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"There is a caravan leaving in two days," Jarlaxle inforather souards, you see"

Entreri regarded hi what to make of Jarlaxle&039;s sudden, ceaseless pro to the Gates of Da either end of the Bloodstone Pass through the Galena Mountains into the wilderlands of neighboring Vaasa This caun soon after the pair had nearly been killed in their last escapade, and that battle in the strange tower still had Entreri quite shaken

"Our bona fides, my friend," said the drow, and Entreri&039;s face screwed up evena name for himself in Vaasa," Jarlaxle explained "The opportunities for wealth, faoal was to abalus," Entreri replied, "a potential ereed "And so we shall But think how ather from a heroic reputation It will elevate us from suspicion, and perhaps insulate us froht in an indiscreet action A few months at the Vaasan Gate will elevate our reputations abalus ever could"

Entreri&039;s eyes narrowed There has to be soht

They had been in Damara for several months, and had known about the "opportunities" for heroes in the wilderlands of Vaasa fro - how could they not when every tavern and half the street corners of the city of Heliogabalus were plastered with notices clai as much? Yet only recently, only since the near disaster in the tower, had Jarlaxle taken to the notion of traveling to the north, so Entreri found quite out of character Work in Vaasa was difficult, and luxuries nonexistent, and Entreri knew all too well that Jarlaxle prized luxury above all else

"So what has Ilnezhara told you about Vaasa that has so intrigued you?" Entreri asked

Jarlaxle&039;s srin, one that did not deny Entreri&039;s suspicions

"You know of the war?" the drow asked

"Little," Entreri adonsbane Who could not, in this city that serves as a shrine to the yi, the Witch-King," the drow explained, "a lich of treons," Entreri cut in, sounding quite bored "Yes, yes, I have heard it all"

"Many of Zhengyi&039;s treasures have been uncovered, claiht to Damara," said Jarlaxle "But what they have found is a pittance Zhengyi possessed artifacts, and a hoard of treasure enough to entice flights of dragons to his call And he was a lich He knew the secret"

"You hold such aspirations?" Entreri didn&039;t hide the disgust in his voice

Jarlaxle scoffed at the notion "I ah centuries have been born and have died in reat power"

"The Lichdrow Dyrr, I know," Entreri reminded him

"The most wretched creature in the city, by h to know that practically the entirety of his efforts are devoted to the perpetuation of his existence He has bought eternity for hi it It is a wretched existence, as cold as his skin, and a solitary state of being that knows no like company How ht hiht lose tooI aspire to, I assure you"

"Neither do I"

"But do you realize the power that would coe?" the drow asked "Do you realize how great a price aging kings, fearing their i death, would pay?"

Entreri just stared at the drow

"And who can tell what other yi possessed?" Jarlaxle went on "Are there treasuries full of powerful e weapons that dwarf the power of your own Charon&039;s Claw?"

"Is there no purpose to your life beyond the act of acquisition?"

That rocked Jarlaxle back on his heels - one of the very few times Entreri had ever seen him temporarily rattled But of course it passed quickly

"If it is, it&039;s the purpose of both my life and yours, it would seem," the drow finally retorted "Did you not cross the face of Faerun to hunt down Regis and the ruby pendant of Pasha Pook?"

"It was a job"

"One you could have refused"

"I enjoy the adventure"

"Then let us go," said the drow, and he waved his arerated motion at the door "Adventure awaits! Experiences beyond any we have known, perhaps How can you resist?"

"Vaasa is an empty frozen tundra for most of the year and a puddle of muddy swamp the rest"

"And below that tundra?" the drow teased "There are treasures up there beyond our drea for those treasures"

"Of course," the drow conceded, "but none of them kno to look as well as I"

"I could take that tays"

Jarlaxle put one hand on his hip, turned slightly, and struck a pose "And you would be correct on both counts," he assured his friend The drow reached into his belt pouch and brought forth a corn bread cake artistically topped with a shite and pink frosting He held it up before his eyes, a grin widening on his face "I do so kno to find, and retain, treasure," he said, and he tossed the delicacy to Entreri with the explanation, "A present froh he was in no mood for delicacies, or any food at all

"Piter," he whispered

He knew theand not the cake Entreri and Jarlaxle had liberated the fat chef, Piter McRuggle, frohwaymen, and Jarlaxle had subsequently set the abalus The dro talent when he saw it, and in Piter, there could be no doubt The bakery was doing wonderful business, lining Jarlaxle&039;s pockets with extra coin and lining his notebooks with inforht fall into Jarlaxle&039;s category of found and retained treasures It was pretty obvious which of the duo was taking the lead and as following

"Now, have Iin two days?" Jarlaxle rerin of his

Entreri started to respond, but the words died away in his throat What was the point?

Two days later, he and Jarlaxle were rode sturdy ponies, guarding the left flank of a six-wagon caravan that wound its way out of Heliogabalus&039;s north gate