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The beholder mage did not disappoint him。
A brilliant green ray flashed into existence； lancing toward Ryld。 He parried it with Splitter； and felt a tingle in the hilt as the greatsword destroyed the insidious ray。 Beside him； Danifae yelped and swerved aside from another tremendous bolt of lightning that arced out to sear all three dark elves； leaving the odor of charred wood and ozone in the air。
Arrows hissed up from underneath； whistling past the weapons master as Valas fired at the unseen foe。 Ryld snarled in defiance and willed himself upward with more haste。 Another spell struck Quenthel…some kind of dispelling magic that snuffed out her levitation。 She flailed her arms and plummeted to the floor below。 Ryld reached out to catch her； but the Baenre was simply not close enough。 She struck the floor at the bottom of the shaft after a fall of close to forty feet。 Quenthel crashed into the rubble like a falling meteor； and vanished in dust and wreckage。
〃Keep going！〃 shouted Danifae。 〃We're almost at the top！〃
The beholder mage must have reached the same conclusion。 A moment later； a barrier of solid ice appeared； walling off the top of the shaft and trapping the drow beneath it。
〃Damn！〃 swore Ryld。
Danifae glowered at the barrier and said； 〃Maybe we can…〃
At that moment； Jezz the Lame appeared on the floor of the chamber。 He wheeled and hurled a spell back through the doorway； then slammed the door shut。
〃Whatever it is you're doing； finish it；〃 the Jaelre called。 〃The devils have returned in force！〃
Ryld looked up at the sheet of ice covering the top of the shaft； then down again at the rubble…strewn floor。 Quenthel lay half…buried in the shattered masonry； unmoving。 Spells rumbled above the ice； sure signs that Pharaun and Jeggred had found their foe； but the creature's barrier had effectively cut the pany in half。 Abandoning the effort to get at the beholder mage might give the monster the chance to destroy the pany in detail； but Quenthel was dead or injured below。
〃Up；〃 Ryld decided。 〃Going back is no good。 Valas； Jezz； aid Quenthel！〃
He came up beneath the gleaming white ceiling and struck at the icy wall with Splitter； using the sword's ability to rend enchantments。 Razor…sharp shards of ice flew from the spot he struck； but the sword failed to undo the beholder's magic。 Ryld cursed and tried again； with no more success。
Below them； the door to the tower boomed with a heavy blow。 Valas quickly shouldered his bow and scuttled over the heaps of masonry and rubble filling the bottom of the shaft； heading toward the spot where Quenthel had fallen。
Jezz the Lame growled something and worked a spell； clogging the tower's foyer with a mass of sticky webbing。 He mouthed the words of another spell and arrowed up into the air； leaving Valas and Quenthel on the floor of the shaft。
〃Forget the priestess；〃 he called to Valas。 〃e； if you want to live！〃
The scout grimaced in frustration。
〃I can't climb and carry her！〃 he snapped as a second blow at the door splintered wood and bent iron。
The ancient door would not withstand another blow。 Valas glanced up the shaft and down at Quenthel； and reached down and unfastened her House Baenre brooch from her shoulder。 Her snake…headed whip stirred in agitation； and Yngoth actually struck at the scout； but Valas scrambled back and fixed the brooch to his tunic。
〃I'm trying to save your mistress；〃 he barked at the whip。
The scout moved close and grasped Quenthel under the arms； using the power of her own brooch to levitate away from the floor。
Meanwhile； Ryld measured the icy barrier in front of him。
〃All right； then；〃 he muttered。
He backed up； set his feet as best he could against the shaft's wall； and drew Splitter back for the mightiest blow he could muster。 With a cry of rage； he struck the wall a tremendous blow； Splitter's blade shearing through the magical ice even as waves of excruciating cold washed over him。 He ignored the pain and swung again； and again…and the sheet of ice cracked into a dozen pieces and fell away to the floor below。 Without waiting for the others； Ryld hurled himself up into the beholder's lair。
Within a day of Seyll's murder； Halisstra began to wonder if she might have been better off going with the Eilistraee priestess and feigning conversion。 It might have been a strategy unlikely to reunite her with her rades； but it would have meant that she would have enjoyed shelter； food； and the opportunity to perhaps regain her equipment； instead of an interminable march through the freezing woods。 As dawn approached； she could find no better shelter than a small； damp hollow surrounded by drow…high boulders and bare trees。 Shivering； she shrugged off her stolen backpack and searched it thoroughly； hoping against hope that she had somehow overlooked some key implement or a scrap of food。
Seyll and her followers had not anticipated a wilderness sojourn of more than a few hours。 They carried no more gear than Halisstra would have； had she decided to venture out to a well…known cavern a mile or two from Ched Nasad。 They certainly hadn't equipped themselves for the convenience of their captive's escape。
With the crossbow she'd taken from Xarra and the bae'qeshel songs at her mand； she had a fair chance of dropping any game she came across； but in her hours and hours of wandering she'd not seen anything larger than a bird。 Even if she did succeed in killing something for her dinner； she had no means to cook it； and Halisstra was beginning to suspect that the forest itself conspired against her。
She was reasonably sure that she'd managed to keep heading west after her escape from the heretic。 If Seyll hadn't been lying when she said they were near the spot where Halisstra had been captured； the Melarn priestess was no more than one or two nights' march from the small river Pharaun had described in his vision。 Since the river ran south to north somewhere in front of her； it seemed a difficult target to miss as long as she kept moving west。
Halisstra tried to keep the sunset and moonset ahead of her； and a little to her left； since they'd be somewhat south of her at this time of year…or so she'd gathered from watching Valas navigate the woods over the past few days。 Of course； she had no way of knowing whether to turn upstream or downstream when she did reach Pharaun's river； since she couldn't be sure that she'd struck the stream at the spot the wizard anticipated。 For that matter； she was unlikely to know for certain whether she'd found the right stream at all。 She'd already crossed a dozen small brooks in a day and a half； and while she didn't think any of them could properly be called a river； she simply didn't have enough experience of the surface world to be sure。
〃Of course； that all presumes that I haven't been wandering in circles for hours；〃 Halisstra muttered。
It could be that the most sensible thing to do would be to abandon the notion of searching for the Jaelre； and pick the straightest course out of the forest she could find。 Sooner or later； she might