"What is it?" Artemis Entreri asked once he and Sahide were out of hearing range.
"Where are you headed?"
"Whatever direction profit…"
Entreri was cut off as Sahide roared. "Do not go just where profit leads," he warned. "Head north and east of the Moonwood I don't care if you go into the mountains.
With that he just left.
33
Jarlaxle watched the trees where Entreri had gone with Sahide. If that cat hurt him…Why did he feel like that?
Jarlaxle thought about it for a moment and realized that he was being protective. But the man could take care of himself. In fact, he had even saved Jarlaxle.
Inevitably, thinking about Entreri made Jarlaxle think of Aramil. The drow had to know what had happened.
As Entreri came back to the group, Jarlaxle promised himself he'd ask. He needed to know what had befallen his second-closest friend.
333
The first part of the day passed uneventfully for the group. When they settled down for lunch Jarlaxle asked if he could talk to Entreri alone. The man nodded and the two went off into the trees.
When the two were out of earshot Jarlaxle asked, "How do you know Aramil?"
Entreri was truly stunned by the question. "Why do you care?"
"Please," Jarlaxle said desperately, "he was one of my few friends."
If Entreri hadn't known better he would have believed the drow had spoken the truth. "You want me to talk so you'll gain the upper hand," he said sternly, then walked off.
Jarlaxle stared after Entreri and realized the man was at some level right. The drow needed to know, but it would also give him an upper hand if he got the answers to his questions. All Jarlaxle could—or would—hope was that it never became an issue.
Flashback
"How's it going with the apprentice?" Jarlaxle asked.
Jarlaxle was addressing a young surface elf—an elfmany years younger than he—by the name of Aramil Galaedon.
The elf smiled. "He's doing just fine. Although, he's as emotionally unstable as ever."
"You said he was amazing in his ability to control his emotions," Jarlaxle reminded the elf.
"You can hide your emotions, you cannot control them. They are there; you can just pretend they are not."
Jarlaxle nodded. "What's his name anyway?"
"Moon," Aramil answered. Then, he looked Jarlaxle straight in the eye. "If you want to know more ask Nova."
End Flashback
Jarlaxle sighed. Then he realized exactly what the connection was.
When the drow had first met Entreri, the man had answered that his name was Moon. Jarlaxle had indeed asked Nova before, and he knew that one of the many names that meant that was Artemis.
Artemis Entreri was that apprentice.
3333
Gareth Entreri watched the young elf eat his lunch. This had been an easy hunt, at least if this was--
There he was.
Gareth snarled. There was that wretched nephew of his. The one he and his brother had nicknamed "the Brat".
Then, Gareth unexpectedly smiled as Jarlaxle walked into the camp. Gareth would lead the Hounds on the right trail, it would be easy to track with Jarlaxle of Bregan De'arthe (sorry if misspelled) traveling with them, but Gareth did not want the Hound's to find the group. Not until Artemis had suffered.
Quietly, he withdrew and contacted Ali.
33333
The rest of the day passed peacefully for the group.
Finally, they found a place to set up camp. Nothing happened until midnight.
It was Jarlaxle's watch, and as usual he spent more time watching Sahide than the surrounding forest. Then, he saw Sahide begin to look very worried.
He was in a sea of blood. It was his blood, his father's blood, his uncle's blood, the cleric's blood, and the prisoners' blood. He was drowning in blood!
Artemis Entreri jolted awake, gasping for breath.
Sahide and Jarlaxle were both leaning over him, and they were both very anxious.
"Just a bad dream," he said quietly. He didn't want Callahan to know about this night's event and so didn't dare speak any louder.
Jarlaxle and Sahide nodded and moved to opposite sides of the camp.
Entreri sighed and threw an arm across his eyes. Just a dream, he reminded himself. Or was it? Something in the back of his mind told him otherwise.
A hidden memory perhaps. His father was certainly powerful enough. "Father," he muttered under his breath. Slowly, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Jarlaxle and Sahide had both heard Entreri's word.
To Sahide it meant things were worse than he had originally thought. He didn't want Artemis to have to endure this before the Hounds even caught up to them. He wouldn't be able to defend himself.
To Jarlaxle it was another clue. Whatever was going on tied into that. Jarlaxle sighed and shook his head. Things had definitely twisted, he thought. Now, it was Entreri's turn to get them into trouble.
