Realms of Shadow - Lizz Baldwin [64]
"You," Entreri called to the girl.
She stopped, and everything in the place seemed to come to a complete halt, all conversations ending abruptly.
Well, except for the knowing chuckle from a peculiar looking dark elf at the back of the room.
The serving girl slowly turned to watch Entreri's approach. He moved right up to her and fell to one knee. "I beg your pardon, good lady," he apologized. He held out his hand and dropped a few gold coins onto her tray.
The young woman stared at him in disbelief. Entreri came up from his bow to stand before her. "I expect that you've forgotten what we ordered," he said, "which is understandable, given the…" He paused and glanced back at Jarlaxle, then finished,"… unusual look of my friend. I will tell you our preferences again, and with my apologies for not seeing your dilemma earlier."
All around him, the patrons went back to their private conversations. The waitress beamed a great smile, obviously relieved.
Entreri started to go on, to ask her forgiveness, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do that.
"My thanks," he said, and he reiterated the order, then turned back and rejoined Jarlaxle.
"Wonderful!" the dark elf said. "I do believe that I will have you in a paladin's order within a year!"
Entreri narrowed his dark eyes to which Jarlaxle only laughed.
"Thinked I was gonna have to kick yer arse outta here," came a voice from the side.
The companions turned to see the innkeeper, a burly older man who looked like a good portion of his chest had slipped to his belly. Still, the large man held an imposing aura about him. Before either of them could take his words as a threat or an insult, though, the man widened a crooked, gap-toothed smile at them.
"Was glad ye made me girl, Kitzy, happy." He pulled out a chair, reversed it, then straddled it, placing his huge elbows on the table and leaning forward. "So what's bringing a pair like you to Heliogabalus?"
"I just wanted to see a city that could boast of such a stupid name," Entreri quipped, and the innkeeper howled and slapped his thigh.
"We have heard that there is fame and fortune to be made in this country," Jarlaxle said in all seriousness, "for those strong enough and cunning enough to find it."
"And that'd be yerself?"
"Some might think so," the dark elf replied, and he gave a shrug. "As you can imagine, it is not easy for one of my heritage to gain acceptance. Perhaps this is an opportunity worth investigating."
"A hero drow?"
"You have, perhaps, heard of Drizzt Do'Urden?" Jarlaxle asked.
Once before, he had tried to use that name for himself, to impress some farmers who, it turned out, had never heard of the unusual drow warrior of Icewind Dale.
Entreri watched his friend's performance with budding anger, recognizing the ploy for what it was. Jarlaxle had been frustrated with his inability to impersonate Drizzt, or at least, with the lack of gain he would derive from impersonating someone that no one had ever heard of, but perhaps if this man knew of Drizzt, Jarlaxle could assume the identity anew, and begin this phase of his journey a bit higher on the feeding chain of Heliogabalus.
"Drizzit Dudden?" the man echoed badly, scratching his head. "Nope, can't say that I have. He another drow?"
"Another corpse," Entreri put in, and he shot Jarlaxle a glare, not appreciating that Jarlaxle kept bringing up that one's name.
Artemis Entreri was done with Drizzt. He had beaten the drow in their last encounter-with help from a dark elf psionicist-but more importantly than killing Drizzt, Entreri had exorcised the demon within himself, the need to ever deal with that one again.
"It does not matter," Jarlaxle said, apparently catching the cue and bringing the conversation back in place.
"So ye're here to make a name for yerselfs, eh? I expect ye'll