CHAPTER 4
Montaron did not sleep; instead, he stayed awake and mulled over a fact that he had always suspected but had chosen to ignore. Though he realized it had been the ale talking when Xzar had made his proposition, he knew there was a strong possibility that it came from a stable basis. The more he branched off this basis in his mind, the more his brain whirred. He sighed heavily and looked across the room to where the wizard lay sleeping. Internal crisis or not, he had a meeting today with GuildMaster Renal BloodScalp.
After what had been exactly nine and a half hours of sitting on the couch, Montaron got to his feet and made his way over to the bed. As he peered down at his sleeping friend's face, he was quite suddenly reminded of the look the man had given him the night before when the wizard's head had been cradled in his lap. He chased the thought from his mind and shook Xzar firmly, "Get up, wizard!" He grumbled. The other man frowned and turned his head away, groaning his displeasure.
"Go away, Monty." Xzar managed through a stifled yawn; he shooed him away with a lazy hand gesture, "I'm still sleeping. See?" He went silent and didn't budge. Montaron's eyes narrowed; he bent and jabbed a knuckle in a spot on the wizard's back, right near the spinal cord. It was a particularly responsive nerve and it made Xzar jump.
"Ahh! You win! You win!" The wizard cried and sat up, then hastily scooted off the bed. Standing now, he suddenly didn't feel so good; he giggled disjointedly and grasped his head with one hand, "Woo!" He cooed, "Mayhap today isn't a good day to be running about, hmm?" He rubbed his head and moaned. Montaron shook his head.
"Ye'd've made a poor sailor," He commented dully then whirled around and headed off towards the nightstand to retrieve his weaponsbelt, "Hangover or not we've got people to see today." He snorted, "S'pose I should've thought of that before I let ye tip a glass." Xzar idly watched his partner gather his weapons.
"You look terrible, Montaron." He commented, eyeing the dark circles under the other man's eyes, "Did the Cowled Wizard come knocking last night or what?" He grinned impishly. Montaron turned to look his way and gave him an unimpressed look.
"I'm gonna ignore yer idiocies this morning, wizard, because I realize that yer already disturbed faculties are most likely more disturbed than normal due to the remaining booze in yer blood." He replied caustically and Xzar raised an eyebrow, "Now go feed yerself downstairs and make sure there be enough room in yer head to fit in some spells o' yers. I sure as Hell don't need ye to be slow AND useless if we run into trouble." He looked down to fasten his belt and Xzar uneasily exited the room.
Five minutes later they met downstairs at a table by the bar. The tavern was much less populated than it had been the night before. Montaron dropped into a chair and lolled his head back; his eyes were strained from staying up all night and his eyelids threatened to droop. Across from him, Xzar had a bowl of oatmeal in front of him and his nose was buried in Gethras' spellbook. The wizard sighed.
"What is this, a school book?" He whined, flipping through the tome's pages quickly, "Homework from when the man was still a whelp?!" He promptly shut the thing, slammed it on the table, and annoyedly pushed it aside. He frowned and dropped his head in his hands, over the bowl of steaming oatmeal. Montaron rolled his head back into an upright position.
"What's in the book?" He drawled, quite tired now and beginning to desire some fresh air. Xzar didn't look up.
"Worthless cantrips." He spat venomously. Montaron smirked.
"Figures." He replied cynically then gestured to the food under Xzar's nose, "You gonna eat that or just stare at it?" He asked gruffly. The wizard sighed heavily, grasped his spoon, dug it into the hot goop, stuck a spoonful of it in his mouth and pushed the bowl towards Montaron. Montaron idly held out his hand as Xzar finished with the spoon; the wizard dropped it unceremoniously into the halfling's palm. Xzar raised his head and stared off into space as Montaron dug into the oatmeal.
"Do you get the feeling we're going to be stumbling about aimlessly for a good while before we even catch a glimpse of the completion of this mission?" He asked, imagining a scenario where he and Montaron went all over Amn and the surrounding area, running errands for just about everyone they ran into, and finally, after months of toil, finding out that the Council member they're to pull out of SpellHold died of a heart attack. Montaron paused a second and shrugged.
"Yes." He replied curtly and returned to shovelling oatmeal into his mouth. Xzar scowled darkly.
"Tedious monkey work." He grumbled and indignantly rapped his fingers on the table. There was a long moment of silence as Montaron finished his breakfast, and then the pair rose from the table and stepped to the bar. As Montaron handed the Innkeep some money, Xzar off-handedly threw Gethras' spellbook into the fireplace at the head of the room. Montaron saw this and frowned as Xzar made his way back towards him.
"Ye could have sold that!" He snapped in disbelief. Xzar made an indelicate noise and stalked past his partner towards the door.
"I'm not in the mood." He replied pointedly and pulled the door open; he stalked out, a bright flash of green contrasting the dark wood of the walls. Montaron followed him out. Outside, the sun was up and the wind had died down; sparse puddles flecked the muddy ground as a legacy of the night's rain. Montaron took a deep breath; the salty air was cool and reasonably woke him up. Ahead, by the side of the road, Xzar danced from foot to foot in some shallow puddles. Montaron grimaced at the sight.
"What're ye doin', ye daft wizard!?" He called out to the man. The bottom of his robes now soaked with water and encrusted with mud, Xzar wiped his hands and looked over at his partner.
"Getting positively unpresentable." He replied quaintly; he pointed to the Docks entranceway in the distance, "I know very well that by the time I get up there I'm going to be atrociously filthy, so I figured I would get it over with now." He started off in the direction of the city staircase that lead up to higher ground. Montaron blinked, squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them, then threw his arms up to the heavens in defeat. That over with, he hurried after Xzar.
The ShadowThieves' Guild was a large, shabbily-built building that was plainly uninviting. As Ployer had mentioned, the windows were all barred and the rooms beyond were dark. There was no sound, no smell, no peripheral motion to hint that the building was indeed inhabited. The only thing that marred the perfect frame was the presence of a lightly-armored man hanging by the door; the man appeared to be surveying the streets. He eyed Montaron and Xzar critically when the pair neared him.
"Declare yourselves." He spoke sharply, raising his hand to halt the visitors. Xzar stepped forward.
"I am Xzar, and this is my associate Montaron." He explained, "We're here to speak with Renal BloodScalp; a mister Ployer is our referer." He smiled. The armored man eyed the muddy hem of Xzar's robes and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Right then." He replied, "Watch your step." He reached back and opened the door to let the Zhent pair inside. They came upon a wide storeroom at the center of which sat a trio of low tables. A half-dozen men milled about, all of them armed and the majority of them hooded. By the middle table stood a blue-cloaked woman with a heavy crossbow slung over her shoulder. She smiled at Xzar and Montaron.
"Greetings, lads!" She called with a sly smirk, "Is there anything I can help the lot of ye with?" Xzar nodded.
"Yes. We wish to speak with Renal BloodScalp." He replied impatiently, looking past the woman at the items layed out on the tables behind her. There was weaponry, armor and jewelery as well as an untidy pile of old parchment and books. However, what caught the wizard's eye was an ebon staff laying beside a shimmering broadsword on the leftmost table. The woman smiled.
"Go through the door behind me and up the first stairs ye see." She instructed pointedly. Xzar thanked her and he and Montaron strode by. As they did so, the woman waved.
"If ye need any gear, lads, just gimme a shout!" She called after them, "Brynn's got the best selection around at the best prices! " The pair ignored this and went into the back room. When they shut the door behind them, Xzar threw his thumb over his shoulder.
"Monty, my staff is out there." He declared, keeping his voice down. Montaron frowned up at him.
"What? Are ye sure? Ye can't be sure, wizard. Could be any staff ye saw, the lights be so dim in here..." The halfling replied quickly. He didn't know wether to get excited or wether to depress himself. If Xzar's staff was indeed on the woman's table, than that meant that the Cowled Wizards hadn't found it after all. But then again, the lights were dim...
The stairs lead to a musty room packed tight with crates and old barrels. A makeshift path was barely-visible through the mess, the crates precariously piled up on the sides in an attmept to clear the floor. The path cut left into an area that was out of sight. As he swerved through, Montaron figured that all this stuff was stolen goods; this was, after all, the docks, and the constant come and go of merchandise was definitely an appealing target for an outfit of thieves.
When they rounded the corner, they fell upon a small group of men gathered in a loose circle around a tall, slender man wearing a dark purple cloak. When Montaron appeared out from behind the crates, the man in purple stepped through the group around him and grinned.
"Ah, there you are at last!" He exclaimed, then laughed, "Though I must admit I was expecting someone a bit...taller?" He chuckled as he eyed Montaron thoughfully. Xzar appeared shortly after and the purple-cloaked man's grin widened tenfold, "Oh there we are! That's the man!" He called and strode up to Xzar; he grasped the wizard's hand and shook it firmly, "Thanks for taking care of the wizard for us, my good friend. That man just about rained on our parade!" He said happily. Xzar's face was a mask of confusion.
"Whatever are you going about?" He asked, taking his hand back from the cloaked stranger. The man in purple laughed again and stepped back.
"There's no need for an act here, man -- you are among friends. Come now, any day now Gethras was bound to bite the dust; you just came along and made it so much more convenient!" He said with a sly wink, "My boys reported your description and found your staff last night in the old fool's house". Xzar smirked.
"Ha!" He exclaimed triumphantly, then swatted the back of Montaron's head, "I told you that was my staff!" The halfling ignored him and frowned at the man in purple.
"What?" He pondered aloud, confused but relieved about the staff, "We were being watched last night?" He asked. The man in purple's eyes glinted.
"Everyone is always being watched." He replied, "That's my job." He winked again, "Pardon my manners, gentlemen; I thought Gethras was what you came here about." He bent into a sweeping bow, "I am Renal BloodScalp, GuildMaster of the ShadowThieves. Now then," He drew himself up and quirked a brow, "if you haven't come to claim a prize for Gethras' murder, then what is it that I can do for you?" Xzar opened his mouth to reply, but Montaron waved his hands to halt the conversation and spoke first.
"First of all, it'd be much appreciated if ye explained about Gethras." The halfling snapped, "We did the wizard over for some blasted Harpers down by the shore...not for the likes of yer guild." He added, turning a scowl up at Renal. The GuildMaster raised a hand heavy with jewelry.
"Friend, those Harpers ARE my guild." He replied lightly, then, seeing the blank look on Montaron's face, he explained furthermore, "Those 'Harpers' aren't really Harpers at all; they're my boys. So, if you and your muddy friend here 'did Gethras over' for those Harpers, then you 'did Gethras over' for me." He blinked and waited for that to settle in before continuing, "So, back to the matter at hand. What do you want from me?" He asked seriously. This time, Xzar got first word.
"Baron Ployer refered us to you." He answered, "You are supposed to be able to offer us some valuable help." He blew some hair from his eyes before narrowing them in irritation. Renal's expression changed to one of confused amusement.
"Ployer?" He echoed; he let out a chuckle and began twisting one of the many twinkling rings on his fingers, "Really? Alright..." he chuckled again, "...whatever you say." Seriously disturbed now, Montaron cut into the conversation again.
"Did Ployer not warn ye we'd be comin' by?" He asked, raising his voice; he wondered briefly if this confusing situation was punishment from the Gods for having stayed up all night, "He's the one we messed with the Harp--" He paused and corrected himself, "--with yer boys for! Asked us to fetch some wench by the name o' Jaheira, he did! Is she one of yers too?" Renal's slate gray eyes widened at this.
"No no..." He replied quickly, shaking his head, "That one is a real Harper." He went thoughtful and allowed himself a small smile, "It's flattering to see that my little show has attracted such an important audience!" He looked to Montaron, who's face had just fallen at the sudden addition of extra confusion, "Jaheira was Ployer's wife for a terribly short time; when she finally opened her eyes to the...kind of man Ployer was, she left him with their young daughter, claiming that she could not offer her a suitable home." He arched his eyebrows and shook his head, "I guess Ployer still has a bone to pick with her after all these years." There was a moment of silence and then he smiled again, "So! You say I am supposed to offer you some help. What kind of help would that be?" He inquired. Xzar, who now had a pounding headache, sighed heavily.
"You tell me." He grumbled, "We've been hired to free a very import fellow from SpellHold, and it's beyond us how we're going to manage it. Ployer told us you would be our greatest ally for the expedition, however." He explained tightly, steepling his fingers before him. Beside him, Montaron's mind was on the girl Atma; she was the Harper's daughter -- which explained their resemblance...now what was Ployer going to do with Jaheira? Renal thought for a moment, his eyes intently examining the pair before him. After a while, he nodded slowly.
"Alright." He replied then held up a finger, "I've got just the thing for you, I think." He crossed his arms over his leather-armored chest and smirked slyly, "But of course my help isn't free. If you boys scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." He purred. Montaron gawked.
"Gethras is dead, isn't he?!" He cried in disbelief, "That's so much scratchin' ye'd be bleedin' by now!" Renal threw his head back and laughed; a golden tooth at the back of his mouth glittered.
"That old fool was just a thorn in my side!" He laughed, "I've got much more important people to worry about...and that's what I'd like you to help me with." He looked to Xzar and Montaron expectantly. Xzar twitched.
"What would you have us do?" The wizard asked. Renal cheered.
"That's the spirit!" He piped enthusiastically, "Alright, listen up. There's a man that used to work for me that got a bit too independant and went off to make his own Guild. Now that's all good and well, but what bothers me is the way this man left my service: he betrayed me, my friends, and that is a dangerous mistake." The master thief shook his head in disappointment, "Now his group and my own are warring for possession of the city; however, our spat is not a legal one. You see, if the Law finds out about our little Guild war, than we'll most likely have to leave Amn altogether and seek refuge elsewhere. You see we can't do that...we're terribly well established here and I'll be damned if the Cowled Wizards kick us out." He frowned deeply, then pointed to Monatron, "The 'Harpers' you met earlier on are a distraction I created to keep the Law's nose out of the Guild war until I find proof of my dissident friend's treachery. When I find proof, our war becomes legal, and the opposing Guild will feel the full potential of my wrath." Xzar held up his hand.
"How does simple proof make war between thieves legal in the eyes of the Law?" He asked confusedly, "I was under the impression that thieves in general were not in league with the law." He quirked an eyebrow. Renal took on a most pleased expression.
"The Shadow Thieves are well known in Amn, my dear man." He replied smoothly, "The Law usually does not step on our toes because we try to give all of our dealings a clean face, so to speak. Of course, half of what we do is not known to the Law, but what IS known is considered entirely legal as far as the authorities go. Now if I present proof of treachery to the Law, they will grant me full rights to exterminate the 'evil' Guild that opposes our 'clean' one." He blinked, "You understand?" Xzar nodded glumly.
"We have to find this proof, don't we?" He droned in a flat voice. Renal winked.
"Clever man!" He replied and clasped his hands together, the rings clinking, "I want you to infiltrate the opposing Guild and find this proof for me." He shrugged and grinned, "It shouldn't be too hard for you...after all, you managed to slip past my boys and kidnap the only real Harper in the building." He chuckled at Xzar and Montaron's unimpressed expressions, "So, what do you say? Will you do this for me?" He asked and smiled expectantly. Montaron waved a hand.
"Whoa." He snapped, "What exactly will ye be doing for us?" He demanded promptly, "I don't care to be used endlessly to no avail." Xzar smirked at that. Renal shook his head, his grin remaining.
"Of course, of course!" He exclaimed brightly, "You remind me of me when I first started." He reminisced for a moment before continuing, "Do this for me and you will have the Shadow Thieves' aid once you reach SpellHold. Also, I will show you to a Cowled Wizard who is a good friend of ours; this mage will send you directly to SpellHold." He cocked his head to the side, "How does that sound, my friends?" Montaron nodded with a smirk.
"Sounds like a deal." He replied, satisfied. Renal pumped his fist into the air and cheered.
"Excellent!" He cried happily, "You will find Mae'Var's GuildHouse down by the shore. It's a grey building...used to be an Inn until the Sea's Bounty forced it to shut down. I will eagerly await your return." He looked over his shoulder at the five men gathered behind him, "Now if you'll leave me, I have work to do." He added lightly. Xzar and Montaron nodded and left.
Once downstairs again, Xzar sighed, "Remember what I said this morning about having to run around...?" He rolled his eyes. Montaron shrugged.
"BloodScalp's gonna take us directly to SpellHold, wizard." He replied soberly, "We won't be running around too much after this." They crossed the room and just before opening the door that lead to the thieves' small shop beyond, Xzar frowned and stopped.
"Did Renal say 'Mae'Var's' GuildHouse?" He asked, suddenly thoughtful. Montaron pushed past him and opened the door.
"Yes. Yes he did." He replied gruffly and strode into the room beyond, "And yes that's where Edwin is." He added, guessing his partner's thoughts, "Maybe ye'll get to rip him to shreds after all..." Xzar mumbled something unpleasant and followed Montaron into the next room. As they strode through, the woman near the tables at the center of the room smiled.
"Welcome back, lads!" She piped, "Why don't ye take a peek at my wares before ye head out." She offered. Rather spitefully, as he swept by, Xzar snatched up his staff from one of the tables.
"This is mine, thank you." He hissed coldly and left the building at Montaron's heels.
Montaron did not sleep; instead, he stayed awake and mulled over a fact that he had always suspected but had chosen to ignore. Though he realized it had been the ale talking when Xzar had made his proposition, he knew there was a strong possibility that it came from a stable basis. The more he branched off this basis in his mind, the more his brain whirred. He sighed heavily and looked across the room to where the wizard lay sleeping. Internal crisis or not, he had a meeting today with GuildMaster Renal BloodScalp.
After what had been exactly nine and a half hours of sitting on the couch, Montaron got to his feet and made his way over to the bed. As he peered down at his sleeping friend's face, he was quite suddenly reminded of the look the man had given him the night before when the wizard's head had been cradled in his lap. He chased the thought from his mind and shook Xzar firmly, "Get up, wizard!" He grumbled. The other man frowned and turned his head away, groaning his displeasure.
"Go away, Monty." Xzar managed through a stifled yawn; he shooed him away with a lazy hand gesture, "I'm still sleeping. See?" He went silent and didn't budge. Montaron's eyes narrowed; he bent and jabbed a knuckle in a spot on the wizard's back, right near the spinal cord. It was a particularly responsive nerve and it made Xzar jump.
"Ahh! You win! You win!" The wizard cried and sat up, then hastily scooted off the bed. Standing now, he suddenly didn't feel so good; he giggled disjointedly and grasped his head with one hand, "Woo!" He cooed, "Mayhap today isn't a good day to be running about, hmm?" He rubbed his head and moaned. Montaron shook his head.
"Ye'd've made a poor sailor," He commented dully then whirled around and headed off towards the nightstand to retrieve his weaponsbelt, "Hangover or not we've got people to see today." He snorted, "S'pose I should've thought of that before I let ye tip a glass." Xzar idly watched his partner gather his weapons.
"You look terrible, Montaron." He commented, eyeing the dark circles under the other man's eyes, "Did the Cowled Wizard come knocking last night or what?" He grinned impishly. Montaron turned to look his way and gave him an unimpressed look.
"I'm gonna ignore yer idiocies this morning, wizard, because I realize that yer already disturbed faculties are most likely more disturbed than normal due to the remaining booze in yer blood." He replied caustically and Xzar raised an eyebrow, "Now go feed yerself downstairs and make sure there be enough room in yer head to fit in some spells o' yers. I sure as Hell don't need ye to be slow AND useless if we run into trouble." He looked down to fasten his belt and Xzar uneasily exited the room.
Five minutes later they met downstairs at a table by the bar. The tavern was much less populated than it had been the night before. Montaron dropped into a chair and lolled his head back; his eyes were strained from staying up all night and his eyelids threatened to droop. Across from him, Xzar had a bowl of oatmeal in front of him and his nose was buried in Gethras' spellbook. The wizard sighed.
"What is this, a school book?" He whined, flipping through the tome's pages quickly, "Homework from when the man was still a whelp?!" He promptly shut the thing, slammed it on the table, and annoyedly pushed it aside. He frowned and dropped his head in his hands, over the bowl of steaming oatmeal. Montaron rolled his head back into an upright position.
"What's in the book?" He drawled, quite tired now and beginning to desire some fresh air. Xzar didn't look up.
"Worthless cantrips." He spat venomously. Montaron smirked.
"Figures." He replied cynically then gestured to the food under Xzar's nose, "You gonna eat that or just stare at it?" He asked gruffly. The wizard sighed heavily, grasped his spoon, dug it into the hot goop, stuck a spoonful of it in his mouth and pushed the bowl towards Montaron. Montaron idly held out his hand as Xzar finished with the spoon; the wizard dropped it unceremoniously into the halfling's palm. Xzar raised his head and stared off into space as Montaron dug into the oatmeal.
"Do you get the feeling we're going to be stumbling about aimlessly for a good while before we even catch a glimpse of the completion of this mission?" He asked, imagining a scenario where he and Montaron went all over Amn and the surrounding area, running errands for just about everyone they ran into, and finally, after months of toil, finding out that the Council member they're to pull out of SpellHold died of a heart attack. Montaron paused a second and shrugged.
"Yes." He replied curtly and returned to shovelling oatmeal into his mouth. Xzar scowled darkly.
"Tedious monkey work." He grumbled and indignantly rapped his fingers on the table. There was a long moment of silence as Montaron finished his breakfast, and then the pair rose from the table and stepped to the bar. As Montaron handed the Innkeep some money, Xzar off-handedly threw Gethras' spellbook into the fireplace at the head of the room. Montaron saw this and frowned as Xzar made his way back towards him.
"Ye could have sold that!" He snapped in disbelief. Xzar made an indelicate noise and stalked past his partner towards the door.
"I'm not in the mood." He replied pointedly and pulled the door open; he stalked out, a bright flash of green contrasting the dark wood of the walls. Montaron followed him out. Outside, the sun was up and the wind had died down; sparse puddles flecked the muddy ground as a legacy of the night's rain. Montaron took a deep breath; the salty air was cool and reasonably woke him up. Ahead, by the side of the road, Xzar danced from foot to foot in some shallow puddles. Montaron grimaced at the sight.
"What're ye doin', ye daft wizard!?" He called out to the man. The bottom of his robes now soaked with water and encrusted with mud, Xzar wiped his hands and looked over at his partner.
"Getting positively unpresentable." He replied quaintly; he pointed to the Docks entranceway in the distance, "I know very well that by the time I get up there I'm going to be atrociously filthy, so I figured I would get it over with now." He started off in the direction of the city staircase that lead up to higher ground. Montaron blinked, squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them, then threw his arms up to the heavens in defeat. That over with, he hurried after Xzar.
The ShadowThieves' Guild was a large, shabbily-built building that was plainly uninviting. As Ployer had mentioned, the windows were all barred and the rooms beyond were dark. There was no sound, no smell, no peripheral motion to hint that the building was indeed inhabited. The only thing that marred the perfect frame was the presence of a lightly-armored man hanging by the door; the man appeared to be surveying the streets. He eyed Montaron and Xzar critically when the pair neared him.
"Declare yourselves." He spoke sharply, raising his hand to halt the visitors. Xzar stepped forward.
"I am Xzar, and this is my associate Montaron." He explained, "We're here to speak with Renal BloodScalp; a mister Ployer is our referer." He smiled. The armored man eyed the muddy hem of Xzar's robes and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Right then." He replied, "Watch your step." He reached back and opened the door to let the Zhent pair inside. They came upon a wide storeroom at the center of which sat a trio of low tables. A half-dozen men milled about, all of them armed and the majority of them hooded. By the middle table stood a blue-cloaked woman with a heavy crossbow slung over her shoulder. She smiled at Xzar and Montaron.
"Greetings, lads!" She called with a sly smirk, "Is there anything I can help the lot of ye with?" Xzar nodded.
"Yes. We wish to speak with Renal BloodScalp." He replied impatiently, looking past the woman at the items layed out on the tables behind her. There was weaponry, armor and jewelery as well as an untidy pile of old parchment and books. However, what caught the wizard's eye was an ebon staff laying beside a shimmering broadsword on the leftmost table. The woman smiled.
"Go through the door behind me and up the first stairs ye see." She instructed pointedly. Xzar thanked her and he and Montaron strode by. As they did so, the woman waved.
"If ye need any gear, lads, just gimme a shout!" She called after them, "Brynn's got the best selection around at the best prices! " The pair ignored this and went into the back room. When they shut the door behind them, Xzar threw his thumb over his shoulder.
"Monty, my staff is out there." He declared, keeping his voice down. Montaron frowned up at him.
"What? Are ye sure? Ye can't be sure, wizard. Could be any staff ye saw, the lights be so dim in here..." The halfling replied quickly. He didn't know wether to get excited or wether to depress himself. If Xzar's staff was indeed on the woman's table, than that meant that the Cowled Wizards hadn't found it after all. But then again, the lights were dim...
The stairs lead to a musty room packed tight with crates and old barrels. A makeshift path was barely-visible through the mess, the crates precariously piled up on the sides in an attmept to clear the floor. The path cut left into an area that was out of sight. As he swerved through, Montaron figured that all this stuff was stolen goods; this was, after all, the docks, and the constant come and go of merchandise was definitely an appealing target for an outfit of thieves.
When they rounded the corner, they fell upon a small group of men gathered in a loose circle around a tall, slender man wearing a dark purple cloak. When Montaron appeared out from behind the crates, the man in purple stepped through the group around him and grinned.
"Ah, there you are at last!" He exclaimed, then laughed, "Though I must admit I was expecting someone a bit...taller?" He chuckled as he eyed Montaron thoughfully. Xzar appeared shortly after and the purple-cloaked man's grin widened tenfold, "Oh there we are! That's the man!" He called and strode up to Xzar; he grasped the wizard's hand and shook it firmly, "Thanks for taking care of the wizard for us, my good friend. That man just about rained on our parade!" He said happily. Xzar's face was a mask of confusion.
"Whatever are you going about?" He asked, taking his hand back from the cloaked stranger. The man in purple laughed again and stepped back.
"There's no need for an act here, man -- you are among friends. Come now, any day now Gethras was bound to bite the dust; you just came along and made it so much more convenient!" He said with a sly wink, "My boys reported your description and found your staff last night in the old fool's house". Xzar smirked.
"Ha!" He exclaimed triumphantly, then swatted the back of Montaron's head, "I told you that was my staff!" The halfling ignored him and frowned at the man in purple.
"What?" He pondered aloud, confused but relieved about the staff, "We were being watched last night?" He asked. The man in purple's eyes glinted.
"Everyone is always being watched." He replied, "That's my job." He winked again, "Pardon my manners, gentlemen; I thought Gethras was what you came here about." He bent into a sweeping bow, "I am Renal BloodScalp, GuildMaster of the ShadowThieves. Now then," He drew himself up and quirked a brow, "if you haven't come to claim a prize for Gethras' murder, then what is it that I can do for you?" Xzar opened his mouth to reply, but Montaron waved his hands to halt the conversation and spoke first.
"First of all, it'd be much appreciated if ye explained about Gethras." The halfling snapped, "We did the wizard over for some blasted Harpers down by the shore...not for the likes of yer guild." He added, turning a scowl up at Renal. The GuildMaster raised a hand heavy with jewelry.
"Friend, those Harpers ARE my guild." He replied lightly, then, seeing the blank look on Montaron's face, he explained furthermore, "Those 'Harpers' aren't really Harpers at all; they're my boys. So, if you and your muddy friend here 'did Gethras over' for those Harpers, then you 'did Gethras over' for me." He blinked and waited for that to settle in before continuing, "So, back to the matter at hand. What do you want from me?" He asked seriously. This time, Xzar got first word.
"Baron Ployer refered us to you." He answered, "You are supposed to be able to offer us some valuable help." He blew some hair from his eyes before narrowing them in irritation. Renal's expression changed to one of confused amusement.
"Ployer?" He echoed; he let out a chuckle and began twisting one of the many twinkling rings on his fingers, "Really? Alright..." he chuckled again, "...whatever you say." Seriously disturbed now, Montaron cut into the conversation again.
"Did Ployer not warn ye we'd be comin' by?" He asked, raising his voice; he wondered briefly if this confusing situation was punishment from the Gods for having stayed up all night, "He's the one we messed with the Harp--" He paused and corrected himself, "--with yer boys for! Asked us to fetch some wench by the name o' Jaheira, he did! Is she one of yers too?" Renal's slate gray eyes widened at this.
"No no..." He replied quickly, shaking his head, "That one is a real Harper." He went thoughtful and allowed himself a small smile, "It's flattering to see that my little show has attracted such an important audience!" He looked to Montaron, who's face had just fallen at the sudden addition of extra confusion, "Jaheira was Ployer's wife for a terribly short time; when she finally opened her eyes to the...kind of man Ployer was, she left him with their young daughter, claiming that she could not offer her a suitable home." He arched his eyebrows and shook his head, "I guess Ployer still has a bone to pick with her after all these years." There was a moment of silence and then he smiled again, "So! You say I am supposed to offer you some help. What kind of help would that be?" He inquired. Xzar, who now had a pounding headache, sighed heavily.
"You tell me." He grumbled, "We've been hired to free a very import fellow from SpellHold, and it's beyond us how we're going to manage it. Ployer told us you would be our greatest ally for the expedition, however." He explained tightly, steepling his fingers before him. Beside him, Montaron's mind was on the girl Atma; she was the Harper's daughter -- which explained their resemblance...now what was Ployer going to do with Jaheira? Renal thought for a moment, his eyes intently examining the pair before him. After a while, he nodded slowly.
"Alright." He replied then held up a finger, "I've got just the thing for you, I think." He crossed his arms over his leather-armored chest and smirked slyly, "But of course my help isn't free. If you boys scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." He purred. Montaron gawked.
"Gethras is dead, isn't he?!" He cried in disbelief, "That's so much scratchin' ye'd be bleedin' by now!" Renal threw his head back and laughed; a golden tooth at the back of his mouth glittered.
"That old fool was just a thorn in my side!" He laughed, "I've got much more important people to worry about...and that's what I'd like you to help me with." He looked to Xzar and Montaron expectantly. Xzar twitched.
"What would you have us do?" The wizard asked. Renal cheered.
"That's the spirit!" He piped enthusiastically, "Alright, listen up. There's a man that used to work for me that got a bit too independant and went off to make his own Guild. Now that's all good and well, but what bothers me is the way this man left my service: he betrayed me, my friends, and that is a dangerous mistake." The master thief shook his head in disappointment, "Now his group and my own are warring for possession of the city; however, our spat is not a legal one. You see, if the Law finds out about our little Guild war, than we'll most likely have to leave Amn altogether and seek refuge elsewhere. You see we can't do that...we're terribly well established here and I'll be damned if the Cowled Wizards kick us out." He frowned deeply, then pointed to Monatron, "The 'Harpers' you met earlier on are a distraction I created to keep the Law's nose out of the Guild war until I find proof of my dissident friend's treachery. When I find proof, our war becomes legal, and the opposing Guild will feel the full potential of my wrath." Xzar held up his hand.
"How does simple proof make war between thieves legal in the eyes of the Law?" He asked confusedly, "I was under the impression that thieves in general were not in league with the law." He quirked an eyebrow. Renal took on a most pleased expression.
"The Shadow Thieves are well known in Amn, my dear man." He replied smoothly, "The Law usually does not step on our toes because we try to give all of our dealings a clean face, so to speak. Of course, half of what we do is not known to the Law, but what IS known is considered entirely legal as far as the authorities go. Now if I present proof of treachery to the Law, they will grant me full rights to exterminate the 'evil' Guild that opposes our 'clean' one." He blinked, "You understand?" Xzar nodded glumly.
"We have to find this proof, don't we?" He droned in a flat voice. Renal winked.
"Clever man!" He replied and clasped his hands together, the rings clinking, "I want you to infiltrate the opposing Guild and find this proof for me." He shrugged and grinned, "It shouldn't be too hard for you...after all, you managed to slip past my boys and kidnap the only real Harper in the building." He chuckled at Xzar and Montaron's unimpressed expressions, "So, what do you say? Will you do this for me?" He asked and smiled expectantly. Montaron waved a hand.
"Whoa." He snapped, "What exactly will ye be doing for us?" He demanded promptly, "I don't care to be used endlessly to no avail." Xzar smirked at that. Renal shook his head, his grin remaining.
"Of course, of course!" He exclaimed brightly, "You remind me of me when I first started." He reminisced for a moment before continuing, "Do this for me and you will have the Shadow Thieves' aid once you reach SpellHold. Also, I will show you to a Cowled Wizard who is a good friend of ours; this mage will send you directly to SpellHold." He cocked his head to the side, "How does that sound, my friends?" Montaron nodded with a smirk.
"Sounds like a deal." He replied, satisfied. Renal pumped his fist into the air and cheered.
"Excellent!" He cried happily, "You will find Mae'Var's GuildHouse down by the shore. It's a grey building...used to be an Inn until the Sea's Bounty forced it to shut down. I will eagerly await your return." He looked over his shoulder at the five men gathered behind him, "Now if you'll leave me, I have work to do." He added lightly. Xzar and Montaron nodded and left.
Once downstairs again, Xzar sighed, "Remember what I said this morning about having to run around...?" He rolled his eyes. Montaron shrugged.
"BloodScalp's gonna take us directly to SpellHold, wizard." He replied soberly, "We won't be running around too much after this." They crossed the room and just before opening the door that lead to the thieves' small shop beyond, Xzar frowned and stopped.
"Did Renal say 'Mae'Var's' GuildHouse?" He asked, suddenly thoughtful. Montaron pushed past him and opened the door.
"Yes. Yes he did." He replied gruffly and strode into the room beyond, "And yes that's where Edwin is." He added, guessing his partner's thoughts, "Maybe ye'll get to rip him to shreds after all..." Xzar mumbled something unpleasant and followed Montaron into the next room. As they strode through, the woman near the tables at the center of the room smiled.
"Welcome back, lads!" She piped, "Why don't ye take a peek at my wares before ye head out." She offered. Rather spitefully, as he swept by, Xzar snatched up his staff from one of the tables.
"This is mine, thank you." He hissed coldly and left the building at Montaron's heels.