Arachne grasped the letter in one hand, the letter opener in the other, mounted on her leg as it seemingly bounced up and down of its own accord, weight shifting from her toes to the balls of her feet. This was in addition to the position of the hand holding the letter opener, which was cradling her chin, the cold metal pressing against the nape of her neck, ensuring that she could bite her lip anxiously in peace, whilst she turned the letter's corners inside out and back again, trying to register all that she had read.
The Gray Sword Syndicate, one of the most powerful mercenary bands that were united by the Houseless, one that both Cazna and Kethan had been affiliated with, had been watching her for the better part of five years, preparing to send her this letter. Even worse, was that they had operatives who knew deep speech, which had almost sealed her fate should she choose to attack or possibly even deny their invitation, for the Houseless were unpredictable, sometimes violent. Not to say that those within Houses were just in their distribution of bodily harm, but it was far more controlled than what the homeless had as anger, which made an appearance as sudden mood changes like Matron Aunerae while she was on the rag.
It was quite the thing to ponder over, as her elder siblings, both deceased, had all wanted to escape Abburth to the surface world, but had been cut short by House Coborial and its Matron. There was a chance that what Kethan had decreed was that Arachne would be given the same chance Cazna had ceased, and perhaps she would take it. Despite the fact that it raised the question of what she would do with her ever innocent little brother, who didn't deserve to live in such horrors without someone to guide him should she escape. Durdyn was also just a tad bit soft to handle the life ahead.
And what would Arachne do to fix such an issue? Take him against his own accord? If she was to even do so with consent, was it ensured that the two of them would live? Would they even make it out of the cavernous and twisted Underdark? In this case, for a boy the age of five, Durdyn would be safer, as strange as it was, in the hands of House Coborial and its gruesome ways. At least he would have status to protect him in Slaekmia and other parts of Abburth he had yet to touch, as well as the best instructors to mentor him in the ways of the blade. And who was to say that the surface world was void of the same evils in the Underdark? Even those who had participated in raids only did so for killing.
This, Arachne realized, would be a decision to be made when her brother was older, more mature, but even then, her time was running short.
Revising the letter, the use of the reference to a place known as the "Nook," was rather vague, most likely being a Houseless reference to some form of bar, meeting place, or headquarters. That, however, raised an even more involved question: where would this proclaimed meeting place be, where Arachne would be meeting an operative known as Black Powder, undoubtedly a skilled and deadly fighter of some sort, be it the sneaky kind or otherwise. This Nook was most likely one of the more taboo subjects in the streets, as most things in regards to the Gray Sword Syndicate were, even for those of the drow who lived in Houses, no matter how esteemed.
Another question being, how would she, a well known figure in the streets and hierarchy alike, manage to hide her own identity in such a city as the eldest daughter of the first Matron Mother of Abburth? Certain clothes could hide her silhouette, but for many who had seen her face, for she had spent more time without the veil since Arachne had brought an end to Kethan in his drider form. It was a political gain for those below her to see her unique appearance, that being her eyes, which she had been told by many to be her most defining feature, as some said that Lolth had lavender eyes just as she. Simple wistful tales, that's all they were, as even more, including very real accounts of the Spider Queen's appearance as she was housed in Menzoberranzan during the Time of Troubles confirmed of her carmine eyes. Most wished to get on her better side for when she brought an end to her mother.
Simple things hindered Arachne's own eagerness to take her leave to speak to this Black Powder, location and appearance only being one of the bulk. Others being other meager things such as safety, money, or blackmail, those only being to name the immeasurable amount of complications of such a risky encounter, especially for Arachne being in the status that she had been born into, and had further ascended into after her harrowing battle against the drider, which she considered more of a mental battle, as she had considered Kethan some form of person to rely on, just as Cazna had before her. Perhaps the Surface Tiger had that aura, someone that could protect you no matter the cost, someone that would do anything for the people he cared about, even if it put himself and his secrets in harm's way; or at least, that was what Arachne had found when she found him lingering in her thoughts.
Realizing she only had until the rise of Mystérieuse's light to prepare for this meeting, Arachne felt herself jump up, gingerly placing the letter opener that had been resting very comfortably on her chin, as well as the letter that was now coated lightly in sweat, on the table she had designated for writing and the like, immediately throwing her piwafwi over her dress once again, clasping the front tie together before tucking the letter back into her dress pocket.
She would need to devise a plan with discreet precision and unimaginable briskness.
Beginning to walk swiftly up the spiraling staircase belonging to Cazna's safe haven, she felt her own foot drop with one of the stone floorboards, sinking downwards ever so slightly, Arachne's own eagerness in regards to the entirety of the situation quickly faltering, almost as if it had dropped down into her stomach. She ceased all movement, holding her balance and weight just enough that she could remain unheard, while also remaining safe from any lingering traps from a century ago that her sister may have set. One had to remember that she had still been trained to kill despite her feats of kindness, as she had been fully trained in the art of prayer to Lolth and her ways.
Moving her head back, almost uncomfortably so, Arachne's gaze fell upon a small section in the farthest wall, where a sliver of magical candlelight illuminated an open part that had yet to make itself known until then, and, praying to whatever God had been watching over her over the years, out of an instinct, pure whim, she placed all f her weight on the board.
The shelf made itself known with a soft clicking noise, the red orange candlelight caught within its square-like shape, illuminating a book, medallion, and scroll, each hanging on intricately carved out hooks on the farthest end of the compartment itself. On the sides, Arachne had caught glimpse of some form of artistry, and walking down to the farthest wall of the otherwise solitary room, she had found just that; pictures depicting two drow women, the first holding a coin, captivating red eyes calling attention to the piece, as well as the sun behind the dame. The other woman held a lyre, her long delicate fingers pressed against golden strings, her eyes closed in bliss whilst her hair flowed into the moonlight, shaping the circle of the moon itself, the elvish letter "E" etched into the stone just below where the drow sat, on a mound of green.
In the center of the main face was the medallion, silver in color, almost shaped as a coin would be, but with a woman's face depicted on it. She had plump features, a small nose, and eyes made of rubies, her silver hands making their way down her head as they clutched onto her lofty locks. This was quite clearly Cazna's ode to her Lady of Luck, Tymora, her sigil easily found if one had studied the journals found in the secret chamber itself, which Arachne had done since the Gray Sword Syndicate had begun watching her.
To the left of that was a book, resting on a shelf inside the compartment, surprisingly void of any cobwebs or decay, save for dust lining the cover, as well as the edges of the pages, and most likely the inside as well. Taking the tome from its place revealed it to be a book of Tymora's teachings, its mass rather large and its volume not too far off from it, and, flipping through the pages, revealed that it was in perfect condition, kept safe and clean out of limitless respect.
And finally, the scroll, which was to the right of the medallion and book, was hooked onto the most delicately carved hook, a subtle crescent shape carved along the side, even the rivet itself was shaped in a crescent pattern, holding the scroll upwards in its plain leather case. Unhooking it from the ornate peg, Arachne ran her hands against the fine-smelling leather and its binding before opening it from the top and freeing the parchment from its confines, to which she then made her way to the writing desk once ore, which was also the closest desk to the far end of the wall in which the compartment was found, and she laid it out in the now open space.
There, written in black ink was the words, "Dawn Guard," where below it was a complex map of the cave systems just beside Abburth, the tunnels twisting and turning left and right, down and up, the weight of the caverns going from large to miniscule, and even intersecting with other mining veins before meeting at a large circle and central clearing near an entrance to the surface, the small title of "Dawn Guard Cell: Maccis," filling up the center of the clearing itself, while also labeling where the map ended to indicate where the exit to the world of the elves, dwarves, humans, and the like could be found.
And Arachne knew then that she had found her escape plan, to which she would find the sunlight and touch it, gaze upon the sky in honor of her fallen brothers and sister, touch the ocean with her bare toes, scale mountains taller than stone giants, see races of which she had never seen; and most of all, find freedom in her own world. And the Dawn Guard Cell Maccis was her only chance.