Chapter 34: News



Chalmira didn't appreciate being used as a messenger, but the look in Erik's eyes when he told her to go and get Aran didn't make her want to argue. She wasn't sure what the gnome had found, but it had to be important. She had rushed from the lower levels to Aran's room, and the Shadowmaster hadn't demanded her for any explanations. Just the words "Erik has found something important" seemed to be enough.



Chalmira had followed Aran to Erik's room and now she was leaning on the door, uncertain of what she was supposed to do. The Shadowmaster read the notes Erik had scribbled on a piece of paper and then turned to look at Chalmira.



"Find Artemis Entreri and order him to my room. I have work for him," Aran said, and Chalmira headed off, not thinking about arguing this time either. She had no idea where she could find the assassin, but she knew where to find his friend. She had left Jarlaxle in her bed that morning when she had to leave to work with Erik, and she was certain that the drow hadn't left yet. He would probably be reading through Chalmira's poems and songs, because last night she hadn't got very far in reading them. There had been more important things for her to do.



The drow was indeed still in her room, almost fully dressed, sitting on her bed and leafing through one of her notebooks that she had put in a locked box.



"It's hard for people to read these things if you lock them away," the drow said grinning when he noticed her staring at the notebook in his hands. "Is your work already finished?" he continued, his smile becoming even more charming. "Maybe we could continue from..."



"I need to find Entreri," Chalmira said, taking the notebook from Jarlaxle's hands. "And you're going to help me. No time to argue, it's urgent. Aran said so. But if you are a good boy and help me find him, I might try to persuade Erik to give me the rest of the day off."



"The day hasn't even properly started yet," Jarlaxle pointed out. Chalmira leaned close to him, her lips almost brushing against his. "Then we might just have enough time to get to the interesting things we didn't have time for last night. But now, move it!" she continued and started to walk to the door. "Any ideas where we could find him?"



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"I don't know where he is," Shandara said, putting down her book. "Why do think I would know that?" she added in an annoyed voice. "His my bodyguard, not the other way around."



"Well, if he is your bodyguard, shouldn't he be here guarding your... body?" Jarlaxle asked, eyeing Shandara. The woman seemed stressed, and he was wondering whether it was because of Entreri. "Troubles with your little romance?" he ventured and was grateful that looks couldn't kill, because Shandara's green eyes were full of hatred.



"There is no romance," Shandara said in a deadly voice. "There's just something that has gone on for too long. I don't know where he is, because I've said to him that I don't need him around all the time. Maybe he's training, maybe he's walking around the city, maybe he's sleeping with some stupid whore. He's not her, and that's all that matters."



"What are you going to do?" Jarlaxle asked, remembering his previous thoughts about the relationship between Shandara and Entreri. The woman looked at him and them smiled. "First I'm going to continue reading, then I might go and speak with Isaldora. She hasn't been feeling well lately."



"Can't we have a serious conversation even for a moment?" Jarlaxle asked. "Aran needs to see Entreri and I'm helping Chalmira look for him," the drow said and couldn't miss the amused look on Shandara's face when he mentioned the half-elf's name. "Yes, I'm sleeping with her, no need to make any stupid jokes."



"I wasn't going to," Shandara said. "I don't know where Entreri is, and I don't care. So run along and try to find him."



"He loves you, you know," Jarlaxle said. Shandara looked straight into his eyes and then she sighed, shaking her head. "I know. And that's why I have to end it soon. I don't want him loving me. You should understand, you went through the same with Isaldora."



"Not exactly, but I can understand you," Jarlaxle said. "You know, if things had gone differently, I think that I'd be quite happy living with you for the rest of my life."



"You may be right," Shandara said, starting to laugh. "We are so similar in some things that it's almost scary. Have fun with that half-elf."



"I will," Jarlaxle said, noticing again that his conversations with Shandara always ended up to becoming very strange. He would just have to get used to it.



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Meanwhile Chalmira had managed to track Entreri down. The assassin had been practising and he hadn't been very happy of the disturbance, but after Chalmira had said that Aran had ordered him to come, he agreed to go, although Chalmira could clearly see that he wasn't happy with the word 'order'.



"I already found him," she said to Jarlaxle, who returned from Shandara's room. "So I think I still have to go ask whether Erik needs me. Go and wait in my room," she ordered the drow. "I'll meet you there at some time. Read something while you're waiting," she said, blowing a little kiss to is direction. The drow grinned and watched Chalmira's back when the woman hurried away. She was different in a very refreshing way and he was happy to wait for her. Not too long, but for some time. After all, he didn't have anything better to do.



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"Could you say that again, I don't think I heard you correctly," Shandara said, staring at Isaldora. The elf sighed and pointed to the nearest chair. "I told you to sit down for this. I'm pregnant."



"Oh gods," Shandara sighed, sitting down to the chair, because she couldn't be sure how long her legs would still work. "Whose is it?"



"Who do you think?" Isaldora replied. "The word half-elf gets a whole different meaning."



"Half-drow, half... normal elf," Shandara said, grinning madly. "Congratulations. You'll have fine time raising that child."



"If I'm going to keep it," Isaldora said, without much conviction in her voice. "Who am I kidding? I couldn't kill it. So I guess I have to..."



"Give birth and be stuck with a child for the rest of your life?" Shandara said. "Or feel guilt for having an abortion. Yes, nice alternatives. I'm sorry," she added when Isaldora started to cry. "I'm sorry," she repeated, sitting next to her on the bed and hugging her. "No matter what you decide, I'll be here for you. Auntie Shandara... Don't let the child call me that."



"I rather like it," Isaldora sniffed. "But the child couldn't possibly pronounce your name, so it would be Auntie Shandy or something."



"Drop dead," Shandara muttered, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and giving it to Isaldora. "Have you told anyone else yet? Have you told Jarlaxle?"



"I'll tell the people who need to know in time," Isaldora said. "And I don't need Jarlaxle's help. If he wants to see the child, he can do so, but..."



"No nice husband to a nice home," Shandara said. "To be honest, I don't think he is a good husband material."



"You think?" Isaldora giggled. "Oh gods, this is getting too hysterical. No, I don't need a husband. I have so many friends who can be a family for my child."



"I'll start crying soon," Shandara said. "Congratulations, future mother. Can I go and tell Mirjami? She would want to know this as soon as possible."



"I'm going to tell her myself," Isaldora said. "You can come too. I'm sure there will be some cake to celebrate this wonderful news, and you don't want to miss that."



"If there's cake, I'm in," Shandara said. "And maybe I can talk about my own troubles at some point. After we've been through your breaking story, of course."



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Hark: If I promise that the story will be continued soon, it probably won't... So I'm hoping to continue the story soon and sort out some of this mess. Who ends up with who, who gets killed and who is really the father of the child? You can find it out by watching the next episode of The Bold and the Beaut... Err. I mean reading the next chapter of this story, of course. :-) Lady Shandara