"Bloody, salty, friggin, ruddy sea-air!" Korgan shouted as the party walked towards the Athkatlan docks. "I 'ate the bloody smell of it. It make me want ta puke all o'er me boots..."

"Now you know how I feel when I'm around undead, dwarfy," Laska grinned.

"Sounds like you don't care for the sea much, Korgy," Jan added. "Reminds me of a cousin I once had (with the emphasis on ONCE) who was a fisherman, but was also allergic to the very fish he caught! You know, ole Roddy Jansen was probably the only fisherman who'd be dancing with joy whenever he'd catch an old shoe. Fish used to give him a terrible rash, you see. How he got into that line of work is a rather funny story, as well! You see, he was a very talented musician... Unfortunately, the only people interested in his music were griffins, and seeing how Roddy was also allergic to being eaten by griffins (aren't we all?), but also wanted to keep on playing, he chose for a career on the ocean, where he could play his music as well as make a living off it. Unfortunately, he steered his boat into a school of webtoed-gilled-purpledotted-seagriffins... Nasty business..."

"So are your tales, gnome," Viconia added solomny.

"Why Viconia," Laska said. "That's the first thing you've said in two days. You've been unusually quiet lately."

"I'll say," Jan added. "Vicky, you haven't even complained about anything either! Must be a new record for you!"

"I have a lot to think about..." Viconia said and bowed her head downward again.

"In fact," Korgan added. "We be not hearing much from ye either, Keldorn? So... do ye have lots to think about too? Have ye two been doin' the dirty behind wifey's back? HAR HAR!"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Both Keldorn and Viconia replied simultaniously.

"Whoa, strong reaction there!" Laska chuckled.

"Hmmm, Boo says evil is approaching!" Minsc suddenly spoke up. "Perhaps it is time for us kindly heroes to get our weapons!"

And, sure enough, a blackrobed Cyrican priest approached the party. "YOU!" he shouted, adressing the party. "Bow, worms, and pray that Cyric allows you to become one of His holy worshippers! Cast aside whatever false god you pray to and embrace the Prince of Lies in all His majesty!"

The six friends shared a look. Keldorn, however, was the first to speak up, "You'll find I am more than able to deflect the wrath of your mad faith, Cyricist!"

Laska held him back however, and shot him a 'I'll-handle-this' look. Without hesitation Laska grabbed the mad cleric's staff from his hands. She twirled around her axis while getting the staff into position. Then, as the mad cleric was preparing his first spell, the tattooed elf slammed the staff in his belly and hooked it under his belt. Immediately, Laska lifted the cleric up in the air and over her head, only to throw the wizard over the railing. A smile crossed Laska's face after she heard a most gratifying splash.

"HAR HAR!" Korgan laughed. "Ye showed 'im, lass!"

Unfortunately for the mad cleric, it seemed that more splashes followed. "I don't think he can swim, Laska," Viconia said after she had walked up to the railing. "Oh, wait... Someone is coming to help him... A fisherman is pulling him out... Oh, the fisherman has seen he's a Cyrican... And he's back in the water again..."

"Let's just go," Laska said, being the only one of her party who hadn't walked towards the railing.

The Athkatlan docks consisted of three layers. The first layer mostly consisted of a large plaza filled with small stands where numerous scruffy-looking salesmen were hawking their wares to the sailors and locals who wandered in and out of the plaza, which was located just outside the town-walls. Access to the plaza was given by two long tunnels, which seemed to be bored through the walls long before the docks were even built. The second layer was intended for homes, warehouses, a barracks and a large, orange and suspicious looking building. The third, and final layer, were the actual docks. There was a large loadingzone where several ships were docked, a crude lighthouse and more warehouses and homes.

At the moment, Viconia was regarding the orange color which some of the buildings had. The irregular sandstone bricks the buildings were made of, gave them an pattern which she found most compelling. Immediately Viconia fell into deep thoughts... Again she wondered if she had done the right thing in agreeing to become Keldorn's student. True, he didn't threaten of attack her anymore, and her dealings with him had been a lot more smoother. But... did she really need to change to be accepted? And more important, did she want to change... There was wisdom in Keldorn's words, however, and perhaps his soon to be given lessons might give her some insight in the conflicting behaviours of the surfacers...

"Hey, psssst!" Viconia heard a shady looking man say to laska as the group walked further along the orange building. Viconia knew that the man's next words could end in either work for the party or a kick in the groin from an enraged moon-elf...

"Yer a friend of Gaelan, aren't yese? Me boss says you can enter if you like," the shady man said. Laska merely nodded and motioned the party to follow her into the building. The interious was, if anything, shady... The room was dimly-lit and most windows were all or partially blocked by black curtains, causing eerie shadows to fall upon the walls. Many thieves of all races and both genders lounged around, talked to each other or hawked their wares.

A half-elven woman approached Laska, and spoke with a deep mysterious voice. "So, you're the elven girl who's been clearing out the Beholder-caverns, eh?" she said. "My boss, the guildmaster Renal Bloodscalp, has asked me to fetch you. He has a job for you, should you be interested."

Since the name didn't mean anything to her, Laska looked over her shoulder briefly. Jan, who was checking out some stolen goods, turned to answer her. "Oh, just a local bad-ass, Laska. And one who is hardly interested in turnips, either. He sometimes hires outsiders to help with guildbusiness. How much for these crossbow-bolts, miss?"

"Shame on you, Jan!" Keldorn said. "These are obviously stolen goods!"

"Yeah, aren't they great?" Jan said. "Stolen goods have the lowest prices!"

"But they belong to another!" Keldorn stressed.

"Quit yer whinin', longlimb!" Korgan said. "I doubt any of the original owners would be livin' long enough to re-claim 'em in this place. But we be here now, and we be needin' stuff and gold..."

"Boo agrees," Minsc said and uncharacteristically approved of an evil act. "We must save our friends, and these little weapons and armors might help us, so I do not think the owners would mind if we use these items to do great goodness in the name of Hamster-valiance!!"

"Keep your sword in your sheath, Keldorn," Laska menaced. "These are the only link we have to Imoen and if we lose that link because of your paladin nature, I'll personally beat you two black eyes!"

That said, Laska turned towards the half-elf again, intending to ask her for directions to Renal, but only to find she had silently vanished. Looking around, Laska confirmed she wasn't even in the room anymore.

Letting out a sigh, she went off in search of Renal Bloodscalp.

Renal Bloodscalp was easily found. The group located him on the second floor, surrounded by papers and assorted documents, obviously quota-lists and plans for future operations. Renal bloodscalp was a surprisingly short man, dressed in black leather and a lavish red hat with several colored feathers sticking out of it. Immediately after spotting Laska and company, he grinned broadly, sent his sniveling assistants away and called for his two bodyguards, one of which being a very familiar half-elf.

"You'll have to excuse me if you're not quite what I was expecting," Renal spoke in a pleasant voice. "From all I've been told I expected something...grander."

Laska grinned ferally as she rose to the bate. Calmly, she strolled over to the thief-leader and stopped when she only was a few centimeters away from him, putting both her party and the bodyguards on full alert. "Grand enough for you?" Laska purred as she stretched her body...

Renal suddenly laughed hartily, breaking the tension. "Oh, my... my sources were quite right about you... Daring and fearless. And then there are your companions... Korgan Bloodaxe, the mercenary."

"Damn, right!" Korgan replied.

"Minsc the Ranger."

"And Boo!" Minsc stressed while holding out his animal companion.

"Viconia the Drow Cleric, who's been quite the odd-one-out in this here town."

Viconia simply raised her eyebrow and nodded.

"Jan Jansen, turnipseller."

"Need any?" Jan asked while pulling a turnip from his pocket.

"And then there's Keldorn.... I trust you will be keeping your weapons by your side."

"How did you come to know so much about us, thief?" Keldorn snarled.

"You must understand, naturally, that an organization like mine thrives on information above all else. He who is ignorant quickly becomes a target, and all that," Renal said impassively.

"You mentioned a job?" Laska continued.

"Bah! Let us be gone from here, my friends," Keldorn suddenly broke in. "We do not need the kind of 'work' these fiends would offer, nor do I think I could stand the association!"

"Don't be daft!" Korgan retorted. "The thieves of this city have their coffers flowin' with gold a'plenty! There be no reason besides a yellow belly to be turnin' it away!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Laska replied. "What do you want from us?"

"Right to the point, eh?" Renal smiled. "Refreshing. I am sick of underlings who shift from foot to foot. I find a bit of directness to be a nice change. To be short, Gaelan recommended you and I trust his word. I am in need of mercenaries to perform a task of... utmost delicacy and you are just the one to do it."

"Why us?" Viconia broke in with a certain amount of suspicion. "I'm sure you have no shortage of manpower..."

"A fair question," Renal conceded. "Any of my available assassins or thieves are quite capable and on a normal day I would not consider it necessary to look beyond my guild. In this one instance, however, my men are limited. I need someone of skill who is not one of the Shadow Thieves...someone more or less unknown to us."

"Get to the bloody point already and tell us what needs to be done..." Laska stressed.

"Ah, yes! The details. One of my guildhouses to the south is run by a rather ambitious fellow named Mae'Var. Good thief, but I never liked him. Now I know why... I've had some hints that he is getting too big for himself. Thinking of taking my place, I suspect, but I've had no real evidence to say that this is so," Renal said, while a dark smile crossed his face. "But without proof of betrayal, assassinating him, would anger the other guildmasters and then I'd have a guildwar on my hands and, well, war is bad for business..."

"Heh heh... especially not with that extra guild rumored to be out there on the streets, eh, Bloodscalp? Come to think of it, that's quite the moniker you got yourself, there. How did it come about? Severe dandruff problems? If that's the case, Ma Jansen has the most wonderful turnip salve that will clear that right up, quick as you please. You might want to think about it... people might be tempted to give you a nicer nickname if you had a pleasant head of hair. You know, that reminds me of my cousin Ripcord Jansen, who suffered from premature baldness. Often we'd find him crying his eyes out in his bed, saying he looked to old for his job and all... So Ma applied the strongest batch of turnip salve she had, seeing Ripcord had to work that very evening. And true to her word, hair literally exploded from his head! Long thick hair, standing right up, strong and thick as arrows! So when he goes to work that evening, he steps into his cannon. Oh, didn't I tell you that? He was working at the circus as the 'gnomish cannonball'. The Bald Bullet, they called him. So, like everyday, Ripcord was launched into the air and flew towards the net which was strung between two poles to catch him. Unfortunately, his hair hadn't had the chance to fasten into his skin, so while he was caught by the net, his hair continued on its merry way, scewering several members of the audience! Thus, Ripcord ended up bald AND jobless..."

"Yesssssss...." Renal said and decided to ignore the gnome for now. "So...where was I? Oh, yes. Your part in this. I would like you to go to Mae'Var and join his guild. Snoop around a little, find the evidence and head back here. Easy enough, no? You'll need to ease Mae'Var's mind, naturally, so I'll give you some transit papers. What say you? Interested?"

Laska smiled and nodded once. "Sure... I love undercover work. It has something, I think..."

Renal smiled as well and nodded briefly. The next few moments were spend discussing details, the location of Mae'Var's guild and his manpower. And, of course, the reward...

"Remember," Renal said as he led his newly hired party from the guildhouse. "Work for Mae'Var as long as it takes to collect your evidence, and bring whatever you can find to me. I'll be waiting to recieve it most eagerly."

"Will do," Laska smiled. "And then we get to kick some ass, right?"

"We serve thieves now?" Minsc suddenly said. "Thieves are evil, Laska! Ehhh... this churns my belly like a hamster running endlessly within a wheel."

"Imoen's a thief too, Minsc," Viconia said. "So not all is black and white, and even in evil there are distinctions..."

"Boo and I shall think about that," Minsc said, "but Minsc still not likes it!"

"So we are snoop around this other guild, are we?" Keldorn broke in. "And what will we be required to do, there? Steal? Murder? I do not care for where this seems to be heading, Laska."

"Oh, don't worry," Laska said. "I won't murder to keep my cover. We'll get the evidence as soon as we can, and get out of there... Hopefully busting a few heads getting out, too!"

The party of friends made their way towards the lower docks, passing through a chorus of drunken sailors singing raunchy shanties. One of the sailors, however, broke away from his redition of the 'snakecharmer's daughter' and approached Viconia.

"Hey, now!" the sailor said as his smelly bulk slammed semi-suggestively towards her. "If I don't be seein' a beautiful drow in front of me drunken sailor eyes! I wonder if all the rumors be true...?"

Grimacing from the smell of alcohol and fish, Viconia retorted sharply, "They are, lowly jaluk. But you will never have them proven for you, let me assure you."

Immediately, Viconia moved passed him. Laska, however, stuck behind. "Hey, guys?" she asked. "Could we perhaps stop for a couple of drinks, first?"

"NO!" Viconia replied and steered her towards the guild.

Mae'Var's guild was quite different from Renal's. It was a disgusting place, in a state of reasonable disrepair. Apparently, a small pawnshop was the front for Mae'Var's operations. As nochelantly as was elvenly possible, Laska tossed the documents upon the counter.

"I'm the new girl," Laska said. "And these are my lackeys," she said, causing her friends to look upon his with indignity.

"OY!" Korgan said and moved up to the counter. "This dwarf be nobody's lack..."

Korgan's statement was cut short while a smiling Laska swiftly kicked him against the ankle.

"OW!" Korgan said, while grabbing the counter. "Ye daft, blasted, bloody..."

An unimpressed shopkeeper muttered, "Out back.... Down the stairs..."

The group complied, followed by a limping (and cursing) Korgan. When they reached the basement of Mae'Var's guild, the experience went from bad to worse. A nasty torture chamber was set up, and the screams of a victim assaulted Laska as they approached a rat-faced thief, who could only be Mae'Var. It was all Minsc and Laska could do to keep Keldorn from storming them all to free the poor chap.

"So... You're the new recruits I have requested?" Mae'Var spoke in a sing-song voice. "You don't look like much of a thief..."

"I am here to help your operation, not to trade insults," Laska said. "I was sent her to help out your operation. Renal has told me the profits from your guild is waning, my friend. Perhaps you should be replaced..."

"And you will replace me?" Mae'Var fumed, then smiled. "Seems I'll have to keep on my toes around you. But if you want to join my operation, you shall have to prove yourself to me first..."

"Hmmmm," Mae'Var said while pretending to think. "Test, test, test... How should I test you? Ah, I have it! How about a little petty larceny amidst the stuffed robes over at the Talos temple? I require...the amulet worn by the Weathermistress. Yes, it looked lovely on her and I've a beautiful sheltie-spaniel cross that it will adorn just as well! She likely removes it in the night, though. As pleasing as it is, even it would leave a welt the size of a melon if slept upon. Now, DO YOUR JOB and GET IT!"

That said, he had his lackeys escort the party from the basement and from the guild. After a short walk towards the citywall, the party stopped to conver.

"You know," Jan began, "you wouldn't happen to be resistant to electricity, would you?"

"Stealing..." Keldorn muttered and shook his head. "Even though it is from a temple of Evil, I cannot be part of it."

"You don't have to," Laska said. "For my plan to work, I only need four people..."

"Four?" Viconia asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Sorry, Vico, but you'd attract to much attention..."

"Just grand," Viconia said angrily.

"Don't ye be worryin', drowsy!" Korgan laughed. "Ye and Keldorn could hire a room for the night at the Sea's Bounty until we be returnin'! And do let us catch you doing the dirty when we be returnin'! HAR HAR HAR!"

"DON'T COUNT ON IT!" Viconia and Keldorn shouted simultaniously.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, Laska noticed a human jumping from the shadows.

"No! My name is Habib Khalid Achmed Allafif, and I cannot be captured!" the man shouted. "I will throw my mighty scimitar at your head rather than suffer the indignity of prison! Hiiii-YAA!!"

A scimitar flew from his hands, only to be deftly caught by Minsc, who held it in his hands.

"Eerrrmmmm," Habib said. "That normally works... Byeeeee!" And he ran off again...

"What the hell was THAT?!" Laska yelled as she saw the man retreat.

"I have payed for the room," Keldorn told Viconia as he entered their luxurous room for six. He found Viconia prone on one of the beds, scribbling notes in a book.

"Spell-research?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

"Curious, Keldorn?" Viconia grinned. "No, I'm updating our party's journal."

"Isn't that usually the leader's responsibility?" Keldorn asked.

"HAH!" was Viconia's reply. "Trust me, I've had this job ever since Laska found me in Peldvale. Laska's calligraphy is barely readable, and her entries are much like : Need find ring for guy in Inn. At least, I give our journal some more depth..."

"Perhaps, if you are finished, we should have our first lesson on trust, Viconia?" Keldorn tried.

Viconia raised her eyebrow and regarded Keldorn for a few moments. "All right," she finally conceded. "Let me finish this first..."

"Ye, longlimbed moron! Ye be to long fer yer own good! A dwarf ain't sure of 'is life walkin' these here streets!"

"Boo says, you should look where you put your tiny feet better!"

"Daft idiot!"

"Short-legged, weasel-keeper!"

Two Talosian guards moved away from their post, smiling to each other, and hoping the two would eventually start a most destructive fist-fight.

Meanwhile, two figures snuck into the temple...

"Quite an impressive array of machinery," Laska said and let out a whistle. "You think this is what produces that lightning-in-a-bottle outside?"

"I know for a fact that it does, Laska," Jan said. "You see, it's another fine invention of the 'Jansen and Sons Gear Cooperation'. In fact, I remember..."

"Not now, Jan," Laska hissed sharply. "We're trying to be stealthy, remember?"

"Then why did you put on your steeltoed boots, missy?" Jan chuckled.

"Is that the door to the Weathermistress' room?" Laska asked.

"How should I know? I've never even been in here!" Jan said.

"Hah, that's comforting..."

Sure enough, it was her room. The Weathermistress Ada was lying prone in the bed, wearing a skimpy nightshift leaving very little to the imagination. The necklace was lying on the nightstand... very close to Ada herself. Motioning Jan to be quiet, they snuck past the bed and around the weathermistress. Laska was just inches away from the necklace... Then, she silently grabbed it, scraping the necklace over the wood. Suddenly, Ada grasped her hands around a surprised Laska's neck and dragged the elven female on to her bed with surprising strength. "Oh, Sain..." she whispered. "Take me to new hights, like only you can.... Your hair smells so wonderful..."

"Hey," Jan whispered. "Isn't Sain one of the Lathanderite Dawnbringers?"

"Could you find a way to get me out of her iron grasp without waking her?" Laska hissed.

"Will do!" Jan said and grabbed a small contraption from his belt. With the device he tickled Ada under the arm. Immediately, Ada stirred and let go of Laska.

"I have the goods!" she whispered. "Let's get outta here!"

"Yer mother be a hamster, and yer mother be a gnoll!" Korgan yelled.

"I am rubber, you are glue..." Minsc replied.

"And yer hamster sucks eggs!" Korgan added with a chuckle.

"WHAT!" Minsc suddenly raged. "Don't you be insulting Boo! You insult Boo? You insult MINSC!! He who insults Minsc will not do so again!"

Without warning, Minsc grabbed the flailing Korgan and held him over his head. A few seconds later, Minsc tossed a shouting Korgan over his head and into the river.

"Minsc, what have you done?!" Laska shouted as she and Jan had gotten away from the temple. "It's supposed to be make-believe! Your portrayal didn't have to be THIS real!"

In the river, Korgan surfaced and a jet of water sprang from his mouth. She swam to the shore, encumbered by his armor, but yelling curses all the way. He seemed to have considerably less hairy too. "Ye daft, bloody, scumsuckin', bottom-feeding, lilly-lovin', dwarf-tossin', dimwitted, tongue-bitin', human! I be hopin' ye be sittin' on a spear! I be hopin' yer nose be droppin' off yer face! I'll have ye tastin' me axe before morn!"

"Minsc is sorry," he said with genuine regret. "But I'm very sensitive when it comes to my Boo!" A squeak followed from his pocket.

"You should have known better than to insult Boo, Korgy," Jan snickered.

"Come on, we have the goods..." Laska yelled and held out her prize. "Let's get back!"

"And thus, a trustworthy individual should be truthful whenever possible. Being a liar is a terrible reputation to have..." Keldorn said, while both Paladin and Drow had taken opposite chairs at the warm fireplace.

Viconia leaned back in her own, padded chair. "In Drow society, all are liars, suliss. We believe that truth is a foolish thing. How can this lead to trust?"

Keldorn sighed, though a moment, and then had an idea. "Let me tell you a story," he said.

After seeing Viconia roll her eyes, he continued. "Do not worry. It is not like those infernal Jansen-tales. I'll tell you the story of the 'boy who cried Orc'. It is intended to build moral in children, but it will suffice. A long time ago, in a village often plagued by Orcs, a young boy was charged with guarding a flock of sheep. His job was to warn whenever an Orc tried to steal a sheep. One day, however, the boy was bored and wanted attention, so he irroniously cried out a warning. Immediately, the village militia came running, but, of course, there were no Orcs to be found. So, the boy was praised for his quick actions..."

"Clever," Viconia mused.

"Satisfied with himself, the boy cried the warning again, and again every day, and never there were Orcs. But... one day, a raiding party of Orcs did descend on the sheep and again, the boy warned. This time, however, the villagers did not come to his aid, thinking his call to be a false alarm again. The boy was killed, and his flock was eaten."

"Hmmm," Viconia said, a pensive look crossing her face.

"So the moral is : If all you tell are lies, no one will take you seriously and no one will trust you when you genuinely need help..." Keldorn said.

"Are you sure that is the moral?" Viconia said while she bit softly on her index-finger.

"What else could it be?" Keldorn asked with surprise.

"How about," Viconia said. "Never tell the same lie more than once?"

Keldorn sighed deeply. Teaching this Drow would be a difficult task indeed, and for a moment, he wondered what he had gotten himself into...

He was saved by the bell, however, as the rest of their friends entered the door, including a bashful Minsc and a dripping dwarf.

"Do you have the item?" Keldorn asked. "And why is Korgan all wet?"

"Shut yer bloody mouth!" Korgan snapped. "I needn't any lip from any longlimb right now! Blasted, bloody, irritatin', lousy, stupid....

"It's late," Keldorn said. "Perhaps we should all get some rest before we continue our quest..."

Keldorn recieved nods from everyone and, less than an hour later, the room fell dark and silent, excepting the loud snores from Korgan, Minsc and Jan...