tunnel in the western cavern wall. Ducking from the overhead magical gate, they exited their homecity for the first time. The water was flowing faster, their craft picking up speed. Both struggled to control the boat to avoid the rocks and rapid waters. The creek turned southward and widened. Their speed continued to increase, the movement blowing loose strands of hair and billowing their cloaks behind them. Zarae was laughing at the wild ride, her eyes brilliant violet and a rush of excitement and adventure filled her as she clutched the side to maintain her balance. Nilrae too was enjoying the ride, but he was wiser to keep focus and pay attention to their surroundings. Ahead of them the water dropped 3 feet in a small waterfall, Nilrae tapping Zarae's shoulder to prepare for it.

Freezing water soaked them as their vessel dropped the next level, the rocking thrashing throwing them about and almost capsizing. Neither could contain the laughing from the rush of the danger they were in. The paddles back out to steer they continued onward, the water tunnel turning a corner. The ceiling was low enough that both could stretch up to reach it. The water then picked up speed again. In the distance he spotted it. The water dropped away, a mist gathered at the top of the low ceiling. To the left was a small rocky shore.

"Waterfall!" Nilrae called back to Zarae over the roaring waters, having spotted it first, "head for that," pointing to shore.

Both paddled hard, straining hard against the speed of the water. Their boat caught on an outcropping of rocks holding it enough for Nilrae to jump nimbly to shore, rope in hand. Zarae followed, her jump with more flare as she added a handspring to land softly.

"Show off!"

"Yeah? I can do better," jumping backward to her hand then springing back up. Finished with hands in the air with a 'ta-da!'

"Whatever."

Secured packs, and a double check of supplies, the twins headed up a path among the broken boulders that led to a small tunnel. The sides were smooth and worn down by water that had one time filled this area.

"ready?" Zarae signed eager to explore.

He nodded, more cautious than his sister but equally excited and eager. Zarae decided to take lead, pulling her camouflaging piwafwi tight about her. Nilrae did likewise following at an equal pace. They were invisible against the stone, and with his agile and practiced movements, they made not a sound. The tunnel stretched deep into the cavern, curving and turning in zig-zag patterns. Both kept an ear out and eyes opened for dangerous creatures. Ahead the tunnel broke into two branches, the twins stopping to decide which way. The one on the left remained simple before curving sharply in an 'L' shape further down, the heat in the stone allowing them to see as far all the way to the turn. The one on the right twisted and snaked around, but a soft bluish light tinted the distance. It was this tunnel that held a soft constant dripping trickle.

"Left or right?" Zarae signed.

"Right looks much more fun."

"Agreed. Right it is then."

Down the path they traversed, the tunnel's glow growing as they moved closer. After nearly an hour, the tunnel dipped down before giving way to a large cavern room. The ceiling flew away further than their darkvision could see. Stalagmites littered the floor and no doubt stalactites dotted the ceiling. A staggering variety of lichen, fungi, and cave moss covered the floor, walls, and ledges. Curly, dark blue ferns surrounded a small pool, and pale silvery moss hung, like a lacy veil in draping folds from a ledge. Mushrooms sizing from tiny to as large as a full grown man grew in fields in the back. Water ran in rivulets down the walls to gather in the pool; at the end of the pool, the overflow went to another pool a few inches lower and continued this pattern until it hit the floor and flowed out as a small stream to vanish into a hole in the cavern wall. Far across the room opposite of the pool and various tunnels, the floor fell away to nothingness. A great open space, that was dozens of miles in breadth and virtually bottomless. There was no smells of harmful minerals and no sense of stagnate water. Tunnels and alcoves were scattered all around. Eerie blue and green light filled the cavern like a strange radiation. In the center was a unique plant. Barren branches that were pale and gnarled, it seamed more dead than alive. Red buds were sprouted on it sparingly. Luurden was a rare tree that produced its fruit only once every four years. The bitter red fruit could be used to make rare Underdark wines and elixirs.

The twins stood dumbfounded over their discovery. Zarae looking over to Nilrae and gave him a playful punch to hold in a triumphal laugh. As awesome as this place was, realization soon hit Nilrae that it would not be unoccupied. Zarae was already stepping into the cavern room before he could remind her to be very careful. Cave moss would ensure vermin would be lurking. A vial of glowing ink came out of her pack. She didn't want to forget the tunnel that lead back, so dipping a finger in, she wrote on the wall their house glyph, a crude spider atop a sword. To her, it was claiming it. Once they could secure the place it would be their own little refuge. Maybe she could get some slaves out here and build a hovel to stay within. So many ideas came to her. Then pulling out the map, she marked a spot she reasoned it was located at. The ink and map and now a pen out, Zarae walked around the edges of the large room counting the passage ways and crudely mapped the area. Notes of plants and rock formations, and any other features that would be useful. Standing at the edge of the abyss, she was tempted to drop a rock to see just how far. In a recess in the far back was cask-shaped fungus 8 feet in height and 5 feet in diameter. The outer layer was tough and woody. 'Barrelstalk' she noted. If the running water source ran out or food was scarce, the fungus' inner flesh was edible, and its center is filled with a reservoir of water of 20 to 50 gallons. This cavern was defiantly a good find.

Maybe too good.

In the back of her mind she knew that a place like this would not be safe without securing it. If she ever did get all her ideas to work, she'd have to get a whole crew of people out her. Continuing on her course was a pile of bones covered in mineral, cave pearl. It was polished to a round and smooth shape by the flowing water that had carved this area long ago. It was orange and pink tinted and nearly spherical. Only part not round was what connected it to the rock. Her mapping tools put away, and unsheathing the dagger, she chipped away at the rock until the part she wanted was loose. It would be worth some coin that was for sure. Cave pearl in her pouch, the dagger was resheathed and she continued her course. Nilrae carefully headed to the strange stalked plant and carefully picked the few plants that had bloomed.

Zarae then tip-toed to the pool, when a soft 'thump' noise stopped her. It was barely audible, but she knew it was close. The adamantine dagger slid from the leather sheath. Seeing nothing and blade before her, she moved beside the pool to look in. Suddenly something jumped out of a dark shadow spot twords her, startling her. Jumping back and prepared to attack, Nilrae snuck up behind her and used that moment to poke Zarae in the sides. She twirled on him brandishing the blade at him. He barely could contain his laugh as the large toad continued to hop away.

"That is not funny!" her fast hand movements showing that so.

Nilrae was still trying to hold in his noise in, but could no longer do so, doubled over laughing, his voice echoing in the room. Zarae slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds he was making.

"Some of these toads are poisonous. That one is as big around as me. Now…shhhush!" her voice whispered into his ear.

His laughing slowed down and the girl moved her hands away. Taking a deep breath and wiping away tears that formed, he signed back to her, "but it was a toad!"

Zarae rolled her eyes and stepped back over twords the water. Outside of the pool looked like a small puddle of water that resembled a small spring. No heed was given it as a boot stepped into it. It was quickly discovered that it was no puddle. The slime began eating at her boot. Luck was not with them then, and a tiny swarm of giant cockroaches spilled out at them. She stuck the shoe into the flowing stream, the slime setting off a chain reaction and causing an explosion of acid to fly out around them, killing the roaches that were within the 10 foot radius. Nilrae and Zarae also took a hit of the flying acid, burning holes into their cloaks and clothing and splotches on their sides.

the pain throbbed in both drowlings, as they pulled out the precious light blue liquid and gulped it down. A healing potion gone from something stupid, they felt some of the more serious of the burns nit back together and the pain ebb away.

"Next time, assume the water is the enemy," a slightly frustrated boy signed.

"At least the bugs are dead," Zarae smarted off.

"I think we might want to think about heading back. It will take a few hours to get back up the creek. Plus we want to save this for another day I think."

Zarae wasn't ready to head back just yet. Instead, she headed to a column where faerzress was heavy. Taking out her dagger she shipped away a few chunks and placed them into her pack.

"What are you doing?"

Pausing long enough to sign a reply, "I read about this. This is very valuable and useful- faerzress."

Nilrae paused and eyes searched the cavern. He didn't see it, but he felt a presence. Knew something was there, just out of their range. He instinctively drew a dagger and moved to put his back to her. his gazed moved up to the alcoves and ledges. It had to be up there. The girl sensed it also as she worked to gather chunks of the radiating stone.

"Hurry up," his free hand moved in front of her face to sign.

Her pack already in front of her, she dropped the rocks in and pulled out the spider shaped shurikens. Back to back they circled and slowly moved for the marked tunnel. Neither knew what to expect and neither were prepared to fight.

Above them in a high alcove the noises did not go unheard. Chittering among the two went unheard far below. Crimson eyes staring down below at the pieces of heat shadows shown. Swirls of destructive, anarchic urges filled their minds seeing a hated enemy below. They were cursed, turned into a hideous creature for their failure and driven away. The smaller one stayed back in the tunnel that used as their nest sporting a recent injury from an unwanted guest who shared the cavern. Crude spear in hand, he looked back to the female then to the cavern floor.

Web shout out from his backside and he began lowering himself to the cavern, determined to keep his claim on it.

But it was not only them but another creature who was interested in the two below, their reason more primal- food. Spiny pads held it secure to the ceiling. It did not see them, but it knew its next meal was there.


faerzress- a magical radiation only found in the Underdark, known to mainly affect divination and conjuration spells, and used by the drow to create magical artifacts, increase power of weapons and armors.

ilharess- matron