Page 7 (2/2)
Again the hard look, and froe to pry a simple "Indeed" out of the assassin
Hobart looked around at his co
"Always could use a good meal after a battle," he remarked
"Or before," said another of the troupe
"Or during," came a deadpan from Jarlaxle&039;s side, and the drow&039;s face erupted with a sarded Entreri
"Charrin
"So is murder," the human whispered back
Entreri wasn&039;t exactly cos He couldn&039;t deny that the ale was good, though, and few races in all the Realms could put out a better selection of tasty h the food froically su the fine food and wine, and taking the h, was not so quiet, prodding Hobart and the others for tales of adventure and battle
The halflings wereto co Gareth first claimed the throne and the Bloodstone Lands were even wilder than their present state
"It is unusual, is it not, for members of your race to prefer the road and battle to comfortable homes?" Jarlaxle asked
"That&039;s the reputation," Hobart ad well the reputation of dark elves," said another of the troupe, and all of the dions in toast
"Aye," said Hobart, "and if we&039;re to believe that reputation, we should have killed you out on the slopes, yes?"
"To warrior halfling adventurers," Jarlaxle offered, lifting his flagon of pale ale
Hobart grinned "Aye, and to all those who rise above the limitations of their ancestors"
"Huzzah!" all the other halflings cheered
They drank and toasted soht the meal complete, the main chef, a chubby fellow named Rockney Haht more cheers and one and still they ate, and Jarlaxle began to prod Hobart again about their exploits Story after story of goblins and orcs falling to the Kneebreakers ensued, with Hobart even revealing the variations on the "swarm," the "weave," and the "front-on wallop," as he named the Kneebreaker battle tactics
"Bah," Jarlaxle snorted "With goblins and orcs, are tactics even necessary? Hardly worthy opponents"
The camp went silent, and a scowl spread over Hobart&039;s face Behind hiled his th of cord for the outsiders to clearly see
Entreri stopped his eating and stared hard at that threatening halfling, quickly surreatest possible daest number of enemies
"In nuroups, nuoblinkin could prove troublesoet?"
Hobart&039;s large brown eyes narrowed
"After your display on the stony field, good sir Hobart, you will have a difficult tioblinkin could prove of consequence to the Kneebreakers Did those last goblins even ainst your riders?"
"We had some wounded," Hobart reround favored our tactics," Hobart explained
"True enough," Jarlaxle conceded "But am I to believe that a troupe so precise as your own could not easily adapt to nearly any terrain?"
"I work very hard to remind my soldiers that we live on the precipice of disaster," Hobart declared "We are one e, indeed," said the drow "I do not underestimate your victories, of course, but I know there is more"
Hobart hooked his thick thu platestretch," he explained " &039;Twas our goal to return to the Vaasan Gate with enough ears to empty Commander Ellery&039;s coffers"
"Bah, but you&039;re just looking to e said, and , at his companions, who murmured and nodded
"And so we shall - the coffers, I ers in the air and a nervous, skinny fellow at Jarlaxle and Entreri&039;s right scra He looked at Hobart, returned the leader&039;s continuing s in size froed to creatures as large as ogres, and a pair so enormous Jarlaxle could have worn either as a hat
Hobart launched back into his tales, telling of a confrontation with a trio of ogres and another ogre pair in the cooblins He raised his voice, al the tale, when he reached the clian to cheer wildly One halfling pair stood up and reenacted the battle scene, the giant i up on a rock to tower over his foes
Despite himself, Artemis Entreri could not help but ss, the passion, the food, the drink, all of it, reminded him so much of soerwillies and fat Dondon
The giant died in Hobart&039;s tale - and the halfling giant died on the rock with great dramatic flourish - and the entire troupe took up the chant of, "Kneebreakers! Kneebreakers!"
They danced, they sang, they cheered, they ate, and they drank On it went, long into the night
Arteht ht by surprise, even when he was apparently sound asleep Thus, the stirring of his partner had him wide awake in moments, still some time before the dawn All around therumbled in their dreams, and the feho had been posted as sentries showed no ns of awareness
Jarlaxle looked at Entreri and winked, and the assassin nodded curiously He followed the drow to the sleeping halfling with the bag of ears, which was set aer size next to the halfling that served as the pack , dexterous fingers, Jarlaxle untied the bag of ears He slid it out slowly then moved silently out of cauards without being noticed was notheht of the waning rinning at Entreri all the while He pinched it between his fingers, then snapped his wrist three times in rapid succession
Entreri was hardly surprised when the button elongated and widened, and its bottoround, so that it looked as if Jarlaxle was holding a stovepipe hat that would fit a iant
With a nod froan scooping the The drow stopped hi that he should leave a few, including one of the giant ears
A snap of Jarlaxle&039;s wrist then returned histo its inauspicious button form, and he put it on the waistcoat in its proper place and tapped it hard, itsit to the material He motioned for Entreri to move aith him then produced, out of thin air of course, a dust broom He brushed away their tracks
Entreri started back toward the halfling encarabbed hi wink and drew a slender wand fro cloak He pointed the wand at the discarded bag and the few ears, then spoke a co sound ensued, acco in place of the smoke was a small wolf
"Enjoy your meal," Jarlaxle instructed the canine, and he turned and headed back to calanced back often, to see the su and shaking it all about, shredding it
Jarlaxle kept going, but Entreri paused a bit longer The wolf scra deprived of a further rate, its te smoke
The assassin could only stare in wonder
They had barely settled back into their blankets when the first rays of dawn peeked over the eastern horizon Still, s truly stirred, and Entreri found some more much-needed sleep
The sudden tuily lifted up on his elbows, glancing around in a to and fro They lifted stones and kicked reht&039;s fire aside They peeked under the pant legs of coot kicked for their foolishness
"There is a problem, I presume," Entreri remarked to Jarlaxle, who sat up and stretched the weariness from his body
"I do believe our little friends have anized co it"
"Because a bag of ears would hear the," said Entreri, his voice as dry as ever
Jarlaxle laughed heartily "I do believe that you are beginning to figure it all out, htens me most of all"
The tent silent when they noted Hobart and a trio of very serious looking fellows staring hard at the respectfully two steps behind the Knee-breaker coroup approached
"Suspicion falls upon us," Jarlaxle re to you, reeted, and there was nothing jovial about his tone "You slept well, I presu much, then," said Entreri
"My friend here, he does not much enjoy discomfort," explained Jarlaxle "You would not know it from his looks or his reputation, but he is, I fear, a bit of a fop"
"Every insult duly noted," Entreri said under his breath
Jarlaxle winked at him
"An extra twist of the blade, you see," Entreri pro?" Hobart asked
"Nothing you would not be interrupting in any case if you ever deign to speak to us," said Entreri
The halfling nodded then looked at Entreri curiously, then siard his friends All four shrugged in unison
"Did you sleep the night through?" Hobart asked
"And , it would seem," Jarlaxle answered
"Bah, &039;tis still early"
"Good sir halfling, I do believe the sun is at its zenith," said the drow
"As I said," Hobart rely little things get confident when the sun wanes, of course Not that they ever have any reason to be confident"
"Not with your great skill against them, to be sure"
Hobart eyed the droith clear suspicion "We&039;reyou&039;d be interested in"
Jarlaxle glanced Entreri&039;s way, his expression not quite innocent and wide-eyed, butelse - the exact look one would expect fronorant of the theft Entreri had to fight hard to keep his own disinterested look about him, for he was quite aa sigh "That is troubling"
"And you will understand e have to search you?"
"And our bedrolls, of course," said the drow, and he stepped back and held his cloak out wide to either side
"We&039;d see it if it was on you," said Hobart, "unless it was uised" He s behind hi felloide eyes, which he blinked continually, and thin brown hair sharply parted and pushed to one side Seeblue wand
"To detect ic, I presume," Jarlaxle relanced at Jarlaxle then back to the halfling With a shrug he took a wide step to the side
The halfling pointed his wand, whispered a coulfed Entreri for just athe assassin, and his wide eyes kept going to Entreri&039;s belt, to the jeweled dagger on one hip then to the sword, powerfully enchanted, on the other The halfling&039;s face twisted and contorted, and he trembled
"You would not want either blade to strike you, of course," said Jarlaxle, catching on to the silent exchange where the as clueing the little wizard in to just how potent the huht?" Hobart asked, and though the ielder could hardly draw a breath, he nodded
"Turn around, then," Hobart bid Entreri, and the assassin did as he was asked, even lifting his cloak so the prying little scholar could get a complete picture
A few moments later, the ielder looked at Hobart and shook his head
Hobart held his hand out toward Jarlaxle, and the other halfling lifted his wand He spoke the co Jarlaxle
The ielder squealed and fell back, shading his eyes
"What?" Hobart asked
The other one sta, and kept his free hand up before hilow of ic that one saw upon the person of Jarlaxle!
"It&039;s not there&039;s IGareth&039;s own"
"What?" Hobart demanded
The other shook his head so rapidly that he nearly knocked himself over
"Concentrate!" demanded the Kneebreaker co for!"
"But but but" the halflinglips
Jarlaxle lifted his cloak and slowly turned, and the poor halfling shielded his eyes even more
"On his belt!" the little one squealed as he fell aith a gasp His two coht hi hi on his belt," the halfling told Hobart when he&039;d finally regained his composure "And another in his hat"
Hobart turned a wary eye on Jarlaxle
The drow, grinning with confidence, unfastened his belt - with a coe pouch free, holding it up before him
"This is your point of reference, yes?" he asked the ielder, who nodded
"I ahed
Hobart scowled
"A si," the drow explained, and tossed it to Hobart "But take care, for within lies my precious Cormyrean brandy I know, I know, I should have shared it with you, but you are so many, and I feared its potent effect on ones so little"
Hobart pulled the bottle from the pouch and held it up to read the label His expression one of great approval, he slid it back into the pouch Then he ruical container, nearly cli in at one point
"We share the brandy, you and I, a bit later?" Jarlaxle proposed when Hobart was done with the pouch
"Or if that hat of yours is holding h to quenchyour funeral pyre"
Jarlaxle laughed aloud "I do so love that you speak directly, good Sir Bracegirdle!" he said
He bowed and reround, then spun it to Hobart
The halfling started to fiddle with it, but Jarlaxle stopped hi
"Return s looked at hi with two items of extra-dimensional nature"
"Rift Astral Bad," Entreri explained
Hobart stared at him then at the amused drow and tossed the pouch back to Jarlaxle The Kneebreaker coreat, wide-brimmed hat, and after a moment, discovered that he could peel back the underside of its peak
"A false compartment?" he asked
"In a sense," Jarlaxle adrew curious as the flap of cloth ca the underside of the peak intact, with no co then held up the piece of black cloth, a circular swatch perhaps half a foot in diaed, and shook his head He tossed the see over his shoulder
"No!" Jarlaxle cried, but too late, for the spinning cloth disk elongate in the air and fell at the feet of Hobart&039;s three co into a ten foot hole
All three squealed and tumbled in
Jarlaxle put his hands to his face
"What?" Hobart asked "What in the six hundred and sixty-six layers of the Abyss?"
Jarlaxle slipped his belt off and whispered into its end, which swelled and took on the shape of a snake&039;s head The whole belt began to grow and coht?" the drow casually asked of Hobart, as at the edge of the hole on his knees, shouting down to his co into the pit or scra around in search of a rope or a branch to use as a ladder
Jarlaxle&039;s snake-belt slithered over the edge
Hobart screaned short sith a wicked serrated edge
"What are you doing?" he cried and seemed about to cleave the snake
Jarlaxle held up his hand, bidding patience Even that s snake was completely in the pit by then, except for the tip of its tail, which fastened itself securely around a nearby root
"A rope of cli," the drow explained Hobart surveyed the scene "Have one take hold and the rope will aid hi out of the pit"
It took a few moments and another use of the wand to confirm the clais were back out of the hole Jarlaxle walked over and cale of the extra-dimensional pocket With a flick of his wrist and a spoken command, it fast reverted to a cloth disk that would fit perfectly inside the drow&039;s great hat At the sa and crawled around his waist, obediently winding itself inside the belt loops of his fine trousers When it came fully around, the "head" bit the end of the tail and coly about the drow&039;s waist
"Well" the obviously flustered Hobart started to say, staring at the ielder "You think " Hobart tried to go on "I mean, is there?"
"I should have killed you in Calimport," Entreri said to Jarlaxle
"For the sake of a flustered halfling, of course," the drow replied
"For the sake of ht realize"
"A-anything else you need to look at on that one?" Hobart finally ed to sputter
The ielder shook his head so forcefully that his lipsnoises
"Consider my toys," Jarlaxle said to Hobart "Do you really believe that your ears are of such value toand iot a point," said the halfling standing next to Hobart
"All the best to you in your search, good Sir Bracegirdle," said Jarlaxle, taking his hat back and replacing the ical cloth "My offer for brandy reht now," Entreri reh not as asted, terrified, and stupefied ielder
"Medicinal purposes," Jarlaxle added, looking at the tre
"He&039;s lucky you didn&039;t strike him blind," added Entreri
"Would not be the first ti"