Chapter 3

Marpenoth 22-23 1369 DR, Year of the Gauntlet

Just after dinner, Oster and Jarnadin went to put the animals to bed, leaving their guests free to explore the tower. Rouric, who was still hungry, despite eating three full plates of vegetables, took to searching the kitchen for any sign of edible meat (though he had been warned by Oster not to try and eat any of the animals). Bowie and Entreri were sitting in the tower lobby, examining the shield while listening to the pouring rain hit the tower's roof.

"Do you think the druid was telling the truth about the shield?" Entreri asked Bowie.

The halfling bard started at the object on the wall. Challenging the power of his bardic abilities, he began to recite a ballad about the hero Flfar Starbrow.

While listening to the halfling's beautiful singing, Artemis Entreri watched as the shield seemed to lift itself off of the wall and hover over to the halfling.

Bowie gently grabbed the shield and turned it over to the other side. His eyes widened in amazement when he saw an image of a beautiful woman dressed in white robes. She stood in front of a waterfall flanked on both sides by trees. In her hands, she carried a net comprised of white webbing. "Interesting," he commented. "I think Oster's friend Veradess was a devoted followed of Eldath. But on the front of the shield is the symbol of Helm, which means he served that god as well."

Normally the assassin wouldn't care about the religious choices of men. Yet part of him was intrigued at Bowie's discovery. "He worshipped two gods?"

Bowie shrugged. "That or perhaps this woman is his betrothed. If that is the case, he must have used this shield as inspiration for when he went battle, though it wouldn't explain why he left it here when he went to fight that priest."

"As I recall, Bowie Butterball carries a token of his lady love," remarked Entreri.

"This amulet I wear is a token of my lady's love," Bowie responded as his ears picked up a growling noise coming from the other end of the lobby.

In a moment of quickness, Bowie drew Vithril while Entreri drew both his jeweled dagger and the long sword named Charon's Claw. The blade of Charon's Claw cast a wicked red glow as the assassin spotted three large boars with glowing green eyes, circling him and Bowie.

Without warning, the boars charged at Entreri. The assassin stepped back and swiped Charon's Claw in a low arc. A trail of black ash leaked from the glowing blade, blinding the boars. Entreri stabbed his dagger through the ash, piercing one boar's snout, then slashed Charon's claw in a vertical stroke, finishing the boar he had just wounded.

The other two boars let out feral roars and jumped at the assassin.

While Entreri was able to stab his dagger through one boar's gullet, spilling its life blood on the front of his black armor, the other boar rushed past him and charged at Bowie.

Bowie Butterball moved just in time to evade the animal's charge. When the boar realized it missed the intended target, he turned his head-only to see Bowie Butterball drive his short sword through the middle of its skull.

"I knew this had to be a trap," yelled Bowie as he withdrew Vithril from the boar's head. He looked all over the lobby, waiting any other animals to attack.

"What is going on here?" Oster screamed from the top of the stairwell. When he saw the bodies of the three boars lying on the floor, surrounded in pools of their own blood "Oh no, the boars escaped."

Entreri leaped over to the stairs to meet the druid. "Three of your animals just attacked us," he announced while pointing Charon's Claw forward. "Care to explain?"

Oster breathed rapidly as he looked at the assassin's sword. His eyes wandered over to the shield and once more to his fallen animal friends. "Some of the animals that live in this tower have some sort of curse on them. At night they go into rages. That is why Jarnadin and I lock up these animals at night." He paused as Entreri moved Charon's Claw an inch forward, cringing as he felt the power radiating the glowing blade.

"Perhaps this is a misunderstanding," Bowie said, putting Vithril away. "Maybe they attacked because we were looking at the shield, or we theatened them in some way. I apologize Oster. I will put the shield back and we will leave."

Entreri shot a glare in Bowie's way, silently condemning the halfling for his weakness. Oster stepped back from the assassin and took a deep breath. "No Bowie, it wasn't your fault. Our agreement still stands, and tomorrow when you leave, I will have Gawain accompany you."

"Does Gawain have the same affliction as the other animals?" the assassin asked as his eyes wandered over to Bowie.

"Gawain is my oldest friend," the druid responded as he walked up the stairs," and for all of the years that I have known him, he has never attacked another being, unless my life was in danger."

The halfling stared at Entreri, whose cold expression now felt like a weight on his chest. "Those animals were bewitched somehow. Not by Oster, but by something else."

Entreri was about to say something, when he saw all three of the animal corpses stand themselves up. His first thought was that they were undead, but then he saw one boar's bleeding stomach expand and deflate.

"Well there's something you don't see everyday," Bowie said with a smirk. His turned to the assassin, who sat up against the wall, his head in his hands. "Are you all right Artemis?"

"I am going to sleep now Bowie. You can wake me up when we leave."

"Couldn't you have let me sleep a little longer," Rouric complained as he and his fellow travelers followed the dire wolf under the morning sun.

"We could feed you to the wolf if you'd like," Entreri responded in a cold voice. "Oster told Bowie and me that he likes the taste of dwarf." The dwarf reacted to the assassin's taunting with a snort while Bowie laughed.

For another hour they continued quietly down the wet road, until Gawain stopped at a large stone structure. Two marble columns were lined along the front of the building. Green and black banners were wrapped around each of the columns. Drawn on one of the banners was an upright open hand with two open eyes in the middle.

"This has to be it," Bowie whispered as he scratched Gawain behind his ears. "Judging by the design of the symbol, it looks like a temple dedicated to Iyachtu Xvim."

"Iyachtu Xvim?" Entreri asked, looking at Bowie.

"The godson of Bane," said Rouric as Gawain walked past him. "He recently rose to divinity after being freed from Zhentil Keep, or at least that's what the priests in Shadowdale say. Well Bowie it looks like we have reached the end of our little adventure."

Bowie looked back, seeing Gawain's sad eyes stare back at him and his two companions. "No Rouric, I feel our little adventure is just beginning."