A/N: Just a small chapter here to deal with the duo I have unlimited reserves of fondness for :D There are... larger story lines involving them later, but for now they're still tying to find out about this 'great power' they've been told to keep an eye on :) Or they would be if they'd stop being distracted... :)

General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.

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City Arrivals

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Montaron wondered for the umpteenth time why he was stuck with the mage. He'd been following the necromancer as he wove his way through the streets of Athkatla for hours - Xzar insistent that he knew where he was going, and determined to seek out the inn he had stayed at before.

It had taken them longer than the halfling had thought to get to the city in the first place. It was all the fault of the pony. Montaron had been happily guiding it in a generally south direction until it decided that it wanted to return to the road, and no matter how hard he pulled on the reins, it wouldn't be swayed.

In the end, they'd dismounted - well Montaron had. He'd dragged Xzar off before the pony bolted, the necromancer sending a bolt of lightning after the equine. Montaron had no idea where they were and Xzar had decided to be difficult again, wanting to head back to the hills, so he could climb the highest peak. Montaron eventually resorted to keeping a sword at Xzar's back as he marched him in the direction he thought they should be going.

Several days it had taken, until they saw Athkatla looming in the distance. The last few miles had been like a living nightmare to Montaron, as Xzar proclaimed he'd turned into a frog and would only hop his way along the dusty paths. As soon as they passed through the gate, the affliction seemed to pass, and Xzar had marched off on his mission to find the inn he remembered so fondly.

Now they were passing through a distinctly shady part of town, where figures were watching them carefully as they passed. Xzar was in his trance-like state, prancing around in his robes as if he didn't have a care in the world, and drawing far too much attention to them for Montaron to be fully comfortable. At last, the necromancer shrieked with delight, and pointed to a rough looking building just ahead of them.

"There it is, Monty!" he gushed. "Super!" He clasped his hands together as he regarded the tavern fondly, then rushed inside. Montaron muttered several curses about his companion in general as he headed after him, slipping into the tavern and looking around warily.

Several children were frog-marched past him as he scowled, a handful of women accompanying them as they left the inn. Montaron looked outside to see a few wagons pulling up, each accommodating some of the youngsters and females. The halfling looked back to the bar to see a few wealthy looking merchants shaking hands warmly with a muscular man, before they too left, heading out to take their own places in the caravans that were now heading away. Xzar was swaying slightly as he stood slightly away from the bar and Montaron made his way cautiously over to him, the rest of the locals failing to take his interest.

"It is not the man it once was!" hissed the necromancer, nodding knowingly at the fighter. Montaron sighed and followed as the mage approached the bar.

"What can I get for you?" asked the stout man serving behind the counter. Montaron immediately didn't like him, but he wasn't sure why. It was something about his demeanour, something about the glint in his eye. The halfling felt judged, and it made him angry. But then, anything was likely to make him angry after the past few days.

Xzar leaned over towards the man as far as he could, and dramatically whispered into his ear. "I'd like to see your special entertainments!"

The bartender just raised an eyebrow at the mage as he pulled away, then nodded slowly. "I see," he said. "I'll go an' get Hendak to see to you." Montaron watched as he walked over to the burly man who had been finalising the deal with the merchants as they arrived, and spoke to him in hushed tones. The man looked over to the Zhents, his piercing blue eyes fixing on the necromancer as a slight scowl crossed his face. Eventually he nodded, and Montaron felt his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword as the man made his way over.

"I am Hendak," he said strongly as he regarded them both. "I hear you are looking for... entertainment here?"

"Yes!" squealed Xzar deliriously. "I want the room of smoke!"

"I am afraid that the Copper Coronet no longer provides such dubious activities," frowned Hendak. "We can offer you a room however, and we have plenty of ales-"

"What?" screamed Xzar, his hands immediately shooting up. Montaron tried to jump up and stop him, but the necromancer managed to get off a weak flame arrow spell which shot at the proprietor, setting light to his tunic. Hendak roared with fury, and waved over some other men, just as hefty in their build as he was. Before they knew what was happening, Montaron and Xzar had been picked up despite their squirming and fighting, and were being carried out of the inn.

"You are not welcome here!" shouted Hendak as they were bundled outside. "You will not come back in here if you value your legs."

Montaron yelled a few choice words back at the northerner, then snarled angrily at Xzar as he tried to go back through the doorway. He grabbed the mage's robe, and forcibly dragged him along behind him, only stopping once to ask a passing man where the nearest tavern was. The man stammered madly as he answered; partly because he was so unused to seeing a halfling manhandling a human, and partly because Montaron's sword was pressed firmly against his neck.

The halfling marched off in the direction he was advised, after warning the man that he'd find the spleens of his family decorating his home if he'd dared to give out any misinformation. Luckily for the local, the halfling found the Five Flagons Inn, and he marched inside, only pausing as he regarded the customers.

There were humans, as he'd expected; but the place was teeming with halflings of all shapes and sizes. And more importantly - of both genders. Montaron's eyes gleamed with unparalleled joy as he quickly paid for a couple of rooms for the next few days and dragged Xzar upstairs, bundling him into bed, and tying him down before he was even asleep. He locked the door as he returned back downstairs, patting the key to the other room as he sauntered into the common room, smiling at a halfling girl as she passed by.

Aye, this be much better, he thought to himself with a wicked grin.

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It was well into the afternoon when Montaron managed to stir himself. The pretty little thing that had accompanied him up to his room the previous evening had already departed, and she hadn't even attempted to rob him. He was quite thankful about that; if she'd laid a finger on his gold he'd have been forced to kill her, and he was more hoping she'd be a regular fixture to the evening entertainments.

He yawned and stretched, throwing on his clothes as he decided he'd better see to the mage. It took him a few minutes to find the key for Xzar's room, but he eventually located it down the side of the bed. He lazily wandered across the hall, inserting the key into the lock and trying to unlock it. It refused to turn, and the halfling smirked slightly, imagining the door to be stuck and the mage to be trapped in the room for a few more hours. He removed the key and turned the door handle, more from a subconscious movement than any real attempt to get in. The door swung open.

Montaron frowned; he was sure he'd locked it, he could remember checking at least twice, and he hadn't drunk that much ale that he couldn't remember his own head. He moved into the room, noting the finished platter lying on the desk with the empty goblet by its side. His face turned slowly to see Xzar tying his feet back down onto the bed, smiling over to the halfling merrily.

"Monty!" he exclaimed happily.

"How did ye flamin' get out o' yer room?"

"Knock knock!" exclaimed Xzar, making a knocking motion with his hand. Montaron crumpled into a nearby chair and swore loudly. Blast these flamin' mages! He thought to himself. He was lucky Xzar had only gone far enough to get food - the warrior had no wish at all to scour the city in search of the errant necromancer, and there was no way he could be left on his own again.

No, Montaron had to face up to it - they'd have to go back to sharing a room so he could keep an eye on the other Zhent. He sighed as he went downstairs, explaining to the bartender that they'd only need the one room, and collecting his refund for the other. The halfling girl he'd spent the night with waved shyly to him as he went back towards the stairs, but he just scowled in return, causing her to run off into the kitchens looking distressed. By the time he got back to Xzar's room, he was in a foul mood.