Phaere had taken Laska in tow, leading her towards a series of windings pathways between two districts. There wasn't much traffic on this part of the road, nor were there any houses here. So far, the cheeky Phaere had been very secretive about their destination.

"Come on, tell me where we're going," Laska asked.

"We're almost there," Phaere grinned back. Almost on cue, the two women arrived at a small sign. Laska couldn't read the language, but only recognized the symbols that signified Phaere's name. Apparently, she owned the... whatever it was.

The road suddenly curved into the wall. There, hewn in stone, were the foundations of another part of the walkway. It looked as if the road disappeared into the cave, but, in reality, it seemed this part of the road had been abandoned and the work had stopped suddenly.

"Come," Phaere smiled and stepped off the road onto the rocky surface. She squeezed herself through a set of large stones, all the while beckoning Laska to follow her.

Laska shrugged and complied. After squeezing herself through the opening, she was confronted with Phaere standing in the middle of a grove. The grove itself was a small grotto, high and wide. It was a comfortable little place, with soft glowing lichen coating every part of the walls and filling the grotto with a dim light. Along the back-wall stood large mushrooms and strewn across the grotto were small pieces of simple furniture.

The grove was completely contained, comfortable and warm. Phaere smiled and rolled out an old big bedroll for both of them to lie on.

"What is this place?" Laska asked.

"When my sisters and I ran away from home, we were homeless for a while. Drifters. We found this grotto by chance, actually. Nobody knew where it was but us... nobody could find us here. So, we stayed," Phaere smiled. "I bought this bit of the road some time back, so I own it legally now. My sisters never come here anymore, but sometimes I can be in a nostalgic mood."

"My father took me and my sister to a grove.. Uh, I mean a mushroom-grove, like this one," Laska said as both lay on their backs watching the glowing lichen on the outcroppings above them. "We played there a lot, enjoyed being together. We were always planning out our lives, playing out our planned adventures... We slayed so many dragons in that grove," Laska smiled, noticing that the moss was forming to the shape of her body, making her quite comfortable indeed.

"I never knew my father," Phaere said. "Never had much of a mother, either. Her children were an investment to her future : free servants and slaves to do her bidding. After we'd been popped out, she'd give us to others to raise."

"That's lousy," Laska responded.

"My grandmother gave me more attention than my mother ever did. I was too young to remember, but recently, I hired one of House Despana's old servants after my mother had let him go, and he told me a story. My grandmother had called a council of Matrons together to decide on the building of a new gate for Ust Natha... and all the while during the meeting, she was bouncing me on her knee," Phaere chuckled, letting her left arm lie over her forehead.

"That must have been a sight," Laska grinned. "Imagine the look on the faces of those stuck up Lolthian prunes. They must have thought that..."

"Grandmother had gone senile," Phaere laughed. "It was just her way. Always unorthodox. If only we could bring back the Ust Natha of my grandmother. We'd be free, then."

"What about Sinvyl and Vinvyl?" Laska asked.

"The twins were born after my grandmother's death, only a few months after Ardulace's ascension to First Matron. Twins are very rare in Drow society. In all our recorded history, there's only been about fifty twins born. The birth of twins to a family are an omen for good fortune. I was forty when they were born... and I was promptly assigned to nurse them because my mother couldn't be bothered. I was annoyed at first, because it would delay my studies at Arach-Tilith considerably. But I came to enjoy my duty and my sisters. They were so full of life and their antics always put a smile on my face in the most dire of times. I watched over them, made sure they'd come to no harm and kept them safe from my mother's whims. But then came the time when I had to return to school. I was there for them a far less that I liked... and that's when it happened. I was close to finishing my first year when I found that my mother was threatening them both. I found them huddling together while she cracked her whip around them."

"Geez. What did they do?"

"Vinvyl had made a tiny mistake reciting a poem to Lolth's glory in front of Ardulace... and Sinvyl had attempted to help out her sister by covering up the mistake."

"Nice, that mother of yours," Laska snorted.

"I was furious," Phaere said. "I challenged my mother and stood between her and the twins... In my naivety, I thought I could persuade mother to back down. Unfortunately, mother wasn't the only one in the room. In my rashness, I had embarrassed her in front of the council of Matrons. I was sent to the torture-chambers in the children's stead," she said, rolling to her side and making herself small by rolling into a ball. It was clear the memories of the time wasn't pleasant. "I do not want to talk about the weeks that followed."

Laska put her hand on Phaere's shoulder. Then, she wrapped her arm around her waist and gently kissed Phaere's neck, moving up to her cheek.

"Hmmm," Phaere smiled. "If anything, I've learned from that time, that the only person you can really trust is yourself. No goddess, no underlings, just yourself... So as soon as I had the opportunity, I took my sisters and dropped out of Arach-Tilith. We ran away, hoping to carve out a life for ourselves."

"Big momma probably wasn't too happy about that," Laska said.

"No," Phaere said, "but to search for us and drag us back home would risk a scandal. And, as you probably noticed by now, Ardulace's view in the public eye has never been favorable. And she isn't good as an iron-fist ruler either. Basically, Ust Natha's been under inept rule for over century now."

"Politics?" Laska said and rolled onto her back on a bed of soft moss. "Bored already."

"Well, then, here's a cure for your short attention-span. I brought the books," Phaere grinned and pulled a stack of books from her pouch. On top lay an old leather-bound book with had seen a lot of use over the past few months.

"Ah, our old friend," Laska grinned and tapped the large leather tome, which had the title Matron Kyblarr's guide to advanced female-female techniques, 3rd Edition. Revised pressed on the cover in golden letters.

"I think we're about done with Kyblarr #9," Phaere said.

"There's still the 'Extra'-segment," Laska grinned wickedly.

"Most of those require a lot of preparation," Phaere said.

"What about this one?" Laska said after she had flipped to a page in the extra-section. On it was a rather explicit and realistic drawing and a detailed description. "That doesn't look like it needs much organization."

"Oh, be serious, Laska," Phaere said. "Where the hell are we going to find a female vampire on such short notice?"

"Worth a shot?" Laska grinned.

"No, I think we're about done with Kyblarr," she said and slammed the book shut.

"I'll never forget the first sentence in the foreword, though," Laska grinned.

"After reading this book," Phaere and Laska recited simultaneously, "you will never see the need for the existance of males ever again."

"We need a new book," Phaere spoke. "Do we dare?"

"We did read the groundwork," Laska nodded.

With reverence, Phaere picked up the second book from the backpack. A huge leather-bound tomb that Phaere had managed to procure through numerous favors black-marketeers owed her. And there is was : the book that Viconia had mastered, one of the most advanced guides to Drow sexuality in existance. "Book #487," Phaere spoke with reference, and held the book as if it was made from porcelain that would break at the slightest offense. "Matron Sos'Umptu Verillysi's extremely advanced guide to tantric circular motion in combination with extended erogenous contact, advanced epidermal stimulation and extra-long duration of coïtal implosions."

Together, the two elves leafed through the book. "We need a third one for the introductory lessons," was Phaere's conclusion.

"Crap," Laska said while reading the book. Unlike other Drow texts, most erotic manuals were written in Undercommon, so that it could be read by all Drow despite any local dialects. "Hmm, wait, it looks like a male is recommended for these lessons."

"That's ironic," Phaere grinned as she remembered Kyblarr. "But where are we going to find..."

"Hmm..." Laska said and started to dig in her Bag of Holding.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way!" the young warrior shouted at the door as someone was apparently repeatedly banging on his front door.

With a flash of anger, he throw open the door... and felt like running a thousand miles away. Before him stood the very same female that had killed him in the competition! He instinctively covered the remainder of the entry-wound of her blade. Had she finally come to finish the job?

"Hello," the tattooed female smiled. "We were neighborhood and I remembered that I had this manifest in my Bag of Holding with the names and addresses of all the contestants of the competition at the Spire. Remember the competition?"

He nodded weakly. But then his eyes grazed upon none other than Phaere Despana! The female who had... ahum... Suddenly, he was in conflict with himself : to run or not to run? That was the question. The hapless male, confronted with the Drow that had briefly sent him to Hell and the Drow that sent him to Heaven, could do nothing but gulp.

"We require your services, male," Phaere chuckled. "Oh, and do try to keep yourself available for the next two weeks. We have 10 introductory lessons to work through."

Phaere closed the door behind her... and the young male's world would never be the same again.

Sinvyl and Vinvyl were very much alike. At least, that's how they seemed to the casual observer, like Imoen, who sat with them at the dinner table. However, to Viconia, who also sat at the dinner-table, the two seemed to be nothing alike at all.

The young twins were gleefully sharing the latest bits of gossip about the Ust Nathan hob-knobs, nobles and entertainers, all the while munching on Laska's carefully prepared sweetrolls. Sinvyl, the quintessential scantily-clad Ssinss D'aerthe stood in stark contrast to the quiet and mild-mannered Vinvyl.

Imoen blushed when Sinvyl rambled in detail about the visit of three well-known Drow singers to her room at the pleasure chambers, when Vinvyl broke in and started to tell about the shortage of rothe-skins in the city.

"I still can't believe it," Sinvyl said. "How can males that are so enticing on stage have such a low stamina in the bedroom?"

"You're young," Viconia chuckled. "There'll be more disappointments."

"Yeah, but not this kind of disappointment. I mean, I had only barely started to..."

"Can we change the subject, please?!" a desperate Imoen blushed while speaking.

"She's young," Viconia winked.

"Uhm," Vinvyl broke in. "I, uhm, was wondering about something."

"By the way you're phrasing that," Viconia smirked, "I conclude that you are going to ask a potentially embarrassing question."

"Uh, yes," Vinvyl said. "You know, I've been around here some time now and I got to talk with one of your party-members. I've, um, tried to flirt with him, but so far he's been unresponsive."

"Oh, this is news!" Imoen practically bounced in her seat. "Who's the lucky guy!"

"Well, um," Vinvyl said. "He's ever so handsome and virile! The epitome of the perfect male, gruff and rugged! One I would gladly invite to my bedroom any time of day!"

"Whoisitwhoisitwhoisitwhoisitwhoisit?!" Imoen bounced. "Oooh, this is just like Busty Betty talking about Rusty Ramrod in Pirate Princesses in Search for Love and Other Stuff.."

"What are these strange names you keep mentioning?" Sinvyl said to Imoen.

"Shut up, Sin! I was talking about your companion Korgan," Vinvyl broke in.

At that moment, Imoen and Viconia felt like falling backwards onto the floor, chairs and all.

"K-k-k-korgan?!" Imoen stammered, trying to keep her jaw together in an effort to keep herself from laughing.

"Yes (snicker)," Viconia said. "Korgan. (snicker) The Epitome (snort) of the Perfect (snicker) Male. (snort)."

"I don't get it," Vinvyl said. "Why hasn't he shown any interest? I am attractive. Just look at Sinvyl, she's attractive, and that means so am I. Maybe I'm simply being too subtle."

"For Korgan," Viconia thought, "'Hey baby, wanna do it?' would be too subtle'." But all hilarity aside, it could spell trouble if Vinvyl would approach Korgan with a proposition. Elves and dwarves were like cats and dogs, and a dog was as sexually attractive to a cat as much as an elf would be to a dwarf. Still, Vinvyl wouldn't understand the powerful negative reaction Korgan would blurt out and that could spell trouble for them. So, after a saying a mental prayer to gain the favor of Tymora, Viconia came up with a quick solution.

"He's just so... rough around the edges, you know? And that dwarven accent is enticing," Vinvyl said.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Vinvyl, but given the freedom of choice, Korgan's experiences remain with other males," Viconia said, keeping her statement as neutral as possible.

"Ey?" Vinvyl and Imoen exclaimed at the same time. Immediately, both Viconia and Sinvyl bend over to talk in Sinvyl and Imoen's ear respectively.

Imoen giggled for a bit, but Vinvyl seemed very disappointed. "So that's why he didn't go for my baiting," Vinvyl concluded. "How very disappointing."

"So different an attitude from Menzoberranzan," Viconia muttered. "Females rule supreme there. The matrons'd drag him to their bedchamber."

"You are from Menzoberranzan?" Sinvyl said. "I thought I recognized the accent. As for ruling supreme, well, females rule here too, but everything's a lot looser here, as you must have noticed by now. It's a trade-city, not a religious bulwark. Unless you believe what my mother says, of course. Things used to be better before Ardulace ruled Ust Natha. Phaere was born before her rule and tells us a lot about the time our grandmother ruled our fair city."

"Ad nauseum," Vinvyl smiled, hinting at the humor in her voice. "She really hates mother, you know?" Suddenly, Vinvyl seemed to be looking over Viconia's shoulder. "Oh, I can see Korgan there. Hold on a moment."

Viconia closed her eyes and pleaded to Tymora to bless her and her companions with her favor... and, failing that, she prayed for the opportunity to brain Korgan with a large anvil.

"Ey?" Korgan said when he noticed Vinvyl standing next to him. "What be ye wantin', ye daft indigo Drowsy?"

"Oh, I'm just musing, male," Vinvyl smiled. "I didn't realize your choice of companions."

"Ey, me companions? What be the deal with me companions. Ye be actin' even stranger than usual, lass," Korgan said.

"I mean, males are good company. I should know," Vinvyl winked.

"Aye, aye," Korgan said. "Male companions be good. Especially down the pub."

"The pub?"

"Aye, the pub," Korgan grinned. "It be great fun to let yer beard down after long adventure and just chug with yer companions. Chug an' chug an' chug."

"I know the feeling," Vinvyl said. "Well, actually Sinvyl knows that feeling a lot better than I do."

"Aye, aye, males be the best companions fer that, exceptin' Laska, of course," Korgan said.

"Laska?!" Vinvyl blinked. "Truly? Does she command your services against your wishes?"

"Ach, she be ta boss and Korgan be goin' where da boss be pointin'. HAR HAR! Anyway, she be nay bad fer a lass. Plus, she be 'avin' pure stayin' power."

"Truly," Vinvyl said. "I must mention this to Phaere."

"Ach, she be 'avin' a strong constitution," Korgan grinned. "And she can really be puttin' 'em away. Aye, aye, everything be goin' down 'er gob like there be no tomorrow. Goin' and goin' and goin'."

Vinvyl blinked. "Wow, I never would have guessed. Well, actually that's not entirely true. There was that time when Sinvyl and I shared her bed for a time."

"Ey?" Korgan blinked. "Sharin' 'er bed? Um, we be talkin' about the same thing 'ere, lass?"

"I... I guess so," Vinvyl said. "Aren't we?"

"OCH!" Korgan snarled. "Stop confusin' me, ye daft chit, especially while I be daydreamin' about chuggin' ale all day long! I nay wanna be part of yer bloody headgames, ye dung-eating orc-fornicator! Leave me alone before I be axin' yer 'ead off!"

Vinvyl forced her heart to calm its beating after Korgan stalked off. "He's dreamy," Vinvyl whispered to herself and returned to the dining table.

In the meantime, Viconia promised herself to drop a piano on Korgan's head at the earliest opportunity. At least the secret was still theirs.

"What was that all about?" Phaere asked as she and Laska entered the living room from the foyer.

"You look happy," Imoen bubbled as Laska and Phaere entered the living room a day later. "Busy night?"

"Stimulating and... stimulating... most stimulating," Laska said, a big fat grin plastered on her face.

"You need a thesaurus, Laska," Phaere grinned.

Viconia grinned and leaned back in her chair. "Book #487, page 1, lesson 1-3," she chuckled. "I've seen that look in the mirror once after I had went through it for the first time."

"Oh, before I forget," Phaere said. "I have some information for you that you might find... disturbing. I was given this right before I left with Laska, but you were at the market at the time" Phaere said and handed Viconia a piece of power. "But you might want to sit down before reading it." Being curious, Viconia read it immediately.

"Come on, girls," Phaere said while putting arms around both her sisters. "Let's go get some breakfast. Laska is cooking." The three of them walked out the door, heading towards the Spire, where Laska would have access to the bigger kitchen.

In the meantime, Viconia gently put down the paper and slid into the chair, her eyes vacant.

"What's going on, Vic?" Imoen asked when she noticed the Drow's mood had suddenly fallen below freezing point.

"Read it," Viconia said and shoved the note in her direction.

"Uh, I can't," Imoen said. "It's in Drow, and we can't read Drow, remember?"

"Long story short," Viconia said. "Menzoberranzan is under siege."

"Under siege?" Imoen said while sitting down opposite to Viconia. "How? Armies?"

"DO YOU KNOW ANY ANOTHER WAY TO BE UNDER SIEGE?!" Viconia shouted in anger, but soon caught herself. Instead she started to run her fingers through her silky white mane, resting her elbows on the table.

"What happened?"

"There was a slave-revolt," Viconia said. "Unthinkable, really. I had heard Menzoberranzan was under new management, but I never expected this level of ineptitude. After that, the enemies of the Menzoberranzan marched on the city in unison : Derro, Mind Flayers, Beholders, Raiders... And from the intel report Phaere has given me, it doesn't look like Menzoberranzan's army will win this. Our... I mean, the city's army is wracked with in-fighting and betrayals. It won't be hard to imagine that the city will fall."

"But... Menzoberranzan isn't your home anymore, right? They banished you."

"I've lived there for over 150 years," Viconia said. "In many ways it will always be my home. I have my roots there. Menzoberranzan has some haunting beauty : the crystal spires of Sle'myrr, the bazaars of Narbondellyn, the Wall of Menzoberra the Kinless. It's hard to imagine my beautiful city in flames."

"I'm sorry, Vic," Imoen said and took Viconia's hands in hers, slowly caressing the Drow's skin. "But there's nothing we can do."

"My people," Viconia said, "have a remarkable gift for self-destruction. Oh, they will retake the city, eventually... and they will rebuild. But then the cycle of self-destruction will start all over again. Just look what's happening in Ust Natha. A beautiful city destroyed by the foolishness of a single Matron and the sheep that follow her. It is sad. Menzoberranzan will be destroyed by lack of unity, Ust Natha will be buried by misplaced loyalty. We Drow can just never win."

"Vic," Imoen whispered. "You're crying!" she said as if she saw water burning.

"Perhaps we deserve extinction," Viconia stood up and turned towards the balcony. "Leave me alone for a while, please."

Imoen watched Viconia slink away towards the balcony, where the Drow stood simply watching over the city.