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Part 3 CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF THE BOTTOM

I watched thedown a road or sailing fast out of Waterdeep for the southlands, putting distance between us and the friend we four had left behind The friend?

Many ti and arduous days, each of us in our own little space came to wonder about that word "friend" and the responsibilities such a label ar behind in the wilds of the Spine of the World no less and had no idea if he ell, if he was even still alive Could a true friend so desert another? Would a true friend allow a erous paths?

Often I ponder the , friendship, and yet often it becoar, even knowing and adone with hi over hih I admit that I know not for certain There is a fine line between friendship and parenting, and when that line is crossed, the result is often disastrous A parent who strives to make a true friend of his or her child h that parentthe dominant position, the unintentional result will be to steal frouidance and, more importantly, the sense of security the parent is supposed to impart On the opposite side, a friend who takes a role as parent forgets the redient of friendship: respect

For respect is the guiding principle of friendship, the lighthouse beacon that directs the course of any true friendship And respect dear and intend that our paths will indeed cross again Though we’ll often look back over our shoulders and wonder, we hold fast to our understanding of friendship, of trust, and of respect We accept, grudgingly but resolutely, our divergent paths

Surely Wulfgar’s trials have become my trials in many ways, but I see now that the friendship of mine most in flux is not the one with the barbarian-not froar alone must decide the depth and course of our bond-but my relationship with Cattibrie Our love for each other is no secret between us, or to anyone else watching us (and I fear that perhaps the bond that has grown between us ar’s painful decisions), but the nature of that love remains a mystery to me and to Catti-brie We have in many ways become as brother and sister, and surely I am closer to her than I could ever have been to any of s! For several years we had only each other to count on and both learned beyond any doubt that the other would always be there I would die for her, and she for me Without hesitation, without doubt Truly in all the world there is no one, not even Bruenor, Wulfgar, or Regis, or even Zaknafein, hom I would rather spend my time There is no one who can view a sunrise beside ht always stirs within ht beside me and better compliment my movements There is no one who better knows all that is in h I had not yet spoken a word

But what does that mean?

Surely I feel a physical attraction to Catti-brie as well She is possessed of a combination of innocence and a playful wickedness For all her sye to Catti-brie that makes potential enemies tremble in fear and potential lovers tremble in anticipation I believe that she feels siers of this uncharted territory, dangersthan any physical ene, and with the dawn and twilight of several centuries ahead of , with merely decades of life ahead of her Of course, Catti-brie’s life is co coht she find if she and I were ht the world think of our children, if ever that path alked? Would any society in all the world accept theh, and believe that I understand her feelings as well On that level, it see, and yet, alas, it becomes so very coue?" Jarlaxle asked Rai’gy Bondalek Kimmuriel Oblodra stood beside theunar perfectly defenseless to one who did not understand the powers of his ," Rai’gy answered "And soreat black cat"

"Guenhwyvar," Jarlaxle explained "Once the property of Masoj Hun’ette A powerful ic that they carry," Rai’gy inforue’s belt, that radiates ics co it beckoned tome to retrieve it from its present unworthy owner"

"What could it be?" the always opportunistic y shook his head, his shock of white hair flying from side to side "Like no dweomer I have seen before," he adic?" Kimmuriel Oblodra put in with obvious distaste "Unknown and uncontrollable"

Rai’gy shot the psionicist an angry glare, but Jarlaxle, ic and psionics, merely smiled "Learn more about it and about them," he instructed the wizard-priest "If it beckons to us, then perhaps ould be wise to heed its call How far are they, and how fast can we get to theun an overland route but were accosted by giantkind and goblinkin at every bend in the path"

"Perhaps the ical item is not particular about who it calls for a nener," Kimmuriel remarked with obvious sarcasnoring the coreat northern city of Waterdeep, I believe, far, far up the Sword Coast"

"But sailing south?" Jarlaxle asked hopefully

"I believe," Rai’gy answered "It does not ics, of course, anddeferentially to Kiet us to the in the next roo, then," Jarlaxle said

"But are we not to visit a guild this very night?" Rai’gy asked

"You will not be needed," Jarlaxle replied "Minor guilds alone will uilds would be wise to employ wizards," the wizard-priest remarked

"The wizard of this one is a friend of Entreri," Jarlaxle explained with a laugh that uild is naught but halflings, hardly versed in the ways of ht continue your examination of Drizzt Do’Urden In the end he will likely prove the ical item?" Kimmuriel asked

"Because of Entreri’s lack of interest," Jarlaxle replied

The wizard-priest shook his head "We offer him power and riches beyond his comprehension," he said "And yet he leads us onward as if he were going into hopeless battle against the Spider Queen herself"

"He cannot appreciate the power or the riches until he has resolved an inner conflict," explained Jarlaxle, whose greatest gift of all was the ability to get into thepowers, such as Kiht use, but with si "But fear not his present lack of h to understand that he will prove ht or not As huerous or ht," Kih that if Artemis Entreri had been born drow in Menzoberranzan the reatest of weapon masters, or perhaps he would have even exceeded that claim Perhaps he would have been a rival to Jarlaxle for control of Bregan D’aerthe

"We will speak in the co hellfire rises into the too-high sky," he said to Rai’gy "Have y answered, and with a bow he turned and left

Jarlaxle turned to Ki

With their cherubic faces, halflings were regarded by the other races as creatures with large eyes, but how much wider those eyes becaical portal opened right before theical intrusion), and Artemis Entreri stepped into the rooure in a layered black coat and a black bolero, banded about the base of its riser in blacker silk

Entreri assuht hiainst the waves of disorientation that always accompanied such psionic dimensional travel

Behind hihtless save that spilling in through the gate from Dwahvel’s cha soldiers moved to htly, and the halfling, with hardly a squeak, toppled to the floor

"He is sleeping and otherwise unharht with the others, ere scraht, I assure you, but I can leave all of you dead in my wake if you insist upon one"

"You could have used the front door," Dwahvel, the only one appearing unshaken, re your establishment," the assassin, fully oriented once more, explained "For your protection"

"And what forical and unbidden, yet none of my wards-and I paid well for theic that will concern you," Entreri replied, "but that will surely concern my enemies Know that I did not return to Cali of others I have traveled the Realht back with me that which I have learned"

"So Artemis Entreri returns as the conqueror," Dwahvel remarked Beside her the soldiers bristled, but Dwahvel did well to hold theht him would cost her dearly, she realized

Very dearly

"Perhaps," Entreri conceded "We shall see how it goes"

"It will take more than a display of teleportation to convince uild behind you," Dwahvel said cally in such a ould prove fatal"

"I do not wish you to choose at all," Entreri assured her

Dwahvel eyed hiuards They, too, wore doubting expressions

"Then why bother to come to in," Entreri answered "I owe you that much, at least"

"And perhaps you wish for ht," the sly halfling reasoned

"As you wish," Entreri replied "When this is finished, and I have found control, I will not forget all that you have already done for hed "Be wary," he said "And, for your health, Dwahvel Tiggerwillies, be neutral I owe you and see our friendship as to the benefit of both, but if I learn that you betrayyour house down around you" With that, he gave a polite bow, a tip of the black bolero and slipped back through the portal

One globe of darkness after another filled Dwahvel’s cha soldiers to crawl about helplessly until one found the normal exit and called the others to his dared to re-enter, to find their sleeping co the body, a small dart stuck into his shoulder

"Entreri has friends," one of thelad indeed at that moment that she had previously chosen to help the outcast assassin He was not a erwillies wished for an eneerous," LaValle said with an exaggerated sigh when Entreri, unannounced and uninvited, walked from thin air, it seemed, into LaValle’s private room

"Well done-on your escape from Kadran Gordeon, I mean," LaValle went on when Entreri didn’t i hard to appear collected Hadn’t Entreri slipped into his guarded room twice before, after all? But this tinized it splayed on LaValle’s face-he had truly surprised the wizard Bodeau had sharpened up the defenses of his guild house aical and physical intrusion As much as he respected Entreri, LaValle had obviously not expected the assassin to get through so easily

"Not so difficult a task, I assure you," the assassin replied, keeping his voice steady so that his words sounded as simple fact and not a boast "I have traveled the world, and under the world and have witnessed powers very different fro me that which I desire"

LaValle sat on an old and co one elbow on the worn arainst his open palm What was it about this s of power? He looked all around at his roooyles, and exotic birds, at the assortical, so from the cubbies atop his desk, at the crystal ball set upon the small table across the way These were his iteh a lifetime of work, iteainst, any single man he had ever met

Except for one What was it about this one? The way he stood? The way he ible as the gray cloak and black bolero he noore?

"Go and bring Quentin Bodeau," Entreri instructed

"He will not appreciate beco involved"

"He already is," Entreri assured the wizard "Now he must choose"

"Between you and?" LaValle asked

"The rest of them," Entreri replied calmly

LaValle tilted his head curiously "You mean to do battle with all of Calimport then?" he asked skeptically

"With all in Caliain with the ut what toand controlled man-but the assassin spoke foolishness, it seeainst the likes of the Basadonis, let alone the rest of Cali Chalsee Anguaine, as well?" the wizard asked, standing and heading for the door

"Chalsee has already been shown the futility of resistance," Entreri replied