Hey all, here's chapter 3, there'll finally be some action in this chapter. As always please R&R! Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own it all! That's right, everything! *Lawyers pop up* Uh, down fellas, I was just kidding, hehe…

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Chapter 3: Ambush!

After roughly six hours of traveling, the trio was very close to their destination.

*How does anyone put up with her for a long period of time? Nag, complain, and yell! That's all she's capable of doing! Well, I suppose she can also use that stick of hers, as evident by the lump on my head. Khalid and I were both in on that last trick, so why am I the only one that got smacked? Ugh!* As Shadow marched along with the other two she thought this, rubbing the back of her head, occasionally glancing over at them. *Well they seem to have become close pretty soon! Maybe there's hope yet.*

She smiled one of her "I'm plotting something but you'll never find out about it," smiles. Luckily the other two missed it and the trio traveled in silence for a little while.

"It has been a very quiet trip. I was suspecting some sort of monster to attack, considering we are in the middle of nowhere." Jaheira muttered under her breath, looking slightly bored.

"Don't say that! Your gonna jinx us! Especially if…" but they didn't get to hear whatever she was going to say next, because suddenly quite a few arrows came hurtling out of the thick cover of trees, straight toward Shadow. With a couple of back flips, she easily avoided them, but one managed to nick her shoulder.

"OW! See? What did I tell ya? You and your big mouth!" with that the three drew their weapons and headed in the direction the attack had come from. Their attackers met them halfway.

"Hobgoblins? I h-have never seen any this far n-north!" Khalid muttered quietly, as he quickly dodged a sword-swing and countered with one of his own. The sound of swords clashing disturbed the peacefulness of the forest. Jaheira meanwhile smashed it upside the head with her staff, while Khalid ran it through with his sword.

Across the clearing, Shadow was dealing with two of them at once. Blocking one attack with her double swords, she spun to avoid the other hobgoblins attack, which just happened to hit the first across the chest. Enraged it began attacking the other while Shadow took advantage of the situation by sneaking behind each in turn and sliding one of her poisoned daggers in between their ribs. Both fell without a clue as to what had happened. Shooting a smug smirk at her two dead attackers, she glanced over to see how Khalid and Jaheira were doing. Khalid managed to slay his third hobgoblin with a quick swing and a mighty thrust.

 Jaheira had finished hers off by now and was busy administering healing spells. When she made it over to the thief, she seemed surprised. "How did you not get a scratch on you, besides for the arrow wound?"

"Call it luck. Or skill. Or both, since that's what it was." She smiled and laughed, "You two on the other hand look, well, bad!"

They then began checking the bodies to see if there was anything they could use. "W-What in the world is t-this?" Khalid held up what looked like a small brooch that he had gotten off what was obviously the leader of the group. Shadow peered at it curiously for a few seconds, then suddenly snatched it from Khalid's grasp. "Wait a minute, there's a name engraved on the back. Who the? What's a Murdock?" she looked up completely confused.

"I h-have heard of him! H-He was a slave trader, I-if I remember correctly. But n-no ones seen him in y-years! Why would they have a b-brooch with his n-name on it?"

Looking troubled Jaheira said, "I do not know, but I believe that Gorion would know. Just another reason why we should make haste to Baldur's Gate." The other two agreed and they immediately began heading toward their destination once again.

Meeting no new enemies along the way, they arrived shortly before nightfall, and entered the well-guarded city without problems. Eventually finding a suitable inn, Khalid praying that nothing would happen this time, they agreed to go to the Hall first thing in the morning.

As they ordered their drinks, they were all happy and relieved to her that the inn had Firewine in stock. Shadow ordered the Firewine (of course), Khalid the mead, and Jaheira a Spring Tea. The minute they got their drinks the thief challenged her fighter companion to a drinking contest, which he readily accepted. During their third round a shadow (not the one we know!) suddenly fell over the thief. She looked up to hear, "Mind if I join you?"

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How'd ya like it? Hmm well: Who is Murdock? What does he want with our heroes? Who is the shadow? I'm not even really sure yet lol : ) Please R&R!