ss between a bat and a mosquito。
The stirges swirled around him； jabbing at him with their proboscises； striving to drink his blood。 They interfered with the motion of his hands and so spoiled his conjuration。 He restored his weight and fell back to the ground； where Ryld； beset by clinking skeletons on all sides； beheaded one with a sudden cut。 One of the twins edged toward him but balked when the big male pivoted in his direction。
Pharaun slammed down on the street。 Trailing chattering stirges； he sprinted toward the fallen Relonor。 A couple skeletons turned to hack at him； but most of them were too intent on killing Ryld to notice him。 Up close； the things stank。 Pharaun thought they must still have some scraps of rotting flesh about them somewhere。
Just as he reached the unconscious wizard； Greyanna's foulwing landed on the other side of the body with a ground…shaking thump。 Pharaun roared out a painfully loud magical shout； and the beast recoiled； carrying its rider with it。
Pharaun stooped； ripped the brooch off Relonor's sash； turned； and ran。 Greyanna screamed in rage。 The foulwing roared its strange double roar； and two sets of jaws clashed shut behind the fleeing male。
A stirge's proboscis jabbed him in the back； staggering him； but was unable to penetrate his piwafwi。 Another spell rattled his mind but with no permanent ill effects。 A skeleton appeared on his flank； swinging a notched； rusty axe at his head。 Splitter flashed in an arc and smashed the undead thing into tiny pieces。
Pharaun caught hold of the hem of Ryld's piwafwi and glanced around at Greyanna。 Her face a mask of fury； she tossed away her scroll； which was likely blank； and held her hands high to receive the long staff materializing from some extra dimensional storage。 He could see why she wanted the instrunotment。 It blazed with mystic power； but it was also slow in attaining tanginotbility。 Some chance interaction of the magical energies playing about the battleground was retarding its transition to the physical plane。
Why； then； didn't she leave off summoning it and attack in some other manner？ Why…
In a flash of inspiration； the answer came to him； and it was astonishing。
But he was scarcely in a place conducive to contemplation of his disnotcovery； and it was time to remedy that。 He peered at the brooch he'd taken from Relonor； found the trigger word implicit in the kaleidoscopic pattern shining around it； and spoke。
Greyanna regarded the open space in the middle of the ring of aimlessly milling skeletons； and the stirges swooping and wheeling above。 A moment before； Pharaun and his hulking acplice had been standing there； but they were gone。 If her eyes had not deceived her； her brother had flashed her that old familiar mocking grin as he vanished。 How dare he smirk at her like that when it was she who had driven him from House Mizzrym！
She regarded her iron staff； taller than she was； square in cross…section； graven with hundreds of tiny runes； and warm as blood to the touch。 The weapon had failed her。 She trembled with the impulse to swing it over her head and smash it against the stone beneath her feet until it was defaced； deformed； and useless。
She didn't； because she knew Pharaun's escape was really her fault； not the staff's。 She should have summoned the weapon sooner。 She should have been more aggressive with the sack。 Damn this degrading and inexnotplicable season！ Because of its vicissitudes； her mother had instructed her to play the miser with every personal resource； even though she was fightnoting for the welfare of House Mizzrym and all Menzoberranzan。
Well； she wouldn't make the same mistake next time。 It was her renotsponsibility to look after her troops and return them to the castle。 She dismounted； squared her shoulders； put on a calm； manding expresnotsion； and proceeded with the business at hand。
Neither of the twins were hurt； and her cousin Aunrae merely needed the ball of darkness around her head dispelled。 It was Relonor who connotcerned Greyanna； but fortunately the mage was still alive。 A healing potion mended him sufficiently to stand； clutching his sash so it wouldn't slip off and shrugging out of his ice…encrusted cloak。
While the twins helped Relonor hobble about and so restore his circunotlation； Aunrae came sidling up to Greyanna。 To her cousin's admittedly jaundiced eye； in Aunrae the usual Mizzrym tendency to leanness had run to a grotesque extreme。 The younger female resembled a stick insect。
〃My miseration on your failure；〃 Aunrae said。
Her expression was grave； but she wasn't really trying to hide the smile lurking underneath。