the delicate faerie fire applied to dec-orate drow palaces, Gracklstugh glowed with reflected firelight and the occa-sional harsh glare of white-hot metal splashing into molds. It was a singularly unlovely place, an affront to any highborn drow. Halisstra thought the place seemed like nothing less than the Hells' own foundry.
At its eastern end, the great cavern of the city sloped down sharply to join the immense gulf of the Darklake, so that Gracklstugh was a subterranean port - though few among the Underdark races used waterways such as the Darklake in their commerce. Consequently the wharves and lakeside ware-houses of the duergar city constituted one of its poorest and most dangerousdistricts. Coalhewer moored his macabre vessel at the end of a crumbling stone quay occupied by a handful of ships of the same general design.
"Get yer things and step lively," the dwarf snapped. "The less ye're seen t'be about the streets, the better. Spider-kissers in the City of Blades be well-advised to step soft and quick, if ye take my meaning."
Valas shot the others a quick look and signed,No killing! It will not be tolerated here.
The scout shouldered his pack and followed the dwarf down the quay, wrapping hispiwafwi around him to conceal the swords at his hip.
Pharaun glanced up at Jeggred and said, "You won't like it here, half-demon. How will you pass the time without something helpless to dismember?"
"I will simply while away the hours considering how I might kill you, wizard," the draegloth rumbled.
Still, Jeggred blew out his breath and drew his own long cloak over his white mane, doing the best he could to hunch over and make himself in-conspicuous. The rest of the party followed after, threading their way through the dilapidated streets of the city's dock quarter to a fortresslike inn a few blocks from the wharves. A sign lettered in both Dwarvish and Under-common named the place as the ColdFoundry. The building itself consisted of an encircling stone wall, guarding a number of small, free-standing block-houses. The company halted just outside the inn's front gate, which stood beside a pen holding huge, foul-smelling pack lizards.
"Hardly an appealing prospect," muttered Pharaun. "Still, I suppose it's better than a rock on a cavern floor."
Valas conferred briefly with Coalhewer, then turned to the rest of the dark elves and said quietly, "Coalhewer and I will arrange safe passage out of the city and look into provisioning. It'll likely involve some bribes to obtain proper licenses and such, which will take time. We should plan on staying here for at least a full day, perhaps two."
"Can we spare the time?" Ryld asked.
"That would be up to Mistress Quenthel," Valas said, "but we may be many days on the next leg of our journey. We accomplish nothing by starvingto death after a tenday or two in the wilds of the Underdark."
Quenthel studied the cheerless duergar inn, and made her decision.
"We will stay two nights, and leave early on the day after tomorrow," she said. "I would stay longer, but I am hesitant to trust our fortunes to the continued hospitality of the duergar. Events are moving too quickly for us to tarry long."
She looked at the scout, and at Coalhewer, who stood a short distance off, watching the street with arms folded and pointedly not listening in on the dark elves' conversation.
Is this place safe? she signed. Will the dwarf betray us?
Safe enough, the scout replied. Keep Jeggred out of sight. The rest of you should be fine, as long as you avoid confrontations. He flicked his eyes at Coalhewer and added, The dwarf understands that we will pay well for his services, but if he should come to believe that we might kill him rather than pay him, he will un-doubtedly find a way to have us all arrested. He knows we're something more than merchants, but he doesn't care what errand brings us here as long as he's paid.
A loose end to be tied up? Ryld asked.
Too dangerous now, Valas signed. I will keep a close eye on him as long as we're here.
"Take Ryld with you, just in case," Quenthelsaid.
Ryld nodded and tugged at his pack, adjusting it to ride better be-tween his shoulder blades.
"Ready when you are," he said.
"I can't say I won't welcome the company, if trouble comes," Valas replied. "Well, let's not keep Master Coalhewer waiting. If you don't hear back from us by midday tomorrow, presume the worst and get out of the city by the quickest means at hand."