Tricky-and-Deadly

“You reek!” said Jarlaxle, crinkling his nose and adopting an exaggerated expression of disgust. “I do not.” replied Artemis Entreri, standing (though it scarcely seemed possible) a tiny measure straighter than he already was. “Perhaps you’ve been mired in your own filth for so long that you can no longer smell yourself.” “More likely that you douse yourself with so much perfume that you can’t stand breathing in anything not similarly slathered.” Despite his complaints, the assassin allowed the mercenary to lead him down the busy city street. Jarlaxle was wearing his ridiculous human disguise again, and Entreri scowled at the dark, wavy st...

“Can we not finish this discussion here?” The assassin scowled, as a peal of thunder rumbled overhead mid-sentence. His companion was already halfway down the ratline. “Jarlaxle, I don’t have time for this–"  A flash of lightning drew the drow’s gaze upward, and the human saw himself reflected in those ruby eyes, silhouetted starkly against the stormy sky, and as diminutive as a piece of driftwood bobbing in the endless surf. No longer interested in finishing his thought, Entreri clambered out of the crow’s nest. The wind had already picked up enough that it took more than an afterthought to maintain his surefootedness down the swaying shr...

“Have you eaten?” “Not yet,” the assassin replied automatically. Then, realizing that he’d been alone, that he should’ve still been alone, Entreri lifted his head just enough that his heavy-lidded eyes could behold the colorfully-clad drow. He sighed and let his head drop back onto his arms. Although he’d never admit it out loud, the exhausted man was glad that it wasn’t any other voice, for he wasn’t sure that he’d had it in him to snap his head up in time. “How’d you get in here?” Entreri asked, his voice muffled by his arms. A spice-tinged floral aroma tickled his nose, and he peeked over his arms to behold a ruby-red gaze appraising hi...