The Sea Sprite made port in the southern city of Memnon. At the
docks along side them was the pirate ship Bloody Dagger and in tow, the
notorious Captain Nimjac. It had been a long couple of months. The last
week being especially cruel with chasing the Bloody Dagger, not to mention
a storm that almost took both ships to the bottom of the ocean. The whole
crew was more than relieved to make port, among them Drizzt Do'Urden and
Cattie-bri.
"Don't think I've ever been so glad to see land," Drizzt said to Cattie-bri
as he pulled his hood up to hide his black skin.
"No doubt," she replied. " Wicked awful this place is. I'd been hopen we'd never have ta return to this god forsaken place after Regis an all."
"I know, but look on the bright side, the sun is up, we still have the contents of our pockets and you must admit, the circumstances of our being here are much better."
Cat smiled up at him. "I guess your right," she said and let him steer her toward a small outdoor café.
The rest of the day they wandered aimlessly through the market place enjoying each other's company. For the past two years they had sailed the Sword Coast as part of the crew of the Sea Sprite. Rare were the opportunities to be alone. The hour was late and the pair walked back to the ship. Unbeknown to them were the small dark eyes that followed them through the masses toward the docks.
"Captain Nimjac and his crew have been captured," a small voice said.
"Doesn't surprise me, with the carelessness he shows, he deserves to be locked up. Where are they keeping him?"
"Right here in Memnon, sir."
"Perhaps I will pay the good captain a visit."
It was only his first night in jail but Nimjac was already restless, pacing back and forth in his cell. He paused at the sound of footfalls at the end of the hall. " So you landed yourself in jail, huh?" Said a deep voice from beneath a heavy black cloak. Nimjac fell back on his cot.
"What are you doing here?" Nimjac said in a shaky voice.
The man in black motioned for him to come to him. "Just checking in on a friend." The voice was dripping with false concern. Nimjac paused at the mans words. "Come here." As soon as Nimjac was close enough, the he lashed out with lightning fast speed and took the pirate by the throat.
"I give you one of the fasted ships on the sea, fill your pockets to the brim with gold and all I ask in return his that you snatch a few children from their beds and bring them to me. I don't think that sounds too hard a task, hum. But no, you land yourself in jail by the local authority." The man's grip on Nimjac's throat tightened.
"Not the- guard," Nimjac murmured, gasping for air after every word.
"What was that?" The grip on Nimjac's neck slackened a bit.
"It wasn't the city guards."
"Then who?" He said through gritted teeth.
"Deudermont."
"The Sea Sprite, she's here?" Nimjac nodded. "That means that that bedamned elf and his whore are here as well. Thank-you friend, but I'm afraid our business contract has been terminated as of now." Before the pirate captain could call out, a knife appeared in his hand and sliced though Nimjac's throat with ease. The man absently let the body hit the floor with a thud.
It had been a year and a half since he encountered the drow in Waterdeep, and Doménico Camardella had been bitter ever since.
Cattie-bri lay awake in her bed. They had been in port for only a couple of days now but she wished she could just wander the streets with Drizzt forever. She never tired of his company. Her eyelids became heavy and she drifted off to the world of dreams with sweet thoughts of her dear friend floating in her head.
Halfway through the night she was rudely awoken to a shout form up on deck. Suddenly a crewmate burst through her door. "Cat, you'd better come here quick. Drizzt is gone!"
"No doubt," she replied. " Wicked awful this place is. I'd been hopen we'd never have ta return to this god forsaken place after Regis an all."
"I know, but look on the bright side, the sun is up, we still have the contents of our pockets and you must admit, the circumstances of our being here are much better."
Cat smiled up at him. "I guess your right," she said and let him steer her toward a small outdoor café.
The rest of the day they wandered aimlessly through the market place enjoying each other's company. For the past two years they had sailed the Sword Coast as part of the crew of the Sea Sprite. Rare were the opportunities to be alone. The hour was late and the pair walked back to the ship. Unbeknown to them were the small dark eyes that followed them through the masses toward the docks.
"Captain Nimjac and his crew have been captured," a small voice said.
"Doesn't surprise me, with the carelessness he shows, he deserves to be locked up. Where are they keeping him?"
"Right here in Memnon, sir."
"Perhaps I will pay the good captain a visit."
It was only his first night in jail but Nimjac was already restless, pacing back and forth in his cell. He paused at the sound of footfalls at the end of the hall. " So you landed yourself in jail, huh?" Said a deep voice from beneath a heavy black cloak. Nimjac fell back on his cot.
"What are you doing here?" Nimjac said in a shaky voice.
The man in black motioned for him to come to him. "Just checking in on a friend." The voice was dripping with false concern. Nimjac paused at the mans words. "Come here." As soon as Nimjac was close enough, the he lashed out with lightning fast speed and took the pirate by the throat.
"I give you one of the fasted ships on the sea, fill your pockets to the brim with gold and all I ask in return his that you snatch a few children from their beds and bring them to me. I don't think that sounds too hard a task, hum. But no, you land yourself in jail by the local authority." The man's grip on Nimjac's throat tightened.
"Not the- guard," Nimjac murmured, gasping for air after every word.
"What was that?" The grip on Nimjac's neck slackened a bit.
"It wasn't the city guards."
"Then who?" He said through gritted teeth.
"Deudermont."
"The Sea Sprite, she's here?" Nimjac nodded. "That means that that bedamned elf and his whore are here as well. Thank-you friend, but I'm afraid our business contract has been terminated as of now." Before the pirate captain could call out, a knife appeared in his hand and sliced though Nimjac's throat with ease. The man absently let the body hit the floor with a thud.
It had been a year and a half since he encountered the drow in Waterdeep, and Doménico Camardella had been bitter ever since.
Cattie-bri lay awake in her bed. They had been in port for only a couple of days now but she wished she could just wander the streets with Drizzt forever. She never tired of his company. Her eyelids became heavy and she drifted off to the world of dreams with sweet thoughts of her dear friend floating in her head.
Halfway through the night she was rudely awoken to a shout form up on deck. Suddenly a crewmate burst through her door. "Cat, you'd better come here quick. Drizzt is gone!"
