Chapter 36: Time flows



Two months had gone fast. The war between guilds was now fought in the streets, although it hadn't spread far and the Shadow Thieves didn't know enough about the enemy. There were attacks, small-scale battles and assassinations. Aran Linvail had organized his people well and nothing serious had happened. Yet. Everybody was waiting.



Isaldora had told Jarlaxle about the baby and she still smiled when she remembered the look on his face. They had agreed that Jarlaxle could see the child as often as he wanted after it had been born, but Isaldora would take care of it. The announcement had left Jarlaxle feeling a bit confused, and when Chalmira had told him that she wanted to end their relationship because she had met a young, handsome guard, the drow had started to believe that at least couple of gods with strange sense of humour had taken a close interest on his life.



Mitsu was injured in a fight and the healers ordered her to rest for long. A mage had hit her leg with a fireball and every day a healer came to cast a healing spell on her so that her leg would heal better. Her leg could have been cured faster, but then it would have never worked as well as before, and the halfling had chosen the harder way to health, because she wanted to be able to slide over rooftops in the future as well as she had before. The only problem with staying still for long was boredom, and Mitsu had begun to drive the other people in the hospital wing crazy. Although her friends came to see her often, she managed almost to drive everybody working in the hospital crazy. When she was finally fit enough to leave, the hospital staff held a small and private party, making sure that the halfling didn't hear about that.



Aran had made sure that the safety in all guild buildings was good, but there were always people who were lured by money and promises of better life. Theroieon was growing tired of ambushes and he had gathered enough Shadow Thieves to his side to attack the guild houses He was ready to try, and he wanted to do it as soon as possible. Better to get rid of those rats by direct attack than to try to smoke them out, he had decided. That time was soon.



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Shandara was leafing through a book, although her eyes were fixed on Entreri. The man was asleep and she was trying to resist the urge to touch him. That would surely wake him up; Shandara had never met a man who slept as lightly as Entreri, but then again, she could understand why.



The assassin had told her everything about his past, every single detail he could remember. She had held him in her arms, caressed his forehead, wiped away his tears. At that moment she had realized that her decision had been right, because she couldn't think of herself doing anything besides living with this strange, wonderful man. She moved to sit on the bed and kissed Entreri's cheek. The man opened his eyes and Shandara smiled running her fingers through his hair.



"Sorry to wake you up," she said. "I couldn't resist it."



"Apology accepted," Entreri grinned and pulled Shandara down on the bed. He kissed her, starting to unbutton her blue shirt. "I want you so much," he whispered. Shandara pulled away from his arms, sitting up. "How much?" she asked smiling. "I think I need to hear more before I do something I might regret. I need some kind of... proof."



"What kind of proof do you need?" Entreri asked, sitting up and putting his arms around Shandara's waist. The woman smiled. "Have you ever made love in a lake? With the water around you, caressing your body, supporting you..."



"No, but I guess you have," Entrei replied. Shandara shook her head. "No. I've dreamed of it, but I've never managed to find someone to help me realize that dream. After this guild war is over... There is this place I once saw when I was sent to this small town to... 'Gather information' is a nice term. We could go there. If you want, that is."



"You're serious," Entreri laughed. "I said that you are a strange little creature and I was right," he continued. "You want to make your dream come true, and I will help you."



"It's not really a dream, or at least not the greatest dream," Shandara said. "But thank you."



"What is your greatest dream, then?" Entreri asked, caressing Shandara's hair. The woman looked at him and smiled. "I don't need dreams. I have you... Oh gods, I really said that and it sounded just as ludicrous as I thought it would."



"Maybe," Entreri said. "But it also sounds good. And I want to say that I love you."



"That sounds much better than my pathetic line," Shandara said, kissing Entreri gently. "But enough talking. Are you aware that sex is best early in the morning?"



"No," Entreri laughed. "But I'm willing to find out." As they fell back on the bed, Entreri wondered whether he could ever feel as happy as with Shandara. During the last months they had fought, made up, made love, fallen in love... Entreri had learned to know her well and still she managed to surprise him. And whenever he tried to imagine life without her, he only saw misery. He loathed himself for becoming so soft and vulnerable, but he loved her. He had no idea of what had happened to him and his life, but he knew that it was for the best. It had to be. He couldn't stop loving her, and as long as he loved her, he couldn't return to his old life. Everything was different.



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Isaldora had woken up early in the morning and rushed to vomit. The pregnancy was a lot more difficult she had ever thought, and she was starting to doubt whether she could go through with it. Then again, she didn't have much of a choice. She wanted the baby, she just wished she could have had it in an easier way.



She was surprised of how people had taken the news of her pregnancy. Some people she had told, others had noticed it themselves, although she was only three months pregnant. She had gained a little weight; it felt like she hadn't done anything but eaten for the last month. Mirjami had told her that she was too thin even before she got pregnant, and now the woman kept feeding her all kinds of dishes that she claimed would make her strong and healthy, and also help her child to become strong and healthy. Isaldora had declined some of the things Mirjami offered, which she thought to be too suspicious, but some that she had tasted had been surprisingly good.



She was still training her fighting skills, but mostly to keep fit, not so much in order to fight. Aran had asked her if she liked to leave the guild until the guild war was over, but Isaldora had decided to stay, at least for a while. She would have to see how things would turn out. If they took the turn for worst, which seemed to be happening, she would leave. Her aunt lived in Trademeet and would welcome her there. But the guild had been her home for so long, and she didn't want to leave it. She would wait a bit longer, see how things turned out. She kept telling her this, as the fear for her child kept growing in her heart.



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Jarlaxle walked the streets of Athkatla, wearing a face of a white-skinned elf. He had done this for many days now, spying, watching for signs of danger. The guild had discovered many people who assisted the rival guild and Jarlaxle had gone along to few attacks. The drow didn't actually enjoy killing those people, but the thought of his child and Isaldora getting hurt because of them made him angry.



He had been shocked when Isaldora had told him about the baby. He hadn't thought that anything could shock him, but this had been so unexpected that he had gone speechless. Isaldora had told him that she would take care of the child herself, but that he would be welcome to be a part of the child's life. He had agreed, although after a while. He had needed a moment to think about the whole situation.



The child wouldn't have an easy life. Jarlaxle had never heard of a half drow, half elf child, but he was sure that the child would inherit the colour of his skin. There was a chance that the child would be thought to be half elf and half human, which would be fine, but if the child would inherit his white hair as well... It would be harder to hide the child's heritage. And after seeing all the hate that humans had towards everyone different, Jarlaxle wasn't sure how the child would survive. But then again, the child would have Isaldora.



The drow moved away those thoughts which distracted him from the work at hand. He moved to a small alley, looked around to make sure that no one could see him, and levitated up to a window on the third floor of a large building. He disappeared into the building where a very secret conversation took place, a conversation which the participants wanted no one to hear. Jarlaxle, unseen in a cosy corner, listened and memorized the faces of the speakers. For the safety of his child.



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"Erik, meal will be ready in three hours," Mirjami said to the gnome. "If you had a proper breakfast, you shouldn't be hungry. You can wait."



"I'm busy," the illusionist said, snatching an apple. "I need to get back to my studies soon and this delay isn't good."



"Did it ever occur to you that you could be working for the next three hours and come back later?" Mirjami asked, adding some salt to a soup and ordering a servant girl to go and get more bread from the storage room.



"I'm hungry now," the gnome protested, sounding like a small child. "I can't concentrate on working when I'm hungry."



"And I can't concentrate on working when someone is bothering me," Mirjami said. "And if I can't work, you won't get any food. Ever."



"Fine," Erik muttered and turned to leave. "But next time the meal should be ready when I need it."



"I'll keep that in mind," Mirjami laughed. "What is it?" she asked from the servant girl who returned from the storage.



"There's something strange in the storage, I don't know what it is and what..."



The explosion sounded all over the docks. When the noise died out, teleports opened all around the guild, only some of them blocked by protection spells, to let the enemy in.



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Hark: A cliffhanger keeps people waiting... I'm sorry, but there won't be more for the next three weeks (there is a possibility that there will be, but that's a small one) because I'll be spending my time writing a seminar paper. It's due on March 12th and it has to be 15-16 pages long. (Aaargh!) After that I'll try to continue writing, although I need to start working on another paper soon after that and then there'll be the exams and... *sigh*

Isn't studying fun?!? I really don't know at the moment. Ask me again after four years when I've graduated. ;-)