Disclaimer: See last chapters

LadyJanelly: No real "next encounter" as of yet, but I'm working on it:-)

Neven: Eat all the dwarves? Wonderful idea! Where's your next chapter by the way??? I'm waiting puppy eyes Can I bribe you somehow?

Yumeng: I'm being evil leaving you with a cliff hanger, but better a short chapter than none at all:-)

Tingle

It takes six whole months before I can finally feel the telltale tingle on my wrist which alerts me to the fact that the drow must be looking for me. I nearly miss it though preoccupied as I am dealing with one of the less pleasant customers of the merchant in who is my current employer. The man seems to think himself cheated, which is quite possible considering the usual business tactics this merchant likes to apply, and has brought his own mage along to back up his angry tirade. I have no wish to waste my time by listening to him though, seeing that I'm familiar with the other mage and we both know I could beat him easily if things should progress to an actual fight I decide to simply silence the irritating man with a short spell that will leave him mute for at least two days, before closing the door in his face.

"You could at least pretend to listen to him Rashiel."

Ah my dear employer, afraid to face him, but concerned as always that he might loose a customer, even though I think this particular one has no choice but to come back eventually, as we're the only supplier for the goods he so desperately needs.

"You do not pay me to be polite to the likes of him." I reply shortly, already turning to leave and deal with the more pressing matter of the drow. As I walk out I can hear a resigned sigh and grin. He can occasionally be exhausting, but we get along quite well most of the time and as a bonus I don't have to make polite conversation with him.

Now, Do'Urden. I wonder what took him so long. Probably his tender conscience being at odds with the rest of him… hopefully he has made up his mind by now. I'm getting quite tired of the pointless "right or wrong" arguments he seems to need so much. Maybe I will use the muting spell on him too if he tries to argue again. It would serve him right.

I look for him in the scrying mirror, trying to find out where he is and my mood brightens considerably when I discover that he is apparently not only here in Waterdeep, but has also decided to come alone. This promises to be an interesting encounter! Especially bearing in mind the slight modifications I was able to make in the enchantment of our bracelets.

Apparently he has taken rooms in the Anvil and for a short moment I wonder how he might have persuaded them to rent out their rooms to a drow. It does not matter though I decide, as our meeting will be here where the highest measure of privacy can be ensured and not in some tavern like the last time.

I jot down a short message in which I suggest a meeting in a neutral area. In other words a disreputable tavern where nobody will look at us too closely, these things are just so convenient. From there we'll see how things develop.

The message gets send off with a servant boy. I never remember their names correctly, but I think this one may be called Kevin. I give him some small coins hoping it will be enough to keep him from showing the note to anyone who can read. I don't want my business spread around the whole city after all, even though nobody seems to care much these days. The unusually harsh winter keeps people occupied and otherwise huddled together around a fire, preferably inside their houses. Those who are not lucky enough to have a place for shelter one can often find as hard, frozen corpses strewn like litter along the road. At least they don't start to smell when they're conserved this way.

After four hours the boy is back with frost reddened cheeks and an excited glitter in his eyes. He even has an answer clutched in a gloved fist and bounces up and down, obviously quite pleased with himself, before I snatch it from him causing his expression to become one of disappointment when I send him away before I read it. Ah well he's already got more than enough to brag about. Telling his friends about his encounter with the drow should leave them impressed to no end. Either that or they'll call him a liar and laugh in his face.

Do'Urden surprises me by simply suggesting a meeting in his rooms at whatever time would please me. Does he have some kind of plan? I'm not sure if I should agree to this. Driven by my own craving to once again watch his enticing fight against submission, which has become increasingly urgent these past months I decide to go anyway.

Let him have a plan then. I've got one too and we'll see which one is better. There is of course the small possibility that he would give himself to me out of his own free will, but I'd be surprised to see him give in without any struggle at all. Hidden underneath that humble exterior is a considerable measure of pride I think, which he would have to overcome for something not more worthwhile than his own pleasure and while he may be prepared to sacrifice all pride, happiness or even his life for others at the first opportunity it is not his nature to do so only for himself.

Should I go now or wait? Does it matter? I have already risked death to get him in my bed, so why wait now? He could hold such power over me if he ever realized the true depth of my obsession with him or has he done that already? Is that the reason why he has come alone? For minutes I stand there wondering, watching the snow fall and mercifully cover the dirt of this city. Ah it will not do to uselessly turn this over in my head without any real knowledge. For good or worse I will go now.

That decision made I grab my thickly padded cloak and leave. I hate winter, this time when breath turns into little white clouds, the tip of your nose feels like it's going to freeze off any moment and the worst is that damnable cold, biting wind which somehow manages to penetrate even the most comfortable and warm clothes.

The snow is falling stronger and stronger now and I hope it won't become an actual storm, but from what I've seen of this city until now it probably will. This does of course nothing to improve my mood. Walking into an uncertain situation is not something I like much in any case, but doing so while I feel cold and stiff is even worse. No wonder he asked me to come to him, I think cynically as I wipe some snow out of my eyes, stepping outside in this weather is in my opinion akin to professing a desire for suicide.

By the time I reach the Anvil I'm nearly ready to kill somebody if they should try to keep me from warmth. No one does though and with a relieved sigh I shed my snow covered cloak.

"So you've come." Says a voice behind me.

Do'Urden.

"So you've been waiting." I reply in the same manner and turn around to face him.