〃No。 According to the rogue； it would admit only living creatures。〃
Quenthel thought a moment then asked； 〃Did he see anything that might have been the ship of chaos？〃
Valas shook his head and replied； 〃Nothing that he mentioned to me。 But the Lake of Shadows is wide…as large across as Lake Thoroot…and deep。 If the ship sank； there'd be nothing to see。〃
〃This rogue told you there were 'dozens' of wraiths？〃 she asked。
Valas nodded and said； 〃Those were his very words。〃
〃An exaggeration； no doubt。 What race was he？〃
Valas frowned。
〃The rogue？〃 he asked。 〃He claimed to be human； even though he was no taller than a duergar。〃
〃Humans；〃 Quenthel snorted。 〃A cowardly race。 There were probably less than half a dozen wraiths； all told。 With Pharaun's spells…and our magical weapons…we'll easily be able to fight our way through。〃
Valas opened his mouth…perhaps to protest that even half a dozen wraiths were too many…but he closed it a moment later。
Quenthel； meanwhile； took mental stock of the resources she had at hand。 Valas； whose speed and stealth would allow him to get behind the wraiths and dispatch them with his magical daggers。 Pharaun； with his arsenal of powerful protective spells。 Jeggred； who would protect Quenthel at any cost； hurling himself headlong at the wraiths； if the need arose。 And Danifae 。 。 。
Quenthel paused； considering。 What good was the battle…captive； really？ Oh； she groveled sweetly when threatened and gave pleasure readily enough； but Quenthel sometimes noticed a look in Danifae's eyes that she didn't like。 Not at all。
Still； Danifae was a petent enough fighter； when she had to be。 The morningstar she carried was no mere boy's weapon。 If it came to it； Danifae could be abandoned to the wraiths； if the need arose to sacrifice someone。 Truth be told； Quenthel would rather be rid of Pharaun…though she had to admit that his expertise with demons was going to e in handy； once the ship of chaos was finally located。
No； she'd have to make sure that Pharaun survived the encounter with the wraiths。 Which meant making sure that if Danifae's life was threatened； the mage didn't try to defend her。
〃We'll get by the wraiths；〃 Quenthel told the others。 〃We'll reach the portal。〃 Then； silently； so only the serpents could hear； she added； Or at the very least； some of us will。
Chapter Twenty…four
Gromph strode through one of the main corridors of Sorcere； followed closely by Kyorli； who scurried along behind him； and Prath； staggering under a load of spellbooks that Gromph had hastily assembled。 Since the duergar had been driven back from Tier Breche； and the tunnel sealed； most of the students were heeding the call of their respective Houses。 Apprentice mages ran this way and that down the corridor； arms laden with spellbooks and magical devices； bleating like a milling herd of rothe as walking chests scuttled along on spider legs behind them。
As he hurried along； Gromph held a circle of copper wire close to his lips。
〃Wizards of House Baenre；〃 he called； speaking through the enchanted wire。 〃Attend me at once in the scrying chamber。〃
The wire hummed； sending a tingle through Gromph's fingertips。 Then it glowed a dull red and crumbled。 Flicking flakes of copper from his fingers； Gromph pushed open the heavy double doors of the scrying chamber and stepped inside。
Like the rest of Sorcere； the walls of the large； circular chamber were lined with lead sheeting and plastered with a stucco made from gorgon's blood and spellstone dust。 Runes had been embossed upon the surface and limned in gold to further prevent against unwanted intrusion or observation。 No spellcaster； no matter how powerful； could teleport past them or probe the minds of the students and masters inside。
It was possible； however； to see out from there； thanks to an enormous crystal ball that floated at the center of the room。 Into the sphere had been magically bound one eye of the eagle that resided in a gilded cage just below the crystal sphere。 As Gromph and Prath entered the room； the eagle flapped its wings and gave a screee of excitement； blinking its one remaining eye。 The sphere above it turned； rotating to face the two drow。 The eagle's second eye； which filled the crystal ball from side to side； fixed them with a hungry stare。
Or rather； it fixed upon Kyorli。 Snapping its beak； the eagle screeed a second time and hurled itself against the bars of its cage。 The rat； taunting it； sat back on her haunches no more than a pace from the cage and groomed her whiskers； ignoring the frenzied wing flapping of the eagle。
Kyorli； stop it； Gromph ordered。 e here。
Obeying the telepathic mand； Kyorli dropped to all fours and scurried back to her master。 Climbing swiftly up Gromph's piwafwi； she settled herself on his shoulder； tickling his ear with her whiskers。 Prath； meanwhile； stooped to place the spellbooks he'd been carrying on the floor。
〃The eagle is hungry；〃 Gromph told Prath。 〃Find it some raw meat…but don't go slicing off any more fingertips。 You're going to need them。〃
Prath grinned。
〃I thought you might need more； Archmage〃 he said； reaching into one of the bags that was slung over his shoulder。 〃So I stopped by the kitchen on the way back from the ponents storeroom。 The cook gave me this。〃
Pulling out a waxed rag； he unwrapped a fist…sized chunk of meat。 At Gromph's approving nod he held it up against the bars of the cage。 The eagle tore into it greedily； ripping off bloody chunks with its hooked beak and eventually wrenching a large piece inside。 It settled upon that portion； content； and soon reduced it to no more than a smear of blood on the bottom of the cage。
Gromph； meanwhile； greeted the House Baenre wizards who straggled into the room； directing them to the circle of chairs that surrounded the cage and the crystal ball。 He was pleased to see Julani； a Master of Evocation。 His fellow instructor bowed； touching long； supple fingers against his chest。 The next two to arrive were a pair of tenth…year students。 Grendan was a handsome male with a natural flair for illusion。 Gromph wondered how much of his good looks were natural and how much had been augmented by magic…especially since the smell of singed hair still clung to him。 Judging by the burns in the hood of his piwafwi； the student must have been splattered by one of the duergar's incendiary missiles。
His panion； Noori； was equally beautiful…naturally so…with arched eyebrows and white hair that cascaded past her shoulders in soft waves。 She was high…born； a cousin to Gromph and Triel； but she had eschewed the worship of Lolth to enter Sorcere and study divination magic instead。 Remembering that； Gromph wondered whether or not Noori might have had a premonition； so many years before； of Lolth's demise。 She certainly seemed to have been able to keep out of the way of any harm during the recent fighting。 There wasn't a mark on her…not even a soot smudge。
The final mage to enter the room was Zoran； an irritating； second…year student who was continually making poor choices in class； using magic in frivolous； inappropriate ways。 Gromph winced； seeing him…especially when he noted the wand of wonder in the boy's belt。 Zoran was tiny； even for a male； and had a receding chin； made more pronounced by the fact that his hair was pulled into a topknot at the crown of his head。 He must have been injured in the recent battle。 Gromph didn't remember him walking with a limp before。
As the four mages settled themselves into chairs； waiting quietly for his instruction； Gromph opened one of the scrying chamber doors and peered each way down the corridor。 Seeing no one else； he slowly closed them。
〃Is this all？〃 he asked Julani。 〃Is there no one else from our House？〃
The Master of Evocation shook his head。
〃Only Nauzhror；〃 he said； 〃who sends his regrets。 He was 。。。 too busy to attend。 The rest are dead…or badly injured and removed to Arach…Tinilith for healing。〃
A slight tightening of Julani's eyes told Gromph that he too knew how little 〃healing〃 there was left to go