Language: Vendui' is drow for 'hello.' It is pronounced ven-du-ee (the ' after the i makes an 'ee' sound). Lle'isgar is drow for 'rise.'

The poem at the opening is mine, written by me, claimed by me, and, again, MINE!

Those of you who are familiar with the drow language will note that their is a drow word, 'mina,' which means 'them.' Related words are 'minasien' and 'minasienal' which mean 'mystic' and 'mystical.'

Just something to think on.

Secret Mission.

Moonless night of countless prayers

Torn from lips of those who cry and sing

Deep into the night; when not even the naysayers

Can deny what comfort this torture brings

For it is embraced within the night

When tears are dried and pain is soothed

For we are those unblinded by the light

And even the hypocrites cannot help but be moved

To tears; for they do not know what it is

To kneel and sacrifice all that you cared for

Once, repent; we shall not do this

Redemptionis unbelieved by They, and we even the score.

Minalylrisse jumped to silent attention in a rigid bow as the two drow females entered the room. Greyayne stood, her lips compressed sternly as she studied the drowling before her, while LiNeerithra nodded and cast her eyes around the little room. After Mina's completion of her study with swords before she entered Arach-Tinilith, she had returned to the room she had lived in for ten years after her adulthood ceremony to wait . . . for what, she was not sure.

"Vendui', sister." LiNeerithra greeted Mina after a moment. "Lle'isgar. We wish to see your pretty face."

Mina rose and stood stoicly, eyes on the floor. LiNeerithra nodded again;she had hoped the child wasn't scarred. That might reflect badly on her sibling's child-teaching abilities.

No, still as beautiful as always - in a spindly, childish way. Well, thought LiNeerithra, she has one bit down.

"Come with me, Minalylrisse Qed'Vursys." she bade the girl. "We wish to . . . speak . . . with you about some matters. Some private matters."

The trio left the room, moving swiftly away from it. Mina faithfully followed the elder females as they trekked up and down what seemed to the young drow to be the entire Underdark as they made their way through the halls. Gliding smoothly down a level, they lightly landed and Mina realized, with a pang of dread and thrill of excitement,where they we going.

The Temple of Lolth.

LiNeerithra brushed past the two female guards, sweeping smoothly into the Chapel, purplish robes haloing her frame. Mina followed, with Greyayne at the rear.

There, seated upon the stone steps near the Matron Mother's throne, were the daughters of House Qed'Vursys.

Arduldriira, calm as always, sat before the throne, hands folded neatly in lap and eyes upon the entering trio. To her left was an empty space, avacancy that LiNeerithra soon filled. To her right was Vrae'Jysala, a fell smile playing upon her lips as Greyayne joined Jhaelriina at LiNeerithra's left. Shricice and Matron Mother Phyrbreena were absent. No Lamps lit the room; Mina's eyes remained in infravision.

And Mina remained standing.

"Vendui', sister." Arduldriira began in as warm a tone as she could make. "How lovely it is for you to join us. No trouble, LiNeerithra?"

"Nau." LiNeerithra quirked her lips into a smile.

"Beautiful and obedient." Arduldriira remarked with a smile. "Wonderful combination in the young."

Beside her, Vrae'Jysala chuckled softly. Mina said still nothing, eyes on the floor.

"Well, enough compliments." Arduldriira sat forward suddenly, red-glowing eyes intense. "We called you here for a reason, dalhar, as you can most likely guess."

Mina remembered, with a needle-sharp prick of icy fear, that Lolth's ceremonies were always held in darkness.

She had no desire to witness one of Lolth's dark ceremonies.

"You are to begin your five-year magical training before you enter Tier-Breche." Arduldriira continued, and Mina let out a soft sigh she had no idea she'd been holding. Vrae'Jysala's lips curled at that sigh, and Arduldriira's eyes glowed all the brighter with pleasure.

"You, of course, will be instructed by the wizard of our House; in this case, that is Valvyll Qed'Vursys, a hot-headed male, twin to Shricice, elder of our circle."

There was a small, collective gasp at the last words; the fact that Valvyll, who was something of anembarrassment to the House, was twin to Shricice, the second most powerful priestess of Lolth in the House, was a fact not simply given to young drowlings!

"Sisters, sisters." Arduldriira waved her hand dismissively. "I will speak frankly; Valvyll is arrogant, Minalylrisse. He is too ambitious. But he is male, and thus he cannot rise higher than the position he now occupies. Instead of fortifying that position, defending it, reinforcing it, he recklessly strives to attain unreachable heights." Arduldriira leaned closer. "This we must not have!"

Mina was silent, eyes wide.

"You are to become his student?" Arduldriira continued, laughing. "You are a female of House Qed'Vursys! Minalylrisse, you are one of us. You are to become a High Priestess of the Spider Queen; if you survive, that is. Listen to me, drowling; Valvyll is bitter and overly arrogant. He will assert his eldership by beating you down, hurting you, harming you, venting his hatred and anger and frustration upon you. This cannot be. You are female; he is a male." Arduldriira spat the word like it was filth. "Do let him do this is a serious insult to the Spider Queen!"

Leaning back, the elder priestess regarded her sisters with all seriousness. "He is guilty of blasphemy."

Mina gasped softly, eyes flying open in shock.

"He would desecrate a mortal incarnation of Lolth; he has desecrated females, mortal incarnations of Lolth! The only reason he has not been Driderturned is the fact that we have never had any solid evidence, and we need that evidence."

Mina closed her mouth, nodding.

"We want you to spy on him."

Arduldriira paused dramatically, staring at the young female. "Minalylrisse, you are to come to us if you see anything concerning blasphemy in his quarters; you are to come to us if he, in any way, abuses his position or your position as a female. Am I understood?"

Mina swallowed. "Yes, mistress."

"And," Vrae'Jysala put in with her customary coolness. "if you should have trouble locating us, use the May'salkiriis, the Nightshadow. This is a power held in the stone that has just been placed into your pocket; merely touch it and think a message exactly or less than twenty-four words long, and we will know. Are we clear?"

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, mistresses."

"Good. I should hate to have you turned to dust." Arduldriira stated cooly. "Begone, now. Jhaelriina, lead her away."

Jhaelriina bowed and departed, Minalylrisse on her heels, one hand feeling the stone in her pocket. Once the priestess was gone, the remaining drow females leaned forward together.

"Well, sisters." Arduldriira smiled coldly, eyes flashing with sudden light. "I appears that we can use that female for some productive, after all."

"But what will happen when Valvyll is . . . ah . . . disposed of?" Greyayne dared to ask. "He is our House wizard."

Arduldriira waved her hand neglectantly. "That has all been taken care of. Our youngest sibling - that whining male we used to test Minalylrisse with five or so years ago - shows aptitude for the wizard's arts. And you, ladies, sisters, should know; our mother, the esteemed Matron Phyrbreena, expects a child in eight month's time."

"Three children in less than thirty years." remarked LiNeerithra. "It is unheard of."

"It is a blessing of the Spider Queen!" declared Vrae'Jysala imperiously. "It is not our place to question it!"

"No." Arduldriira agreed. "It is not. Children strengthen our House; that is all we need now care about."

"Does Matron Phyrbreena know of this?" Greyayne dared to ask.

"Silence!" Ardudriira declared. Her eyes glittered coldly. "Sisters, what we say here may not pass beyond these walls! What Matron Phyrbreena does not know will not hurt her."

"But what of Shricice?" Vrae'Jysala put in calmly. The priestesses shuddered; with the lesser priestesses of the House unified, they could easily overthrow Matron Phyrbreena. However, Shricice was an entirely different matter.

"If our esteemed elder sister does not know of our schemes, then she does not have to." Arduldriira said softly."But I do not doubt that she does know, ladies, and I do not doubt that she will be place at the . . . ah . . . let us say, removal of Valvyll."

Vrae'Jysala chuckled. "Treachery is the way of Lolth, is it not, dear cousin?"

Greyayne flushed for all eyes to see. "I was merely expressing my concern-"

"And you had every right to." Arduldriira cut in smoothly. "Now, Greyayne, we have business elsewhere that we need completed. Leave us."

Her tone said, don't let the door smash you on the way out.

Greyayne's eyes flared with anger, but she caught her tongue, not daring to argue. Rising stiffly, she bowed, her voice taut with sharp fury. "Of course, Second Sister. I take my leave now."

Vrae'Jysala and LiNeerithra watched with amused eyes as the proud, pale-eyed female exited the room. Arduldriira shrugged.

"And now, ladies." she began, addressing the two remaining priestesses. "We can talk."