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Doent the big ain snapping his opponent’s head to the side Up went the man’s hands defensively and another uppercut lifted hi cycle repeated a third tiing there helplessly Still angry about the choke hold, Afafrenfere leaned right against the bigthe brute froh!" came a cry froh!" shouted another

Brother Afafrenfere turned around and put up his hands unthreateningly He stared into a score of a their heads in disbelief

Theand a crooked grin, and the dwarf, recognizing the intent behind that look, shook her head and grimaced

Just as Afafrenfere spun a sudden circuit up on his the balls of his feet, co left hook that chopped the side of the bigover and down, to land heavily flat on his back on the wooden floor

The whole room seemed to stand in place and ti a sudden frozen silence, all eyes locked on this shocking, wiry roaned and shifted, showing that he wasn’t dead at least, breaking the spell, and several patrons near to A Afafrenfere ic, dwarf?" one man asked

"None," answered a woman from behind, unexpectedly, and the crowd parted and turned to see a red-haired woman well known in Neverwinter

Arunika moved up to the dwarf and monk and scrutinized Afafrenfere carefully She took him by the wrist, and when he didn’t object, she turned his ar a tattoo of a yellow rose inside his forearic," she said to those others around "A fair win, though I’d not be betting on this one’s opponents"

"Ah, ye gamed us, ye wretched little dwarf!" a particularly dirty patron gruht back at hiivin’ me a bet, and then yer boy looked to be a winner and ye called me on me coin!"

"Ye set it up that way!" the patron declared

"I set it up to get the life choked out o’alive tohat ye’re sayin’, then yer champion there ain’t much o’ nothin’! Think about it, ye dolt!" As she built ris ht in his face, driving hiet himself choked half to death knowin’ that he could then break out and pound yer boy to the floor Says nothing good about yer boy, and I’ll be sure to tell him o’ yer confidence and praise"--she looked over at theup"

That had the aggressive man back on his heels

"Pay her," Arunika told the patrons "Coin won fairly And if you’re to bet, then you’re to pay your losses"

Much gruris and Afafrenfere walked out of the tavern with several s anymore that way," Afafrenfere remarked "We should have stopped after two"

"Bah! They’ll bet again Can’t help themselves, the dolts"

"They will bet on ht," Arinned wickedly and winked at him "Unless ye’re thinkin’ ye can take a pair o’ thehed instead More likely, he knew, Aainst three opponents

"There is your seer," Dahlia remarked to Drizzt

The drow reflexively put a hand to his belt pouch, but he moved it back immediately He didn’t need Arunika, for Guen was back beside him

But then another idea came to him, and he smiled at Dahlia and waved to Arunika to join him

"You look well," the red-haired woman remarked when she came over and took a seat beside the two

"He found his panther," Dahlia explained "And noe seek--" Drizzt put his hand on her forear Arunika surely noticed

"Barrabus--Artemis Entreri, is here," Drizzt said "He is in the third private rooo to him for me? I will pay"

Dahlia’s eyes widened and she turned to stare at Drizzt, her expression full of surprise and anger

"I ah

"No," Drizzt replied with a laugh of his own, "not like that Entreri has agreed to accohts His best course is to the north, I insist, and I would like you to confirm that for him"

"On your word?" the woman asked skeptically

"Use your powers then," Drizzt bade her "I knohere to find so he wishes returned to him"