Chapter 11: At the dawn of a new day
Would you do it with me/ Heal the scars and change the stars/ Would you do it for me/ Turn loose the heaven within... Nightwish
Isaldora woke up, and the first thing she saw was Jarlaxle sitting on a chair next to her bed. The drow smiled at her, reaching out touch her cheek. "How are you feeling?" he asked when Isaldora sat up, trying to remember what had happened last night.
"You fell asleep," Jarlaxle said, guessing what she was thinking. "I thought that I should stay, in case you had any nightmares..." he continued and it seemed to Isaldora like he was even himself a bit surprised about this.
"You stayed and watched me when I slept," Isaldora said smiling and kissed his cheek. "That is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done to me, although it's also a bit creepy."
"If you want to think of it that way," Jarlaxle said, moving to the bed and drawing Isaldora into his arms. The woman curled close to him, but then drew away. "We should go to Aran and try to find out what's going on."
"I think they can manage on their own," Jarlaxle said and kissed her neck. Isaldora sighed, letting her head fall back. "Don't go," the drow continued, touching Isaldora's cheek and looking into her eyes. She knew she should have left, but the look in those silver eyes almost paralysed her.
"I won't," she whispered and kissed him. Jarlaxle pushed her on her back and ran his finger down her cheek. "You are so beautiful," he said, enjoying the way his touch made Isaldora shiver. There still was a hesitating look in her eyes, but after a while it had disappeared and Jarlaxle saw only the same kind of desire he was feeling. Jarlaxle undressed her gently, planting small kisses all over her body.
"Just promise me one thing," Isaldora gasped, her whole body tingling with desire. "Don't leave me," she said, looking into Jarlaxle's eyes. "Stay with me."
"I promise," Jarlaxle said, and when Isaldora smiled and kissed him, he wondered how long he would keep his promise. Some time at least, he decided and then pushed all other thoughts away, concentrating only on the moment and the beautiful woman he was with.
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Shandara's muscles were aching when she walked from the kitchen to the dining hall, which had been turned into a hospital. She had been up all night, tending to the minor wounds the healers hadn't cured. Mirjami had organized the kitchen staff to make breakfast both for the injured and the helpers. Shandara carried a large plate filled with food for two servant girls, who had suffered only minor injuries. They were still shocked, and Shandara couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to be so close to the explosion. She and Entreri had been further away from one of the explosions, but the air stream alone had been stunning.
"If you want more, just ask," Shandara said, and then she noticed a man sitting on a chair nearby, trying to bandage his injured arm. "If you promise not to threaten me, I can help," Shandara said when she had walked up to him. Owen looked up to her, and started to laugh, but it soon ended in a dry cough.
"You know, when you crash into a wall, money isn't the first thing in your mind," Owen gasped, leaning back in the chair when Shandara started to bandage his arm. "If you see Erik, tell him I'll let the debt go. This time."
"Next time you shouldn't give him any money," Shandara said, tying the bandage tight. "Take care now. And stop staring at my breasts!" she added sharply, turning her back on the man and walking away. Although one of the healers had cast a spell on her leg, it was still a bit sore, perhaps because the spell had been one of the last that the tired healer had managed to cast, and its effect had been weak.
"You haven't slept at all, have you?" Mitsu asked her. The halfling was also looking tired, but she had managed to get some rest. Shandara tried to think of some kind of a response, but then she simply sighed. "I've never been this tired in my life," she admitted.
"You're going to go and take a bath, and then you're going to sleep," Mitsu said, taking hold of Shandara's arm and starting to guide her out of the dining hall. "You worry for everyone in the guild, and that's too much for you. There's enough people here to take care of the injured, and you need to sleep, otherwise..."
"Oh no," Shandara muttered when a thought came up. "Tassa! Was she in Aran's room when the fire started?"
"I haven't seen her," Mitsu said quietly. "We can ask Aran, but only if you promise to go and sleep after that."
"You sound like a worrying mother," Shandara laughed, although she couldn't stop thinking how Aran would react if Tassa was dead. She realized that she did worry about everything and everyone, and that she really needed to rest.
Aran Linvail was in the main hall, sitting by a desk that had been brought there in the middle of the rubble. His office had been almost completely destroyed, but his most important documents that had been in a magical strongbox were safe. He had gathered them all to a large bag and carried it with him all the time. This wasn't the time to start trusting even the right people.
"You need some sleep," he said when Shandara and Mitsu walked to him. Shandara grinned, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I..." she started, trying to find the right words. "Tassa," said Mitsu, who was more worried about Shandara than Tassa, who she had never liked.
"Gone," Aran said bluntly. "She couldn't open the magical box and steal the papers, so she set fire to my office. There is a new guild, and they seem to prefer the aggressive methods. We've lost at least fifty members from all groups to them, and I'm still not sure on the number of casualties we've suffered. Go and sleep, I'll talk to you tomorrow. We'll have to see how we continue with the plans."
"You should take care of yourself too," Shandara whispered, kissing Aran on the cheek. The Shadowmaster looked at her surprised, but she simply winked at him and he noticed that the smile returned to her eyes for a moment. "If you need any help..."
"I'll ask someone else," Aran said sharply. "You need to rest. And don't leave the guildhouse alone. You're too important to be lost."
"Can I have a bodyguard?" Shandara asked smiling. "You know I can't stay locked inside for too long."
"I'll find someone," Aran promised, wondering whom he could trust. "Now, rest." Shandara nodded and started to walk away, praying that her legs wouldn't give in. She made it halfway through the room when the world started to spin and her vision went blurry. She would have fallen down to the floor, but Artemis Entreri, who had been watching her discussion with Aran, caught her just in time.
"Congratulations," Aran said to Entreri. "You're her bodyguard now. Make sure that she rests, and guard her until tomorrow. We can talk about this then," he continued when it seemed that Entreri was going to argue with him. The Shadowmaster turned his eyes back on one of the reports of casualties, and Entreri, realizing this wasn't the time to annoy Aran, lifted Shandara into his arms and headed out of the hall. Mitsu hurried after him, after giving Aran a doubtful look. She wasn't sure that Artemis Entreri was the right person for this, but also she noticed that this wasn't the time for arguments.
"Do you know where her room is?" Mitsu asked Entreri, who was walking surprisingly fast for someone carrying another person. The assassin simply nodded, and Mitsu felt a terrible urge to slap the man just to get some other kind of reaction than complete silence. "Can you open the door while holding her?" Mitsu continued. "I can help you with that."
"Why do you follow me?" Entreri asked, starting to lose his temper. "I'm not going to snap her neck when I get around the corner, if that's what you worried about."
"Okay then," Mitsu said. "But I'll come and open the door for you anyway. I don't want you banging her head against wall, even by accident."
"Whatever," Entreri sighed. He hadn't slept either, and carrying the woman was starting to make is arms ache. They reached Shandara's room and Mitsu opened the look without any difficulties. "I've told her a thousand times that she should get a better lock," the halfling said. "Take care of her," she continued in a worried tone. "I'll try to find someone who could bring you something to eat, but that can take time. I don't that she would mind if you read something," Mitsu said pointing to a bookcase in one corner of the room. Entreri laid Shandara on the bed and then looked at the halfling. "If you speak to Aran, tell him to send someone else to play a bodyguard," the assassin said quietly. "I'll be here until then."
"I'll see what I can do," Mitsu said and turned to leave. "He trusts you to keep her safe. Don't fail him." She walked out, closing the door behind her, and Entreri looked around him, quite surprised of what he saw. Bookcase, comfortable armchair and writing desk were far from the shady rooms of prostitutes in Calimport. There the most important piece of furniture had been bed, and although Shandara had a large four-poster bed, it was obvious that this room was not meant for entertaining men.
There was a pile of clothes on the armchair, and Entreri moved them away before sitting in the chair and picking up a book that was on a small table next to the chair. To his surprise it was a book about the history of Zhentarim, and he started to leaf through it, glancing once in a while at Shandara. He wished that Aran would send someone soon, because he didn't feel comfortable in Shandara's room. He was also feeling tired, and finally he put the book back on the table and leaned back in the chair, only meaning to rest his eyes for a while. After few minutes he was fast asleep.
