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"You’d be dead!" one woman in the crowd shouted
"I should be, h
"You have spoken of this before," said Jelvus Grinch
"You have no reason not to believe my words"
"How, then?" Jelvus Grinch asked
"Go to the center of the Winged Wyvern," Barrabus said He reached down and flipped his belt buckle, turning it into a knife He held the blade up in front of the surprised Jelvus Grinch Many in the crowd gasped once e," Barrabus bade hihed "You will find it, ‘BtG,’ scratched in the stone with this very knife on the day I was certain my life was at its end"
"You weathered the store?"
"Can I say it any more clearly?"
Jelvus Grinch started to respond, but silanced back at his coed, nodded, or shook their heads
"The Winged Wyvern Bridge," Jelvus Grinch muttered in disbelief
"A fr--An enemy once claih I loathe hiree"
"What do you want?"
"You wish me to ith you, to help keep you safe while you rebuild your city," said Barrabus
"Yes"
"Renarayishfroni when he learned of it
"It’s possible," Jelvus Grinch said after glancing around to determine the mood of the crowd "And you will join with us and serve as captain of the Neverwinter Guard?"
"No," Barrabus answered without the slightest hesitation, and that, of course, drew more than a fehispers
"I’ve already served you well," Barrabus said "And I’ll continue to be around--perhaps I’ll choose to help you again when the need arises, as it surely will"
Jelvus Grinch blew a heavy sigh "So much like the drow," he said, and Barrabus perked up at that reference
"Do tell"
"Heroes wander through Neverwinter and aid in our plight, but none will stay," one woain," said Barrabus "And know that I’ll be more inclined to aid in your cause, whatever that cause may be, should I learn of the Walk of Barrabus" With a curt bow and a little grin, the small man took his leave
"Would that Drizzt Do’Urden had kept his swords in Neverwinter," he heard one ate
The name stabbed at the heart of Barrabus the Gray
"Is he dead?" Sylora Sally She looked at Jestry, splayed head down over the arers barely brushed the floor His naked back showed bright lines of blood from many deep scratches
"I’ve been known to kill a few," Arunika replied with a laugh She walked over and slapped Jestry hard on the side of his head, and he stirred and coughed "But not this one Not your pet Not yet"
"Not at all, I beg," Sylora replied, reaching for her own clothes and wincing at a few of her own scratches "When Jestry is of no use to me, I’ll take that pleasure as ?"
"He’s a fine warrior"
"You just told ainst Lady Dahlia," Arunika said, for indeed the two had shared much in conversation these last hours, their words punctuated by the heavy snoring of the exhausted Jestry "How many times did you mention her proith that unusual weapon of hers?"
"Not enough times to do her justice, I adhty weapon indeed, and none have ever mastered it to compare with Dahlia’s proficiency"
"And this one?" Arunika asked, and she grabbed a clump of Jestry’s hair and pulled his head up so that Sylora could see his face The sight had both fe Jestry’s lips ith spittle Arunika let hio and his head dropped and bobbed "Do you believe that he can stop her?"