Chapter 4

Stephanie sat quietly in the living room while Cat Wyrvenspur played with the twins. "You have such beautiful children Stephanie," Cat said in a sweet voice. Both Andreya and Jacen smiled at their mother lovingly.

"Thank you," the doomguide answered with a smile, trying to hide the worry in her voice. She looked over, seeing her sister Aliyah and Deidra discussing the new scimitars the blond haired ranger had received the day before.

Giogi Wyrvenspur looked at Aliyah's brand new scimitars. Both weapons had dark green hilts with black padded gripping. There were small emeralds embedded in the center of each scimitar's crosspiece. The blades themselves were made of steel, and there edges were very sharp.

"Such beautiful weapons," Giogi remarked. "Where ever did you get them Aliyah?"

Aliyah smiled and brushed back her blond hair. She had not tired of telling this story. "I won them by out killing Dove Falconhand. "She stopped for a moment, the magical eye in her left socket zipped left, staring at the Wyrvenspur family crest Giogi bore on the front of his tabard. "When she gave them to me yesterday, she told me that they were both crafted by the finest smiths in Evermeet."

Stephanie slowly got out of her seat and walked outside. Dusk would be approaching soon, and Shadimir had still not come home.

Then she had remembered what Lucia had said.

"Something wrong?" asked Ophila, who was staring at the clear sky.

The doomguide sighed. "I'm worried that something is happening in the forest. What if Lucia was right, and he and Jepetto were attacked like we were earlier today? When he first got home, he had nightmares about some drow cleric who wants to exact her revenge against him."

Ophila shrugged her slender elf shoulders. "Maybe Shadimir has crossed paths with the cleric before, and now she wants revenge. We all make enemies. Its one of those things just happens in life." Stephanie chuckled, taking her mind off of Shadimir for a moment. Ophila asked," Something funny?"

Stephanie nodded. "That sounds something like my father once said to a young Harper years ago. He said that having enemies means that you stood up for something in your life."

"Your father was a Harper?" Ophila asked curiously.

The cleric of Kelemvor tilted her head. "Something like that," she answered with a smile. Ophila looked back up at the open sky, muttering some words in elvish.

Stephanie too looked at the sky, her thoughts once again turning to her husband. She prayed to Kelemvor that he was safe.

Shadimir ducked Amnaill's swing, then stabbed his bastard sword in the death knight's shoulder. The hunter then quickly stepped left, driving his light mace across the death knight's face.

Amnaill stepped back, cursing the undead hunter and the wounds caused by his two weapons. The holy power from Gabriel burned through Amnaill's body.

In retaliation for this attack, the death knight pointed his finger at Shadimir and yelled," Die!"

Shadimir felt a wave of negative energy slap across his body. Taking a step back, he saw Brandaris and Elros fighting the ghouls. Jepetto was still on the ground, curled up in a little ball. Shadimir guessed that his friend was still under the effects of Amnaill's Symbol of Fear spell.

Regaining his focus, the death knight slashed his long sword hard across Shadimir's stomach, but luckily the undead hunter stepped back quick enough to avoid the attack. Wasting no time, Amnaill quickly stabbed Shadimir in the left hip, then made another cut across the hunter's shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Shadimir tried his best to resist the poison that came from the death knight's blade.

The hunter sidestepped Amnaill's next attack, then his left hand reached up and his light mace smacked the death knight hard across the chest.

Gathering his strength, Shadimir stabbed his bastard sword Gabriel hard into Amnaill's face. The death knight let out a soft shriek, then sighed as Shadimir pulled his weapon out. "Your soul will belong to Malice and Kiaransalee," Amnaill whispered just before his lifeless body fell to the ground. The silver haired hunter whispered a prayer of forgiveness and asked that Amnaill's soul be guided to the Fugue Plain.

After saying his prayer, Shadimir looked over at Jepetto, who was now on his feet, helping the elf and the destroy the remaining ghouls. Like Shadimir's mace, Jepetto's steel club possessed the disruption ability. The two ghouls the deep gnome had struck fell to pieces.

Elros ran over to his master. The snow tiger smiled at Shadimir, then noticed the blood on his master's shoulder. Shadimir sighed, cursing himself for forgetting about his wound. The blood was warm and his shoulder was now very sore.

"I'll be fine Elros," the hunter said as he reached down and grabbed the King's Tear from Amnaill's corpse. The snow tiger stared at Shadimir, seeing the look of pain on his face.

Jepetto and Brandaris walked over to Shadimir. The elf had a weary expression on his face, but flashed a smile as Shadimir placed the gem in his pocket. "Will you be able to get back to your friends safely?" the hunter asked.

Brandaris nodded. "While you were fighting with the death knight, I quickly ate a small herb that stops the poison from spreading. Will you be able to get back to Silverymoon safely?"

Shadimir smiled and looked down at Elros. "Yeah I'll live, at least till Stephanie yells at me for being late. We'll need to get back to Silverymoon quickly Jepetto." The deep gnome nodded and reached into his pockets, drawing out the two Obsidian Steeds. Shadimir turned to Brandaris and calmly said," Thank you. May you get back to your home safely."

Brandaris said something in elvish tongue. Shadimir translated it the phrase as "Good luck, and may the Seldarine watch over you." The elf smiled once last time, and then threw up the hood of his cloak and walked away.

Jepetto looked up at the sky. "Shadimir, we better get back to Silverymoon. Night is approaching, and I've heard some terrible things about the Moonwood when it gets dark."

Shadimir watched Brandaris walk away, then turned to Elros. "Hope you're ready to run back home my friend," the hunter whispered to the snow cat. Elros smiled and licked his master's face.

Wearing a black wool cloak that covered her body from the remaining sunlight, Lillandra watched the deep gnome, the man with silver hair, and the snow tiger leave the Moonwood Forest. The vampire quickly found herself staring at Shadimir. She was surprised at how handsome her husband's killer was. For a moment, she imagined her sharp fangs digging deeply into his neck. His blood, which Malice had told her was part Celestial, would taste sweet as it flowed through her mouth.

After she finished her brief fantasy, the drow vampire drew her dagger from her belt, cursing to herself. If she had wanted to kill Shadimir, she knew she should have it after he had killed the death knight. She had been ready to strike, but then she had watched as Shadimir had said a silent prayer of forgiveness for killing Amnaill. She wondered if the undead hunter whispered those same words when he had killed her husband.

Darling, do not blame Shadimir for my death, her husband's voice echoed in her mind. What I had been doing was wrong and immoral. Shadimir did what he thought was right.

Lillandra shook her head. Shadimir had to die, she told herself. Or did he?

I am waiting for you in the House of the Triad with the goddess Siamorphe.

The vampire sighed and put her dagger away. She would wait to confront Shadimir until they were both back in Silverymoon. With Malice waiting, Lillandra knew that she had to act quickly.