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THE COMPANY

Parissus, the Impilturian woht around her wounded forearm

"You better be here to tell me that you&039;ve decided to deliver the rest of our bounty," she said to the soldier sitting across the other side of the small room where the cleric had set up his chapel Her appearance, with broad shoulders and short-cropped, disheveled blond hair, added menace to her words, and anyone who had ever seen Parissus wield her broadsould say that sense of ed manner, with thick black hair and a full beard, and skin browned by many hours out in the sun, see," said the woman&039;s female companion, a half-elf, aze then widened her eyes fiercely - and indeed, those eyes had struck fear into ray, Calihye&039;s eyes had been the last ie so many opponents had seen Those eyes! So intense that they ht cheek, where a pirate&039;s gaff hook had caught her and nearly torn her face off, tearing a jagged line froe of her thin lips and to thebecause of the contrast between theular elf&039;s features of a face that, had it not been for the scar, could not have been considered anything but beautiful

Davis Eng chuckled "What do you think, Pratcus?" he asked the dwarf cleric "That little wound of hers seeiant&039;s ear!" Parissus growled at hi replied, and he fished into his belt pouch and produced the torn ear, holding it up before his eyes "Sht talk re&039;s bounty"

"Or I ht cut it out of your hide," said Calihye

"With your fingernails, I hope," the soldier replied, and the dwarf laughed

Parissus slapped hih all the louder

"Every tenday it&039;s that saame," Pratcus remarked, and even surly Calihye couldn&039;t help but chuckle a bit at that

For indeed, every tenday when it ca, she, and Parissus played their little gabear, hobgoblin, and giant - the successful hunting pair had delivered to the Vaasan Gate

"Only a ga to pocket a bit of Ellery&039;s coin," Calihye said

"Co corrected, and his voice took on a serious tone

"That, or he can&039;t count," said Parissus, and she groaned again as Pratcus tugged the bandage into place "Or can&039;t tell the difference between an ogre and a giant Yes, that would be it, I suppose, since he&039;s not set foot outside of Daued

"In the Witch-King War?" Parissus snapped back "You were a child"

"Vaasa is not nearly as unta," said Davis Eng "When I first joined the Army of Bloodstone,Gareth had seen fit to pay a bounty in those first months, his treasury would have been cleared of coin, do not doubt"

"Kill any giants?" asked Calihye, and the res? Or goblins, even?"

That brought another laugh from Pratcus

"Bah, that one&039;s always had a probles," Parissus added "So they&039;re saying in Ironhead&039;s Tavern and in Muddy Boots and Bloody Blades But he&039;s not one for consistency, I&039; now like he&039;s iven him a titan&039;s ear!"

Pratcus snorted and jerked, and Parissus ended with a squeal as he inadvertently twisted the bandage

Calihye was laughing too, and after ajoined in He had never been able to resist those then all was said and done

"I&039;ll call it a giant, then," he surrendered "A baby giant"

"I noted nothing on the bounty charts about age," Calihye said as Davis Eng began to count out the coins

"A kill is a kill," Davis Eng agreed

"You&039;ve been taking a particular interest in our earnings these last tendays," Calihye said "Is there a reason?"

Pratcus started to chuckle, tipping the wolowered at hi, who similarly chuckled and nodded

"Yer friend&039;s passed Athrogate," the dwarf priest explained, and he glanced over at Calihye "He&039;ll be back in a couple o&039; tendays, and he&039;s not to be pleased that all his time away has put him in back o&039; Calihye in bounties earned"

The look that crossed between Parissus and Calihye was one more of concern than of pride Was that honor really a desired one, considering the disposition of Athrogate and his known connections to the Citadel of Assassins?

"And you, Parissus, are fast closing in on the dwarf," Davis Eng added

Davis Eng tossed a s of silver to Calihye and said, "He&039;ll fuets back He&039;ll o out and slaughter half of the monsters in Vaasa, just to put you two in your place He&039;ll probably hire wagons out, just to carry back the ears"

Neither woate," Pratcus said

Davis Eng laughed and so did Calihye, and Parissus a ate?