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a wound is clean it with hot water； as I did for your grandfather。 Then bind it in a clean； boiled cloth。 Remember that…it could save your life someday。〃
〃I'll remember；〃 the boy said。
Ryld wrinkled his nose； doubting it。 Yarno seemed to attract dirt like a gutter attracted night soil。 And he had fleas…as Ryld found out to his disgust a moment later when he felt the needle…sharp twinge of one of the vermin biting his chest。 His memory of the werewolf sleeping beside him must have been accurate。 How much else of the past night had also been real…and how much hallucination？
Ryld rose to his feet and glanced around at the forest floor。 Aside from the paw prints of a small wolf and the footprints of a barefoot boy； he could see no other tracks。
〃Yarno；〃 he asked； 〃when you found me last night； was there a woman standing next to me？〃
Yarno shrugged。
〃What did you leap at？〃
Yarno stared at the ground。
〃I don't remember；〃 he answered finally； shrugging again。 〃I never do。〃
Ryld nodded； understanding。 Driven into a frenzy by the light of the full moon； the boy hadn't been in control of his actions…or his mind。 Strange； then； that he had sought Ryld out and protected him…his bloodlust should have caused him to tear Ryld's throat out； instead。 Perhaps the stench of belladonna had driven him back…but why then did Ryld remember the boy lying beside him； keeping him warm throughout the night？
He drew his short sword from the ground； cleaned the mud from its tip； then re…sheathed it。
〃Which way is the temple？〃 Ryld asked。
Yarno pointed； then met Ryld's eye in what the weapons master would have taken as a challenge； had the boy been a trained swordsman。
〃What will you do when you reach it？〃 Yarno asked。
〃Rescue Halisstra；〃 Ryld said。 His eyes narrowed； and he added； 〃If she's still alive。〃
〃And if she isn't？〃 Yarno asked。 〃Will you kill the priestesses to avenge her death？〃
Ryld considered that for a moment； then smiled grimly。
〃As many as I can； before I'm slain myself；〃 he said。
〃Good；〃 Yarno said。
The boy's head lifted as if he'd heard something。 He stared in the direction in which he'd just pointed。
Ryld； too； could hear it； the blare of a dozen or more hunting horns； muffled by distance； ing from the direction of the temple。
〃I'd better get back；〃 Yarno said； eyes wide with fear。 〃Grandfather needs me。〃
The boy shifted into wolf form and fled into the forest。
Ryld turned； and hurried the other way…toward the sound。 As he wove his way between the trees； roughly shouldering branches aside in his haste； a single thought echoed in his mind。
Halisstra had confessed to the murder of one of the temple priestesses…and was almost certain to be punished for her crime。 Was it Halisstra who was being hunted？
Chapter Seventeen
Danifae followed Pharaun through the round doorway in the side of the stalagmite； into a corridor that spiraled upward。 The water she swam through was fouled by the slime of the aboleth that led them。 Danifae could taste it each time she inhaled。 A second aboleth followed close behind her； crowding her forward。
The corridor through which they swam was grayish pink and as shiny as the surface of a pearl。 Deep lines were carved into it； revealing the dark gray stone underneath。 Most were spirals or wavy lines。 Danifae glanced at them； wondering if they were a form of written language。 Then she remembered that the aboleth had no need for written texts。 Whatever knowledge their minds contained was passed on to future generations when their hatchlings swarmed over them； tearing them to pieces。
She smiled ruefully； sorry that Lolth hadn't given the drow the ability to consume knowledge in that way。 Still； there were other ways to find out what one needed to know。 。 。 。
The corridor wound past several round doorways； then opened at last on a room that must have been near the stalagmite's core。 Swimming into it； Danifae halted near Pharaun； letting the weight of her chain mail pull her to a standing position on the curved floor。 The aboleth that had been following her swam into the room behind her and hovered in the water just close enough that it could reach her with its tentacles； if it chose。 Danifae saw that the first aboleth had taken up a similar position on the other side of Pharaun。
On the far side of the chamber； enthroned within a niche in the wall； was an aboleth Danifae guessed was Oothoon。 The creature rested on what looked like a nest of spongy kelp； occasionally using a tentacle to rip off a chunk and stuff it into the mouth in its belly。 Its bluish…green； rubbery skin was dotted with white patches of freshwater barnacles； and its belly was a darker pink than those of the two that had acpanied Danifae and Pharaun into the room。 Danifae searched in vain for a clue as to the thing's sex but found none…she thought perhaps the creature was male and female in one…though the others had referred to Oothoon as the aboleths' 〃matriarch。〃
She felt a tickle against her scalp； and an instant later a sparkle of magic crackled through the water； pushing the tickle back as the protective spell Pharaun had cast earlier was triggered。 Danifae glanced at the mage out of the corner of her eye and saw him nod slightly。 His boast had proved true。 His magic was strong enough to keep the aboleth's mind probing at bay。
Oothoon stirred； rising slightly from the kelp nest。 A chunk of something that had been trapped under the aboleth's massive body…it looked like fresh meat but left a smudge of green in the water rather than red…swirled in the current and floated gently to the floor。 Aboleth flesh； Danifae decided； noting its mottled skin。
Ignoring it； Oothoon let one of her tentacles drift out toward Pharaun to hover a mere hand's breadth from his face。 Another moved toward Danifae。
Pharaun's hand drifted slightly behind his back； where Oothoon wouldn't see it。
Steady； he signed。
Danifae stared at the taunting tentacle； tasting the rancid…grease odor that clouded the water around it。 Fearing that even that slight exposure to it might transform her； she held her breath； not wanting to breathe the clouded water in。 After a moment； Oothoon withdrew first the tentacle that was menacing Pharaun…then； when Danifae began to see spots before her eyes and was at last forced to inhale； the second tentacle。 The creature's three eyes narrowed in what Danifae took to be a catlike smile。
〃Why have you e？〃 Oothoon asked in a voice like rumbling bubbles。
Danifae let Pharaun do the talking。 The mage used the drow silent speech； which Oothoon seemed to understand。 The aboleth matriarch must have consumed a drow or two at some point in the past。
Centuries ago； a demon ship visited your city； Pharaun began。 After it left Zanhoriloch； it was caught in a storm and was lost on this plane。 We are searching for it。
〃Why？〃
Our leader； a powerful priestess of Lolth； wishes to find it。 She wants to use it to sail to the Abyss； to meet her goddess。
Danifae glanced out of the corner of he