Author's Note: I know Zaknafien's soul supposadly rests in eternal peace, but to me that's only part of his soul. Please don't yell about my opinion of his afterlife.

The spirit of Zaknafein looked at Nova. She was not who he had been expecting. He had to admit that she was the perfect person to see, but he was still disappointed.

"This is a dangerous den for me to be in, almost as dangerous as you seeing me," Nova said quietly.

"I understand," Zak said, "but I have vital news for you and your lover."

Nova was about to say that she had no lover when she realized that Zak probably didn't know Aramil was dead.

"Then speak before one of the Spider Queen's handmaidens finds us."

"The second house of Menzoberranzan wishes to wage war on Aramil. They're working with some humans and a vampire on the surface."

It took a moment for Nova to digest all of this information. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Zak nodded and left. It occurred to Nova that she had best do the same.

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Jori watched Callahan practice with Entreri very intently. Entreri was good, and Callahan was learning fast. The elf almost seemed happy with him.

"Wonderful to watch, isn't it?" said a melodious voice from behind her.

Jori spun around to see Jarlaxle. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"Are you one of the clerics?"

Jori just nodded.

Jarlaxle sat down and looked at her. She looked a lot like Entreri. Her hair was so black that all other colors seemed to swirl inside it, and her gray eyes were so dark that you could barely see the pupils. Her skin was a dusky brown. It wasn't only the appearance that caught Jarlaxle; it was the way she spoke. Although she was clearly Calishite, her voice did not have the heavy southern accent of most, and she was clearly educated. Something about her made his mind jump straight to Entreri. She intrigued him just as much.

"You're staring," Jori said in a dazed tone.

When he looked at her, he realized that she was staring at him as well. "So are you."

"I have never seen a drow before—well, not many and none like you."

"What is you name?" Jarlaxle was truly interested. She was beautiful, and he was quite taken with her.

"Jori," she said simply. "And you?"

"Jarlaxle," he said, giving a slight bow with his head.

"Have you been here long?"

"Since those two," Jarlaxle said, motioning over to Callahan and Entreri.

"Ah, I've heard about you."

"Really?"

"Yes, there aren't many drow like you, especially here."

Jarlaxle smiled at what he considered a grand compliment.

A loud cry of pain caught both of their attention. Jori and Jarlaxle spun around to find Callahan lying on the ground racked in pain. Entreri had apparently hit him hard and in the knee. Shaking his head, the assassin approached the two.

"That's the longest the two of you have gone yet," Jarlaxle observed casually. Entreri looked at him but said nothing.

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How was she supposed to break the news to the Lords? Nova really didn't want to admit the source of her information, but that wasn't the biggest problem. The biggest problem was that if she just said there was a war coming they wouldn't be fully ready when the force hit them-- they would underestimate their opponent. If she told them exactly what was coming then they might have a panic response and if not them, then someone else. Nova had no doubt that the news would leak out somehow. Of course it wouldn't be over even if she told them the whole truth and they remained calm. The trick with an army is that you don't want them underestimating their opponent or panicking.

"Oh well," she muttered. That wasn't her problem, was it?

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When Entreri got to his office, he was dismayed that there was yet more paperwork. One would think that as Daggerlord it wouldn't be a problem in his life. Well, he had finished a quarter of it, having only twenty more papers to go before practicing with Callahan. He now had about 100 pieces of paper on his desk. Sighing, Entreri sat down. Rest seemed impossible.

"It's only been a tenday with minimum rest," he muttered to himself as he dug into the mound of paper. All he wanted right now was four hours sleep every evening, in one block. Now that would be nice.

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"Where are you from?" Jarlaxle asked Jori.

"This is my first time out of Calimport," she replied.

"How are things over there?"

"Horrible," she replied. "My grandfather was killed in your takeover of the Bassadoni Guild, and the man who runs it now only ever thinks about if he'll get to sleep with me." She sighed.

Jarlaxle shrugged. It sounded a lot like Menzoberranzan, just the other way around.

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"Ye wanna what!" Bruenor roared.

Ali remained calm. "I wish for my army to stay here long enough to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Drizzt asked. He didn't trust this man, and he didn't want more slaughter. The Orc Wars, as they were now called, had caused enough of that.

"To eradicate a very large cult of assassins here in the north," Ali calmly replied.

It occurred to Drizzt that the man hadn't acted the normal way when he had seen him. The man was from the south and probably hadn't heard of Drizzt Do'Urden, and yet he was perfectly calm.

"Why not just let the authorities of Silverymoon and Sundbar know? I'm sure they could handle it," Bruenor said briskly. "What's your stake?"

"One of these assassins is my son, and I hope that I can get him to change his ways," Ali said.

Bruenor nodded. He could understand that. Drizzt wasn't so sure though. From what the drow had already read of Ali he may not want to completely change whoever his son was in a positive way.

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"Jori and Jarlaxle seem to becoming friends," Avariel noted as she looked out of the window.

Entreri nodded.

"You watch over her a lot. Why?"

Entreri looked at Avariel. He wasn't sure he wanted to let anyone know. He trusted Avariel not to simply tell people, but there was more than one way to make someone tell the truth.

"A debt to her mother," he said quietly.

Avariel nodded. She understood perfectly well.

"It's been two days since they met, maybe you should talk to Jarlaxle; make sure he doesn't take advantage of her."

Entreri nodded and headed down.

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"I wonder why the High Priest doesn't just accept these people's help. Fewer of us would die, and it would help deal with a possible future enemy," one assassin said grumpily as they camped right outside of Mithiril Hall.

"The High Lord has a personal stake in this is what I hear," said another one.

Drizzt watched with interest. He had barely crept into the campsite. He didn't trust this Ali, and as he listened to the conversation, he trusted the man even less.

"It is not your affair," said a calm and controlled voice from behind the group of five.

All heads turned to the new speaker, including Drizzt's. A handsome drow with his white hair in a ponytail and two sabers at his side stood just barely within the light of the fire.

"Marilak," one of the men stammered. Everyone else seemed too scared to speak.

Drizzt felt his own spine shudder. This drow was the Artemis Entreri of the Underdark. He scared even Drizzt Do'Urden, who had stared death in the eye more than once.

"This business does not concern you," the drow continued. He eyed each of the men coldly.

The men nodded, too scared to speak. Marilak was below only three other people in the whole sect, the lords. In truth, he scared many of the men more than the various lords, except maybe the High Priest.

"Then I suggest you leave," he said leering at them. The men didn't just leave--they ran.

"I know you're here," Marilak said to Drizzt.

Drizzt shook his head and came out of hiding. "Who are you?" he asked cautiously, feigning ignorance.

"Marilak. And you are?"

"Are you not of Bregan D'aerthe?" Drizzt asked, dodging the question.

"I am, and are you not Drizzt Do'Urden?"

Drizzt gave a slight bow with his head.

"I suggest you leave and forget about the whole thing."

"I don't really know much. Who is it you fight?"

Marilak smirked. "Those who follow Mask. I believe the High Priest is acting as he is because of his son though."

"And his son is?"

"High Priest Entreri might argue if I said anymore," Marilak said. He then disappeared into the night.

Drizzt decided to take the long way home; he needed time to think about this news.

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Jori watched Entreri as he talked to Jarlaxle. She had known it would happen sooner or later. She just hoped that he wasn't being too cruel.

"What is it?" Jarlaxle asked.

"It's Jori. I need to know your relationship with her," Entreri said quietly.

"We are becoming what I believe is called friends," Jarlaxle said crossly. He then walked away, leaving a dumbfounded Entreri.

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When Drizzt got back he saw a very distressed Bruenor.

"What is it my friend?" he asked worried.

"The army, it just vanished."

Drizzt took a deep breath. "High Priest Entreri," he said under his breath. He looked at Bruenor.

"I don't think that's the last we'll hear of an Entreri," he said.

"What do ye mean?" Bruenor asked.

"Only one of them is going to survive, and I'm sure we'll hear about it."

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"Do you think Jori truly understands the way Jarlaxle works?" Avariel asked. She had watched the scene from one of the many balconies and worried about Entreri's relationship with Jarlaxle.

"Not really, but I think he was right," Entreri said simply.

"For someone who didn't help raise her, you're awfully protective," Avariel noted.

"I promised her mother that she would come to no harm," Entreri said defensively.

Avariel nodded. "Just remember where she's grown up."

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Just as Entreri was thinking he might finally be able to get some sleep, the alarm sounded. The noise was so sudden that he jumped, along with everybody else in the Citadel.

Entreri ran to the wall and looked down. Nothing. "What's going on?" he asked the watchman.

The man was about to say that he had no idea and that the magic alarm had just sounded, then he remembered that Entreri was new to the job.

"The alarm sounds when somebody's tries to break into the Citadel, Daggerlord," he said.

Entreri looked at him, then went charging through the halls.

You start a war by killing someone important.

Author's Note: First of all, you won't see Drizzt very often in this story. He'll show up a couple of other times, but only briefly. I put those scenes there to give you a feel of Marilak, which brings me to my second point. Drizzt has heard of Marilak as the most vicious assassin in Menzohbrazzen. Please let me know what you think of Marilak.