Page 2 (1/2)
Book 1
Searches
1 A Dagger at Their Backs
He kept his cloak pulled tightly about hih the curtained s, for this was his existence, secretive and alone The way of the assassin
While other people went about their lives basking in the pleasures of the sunlight and the welcohbors, Artemis Entreri kept to the shadows, the dilated orbs of his eyes focused on the narrow path he must take to accomplish his latest mission
He truly was a professional, possibly the finest in the entire realms at his dark craft, and when he sniffed out the trail of his prey, the victim never escaped So the assassin was unbothered by the empty house that he found in Bryn Shander, the principal city of the ten settlements in the wasteland of Icewind Dale Entreri had suspected that the halfling had slipped out of Ten-Towns But no ht all the way from Calimport, a thousand ress than he ever could have hoped His mark had no more than a teek head start and the trail would be fresh indeed
Entrerihints of the halfling’s life here that would give hireeted hi had left in a hurry, probably aware that the assassin was closing in Entreri considered this a good sign, further heightening his suspicions that this halfling, Regis, was the sao in the distant southern city
The assassin s kneas being stalked, adding to the challenge of the hunt as Entreri pitted his stalking prowess against his intended victi ability But the end result was predictable, Entreri knew, for a frightened person invariablyfor in a desk drawer in the lected to take precautions to conceal his true identity Entreri held the s the inscription that clearly identified Regis as a uild in Calinet, the evil s across his face
"I have found you, little thief," he laughed into the emptiness of the room "Your fate is sealed There is nowhere for you to run!"
His expression changed abruptly to one of alertness as the sound of a key, in the palatial house’s front door echoed up the hallway of the grand staircase He dropped the ring into his belt pouch and slipped, as silent as death, to the shadows of the top posts of the stairway’s heavy banister
The large double doors swung open, and awoman stepped in from the porch ahead of tarves Entreri knew the man, Cassius, the spokesman of Bryn Shander This had been his home once, but he had relinquished it several ’s heroic actions in the town’s battle against the evil wizard, Akar Kessell, and his goblin minions
Entreri had seen the other huh he hadn’t yet discovered her connection to Regis Beautiful wo woaily about her shoulders, the intense sparkle of her dark blue eyes enough to bind any man hopelessly within their depths
Her name, the assassin had learned, was Catti-brie She lived with the dwarves in their valley north of the city, particularly with the leader of the dwarven clan, Bruenor, who had adopted her as his own a dozen years before when a goblin raid had left her orphaned
This could prove a valuable h the banister poles to hear the discussion below
"He’s been gone but a week!" Catti-brie argued
"A ith no word," snapped Cassius, obviously upset "With uarded Why, the front door was unlocked when I cais," Catti-brie reh in truth the house had indeed been a gift The spokesis the key to this palace, the grandest house north of Mirabar In retrospect, Cassius understood that he had been caught up in the fervor of that treis had lifted his e the reputed hypnotic powers of the ruby pendant
Like others who had been duped by the persuasive halfling, Cassius had come to a very different perspective on the events that had transpired, a perspective that painted Regis unfavorably
"No matter the name ye call it," Catti-brie conceded, "ye should not be so hasty to decide that Regis has forsaken the house"
The spokes out today!" he de’s belongings out of my house! Any that rehts of possession! And I warn you, I shall be coed!" He turned on his heel and storot his hair up about this one," chuckled Fender Mallot, one of the dwarves "Never have I seen one whose friends swing frois!"
Catti-brie nodded in agreeis played with ured that his paradoxical relationships with those around his
"Do ye suppose he’s off with Drizzt and Bruenor?" Fender asked Up the stairs, Entreri shifted anxiously
"Not to doubt," Catti-brie answered "All winter they’ve been asking him to join in the quest for Mithril Hall, an’ to be sure, Wulfgar’s joining added to the pressure"
"Then the little one’s halfway to Luskan, or ht in wantin’ his house back"
"Then let us get to packing," said Catti-brie "Cassius has enough o’ his oithout adding to the hoard froainst the banister The name of Mithril Hall was unknown to hiain, wondering if he ht catch theh, he knew that there still arnered here Catti-brie and the dwarves set about the task of collecting the halfling’s belongings, and as they moved from room to room, the black shadow of Artemis Entreri, as silent as death, hovered about theuessed that the gentle ripple in the drapes was anything es of the , or that the shadow behind a chair was disproportionately long
He h to hear nearly all of their conversation, and Catti-brie and the dwarves spoke of little else than the four adventurers and their journey to Mithril Hall But Entreri learned little for his efforts He already knew of the halfling’s famed companions - everyone in Ten-Towns spoke of theade drow elf, who had forsaken his dark-skinned people in the bowels of the Realuardian against the intrusions of the wilderness of Icewind Dale; of Bruenor Battlehammer, the rowdy leader of the dwarven clan that lived in the valley near Kelvin’s Cairn; and hty barbarian, as captured and raised to adulthood by Bruenor, returned with the savage tribes of the dale to defend Ten-Towns against the goblin army, then struck up a truce between all the peoples of Icewind Dale A bargain that had salvaged, and promised to enrich, the lives of all involved
"It seems that you have surrounded yourself with forainst the back of a large chair, as Catti-brie and the dwarvesroom "Little help they will offer You are mine!"
Catti-brie and the dwarves worked for about an hour, filling two large sacks, primarily with clothes Catti-brie was astounded with the stock of possessions Regis had collected since his reputed heroics against Kessell and the goblins - rateful citizens Well aware of the halfling’s love of comfort, she could not understand what had possessed him to run off down the road after the others But what truly a along at least a few of his belongings And the h the palace, the more this whole scenario of haste and iis There had to be another factor, sohed
"Well, we got more’n we can carry, anda sack over his sturdy shoulder "Leave the rest for Cassius to sort, I say!"
"I would no’ give Cassius the pleasure of clais," Catti-brie retorted "There may yet be valued items to be found Two of ye take the sacks back your roo the work up here"
"Ah, yer too good to Cassius," Fender gru toowhat he owns!"
"Be fair, Fender Mallot," Catti-brie retorted, though her agreeing smile belied any harshness in her tone "Cassius served the toell in the war and has been a fine leader for the people of Bryn Shander Ye’ve seen as well asup a cat’s fur!"
Fender chuckled in agreeettin’ what he wants, the little one has left a row or two of ruffled victims!" He patted the other dwarf on the shoulder and they headed for the irl," Fender called back to Catti-brie "We’re to the ain Tomorrow, no later!"
"Ye fret too
Entreri considered the last exchange and again a sical charms The "ruffled victims" that Fender had spoken of described exactly the people that Pasha Pook had duped back in Calimport People char Catti-brie was alone in the big house - or so she thought
She was still pondering Regis’s uncharacteristic disappearance Her continued suspicions that so, began to foster within her the sense that so here in the house, as well
Catti-brie suddenly became aware of every noise and shadow around her The "click-click" of a pendulum clock The rustle of papers on a desk in front of an openThe swish of drapes The scutterings of a mouse within the wooden walls
Her eyes darted back to the drapes, still trehtly froh a crack in the , but the alert wo to a crouch and reaching for the dagger on her hip, she started toward the open doorway a few feet to the side of the drapes