Disclaimer: I do not own 'Baldur's Gate', the 'Forgotten Realms' or any characters therein. Wizards of the Coast do, at my last check. Lucky them. I do, however, own Fritha and certain other characters and plot points. Basically, if you don't recognise it from the game, it's probably mine.

– Blackcross & Taylor

Traitorous hearts

Fritha ran her fingers through her hair and straightened the scabbard at her hip, somehow more aware of her body than normal, as though she was suddenly keenly sensitive to the fact that it was not her own as she followed the slave up the dark stairwell. She had slept later than she usually did, spending the time waiting for her customary bath to fill standing before the mirror, staring at the naked body which housed her now, her consciousness twitching inside her, wanting to break free. The previous night seemed unreal, her mind conjuring memories that felt like they belonged to someone else, and perhaps that was what it had taken: something so out of character to finally remind her of just who she had been. There was no time to fret or ponder on it now though; the slave had stopped, knocking politely on the door before them.

Fritha smoothed her hair and checked her sword for the last time as he showed her inside and any more fidgeting would have to be violently suppressed. It was not so early that anyone would still be abed and indeed Phaere was up and sitting at the table reading a long scroll, the glow of the words softly lighting her face.

'Veldrin, you have come. Sit,' she offered, furling the scroll and gesturing to the chair opposite, Phaere topping up her glass with the jug of water next to her and indicating to Fritha she may serve herself some as well. Silence as each took a sip, Phaere setting her glass back on the table with a chime that opened the proceedings.

'Veldrin, I would speak to you of Solaufein.'

Fritha swallowed her cough with great difficulty, drawing a few more gulps in an effort to hide it, though Phaere seemed not to notice, her eyes distant as she continued.

'Soon, Veldrin, the time for my ascension will be at hand, but there is one final obstacle, a disgrace from my past that must be eliminated before I can take my rightful place.

'And that disgrace is Solaufein,' Fritha croaked, still fighting against a cough.

Phaere nodded gravely. 'Indeed, it is obvious to all there is a past between us, though many here would never dare acknowledge it. Long ago I took him to my bed; an amusement of my youth, no more or less than any of the other men I enjoyed, but Ardulace believed I cared over much for him.'

'And did you?'

'It did not matter!' snapped Phaere, 'That she could believe I was capable of such weakness was enough to shame me. I was sent to the temple to re-learn the ways of our people, to learn again to appreciate the screams of those sacrificed upon the alter, the joy unrivalled that comes from the slaughter of your enemies and the hunger to serve Lolth, and I was shown, in complete clarity, the weakness, the pathetic, hollow lie that is love!'

Fritha sent her a contemplative look. 'You did love him, didn't you? No one who had never been in love could hate it quite as much.'

Phaere looked furious, mouth already open to refute it, but Fritha forestalled her. 'Do not worry, I imagine more than admit it have once succumbed to such feelings, and are all the better for it in the end.'

Phaere's anger was gone, her face lit with a guarded curiosity. 'You speak of one with experience.'

There was silence between them for a long time and when Fritha spoke again, so charged was the air, it was as though the whole city was listening with baited breath.

'There was a male once, long ago, back in Ched Nasad, who was allied to our house and for whom I began to develop a deep regard.'

Phaere was rapt. 'What happened? Were you discovered?'

'No,' cried Fritha with a relieved laugh, 'He was killed before that could happen, praise be to Lolth! He died in a raid on the surfacer filth and protecting my retreat, no less. And that was when I realised it, as I stared down into his beautiful dead eyes: love is nothing but a weakness, and we drow are better off without it.'

Phaere drew back, reclining in her chair to fix her with a measured look. 'Then you will perform this task for me? You will kill Solaufein?'

Fritha's answer was suitably prompt. 'I will.'

'Matron Ardulace has forbidden me to act against him and risk war with his house while our ascension still hangs in balance; to heed my request is to go against her.'

'She will not trace it back to us.'

Phaere smiled broadly. 'Good, very good. The time is coming when I will have power beyond imagining and you, Veldrin, will be at my right hand.'

Fritha said nothing; what comment could she make on plans for a future that was already doomed.

xxx

Their shared common room had seemed even smaller than usual that day. It was getting on for midnight now and many of their group had retired, though some of them were still awake, Aerie sat upon the sofa, Valygar in the chair next to them, while Imoen herself was curled on the floor at his feet, her head resting on his knee. He did not seem to mind, in that he had yet to move or push her off and perhaps he felt it too, the comfort in the closeness of another, whoever they were. Fritha was in her room, just as she had been all day, the girl returning from her meeting with Phaere before Imoen had even risen that morning and no one had seen her since.

Aerie had tried to take her some dinner when the slaves had arrived with their own meal, the elf returning with a full tray and a shake of her head, Fritha apparently sat at her desk, though not at work, the chair and girl both turned to face the room, Fritha just staring at the unmade bed, and she had not even looked up as she had dismissed the elf.

Jaheira had just gone to check on her again, the sound of her voice growing louder as she backed out of the doorway.

'As you say, Fritha -just let us know if you need anything.'

A click of the door as she finally pulled it closed on her assurances. The druid sighed, lingering there a moment, before she mustered the energy to return to her place beside Aerie.

'She is the same –barely speaks. Just says she is fine.'

'Do you think she could be losing her mind?' offered Valygar, 'She is under much strain.'

Imoen snatched her head back from his leg with a wounded look. 'No! Don't say that!'

'It is merely something we should consider, Imoen.'

On the sofa, Aerie was shaking her head 'Fritha is as sane as she ever was.'

'That is not saying much,' muttered Valygar. Jaheira sent him a stern frown.

'This act is not easy for her, however well she seems to have taken to it. We just need to-'

'Oh Fritha,' Aerie cut in nervously, the girl suddenly in her doorway and buckling on her sword, 'are you going somewhere?'

'Yes, I have something to do for Phaere.'

'What?' cried Imoen, 'Has she given us another task?'

Fritha sighed and gave an indifferent shrug.

'Not as such, but Phaere has plans for us, of that I am sure. We just need to stay low and await her orders. I will continue to earn her, well, trust is not the right word, but I will continue to prove to her our value as allies. And that is where I go now.'

She was almost at the door when Aerie's hesitant call halted her.

'Fritha… we- we understand that things are not easy, at the moment, but you can rely on us to help you- you only have to ask.'

The girl smiled; it looked sad.

'Thank you, Aerie. I will likely be a while; don't worry about waiting up for me.'

…

Solaufein started at the click of the door, on his feet an instant later and whipping about to see her enter. He had not been abed, despite the lateness of the hour, the man dozing at his desk and fortunate it had been, too; had he been properly asleep he never would have heard her. He watched as she quietly pushed the door shut behind her, no sign of the slave, his mouth finally responding to his commands to croak her name.

'Veldrin?'

She was armed; it would have given him more pause if she had not been, but something about her stance was different now, a certain hardness behind the usual careless bravado as she laughed quietly.

'My, this is a bit awkward, isn't it? Don't worry, Solaufein, I'm not here for that.'

And if she was not visiting his chambers in the dead of night for that, then there was only one other reason it could be.

'Phaere has sent you to kill me,' he provided.

Veldrin laughed again. 'And I can see why when you anticipate her so easily!'

Solaufein shrugged. His sword was leaning against the desk, within reach, though he wondered if he would even go for it when the time came.

'This has been festering between us for a long while now; it was only a matter of time.'

'But can you read my intentions so well, I wonder?' Veldrin continued, yellow eyes studying his face with an intensity few would have dared, be they of similar rank or not, when, at last, she seemed to decide something. 'I will not kill you, Solaufein, unless no other path is presented to me.'

'You would defy Phaere?'

'She is not my master –she craves your death for pride, not necessity. Solaufein: the last reminder of her one past weakness. How she despises you for it.'

Even Solaufein, master of pretence, could not hide his surprise.

'She told you?'

'About your relationship, yes. A pair in love torn asunder and one tortured to the point where she even believes that the affections she once cherished are now nothing more than a failing. A very sad tale; that I even felt pity for you both is a testament to it.' She smiled absently. 'The feelings do not come as easily as they once did.'

'For our kind they do not usually come at all.'

Veldrin laughed again, though there was a melancholy behind it.

'Well, where I am from it is quite expected of you. Truly, I wish the surface were the same as here –it would save me a lot of nagging.'

Solaufein could barely contain his shock. 'You, you are a surfacer?'

She bobbed a succinct nod. 'Indeed, I am.'

'And the others who are with you: all surfacers?'

'Oh, yes. You're not going to turn us in, are you, because then I really would have to kill you.'

Solaufein just shook his head. His knees felt suddenly weak and he sank back into the chair behind him.

'Why are you telling me this?'

Veldrin's pretty face pulled into a sympathetic smile, the expression unfamiliar enough to make his heart rattle.

'I sense you can be trusted with the secret of it; you are not as others here.'

'And neither are you, it seems,' he laughed uncertainly, 'though you have managed to maintain the charade better than I. You have the truth of it; I long ago lost my lust for the pointless killing Lolth seems to need to sate her. There, a secret for a secret, but allow me another, if you will: what are you doing here?'

She shrugged. 'Just passing through in pursuit of someone far worse than Phaere or Ardulace, though their plans have halted me somewhat and so they will have to end. But that is by the by, the issue currently at hand is what we are to do with you. I do not wish to kill you, but I must be seen to be following Phaere's orders and she is quite adamant about your end.'

Solaufein swallowed dryly; his next words would change his life forever.

'There are places within this city where even Despana's gaze cannot pierce the shadows.'

'She requested your piwawfi cloak as proof of your death.'

He rose again, taking it from the stand next to him to hand it over and a shared nod concluded the thing, the woman giving him an appraising frown as she spoke again. 'No doubt your eyes see further than mine in these dark caverns; if you wish to join us when we depart, then do. There is a place for you on the surface… it is very beautiful.'

xxx

Fritha sighed, the climb seeming steeper than usual. She had dismissed the slave in the entrance hall, the girl knowing the way well enough by now to make it alone, the long dark stairwell coiling about the inside of that building, the innards of some great black beast. She was tired, of these tasks, of this act, her whole body aching for a rest that no amount of sleep could afford, though it would be nice to be given the chance anyway, the hour well past midnight now –hopefully Phaere would not be eager for a blow by blow account of her kill.

The woman was where Fritha had left her the previous day, sitting at the table, though Phaere was on her feet the instant she entered, marching over to her, her face laying bare her heart and filled with a nervous anticipation.

'You have returned, Veldrin, you –you are uninjured…' she cut in suddenly, her suspicions evident. Fritha nodded, ready with her tale.

'Indeed. I told him I had been sent by you with more orders and ones he did not like. Poor fool, his back turned and grumbling away like some petulant child as he stooped for his clothes.' She smiled. 'He did not even see the blade.'

'And his body?' pressed Phaere.

'I had a mage of my group provide me with a scroll of immolation. He is no more than ash.'

Fritha passed to her the cloak she had bundled under her arm, Phaere receiving it with a flicker of some lost emotion. Regret? Relief? Fritha could not tell.

'All love is foolish,' Phaere sighed, the mantra girding her heart as she turned to throw the cloak onto the armour stand behind her, and they retook their places at the table. 'You have served me well, Veldrin, and now there is one final task for you. You have betrayed your Matron once before now –I assume you have no qualms about doing so again, not when you have everything to gain. I have a plan which will place me as Head of House Despana even as we take our place as the rightful ruling house in Ust Natha. You know of the ritual whereby Ardulace will summon the drow an ally to aid our armies when we make our attack? It is a demon prince, an infernal creature of terrible power. The Illithid blood will summon it and the dragon eggs we have been holding to ransom will be the offering to secure his services.' Phaere gave a spiteful laugh. 'Ha, those eggs will be destroyed before Adalon can even muster herself to stop us.'

Fritha felt her heart sinking, all her plans crumbling before her eyes. 'The eggs are a tithe?'

'Indeed, I should have liked to keep them, as well; a fine memento of my ascendance, but such sacrifices must be made.'

'Will that not invoke the dragon's wrath?'

But Phaere merely smiled. 'You forget, Veldrin, we will have the demon's service by then. It will slay her easily! In the coming attack, House Despana will have opened the way and provided our most powerful warrior both; our house will be pre-eminent and it is that house I would rule.'

The woman stood, beckoning her over to the low chest that sat next to the fire pit, Phaere opening it to remove a simple hide bag that much belied the treasure it contained: three shimmering eggs, the glow bathing their faces as they both leaned over the prize.

'Here, Veldrin, I had these made in secret. Tomorrow morning the city will be sealed and a service begun at the temple: prayers for Lolth's blessing in the upcoming war -it will last all the day and well into the night. Make your way into the temple by stealth, swap the real eggs for these and return them to me. I will have the wards lifted, but the golems will remain; remember, my mother can suspect nothing. When the time of the ritual has come and she goes to present the demon its tithe, the creature will discover her gift as false and kill her for the insult.'

'And then you may step forward with the true eggs,' concluded Fritha. Phaere smiled broadly.

'Exactly! And come our success, you will sit at my right hand.'

Fritha forced a grin and nodded as well. Come their success, Fritha would likely be dead, though whether by dragon or drow still remained to be seen.

xxx

Jaheira started, sitting up in bed with a jerk that wrenched her neck, Imoen sending her a fearful glace as their door rattled in its frame, Fritha's voice suddenly audible as she pounded upon the surface.

'Up, everyone, up! Group meeting in the common room now!'

The pair of them rose hurriedly, Jaheira letting a hand rest on the girl's shoulder as they entered, Imoen smiling briefly at the contact before she moved away, slipping past Valygar and Minsc to find a place in the slowly filling common room of their suite, Anomen already Fritha's side, his concern evident.

'Fritha, are you well?'

'Fine, Anomen, just sit down and I will explain.'

'Fritha, what is it?' asked Aerie, the elf looking as anxious as she felt, her blanket still wrapped about her, Jaheira taking a seat on the sofa beside her and Haer'Dalis, while Imoen dropped to sit at their feet. Fritha glanced about them all, movements sharp with a nervous energy.

'We all here? Good. Phaere has just given me these.'

A sweep of her arm as the cloak she had draped over the chair behind her was whipped back, three silver eggs glowing within the bag beneath.

'The eggs…' whispered Aerie. Fritha nodded.

'Yes. Fakes, and ones good enough to fool anyone but Adalon, I should think. The eggs are not just hostages to secure Adalon's co-operation, they are to be an offering to their ally, a demon prince, to sway it to their side. Come the first hour the city will be magically sealed by Matron Ardulace, and a ritual for Lolth's favour begun. Phaere wants us to wait until everyone in the temple is otherwise diverted in worship and swap the eggs, effectively murdering her mother and making her the new Matron of House Despana.'

'Helm's mercy,' breathed Anomen, Imoen echoing his shock.

'Phaere's got some nerve, I'll give her that.'

'So, what do you plan?' asked Jaheira, Fritha giving the eggs a pensive frown.

'Well, I've given this some thought and the easiest path, as I can see it, runs so. We wait until tomorrow as Phaere instructs, steal the eggs and give them to her. When Ardulace dies during the ritual, the seal on the city will end and we can slip away in the chaos that follows. I know Adalon threatened to end our illusion, but I get the feeling she's not as all-seeing as she makes out; she could not tell us where her eggs are within the city, for a start. I believe we'll have a narrow window to escape.'

'Adalon will want revenge,' said Valygar bluntly. Fritha seemed unfazed.

'Adalon will be busy enough fighting that demon they've summoned; I'm sure we'll be able to slip through. Solaufein told me there are many ways up to the surface, not just the one Adalon guards; we can find one and leave by that.'

'And -and we just let the eggs be destroyed and a demon be released on the elves?' cried Aerie. Fritha's head whipped to the girl.

'Must we fight the whole world's battles for them? I'm sure the elves can look after themselves and, as for Adalon, as I recall she is not helping us, she is blackmailing us.'

Aerie looked furious. 'I cannot believe you are considering this, Fritha.'

'Boo says we gave Adalon our word we would aid her,' added Minsc defiantly, 'he will not break it!'

'Yes, Boo, but Adalon also told us that Irenicus and Bodhi were here in the city, and since that was a hideous fib, I'm thinking our deal is off.'

Imoen was nodding vehemently. 'I'm with Fritha on this, Adalon just used us.'

Anomen sighed. 'Whatever Adalon has done, we cannot let her eggs be used to summon such a creature. A demon prince released upon the surface could result in countless deaths before the elves can contain it.'

'And what of us?' cried Fritha, clearly despairing of them, 'Are you willing to die to save those elves, to save the eggs?'

'There has to be another way!' pressed Aerie.

'Fine!' shouted Fritha, seemingly reining in her temper with some difficultly, the girl sparing a glance to Jaheira as she offered, 'Fine, we vote on it; all in favour of the plan?'

She did not bother raising her own hand, nodding both to Imoen and Haer'Dalis, the man trying not to catch Aerie's eye as he raised his hand as well, their five remaining companions staying pointedly motionless.

Fritha laughed at this unsurprising defeat. 'Gods, you all want to survive, but only on the noblest of terms. Ah, fine then, if there is no keeping you from it. Our second and suicidal option: we break into the temple tonight before the city is sealed, steal the eggs and make a run for it.'

Jaheira frowned, reluctant to be the one to speak against her when she knew how hard the girl was trying.

'Fritha, you yourself said the way was guarded, warded… it would be impossible to get through without Phaere's aid.'

But Fritha was shaking her head and looking as though she just knew was going to regret her next.

'There may be a way…'

xxx

Jaheira gazed up at the tall domed building next to her, at least three different storefronts sharing the wide base, the signs above the doors the only thing to indicate they were places of trade rather than mere residences. Behind her Anomen shifted, eyes fixed on the stairwell they had just descended, the three girls before her chattering amongst themselves in their much reduced company.

Fritha had wanted to take with her only the three women for this larceny, but Anomen had insisted and then later begged that one of the more martial men be allowed to accompany them should they meet any trouble, Fritha eventually giving in with rather unkind comment that he could join them in case of any heavy lifting.

'Here, I think this is the place,' Fritha murmured, closing to the nearest door, 'Aerie, come help me with the wards.'

A moment of feverish muttering, Imoen moving to join them just as the door swung back and Jaheira pressed after the others to enter the gloomy shop, the room lined with shelves all bearing jars and books, small tables of boxes set about them, a large counter set the length of the back wall.

'Right,' whispered Fritha, scanning about her, 'Jehind told me the rope was suffused with such magic that we could sneak a rothé beast into the temple of Lolth with its power, so I doubt it will be easy to fi-'

'Found it!' called Imoen cheerily, Jaheira turning to find her stood before what would have looked to anyone else, herself included, like the plain shelf of a bookcase, a small section now slid back to reveal the hidden alcove behind, Imoen's proud grin as bright as the treasure she had just uncovered, the rope coiled within and glowing softly. Fritha smiled.

'That's it. Grab it and let's-'

Jaheira blinked, the darkened shop suddenly gone, their group now stood before a long low table of polished marble, many silk cushions scattered about it, while glowing crystal lamps lined the centre, brightly coloured hangings covering the walls of the lavish apartments in which they now found themselves. The room was empty save for two drow, the taller wearing the dark indigo robes of a mage or scholar, while the other was dressed in a tunic and trousers of vibrant pinks, yellows and violets, many gold bracelets rattling upon his well-muscled arms. He obviously thought the combination dashing; Jaheira thought he looked like a circus tent. He grinned as he saw them, a satisfied, feline smile, the man sweeping the wide-brimmed hat from his head in deep bow, the soft lamplight glinting upon his shaven skull.

'Greetings, honoured females.'

Fritha was staring back at him with an expression of woeful resignation, as though she had always known in her heart that her plan had been doomed from it conception.

'Oh, Hells.'

The man straightened with a practised smile, setting the hat jauntily back upon his head as he replied, 'Indeed. Can I take it from your reaction that you recognise me?'

Fritha shrugged. 'Well, big feathered hat, shaved head, Imoen's taste in clothes-'

'Hey!'

'Let us just say I can make a guess, Jarlaxle Baenre.'

'The head of Bregan D'aerthe?' Jaheira heard herself gasp. He turned the smile upon her.

'It is so, pretty lady. That you have heard of me makes this all the easier and before you begin, your reputations precede you, as well –the svirfneblin I visited were most enlightening.'

'You did not hurt them, did you?' cried Aerie quickly, the guarded eyes looking her up and down as Jarlaxle assured, 'No, no, it seemed mere threats were enough –you are not kin, after all.'

Fritha called the gnomes something very uncomplimentary. Jarlaxle laughed, returning his roving eye to their leader once more.

'Ah, and Veldrin -or should I call you Fritha? Your act was flawless.'

She snorted bitterly. 'Clearly not.'

'No, indeed, if not for one minor thing, I would have been as fooled as any other of this city. You mentioned you had a similar rope to mine, one taken from a sahuagin. I doubt there are many here who would know as much, but there are no sahuagin settlements near Ched Nasad. It was something which could be easily explained away by many means, but it was enough to bear investigation, nonetheless. But what should be discovered when we reach the tunnels, but surfacer tracks –old, but still clear enough to follow and leading all the way to the gnome village.' The drow smiled. 'You play your role here very well, Fritha, and I must say, I do like your disguise; are you always this captivating?'

'So they tell me.'

'Ah, I wish I could see it,' he sighed, raking his eyes over her form as though trying to imagine it and in a way that Jaheira felt he would have liked to do a whole lot more than look at her; behind her, Anomen was twitching. 'But, alas, it cannot be so. The tale I told you as the merchant Jehind, though false of face was a true enough account and I believe I have just found a way to get my revenge and my payment both.'

'You wish for us to fetch the wardstone to House Jae'llat?' confirmed Fritha. Jarlaxle laughed good-naturedly.

'Oh, no, there is no doubt much treasure within that house, but my eyes are set upon a rarer prize, and one within the lich's possession. Deirex protects a set of gems, as he does the wardstone, which contain the souls of House Jae'llat's founding Matrons and it is those I want.'

'So is this the part where you threaten to tell the city about us if we won't help?' snapped Imoen.

'Well, I will be forced to reveal your disguise should you refuse, but I do have a better incentive for you. Visaj.'

He nodded to the robed male behind him, the man stooping to gracefully sweep a, so far unnoticed, cloth from the table next to him, a clutch of three silver eggs shimmering in their long metal case.

'You have the dragon eggs!' cried Aerie. Jarlaxle shook his head, smiling at her apparent naivety.

'No, no, these are but more replicas.'

Imoen was frowning. 'But how did you know that we would want them?'

'There is very little that has occurred here since my stay which has escaped my notice, with my eye out for revenge and all that. Phaere is not the only one who keeps the service of furtive artisans. Indeed, Jehind was going to pay you another visit himself soon, now he had some new secrets with which to secure your cooperation. But it is much better that you came to me.' Jarlaxle's eyes took on a stern cast. 'I know who you are, I know why you are here and I can make a very good guess at what Phaere wants you to do. With these eggs, you can keep the true prize for yourself and distribute the fakes about the city as you will -and all for a few gems. I would say I am offering you a bargain.'

'As would I, under usual circumstances,' agreed Fritha, 'but the city is going to be sealed in but a few hours and there is no way we can get both your gems and the eggs in time to escape.'

'I am sorry,' Jarlaxle tutted, 'but I really must insist. However, think on it like this: by following my path, you will have these forgeries with which to exchange the true eggs. You can keep those safe, watch as Phaere and her mother both attempt to offer their ally the false eggs and, once it kills them for the insult, you will be free to stroll from here in victory –much more appealing that fleeing from Ust Natha like criminals, no?'

Fritha gave a resigned sigh; she had no choice how ever he presented it.

'Yes.'

xxx

Visaj transported them back to the darkened shop with but a flick of his hand, the group returning to the inn to quickly explain to a rather displeased group of men the revision to their plan, and it was barely an hour later that they were gathered before the colossal twisting mage tower that rose like a thorn in the east of the city.

No one was about and Fritha had a distinct feeling that the earliness of the hour had nothing to do with it, their group standing before the enormous misshapen doorway, the opening seeming to swallow any light brought to it, the stone frame carved to liken the giant maw of some screaming creature.

Fritha glanced to the elf next to her. 'So, are there any sort of wards upon the entrance?'

Aerie shook her head. 'Not that I can detect. Perhaps Deirex is just working on the assumption no one is going to be foolish enough to want to enter.'

'Well, he's got that wrong,' muttered Imoen. 'After going on and on to Fritha about that rope's amazing powers, you'd think Jarlaxle could have at least leant it to us.'

'Perhaps it would have made little difference,' offered Haer'Dalis, 'the magic of the rope might be strong, but lich's have great power of their own. Consider, my robin, if there was no danger, Jarlaxle would have likely just sent his own men to retrieve the gems.'

Fritha drew her sword to lead the approach. 'We should be prepared for battle, then.'

'Good. Boo does not like all this sneaking about.'

'Well, at least one of us is happy,' muttered Valygar, eyeing the dark tower before them with a clear dislike of the magics it no doubt held.

Through the doorway, the veil of shadows sweeping silken over them and leaving Fritha with the lingering sensation that she could suddenly be far away from that city, even that plane. The room about them was pitch black, the walls hemming them in as they found themselves before a set of black stone steps which were curving, not up as the tower would have suggested, but down into the darkness.

'Curious…' murmured Haer'Dalis, 'this recalls to me the time our troupe-' he stopped at their assorted frowns. 'Ah, perhaps a tale for later.'

'Let's hope so,' muttered Fritha, the girl beginning their descent, Valygar the last of them to step onto the staircase and it seemed that was what it had been waiting for, the steps all merging into one and suddenly they were falling, the more agile members of their company managing to roll to their feet, others just sent sprawling as they were swept down into a dark stone chamber. The shadows were so deep as to obscure the walls and the only source of light was from the creature stood before them, a black-skinned desiccated corpse no less that glowing with the magics that maintained its existence, the lich draped in robes so thin and worn they could have been its burial shroud, its voice rasping from age-cured vocal cords.

'Who dares to breach my sanctum?'

Deirex plainly did not much care about their answer through, the creature immediately rising into the air, energies growing between its raised arms. They scattered on instinct, diving for the dark edges of the room. Through another veils of shadows and Fritha found herself suddenly alone, no sign of her companions or even the lich, the girl stood in a narrow circular room, empty and quite unexceptional except for the various-sized holes that peppered the grey stone walls about her.

'Imoen? Jaheira?'

Fritha's head whipped up as a voice cackled overhead.

'I will hunt you one by one –your souls will be my feast!'

She snorted wryly. 'He is going to be so disappointed when he gets to me.'

This is no time for humour! We need to find a way-

Fritha's scream cut off the instruction, the girl dancing back as snakes of every size began to writhe and pour from the holes about her, others dropping from above. Fritha was almost helpless in her fear, one arm held over her as she fought to keep them from her hair, her sword swinging wildly about her knees, the creatures already entwining about her legs.

Calm down, it's just an illusion.

'Just an illusion?' she shrieked, violently shaking the fangs from her arm, the snake whipping through the air to join its fellows in the writhing carpet that now surrounded her.

Do not underestimate the power of belief! The lich will toy with you, feast upon your fear and when it tires, it will kill you. But we've still some time left yet. We need to find the door. Focus now; do you see it?

Fritha cast about her wildly, trying to will her eyes past the magic and-

'Yes, yes, I see!' she cried, diving for the plain stone doorway that had just emerged before her, 'Now wha- ahhhh!'

The bottom dropped from her stomach, that awful moment of near floating as she realised there was nothing beneath her before the inevitable horrors of gravity kicked in.

It's all right. It's an illusion, remember; we're not in any danger.

'Until I hit the ground!' she screamed.

You won't'

Fritha looked down, a very real-looking stone floor speeding up to meet her and felt the ripple of doubt behind her eyes.

Oh, or maybe you will. Quick, do something! Think of something!

Fritha cast about her frantically, the stone walls smooth save for-

It was not just a lunge of her arms, or even body, but every fibre of her being flung itself towards that cornice. Her chest smashed painfully against the walls with enough force that she almost lost her grip, her legs dangling useless beneath her, unable to find purchase on the seamless stonework.

All right, now look about you; there has to be another door. There!

It emerged as the others had: a black doorway just below her on the other side of the tunnel.

'Oh, gods…'

You can make it, trust me!

She bent her knees, bracing them against the wall, drawing a breath along with her courage as she pushed backwards with a jerk and hope.

She landed heavily on her front, though it felt strangely like it should be her back, Fritha raising her face only to grow more confused as her white hair fell, not about her shoulders but straight up from her head, as though she had suffered a particularly bad fright. She shook herself, the girl making to her feet with a hand clamped to her scabbard and bag and coming to the nauseating realisation that she was standing on what appeared to be the ceiling of a plain metal chamber that put her in mind of the planar sphere, large circular vents taking up most of what should have been the floor.

'Oh, this is very disturbing.'

A shrill scream echoed somewhere below her.

'Imoen!'

Leave them! You can't help them now; we need to keep searching!

'Searching for wha- Oh, no!'

The vents below her had opened, water bubbling from them at a furious rate.

Now, just calm down.

It had already reached her hair, the white tendrils swirling in the eddies and currents to make playful patterns, the voice doing nothing to quell Fritha's worst fear.

Don't panic, it's just an illusion, you will only drown if you believe it.

'I believe it! I believe it!'

Calm down! Just ignore it. Focus for the door.

But Fritha had her eyes closed, the girl breathing out on instinct to keep the water from her upturned nose, her lungs filling with fire as they screamed for air, and any second she knew she would break and the water would come rushing in to quench them.

Just open your eyes! Find the door!

She wrenched her eyelids back, the water stinging her exposed eyes, and it was there, a plain black doorway rippling before her, her lungs protesting at the air-stealing effort as she reached a hand towards it.

She fell through the doorway as though she'd the weight of an ocean behind her, Fritha sitting up to find herself perfectly dry, the room she was currently in very different from those previous, just a small, circular chamber of black stone and lit by the icy blue flames that were roaring about the top of the tall obsidian pedestal set in its centre, where, suspended within the globe of fire, a narrow glass vial winked and rippled.

Fritha took a step closer, already feeling the flames' heat against her face.

'Is that what I think it is?'

Yes, the phylactery! No, wait- You can't-

But Fritha had already drawn back her sword, the blade singing towards the podium only to rebound violently.

'It's shielded!'

From weapons, yes, only an unarmed hand can take it down.

'Are you joking? It's on fire!'

A guttural roar echoed somewhere above them, and Fritha felt the panic within her rise.

Come on, we don't have time! It's just an illusion! Just take it! Just take it now!

Fritha's scream pierced the air, the vial chiming on the stone tiles as she cradled her hand to her chest, the skin cracked and raw.

'You fuc- oh, gods, my hand!'

I'm sorry- I lied. But we hadn't the means to dispel it! Come on, quick, destroy the vial!

A sudden flash of magic and he was there, Deirex suspended in the air before her, the room effulgent in the fire of his eyes.

'YOU!'

Quick! Now!

And the creature could do nothing but watch as Fritha raised her sword awkwardly above her head to bring it smashing down onto the vial in an explosion of splintered glass.

'Noooooo!'

The roar faded with it form, the ages finally taking their toll upon the body as it crumbled to dust before her eyes. With Deirex died the illusion, and suddenly they were all there, stood in a large an quite unremarkable room of plain grey stone and little furniture, the doorway back to the city just behind them.

'What!' cried Minsc, letting the point of his greatsword drop dispiritedly to the tiles with a plangent clank, 'Where has gone the mighty gorgon?

'All illusions,' breathed the elf, gazing about the room in awe, 'just like the circus.'

'Just like the circus,' Jaheira hissed, bloody hand clutched to her thigh, Aerie hastening to help her as Anomen strode over to Fritha who, for once, was glad to surrender to him her blistered hand, Valygar giving the broken shards of the phylactery an appraising frown.

'How did you find it?' questioned Anomen as he finished with the salve and began gently winding a bandage about her hand. Fritha opened her mouth to answer-

'Well, I-'

'No, don't tell them, petal; they'll just think you're mad.

'I- I just stumbled here by luck.'

'By luck? But how did you even leave the room you were first trapped within? There was no door in mine.'

'Nor mine,' chimed Aerie.

'Well, there was in mine!' snapped Fritha, Valygar thankfully forestalling any further pursuit.

'It burnt you when you smashed it?' he asked, finally straightening from the pool of jagged glass. Fritha shook her head.

'No, when I knocked it from the pedestal.'

Imoen snorted. 'Arrogant prat! Why do mages always put their dangerously important artefacts on display?'

'Do you include yourself in that?' quipped Valygar.

'Not likely! If I had a soul jar, I'd hide it right at the back of my drawers, stuffed inside a pair of old stockings. Course, I'd have to have a soul to put in it…'

Haer'Dalis had moved to make a search of the large bookcase behind them, Imoen still laughing to herself as she moved to join him.

'Do you think these are them?' she asked, opening the case of what could have been very extravagant marbles on the shelf below, each encasing a brightly coloured constellation that swirled hypnotically. The tiefling gave a shrug to indicate her guess was as good as his, and Imoen promptly scooped them into a waiting pouch. Back at the others, Jaheira was walking again, albeit with the aid of her staff, Anomen tying the final knot at Fritha's hand, the man still trying to get some explanation from the girl.

'But-'

'But what, Anomen? Do you think I'm lying?'

'No, Fritha, I merely, well…'

Imoen let her eyes flick to the tiefling next to her, holding up one of the tiny rainbow-flecked marbles.

'Do you think Jarlaxle'd notice if we borrowed one? Might be an improvement.'

'Do we have the gems?' snapped Fritha, Imoen quickly shoving it back into the pouch to bob a curtsey.

'Yes'm.'

'Then let's go.'

…

Jarlaxle was predictably pleased with the prize he had borne so little risk to obtain.

'Ah, look at them,' he sighed, gazing down at the gems he held with a similar desire he had shown the girls earlier. 'They are even finer than the tales would have us believe -what price do you think these will fetch?'

Visaj looked over them with coolly appraising eyes. 'Quite apart from their beauty, House Jae'llat has enough enemies for a bidding war; I imagine we can get at least four times their physical value.'

Fritha snorted. 'All this for coin? How dull.'

Jarlaxle merely answered with his customary grin. 'Well, we cannot all be fighting for- well, for whatever you are here. Besides, coin is only as dull as the means by which you win it.'

'Well, I hope you were suitably diverted.'

'I imagine I will be; come, sit and tell me of the jaunt.'

A moment's wary pause as they watched him take a seat at the table next to them, before one by one they joined him, the man seemingly keen to show off one of his "many" magical treasures, as Visaj served them from a tall pot of floridly-worked gold, Jarlaxle grinning at their gasps of surprise and delight as it produced a different drink each time, and spirits seemed light as they recounted their fight with Deirex, each as keen as their hosts to know what the others had faced within the tower, while, for her part, Fritha stoically maintained she had come upon the phylactery 'by Tymora's grace'.

Jaheira pulled the door shut behind her, half expecting it to fold up and disappear in a flash after the magics she had borne witness to lately. But the shop remained as they had found it, dark and closed, a lower rumble in the air signalling the marketplace in the level above was slowly waking with the day. Ahead of her, the others had already set off for the stairwell, Imoen still chattering excitedly about their meeting –or, at least one part of it.

'I can't believe that pot! I was just thinking the other day how much I'd like some apple juice, and there it was, just like Beth used to press!'

'Haliue, calm yourself,' warned Aerie gently, 'this is not a talk for now.'

Imoen spared a moment to glare at her back, before turning brightly to the girl at her side.

'What drink did you get?'

Fritha glanced up distractedly. 'Hmm? Oh, nothing… Mine tasted of nothing.'

Anomen was frowning, Imoen opening her mouth to reply when it happened, a sudden charge rippling across the city, a shudder running through every soul in that teeming cavern. Even Fritha noticed it, a hand laid on her bag and the three fake eggs upon which so much now rested.

'That's it. The gates are sealed; there is no way back now.'

Imoen rolled her eyes, sending Jaheira a grin as they set off again.

'Right, no pressure or anything.'

xxx

And so they returned to the inn to wait for that day to wax and wane once more. Perhaps she had heeded Jaheira's previous request, or perhaps it was merely her own choice, but after they had all retired for a few hours to sleep, Fritha had spent the rest of the day in the suite's common room with them, rather than staying within the seclusion of her chamber as she usually did. It did little to help though; the girl sat calmly reading a book in that growing air of tension and merely serving to put the others on edge, and Anomen was glad when she finally packed the volume away in favour of dinner and a final discussion of their plans.

It was very late now. Phaere had told Fritha she would lift the wards after midnight, when the worship would be winding down and there were fewer people about to question their passage. In the chair opposite, Fritha sighed, closing the book to which she had long since returned, and stretching half-heartedly.

'Right, I imagine it's late enough now. Imoen, Aerie and Jaheira, go and make any preparations you must. The rest you, well, you may as well get yourselves off to bed; there is little you can do.'

Not one of the men who were to be left behind moved, though Fritha was hardly paying any attention anyway, the girl already on her feet and padding off into her own room to gather her belongings. Anomen drew a deep breath and made to follow. Her room was dark, the few lamps unlit and doing little to hide the chaos of clothes and equipment that were strewn about it –she had clearly made herself at home. Fritha herself was seated at the dresser, straightening from pulling on her boots to dab a bead of scent behind each ear, the bandages still about her hand looking overly white in the gloom, the girl finally noticing him in the reflection of the glass before her. She frowned.

'You aren't here to plead to be included in the plan, are you?'

Anomen sighed, sinking on to the bed behind her with a shake of his head. 'No… I think the plan a sound one, and taking any men to the temple would be an unnecessary risk.'

'Then why are you here?'

He tried not to wince at the sharpness of her tone.

'I just wanted to talk with you, it has been a while since we've spoken.'

'And what is there to suddenly talk about? Nothing has changed.'

'No,' he agreed quietly, 'it has not. I spoke to Jaheira, what she said- Fritha, it is not just duty that binds me here.'

The girl snorted humourlessly. 'No, at the moment, there is an illusion, three eggs and a large silver dragon too.'

Anomen sighed, frustrated in his desire to just press his sincerity into her.

'Fritha, whatever has passed between us, you have to know that I still-

'You ready to go, Fritha?' came Imoen from the doorway. Fritha was on her feet in an instant.

'Most certainly.'

And Anomen was left alone in the darkness.

…

The plan went perfectly. In fact, the most trouble Fritha had was not laughing, she and Jaheira stood at the back of the temple as the druid let her consciousness flow outward, flashing like a whip crack across the minds of the dozens of spiders that usually milled docile about the main chamber and driving the suddenly incensed creatures into the waiting congregation. The Handmaidens were all at once screaming commands and trying to maintain order, the protection of a single warded door easily overlooked in the chaos.

Aerie and Imoen had later described their own adventure, Imoen picking the lock for the pair to slip unnoticed into the chamber, temporarily immobilising the golem guardians with a rune etched simply upon their clay. That tense moment as Imoen swept eggs from brazier and they waited to see if the constructs reacted; that gleeful swell of victory when they realised it had worked. A moment to make the exchange, Phaere's fakes left for her mother, while the true eggs were spirited back across the city, the Handmaidens left in the temple lining up for punishment those guards and acolytes foolish enough to have fought back.

Back in their suite, Jaheira went to fetch Jarlaxle's forgeries from where she had hidden them in Minsc's room and they gathered together in their common room, a sense of relief hanging over them as the women described their triumph; the end was in sight.

'It's nearly over, isn't it?' sighed Aerie, the girl leaning upon Haer'Dalis as he put an arm about her. 'We've finally got the eggs.'

Minsc looked positively overjoyed at the prospect.

'See, Boo? Soon we will be back under the sky, towering above our enemies once again!'

Anomen was nodding, his eyes shifting to Fritha, though the girl had not noticed. 'This time tomorrow and we may well be leaving here.'

'And not a moment too soon,' added Valygar, 'I am tired of every woman I see staring at me like a piece of meat.'

'You mean they don't do that on the surface?' giggled Imoen from where she was seated upon the rug before the two clutches, the true eggs upon the hearth keeping warm, the others set before it, the girl turning back to the glowing silver broods with a tired frown.

'Right, we swapped Phaere's fakes for the real ones and now we are going to give Jarlaxle's forgeries to Phaere and keep the real ones ourselves.'

'That's the plan,' sighed Fritha, unfolding herself from where she had been curled upon the sofa. 'And I had best get on with it. Pass them over, Imoen; Phaere will no doubt be pacing the floor.'

Imoen obliged her, raising herself up on her knees and gathering the forgeries into her arms with a yawn, careless in her exhaustion, the smooth eggs slipping against each other and there was an awful moment where she seemed to juggle all three of them, her arms tightening to catch two, leaving the third to drop into the swirling blue flames.

'Imoen!' cried more than one voice, Fritha halting them with a sigh.

'Don't worry, it's…' but she could not finish her assurance, the egg, unharmed for its fall and laid in the flames, the heat awakening in it some latent magic and the word emerged upon its surface in clear plain letters that only Imoen had the heart to voice.

'Fake.'