The cries of the rooster announced the coming of a new day and life was starting anew in the city of Athkatla. Of course, at the docks, the bustle mostly continued around the clock, so it didn't really matter in the rooster cried there or not... However, about two hours after daybreak life finally returned to the room where the party of friends were staying.

A Drow female wrapped in a white bathrobe stepped out of the bathroom. She also wore a white towel over her wet hair and a pair of fuzzy white slippers to complete the picture.

"Ah, ye be enjoyin' the good life, Drowsy?" Korgan chuckled as she sat down at the large round table in the middle of their luxurious room.

"Hey, we do not get much luxury tromping about these lands. We might as well enjoy it while we're here," Viconia retorted and sat down at the breakfast table as well. "Soaking in a hot bath is a very nice way to relax between adventures, Korgan. You might try it..."

"Bah!" Korgan shouted. "I be 'avin' a bath last eve, Drowsy... That be quite enough for the a month or so..."

"Your narcissistic devotion to your personal hygeine impresses me, hargluk," Viconia chuckled.

"Oy!" Korgan retorted. "Ye know how long it takes to get that grimly look? How much work it even takes to look as dirty as possible? After t'night, I have ta start all over again! HAR HAR! Where be the others by the way... the food be delivered only five minutes ago. Ye'd expect these here piggies to 'ave dug in already..."

Viconia took a look at the food on the table. She mused how bountyful it was in comparison to her recent solitary travels. There were all kinds of delicious breakfasts. Bacon and Eggs, toast with all kinds of toppings, a decanter of warm tea. Viconia smiled inwardly as she considered that even her friend Laska would prefer hot tea over any sort of liquor in the morning... "Hmmm," Viconia said. "Keldorn went into the bathroom after me to wash up and shave. Jan went to the Inn kitchen to prepare some turnipsauce... Minsc and Laska went downstairs to spar in the basement, I think..."

"Shavin'," Korgan actually shuddered. "The thought alone..."

"I don't know," Viconia chuckled. "You might end up having a cute baby-face..."

"Shut yer jap, Drow!" Korgan chuckled. "Donnae make fun o' me beard..."

"Good morn, all," Keldorn greeted as he stepped out of the bathroom, wearing his bathrobe and sat down beside dwarf and Drow.

Viconia nodded and handed Keldorn a plate.

"Hmmm, bacon!" Keldorn said. "It's been a while since I have eaten that..."

Suddenly, the trippling of eight chitinous legs could be heard approaching the breakfast table. Khittix, Viconia's pet Astral Phase Spider, rounded about the corner and stopped short next to Viconia. Keldorn could swear that the spider was giving the Drow a hopeful, pleading look...

"Och!" Korgan suddenly said. "Does that beastie 'AVE to sleep and walk around 'ere? Why do ye keep pullin' it off that astral plane-thingy?"

"Oh, he's just been sleeping at the warm fireplace. He never went anywhere near you this night!" Viconia said and petted the spider. Then, she handed a happy spider a large piece of bacon, which Khittix immediately spun in a web and skittered with it's catch back towards the fireplace.

"Ye be givin' that beastie our bacon?!" Korgan snorted.

"Yes... Just let him liquify it and he'll suck it in though his pincers," Viconia said.

"Viconia, please!" Keldorn said. "I'm trying to eat here!"

"Am I stopping you in any way?" Viconia asked with confusion.

The three continued eating until Minsc and Laska entered the room. Both seemed pretty worked up for this time of the morning. "Good workout, Minsc," Laska said. "Your turn to spar with me tomorrow, Vico."

"Oh, look Boo!" Minsc shouted as both sat down at the table. "Nuts! Go get them!" Minsc set down Boo on the table and the hungry hamster immediately headed over to a bowl of hazelnuts. Happy munching, the hamster twittered his whiskers.

"I trust we won't be treated with another display of your tablemanners, Korgan," Keldorn stressed.

"Don't ye be worryin', ye daft old longlimb!" Korgan chuckled. "Lookie 'ere, an omelet 'as to be treated with respect, or ye will lose the good taste..."

"Keldorn?" Laska asked while the others were eaten and she sipped some hot tea. "You've lived here longer than any of us. What can you tell us about the Shadowthieves?"

"Well," Keldorn began and put down his cup, "the Shadowthieves are an intergral part of the Amnian powerstructure, much to the Order's dismay I might add... They are literally entrenched in the everyday life of the Amnian citizens. It is even said that the Grandmaster of the Shadowthieves sits on the Council of Six. But they actually consist of a coalition of guilds, rather than a single one... Renal Bloodscalp heads all the guilds, however. And he only answers to his superiours, whose names we do not even know..."

"Jan mentioned a guildwar?" Viconia asked.

"Aye, the Order's contacts on the street say there's another guild recruiting thieves to stand against the Shadowthieves. Blood has already been taken on either side, small squirmishes have been noticed and it will be a full-out war soon enough, I gather. And the Order will be standing by to pick up the pieces, I can assure you," Keldorn continued. "I worry about this new guild, though. The Shadowthieves are far too powerful to be slighted by just any group. Either this group has strength in numbers, or they are willing to do whatever to takes to defeat the Shadowthieves... Or even both. Either way, a lot of innocent people are going to be caught in the middle..."

"Oy!" Korgan suddenly spoke up. "Shut yer japs! I be hearin' Jan approach and I be 'avin' a good idea fer a prank!"

"A prank?" Laska asked while her eyes lit up with joy.

"Yeah," Korgan said, "come on lads and lassies, gather all the food on this tray and I'll be puttin' it under the table..."

"That's it?" Laska said with disappointment.

"Oy!" Korgan said. "I dinnae see ye think of it! Hush now, he comes."

And sure enough, the door flew open and Jan entered, triumphantly swinging a bottle of turnipsauce. "Hey, look!" he announced. "This stuff is great for on toast! The cook lipped me off, though. That nasty half-orc didn't aprove of me sneaking in to his kitchen. Never have I seen so many kitchen utensils fly since my aunty Gladys' divorce..."

"Awwwww!" Korgan chuckled. "Ye missed it, buddy!"

"Wah?" Jan asked, then he noticed the lack of food on the table. "You've eaten everything already? Wow, the five of you sure can eat! I remember when my cousin Cartman Jansen stopped by for dinner last month. He's widely recognized as the gnome with the biggest set of buttocks on the face of Faerun, you know. It's all the fault of that weight-gaining program, you see... That and the fact that he eats his turnips deep-fried with lots of sugar and fat gravy. When my uncle Gerhardt joked that his house was made of candy, it was gone and eaten within ten minutes. In fact, he is so heavy he's actually immune to griffin attacks. A pack of ten tried to grab him by the nape of the neck once, but they couldn't even get him a millimeter of the ground..."

"OY!" Korgan shuddenly shouted after he heard eight legs skitter away. "Drowsy's beastie stole my omelet! Get yer arse back here!"

"Blasted, bloody beastie," Korgan muttered as the party stepped out the inn. "Liquified me omelet before I 'ad a change to nab the bugger..."

"Oh, leave Khittix alone, hargluk," Viconia managed through her chuckles. "Roomservice sent up another batch..."

Korgan simply grumbed. Viconia had even recalled the spider to the statue before he could even get in a swing.

"Oh, come on, Korgy," Jan said. "You could at least appreciate the luxury!"

"Yes!" Minsc added. "It's been a long time since Boo chewed on some nuts..."

"And I kept the slippers," Viconia said, referring to the fuzzy white slippers she put in her pack.

"Geez, did you steal the towels too, Vicky?" Jan asked.

"Ermmm... no...." Viconia said meekly, not mentioning the white cloths which she had also put in her pack.

*I cannot believe you never use ME during any of your sparring sessions, Laska,* Ipsiya said haughtily. *Anyone but you can see how using a moonblade is the most glorious event in any elven life!*

"Stow it, Ipsiya," Laska said. "I always practise with normal swords. If I get used to your special magics in battle, I'll get sloppy without noticing and YOU might even end up in a deep dungeon again after I get killed!"

*Hmppf,* Ipsiya huffed.

The party walked down the stairs giving access to the docks and moved along the buildings until they came to Mae'Var's guild. Again, they entered the grimy building and moved on towards the basement, where they found the rat-faced Mae'Var, gleefully torturing another one of this victims. As Laska and friends approached the thief, he barely granted them one eye.

"Well, you're back at last," he greeted. "I'll cancel the order to kill you then. You have a few skills we might find useful after all. Now, let's have a look at that amulet."

Laska said nothing, fished the amulet from her pouch and tossed it to Mae'Var, who deftly caught it.

"It's a mystery how they walk with a dinner plate around their necks," Mae'Var said and tossed the amulet in a chest. "I'll file it with the other garbage to be sent to Calimshan. They like jewelry big, I hear."

"Good," Laska said. "Have we proved ourselves, now?"

"Perhaps," Mae'Var said. "Perhaps not. I have taken the liberty of having you all checked out. Especially Sir Keldorn Firecam here interests me."

Worried that their cover was blown, Laska and friends inched for their weapons.

"It's nice to know that every man has his price," Mae'Var chuckled. "Even you, 'Sir' Keldorn."

"Y-yes... It is..." Keldorn stammered, practically boiling with rage at the accusation.

"Now, get yer arses upstairs," Mae'Var snarled. "I haven't the time to piddle around with you, so my right hand man will keep you busy until you can work for me personally. His name is Edwin. Bloody good spellcaster, but he likes his luxuries. Usually happens to adventurers that hate the road. He's on the third floor above us. Get going."

"Edwin?" Laska and Viconia whispered to each other as they made their way up the stairs.

With a sense of anticipation, the party made their way up the staircase with some amount of speed. And, sure enough, in a luxurious room filled with food and cozy furniture, sat Edwin Odesseiron... reading a spellbook. As soon as he heard the clanking of armor, Edwin looked up from his book. A flash of recognitition crossed his eyes as he narrowed them and spoke. " Greetings," he said impassively. "I am Edwin Odesseiron. You simians may refer to me merely as "Sir," if you prefer a less... syllable intensive workout."

"You shall be called what you are!" Minsc suddenly exploded. "You are an enemy of fair, departed Dynaheir and therefore an enemy of mine! You shall be destroyed for the good of all!!"

"Ah, the feeble protector of that Rashemaar witch," Edwin snarled. "Have you finally misplaced her for good, ranger? Does she linger amidst the worms where she belongs, now?"

"You will not speak of sweet Dynaheir in this fashion!" Minsc bellowed. "Terrible hamster justice will be wreaked upon you!! GO FOR THE EYES, BOO! RRRRAAAAAARRRGHHHH!"

"Will you stop provoking him?!" Laska shouted at Edwin.

"Silence!" Edwin yelled at both of them. "You joined Mae'Var's guild with the rest of your party, ranger. Will you spoil your plans so soon?"

"I... no," Minsc lamented. "No, our cause must not be disrupted. Righteous fury will wait for now, but one day the wizard shall pay for his words with blood! So swears Minsc!!"

"Oh, we shall see how long your sword lasts against my magic," Edwin threatened. "We shall... oh," he said and softened when he saw Viconia standing in the back of the room, watching him with fury in her eyes.

"Ah, my beautiful Viconia," Edwin said sweetly, "We have met so briefly last year, but your frankness, bearing and grace have beguiled me quite profoundly. Perhaps I could convince you to..."

"Save your breath, iblith!" Viconia snarled, fished a small dagger from her boot and lay the tip against Edwin's neck in record time. "And if you ever talk about my friend Dynaheir in such a fashion again, I shall make certain that the only thing you'll need your right hand for is for writing and holding a fork!"

"This is a practisioner of evil magicks!" Keldorn said. "I can sense it in my bones!"

"And what bones are they, you undersized mountain-gorilla? (Probably the bones he gnaws before returning to his doghouse every eve...)" Edwin snickered.

"Scum!" Keldorn bellowed. "Doer of evil!"

Edwin merely freigned a yawn.

"Edwin," Laska mused, interrupting the shouts. "You're supposed to be dead. I should know... I was there on the bridge at Nashkell. I remember it was quite... chunky..."

"Death is often nothing more than a momentary inconvenience for one such as I," Edwin snorted. "My ultimate mission is too important to suffer distraction from simpletons."

"And what might that mission be?" Jan asked. "To find the world's biggest ego? You've come a long way already, baby..."

"Uh-huh," Laska added. "Let me just say, that I'd rather shovel horsedung than work with you, Edwin."

"You've no choice in the matter, you sorry excuse for an elf," Edwin spat. "Mae'Var is my benefactor, I his trusted emissary. His left hand may never know what his right hand does, but I do for I am it."

"No doubt ye be linin' yer pockets with 'is golders, ey?" Korgan winked.

Laska strolled over to the Thayvian as spoke to him in a husky voice. "So... You and Mae'Var are pretty close then?"

"Not really," Edwin sneered. "I merely know enough about him to ruin his career and quite possible end the monkey's life. (How little significant it even is...) As it happens, I know where we can find damning evidence of Mae'Var's betrayal of Renal Bloodscalp. That is your purpose here, isn't it? (Yes, I thought so.)"

"Really?" Laska said with wide eyes.

"Yes, (impudent elf)," Edwin sneered. "I possess a key which gives access to Mae'Var's cache of secret documents. I shall give it to you, if you simians deem to perform a little task for me. One of the cowled wizards has started to investigate..."

"NOW!" Laska suddenly shouted and the party shot forward.

"Wha..." Edwin managed to mutter before he was overwhelmed. Minsc bowed down, grasped Edwin by his legs and hoisted him up in the air.

"Put me down, you deranged apes! (If they don't put me down this instant, I swear I will.... do something at least!)" Edwin bellowed before his eyes were covered by his own robe, which had fallen down.

"My, my, Edwin," Laska laughed. "You have the dirtiest underpants I have ever seen!"

"I've got the key!" Jan called.

"Good!" Laska said while handling a wildly struggling Red Wizard. "Go find out which lock it belongs to!"

"As quick as a turnipwasp who's noticed a Calimport Delicious!" Jan said and sped off.

"Quick," Viconia said. "Try his robe together! He won't be able to cast any spells!"

"Keldorn?" Laska asked. "Get one of those crates we saw downstairs! Korgan? It's axe time!"

"I thought ye'd never be asking," Korgan grinned and hit the wizard on the head with the flat end of his axe.

"Excuse me, good captain," Laska asked as she and her friends walked up to one of the largest slippers moored at the docks.

"Ey?" the captain asked. "Oh, I be sorry miss, but if ye be lookin' for passage over the high sees, thar be few places where da' Elfmaid be mooring. We be headed straight for Easthaven in Icewind Dale ta be deliverin' supplies. They be in dire need fer foodstuffs..."

"Perfect," Laska purred. "This crate here containing fragile teaware is intended for my aunt in Lonelywood. I'd appreciate it if you'd take it along."

"Sure, miss," the captain said. "That'll be 50 gold, and you'll have to haul it onboard yourself."

"Such a small sacrifice," Laska purred and paid the gold.

Laska, Korgan, Viconia, Minsc and Keldorn heaved the chest aboard and navigated the slippery deck until they stepped inside the cargo-hold. There, a sudden pounding could be heard and Laska decided it would be best to get the chest as deep in the hold as possible.

"Hey," Viconia suddenly said. "Shouldn't we have drill some air-holes?"

"Sure," Laska chuckled and drew Ipsiya. Twirling the sword, she slammed it down to piece the chest.

"Aaahahhh!" could be heard from the chest. "Watch it!!!! (stupid, moronic monkeys! Almost hit my colon...)"

"Now, ye just be sittin' tight," Korgan chuckled. "And when ye be hearin' the piguins sing, ye will know ye'll be there..."

"What?! Let me out!" Edwin pleaded.

"Not a chance," Laska chuckled. "I've left some flasks of water and field-rations in the chest which you can grasp and I'll be leaving your spellbook lying on top of the chest for when you get out...."

"But...(And I was about to score with Viconia, too!!)" Edwin stammered.

"Boo is pleased," Minsc chuckled. "Dynaheir would have approved!"

"Hmmm," Keldorn laughed. "This is a solution I can live with..."

"Let me OUT!!" Edwin yelled for the last time as the group left the cargohold. "Master Dekaras never told me how to deal with THIS kind of situation," he sighed.

"Ah, Laska and co!" Renal Bloodscalp said as looked up from his work as soon as he heard the party approach. "I was just counting some loot from a delightful outing we had not long ago and I thought of you. Mask help me if I didn't smile just a little!"

"I'm sure," Laska grinned. "We have something for you too. Jan?"

"Here it is, Renny," Jan said and tossed him a scroll. "Mae'Var's dirty laundry. Seems our boy has been dealing with the night-thieves. Quite silly to keep the goods in his nightstand too. But then again, it's not really smart to hold turnips under your bed as well, like my Uncle Roberto once did..."

"Is that so?" Renal seemed genuinely surprized. "Now, that is unexpected. Fortunately, it's more than enough to damn Mae'Var completely. Thank you for providing this. I can now move against Mae'Var... Or rather, you can now move against Mae'Var..."

"So were are assassins now," Keldorn menaced.

"You've seen how that scumbag acts," Laska said. "Let's stomp out some evil buggers!"

"Go and eliminate Mae'Var then, with my full authority," Renal said. "Do that and this business shall be finished, finally."

"Dammit, someone told 'em we be coming!" Korgan shouted over the noise.

"Is it really that obvious?" Laska retorted and slammed Ipsiya in the chest of one of the attacking thieves.

"Be nice ta be able ta get the drop on 'em!" Korgan yelled and slashed his axe across the belly of a screaming thief, disemboweling him in the process.

"GREAT FUN!" Minsc yelled again and slashed his large sword around with expertise. Viconia rammed her flail around and kicked one thief in the jaw. Keldorn grimaced and brought the hallowed redeemer home on the shoulder of yet another thief. Jan fired crossbow-bolts from a safe distance, and barely managed to dodge an arrow.

"Having fun, Ipsiya?" Laska asked.

*Quite,* she said. *Now if only these morally incorrect humans would wash more often...*

"Always something to complain about, eh?" Laska said.

"That was the last of them," Viconia said after finishing off the last thief by slamming her small shield against his chin and following up with a Flamestrike-spell... "Let us finish Mae'Var."

Mae'Var, however, was expecting them. "Come for me, have you?" he spat, and motioned for several bodyguards to join the fray. "I've still those loyal to me and they have warned me. We'll not lay down for you!" That said, Mae'Var and his associates changed.

Korgan's axe sang, Viconia's flail twirled. Swords and daggers cleft through the air, but neither group seemed to be making any progress. At the sides of the battle, the captured prisoners and slaves of Mae'Var looked on with a renewed hope.

At the heat of battle, Viconia fished the statuette out of her pouch. Then, after uttering some words of power, a giant spider appeared on the battlefield. Surprised by Khittix's sudden appearence, the thieves stepped back a little, giving the party temporary advantage. Keldorn made us of the distractions to bring down his Hallowed Redeemer onto the skull of one of the thieves.

Khittix suddenly twittered and spat webbings against the thieves, bringing chaos amoung their ranks. Several thieves were caught in the sticky substance, including Mae'Var. Struggling too wildly against the web, Mae'Var toppled over and fell to the floor.

"Aye," Korgan chuckled. "This 'ere beastie be not so bad after all!!!" He held his axe above his head and slammed it down on Mae'Var...

"TENTHOUSAND GOLDERS!" Korgan shouted as the party stepped out of the Renal's guildhouse. "Now that be a reward!"

"Plus we managed to destroy a very evil guild," Keldorn added. "Can you believe some of those slaves had been there for over ten years?"

"So..." Viconia asked. "Are we going back to the inn?"

"Well, we should have enough golders for a couple of drinks," Laska said, feeling very satisfied with herself. "And it goes a long way to help us find Imoen. Who knows, maybe we'll..."

"You there! Unwashed one! I would have a word with you!" Laska heard called from behind.

"Oh, no," Jan moaned. "What now?"

Turning around, Laska noticed yet another familiar face. The tattoed grin on the mad human's face made her stomach fill with bile.

"Xzar," Viconia sighed. "and here we have yet another wizard that is supposed to be dead..."

"I may have been," Xzar blinked. "It happens when you are forced to deal with buffoons. If Monty were here, he would be able to tell for certain. Bah! It matters not! I want to hire you..."

"I be lettin' ye know," Korgan said, while glancing at Minsc. "that I be 'avin' a bath last night."

"Last morning," Viconia added, referring to heself.

"Last week," Laska added and smelled herself. Perhaps a long soak back at the inn was in order.

"And here we have yet another practitioner of evil magicks!" Keldorn shouted and drew his sword.

"Gee, how many crazy, bad wizards have you known in your days, Laska," Jan chuckled. "You must have been tripping over the wizards in your past."

"My friend Monty has been taken captive by those irksome Harpers," Xzar interrupted. "I would have you enter their building and find Monty for me."

"Harpers?" Laska said, intrigued. "Here? In the city?"

"Duh..." Xzar said.

"Hmmm," Laska said, thinking, "fine. I will see what I can do."

"Goody, goody!" Xzar said. "Monty! I'll be seeing you very soon!!!"

That said, the group left the mad wizard to his musing and headed to the harper-hold.

"Laska," Keldorn said as they made their way, "the Harpers are an organization that does good, despite what you might hear. I would not brook any attempt by that cretin to subvert them."

"I don't care about Xzar, Keldorn," she replied. "But I would like to know why there are Harpers here. My dealings with them were not very pleasant in the past."

They came to a large building, about the size of the thieves' guild. From the outside, the building didn't look very spectacular to say the least. There was a man standing in front of the door. He was looking very burly, like someone who didn't want to be messed with... which gave Laska the distinct pleasure of making his life miserable...

"Hi there!" she greeted happily. "Is this the Harper-hold? Wow, I came all the way from Baldur's Gate to see this! Can I take a peek inside? Maybe? Maybe? Huh?"

"Get lost, kid," the guard said. "This is private property."

"So this is not the Harper-Hold, then?" Laska said. "Hmmm, perhaps we took a wrong turn then, eh? Perhaps the six of us should ask around then, to see where we could find the hold instead!"

"Errmmm," the guard said. "Now just hold on a minute..."

"Jan, can your family help us in asking around?"

"Sure, kid, sure!" Jan said. "I can ask Ma, uncle Beeloo, Tot and Tat, Uncle Gerhardt, Aunt Petunia, Cousin Scooter, Aunty Rumbledors, Cousin Albert, Uncle Eduardo, Cousin It, Uncle Shabby, Aunty Regina, Cousin Gerty..."

"Yes," Viconia added with a wicked grin "All of us together can find that pesky Harper-Hold. Then we will tell everyone where it is, so no one will have to look for it again!"

"HOLD IT!" the guard said. "Alright! Don't you realize you will endanger many Harpers with your antics? You'll waste the lives of the heroic!"

"Heroics?" Laska snorted. "Puh-lease..."

"You risk the wrath of the Harper-justice," the guard tried.

"Oh," Laska said in a little-girl-voice, "I'm sooooooo scared... Look, I'm shaking!!!"

"I am warning you!"

"Stow it! We only want to know where Monteron is. He's the little halfling thief that you nabbed some time ago!" Laska yelled.

"Oh, is THAT all?!" the guard shouted. He walked over to the door and whispered something inside while it was ajar. A female handed him a golden birdcase sometime later and the guard returned. "Here is your stinking thief! Take it and begone!"

"'kay," Laska shrugged and then walked away, only to turn around after walking a hundred yards and screaming at the top of her lungs : "BYE, HARPER-SIR!!!", drawing chuckles from most of her friends.

"Okay, Xzar," Laska said as she returned to meet with him. "We have Monty here. It seemed the Harpers turned him into a bird..."

"Finally Montaron will be returned to my side! " he yelled in glee and started the incantation to return the bird to it's proper form... only to conjure up a half-elven lady dressed in silver.

"What in the..?? You're not Montaron!" Xzar managed to shout just before the female shoved a dagger through his heart as a stunned party looked on...

A screaming wizard fell to the ground, while the female, obviously a harper, looked on.

"And death will come on wings of song," the harper sang, not paying attention to the shocked party. "A song of long and winding guile, and in the end your end I wend..." a look of sharp pain crossed the harper's features and she looked down in disbelief when she noticed a blue longsword had pierced her heart. She soon slid down to the ground and lay next to the mad wizard, as dead as he was.

"LASKA!" Keldorn yelled out. "What have you done?!"

"Nobody uses me..." Laska simply said.

Acknowledgements: I'd like to thank Laufey, whose romance idea convinced me not to kill off Edwin, and for allowing me to use Master Dekaras...