Chapter 3: Meeting with the Shadowmaster



I walk the maze of moments/but everywhere I turn to/begins a new beginning/but never finds a finish... Enya



Shandara headed to Isaldora's room, happy that she didn't run into Owen on the way. She knew that she really shouldn't worry about the man, Aran would never forgive if something happened to her. But then again, the revenge wouldn't help her if Owen had managed to kill her. She was determined to arrange so that Owen wouldn't bother her anymore, but that would have to wait a bit longer.



"Who is it?" Isaldora's angry voice called out when Shandara knocked on her door. "Just me," she replied, wondering if the elf would actually recognize her voice. There was a silence and then Shandara heard many clicks as the door was unlocked. Isaldora opened the door and motioned her to come in, locking the door behind them.



"What's with the extreme security?" Shandara asked, sitting down on Isaldora's bed. "I can't imagine that you'd be in trouble." The elf looked at ther and then sat down next to her, sighing. "So you haven't heard? There is a drow here! Hired by Aran," Isaldora said, glancing at the locked door.



"I've met him, actually," Shandara said, deciding to go for the direct approach. "Quite a nice fellow. I don't think he'll come breaking in here in the middle of the night just for the delight of killing you. If that is what you fear," she added grinning.



"You met him? And still talk of him like he wasn't a threat? He's a drow!" Isaldora screamed, jumping up to her feet and starting to walk around the room. "A drow! They have murdered many of my people and you just..."



"Calm down, will you," Shandara said calmly. "I knew you would react like this. I'm here to try to convince you that he is harmless. Or maybe not harmless," she added when she saw the look on Isaldora's face. "But if he is going to work for Aran, he won't start killing the other employees. Simple as that."



"He is a drow," Isaldora said, sitting down again. "What else can I think of him? I cna't understand that Aran would do something like this."



"Aran works for the best of the guild," Shandara said, feeling like she was explaining things to a small child. "He hired the drow and his companion, because they can help the guild. And besides," she continued, deciding to use Isaldora's weak points, "Aran believes in giving people a chance. Not every drow wonders around with a human and prefers working for humans. I can imagine that many have turned their backs on him simply because of his race. Maybe he is trying to have a new start, but it's hard to do that when you're not given a chance."



"Are you finished?" Isaldora snapped. "We aren't talking about someone who has run into few minor problems and decided to change his life. We are talking about a drow!"



"Exactly," Shandara said, noticing an opening. "A drow. A person. Not the whole race of murderers, but an individual who can make his own choices. And if he has chosen to live here instead of Underdark, if he has chosen to change and start a new life, who are you to judge him before you know him?"



"You know what?" Isaldora asked after a moment of silence. "You should have become a priest. Nice words." Shandara sighed and shook her head: "You know I'm right," she said. "You have to give him a chance. He seemed like a pretty nice person when he saved me from Owen," she added quickly. "I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't been there."



"You went a bit too far there," Isaldora said, but despite of herself smiled. "But I think, although it pains me to admit it, that you might be right. I'll give him a chance. That doesn't mean I'll have anything to do with him, I just won't try to kill him."



"That's all I'm asking," Shandara said, pleased that she had managed to stop a possible conflict before it even began. Isaldora seemed a bit uncertain, but then flashed a smile at her. "So how did the drow help you with Owen?" she asked.



"I dived behind a sofa," Shandara said, trying to be serious although the image of the look on the faces of the two men still amused him. "He lied to Owen that he hadn't seen me. Not a heroic deed worthy of a saga, but enough to get me out of trouble." Isaldora chuckled and then they started to talk about other things, although Isaldora had to glance at the door for couple of times to make sure that it was still locked.





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Shadowmaster Aran Linvail was a tall man with dark brown eyes that at the same time looked both friendly and threatening. As the guild master of the widespread Shadow Thieves he had gained many enemies, but none had succeeded in their attempts on his life, nor had those underlings who had believed they would fare better in the place of the Shadowmaster. Much of his past was unknown, although many wild rumours circulated everywhere. Aran himself had never talked of his past openly, and only those close to him knew what really was going on inside the mind of one of the most powerful men in Sword Coast.



At that time Aran knew he should have postponed the meeting with Jarlaxle and Entreri. He felt tired, and the fight he had just had with Tassa didn't make him feel more cheerful. The woman was beginning to get annoying, although Aran had to admit she was still as beautiful as the day they had met, but unfortunately she was still as stupid and even more spoiled. The jewels, beautiful dresses...



"You don't love me!" Tassa had cried before rushing out in a style she had probably learned from a play. No, Aran realized, maybe he had never loved the woman. She had been beautiful and he had taken her as his mistress, that was it. Somehow Tassa had become a part of the decoration, Aran thought, grinning at the metaphor; he had gotten used to her. But now the woman was getting too difficult to handle.



I have to ask Shandara to find a suitable place and job for Tassa, Aran thought. He had always made sure that the women who had pleased him gained some kind of place in the guild, or outside it with some of their associates. Then he would have some peace from all the arguments, unless he would be stupid enough to get a new mistress.



A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He would have to go through this one meeting, which included convincing one of the world's best assassins, and his drow companion, to join the guild. He moved a pile of papers aside and leaned on his desk, calling them to enter.



"Here they are," Mitsu said, walking into the room. "Do you still need me after this?"



"No, I can handle this, no matter what they decide," Aran said. "You can go. And you can come in, please, sit down," he said addressing his words to Jarlaxle and Entreri. "I'm sorry for the late hour, but there has been a lot of things to do here today. So I thik we should get right to the point."



"Your offer," Entreri said quietly. Aran looked at him, trying to form some kind of image of this dangerous man. Dark clothes, dark hair, dark grey eyes. He wondered whether the soul of the assassin was as dark as his appearance. Then he looked at the drow, who was dressed in colourful clothes and looked comfortable sitting in the chair. He was wearing an eyepatch, although Aran's sources had informed that it served some other purpose. Like the hat, Aran pointed out to himself.



"Yes, the offer," Aran said, drawing his eyes from the drow's hat and trying to get his tired mind working. "Well, we want you to join our guild. You will be given your own rooms, all your expenses will be taken care of. Whenever you have an actual job, part of the fee goes to the guild. But you get the bigger part," he added quickly. "You could also help to train my people. But basically I would require your help in the more demanding tasks. More than stealing gems and necklaces," he said, although he felt stupid trying to show that his thieves were able gather information.



"Demanding tasks?" Jarlaxle asked, smiling a bit. "What exactly are these demanding tasks?" Aran looked at him and then decided to try honesty. He had found out that it actually worked sometimes. "I don't know. There may be rival guilds, crazed mages that the Cowled ones want to dispose without sacrificing their own, all kinds of things that my current employees might find too demanding. Naturally you would be working here in Athkatla, I wouldn't be sending you to solve problems elsewhere in our area. Unless the problems are very grave indeed," he added. "And there is one big task coming. A lot of money is involved and I need people who are able to use stealth, fight if necessary and also act. I have mages who can change appearance," he said, glancing at Jarlaxle, "but not behaviour. You, I believe, could do also that."



"What is involved in this... task?" Entreri asked and Aran had to stop himself from turning his gaze away from the assassin's eyes. But he hadn't become the guild master and held his position by letting anyone win him in staring contests. "I will inform you, if we proceed. That is still uncertain. It's complicated, and as I said, you will be informed if you are needed. In the meanwhile, you can settle here. That is, if you accept," Aran finished, allowing himself to look away from Entreri's eyes.



"Own rooms, you said?" Jarlaxle asked. Entreri looked at the drow, but didn't say anything. The assassin was willing to take Aran's offer, at least for now. Jarlaxle noticed Entreri's look and then nodded at Aran: "We accept."



"Excellent," Aran said. He wanted to sleep, he just wished he could send Jarlaxle and Entreri away as soon as possible. "I believe you won't regret this. Now, I'll call someone to take you to your new rooms."



"You were so certain we would accept?" Entreri asked, amused. Aran gave him a smile, still uncertain what was going on in his mind. I have to ask Shandara to get to know him, Aran thought. She had a gift when it came to dealing with people. "I wished you would," Aran said. "And it was good that I did. Although thieves work at every hour, our servants demand their nights free. But now we have rooms ready for you." Aran walked to the door, opened it and looked into Mitsu's eyes. "Somehow I knew you wouldn't go far. Take them to their rooms."



"Whatever you say," the halfling said grinning. "Follow me, gentlemen. It'll be interesting to have you around here." Jarlaxle smiled at the halfling, while Entreri went through in his head all the possible ways the drow could cause trouble among the women in the guild.



"Oh, few rules before you go," Aran said when Jarlaxle and Entreri were leaving the room. "No fights in the guild. No killings. If there is any violence between guild members, the reason has to be good. And you'll have to tell that reason to me. And concerning the women..." Aran looked at them both sharply. "You sleep with them if they are willing. You try to force them to something and... I don't know whether my threats are any good, but I have to try. Be good to them."



"Understood," Entreri and Jarlaxle said almost simultaneously. "Then I can welcome you to the guild. I'll see you when you are needed," Aran said, thanking all the gods he could think of. "Mitsu, behave."



"I always do," Mitsu said and lead Jarlaxle and Entreri to the corridor. "I think there's still someone in the kitchen if you wish to have something to eat."



"We're fine," Entreri said and Jarlaxle was almost sure that he heard a tired tone in Entreri's voice. "Take us to our rooms."



"This way," Mitsu said leading them down the various corridors. "And by the way, welcome to the guild. You'll find that we are an interesting collection of criminals and concubines. Maybe tomorrow you'll meet more of them. Sleep well."





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Hark again... This was the beginning in three chapters. Hopefully I will now get to the actual story and to the adventures, romances and confrontations. Let's see.