Hark: I've been reading Kaari Utrio (for those who haven't heard of her, she has studied women's life through history and has written both fact and fiction about women), mostly the romance fiction, so that might explain these next few chapters. And to Shamiran: sorry about the Dyster-like image in the previous chapter. Won't happen again.
Chapter 25: Falling
You don't fall in love/ You dive... My Life Story
While Entreri was having a strange conversation with Mirjami, Shandara was having a bad morning. She had stayed up late, reading in the light of two candles, and she had just woken up to a terrible headache. She walked to her cupboard and took out the yellow leaves. After she had drunk the awful liquid, she went back to bed, curling under the blanket and closing her eyes.
"Go away," she moaned when there was a knock on the door. Entreri stepped inside and Shandara wanted to scream out loud. It wasn't the right time for the assassin to burst in, especially when she was feeling and looking terrible. She closed her eyes again and waved her hand. "Go away. I need to sleep."
"I don't think I need to ask if you're alright," Entreri said, closing the door behind him. "You look terrible," he added in a conversational tone and Shandara looked at him, although opening her eyes again caused pain. "I know I look terrible," she said slowly. "So leave me to my misery and pain. Please."
"What's wrong?" Entreri asked, feeling out of place with this kind of conversation. Shandara closed her eyes and for a moment Entreri thought she had fallen asleep.
"I have a terrible headache," she muttered, "and I just want to sleep. But it's too hot," she sighed, rolling on her back. "I hate my life."
"No you don't," Entreri said, sitting in the armchair. "Try to sleep. You'll feel better soon."
"Why this sudden... kindness?" Shandara asked, opening her eyes and looking at Entreri. "You're starting to scare me."
"I... Just sleep. I'll be here," Entreri said, not looking at Shandara. The woman smiled, realizing that for some reason her job of charming Entreri had become a lot easier. She closed her eyes, knowing that the headache wouldn't go away in any other way. Although there were many things racing through her mind, she was asleep in a few minutes.
Entreri was leafing through one of the books Shandara had left laying on the floor. He had begun to enjoy his time in her room, in that comfortable chair, reading something from Shandara's strange collection. Apparently she was reading political history, art of war and romance novels at the same time, and Entreri could only wonder how smart the woman actually was. And also why she had ended up in her line of work. It seemed to him that there could have been more options for someone like her.
That was the beginning of his problems, he realized it now. He had started to treat the woman as something else than a responsibility. A friend, almost. He enjoyed her company, and respected her mind. He looked at her, asleep and looking pale but still beautiful. Although Entreri had never been very interested in women, he had some kind of an idea of his ideal woman, and Shandara wasn't even close. He had imagined a quiet, humble woman, who would follow his orders without a question. Someone tall, thin and dark like the women in the harems of the powerful pashas.
But that had been many years ago, and Entreri realized he had changed. Former Entreri would've never even considered any kind of affair with this woman, who was almost a complete opposite to his ideal woman. That might be one of the reasons that caused his interest, the assassin thought, turning back to the book. Opposites attract, Jarlaxle had once said, and the dark elf had a bad habit of being right.
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Chalmira returned with parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill. Jarlaxle had fetched a bottle of wine and two glasses from Mirjami who had told him that he shouldn't be drinking early in the morning, but let him have the bottle anyway.
"Isn't it a bit too early for that?" Chalmira asked, pointing at the bottle. Jarlaxle grinned and poured some wine to both glasses. "You're the second person today to say that, and I'm sorry, I'll have to ignore you too. A good story is nothing without a bottle of good wine. Or mediocre," he added after he had tasted the wine.
"Well, tell me a story," Chalmira said, sitting down and opening the ink bottle. She took one parchment and tipped the quill in the ink. Jarlaxle watched her, feeling more and more interested of this woman. His affair with Isaldora had lost all its interest and become... Jarlaxle wasn't sure what it had become. There wasn't any excitement or challenge left. But with this woman...
"I'm waiting;" Chalmira said, looking at Jarlaxle, who stared at those brown eyes and felt almost charmed. Again.
"This happened when I was training in the fighter's guild..." Jarlaxle started and conjured a story that was mostly a lie, but had also some truth in it. At some points Chalmira asked him to stop and repeat something, but not even once did those brown eyes look at the drow. The woman concentrated on her work and Jarlaxle felt annoyed. He stared at her fingers that had ink stains on them and decided that it was time to leave Isaldora. Gently, of course, he reminded himself.
"That was quite a tale," Chalmira said when Jarlaxle had finished. "Now tell me, how much did you actually lie to me?"
"A lot," Jarlaxle grinned. "But it's a completely different from any other stories there are. Isn't that something?" the drow said, and Chalmira grinned. She closed the ink bottle and piled all the papers that filled the table.
"Thank you so much," she said, getting up and collecting all her belongings. "I'll have to go and start working on this story. I think I can do at least three different versions."
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Jarlaxle asked, feeling a bit annoyed that the woman didn't seem to notice his charms. "May I buy you a dinner? I have learnt some ways to conceal my origin and..."
"Sounds nice, but I really need to go. Thank you again for these stories. If you ever want to hear a story or know something about some place, come and talk to me. I owe you that," Chalmira said. A quick smile and then she rushed away, leaving the drow alone in the table.
"Not going exactly the way you planned?" Mitsu asked, and Jarlaxle gave the halfling a sharp look. She seemed to have appeared from nowhere, but there she was now, grinning at him. "And it's good, because I think you have forgotten a certain elf who worships the ground you walk."
"She does?" Jarlaxle asked, although he didn't feel like playing this game. "Good to know."
"Seriously," Mitsu said, and her voice wasn't as cheerful as before. "Don't do anything you'll regret later."
"I never do," Jarlaxle responded and Mitsu sighed. "You never do anything or you never regret anything?" she asked, knowing the answer already."
"Both," the drow grinned and got up. "Good day to you, my lady," he said and bowed to Mitsu. The halfling couldn't help but smile as she watched the strange dark elf leave the dining hall, although concern for Isaldora was haunting in her mind. Then again, the elf woman had chosen to start an affair with the drow, and she must have been able to expect that it would also end. At least Mitsu really hoped that this would be the case.
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Shandara was waking up. Entreri looked at her, how her eyes opened slowly and how she blinked, her eyes finally focusing on him. She smiled, and he felt the urge to kiss those lips, touch that dark hair, feel her in his arms.
"You're still here," Shandara said, perhaps in a colder voice that she had meant. For a moment she had thought that he was ready, she had seen his lust and desire, but then she had remembered that the man had slept with Loranna the previous day. She didn't want him so soon after her.
"I can go if you want," Entreri said and got up. Shandara could see that his feelings had been hurt, a little flash in his dark eyes. The man was losing control, some time ago she hadn't been able to read any emotions from his eyes. She sat up and smiled at him. "Go. I believe that Lorana is waiting. I heard she was quite taken with you. 'Wonderful lover', she said," Shandara grinned, watching the anger flash through Entreri's face. For a moment she thought that the man would hit her, but then he simply rushed out, slamming the door close.
"Like little children," Shandara chuckled and got up. The headache was gone and she was in a good mood. She went through her wardrobe and chose a simple dress that covered more than most of her other dresses. Then she looked outside where the sun was blazing in a cloudless sky and took another dress that would be a lot more comfortable, although it would most likely be disapproved by more people.
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"Trouble with women?" Jarlaxle asked when he entered Entreri's room and noticed that the assassin wasn't in a good mood. "Is Shandara..."
"What makes you think I want to talk with you?" the assassin snapped, turning to look at the drow. "Why don't you go and entertain your elven whore?"
"I'll let that pass this time," Jarlaxle said, and the tone of his voice told Entreri that the dark elf was serious, "But the next time you call her that, you can prepare for battle. Just because you have troubles with women who are whores, it doesn't mean that..."
"I know," the assassin sighed. "I never thought I would talk with you about this, but... What can I do?"
"You want her," the drow said. "And I believe, no, I know that she wants you too. But then you went and slept with that whore, and you hurt her pride. You have to wait for a while and then... I think things will sort out."
"I don't understand it," Entreri said. "She's nothing special, but then again she is..."
"Because she just is," Jarlaxle finished. "I encountered that problem today myself. There's this new bard..." he started and Entreri started to laugh.
"How many women are you seeing at the same time?" the assassin asked. The drow looked at him and shook his head. "Only one. But I should leave her so that I could see another. And this another shows interest towards the dark elves as a source of information. Not any interest towards me."
"Your charm isn't working?" Entreri laughed. "That is so sad."
"No need to mock me. Besides, your problems are bigger than mine. Even I wasn't stupid enough to fall for Shandara. She would be too much for me," Jarlaxle laughed. "So I wish you good luck, my friend," he continued, heading towards the door. "You're going to need it."
"What about your problem?" Entreri asked. Jarlaxle shrugged. "It'll work out somehow. She can resist me for some time, but not long. They all fall at some point."
