I Do not own anything but my own characters and my imagination. DO NOT COPY WITHOUT MY WRITTEN PERMISSION
That night he slept in the chair in the dingy, foul smelling inn room, Tristen sleeping nervously on the bed as he watched on to ensure she did not attempt to escape. The following morning he took her to the only place he could think of possibly taking her: Dwahvel Tiggerwillies. He knew that if he took her back to the Basadoni guildhouse, she would no doubt become fodder for the dark elves. He did not want Tristen dead, until he knew who she was, where she was from, and why she followed him to the docks. He draged her through the allies and sewer passages to deliver her to Dwahvel with as few curious eyes as possible. He must have the halfling do something about her clothing, before rumors began to spread about her, and his interest in her. He growled under his breath, causing the young woman in his tow to look up at him with a frown, and then quickly look back to her feet as she navigated the strange passages. She did not know if he was taking her somewhere to keep her, or to kill her. She was not entirely sure which alternative she preferred.
Her answer came, however, when he brought her through a backdoor to a strange tavern, and pulled her in after him. Some strange half-men looked up at the pair curiously, which caused her to gasp and take a step closer to the menacing man she had followed. Her response meant much to him, but he responded only by giving her an emotionless, but icy Enteri look that sent her eyes from the half-men to her feet. One of the half-men and Enteri spoke, and once more they moved down a few more passages until he entered a another chamber with her in tow.
A plesant looking half-woman waited, sitting casually in a plush chair, and smiled amiably at the man, and then sent curious eyes at the strangely-dressed, injured woman behind him. Tristen stared at the half-woman in wonder, before remembering her manners and looked away to take in her surroundings.
"Have you brought home a new pet, Artemis?" Dwahvel asked casually, as if him dragging in prisoners was common place.
He glared, but his tone was lighter than his look, "She followed me."
The half-woman laughed, and did not ask for any more details. She knew he would offer them in his own time, if, of course, he even knew them.
"I need you to watch her until I get what information I need from her. She does not speak Common, and doesn't seem to understand anything else."
"Or who you are?" She asked lightly, noticing the woman stood strangely close to the assassin, when most people would flee as far from the man as possible, clearly overwhelmed by the halflings, the sewers, and her ignorance to everything around her. The woman still stood a good distance from the man, however, proving that even if she did not know he was one of the greatest assassins to live, she was still far from comfortable with him.
Artemis did not choose to answer, but rather laid some coins on the table in from of Dwahvel.
"Make her blend in, and give her a proper name. Tristen Morgan might as well be a target. If she dies, you will suffer the consequences. If injuries make her talk, then so be it." He turned to leave and Tristen moved to follow, but he pointed to the half-woman and said in a low growl, "Dwahvel." She frowned, but made no further move to depart with the man she had followed.
Dwahvel proved to be a kind enough mistress, and Tristen proved to be a more than eager student. The young woman's first night came to be a pleasant one, despite her trepidation at being left by the only, albeit unlikely, person she had come to feel safe around. Safe from others, if not safe from him.
Dwahvel, however, proved to search for trust in Enteri's prisoner first with kindness, and then, if necessary, punishments later on if needed. In truth, the halfling saw in her the same innocence that Artemis saw, and it was that innocence that likely saved her life before and saved her from punishments now. Dwahvel was far more patient than the assassin, pointing out objects and their names without much thought, and Tristen picked up on the language with remarkable aptitude. The human girl was not permitted outside of Dwahvel's personal rooms, however, and guards were permanently posted to make sure she was kept inside, so the woman was never able to forget that she was a prisoner.
That first night she was bathed in lukewarm water by a halfling servant while Dwahvel spoke to her in the Common tongue she did not understand. Tristen was soothed nonetheless by the friendly tone, and quickly grew over her modesty at being bathed by another and watched by yet another. She was given a new name, as Enteri had demanded, that night, as well. The halfling had made sure to have her attention, and then pointed to Tristen and said, slowly, "Seeli Loredes." The halfling felt the name fit the doe-eyed creature, for the name meant in her tongue "unfortunate sunwalker." The halfling smiled at her own wit, but the woman seemed confused in what she was asking of her. The woman caught on quickly, however, and within a night went from being Tristen Morgan to Seeli Loredes, but the change of names did not change the fact that her sole claim to life in this strange world was a man who lived only because he destroyed.
