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LIFE IN FUGUE

Entreri crawled out of his tent, rose to his feet and stretched slowly and to his lih, the sudden stab in his lower back reround didn&039;t serve hi his eyes then glanced around at the tent-filled plain set between towering walls of mountains east and west Just north of Entreri&039;s caray-black stones and iron of the Vaasan Gate, the northern of the two great fortress walls that sealed Bloodstone Valley north and south The Vaasan Gate had finally been co work could ever truly be considered finished, with fortresses on the eastern and western ends of the ate served as the last barrier between Entreri and the wilderness of Vaasa He and Jarlaxle had accoates, the Damaran Gate, which was still under construction in the south They had ridden with the wagons for another day,northwest under the shadow of theGareth - though the monarch was under pressure to do to remain in that most lawful of places, the pair had quickly taken their leave, ht theathered adventurers had collectively naht, for the naue Plane was rumored to be the extra-diion where the newly dead congregated before their final journey to Paradise or Torment The place between the heavens and the hells

The tent city was no less a crossroads, for south lay Damara - at peace, united, and prosperous under the leadership of the Paladin King - while north beyond the as a land of wild adventure and desperate battle

And of course, he and Jarlaxle were heading north

All manner of ruffians inhabited the tent city, the types of people Entreri kneell from his days on Calimport&039;s streets Would-be heroes, every one -to er Entreri ventured forth with such people? And more often than not, the journey had ended with a conflict between the members of the band As he considered that, Entreri&039;s hand instinctively went to the dagger sheathed on his hip

He knew better than to trust a per air Scores of breakfast fires dotted the field, and the lizardlike hiss of knives being sharpened broke the calls of the many birds that flitted about

Entreri spotted Jarlaxle at one such breakfast fire a few dozen yards to the side The drow stood a characters: a pair of men who looked as if they could be brothers - or father and son possibly, since one had hair ray than black - a dith half his beard torn away, and an elf feolden hair braided all the way down her back Entreri could tell by their posture that the four weren&039;t overly confident in the unexpected presence of a dark elf The positioning of their arht turn of their shoulders, showed that to a one they were ready for a quick defensive reaction should the drow make any unexpectedJarlaxle earing away those defenses Entreri watched as the dark elf dipped a polite bow, pulling off his grand hat and sweeping the ground His everyhis hands in clear sight at ail times

A few moments later, Entreri could only chuckle as those around Jarlaxle began to laugh - presumably at a joke the drow had told Entreri watched, his expression caught soan to lean toward Jarlaxle, her posture clearly revealing her increasing interest in him

Jarlaxle reached out to the dwarf and manipulated his hand to make it seem as if he had just taken a coin out of the diht a moment of confusion, where all four of the onlookers reflexively brought a hand to their respective belt pouches, but it was quickly replaced by howls of laughter, with the younger of thethe dwarf on the back of his head

The mirth and Entreri&039;s attention were stolen when the thunder of hooves turned the attention of all of theed past the tents, silver armor strapped all about its flanks and chest Its rider was si silver plates, decorated with flowing carvings and delicate designs The knight wore a great helm, flat-topped and plumed with a red feather on the left-hand side As the horse passed Entreri&039;s position, he noted a well-adorned battle-axe strapped at the side of the thick, sturdy saddle

The horse skidded to a stop right in front of Jarlaxle and his four companions, and in that sa the drow

Entreri eased his way over, expecting trouble

He wondered if the newcoht have some elf blood, but when the hel, fiery red hair fell free, tu down her back, Entreri realized the truth of it

He picked up his pace and et a better look at her face, and what he saw surely intrigued hiht&039;s complexion clashed with her attire, for it did not seearb of a warrior By the way she stood, and the way she had ridden and disracefully despite her heavy arh - when she had to be, he realized But those features also told hiht like to explore

The assassin pulled up short and considered his own thoughts, surprised by his interest

"So the ruh to hear "A drow elf"

"My reputation precedes rin and dipped another of his patented bows "Jarlaxle, at your service, milady"

"Your reputation?" the woman scoffed "Nay, dark-skinned one A hundred whispers speak of you, rumors of the dastardly deeds we can expect fro of your reputation"

"I see And so you have come to verify that reputation?"

"To witness a dark elfin our midst," the woman replied "I have never seen such a creature as you"

"And do I meet with your approval?"

The woan to slowly circle the drow

"Your race evokes i I am told that I should be wary - terrified, even - and yet I find myself less than i posture"

"Aye, but watch his hands," the dwarf chiers, don&039;t ye doubt"

"A cutpurse?" she asked

"Madame, you insult me"

"I ask of you, and I expect an honest answer," she retorted, a treround of her solid but ue are known cutpurses who have come here by court edict, to work the wilderness of Vaasa and redeeered sins"

"But I ah ht redee for your heritage"

"Then I aain"

"A feeling you would do well to acquaint yourself with You still have not answered rin

"Do you knoho I am?" the woman asked

"The way you ask makes me believe that I should"

The woman looked past the drow to the female elf

"Commander Ellery, of the Army of Bloodstone, Vaasan Gate," the elf recited without pause

"My full name"

The elf stuttered and seemed at a loss

"I aonsbane Peidopare," the woman said, her tone evenyour possessions nored hionsbane, Queen of Daonsbane himself asGareth?"

The woman squared her shoulders and her jaw

"Cousins in opposite directions, I would hope," said Jarlaxle

That brought a less imperious and more curious stare

"I would hate to think that the future princes and princesses of Daers on each hand, after all," the drow explained, and the curious look turned darker "Ah, but the ways of royalty"

"You mock the man who chased the demon lord Orcus across the planes of existence?"

"Mock hi as if he had just been unexpectedly slapped "Nothing could be farther froood Commander Ellery I express relief that while you claim blood relations to both, their own ties are not so close You see?"

She steeled her gaze "I will learn of your reputation," she promised

"You ish then that you included D&039;aerthe in your collection of names, I assure you," the drow replied

"Jarlaxle D&039;aerthe?"

"At your service," he said, sweeping into yet another bow

"And you will be watched closely, drow," Coet too clever, or your ht of Bloodstone judgment"

"As you will," Jarlaxle conceded

As Ellery turned to leave, he dipped yet another bow Hea quick wink and the flash of a smile

"I leave you to yourherself back into her saddle "Choose wisely the company you keep when you venture forth into Vaasa Far too many already lay dead on that wasteland tundra, and far too many lay dead because they did not surround themselves with reliable companions"

"I will heed well your words," Jarlaxle was quick to reply, though they had not been ai a bit leery of the short one anyway"

"Hey!" said the dwarf, and Jarlaxle flashed hirin

Entreri turned his attention fro most of all the respectful reactions to her from all she passed

"She is a formidable one," he said when Jarlaxle appeared at his side a reed

"I ht have to bed her"

Entreri turned to regard the drow Did anything ever unsettle hi Gareth," Entreri reers over his chin, his eyes glued to the departing figure with obvious intrigue

He uttered only a single word in reply: "Dowry"

"Lady Ellery," said Athrogate, a dwarf renowned in the underworld of Damara as a supreme killer He wore his black beard parted in thedown to mid-chest, each tied off at the end with a band set with a trio of sparkling blue gemstones His eyebroere so bushy that they soe that many speculated he would be able to fly if only he learned how to flap them " &039;E&039;s made hisself some fine company already Be watchin&039; that one, I&039;m tellin&039; ye Watchin&039; or killin&039; him, for if ye&039;re not, then he&039;s to be killin&039; us, don&039;t ye doubt"

"It is an interesting turn, if it is anything at all beyond mere coincidence," ad felloith beady eyes and a long straight nose His hair, as e bald spot atop his head that had turned bright red froertips together as he spoke, all the while subtly twitching

"To assume is to invite disaster," the third and roup advised Most impressive to those who knew the truth of hie Knellict wore nondescript clothing, with his more prized possessions stored safely away back at the Citadel of Assassins

Athrogate licked his lips nervously as he regarded the hty wizard, second only to Timoshenko, the Grandfather of Assassins, in that htpurse, the leading thieves guild of Heliogabalus, Athrogate had been assigned to ride along with Jarlaxle and Entreri to Bloodstone Village, and to report to Canthan in the Fugue He had been quite surprised to find Knellict at the camp Few names in all the northern Reale of the Citadel of Assassins

"Have you learned any s with Innkeeper Feepun and the murder of the shade, Rorli"

"And the murder of Feepun," Knellict said

"You have proof it was brought about by these two?" a surprised Canthan asked

"You have proof it was not?"

Canthan backed off, not wanting to anger the erous man in the Bloodstone Lands

"Information of their whereabouts since the incident with Rorli has been incomplete," Knellict admitted

"They been quiet since then froate replied, his tone revealing that he was eager to please Though he was answering Canthan, his brown eyes kept darting over to regard Knellict The arche, however, quiet and calm, was simply impossible to read "They done some dealin&039;s with a pair o&039; intrestin&039; lady pawnbrokers, but we ain&039;t seen &039;eht be that they be lookin&039; ettin&039; me meanin&039; Been known to fancy the ladies, thelanced back at Knellict, who gave the slightest of nods

"Keep close and keep wary," Canthan told Athrogate "If you need us, place your wash-clothes as we agreed and ill seek you out"

"And if yerself&039;s needing me?"

"We will find you, do not doubt," Knellict intervened

The arche&039;s tone was too even, too controlled, and despite a desire to hold a tough facade, Athrogate shuddered He nearly fell over as he bobbed in a bow then scurried away, ducking fro more about the human," Knellict remarked when he and Canthan were alone

"I expect they are both forreed "And requiring ate"

"I am already at work on the task," Canthan assured his superior

Knellict gave a slight nod but kept staring across the tent city at Jarlaxle and Entreri as they walked back to their cahtpurse had been ready to abalus and would have - likely to disastrous results for Tightpurse, Knellict figured - had not the Citadel of Assassins intervened At the prodding of Knellict, Timoshenko had decided to pay heed to the pair, particularly to that most unusual dark elf who had so suddenly appeared in their ht on the surface of Toril, and less coions Less co toward stable law and order under the reign of Gareth Dragonsbane and his band of ons destroyed, and the deness Gareth was only growing stronger, the tentacles of his organizations stretching more ominously in the consolidation of Damara&039;s various feudal lords He hadVaasa under his control as well, uniting the two lands as the single kingdo network of scouts was growingday

Timoshenko and Knellict suspected that Vaasa would indeed soon be tamed, and were that to occur, would there reion a place for the Citadel of Assassins?

Knellict did well to hide his frown as he considered yet again the continuing trends in the Bloodstone Lands His eyes did flash briefly as he watched the pair, drow and human, disappear into their tent