Chapter IV

Jarlaxle was silent as he crept past the alley he knew his sentries were stationed. In stealth movements the Bregan D'aerthe guards could not detect, their leader walked through the shadows. Jarlaxle didn't particularly want his lieutenants to know that he had been wandering the streets of Menzoberranzan; they were highly overprotective. Those foolish drow didn't believe he could handle himself on the streets!

The mercenary felt like laughing at that thought. He had been through much worse than sneaking into House Do'Urden without being detected. In all reality, the feat hadn't been difficult at all, just a simple matter of dodging a few guards and magical wards on occasion and finding his way to Zaknafein's room without being spotted. Not too hard for the talented Jarlaxle.

Jarlaxle saw the tavern up ahead in the distance, on the corner of two stone-paved streets. Clusters of drow were heading towards it, mostly common guards of random houses. The mercenary had spies in there each night, mingling throughout the crowd. Jarlaxle had eyes and ears all throughout the city.

He passed the tavern without another thought and walked on to the compound. Going deeper into the shadows, he hurried past his watch. Sprinting, he came to the back door of the compound-its existence unknown to all but himself. Whispering the magical word to enter, he smiled. The door cracked open and Jarlaxle was inside one of the corridors of the Bregan D'aerthe compound.

"Well that was easy enough," Jarlaxle muttered under his breath. A voice from the back of his mind added snidely, "Wishing for more excitement-more danger?" Jarlaxle didn't have to answer the voice at all. Of course, he was. The answer was obvious.

Jarlaxle let his heels click against the floor, letting his approach become known to anyone who was listening. He yawned and put a hand on the doorknob to his private chambers. Again whispering another word to unlock the magical blocks, Jarlaxle waited until he had counted to three. He opened the door.

The alarm remained off. If he had opened the door a second beforehand, the magical alarm would have gone off and the guard raised and the entire compound put on alert. Such was the security measure of the mercenary's home.

Jarlaxle entered, closing and locking the door behind him. He did not intend to be bothered any more this night by anyone-lieutenants or visitors included. He took off his hat-that magnificent, brightly colored hat-and immediately fell down on his bed sleepily.

Without another thought, he drifted off to sleep.

*** *** ***

"Everything is set," Aniyia told the proud parents late in one afternoon. "The ceremony for Nevina will take place on the full moon." Dessaven and Sapek sat beside each other on the fallen tree log, Nevina sleeping soundly in Dessaven's arms.

"Hmm," Dessaven thought aloud, "that's just four days before my grandmother's birthday." Aniyia nodded, remembering the warrior's birth. She had been alive then, a young girl growing up in a small mountain town.

"Fate has something planned for this one," the Seer told them knowingly, passing the sleeping babe a smile. "I have a feeling. She will become something great." Dessaven and Sapek shared an eager glance.

"I remember your grandmother, Dess. . ." Aniyia said softly, moving to sit beside the new mother. "I was only a girl back then, very, very young, but I remember the ceremony and celebration following her birth. She hadn't been expected so soon, but she came-as healthy as any. Everyone thought she was a beautiful baby, just like they are thinking about your own little one."

"Thank you, Aniyia," Dessaven said suddenly, deep meaning in the words. To Sapek the words were unprecedented, but when he looked at the old woman, he noticed that her eyes had not caught the abruptness of what was said, only the tone in which the words had been spoken. Dessaven had meant them with her entire heart and Aniyia knew.

"You are more welcome than you know, dear," the Seer told her and Dessaven smiled tiredly. Sapek gave her a slight hug. Aniyia glanced at him, gave a nod, and then walked away. Dessaven rested her head on Sapek's shoulder.

"Love," he whispered, leaning closer and kissing his wife on the cheek gently. Dessaven smiled, wondering which romantic words were going to come next. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Yes?" she asked, flickering her eyelashes hopefully. Sapek grinned and then stood up. "Nevina needs a change." Enjoying his wife's gaping mouth, he smiled innocently and walked away, a playful skip in his step.