vor from a loyal young priestess in your service。 Master Argith； on the other hand； is likely not a traitor to the City of Spiders。 He lacks the necessary spark for rebellion； I'm afraid。 If you wish to be concerned with anything it should be that the weapons master might actually kill your nephew。〃
Quenthel looked over at Pharaun； who met her gaze for a moment then returned his attention to the ship。 The high priestess glanced at Danifae； who stood tall and resolute； giving no ground。 The Mistress of the Academy held her scourge in one hand； and the vipers curled around the fingers of her other。 She looked down at the vipers then back at Danifae。 Pharaun watched the whole thing while feeling the ship's pulse momentarily quicken。
Quenthel took a step away and turned her back on Danifae； who sighed。 Pharaun thought the battle…captive might have been disappointed。
〃That；〃 Danifae said to Quenthel's back； 〃is why Jeggred serves me now。〃
They began to circle each other； testing their steps on the spongy； uneven moss。 Jeggred looked down and considered the puncture wound。 He lifted one eyebrow in a sort of grudging salute then let his tongue unroll from his mouth。 The black； rough tongue slowly licked the wound。 When he smiled next； Jeggred's own blood stained his razor…sharp fangs。
Just keep your distance； Ryld told himself。 Keep your distance and go for the hands。
The draegloth charged again； and again his claws came in high at first。 Ryld had the wide； heavy blade of Splitter parallel to the ground。 All he had to do was bend his knees； step in； then stand； and he met the draegloth's descending rake。
The weapons master stepped into the attack and parried precisely as if the huge claw was a sword blade。 Jeggred brought his smaller claws down fast and hard so that Ryld barely had to press the parry。 The draegloth drove his own arm down onto the blade。 Ryld felt a tug； then release。 Blood sprayed。 Jeggred's right； smaller hand tumbled through the air and bounced once when it hit the moss。
Ryld didn't allow himself the time to celebrate having cut off one of the draegloth's hands。 He stepped back away from the blood that was spraying from the half…demon's stump。 Jeggred screamed…an unsettling； ear…rattling sound…and he started backing quickly away。
Well aware that the half…demon could change direction very quickly； Ryld stepped back too； though not quite as far。
〃You will pay for that with your hands and feet； whelp；〃 Jeggred hissed around clenched teeth。 〃I was following orders when I came here to kill you； but now…〃 he held up the stump from which blood was still pumping…〃it's personal。〃
A refreshing cycle of darkness had passed during which Gromph alternated between brief periods of Reverie； infuriating sessions with the same handful of winged halflings； and the casting of powerful divinations。
The darkness was a wele fort to the archmage's light…ravaged eyes。 He had spent nights under the open sky before…though not many…and he had seen stars。 The stars in the Green Fields seemed a little brighter than those visible from Faerun。 Gromph wasn't familiar enough with either to sense any difference between the number and positions of the stars there and Faerun's； but he knew they were different。 The Green Fields was a separate reality all together。
The needle…like plant that covered the rolling hills was something he'd seen before as well。 In the trade language of the World Above it was called 〃grass。〃 The halflings of the Green Fields called it 〃ens〃。 There were other things he'd seen before in the World Above： 〃flowers；〃 〃trees；〃 and things like that。 It made Gromph wonder if there was an Underdark of sorts somewhere beneath his feet…then he reminded himself that he wouldn't be there long enough to find out。
The halflings he'd first encountered had all but adopted him。 A few of the little folk seemed genuinely happy to receive him。 The one who called himself Dietr and who claimed to have been from Faerun was suspicious but wanted something…something he wouldn't or couldn't ask for。 However they approached Gromph； all of them were easy and casual with each other。 They had a sense of hospitality and were determined to help him。 They brought him food that fell into one of two categories： heavy and swimming in fragrant cream sauces or a confusing variety of sweet； fresh fruit。 Neither appealed much to Gromph； but he ate enough to give him the energy he needed to prepare spells and collect himself for his return to Menzoberranzan。
Gromph hadn't moved far from the spot at which he'd first appeared。 The Green Fields seemed to be exactly that： an endless open landscape of green grass and other plants。 Gromph hadn't seen a building of any kind； and it appeared as if the halflings lived out in the open； slowly but constantly moving。
When the light returned； Gromph knew he would have to be on his way。 He cast the last in a series of divinations that would help him not only return to the Prime Material Plane but go back to Toril； back to the Underdark below Faerun； and back to Menzoberranzan herself。 It was no mean feat； and certainly Dyrr hadn't expected him to be able to acplish it； but then Dyrr hadn't expected him to break free of the imprisonment either。 The lichdrow's insistence on underestimating him would； possibly； allow Gromph the luxury of beating him。
The archmage stood； shielding his eyes from the pervasive light and watched Dietr and one of the females approaching with another tray of fruit。 Dietr held a waterskin。
〃We thought you might want breakfast；〃 Dietr said。
The halfling looked at Gromph with that same expression of vague hopefulness and fear。 The female barely seemed to notice him at all。
〃I've had enough of your food；〃 the archmage said； 〃and I'm taking my leave of your pointless expanse。〃
〃Pointless expanse？〃 the female repeated； her ambivalence all at once replaced by anger； 〃Who are you to dismiss the Green Fields？〃
〃Who are you to speak to me at all？〃 Gromph asked。
He waited for an answer； but all he got was a squinting sneer from the winged female。 Dietr's eyes bounced back and forth between them； and his breathing grew shallow and expectant。
〃Leave me in peace；〃 Gromph manded。
When the two halflings didn't immediately turn to leave； the archmage raised an eyebrow。 The female did her best to stare him down； but her best wasn't anywhere near good enough。
〃You were alive once；〃 Gromph asked her； 〃weren't you？〃
Neither of the halflings responded right away。
〃This one〃…Gromph indicated Dietr with a wave of his hand…〃was a living； material being on Faerun。 Where did you live before you went to your Great Beyond？〃
Again the female said nothing。
〃I'll admit to being curious；〃 Gromph went on。 〃If you died on whatever world you came from and your soul came here to rest in peace for all eternity； what happens when I kill you here？ Does your soul go somewhere else； or are you consigned to oblivion？ Will one of your weakling halfling godlings stop me？ Even a halfling god on his home plane can be an inconvenience I'm sure； but it might be amusing to make the effort anyway。〃
〃If you think you can kill me； interloper；〃 the female sneered； 〃try it now or shut up。〃
Gromph smiled； and it must have been that expression that made Dietr finally step forward； his hands held out in a gesture of weak conciliation。
〃Easy；〃 he said。 〃Easy there； everybody。〃
Gromph laughed。
〃That's better；〃 said Dietr； a grin plastered across his cherubic face。 〃If the venerable drow would like to leave； then he's certainly free to go on his way。〃
〃There will be no violence here；〃 the female said； her voice even and strong。 〃If I have to blast you to pieces to ensure that。 。 。〃
〃We've all been blasted to pieces at least once； haven't we？〃 Dietr said。 〃No one wants to do that again； so let's all be friends。〃
Gromph took a deep breath and said； 〃I will be leaving； but there will be residual effects from the gate； and you won't want to go where I'm going。 Back away or not； I'll leave that up to you。〃
The female continued to stare daggers at him； but still she drifted the slightest bit back from the archmage。
Gromph looked her up and down。 She was half his size； and she looked ridiculous。 The whole world looked ridiculous…the whole world was ridiculous。 Dyrr had sent him there on purpose； and looking at the winged halfling in her grass…infested setting made Gromph angrier and angrier by the second。 Dyrr was trying to get rid of him； was trying to dismiss him by sending him to that pastoral universe； and Gromph Baenre； Archmage of Menzoberranzan； would not be dismissed。
〃Fine；〃 Gromph said； and he began to cast his spell。
He was only vaguely aware of the female moving farther away； and he assumed that Dietr was doing the same thing。 The words of the spell came easily enough； and the gestures went smoothly from one to another。 There was a part of the spell that few of the experienced casters who'd ever done it knew could be manipulated； and Gromph began to maneuver it。 He wo