Thanks for the review, and don't worry, Bane isn't a god or anything; just a damn good warrior. Anyways, on with the story!

Bane stood gaping for a moment longer, then pulled himself together and took a step back. "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice dark and low.

Rane was slightly taken aback by this. How could his brother, once his closest friend, hold such anger and distrust against him? Well, he thought, there is that little detail about the mercenaries… guess I oughta explain that to him…

"Look, I'm sorry about the mercenaries, but I needed to contact you in the least suspicious manner possible. If the people though I was simply buying a few extra hands to deal with a dangerous renegade, none would question me. After a while though, so many strong bands of mercenaries came back battered that I had to come myself, and still no one questioned me. But if they knew I was attempting to find you well… that would be a whole different story…"

Bane paused a moment, then, seeing the logic of it, sheathed his blades. "Makes sense I guess. I'm not exactly on the best of terms with Silverymoon society." He took Rane's offered hand and clasped it with a tight grip. "It's good to see you again Rane."

Rane smiled for a moment, then it faded as a thought came to him. "Bane, where are the other mercenaries?"

Bane's face remained neutral as he said simply, "They're dead."

Rane's mouth turned down in a scowl. "Bane, I know you better than that. Where are they? Tell me so that we can leave now."

Bane's face did not change. "I told you; they're all dead."

"Bane…"

"What?"

"Baaaaane…!"

"What? I already told you their fates!"

"BANE!"

Bane paused a moment, then sighed dejectedly and pounded the wall beside him. A section of the ice and stone fell away and behind it were the mercenaries, all gagged and pinned up against the far wall of a large secret cubby roomy enough for all five to be hung from the wall without being cramped up. "You know me too well."

Rane's smile returned and he simply said, "Yes I do, Bane. Yes I do."

Rane and Bane sat on opposite sides of a roaring fire, Bane preparing dinner for the night and Rane tending the mercenaries' wounds. Most were just bruised heads, as all the others before had been, but the Summoner had been a bit unlucky and had decent sized gash across the arm. Given a caster's great intolerance to pain, he had fainted from the blow without a sound, and as Bane had explained his summoned bird simply disappeared, nearly causing them both to fall to their deaths, but Bane had latched on to a stalagmite and they had slid safely to the floor. They all grumbled and watched Bane closely, but were silent otherwise. When Rane was done, he turned to Bane.

"So, how's life been in the Silver Marches since I left?" Bane asked suddenly.

"Actually I wouldn't know. In fact, I had only just returned to Silverymoon around a month ago. I had been out pirate hunting with Araela."

"Araela? Who's that?"

"Just a friend; she's been traveling with me for the past few years helping me hunt the pirates along the Sword Coast. We still haven't quite matched the record of Captain Deudermont, but I think we were getting close."

"Telling stories again, Rane?" Bane jumped to his feet when the sudden voice came from beyond the tree line. Rane held up his hand to stop his brother and watched as a particularly striking female elf appeared from the trees. "You know, you really need to…. Who is he?"

Rane stood and walked between Bane and the elf. "Araela, I'd like you to meet Bane, my brother. Bane, this is Araela, my companion I was talking to you about."

Bane inclined his head in greeting, and Araela bowed slightly, then turned to Rane. "Is 'Bane' not the rogue we were supposed t be hunting on this quest? I thought you said…"

"Yes, yes, I know what I said, but understand that I only told you that we were hunting a renegade because I knew you would tell the General if we were doing otherwise. Please understand why I had to lie to you; I really didn't want to, but it was necessary."

Araela gave Bane a sidelong look, as if gauging how much of a threat, then sighed and muttered, "I trust you, and forgive you, but tell me your true meaning next time, ok?"

Rane nodded his assent, then turned back to the fire. "So Bane, tell me; how has life treated you since you left?"

Bane shrugged. "It was as you saw; I've been living in and around Ten Towns for a while now. I came to Icewind Dale soon after leaving Silverymoon."

"Yes, but first you had stopped by that out of the way village didn't you? What happened there? Why did you leave?"

Bane looked down into the pot he was working over and then turned to Rane. "Dinner is ready. Eat now, before it all goes cold. Believe me when I say; everything gets cold very quickly here."

Rane, noting Bane's discomfort on the subject for otherwise he wouldn't have changed the subject of the conversation, nodded and sat down; taking the offered bowl of some kind of stew Bane had prepared and handed the other to Araela who sat down next to him. He began eating and, though he had not blown into the bowl, the soup was already only moderately warm. Bane was right; things got cold very quickly.

"So, Rane, what is your plan on getting me into the city? You know as well as I my reputation; I'm most likely not welcome there being 'The Scourge of the Silvery Marches' as I am."

Araela jumped at this, turning to Rane quickly. "What does he mean by that?"

Rane chuckled, patting her shoulder comfortingly. "Nothing, don't worry about it." Then he turned the Bane and said, "I've got a plan, though you may not like it much."