Hark: Sorry, no quote. Imagination is not working and I can't find anything.
Chapter 14: Returning home
Shandara had changed her clothes, leaving the bloody dress on the floor next to the door, deciding to get rid of it as soon as possible. She hadn't been surprised to see Entreri gone when she woke up, and she didn't have any idea of how long she had slept. Maybe not long, she thought, because she didn't feel very rested. So Entreri hadn't been gone for long, but Shandara didn't know whether he would come back.
She had to admit that for some strange reasons she liked the man. He was quiet and serious, and it was really hard to find out what he was thinking. He was also unkind and rude, but Shandara had noticed something behind this facade. Shandara wasn't sure what it was, and it was hard for her to concentrate on finding it out. Artemis Entreri made her nervous, mostly because she felt strongly drawn to him. She wondered whether the man realized the effect he had to many of the women in the guild. His trimmed body, dark hair and eyes, and especially the goatee made him highly attractive.
Shandara wished she could have simply slept with him, but the man had made clear that he despised prostitutes. She didn't give up hope; with men it was only a matter of time before their urges overcame all barriers they might have. Although she was beginning to doubt that Entreri had any normal urges, she decided to wait for a while. Maybe with few pushes to the right direction would do the trick, she thought, and then realized that she was dreaming of a man when she should have been mourning for the innocent lives lost last night. Then again, she was used to finding comfort in physical pleasures.
She started to braid her long dark hair, wondering vaguely whether she should change its colour. Now it was in its natural colour, dark brown with a hint of a red glow, but she knew that dark red would also look good. And now I'm thinking about my looks, she thought desperately. But it felt like that she had ran out of sorrow when she had sobbed uncontrollably in front of Entreri. Her tears wouldn't bring the dead back; it was better to continue her life as soon as possible.
She finished braiding her hair, pulling one lock of hair free and leaving it to dangle in front of her face. She checked her image from the mirror, the plain black dress looked strange and she longed for more colours, but this wasn't the time for them. She had looked at a green dress hanging in the wardrobe, but she couldn't have brought herself to put it on. It would have to wait, maybe for the next time she would try to charm Artemis Entreri.
Someone opened the lock on her door, which was quite surprising since the key was laying on the table. Entreri entered, trying to balance a plate in one hand. "Need some help?" Shandara asked smiling. "I didn't expect to see you back here."
"I brought breakfast. Or lunch," Entreri corrected. "It's four o'clock in the afternoon, if you want to know."
"How are things?" Shandara asked sitting on her bed. "You can bring the plate here," she continued, clearing all things from her night table and putting them on the floor. Entreri put the plate on the table and returned to the armchair. "Most of the injured are fine, there were only few of them still resting. This guild seems to survive all kinds of attacks surprisingly well," he added.
"We have experience," Shandara said, picking up an apple from the plate. "Let me guess, Mirjami helped you with this. She is the only person who remembers that I like apples. Or the only person who cares about it," she laughed. "I'm not sure."
"How are you feeling?" Entreri asked suddenly and Shandara looked at him sharply. "I didn't expect to hear that from you," she said. "I'm fine, thank you. And you? After all, you're the one who slept in a chair. And the one who was forced to guard me, you poor thing," she added, unable to stop herself. Entreri looked at her coldly, but then he smiled, although Shandara didn't see the smile reach his eyes that were still like storm clouds.
"I think I can manage," Entreri said. "Aran said that we'll talk about this tomorrow, maybe he'll find a more suitable bodyguard for you."
"Maybe," Shandara sighed. "And I will have to make sure he's not in love with me. Not looking forward to that," she sighed, taking a bite from the apple. "Eat something," she said to Entreri, motioning towards the plate. He almost refused, but then he realized that he hadn't eaten anything in a long time. Shandara hid her smile when the assassin reached to take some food; he was still trying to stay far from her and act as distant as possible. But she had time.
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Faershan Delenir had noticed that something was wrong as soon as she entered Athkatla through the city gates. There were normally Shadow Thieves watching over the traffic through the gates, but now she couldn't see anybody. She doubted that they had learned to hide better during the two weeks she had been away, and she hastened her steps, heading towards the Dock District.
There weren't thieves in the gates, but Faershan noticed many on her way to the guildhouse. They seemed more nervous than usually, and only few greeted her. She walked to the guildhouse, and noticed that there were many guards around it.
"Miss Faershan," one of the guards greeted her, "good to have you back. We've had some difficulties here. Really bad," the guard sighed. He was a young man, and Faershan could see fear in his eyes.
"Is the Shadowmaster here?" she asked, and the guard nodded. "He'll probably be in the main hall. There was a fire in his office. But he's fine," he added when he noticed the worried look on her face.
"Thank you," Faershan said, walking past the guard in the building. She smelled smoke and a faint odour that could have come from explosives. She hurried to the main hall, where Aran Linvail was sitting by a table, talking with Alenson Welroen.
"Aran!" Faershan shouted, dropping her bag by the door and hurrying to him. "What has happened here?" she asked, looking around at the scorched walls and broken furniture. "The guard said..."
"Take it easy," Aran said, getting up and taking her hand. "Wonderful that you're back," he said smiling. "Please, sit down. Alenson, I think we can finish this later. You need rest too."
"Very well," Alenson said, glad that he was offered a chance to rest. "But remember that you should rest too. Good to see you again, miss Faershan. Make sure that he rests at some point."
"I will," Faershan said, and when Alenson had left, she turned to Aran. "So tell me what has happened. It seems like you could've needed another healer. My visits home seem to have the worst possible timing. Last time I went home you managed to get shot, and now this."
"Bad luck seems to follow you," Aran laughed. "It's a rival guild," he sighed more seriously. "Or a rival guild and members from our guild. They set explosives all around the guild, but the worst damage was done here. The other guildhouses were also attacked. Our operations are at a stop and I need to get them working by tomorrow morning."
"The guard said there was a fire in your room. You weren't there?" Faershan asked, looking closely at Aran. The man seemed to be fine, except for the tired look in his eyes.
"Tassa set it. She couldn't steal my important papers, so she decided to try to burn them. Looks like I should've bought her those diamonds she wanted..."
"Don't blame yourself for the betrayals of others," Faershan said. "Everyone chooses their own path. Sorry, is that too religious for you to take?" she asked, remembering that the Shadowmaster didn't care for religions.
"No, it sounded sensible," Aran sighed. "I've been sitting here, reading reports of the number of members who have betrayed us, and I can't help but wonder what I could have done differently."
"Nothing much, I think," Faershan said. "I think I should go to see the injured, in case someone still needs help. And I should pray for the dead. And I will pray for you, even though you don't believe."
"Maybe it's because I don't know what I should believe in. I don't even know what you believe in. Who knows, maybe I just need the right god," Aran said. "You've never told me the name of your god."
"It's between me and my god," Faershan said. "There are enough priests forcing their faith to others; I want to keep my god to myself. Unless I think that someone is ready for the god."
"You're evading having to say whether your god is 'he' or 'she'," Aran noted. "But pray. Pray for the whole guild, and that we'll survive what's to come. These people love violence and chaos, they weren't even trying to be subtle. Don't go outside without a guard anymore. They have our members, they know who you are and they might think that capturing our head healer weakens us. As it would do. So I'll find you a bodyguard. I'll say to you what I've said to everyone else, talk to me tomorrow. I'll try to sort things out. And I'll try to rest," he said before Faershan had time to say anything.
"I understand," Faershan said. "I'll see you tomorrow then," she continued, going to the door and picking up the bag she had dropped there. She would have to see the injured, and she would have to see the dead. Then she would have to speak with her god and find out how she could help the guild. Prayers were good, but in the long-run actions brought better results.
