IV
It had surprised him that House Hen Wyneb would be this careless.
Naomhin Evnissien, the elderboy of his house, crouched next to the second floor window of a newly abandoned home of mixed mushroom and stone, watching carefully as the guards of House Hen Wyneb made their rounds of the fourteenth house's compound. House Hen Wyneb stood in the open on a faint rise in the eastern reaches of Llyr, where it could watch over the lichen farms and the herds of rothe that made up the bulk of Hen Wyneb's income. Many of the commoners that lived near the house were also employed by the noble family, while the house's slaves were contained in the squat, ugly buildings that were crammed against the northern fence of the compound. Those blocky barracks were the only buildings that had not been created with painstaking care; five towers of gracefully curved stone, slim in the middle before expanding into bulblike minarets, sat in a perfectly spaced pentagram around the centerpiece of House Hen Wyneb's picturesque rock gardens, a graceful water fountain lit with soft hues of red and violet faerie fire and ringed with some of the more beautiful versions of mushrooms that were found in the deepest caverns of drow territory. The house's elegant fence, heavy, twisting black steel bars topped with fleur de lis shaped spikes, was as ominous as it was ornate, able to withstand the fireballs of even the most powerful wizards, while catwalks and smaller, curving towers along the perimeter allowed the defenders excellent fields of fire against an attacking house. The wrought steel gates were no less imposing, and from his vantage point Naomhin could count no less than a dozen of Hen Wyneb's guards watching the streets and alleys that separated the compound from the dwellings of the lesser drow around them.
Naomhin considered the defenses for a long moment before turning back to the interior of the house, thanking Lolth once more that he had been born a noble. While the nobles of the city enjoyed spacious chambers, beautiful gardens, and servants to cook their food, the commoners of Llyr had no such luxuries. Most of them occupied small houses that served two or even three families, with each individual drow receiving little more than a bed and some small amount of privacy from heavy curtains and maybe a kobold or goblin slave. The nobles of Llyr were given the opportunity to master magic or the martial arts, while most commoners could barely manage a cantrip or a basic parry. Such had been the case with the dark elves that once lived in the house Naomhin now occupied; they had tried to defend themselves, but four drow had fallen to Naomhin's practiced and deadly blades. Two more, one male and one female child, neither old enough to even lift a blade, had been taken back quietly to House Evnissien's compound, to be raised by the handmaidens of the house as future soldiers in Matron Saffir's personal army.
The elderboy of House Evnissien turned back to the compound across the street, making a count again of the guards that patrolled Hen Wyneb's grounds. The details of the compound were of the utmost importance if House Evnissien was to have a chance against their enemy. Naomhin had spent two day watching the houses surrounding the compound for a drow family that did not work for the nobles, then had spent another two days after removing the residents simply watching Hen Wyneb go through their routines. Matron Saffir certainly had other spies to watch over the fourteenth house, but Naomhin preferred a far more hands on approach to his intelligence. After all, he would likely be the one to lead the first charge against House Hen Wyneb, and he preferred not to rely on some glorified commoner with a short attention span to give him vital information.
A faint creak, barely perceptible even in the silence of the abandoned home, caught Naomhin's attention. The elderboy's hands dropped to the swords belted on his hips.
"I hope you don't entertain thoughts of taking my place, Fychan," Naomhin stated evenly, without turning back to the sound. "The matron mother would not take well to your ploy on the eve of war with another house."
"Brother, your distrust wounds me," Fychan said, a bit melodramatically. Naomhin glanced over his shoulder at his younger brother, the tallest, and possibly thinnest, member of House Evnissien. The secondboy smiled at his brother as he smoothed out his flowing black robes, but Naomhin had the feeling that Fychan's long, delicate fingers had been far too close to the wand tucked into the simple belt around his waist. "I would never think of slaying my own brother."
"Then what are you doing here?" Naomhin inquired as Fychan moved next to him.
"I have come to observe my enemy," the wizard replied evenly. Naomhin could not be certain if his brother meant House Hen Wyneb or him. "It won't be long now," Fychan continued as Naomhin glanced to the secondboy. "A few weeks, maybe less. Gwalchgwynn and Brenin Llywd have both pledged support. Caer Llion will take no great part in the upcoming battle."
"Caer Llion is not the only ally to Hen Wyneb," Naomhin informed the wizard. "See those guards at the gate? The ones on the left side?"
"I do," Fychan replied.
"They are from House Lleision," Naomhin said. Fychan chuckled faintly.
"The twenty-fourth house?" the wizard surmised. "If that is all we have to fear, we have indeed garnered Lolth's blessing."
"More soldiers are still more soldiers," Naomhin said. "And I doubt House Lleision is the only house trying to gain Hen Wyneb's favor."
"Ever cautious, Naomhin," Fychan said with a hint of humor. "I suppose that is why you are the elderboy, and I merely the secondboy."
Naomhin said nothing at his brother's flippant remark, reminding himself that Matron Saffir would never allow Fychan to try and usurp his place when she needed every noble she could get. Fychan, for his part, dropped the conversation as he peered over his older brother's shoulder, watching the gate and the guards around it.
"House Lleision is not known for their wonderful fighters," the wizard commented after a few minutes of silence. "And if they cluster at the gate, Hetwn and I can wipe them out with a few well placed lightning bolts."
"We'll need a way to make them cluster," Naomhin decided. "Possibly a slave force, to breach the gate and force their warriors into action."
"We'll need archers ready as well, to cull their own spellcasters once they reveal themselves," Fychan added. He looked over the pentagram of towers for a moment. "I have no doubt Maddox will be atop one of those towers, just waiting for our soldiers to force their way through the gate."
"He is a threat," Naomhin admitted. Maddox Hen Wyneb was an instructor at Llyfrdy-Lledreth, the school of magic in Llyr, and was known as a gifted and very lethal evoker. Naomhin had seen him in action against a force of seasoned duergar raiders, and the elderboy of House Evnissien had no true desire to have to face his counterpart in Hen Wyneb in an open battle. "It would be better if we could remove him before the assault," the noble said quietly.
"Easier said than done," Fychan stated. The secondboy paused for a long moment. When Naomhin turned back to his brother, the wizard was just beginning to smile. "But I think I may have a way to remove him."
Arlais-Corryn, the school of the Spider Queen and the most sacred building in all of Llyr, dominated the huge dais of stone that rose in the center of the city. The enormous temple and its dormitories had been painstakingly carved from huge blocks of obsidian and crafted by both master craftsmen and powerful priestesses into the shape of a spider, its huge mandibles extending out to form an enclosed walkway of basalt flagstones to the massive, obsidian and gold double doors that led into the temple itself. Directly through the doors, a short walkway led to the main temple, a gigantic, domed chamber of obsidian walls and a seamless, black marble floor, easily capable of holding a thousand worshippers at once. The main altar, like so many throughout the city, was also carved into the likeness of a spider, made of pure alabaster and decorated with obsidian, gold, and silver inlays. Statues lined the circular chamber at regular intervals, ranging from huge, demonic spiders and other fiendish monsters to the likenesses of great priestesses of Llyr's past. Behind the altar, towering almost to the thirty foot ceiling of the main hall of worship, was the image of Lolth herself, an exquisitely beautiful drow woman with the mandibles of a spider and six arms, each wielding a dagger. Soft green faerie fire glowed around each dagger, while red pinpoints of the eldritch flames burned in the enormous rubies that formed Lolth's eyes.
It was here that Banon Hen Wyneb, the heir to the fifteenth house of Llyr, felt most comfortable. The noble was one of the senior instructors of Arlais-Corryn and a high priestess of the Spider Queen, and she was already well aware of the whispers circulating around the drow city. Many considered her talented and ruthless enough to become Mistress of the Academy, but her house's relatively low standing would handicap her ascent to power. Banon relished the chance to take command of the most powerful institution in Llyr, and often, as the last fire of Amser-Colofn faded out in the courtyard in the center of the three drow schools, the priestess could be found in one of the private chapels, praying for guidance from the Spider Queen herself in her and her house's steady climb through the ranks of Llyr.
Today, however, Banon had no time for the devotions that she gave so often to Lolth. The oldest daughter of House Hen Wyneb was aware of the rumors swirling through the city, of the possibility that House Brenin Llywd or some other house may be taking measures to eliminate the fifteenth house. Banon knew that Hen Wyneb could stand up to all but the most stubborn assault, but the simple fact that the rumors had persisted worried the high priestess. A battle now, with so many other eyes upon her house, could mean a frenzy of attacks that would eventually cripple Hen Wyneb, and Banon had no intentions of seeing her house fall while she was still alive.
Banon swept easily through the long, ornate pews of the central temple, ignoring the lowly acolytes that had only begun their tutelage at Arlais-Corryn that year. The hopeful priestesses lowered their eyes and bowed reverently as they recognized the woman striding down the main aisle; Banon's tall, powerful frame and relatively short, silvery white hair were easily identifiable even without the gossamer, weblike robes she wore and the snake whip writhing on her belt. Banon was one of the most physically powerful priestesses in all of Llyr, and in battles past she had often joined wild melees after exhausting her spells.
To the left and the right of the huge statue of Lolth, doors led to other parts of Arlais-Corryn. To the left, passages branched out into the dormitories and classrooms of the academy, while to the right, smaller, private chapels had been built for high priestesses and more informal gatherings. Banon moved to these latter doors, a not at all uncommon occurrence considering her daily prayers. But today, Banon searched out one private chapel in particular, one that was dedicated to the second house of Llyr, the powerful and old House Caer Llion. Banon stopped in front of the closed door that led into the chapel, listening for a long moment. A faint odor of incense drifted up from the crack beneath the door, and the priestess could hear low chanting inside. After only another moment of hesitation, Banon knocked lightly on the door. The chanting stopped immediately.
"Who is it?" the unseen devotee inside asked curtly.
"Banon Hen Wyneb," the noble replied. "I must speak with you."
There was a faint rustle inside as the occupant walked to the door. It opened after only another second, revealing a short, painfully beautiful dark elf with flowing, almost perfectly silver hair braided to her waist, dressed in a simple dress of maroon silk rather than the gossamer robes of a priestess. She looked up at Banon for a long moment, her blood colored eyes showing her irritation at the interruption.
"Thank you for seeing me, Lowri," Banon said, bowing slightly to the third daughter of House Caer Llion. Banon privately found the woman distasteful to say the least; Lowri was not as devout or as powerful as Banon in any fashion, but her house's position had given Lowri a position as Mistress of Instruction, one of the most powerful members of Arlais-Corryn and a title that Banon felt she deserved.
"Come in," Lowri said, turning and walking back into the private chapel. Banon followed the far smaller woman in, remaining just inside as her superior- the thought of Lowri as superior nearly made Banon choke- descended the two steps to the marble floor of the chapel. Far from the grand temples and chapels that Caer Llion had created both in their own magnificent compound and in the Central Market of Llyr, the chamber contained only a single altar, a smooth but rather unimpressive table of basalt with some simple spider carvings, and a half dozen wooden chairs. As she reached the center of the small chapel, Lowri turned back to her guest. "What does House Hen Wyneb need?"
"Information," Banon replied. Lowri may have been one of the most beautiful women in all of Llyr, but her personality, or lack thereof, was just as noticeable. "Have you heard rumors of a possible house war in the near future?"
"No," Lowri replied simply. "Llyr has been rather quiet this last decade."
"That time may be over," Banon said. "First Rhawn was murdered, and now we have uncovered a spy trying to infiltrate Hen Wyneb."
"This sounds like a concern of yours," Lowri stated bluntly. "Not mine."
"If you wish to maintain an alliance with Hen Wyneb, for fear that House Siryddion will discover how few allies you really have, it would be in your interest to aid us," Banon said, slowly losing her patience with the Caer Llion daughter. "We have pledged in the past to support you in your quest to become first house, but we will not continue that alliance unless you aid us in our time of need."
Lowri considered the threat for a moment, considering the burning anger she could no doubt see in Banon's eyes. The priestess had hoped that she would not have to threaten Lowri with the end of their alliance; Hen Wyneb needed Caer Llion to shield them from the machinations of Maredudd and Evnissien just as much as the second house needed the aid of the fifteenth to keep House Siryddion, the powerful third house, from launching an attack on the Caer Llion compound.
"Matron Vala will not take kindly to your threats," Lowri stated coldly.
"I do not wish to threaten," Banon said. "But we cannot aid you if we ourselves are defeated or badly damaged by another house. All we ask is information, and maybe some few soldiers or some gold to aid us in any defense that may be required. Surely it is not so much to ask from mighty House Caer Llion."
"Our defenses are stretched thin at the moment," Lowri stated. "House Siryddion edges closer to us with each passing day."
"Exactly the reason you should aid us now," Banon countered, expecting just such an evasion. "The sooner we have defeated our enemies, the sooner we can return your aid to us with our own soldiers and magic."
Lowri, predictably, looked disgusted by Banon's logic, but the daughter of Caer Llion finally nodded.
"I shall speak to Matron Vala," Lowri said. Banon smiled, expecting just such an answer.
"It is all I can ask of you," the daughter of hen Wyneb said.
"We'll still need more soldiers."
"House Lleision's soldiers will not be overly difficult to defeat," Matron Saffir said, considering the information her oldest son had brought her. The matron of House Evnissien paced easily behind the spider shaped altar in her chapel, too anxious to sit on her throne as Naomhin waited patiently on the opposite side of the altar. "The main difficulty will be breaking through the gate before Hen Wyneb's wizards can bring the full force of their magic upon us."
Fychan says he might have a way to remove Maddox before our attack," Naomhin stated. "He would not tell me more than that he would need some time to arrange things at Llyfrdy-Lledreth."
"Removing Maddox would take away their most powerful wizard," Saffir said, more to herself then to her eldest son. Naomhin nodded in wordless agreement. "But we cannot afford a move against Maddox too soon before our planned attack."
"We'll still need Gwalchgwynn and Brenin Llywd to give us more assistance," Naomhin said. "A half dozen soldiers from Brenin Llywd alone will not win the fight."
"Arwydd will bring us aid from Gwalchgwynn," Saffir said. The matron placed a great deal of confidence in her second daughter; though Arwydd would likely never make a good matron mother, the younger priestess was an excellent operative when it came to sealing shadowy alliances with other houses. "And Hetwn has told me that Brenin Llywd will send more aid, in both soldiers and resources."
"We'll need a way to break the gate," Naomhin said again. "Once we can get inside the compound, we will be able to overpower Hen Wyneb, but the problem is still the gate."
"I will worry about the gate," Saffir said, turning to her son. "All you will need to do is deal with Hen Wyneb's guards."
"And Matron Ceridwen herself?" Naomhin asked. Saffir smiled.
"Athruis," the matron mother stated. Naomhin nodded faintly; Athruis, the house weaponmaster, a one time patron, and Naomhin's own father, was considered to be one of the finest swordsmen of Llyr. Naomhin had trained with the warrior from the day he could hold a sword, and knew for a fact just how lethal Athruis' two bladed sword could be. Before the elderboy could voice his approval of the matron's intentions, however, the doors to the Evnissien Chapel opened, and another dark elf entered the softly lit chamber.
The newcomer was shorter than Naomhin, largely shrouded by the oversized piwafwi of House Evnissien that he wore. His snow white hair had been pulled back into a smooth ponytail except for two tiny braids dropping down the left side of his face. As the newcomer caught sight of the matron mother and her son, he dropped to one knee, lowering his blood red eyes immediately to the floor.
"Matron Mother," he said quietly, his melodic voice full of reverence. "I come bearing news."
"Stand, Cadwared," Saffir said. The commoner quickly got back to his feet, casting a quick glance to Naomhin as he approached. While Cadwared showed a great deal of respect and reverence for the matron, Naomhin knew the rogue's true feelings. The rogue was a shadowdancer, a member of the enigmatic Shadow Guild, who had sworn far more loyalty to the gold and gems that Matron Saffir paid him than to the matron herself. Naomhin knew that if the price was right Cadwared would as soon poison Matron Saffir as he would please her, but for the moment the bonuses of serving the woman outweighed the momentary pleasure of murdering her. "Give your report."
"Banon Hen Wyneb has met with Lowri Caer Llion," Cadwared stated simply.
"They spoke of their alliance?" Saffir concluded.
"I could not tell," Cadwared replied. "They met in Caer Llion's private chapel at Arlais-Corryn, where I could not follow. But considering Banon's light mood as she left the temple, I would assume that they have procured some sort of assistance from the second house."
"This will make things difficult," Naomhin said. "If Caer Llion commits any sort of force to the defense of Hen Wyneb-"
"They will not," Matron Saffir interrupted quickly. Naomhin knew as well as the matron what would happen if Care Llion's troops appeared in the courtyard of the fifteenth house; Brenin Llywd and especially Gwalchgwynn would balk at sending their forces against the tried and tested warriors of the second house. "They must guard against House Siryddion, and Matron Olwyn has been waiting for some time to strike at Caer Llion. Vala knows that. They can commit only token resources at best."
Naomhin said nothing at the matron's logic, hoping that she was correct. Naomhin had looked forward to this, his first true test against another house, and the arrival of Caer Llion could easily delay or even end any plans to attack Hen Wyneb.
"Shall I return to the streets and continue to shadow Banon Hen Wyneb?" Cadwared inquired, bringing Naomhin's attention back to the present. Matron Saffir hesitated a moment.
"No," she said thoughtfully. "I have a slightly different task for you, as well as Naomhin. House Hen Wyneb regularly ships food to House Caer Llion at discounted prices. If Hen Wyneb cannot protect their caravans from common thieves and brigands, it is possible that Caer Llion will reconsider their alliance."
"And we are to be the common brigands?" Naomhin asked, hiding his growing excitement. For over two months the elderboy had spent his time watching Hen Wyneb and waiting for the time to strike; now, it seemed, he would have his chance to see action, however minor the first strike would be.
"Kill everyone involved and steal as much as possible," Matron Saffir confirmed. "But be certain that no one knows we were involved."
"As you wish, mistress," Cadwared said, a smile creeping to his face. Naomhin also fought to suppress his grin as he nodded his readiness to carry out Saffir's will. Sensing his eagerness, Matron Saffir turned to her son.
"You are aware of their schedules already," she said. Naomhin nodded. "It must be quick, and it must be subtle."
"As you wish, mistress," Naomhin said. Both he and Cadwared knelt before the matron, then turned and left the chapel to begin preparations. Matron Saffir watched the doors slowly close behind her elderboy and the commoner, but then turned to the antechamber door hidden behind the marble webwork to her right.
"Talaith," the matron called out. Saffir's heir appeared a moment later, dressed in her chain mail and the spidery tunic that identified her as a high priestess of Lolth.
"Yes, mistress," Talaith said, kneeling momentarily in front of the altar.
"I need you to pay a visit to someone," Saffir said. "I have a feeling that their involvement in this could prove to be very beneficial."