Keldorn and Viconia rode on their steeds side by side, in utter silence. Rain was liberally pouring down on them, and Viconia had her hooded cloak pulled closely around her body. The cold, howling wind whipped through their clothes, but Keldorn mused that the wind wasn't the coldest thing around.

During the half-a-day trip, Keldorn had attempted to strike up a conversation with Viconia numerous times already. And every single one of those attempts had been silenced by a cold, piercing stare from said Drow. Viconia never said a word herself, simply kept staring angrily at Keldorn whenever he was speaking and only turned away when Keldorn kept his mouth neatly shut.

In silence, they strode across the now muddy path. And to make things worse, the night was approaching fast. Darker skies turned darker still.

Fortunately, they arrived at the temple of Tymora only a few minutes later. It was a simple, non-descript one-story building, made from sandstone bricks. It was hardly as impressive as the temples in the Athkatla temple-district. It had simple windows, a simple oaken front door, was surrounded with a simple garden, marked off with a simple fence and connected to a simple stable. All in all, it was just a simple, run-of-the-mill temple of Tymora on the road from Athkatla to Trademeet.

"I will put away the horses," Keldorn said uneasily, and did so.

"I will let Khittix out of the statue when we get inside," Viconia said when Keldorn returned from the stables. "He's been cooped up in the statue long enough now."

Grateful for some words, Keldorn nodded. Strangely enough, he did not know how to return a comment to this statement. What would be the best neutral response, he wondered. Feeling the gears grind in his head, he finally came up with a response.

"That's good," Keldorn finally spoke, satisfied with his answer.

However, Viconia was not satisfied. Not in the least...

Once again, Keldorn found himself subjected to a cold stare from an even colder Drow.

Feeling very uncomfortable now, Keldorn gulped and moved to knock on the front door while he felt Viconia's piercing bland stare burning in the back of his head. Just before he could bang the knocker, the door was opened already. Thunder lit up the sky as Keldorn and Viconia were let inside. There's a friendly middle-age priestess of Tymora was standing, beckoning them come inside and share the warm fire.

"Greetings," the Tymoran spoke in a welcoming voice. "Welcome travellers. Shed your wet gear! We have prepared rooms for you."

"This temple," Keldorn spoke to Viconia, while giving a small donation to pay for the rooms, "is more of a way station for travellers than a temple, though it does contain a small shrine."

Not saying a word, Viconia hung her wet cloak on the coat rack and fished the spider figuring from a pouch on her belt. Two seconds later, Khittix was standing in the middle of the room, eager for his mistress' affection.

As Viconia bent down to pet Khittix over the head, the priestess of Tymora gulped a little. "Excuse me, miss, but... could you put that 'pet' away again?"

But this time, the priestess was the recipient of the same cold stare Keldorn had been forced to suffer to. The priestess shared a look with Keldorn, knowing this would be a problematic case.

"Right," Keldorn said. "Shall we retire for our rooms for the night, and take this up with the kindly priestess in the morning?"

"We came here for answers, Keldorn," Viconia retorted. "And answers I shall get."

"Right," the priestess said. "Follow me," she continued while guiding her two guests through a long, narrow tunnel, apparently leading into a subterranean chamber. The chamber was reasonably large, and contained a set of two pews on each side of the aisle. In the back of the room stood the statue of Tymora, holding a coin. Numerous expensive vases and all kind of adventuring memorabilia lined the walls, giving the room a cosy impression, though Viconia scoffed at the Shamrock motif. Khittix skittered behind Viconia and rested near the door.

The priestess turned towards the statue and back again. "Right, Viconia," she spoke. "My name is Ilmiga Shadowpuppet."

"Shadowpuppet?" Viconia asked with raised eyebrows.

"'Twas my father's name, and I thank you not to ridicule me for it," Ilmiga grinned.

"Fair enough," Viconia muttered. "But I would like to know how you know my name."

"Truth be told, dear lady," Ilmiga smiled. "I knew you were coming before you even left Athkatla."

"Stop speaking in riddles!" Viconia retorted, making Keldorn cringe. "I will have NO more of this! Tell your goddess to stop interfering with my faith! I worship Shar and Shar alone!"

"Viconia, please," Keldorn said, trying to interrupt her. "This will get us nowhere."

"I have no need for your decrepit trickster goddess! I feel content with my worship of Shar, and thanks to your goddess' meddling I cannot even talk to my Sisters of the Night without getting chased through the sewers by them!" Viconia snarled angrily. "Tell Tymora that I am simply not interested in worshipping her!"

"Are you finished?" Ilmiga offered the fuming Drow with a ready smile.

"Are you?" Viconia snarled in return.

"The goddess sent me a vision this night," Ilmiga nodded. "She told me to expect you, Viconia... and she told me that reaction would be... strong. I'm happy to say that you didn't disappoint."

"I'm glad I could amuse you," Viconia grinned ferally. "Shall I throw in a death-threat for good measure?"

"Please do," Ilmiga smiled.

"Very well," Viconia grinned. "Tell your goddess to back off or I shall be forced to jam a sausage down your throat and put a starving Umberhulk up your arse!"

"Nice," Ilmiga replied, her smile not wavering even for a nano-second.

"Viconia," Keldorn sighed. "We are guests here and we shouldn't..." Keldorn fell silent, however, again, that stare...

"How about this one : I will staple the Rashemi flag to your butt, shove you into a Thayvian wizard-lodge and watch the fireworks," Viconia grinned.

"Also nice, but that won't change anything," Ilmiga nodded. "Tymora will not back off..."

"YOU WILL! SHE WILL! I WILL BURN YOUR TEMPLE!" Viconia's shriek echoed through the chamber.

"Will you let me finish before you blow your top?" Ilmiga nodded. "You're taking a real chance with those burst of temper, you know? Be careful with that, you might pop a vein. Oh, but I see you're not interested in jokes. What I was trying to say is that Tymora will not back off, because she can't back off. Tymora can't back off because she has been giving you your powers from the start! Shar never had anything to do with it. It was Tymora who approached you as you were about to take your own life in the glade so long ago. It was Tymora who adopted you in her midst, never Shar. But she knew you would never accept her at that point, so she pretended to be a goddess you would feel inclined to worship."

Viconia was shaking like a leaf at this point, her self-doubts finally surfacing. In the back, Keldorn smiled, barely being able to contain his elation. "Viconia," he said, "I detect no lies from her." But Viconia shot Keldorn a glare so murderous he actually took a step back.

"Listen to your heart, Viconia," Ilmiga smiled. "You know it to be true. Did Shar ever speak to you at later times? No, she didn't. Did you ever felt a stern warning in your being when your travels took you into a direction Shar would not approve of? I'm willing to bet that you didn't? Did Shar ever make demands to you? Punished you? Or otherwise contacted you through divine ways? She didn't, did she? No, it was Tymora who has been giving you powers and remained in the background."

Viconia said nothing. She did not move, and didn't even seem to be breathing. She was simply starting at the statue of Tymora in the back. Then, without saying a word, she turned away... and started walking away. Slowly, very slowly, one step at a time... it were the only sounds to be heard in the chamber.

Then, as she approached the door, she turned around is if she was lightning. Wearing a vicious snarl, she took one of the expensive vases from the table and flung it towards the head of the statue. The vase exploded against the statue's head and sharps shard were flung across the chamber. Without saying a word, Viconia turned around and slowly sank into the corridor leading up, the confused spider Khittix following her quickly.

"I should go talk to her," Keldorn sighed. "This is a lot to swallow."

"No, not yet," Ilmiga smiled. "I took a chance... now we must reap the possible benefits. I never got to discuss why Tymora saved her. That will be her next question..."

An hour later, Keldorn figured Viconia had cooled down enough for them to discuss what had happened in the shrine today. After knocking on her door, he heard a grudging 'come in if you must, fool' from the other side and entered Viconia's room.

It was a small traveller's room with a small bed, a nightstand and a chest. And right now, Viconia was hunched over the chest, fidgeting with the lock. Apparently, she was poking inside the lock with two long, thin metal rods.

"There's a key on the nightstand," Keldorn said, glancing over at Khittix, who seemed to be on the ceiling, chewing on a bone.

"I'm trying to pick this lock," Viconia muttered. "Not having much luck so far. Do you think I would make a good thief, Keldorn?"

"Come again?"

"I thought I was clear enough. I can sneak around perfectly. I know how to kill in the dark... I just need to get the hang of lockpicking and trap-spotting."

Keldorn, seeing his hard work to keep Viconia honest crumbling, sputtered to protest. "This is a terrible idea! However did you come up with it?"

"All dexterous men and women in the city are regularly approached by recruiters for the Shadow Thieves. Laska and I were asked many times to join, though they've learned the hard way to leave Laska alone while she's drinking," Viconia grinned.

"Don't tell me you are seriously considering their offer?"

"Why not?" Viconia snorted. "I'm too old to undergo mage-training and I'm too physically weak to pursue the career of a warrior. Rogue is the only option open for me and..." sighing, she suddenly withdrew her rods and tossed them away. "Who am I fooling? I'm a cleric and I don't know how to be anything else. But when I think of all those prayers wasted..."

"Still, a goddess did see worth in your abilities," Keldorn offered. "Do not forget that."

"HAH!" Viconia threw her head back in a gale of laughter. "Tymora didn't see my worth! She sees me as an object of pity," she spat the word. "Pity, nothing more. I am a joke... a charity-case."

"Do not..."

"Save it!" Viconia snarled. "It's true. I know it's true. I'm a pitiable outcast of a grand race, forced to live on the surface-lands, living from scraps given to me by an elf, no less, the most ancient and hated enemy of my people. I am not a Drow, Keldorn. I am a joke..."

"Do not say that, Viconia," Keldorn said.

"It's true. I have been pitied all my life. Pity led me to the surface. Pity led to my downfall. When I was a priestess of Lolth, I lapsed when a child...a baby...was to die. It would not have made Lolth stronger or more influential or made her a greater deity. It was a pointless exercise... and I faltered. And by faltering, I failed Lolth's test," Viconia sighed. "I fell in disfavor with my house, and my house fell in disfavor with Lolth."

"A terrible story," Keldorn nodded. "But you refused to commit an act of heinous evil. There is still hope for you. But I do not see how refusing a single sacrifice could have such dire effect, especially in a society where sacrifices is so rampant."

"Well," Viconia's eyes shone with humor, despite herself, "it is a big deal when it is the principle sacrifice on the holiest day of the Spider Queen and it is to be performed in the Chapel of house Baenre in front of five thousand gathered priestesses."

"I see."

"Public shame is the biggest dishonor among the Drow. I brought shame upon my house, and my Matron, fearing reprisals, arranged me to be sacrificed to appease Lolth. To make a long story short, my brother saved me in the end..."

"Truly," Keldorn spoke. "You're never told me about him before."

"His name was Valas," Viconia said, smiling for the first time in many days, "he was my big brother. There were only a few years between us, though, and we grow up together. As children we were inseparable, always up to mischief. I remember the two of us giggling hysterically after the sulphur-stink gleamer we levitated over the door landed all over our eldest sister."

"We were friends," she continued as Keldorn sat down in the small chair near the window. "He always looked out for me when I was a little girl. And that continued later in life. He...watched over me and protected me, and I ensured that the worst of the abuses that befell males did not strike him. In the end...he saved my life. He...prevented my sacrifice, and allowed himself to be killed, giving me the opportunity to flee."

Finally, a tear rolled over her cheek. "That damn fool," she scoffed. "If he hadn't pitied me, he would have lived. I can never wipe the image from my mind... he yelled at me to run away and jump into the magical portal he had set up while our sisters beat him with their tentacle-rods. When I came out the other end, I waited... and waited... but he never came through."

"I'm sorry," Keldorn spoke sincerely.

"Pity... it's the bane of my life. Valas pitied me. Laska and her friends pitied me enough to take me in their midst. You pitied me enough to teach me, Keldorn. And now, Tymora pitied me enough to give me power. Now, my shame is complete..."

"That is not true, Viconia!" Keldorn retorted. "We see you as an equal, not a pariah. You have a grand inner strength that few people have, which you are mistaking for pity. Tymora must have seen worth in you, or she would not have bothered with this deception."

"Save it, Keldorn," Viconia snarled. "Spare me your eternal platitudes, paladin."

"Viconia," Keldorn said, getting a bit angry now, "your brother, who obviously loved you dearly, made the ultimate sacrifice for your safety. If not for yourself, you owe him to make the best of your life and live it well!"

"Leave," Viconia sighed. "I am tired."

Sighing, Keldorn nodded, wished her a good night, and left the room, wondering how this would all play out.