Chapter 10

The good deed left unpunished

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Elene peered at the drop below her. Nothing too terrible, twenty feet into a body of water that looked deep enough to absorb her full height. The fall itself probably wouldn't kill her outright if she angled her landing right. Swallowing, she glanced up the way she came. No, what would kill her is if the priestess of Talos she'd just stolen from realised she'd hit the water. Talassan specialty was to command water and storms to crush unwitting sailors, after all.

The thought spurred her to climb down faster, as about two-thirds of the way, she could feel the effects of the Spider Climb potion already beginning to wear off. Ten whole minutes before it was supposed to.

In hindsight, perhaps taking Jan Jansen at his word may not have been the brightest idea.

"Don't worry, this is my trusted formula. Works like a charm, he says," she muttered sullenly. "Should have stuck to the rope."

She was almost near the bottom of the temple structure, at the ledge where Yoshimo was preparing to shoot a rope over for her to shimmy across. She licked her lips at the prospect of escape at last. Her nerves were just about shot after the night's hijinks. Then, whatever magic that allowed her hands and feet to stick to the side of the temple wall flickered out. It was too much to hope that it would hold after all. Cursing, she pulled out a knife and stabbed it as hard as she could into the wall. The metal chipped off on impact, but it allowed her to slide down in a relatively controlled fashion rather than careen backwards into the canal.

Panting, she rested her forehead against the wall once her feet touched solid ground. It was a precarious ledge with a steep drop off, but still, at least she was upright and stable. She was never doing that again.

A low whistle made her throw a quick look over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was Yoshimo with the rope. With her free hand, she gestured for him to fire it over. She caught the arrow as it rebounded off the wall with a sharp crack. Wincing, she stole a quick glance upward. So far so good. She had the rope fastened on the ledge in record time and shimmied across to the walkway of the Temple District as fast as her arms and legs could carry her. The second she was safely on the other side, Yoshimo cut the rope without preamble, not even watching it fall into the water.

"Hurry, I heard voices from the balcony," Yoshimo hissed.

He didn't need to tell her twice. They beat a hasty retreat into the darkened alleys before the alarm could be raised. With luck, none would finger Mae'var's stable of burglars for the deed. She'd been so careful not to leave any tracks, after all.

"This necklace had better be worth it," Elene grumbled as they found their way back at the Docks.

"Look on the bright side, at least it's just been thieving work so far," Yoshimo grinned.

He was right, in a way. When Jassa had mentioned 'quiet' work, Elene had worried herself into the ground wondering what that entailed. Fortunately, given her track record at the Gate, Renal Bloodscalp had her slated for extraction – valuables, documents, and the like. That stood in stark contrast to 'wet' work, a euphemism for assassination jobs. When she'd brought her papers to Mae'var, he'd been disappointed that she didn't boast that sort of track record.

Mae'var…now there was a man she was not keen on meeting again. Tall, handsome, sleek, he spoke in soft, measured tones. Much like the Bloodscalp, he also had a certain cool charm to him. But where his superior was crisp and business-like, Mae'var liked to play games. She could see it clearly in how he toyed with the prisoners under his care, with knives and pliers and needles alike. She'd made the right choice in keeping Anomen out of Mae'var's cellar, with the sobbing inmates and grim torture implements lining the walls. It took all her strength not to bolt from the room, especially remembering her own ordeal just weeks earlier. That, and Yoshimo's steadying hand.

Still, she could tell she didn't impress Mae'var at their first meeting. He'd put her under probation, assigned to a middling enforcer to chaperone until she'd proven herself. The jobs assigned were almost beneath her, petty thefts and pilfering of inventory from merchants competing with Mae'var's affiliates. Until she'd showed up two days ago and her handler gave an assignment to steal a holy necklace from under the nose of a ranking priestess of Talos. Idly, she wondered if this was merely a subtle attempt to get her killed.

It almost worked.

One bright note from her assignment was her handler, a capable rogue named Jariel. He'd started his career with the Shadow Thieves at the guildhouse, proving himself an asset with his sharp intellect and potent organisation skills. Furthermore, the man was a workaholic, showing up for work as early as fourth bell in the morning. To get ahead with the paperwork, or so he claimed. Indeed, he was already sipping a cup of coffee at his desk when Elene and Yoshimo turned up at his doorstep close to dawn.

"Here's your necklace," she foisted the trinket off to him.

Jariel whistled as he studied it, turning it this way and that in the warm light of his office. "Steady on there. I say, this thing weighs a ton. I'll never understand Talassans and their habit of wearing dinner plates around their necks."

"Who's this for, anyway?" Yoshimo asked as he nicked a piece of dried fruit from Jariel's desk.

"Eh, some rich chap in Elturel. He's got some kind of collection going."

Yoshimo chuckled. "And a death wish, if these holy types find out."

"Not my problem," Jariel shrugged. "In and out, no witnesses?"

"None," Elene confirmed.

He nodded, satisfied. "Solid work. I'm afraid I've run out of jobs to give you. So, I'm going to give you good news instead. You've performed competently on all the tasks I've assigned, and Mae'var thinks you're ready to step up."

Elene raised her eyebrows. "Like a promotion?"

"Well, if you want to call it that, sure." Jariel smirked as he handed her a hefty pouch. "I'm giving you the passcode for the top floor, where you'll be meeting Mae'var's right hand. You'll be taking assignments from them starting tomorrow, though they're only around at night."

"Why? Are they a vampire?"

He cuffed her on the arm. "Don't joke about that. You know about the other guild."

Her lips thinned at the mention of the guild trying to usurp the Shadow Thieves. None knew their name, or where they operated from, but every thief in the city walked with eyes at the back of their head of late. In the past three days alone, more bodies had been found than in the past three months. A sure sign that the enemy was stepping up their game. Join them or die, that was the message on the streets. The manner of the killings hinted that they numbered vampires among them. Who else would leave behind a corpse totally drained of blood?

"Sorry. I'll go see this 'right hand' later tonight then. They have a name?" she asked.

"Just head up and you'll be introduced when the time comes. They like their secrecy." At her sceptical look, he spread his hands helplessly. "Hey, I don't make the rules around here. But watch out, this one's not gonna be soft on you."

Not much point to linger in Jariel's office once he'd paid her for the job done. The streets were quiet as she walked back with Yoshimo. Along the way, he pointed out interesting spots or local tidbits he'd gleaned from tavern-hopping in his free time, always accompanied with a humorous Kara-Turan anecdote. Sometimes Elene wondered how much of his stories were true, and how much were pure deflection. Even so, she found herself becoming increasingly comfortable with his company. With Jaheira's dourness and Anomen's prickliness, Yoshimo was the unlikely ray of sunshine in their little group. In some ways, that made her miss Imoen even more fiercely.

"Join me for breakfast?" he asked as they arrived at their inn.

Her smile was apologetic. "I think I'll have some bread in the room. Jaheira should be up by now."

Yoshimo pressed a hand to his chest. "After all that, you still prefer her company to mine. I'm hurt."

Chuckling, she swatted at him. He deflected her hand good-naturedly, grinning as he made his way to the bar, where bleary-eyed Bernard was setting up for the breakfast crowd. She made her way unimpeded back to her shared room with Jaheira, fingering her newly acquired coin pouch as she did. Weighty, she estimated Jariel must have given her a solid five hundred gold. Given the risk she'd taken to secure it, she wondered if she was being short-changed.

The room door creaked as she pushed it open. As expected, Jaheira was already at the desk wedged between their narrow beds, going through her notes. She looked fresh, as though she'd been up for hours. A bag of coin lay open near her hand as well.

"Coin-counting so early in the morning?" Elene asked as she shut the door.

"Four thousand already," was Jaheira's reply. She sounded pleased.

"Here. You can add a few hundred more."

Jaheira finally looked up as she deposited another bag onto the desk. "Already?"

"We managed to get the job done a few hours ago." Elene began stripping off her armour. "No sense waiting when the opportunity was there."

"And how was Yoshimo?"

"Sharp. Reliable. Amusing." Elene paused. "You still don't have a good feeling about him?"

The other woman made a noncommittal noise. "We barely know him."

"He's been alright so far."

"Hmm."

From her noncommittal response, Elene chose to change the subject. She didn't want to ruin Jaheira's good mood so early in the day. "How'd it go with your search yesterday? Any sign of your old colleagues?"

"Getting closer, I think. Some tell-tale signs of operations at the second level of the Wave District. I haven't checked in with Ribald, but now that we can actually afford some of the things in the Adventurer's Mart, we may stop by for a visit one of these days."

"That's good," she replied with a nod. "Did Anomen get anything from the garrison?"

"A minor lead from the guard captain at the Bridge."

"Anything promising?"

"Some potential there," Jaheira allowed. "A decent bounty for a murderer in the district, from what he tells me. Not sure how they could tell it was the work of a unique murderer, the dead could have just been more victims of this accursed guild war. But still, at least it's something Anomen can work on while we focus on other things," she trailed off, already counting the haul from Jariel.

Elene frowned as she folded away her things into a neat pile at the foot of the bed. This guild war was getting out of hand quickly if dead bodies on the streets were becoming a norm. She wondered if she was putting her own group at risk by allying so closely with the Shadow Thieves. Was she inadvertently painting a bright red target on all their backs? Maybe she needed to be more careful tracking back to the Coronet after jobs.

"Five hundred and fifty gold?" Jaheira exclaimed. "I'm almost afraid to ask what the job was."

Elene cleared her throat. "I had to steal the ceremonial necklace of a Talassan priestess."

Slowly, Jaheira turned in her chair, her incredulous gaze saying all.

"I know, I know. But we got it done, no limbs lost. All in a night's work." She smiled hopefully. "Other than the gold, I also got something else from this job."

"Some self-preservation instincts, I hope," Jaheira retorted.

A nervous chuckle escaped Elene at that. "One can wish. From what Jariel said, I think I've been promoted. I'm to report to Mae'var's right hand man tonight for my new assignment. Whoever it is, he's incredibly secretive. Jariel won't even give me a name."

Jaheira shifted in her seat, thinking. "Did he give any indication what sort of work you'll be getting?"

"Not the foggiest."

"I suppose you've done well to earn that trust within a tenday," the druid relented, igniting a small spark of pride in Elene. "My only hope is that the slope doesn't get steeper from here on out. At some point, you're going to have to draw a line. And I doubt this Mae'var will take kindly to that."

Scrubbing tiredly at her face, Elene sighed. "I hear you. Still…figuring that part out."

"With luck, I can get help from the Harpers before we get to that point."

The memory of what happened with the Harpers at the Gate stuck out in Elene's mind even as Jaheira spoke. Despite Jaheira's long service with them, her brethren hadn't been partial to help her cause at all when the odds were stacked against them, only swooping in once Sarevok's dusted body had scattered into the winds. But she didn't want to remind her mentor of that. She could tell it must play uncomfortably on the forefront of her mind as well. Talk of Harpers also invariably drew her mind to Khalid. Sweet, wonderful Khalid. There were days when the mere thought of him pushed into a deep melancholy. She couldn't imagine how Jaheira was coping with the loss.

"Would you like to come with me tonight? To meet my mysterious new superior?" she asked instead.

"You mean go in Yoshimo's stead?" Jaheira raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. Then you can form your own view on whether I'm going to get us all murdered in our beds by vengeful thieves."

Jaheira's answering snicker warmed her, short as it was. "I'll take you up on that."

"That's settled then. Now if you'll excuse me, this burglar is going to get some rest."

The rest of the day passed quietly. Elene spent the morning in reverie and arose around lunch to a note left on the desk. Accompanied by another potion of Spider Climb. Jan's scrawl was barely legible as he explained the flaw in the last formula, this time assuring her that the new batch should be perfect. Elene smiled as she put the note down. No long-term harm done. She could continue to rely on her new partner for as long as she brought back-up rope next time.

After that, she settled in for her report to Jassa for Yoshimo to take to the designated dead drop. He'd been disappointed to be left behind for the night's meeting, but he could sense her reasoning behind it. Jaheira and Anomen had been purposely kept out of the loop for certain things they did for Mae'var to avoid worrying them overmuch. Yet the tacit secrecy was netting her tighter replies and cooler looks, the warning signs of wear on her relationship with Jaheira. Given all she'd lost in the past year, she couldn't bear the thought of drifting away from the only family she had left.

Well, only family left until they got Imoen back.

Thoughts of Imoen weighed on her as she and Jaheira crossed into the Wave District later that night. She kept Imoen's face firmly in her mind. This 'right-hand of Mae'var' can throw whatever he liked at her; she'd just have to deal with it until her coin pouch was heavy enough for Gaelan Bayle's liking. The hair at the back of her neck prickled as she approached the guildhall. A quick sweep with her eyes marked nothing unusual. Yet somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She quickened her pace.

Anishai greeted them with a languid wave as they ascended the first floor of Mae'var's guildhouse. Beautiful woman, with porcelain skin and rosebud lips. Not to mention eyes as hard as marble. One of Mae'var's favourite lieutenants, if gossip was to be believed. A closer glance at the knives and dark vials on her belt gave Elene an indication what Anishai was really good at. She squared her shoulders and recited the passcode Jariel gave her without stuttering.

"Ooh, moving up in the world, darling," Anishai purred.

"Any advice?" Elene asked, keeping her tone light.

Anishai's lips curved into a wicked smile. "Try not to end up on the racks."

Swallowing, Elene turned to clamber up the steps to the second floor, which was off-limits to most guild members. Mostly offices, with a few meeting rooms set up to look like a legitimate headquarter in the event of a raid. She led Jaheira down a corridor with rooms on both sides, finally arriving at a lounge at the end. The lounge was even worse lit than the dungeon cellar, with only one magelight keeping the room from total darkness. Seated on the cosy armchair in the lounge was a figure, heavily cloaked and hooded. From her current angle, it was impossible to tell if the person was a man or woman.

"Good eve. I am Elene." She canted her head in courtesy. "Jariel informed me that I will be reporting to you from now on."

The figure didn't reply. Instead, they raised a gloved hand to gesture towards the opposite seat.

Jaheira shot her a wary look. Keeping her face neutral, she moved to comply with their host's direction, perching herself on the armchair without really making herself comfortable. All her senses were on edge. Even more so given that she was staring into the unnatural darkness of a heavy cowl instead of a recognisable face. Magic was in play here, befuddling her Darkvision. Even so, she could feel the burning scrutiny from the other.

"What's my next assignment?" she decided to jump right in.

"Hmm. Mae'var was right in that you are direct."

Their host's sultry voice answered one of her questions straight away: her new superior was a woman. Likely an elf as well. And she sounded almost…amused?

"I understand the only way to get ahead here is to prove myself," she answered.

"That is true. But are you willing to do what's needed?" The mystery woman cocked her head in interest. "Though you do seem different from the first time I saw you."

Anxiety surged through Elene's veins. "We've met before?"

"Indeed."

The woman raised a hand to her heavy cowl. Elene wracked her brain frantically, thinking where she could have met this person before. Impossible to tell just from a voice and a figure. Was it someone at the Gate? Her only elven contact at the Gate was Coran. Could this be one of Jaheira's colleagues? But then what would they be doing with the Shadow Thieves? Plus, she would have said something by now, surely…

Then the cowl dropped. So did Elene's jaw.

Jaheira settled deeper into her seat with a slow exhale.

What a small Realm it was.

"I…" Elene cleared her throat when she recovered. "Well, I'm glad you made it out of Peldvale."

Eyes like rubies twinkled back at her in amusement. Ebony skin, snow white hair, and the unforgettable face of the dark elf Viconia. One of the most beautiful women Elene had ever seen. Her building anxiety dispersed as quickly as it emerged. After all, she'd inadvertently rescued Viconia from bandits and kept her out of Flaming Fist clutches during their hunt in the Wood of Sharp Teeth. That had to count for something, right?

"And I'm surprised you made it out at all," Viconia drawled. "I didn't think a soft thing like you would be a match for what awaited in those woods. Much less be able to make it this far." A smirk. "Tell me, is the other darthiir with you? The male?"

Suddenly, Elene felt tremendously grateful that Kivan was not with them. He'd been rough, vicious even with Viconia. His presence would significantly complicate matters. "Our group went separate ways after the Gate. It's just me and Jaheira now."

"That's a shame. I would have loved to put that one on the rack for a day or two."

Elene kept silent. Whatever relief she'd felt at finding out it was Viconia evaporated. Maybe there was a kernel of truth in Kivan's vitriolic prejudice towards dark elves. It's in drow nature to be cruel and vindictive, and to revel in a position of control, just like in the books she'd read as a child. Dark creatures pouring from the tunnel yearning for nothing more than power and destruction of their enemies. And she was there now at the mercy of such a being. Out of the corner of her eye, Jaheira's face was equally grim.

"No matter. I suppose I will have to make do with you." Viconia leaned back into a more comfortable position, resting an arm over the top of the seat. "Jariel tells me you've proven adequate for his tasks. How have you found them so far?"

Elene thought for a moment. She would have to choose her words carefully. "Nothing too taxing."

"On the back, or on the morals?" Viconia's smile was languid, despite the underlying danger in her tone.

"I wasn't aware that morals were a limitation in Mae'var's stable."

Viconia canted her head. "This from a woman who spared a drow in the wilds, when it would have been safer to kill them?"

"That was different. I had nothing to gain from your death," Elene lied.

"Or you simply lacked the spine then."

Elene half-smiled. "Then we wouldn't be having this pleasant conversation now."

"Ah, spare me your wit. You're mistaken if you think I owe you anything from our past encounter. If anything, your weak-willed decision should be punished." Viconia's eyes flashed. "Only the strong survive. And you would do well to remember that for as long as you answer to me. I have not the time nor the inclination to deal with your whimpering conscience when the work really begins. Do you understand?"

She thought of her murderous brother, Sarevok. How even the mightiest fell to a lightning knife strike.

"Yes."

Her firm answer appeared to pacify Viconia. "While I have half a mind to send you to certain death, Jariel tells me you have a certain…finesse that's been lacking in many of my former operatives. You surfacers are atrociously poor at anything that requires subtlety and I'm beginning to lose my patience." Viconia huffed. "I have a…sensitive assignment very close to Mae'var's heart that needs to be dealt with very soon. Are you familiar with a group called the Six Coffers Market Priakos?"

Jaheira frowned. "The merchant guild from Sembia?"

"Indeed. They have a representative staying in the city, to set up an extension of their Berdusk branch. This cannot be allowed to happen. His plans must be scuppered before he closes a lease agreement and leaves the city in three days."

"You want him killed?" Jaheira asked, her tone incredulous.

Viconia's soft laugh gave Elene chills. "Don't be so simple-minded. Sembians are like cockroaches, or so Mae'var tells me. Killing him means they will just send a replacement. No, we need to hit these merchants where it hurts them the most."

"Their purses," Elene concluded.

A nod. "We've tried doctoring ledgers, agreements. But the blasted merchant has been keeping a tight leash on his documentation. Lately he's started hiring guards after one of our operatives botched an extraction." Viconia shot her a wry look. "That operative is currently languishing in one of the pens in Mae'var's workshop, and he is a long-standing member of the guild. I will leave it to your imagination what will happen to you if you fail, new blood."

Elene contemplated the task for a moment. Then, "Do I have free hand to deal with this?"

"He is based in the Den of the Seven Vales at Waukeen's Promenade. You have three days. I don't care how you do it, just get it done."

Jaheira gave her the side-eye. Well. At least it wasn't an assassination.

"Very well," Elene nodded. As she eased off the chair, though, she paused. And decided to try her luck. "It hasn't even been a year since we last met in the Sword Coast. How did you get to be in your position here so quickly?"

The returning smile from Viconia was chilling. "Whatever horrors you surfacers can conjure, you are all but children compared to my people. We are made to survive, to claw our way to victory, and to rule. Think on that, fool. Especially if it ever crosses your mind to betray me or Mae'var."

Elene canted her head in farewell and left, not trusting herself to say anything more. The Bloodscalp's ask had grown infinitely more dangerous now that there was a drow in play in Mae'var's camp. There were moments where she sensed Viconia was close to seeing through her cool professional façade and that would have been the end of it. It helped to have Jaheira by her side to remind her the cost of failure.

However, that Viconia managed to worm her way up the ranks so quickly was a good sign. It means that she could, too.

Jaheira and Elene walked the streets shoulder to shoulder in loaded silence, both understanding the need to canvas their mark as quickly as possible. Three days was a short time frame for subtlety. Elene's mental gears were already turning, the best way to do it is to ensure the Six Coffers lost money before they even began their venture in Athkatla. That would put a significant dampener on things. One mode would be to sabotage an asset they'd already secured. Another is to leak whatever business agreement they'd had in place, to the benefit of another merchant group here in the city. To do that, she needed more information. Oh, how she wished desperately that she could use magic again. A charm spell would achieve so much in such a short time.

"Now would be a good time for your lead to mature, Jaheira," Elene muttered as they walked.

"You don't think I know that?" came the snappy reply.

"We can try meet this Ribald Barterman of yours while we're at the Promenade."

"Unfortunately, he doesn't know where…"

"Miss! Oy, miss!"

Elene's hand was on her sword even as she turned to face the boy running towards them. Scrawny chap, dressed in the typical labourer uniform of soiled shirt and trousers covered in fraying patchwork. Couldn't be older than fifteen summers. To her surprise though, the boy went straight to Jaheira, his hand outstretched with a scrap of paper held in it. She kept her gaze trained on him and her senses alert for peripheral threats. She'd fallen for this type of trick before, and it had nearly spelled the end for her then.

"This is fer you, miss," he said through rotten teeth.

Jaheira stared at his hand. "From whom?"

"Dunno, don't care. Just told to give this to ya and not ask questions, aye?"

Glaring, Jaheira plucked the note out of his grasp. He graced her with a jaunty bow, then off he went back in the direction of the wharf. Elene kept a hand on her weapon, scanning their surroundings as Jaheira skimmed through the note. They were definitely being watched.

"Good read?" she asked lightly.

"Hmm." A small smile began to bloom on Jaheira's face. "It appears after weeks of searching, my brethren have found me."

.

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Author's Note:

I did mention I'd be tweaking parts of the story as I go along. :)

Given the first instalment, I thought the story would have a more solid continuation with Viconia being the right hand so that I can grow her as a character rather than introducing a new one in Edwin. Her self-serving duplicity is driven more by survival than a personal quest for power, and I personally find that to be a more compelling angle to write. Plus if anyone can close a blind eye to her race because of her usefulness, it would be the Shadow Thieves.

I'll be taking a break for a month as real life is getting increasingly intense, so the next chapter will be up on 9 April instead. Worry not, the next six chapters are already written, just trying to improve on interlocking storylines so that everything flows better.

In the meantime, take care!