Chapter 19

The old woman dug through the basket. "Bovier, go to the cart and bring me a jug of water and the basket with the ointment," she called over her shoulder as she laid out the bandages.

"Um…" Bovier looked up at the man who was still holding him down.

Turning around, the old woman took off her bonnet. "Unless you would like to get me the supplies instead good sir," she said putting her hands on her ample hips and staring at Artemis who was still pinning her grandson to the floor. Artemis glanced at her and then at the boy. He glared at the boy one last time and then let him up. Bovier wasted no time. In the blink of an eye he was off the ground and out the door.

With an exasperated sigh, the old woman turned her attention back to Anna. "That boy is going to be the death of me," she muttered to no one in particular as she wiped the sweat from Anna's brow.

"He is quite lively. I believe you called him Bovier," the elf remarked from behind her. The old woman gasped and spun around, "Goodness! Don't be sneaking up on an old woman like that," she chided him. Jarlaxle blinked, "I beg your pardon. I most certainly did not sneak." She harrumphed and turned back to Anna.

"Sneaking comes naturally to that one," the assassin snorted.

"How did Anna come to be traveling with you?" the old woman asked as she leaned over the injured girl. She had known Anna since she had first arrived in France. These two were different from Anna's normal friends. The old woman stole a glance at the dark one who called himself Jarlaxle. She had never seen anyone who looked like him.

Jarlaxle exchanged a look with Artemis, "I am afraid that would be rather difficult to explain," the drow said. The old woman frowned at the two of them. She was starting to feel like she was dealing with Bovier instead of two grown men.

Bovier staggered back into the room, trying not the drop the jug of water and basket of medical supplies he was balancing.

"Bring it over here," the old woman instructed him. Bovier screwed up his face and muttered, "Easy for you to say."

Plucking the jug from the boy's hands, Artemis carried it over to the table. "Set it here," the old woman said pointing to the ground beside her. Artemis set the jug on floor and then looked at Anna. "She has a fever," he said. Anna's face was flushed and sweat was beading on her forehead.

Dipping a cloth into the water the old woman placed it on Anna's forehead. "Keep a cool cloth on her while I change her bandage," she told him as she gently pulled the bandage off Anna's shoulder.

"Is that Anna?" Bovier asked. "What'd you do to her?" he growled. Artemis shot the boy a murderous look.

"Her injury was not our doing," Jarlaxle explained placing a restraining hand on Artemis' arm.

Artemis jerked away from the drow and stalked out of the room before he gave into the urge to silence the brat.

"I would advise against threatening my friend," Jarlaxle warned the boy.

"Yeah, what's he gonna do," Bovier scoffed, unafraid now that Artemis was no longer there.

"Bovier!" the old woman scolded, "You apologize right now," The boy sniffed and stuck his nose in the air which the old woman promptly grabbed. He squealed and jerked away, "That hurt!"

"Please forgive my grandson, he is fond of Anna. He doesn't mean any harm," she told the drow. Bovier rubbed his nose and moved closer as she inspected Anna's wound.

"We share your concern," the drow assured the boy. Bovier looked at him shamefaced, "Sorry," he mumbled. The dark elf inclined his head.

"So, what happened?" the boy asked, respectfully this time. Jarlaxle smiled at him, "She was protecting my friend." The boy's eyes widened and his grin stretched from ear to ear as he replied, "Yeah, that's just like her."

"Tell me, how do you know Anna?" Jarlaxle asked, unrolling some gauze the old woman handed him.

"She works with my dad in the hospital," Bovier said proudly.

"Your father's name wouldn't happen to be Jacques would it?" the elf asked in surprise.

"Yeah! Do you know him?" the boy asked excitedly.

"Indeed, he is the one who tended to Anna after she was injured," Jarlaxle confided as he dipped a new rag into the water and rung it out.

"I'm gonna be a doctor like him," Bovier said puffing out his chest. The elf hid a smile and said, "And a fine doctor you will make."

The old woman secured the new bandage, "That's as much as I can do. If you and your friend can get her to the cart we can take her back to the house," she said wiping her hands on her skirt.

"I'll go find your friend," Bovier announced, "What's his name anyways?"

Jarlaxle's red eyes sparkled, "Artemis Entreri," the dark elf answered.

Bovier frowned, "Entreri? Like Anna? They're not related are they?"

"An interesting question," the drow grinned waiting to hear what the boy would say.

"Naw, there's no way someone like Anna is related to a person like that," Bovier decided.

Jarlaxle laughed, "What kind of person is that?" he asked. Artemis leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms across his chest waiting for the boy to reply.

"A rude and violent person with no manners whatsoever," Bovier sneered and then stiffened, "He's right behind me isn't he," he whispered to the drow. Jarlaxle covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. The boy cleared his throat and said loudly, "I mean a fine gentleman like your friend could never be confused with a rude and violent person."

"A little too late for that now," Artemis growled pushing away from the door. Ignoring the snickering drow he walked up to the boy, "You were saying?"

Bovier licked his lips, "I am sure Anna would be honored to be related to a fine gentleman like you." Artemis smacked the boy on the side of his head. "What was that for," Bovier yelped rubbing his head. "What else would you expect of a rude and violent person, such as myself?" Artemis shot back as he moved to the table to check on Anna.

"Serves you right," the old woman hooted, "maybe it will knock some sense into that thick skull of yours!"

"Not you too," Bovier whined. The old woman stalked over and took hold of his ear, pulling him over to the assassin. "You apologize for your rude behavior," She commanded yanking his ear hard enough that he was standing on tiptoe. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again, just let go of my ear," he shrieked. Jarlaxle collapsed into laughter while Artemis just shook his head.

Satisfied that the boy had learned his lesson, the old woman let him go. Bovier rubbed his ear and glared at the elf. "That wasn't funny," he grumbled, ducking away before his grandmother could grab his ear again which only caused the drow to laugh harder.

The old woman sighed. Dealing with these three really was like dealing with three children. "If you would be so kind as to carry Anna to the cart, I would like to get her into a nice soft bed," she said picking up the medical supplies and putting them back into the basket.

Artemis picked up Anna and asked, "Are we returning with you?" The old woman nodded, "Of course, you can't stay here without any food or water," she said picking up the basket, "besides any friend of Anna is a friend of mine." Busy telling Bovier to get the water jug she missed the look that Anna's'friends' exchanged.

Jarlaxle and Artemis followed the old woman outside and waited while she rearranged the baskets in the back of the cart. "You'll have to sit in back with her," she told them. Artemis set Anna down in the bed of cart and then leapt in beside her. The assassin reflected that this was turning into a very strange day. It was the first time he could remember someone calling him a friend, and sincerely meaning it. It was an uncomfortable feeling. "What are you looking at?" he snarled at the grinning drow. Jarlaxle shrugged.

The cart bounced slowly along the road as they made their way out of the city. Catching the drow's eyes, Artemis quietly said, "We are being followed." Jarlaxle's smile widened as a group of uniformed men moved into the road blocking their way. "Hardly a challenge for the likes of Artemis Entreri," he remarked.

The old woman pulled the nag to a halt and nervously watched enemy soldiers. The leader was a muscle bound monster of a man. He leveled his rifle at them and shouted, "Out of the wagon, NOW!"

Bovier stiffened as the man aimed the rifle at his grandmother. He knew the man wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Raising his hands he slowly stood up and started to get out of cart.

The man never even saw the sword that separated his head from his body. Artemis landed behind the now dead soldier, sword in one hand and the jeweled dagger in the other. The remaining soldiers aimed their rifles at him. They were too slow. In the time it took them to raise their rifles he was upon them.

Throwing the knife at the soldier in front of him, Artemis rolled, grabbed his knife, and came up behind man standing next to him. The surprised soldier didn't have time to react before Artemis drew his sword against the back of the man's neck, separating his spinal column and killing him instantly. Immediately ducking, Artemis threw the dagger at the next soldier and then reached for the knife tucked into the pants of the soldier lying next to him. In one smooth movement he freed the knife and buried it in the neck of the final soldier.

Bovier stared opened mouthed. He had never seen anyone as deadly as this man named Artemis Entreri. It happened so fast that Bovier barely had time to stand up before the assassin laid waste to the soldiers. Within seconds the men were lying in pools of their own blood. Artemis retrieved his dagger and wiped his blades on one of the soldiers before sheathing them. Bovier had wondered if the jeweled weapons were for show. Now he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that they were not. Without a word, the assassin walked back to the cart, jumped into the back and sat down beside Anna.

The old woman slowly turned to stare at this cold-blooded killer that claimed to be Anna's friend. The ease with which this man killed was chilling. She met his eyes. There was no remorse or regret in the dark gaze. It was as though life was meaningless to him. The old woman had seen much during her lifetime. She had known violent, murderous men. Artemis Entreri was different. To him, death was an art. She now understood what it was that she hadn't liked about him. "Thank you. You saved us," she said quietly.

Bovier got over his shock much faster. "That was AMAZING! Where did you learn how to fight like that? Could you teach me…" his excitement was cut short as his grandmother smacked him on the side of head. "What was that for?" he cried clutching his head.

Jarlaxle's laughter drew their attention. "My friend is a modest fellow, no doubt you are embarrassing him," he said earning a hard look from Artemis.

The rest of trip was uneventful and they arrived at the old woman's home just as the sun was starting to set. Though in need of repair, the old stone structure was a cheery place. As Artemis carried Anna inside he was struck by how similar it appeared to the houses he was familiar with.

"In here," the old woman called, pointing to one of the rooms. Artemis gently set her down on the worn patchwork quilt covering the bed. The old woman shook her head sadly and motioned for him to follow her.

"I'm sure you're both hungry. Sit. I'll get you some stew," she told them as she ladled some stew into bowls and carried them to the table. Retrieving a bottle of wine, she grabbed some glasses and sat down opposite of them. "Bovier, there is some bread in the pantry," she told the boy. Bovier nodded and headed to the pantry.

"My name is Jour," the old woman said staring at the elf's pointed ears. Jarlaxle smiled, "Your generosity is most appreciated Jour."

Jour knew there was more to Jarlaxle than met the eye. She wondered if he was even human. The thought that he might be something other than human was crazy, yet there was something about him that was not of this world. How had Anna come to travel with these two unusual individuals?

"Where are you from?" Jour asked casually dipping her bread in the stew.

Jarlaxle considered how to answer her question, "I do not believe you will know it," he told her.

Jour looked up, "I won't know if I've heard it unless you tell me its name."

Jarlaxle smiled and decided to go with the truth, "Menzoberranzan."

Jour paused as she brought the bread to her mouth and asked, "You're right, I've never heard of it. What country is that it in?"

"Fearun," The elf's smile widened at the old woman's expression.

Jour looked down at her stew. Was he referring to Feary? Considering his strange appearance it wouldn't be surprising if he was one of the Fae. Though why one of the Fae would be traveling with Anna was a mystery. She glanced at Artemis. If Jarlaxle was Fae like she suspected, what did that make Artemis? Was he also more than what he appeared?

Jour set the bread down, "What race are you?" she asked softly.

Jarlaxle's eyes gleamed mischievously, "I am a drow." Jour sighed and said, "Would you please humor and old woman and explain what a drow is."

Jarlaxle tasted the stew and answered, "A dark elf."

Jour went perfectly still. She knew that he might be one of the Fae, but a dark elf had not occurred to her. Fae as whole were unpredictable but if he was an evil Fae, Anna was in great danger.

She stirred the stew in her bowl, she needed to figure out which kind of Fae he was.

"An elf?" she echoed.

"Dark elf," he corrected.

"If you are from faery, what are you doing here?" she finally asked. The drow shrugged, "I do not know."

The old woman suddenly smiled, "If you are here, there must be a reason, and since Anna chooses to travel with you I will help in any way I can."

Jarlaxle stared at old woman, wondering if she was crazy. He couldn't think of any other reason that she would accept a drow so openly.

Bovier, busy eating his stew had no interest in Faery, but the fighting prowess of the elf's friend was entirely different. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked.

Artemis who had been silently listening to the conversion turned toward the boy. The cold gaze made the boy fidget, but didn't quell his curiosity.

Looking up, Artemis drew the boy's attention to the water stains on the ceiling. "Tomorrow we will fix that," he told him. Bovier smiled, pleased to be included, "alright," he agreed.

Artemis didn't like the fascination in the boy's eyes. The way the boy was looking at him bordered on hero worship.

A moan from the bedroom drew their attention. Jarlaxle pushed away from the table and said, "If you will excuse me, I would like to check on our friend." The old woman nodded and went back to eating her stew. She had enough excitement for one day.

Jarlaxle sat on the edge of bed and felt Anna's forehead. She felt feverish. He hadn't used any magic except for the crystal ball and it had not worked properly. Though the crystal had been cracked. He wondered if there truly was no magic in this land. He took off his hat and ran a hand over his clean shaven head. The drow couldn't imagine life without magic.

Author's note: Okay, so I had to enlist the aid of my war nerds again. I needed a visual for the fight scene with the soldiers. Oh yeah! The war nerds are all into it. One looks at me and says "Who am I?" I tell him, "You're the soldier." He points at his friend and whines, "Why does he get to be Artemis?" I tell him that his friend gets to be Artemis because at least his friend knows who Artemis Entreri is and therefore understands the character. Then they had a big discussion on the finer points of how the soldiers would fight back. After all, how could they possibly know how to react in a fight if they didn't know the rank of the soldier? Fine, "You're the leader," I tell my war nerd. After Artemis kills the leader, the war nerd now wants to know the rank of the next soldier. Who would have thought it would have been so difficult to two war nerds to enact a fight? In the end they had to take turns being Artemis Entreri. Sigh…ah, the life of a writer.

Sushi-San85: Hmmm…I don't think trenchy is a word. Lol, but glad you are enjoying!

Surreptitious Chi: Don't worry eventually it will all make sense. It may not be for a while yet, but it will. Really. :P

Amanita Virosa-Amaranthus: Thank you! It makes it so much more fun to write when you know someone reading your story is having fun right along with you. I do love the unexpected, so expect a few surprises along the way.

General zargon: Well…at least you know it's me by the typos. :P I try, I really do. I glad you liked the last chapter. Hopefully you liked this one as well.