Author's Note: I have to say, this one is my favorite chapter so far. Maybe I'm praising myself unduly. Let me know! Enjoy reading this.


Where was one to go to purchase a dirk, Entreri wondered for the third time. He had been out here nearly half of the span of time he'd allotted for himself and still had not found one weapon even vaguely resembling a dirk – for sale or…otherwise.

Frowning, Entreri went up to yet another possible place to find the weapon and again left. Nothing. He was pondering if he might be able to secure a dagger instead for his companion when a very drunk man made the mistake of shoving the assassin. He was dead before he could blink twice. Entreri pulled his dagger out of the man's heart and casually wiped it against the man's tunic.

He noticed the weapon's belt the drunk had been wearing and unbuckled it, deciding to take it with him. He'd found a dirk for Terrin. Or actually, 0 the assassin counted the weapons as he walked away. Entreri had found a pair of dirks, a rapier, seven short daggers all with their own sheaths, and a pouch of coins.

The assassin pondered the wisdom of keeping the weapons belt in its entirety. He came to a compromise.

A few minutes later yet another drunkard was tottering around, wearing a weapons belt missing two daggers, both dirks and the contents of the coin purse.

Entreri came back to the inn right on schedule and found Terrin there. He looked the elf up and down, quickly assessing his adversary's capabilities by sight alone. The elf looked frail. For a moment Entreri considered the idea of putting the competition off another few days but – no. He needed to know if he should bring Terrin with him at all.

He handed over the two weapons he'd taken that fit Terrin's hand best. The two daggers he'd hidden in his own boots, silently promising to give Terrin one of them if he did take the elf to Calimport.

The two of them walked out back and began stretching to loosen up before the bout. Entreri took careful measure of Terrin during that time, as he made lazy passes at the open air. Terrin seemed to favor his left side over his right; Entreri caught that right away. His footwork was good. Now to see how well all that added up.

"Ready?" Entreri asked. Terrin nodded and the assassin got ready to either charge or be charged. Then Terrin made a strange move. He placed his left blade back into its sheath and rolled the lone dirk around in his right hand. For a moment Entreri wondered if the elf had given up before the fight had begun. With his saber, the assassin could easily reach the elf and Terrin's shorter weapon would be no closer to Entreri for his efforts.

Then Terrin came on.

Entreri recognized a difference in this elf from any other opponent he'd ever battled. Terrin didn't really look at Entreri while he fought. Instead, he seemed to be involved in a sort of moving meditation. His crystal eyes were unfocused and there was absolutely no expression on his face.

The assassin logged that information away for later use and sped up his attack routine, wanting to see how his opponent would respond. Terrin still hadn't taken the offensive yet.

Entreri's sword slashed in, perfectly in line with the elf's torso. Terrin dropped under it and thrust ahead blindly with his dirk at the same time, forcing Entreri to jump back. With incredible strength and agility, Terrin snapped his feet back under himself and sprung forward, his weapon leading the way. Entreri countered with his dagger and held the lone weapon out wide while swinging his sword around in a swift move that whistled right in front of Terrin's face as the elf scrambled to disengage.

Once again the blades came together. Entreri provided an opening on purpose, wanting to see the elf's offensive style. It might as well not have been there at all for how completely Terrin ignored it. Sword and dagger launched in together, catching Terrin's one blade up high. Then Entreri pulled his dagger from the mix and drove it forward, right at Terrin's chest.

There was no way he could miss, and though he lamented the loss of a partner, nothing would stay his hand now. Or, almost nothing.

Steel rang against steel and Entreri paused for a critical instant, seeing a dirk in Terrin's left hand. He'd forgotten the elf's second weapon almost entirely! When Entreri pulled back from the locked stalemate, he had a bit more respect for the unorthodox elf.

At once, when he closed with Terrin again, Entreri noticed the slight problem the elf was having in wielding his blades. At first he thought maybe he'd have to kill Terrin after all – for being such a clumsy fighter – but then he noted a few other things: the slight stumble and slowing of movement. The glazed eyes and sweat. He'd overstepped his bounds, the assassin thought and was proved right a few seconds later as Terrin passed out.

Entreri had been expecting something like it though so he was ready for the elf to collapse. His weapons were returned to their sheaths before Terrin's legs even finished giving out under him, and he caught the elf easily. While supporting Terrin with one hand, Entreri used his other to catch the dirks he flipped into the air with his foot and replaced them in their rightful places. Then, he carried the unconscious elf back into the inn and up to his room.

Gently he put Terrin on the bed and sat down next to him, meaning only to rest for a bit but actually falling asleep himself on the bed next to Terrin.

He awoke all at once, as usual. But, instead of a ceiling, he saw a face looking slightly concerned, leaning over hi. It took a second for Entreri to put a name to the face. Then – "What in hell are you doing Terrin?"

Terrin's eyes had a strange light in them that extinguished as soon as Entreri spoke. He recoiled swiftly, a little hurt evident in his eyes. Entreri sat up and ignored the emotion that he spotted in the elf's crystal gaze.

"What," he repeated slowly, "in hell were you doing, Terrin?"

Terrin grimaced. "I don't know," he said, not looking at the assassin now.

"You don't know."

"No, I don't," Terrin snapped, his ire aimed at the floor. Entreri considered punishing the elf for his impudent tone, but decided against it. When Terrin truly became too big for his britches perhaps the assassin would cut him down. Not now, when he struck out with words only.

Instead, Entreri kicked off his boots and arranged himself comfortably on the bed. Terrin was still standing at the side, having not moved at all, even to lift his gaze from the floor.

"Sit down," Entreri commanded. Terrin looked at him – startled, but then gingerly perched on the side of the bed. "You have a rather strange combat style," the assassin remarked. "I thought I had you when your weapon was locked with my sword."

"You forgot my other one, didn't you?" Terrin asked.

Mutely Entreri nodded a confirmation.

"Mostly that's what saves me when I have to fight," the elf said bitterly. "My weapons aren't designed to be able to kill and armed opponent. I only use the one until I absolutely have to draw the other – usually to injure whoever I'm fighting." There was no pride in Terrin's voice. It was absolutely without emotion.

Entreri sat up, or rather, propped himself up on his arm and watched the elf carefully. "You don't enjoy fighting," the assassin stated bluntly.

Terrin shook his head. "No, it's not that I don't like the feel of my blades or the satisfaction of a good workout," he tried to explain. "I just hate hurting people who – who – " he stopped talking.

"Who what?"

"I just don't like hurting people," Terrin said miserably.

Entreri lifted an eyebrow at the elf's tone. Why miserable and not, say, defensive? It was clear enough that Terrin was hiding something. The assassin ran a hand through his hair. He was leaving for Calimport tomorrow. If Terrin wanted to come, he'd need to explain this – thing – that was bothering him first. And, Entreri added mentally, he'd need to start eating more as well. Strong and quick were all well and good, but they needed to last beyond the initial encounter in a fight.

"What's bothering you?" Entreri asked Terrin. He fully expected the stammering denial Terrin offered and instead of accepting it, sat up and took the elf's shoulders in his hands. "Look at me."

Terrin did – he couldn't ignore the commanding tone of the assassin's voice.

"I'm leaving tomorrow for Calimport." Terrin's look at the news was a mix between incredulity, horror, and intense sorrow. Entreri found himself a little off-balance when confronted with it.

"I meant to ask if you wanted to come," the assassin continued.

Terrin's eyes began to shine at that and he bobbed his head eagerly.

"Well, there's a catch to it."

Terrin paused, looking strangely at Entreri.

The assassin ignored the look. "This is it – several parts actually. First, you need to start eating more. I'm not going to travel with a stick as company. Second, you are going to explain this strange phobia of hurting people. Last," he saw Terrin brace as if already expecting a certain less-than-pleasant set of words to come from Entreri.

"Last," the assassin said stubbornly, "you will decide if you want to work with me in Calimport. There are plenty of jobs that require pairs to get any work done."

Short silence broken only by breathing followed. Then, "That's it?" his voice held a hint of disbelief.

"That's it," Entreri confirmed. "So, you've made it relatively clear that you want to come – what about the requirements?"

Terrin looked Entreri in the eye and the assassin was startled by what he glimpsed in those crystal depths. There was trust there, hope and eagerness and an emotion too elusive to name. As usual, the assassin shrugged it off, brushing them away with the briefest thought about how uncomfortable it must be to carry emotions around.

"I'd like to work with you," Terrin said shyly. "It would be interesting."

More than just interesting, the assassin thought, but he didn't voice the thought. "Do you think you can start eating more, stick?"

"Oh, I think I can manage," Terrin replied cheerfully.

"Now, are you going to explain your phobia?"

Terrin's cheerfulness dropped away immediately. "Do I have to?" His voice was almost too soft to hear. "P-please, I – I'd rather not."

This of course, only piqued Entreri's curiosity. "I told you – I won't take you to Calimport if you don't meet my conditions. I need to understand my partner, Terrin. If we work together, we need to know how to best compliment each other's fighting style and thoughts. I can't do that if I don't understand you."

Terrin was trembling. "P-p-promise you w-won't t-tell anyone?" he whispered desperately.

Entreri, still holding that crystal gaze, nodded. Terrin broke the contact he had with Entreri's eyes. This, however the assassin could not allow. He needed to look into Terrin's eyes to fully glean the story from their crystal depths. He tilted Terrin's face up with one hand and their eyes locked again. Terrin took a long shaky breath and began to speak.

"It was a l-long t-time ago," he said softly. Entreri had to strain to hear his voice. "I was re-really young. M-maybe a few years old. I was b-brought here b-by someone – I don't know. It w-was a he, though, I remember. He took me here and told me I was going to live here f-f-forever." The elf's voice broke.

Entreri kept his hold on Terrin's chin, else the elf surely would have looked away. Instead, Terrin's eyes closed and tears rolled down his cheeks. It took a few minutes before he could speak again. Entreri waited patiently. Finally Terrin was ready to talk again.

"Those f-first years weren't so b-bad. He t-took pretty good care of m-me, but then he was g-gone and that other one c-came." Terrin's eyes shut and more hot tears burned trails down his cheeks. He opened his eyes but from how unfocused they were, the assassin could tell Terrin was reliving his tale, at least in part. He whimpered and flinched at irregular intervals. Finally Entreri put his hands on the elf's shoulders and gently shook him to bring him back to the present.

"He hurt me," Terrin said in a harsh whisper. "More than just scars and bruises – he claimed he warped my soul." Terrin grimaced again and continued on. "He took me, and his sons too, they did as well before they all left. And then he sold me out, like a mare for rent."

Entreri had guessed at the beginning that he wouldn't like where this was going and he didn't feel any differently now. He wished he hadn't killed the innkeeper – that he'd let him live so he could inflict torment now!

"I'm not proud of it," Terrin said flatly, making Entreri wonder why the elf bothered with the disclaimer. Would anyone be proud of such a past?

"I'm not proud that I'm good at pleasing men too drunk to be able to tell a barmaid from a bull, let alone a woman from a male elf." He laughed bitterly, hiccupping a little. "So now that you know that, the resulting answer to your question should be easily determined; I don't like hurting people because I'm an elf and I was conditioned not to."

He wrenched back, away from Entreri and pulled his legs up to his chin. "I suppose I'll go now," the elf said quietly.

"Why?" Entreri asked.

Terrin's head snapped up. "You – you still want me to come?" he inquired tentatively.

Entreri stood, rolled his shoulders back and looked Terrin straight in the eye. "I was my deal, and I'm keeping to it. I don't see any reason to go back on it unless you want to."

Terrin leapt to his feet in distress. "No-no! I don't want to!" he exclaimed.

Entreri chuckled. "Then that's settled and it's time for bed."

Terrin stiffened until Entreri waved him over to the pile of coverlets that they'd folded that morning. The assassin helped the elf recreate his 'nest' before retiring to his own bed.

He collapsed into it, wondering how in all of Faerun he was so tired when all he'd done that day was a minor bout and steal a few weapons. Those thoughts and questions ceased as sleep invaded the assassin's mind and he dreamed. In the morning, he didn't remember those dreams, but had a peculiar feeling that the centered around Terrin.

He shook the feeling easily enough, woke Terrin and got breakfast into them before ushering the still half-asleep elf out of his room and down the stairs of the inn. Entreri hadn't really been expecting to pick up a new recruit, so he didn't have two horses, but Terrin sat comfortable enough pillion to the assassin.

With the saddlebags behind him, Terrin behind the saddlebags and the elf's arms loosely looped around his waist, Entreri was completely ready to be off. He nudged the unremarkable gelding into an easy walk. He would be back in Calimport within the week. Nothing could possibly disrupt the plan.

So he thought.