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Servant of Shadow	By : Giovanna Category: A through F > Forgotten Realms Views: 3740 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Forgotten Realms series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter 11

Chapter 11.
" I really don''t understand what it is you find so damned funny, " Artemis Entreri said as they made their way through the streets of Manyfolk.
Aramys glanced back at the human. "None of your concern! " she replied irritably. "And try to be silent."
Entreri scowled at her tone. "I thought you said these masks would allow us to speak to each other but be unheard by others."
" So they do. " the elf replieI''m I''m sick of listening to you."
Entreri shot a murderous glare at her back as he followed her along the darkened street. If she had been anyone else, he would have put a knife into it by now and been long gone from the place; yet for some reason he held his temper with this one. There was something about her that he couldn’t deny he found fascinating, much as he wanted to. Perhaps, he thought, it was the odd incongruity of her nature that so intrigued him: one moment she could seem every bit as cold and ruthless as himself, with a surly, sarcastic attitude that was completely maddening. But then at odd times there appeared a young and vulnerable woman, strangely innocent. He wondered how she had sustained that part of her personality, how she had kept a part of herself untainted by the corruption around her. It was hidden very well, but he could see it nonetheless. Why the hell did it matter to him? he thought to himself. Artemis Entreri was not a man noted for sentimentality.
Of course, there were also less-philosophical reasons for his uncharacteristic forbearance. Entreri considered the slender elven woman walking ahead of him. Her movements where light and graceful as a dancer''s, and watching her, he found himself thinking things he had told himself he would not. She belongs to Jarlaxle, he commanded himself firmly; his folly of a week ago was not something he intended to repeat .He couldn’t comprehend why he was obsessing over such trivial matters anyway. Had Drizzt hit him over the head at some point in their last battle? I need to focus on the business at hand!
Aramys paused behind a rock formation and turned to her companion. His dark eyes were fixed on her rather intently, but when she turned, he seemed shaken from some thought. Eyeing him curiously, she pointed to a strangely lit edifice at the end of the street. " That is the apothecary shop of Taella Sorl." Aramys explained softly. " She is our mark tonight."
Entreri studied the palatial building. "I thought you said she was a common merchant."
Aramys smiled behind her mask. "Merchant, yes. Common, no. Taella is a very powerful mage, wealthy and well connected. Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates her unusual sense of humor." The girl looked at the building speculatively. " Expect the place to be heavily warded with traps, magical and otherwise."
"Why would a merchant need so many protective measures?" Entreri questioned her.
"I did say she has a sense of humor, didn’t I? Lets just say she jested with the wrong cleric." Aramys laughed to herself as she thought about the merchant-mage. With her penchant for practical jokes, it was a mystery as to how she had managed to stay in business, not to mention alive, for so many centuries. Sadly, Taella''s luck was about to change tonight.
The man''s next query interrupted the thought, "How many guards do you expect her to have?"
"Good question." the girl replied." I usually have these things better researched. However, I can tell you that Taella is notoriously paranoid, and trusts no one. Any guards she is likely to have will be magical in nat"
"
"Just perfect." Entreri responded sarcastically. " We have to assassinate a rfulrful magic user with a flair for comedy. Do you think she will just kill us, or turn us into pixies first and swat us with a scroll?"
Aramys shrugged noncommittally in answer.
The two stole closer to the building. In the shadows a little way from it, Entreri watched curiously as Aramys paused and whispered several odd words under her breath. Looking up at the building, she smiled to herself. "Yes, it is as I said. Look."
Entreri saw that the building was crisscrossed with lines of energy, the windows inscribed with strange runes. "What did you do?" he asked quietlnNotnNot glancing at him, Aramys studied the building closely." Nothing much," she replied," Just a small spell to detect magical wards."
" I had no idea you had any magical abilities." He paused and considered, "Well, beyond the levitation thing, of course."
"All drow do to a certain extent." Here she did look at him sharply, " Don’t say it! My education has been pretty sketchy, for obvious reasons, but I can still accomplish a few simple things."
"Alright then," Entreri replied, " What does it mean."
" What I figured, that the entire building is heavily warded." She paused and considered. " Except, that window there on the third floor. It has only one simple trap, more for decoration than anything else."
The assassin couldn’t read her thoughts from her masked face. "So," he questioned slowly, " That is the window you wish to enter?"
Aramys laughed. " I''d say that is the last one we should enter, because it is the rout Taella would wish us to take."
Entreri smiled to himself at her logic." Unless, of course, she is anticipating that as well."
"True." the girl conceded.
" So, where to?"
Aramys pointed to a small window towards the back of the building on the ground floor. "That one will do, I think."
When they arrived at the window in question, the elf-maid stopped and looked at Entreri expectantly. "What? " he asked.
" Diffuse the trap." she said as though the answer should be obvious.
"Can''t you?" the man responded.
" Of course I can, but you may as well serve some purpose on this venture."
The assassin stared at her, then shook his head and bent to the task without further comment.
Aramys watched the man as he went about the job with impressive skill. His hands moved with amazing precision, and the young woman found herself watching their motion with fascination. Though of a far sturdier make than elven hands, Entreri''s possessed a comtiontion of strength and grace that Aramys found strangely beautiful. I shouldn’t be thinking this now! Entreri turned and lookeck ack at her, pulling the window open quietly.
" Very good!" she responded.
Entreri rolled his eyes. She sounded as though she was praising a small child for some simple task he had just mastered. Silently, the two climbed through the opened window.
The room they had entered seemed to be a storage room, lined with row after row of tall shelves bearing a multitude of odd-looking vials of potions and powders. Aramys looked around with interest, wishing there were time to examine the contents more closely.
The two passed without incident into the next chamber, a central room in the house. This one was beautifully decorated, with tapestries and gorgeous carvings on every available surface. In the center was a fantastically carved stone staircase, leading to what was most likely Taella''s private chambers. To either side of the staircase were the statues of two huge arachnids, arranged almost as if guarding the stairway. Moving cautiously around the room, eyeing the statues with more than passing interest, Aramys looked through a second doorway opposite the one they had entered. It led to the shop front of Taella''s business.
Aramys turned to her companion. " It seems the only way to our quarry is through there." she told him.
"Yes?" he answered, not understanding her hesitance.
"Do you know what those are? Aramys asked, indicating the statues.
Entreri took her meaning." You mean besides hideous? Well, one would guess they are the magical guardians you suspected."
"Should have chosen the second floor window," Aramys muttered.
" It''s not too late." Entreri said. The moment the words were out of his mouth, the two doors to the room slammed shut and the spider statues became suddenly, hideously real. .
"Too late! " the girl informed him.
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- 12
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Servant of Shadow