Jeggred rose with a feral snarl and grasped the wizard around the upper arms with his huge fighting claws； pulling him away from Quenthel and hurling him across the floor。
〃Show some respect！〃 the draegloth thundered。 〃You address High Priestess Quenthel Baenre； Mistress of Arach…Tinilith； Mistress of the Academy； Mistress of Tier Breche； First Sister of House Baenre of Menzoberranzan 。 。 。 you insolent dog！〃
Pharaun's eyes flashed as he leaped to his feet。 The facade of good humor fell from his face； leaving nothing but cold； perfect malice。
〃Never lay a hand on me again；〃 he said in a deadly hiss。
His hands crooked at his sides； ready to shape awful spells against the draegloth； while Jeggred crouched and made ready to spring。
Quenthel shifted the grip on her scourge and paced closer as the serpent heads curled and darted； striking at the air in their agitation。 Ryld set one hand on Splitter's hilt and watched all three； his face an expressionless mask。
〃This is madness；〃 Halisstra said as she backed away； pointing her crossbow at the floor。 〃We must cooperate if we want to get out of here alive。〃
Quenthel opened her mouth to speak； perhaps to issue the order that would send Jeggred charging at the wizard regardless of the consequences； but at that moment Valas returned； trotting up to the pany。 The scout came to a halt； taking in the situation with a glance。
〃What is going on here？〃 he asked carefully。
When no one answered； the Bregan D'aerthe looked at each of the pany in turn。
〃I cannot believe this。 Have you not had your fill of fighting in the last forty hours？ How can you even consider spending the last of your strength； your magic； your blood； slaughtering each other； when we've already fought our way across half of the damned Labyrinth？〃
〃We are in no mood to be harangued by you； mercenary；〃 said Quenthel。 〃Be silent。〃 She glared at Pharaun； and thrust her whip through her belt。 〃It serves no purpose to fight each other here。〃
〃Agreed；〃 said Pharaun…perhaps the tersest statement the loquacious mage had uttered in the time Halisstra had known him。 From some unsuspected well of discipline the wizard mastered his anger and straightened； relaxing his hands。 〃I will not be handled like a mon goblin； though。 That I will not bear。〃
〃And I will not be taunted and baited at every turn；〃 Quenthel replied。 She turned to Valas。 〃Master Hune； did you find anything in the palace？〃
The scout glanced nervously at Quenthel and Pharaun； as did Halisstra and Danifae。
〃In fact； I did；〃 he said。 〃In the main hall of the palace there is a large portal of some kind。 Unless I misread the signs； a large number of people passed through it。 I suspect House Jaelre lies somewhere on the other side； in some new abode。〃
〃Where does the portal lead？〃 Ryld asked。
Valas shrugged and said； 〃I have no idea； but there is certainly one way to find out。〃
〃Fine；〃 said Quenthel。 〃We will put your portal to the test at once； before the minotaurs and their demons return。 In a few minutes； anywhere will be better than here。〃
She let one long glare linger on Pharaun； who finally had the good sense to avert his eyes in what would have to suffice for a bow。
Halisstra let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding。
〃Now this I did not expect；〃 remarked Pharaun。
The wizard sighed and sat down on a rock； allowing his pack to drop to the moss…covered ground。 The pany stood in the mouth of a low cavern looking up at a daylit forest； somewhere on the surface。 The Jaelre portal lay a few hundred yards behind them in a damp； winding cavern that led to a large； steep…sided sinkhole with lichen…covered boulders and trickling rills of cold water splashing down from the hillside above。
The day was heavily overcast…in fact； a light rain was falling…and the clouds； coupled with the gloom of the forest； helped to ameliorate the insufferable brightness of the sun。 It was not so harshly brilliant a day as they had seen in the cloudless desert of Anauroch a tenday past； but to eyes long accustomed to the utter lightlessness of the Underdark； the diffuse sunlight still seemed as harsh as the glare of a lightning stroke。
〃Should we keep moving？〃 Ryld asked。 He'd returned Splitter to its sheath； angled across his broad back； but he held a crossbow at the ready and squinted into the towering green trees。 〃It won't take the minotaurs long to figure out where we went。〃
〃It doesn't matter if they do；〃 Pharaun said。 〃The portal was keyed to function for drow alone。 It's nothing more than a wall of blank stone to our friends in the Labyrinth…a sensible precaution on the part of the Jaelre； I suppose； though had I been in their shoes I believe I would not have ruled out the possibility of attackers of my own race。〃
〃You're certain of that？〃 Quenthel asked。
The wizard nodded and replied； 〃I was careful to examine the portal before we stepped through。 Leaping blindly through portals is a bad habit； and should be reserved only for the gravest of situations； such as escaping imminent death in the destruction of a city。 And； before anyone asks； we can still retrace our steps if we wish。 The portal functions in both directions。〃
〃I am not in a hurry to return to the Labyrinth。 Better the sun…blasted surface than that；〃 Halisstra murmured。
She picked her way across the floor of the sinkhole； studying the forest overhead。 The air was cool； and she noted that the trees nearby were mostly needleleafs of some kind； trees that did not lose their foliage in the wintertime； if she remembered correctly。 A number of barren trees of a different sort stood in and among the evergreens； trees with slender white trunks and only a handful of ragged red and brown leaves clinging in an odd clump near the crown。 Dead？ she wondered。 Or merely bare of leaves for the winter months？ She'd read many accounts of the World Above； its peoples； its green plants and animals； its changing seasons； but there was a great difference between reading about something and experiencing it firsthand。
〃Where on the surface are we？〃 Quenthel asked。
Valas stared hard at the trees for a long time； and craned his head up to squint at the dimly glowing patch of clouds that hid the sun。 He turned in a slow circle to examine the hillside nearby。 Finally he knelt and ran his fingers over the soft green mat of mosses clinging to the boulders in the cavern mouth。
〃Northern Faerun；〃 he said。 〃It's early winter； as it should be。 You can't see the sun too well to judge its position in the sky； but I can certainly feel it； as I suspect we all do。 We're in the same general latitude as the lands above Menzoberranzan…not more than a few hundred miles either north or south； I think。〃
〃Somewhere in the High Forest； then？〃 Danifae asked。
〃Possibly。 I'm not sure the trees look right。 I've traveled the surface lands near our city； and the foliage looks different from what I remember of the High Forest。 We might be some ways distant from Menzoberranzan。〃
〃Excellent；〃 muttered Pharaun。 〃We trek through the Underdark to Ched Nasad； are forced through a portal to the surface hundreds of miles from home； then we trek back down into the Underdark through shadow and peril； only to pass through another portal that takes us back to the surface； perhaps even farther from home。 One wonders if we might have simply marched here from Hlaungadath without our pleasant detour through the Plane of Shadow； the delightful hospitality of Gracklstugh； and our lovely little tour of the minotaur…infested Labyrinth。〃
〃Your spirits must be rebounding； Pharaun；〃 Ryld observed。 〃You've found your sarcasm again。〃
〃A sharper weapon than your sword； my friend； and just as devastating when properly employed；〃 the wizard said。 He ran his hands over his torso and winced。 〃I feel half dead。 Every time I turned around； some hulking bull…headed brute was trying to cleave me in two with an axe or pin me to the floor with a spear。 Might I trouble you for one of your healing songs； dear lady？〃 he asked Halisstra。
〃Do not