dragon’s hoard.”-
Elaith glared at the riddlemaster for a moment, then a strange glint entered his amber eyes. He affixed Danilo and his bardic companions with a measuring, speculative gaze.
“Of course, I will recompense you for the loss of Vartakes services,” Danilo said hastily, seeing the expression on the elf s face and eager to press any advantage. “You’ve little need for money, but rumor has it you’ve a fondness for magical items.”
Danilo pushed up the full sleeve of his shirt, revealing a jeweled knife in an elaborately tooled leather wrist sheath. Turning away so that pulling the blade could not be construed as a threat, Danilo flicked the knife toward the peppergum tree. It quivered in the soft bark for five heartbeats. Then, suddenly, it was gone. Danilo held out his wrist for the elf’s inspection. The knife had returned to the sheath.
“A very handy toy,” Elaith agreed. “Very well, you may have Vartain and welcome. I will take the knife, as well as fifty pieces of platinum, standard trade weight The former I will collect now; the latter is payable by you or your estate upon my return to Waterdeep. There is one other condition: my men and I will join forces with your formidable army.” He paused and made an ironic bow to Wyn and Morgalla, then turned back to Dan with a small, tight smile. “From this day until the completion of the search, you and I will be partners.”
Danilo stared at the elf, utterly dumbfounded. At length he found his tongue and said in a dazed tone, “Partners?” `That’s right”
“Buggering Beshaba!” Danilo swore fervently, evoking the goddess of bad luck. “I had not anticipated this turn of events!”
“Nor I,” said Elaith dryly. “I can see that you’re as pleased with the prospect as I am. Regardless, have we a deal?”
“I suppose we do,” Dan agreed slowly. His eyed the elf dubiously, but he unstrapped the leather sheath and handed it to him. Elaith removed the magic knife from the sheath and examined it closely, tested its weight and balance, and then tossed it high into the air. He caught the descending knife by the tip and hurled it, all in one smooth movement, at the peppergum tree. The jeweled knife found the same spot Danilo had struck
“I’m curious,” Elaith said casually. “Say that I were to throw this knife at an enemy. The wound wouldn’t heal once the knife magically withdrew, would it? The damage would remain?”
‘That’s right”
The elf held Danilo’s eyes as he strapped the sheath onto his forearm, and his smile was not a pleasant one. “Splendid,” he said.
The morning was still young when Larissa Neathal pulled herself from her bed. Sitting at a dressing table before a large triple mirror, she assessed her face for evidence of the all-night party. The laughter and music still echoed through her head, leaving it throbbing with dull pain, yet her gray eyes were clear and her white skin flawless. She pressed her fingertips delicately to the tiny puffs under her eyes, and with a shrug she reached for a jar of tinted unguent. Larissa disliked cosmetics and did not often resort to their use, but she had an appointment within the hour, and in her business she could ill afford to look less than her best.
Last night had been especially profitable for the beautiful courtesan. The socially prominent Lady Thione had opened the Midsummer season with an extravagant costume affair. During the long hours of revelry Larissa’s legendary capacity for dancing and drinking had been stretched to the limit. From a courtesan’s point of view particularly a courtesan who also served as a Lord of Waterdeepthe party could hardly have been better. She had charmed some business secrets from a smitten Connyrian merchant, gleaned some interesting news from a far-traveled bard named Garnet, and met a merchant nobleman visiting from Tethyr. Lord Hhunea fat, black-haired man with small, unreadable eyes, thick black brows, and an
Elaith glared at the riddlemaster for a moment, then a strange glint entered his amber eyes. He affixed Danilo and his bardic companions with a measuring, speculative gaze.
“Of course, I will recompense you for the loss of Vartakes services,” Danilo said hastily, seeing the expression on the elf s face and eager to press any advantage. “You’ve little need for money, but rumor has it you’ve a fondness for magical items.”
Danilo pushed up the full sleeve of his shirt, revealing a jeweled knife in an elaborately tooled leather wrist sheath. Turning away so that pulling the blade could not be construed as a threat, Danilo flicked the knife toward the peppergum tree. It quivered in the soft bark for five heartbeats. Then, suddenly, it was gone. Danilo held out his wrist for the elf’s inspection. The knife had returned to the sheath.
“A very handy toy,” Elaith agreed. “Very well, you may have Vartain and welcome. I will take the knife, as well as fifty pieces of platinum, standard trade weight The former I will collect now; the latter is payable by you or your estate upon my return to Waterdeep. There is one other condition: my men and I will join forces with your formidable army.” He paused and made an ironic bow to Wyn and Morgalla, then turned back to Dan with a small, tight smile. “From this day until the completion of the search, you and I will be partners.”
Danilo stared at the elf, utterly dumbfounded. At length he found his tongue and said in a dazed tone, “Partners?” `That’s right”
“Buggering Beshaba!” Danilo swore fervently, evoking the goddess of bad luck. “I had not anticipated this turn of events!”
“Nor I,” said Elaith dryly. “I can see that you’re as pleased with the prospect as I am. Regardless, have we a deal?”
“I suppose we do,” Dan agreed slowly. His eyed the elf dubiously, but he unstrapped the leather sheath and handed it to him. Elaith removed the magic knife from the sheath and examined it closely, tested its weight and balance, and then tossed it high into the air. He caught the descending knife by the tip and hurled it, all in one smooth movement, at the peppergum tree. The jeweled knife found the same spot Danilo had struck
“I’m curious,” Elaith said casually. “Say that I were to throw this knife at an enemy. The wound wouldn’t heal once the knife magically withdrew, would it? The damage would remain?”
‘That’s right”
The elf held Danilo’s eyes as he strapped the sheath onto his forearm, and his smile was not a pleasant one. “Splendid,” he said.
The morning was still young when Larissa Neathal pulled herself from her bed. Sitting at a dressing table before a large triple mirror, she assessed her face for evidence of the all-night party. The laughter and music still echoed through her head, leaving it throbbing with dull pain, yet her gray eyes were clear and her white skin flawless. She pressed her fingertips delicately to the tiny puffs under her eyes, and with a shrug she reached for a jar of tinted unguent. Larissa disliked cosmetics and did not often resort to their use, but she had an appointment within the hour, and in her business she could ill afford to look less than her best.
Last night had been especially profitable for the beautiful courtesan. The socially prominent Lady Thione had opened the Midsummer season with an extravagant costume affair. During the long hours of revelry Larissa’s legendary capacity for dancing and drinking had been stretched to the limit. From a courtesan’s point of view particularly a courtesan who also served as a Lord of Waterdeepthe party could hardly have been better. She had charmed some business secrets from a smitten Connyrian merchant, gleaned some interesting news from a far-traveled bard named Garnet, and met a merchant nobleman visiting from Tethyr. Lord Hhunea fat, black-haired man with small, unreadable eyes, thick black brows, and an
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