The rain still trinkled against the windowpanes of Keldorn's estate, still pouring down as heavily as it had been for the past few days. If it was not dark from night, it still would not have been possible to see far through the windows because of the mist and the density of the rainfall. Slowly, one by one, the current occupants of Keldorn's estate were going to sleep. All lights were turned off, all candles were blown out, excepting the ones in Keldorn's sitting room and for a small flickering candle in one of the upper rooms.

Laska sighed as she looked out of the windows. Still raining... It had been a day since they she and her party destroyed the slave-ring in the Copper Coronet and she was still waiting for the chance to get her hands around the necks of the slaverlords of Athkatla. But, unfortunately, this amount of rain did not provide a proper climate for adventuring. Besides, Korgan wouldn't even consider going out in a rain this dense, not even for the prospect of gutting some 'longlimbs'.

Shaking her head, she once again sat down in Keldorn's lazy-chair to read in the book she was leafing through.

"Bunch of tripe," Laska suddenly said and tossed the book, 'Men are from the Abyss, Women are from Baator', into a dustbin.

Standing up from the chair, she strolled over to the bookcase and, to her surprise, found a small rag of a magazine printed on bad quality paper. Ready for a good laugh, she took the newest issue of the 'Amnian Gutter' back to the chair and started to read.

She took a look at the frontpage, which sported the headline, 'Massive Alien Cube Assimilates Temple of Cyric, and was accompanied by a badly drawn picture of a gigantic floating cube attacking a temple of the Prince of Lies with some sort of greenish holding beam.

Leafing through the rest of the rag delivered such laughable material as : 'Elminster and Mystra : The real story. UNCENSORED!', 'Sexy Secrets in Sembian Seminary : Saucy Sharran tells all!', and classics like 'I was a Teenage Otyugh : The Unfortunate Adventures of Ricky Jansen.'

"Ermmm, miss Leafwalker?" a meek voice asked from the doorway. Glancing over to the doorway, Laska noticed Keldorn's eldest daughter Leona. Smiling, the elf beckoned her to enter and sit down.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Laska asked, when she noticed the girl was wearing a nightgown.

"So," Leona asked nervously, "you hear about that Cube?"

"Yeah," Laska chuckled. "But knowing the reputation of this gutter-rag and that of the Cyricans, that 'Massive Cube' that destroyed the temple was probably three orcs in a cart."

"Yeah," Leona giggled nervously. "I mean, this is the same rag who wrote that Drizzt Do'Urden married his pet goat."

"Ah!" Laska laughed. "So THAT's why he was constantly staring at that goatpen when I met him! He was probably trying to cheat on his wife, or something..."

"Yeah..." Leona stated, but then nervously changed the subject again. "Say, miss Leafwalker? You're a girl right?"

Immediately, Laska looked down at her chest with a grin. "One... Two... Yep, still there."

"Ermmm, sorry," Leona asked. "But, I... I wanted to ask you.... Ermmm, you know, I... Ermmm..."

"Calm down," Laska said. "Take a deep breath. Lemme guess, you want to ask me a question about a boy?"

"Please," Leona whispered. "Don't tell my father! I think he'll get mad! But... But, I wanted to ask you... Well, I've been seeing a boy from my class and... I... How do you know if your... You know, move to... to... the next level... of... intimacy?"

Laska, noticing the girl in front of her was practically hyperventilating now, motioned Leona to sit down beside her. "Well," Laska said. "Don't mind what that boy says, since the decision lies with you. Only do what YOU want... And go as far as YOU let him."

"Uh-huh," Leona said with a puzzled look.

"Well, I was about your age when I started, and it is fun, that's for sure," Laska grinned. "What do you know of this boy? Is he clean? Disease free? Those are things to look for in a partner... at least for the night."

"I... I think he's those things," Leona stammered.

"Okay then," Laska smiled. "Next thing you should find is a secluded and quiet place to do the deed. Try a room at a classy inn. They have the softest sheets..."

"Inn?" Leona asked fearfully.

"Oh, and never forget protection!" Laska stressed. "Elves don't have to worry much, but you can buy excellent spell-scrolls at the temple of Sune. They read easily, work all night and are relatively cheap..."

"Protection?" Leona blanched.

"Oh, and then there's the positions, well..." Laska added, "I have quite some experience with that, but I think you're better off talking to Viconia when she stops sulking. She has quite a repertoire of exotic ones, I understand."

"Positions?" Leona asked. "How can there be positions with kissing?"

"Kissing?" Laska asked with a raised eyebrow. "You mean... you only wanted to know about kissing? Not about... anything more than that?"

"There's... there's more than kissing?" Leona asked with curiosity.

"Ermm, no, no..." Laska said uneasily. "Your dad is gonna rip my head off... Look, just forget everything I said and stop worrying about it. Just press your lips together and the rest will go by itself, but, ahum, don't try kissing when you're near a bed, or your dad will break every bone in my body. Or at least, he will try..."

"Ermm, okay," Leona said. "Thanks, miss Leafwalker. Good night."

"Off to bed with you. Good night," Laska chuckled and blew out a load of air as soon as Leona was out the door.

Keldorn stepped through a narrow hallways on the second floor of his estate, about to get ready for bed. His eyes drifted to the flickering light emanating from the sitting room on the other side of the hallway, however. Finding it odd, he decided to, once again, check up on his student. He entered the luxurious sitting room and found Viconia sitting crosslegged on the floor, facing the darkness beyond the window. Before her burned one of the pitch-black unholy candles of the Night Singer, its light casting eerie shadows on the wall. Viconia was silently murmuring words of prayer, like she had been doing all day. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead as she continued her chants.

Keldorn mused that she hadn't spoken to anyone since the talk he had with her at the Copper Coronet, nor had he seen her eat or drink. Vesper was quite disappointed that Viconia didn't come out to play with her today as well, but she seemingly understood when Keldorn had told his daughter that Viconia had a lot to think about.

Suddenly, Viconia stopped chanting and blew out the candle. "Damn you, paladin," Viconia spoke in a hoarse voice, her fatigue apparent, "you have cast doubts in my head."

"I spoke the truth, Viconia," Keldorn added.

"I have consulted Shar for answers," Viconia muttered. "But she was not forthcoming."

"Get some rest, Viconia," Keldorn said. "Such answers will not come to a tired mind. Besides, we will be taking on the slaverlords tomorrow. And they will no doubt have plenty of defenses."

"The surface," Viconia said, ignoring Keldorn, "My first steps on the surface were the most terrifying moments of my life. I knew only a few words of common and as I traveled I carefully avoided any contact with the surfacers. The land was strange and each day I huddled under the terrible open sky, sure that I would be pulled into the vastness of it, if I but closed my eyes for an instant. Lolth had abandoned me and I was alone in a strange world. Those rivven who saw me hounded me with abandon, and I fled to the forests. There I was hunted by the darthiir...surface elves...and their honed hatred drove me further. I was sure I would perish, never to see the Underdark again, but then, as I lay there in fear while water poured down upon on me from the very sky, I had an epiphany."

"Shar?" Keldorn asked.

"Yes," Viconia smiled. "She spoke to me... She told me to be strong and stand firm against the raging storm. She told me I should make the ways of this strange land my own, and... she told me that, in the future, I would meet powerful friends and allies. The Nightsinger, gave me the strength to go on and, to my joy, accepted my worship. I had gained a measure of power, once again..."

"Odd," Keldorn mused. "Shar is not know for being an altruistic or merciful deity."

"That is what I have been puzzled about as well," Viconia sighed. "Why does she allow me to walk my own path? Why has she taken me in at all? But it seems she will not answer those questions for me either. Perhaps... perhaps, it is not wise to doubt the wisdom of Shar. She is a greater being than I, and undoubtedly has a far better understanding of Past, Present and Future as a whole. If there is a reason for me being left in the dark regarding her thoughts, it is not for me to question her... Perhaps, it's destiny..." Viconia added.

"So you will just ignore your doubts?" Keldorn asked. "These actions Shar has undertaken are not merely odd, but completely outrageous for a goddess of her character."

"Or WHAT, Keldorn? What am I supposed to do?" Viconia snarled. "Reject her? Lose my powers? Again? No, Keldorn. Never again!"

"Perhaps you were right in saying, that I was wrong in asking you to reject her," Keldorn sighed. "But I was right when I told you, you were worshipping her out of gratitude."

"Yes," Viconia sighed. "Perhaps you are right about that, Keldorn. But you do not realize the intensity of my gratitude, Suliss."

Viconia picked up her candle, and a small box of incense and reverently placed the items in a cloth pouch. "If you will excuse me now, I intend to be well rested for the fight tomorrow. Thank you, Keldorn," she said and strolled the room she shared with Laska. Keldorn watched her go. 'I moved too soon,' Keldorn thought. 'Her faith is still too strong, but the seed of doubt has been sown... Perhaps in time...'. Keldorn walked towards his bedroom to join his wife.

"Come on, laddies!" Korgan tried desperately. "If we be waitin' fer only 'alf an 'our or so, the rain just might be stoppin'!"

"Korgan," Minsc said. "Korgan, Korgan, Korgan. Boo be sayin', ermm, I mean, Boo says a little water never hurt anyone!"

"OY!" Korgan snarled. "Yer hamster dinnae be throwin' me in a river a whiles back!"

"Korgan," Keldorn said. "The slaverlords Sion and Ketta must already be alerted to the damage we have done to their business. I think it is for the best to attack as soon as possible before they can entrench themselves even further."

"Don't you wanna go kick some ass, Korgan?" Laska grinned.

"Well, sure, lassie, but..." Korgan said. "I nay want ta be gettin' wet in the process."

"I'm not so sure about that bit about water not hurting anything," Jan said. "You know, my cousin Dottie once travelled to Cormyr, took a wrong turn and ended up in the Land of Ozborne, home of the headbanging Munchkins. It's somewhere west of Thay, I believe. So, anyway, cousin Dottie took her turnipcart and travelled across a black-brick road to the Hardrock city in the middle of Ozborne to sell her psychedelic turnips to the great Headbanger Wizard Ozzie who lived there. Now, Dottie met the strangest people while travelling through that odd land : A manic-depressive scarecrow, a chronic-aggressive tinman and a wimpy lion halfway through his midlife crisis. Anyway, they arrived at the wizard, but before he would buy, he gave Dottie the assignment to kill the Wicked Griffin of the West. So, afraid but determined, Dottie and her new party stormed the peaceful town of Eastburg and killed all the inhabitants, before Lion sheepishly admitted he had held the map upside down..."

"I 'ate when that 'appens," Korgan added, speaking from his own personal experience.

"So, they set course to the West and ended up breaking down the door to the castle of the Griffin. Unfortunately, the fire of Tinman's cigar, who subsequently loved the smell of sulphur in the morning, set off the Griffin's rather elaborate sprinklersystem which she installed to preserve her collection of Redwood pines. The last thing remaining of the poor thing was a beak in a puddle... So, victorious, the party returned to the wizard Ozzie of Ozborne, and just before Dottie would make the deal of a lifetime, a house drops on her head... Go figure, huh?"

"On second thought," Korgan groaned. "I be better off takin' me chances with the bleedin' rain!"

And thus started a mad dash through the streets, alleys and squares of Athkatla, hoping none of their weapons or armours would rust.

"Och, we be a load o'drowned cats!" Korgan yelled as he regarded his fellow partymembers. Everyone looked as if they had just been in a shipwreck. Viconia's wet hair was sticking to her face, while water dripped from Korgan's beard.

Currently, they were standing on the porch of the mansion of Sion and Ketta in the Temple District. It was a lovely and beautiful, two-storey mansion built in a classical style, which was obviously bought with bloodmoney.

"Oy, look!" Korgan snarled and pointed at the sky. "Look at the bloody sun! Dammit, the rain is stoppin'!! If ye daft buggers had waited fer only a few more minutes, we be arrivin' dry!"

"Unfortunately, Korgan," Viconia grinned, "it's too late for recriminations. We're drowned cats. Live with it."

"Och, shut yer yap!"

Laska grinned and took point at the dripping party stepped into the mansion. It was a beautiful place on the inside as well. Paintings and tapestries hung on the walls, while expensive carpets and furniture further adorned the floor. The centerpieces of the room were the large fireplace in the back between two winding staircases, the beautiful piano in the middle of the room... and the two angry looking nobles who were staring at the adventurers dripping all over their stuff.

"Look who's come barging in!" A ratfaced noble fop said. "I should check the wards on the door, Ketta. I do believe that they've weakened enough to allow the riffraff in."

"Indeed," A pretty woman said with a hard grin, "an Icestorm trap next time?"

"Quite. Now, as for you," the fop adressed Laska. "This is private property, friend. You are not welcome here."

"Oh," Laska chuckled. "Well, adventurers go wherever there is evil to fight, and you are it, I'm afraid. I've got a letter here naming you as the slaverlords of Athkatla and we are here to kill you for it."

"What?" Sion snarled. "WHERE DID YOU...." but he caught himself and cleared his throat. "This is vile slander! I demand you leave at..." Unfortunately, Sion had stood a little too close to Laska that time, and held his arm too close to her as well. The next thing Sion heard was a loud crunch. He did not know how he ended up crying on the floor, nor why his arm now seemed to have two elbows.

"She... she... she broke my... arm," Sion grimaced in pain.

"Sorry, Sion," Ketta snickered. "Every man for himself now. ALERT!!!"

"Prepare to meet your fate, vile fiends!" Keldorn shouted.

Immediately, all hell broke loose. From the adjacent rooms, two guards, a minotaur and a kara-turan ronin came to the aid of their mistress. The minotaur, a large, imposing bull-man wearing only a loincloth and a heavy axe, was immediately engaged by Keldorn and Minsc alike. Laska could hear Lilarcors excitement from the other side of the room. The tattooed elf engaged the Kara-turan master with a sly grin crossed over her face. Her opponent was a handsome man, dressed in a colorful armor, and given other circumstances, she might have shared a drink with him. The two magical katanas in his arms meant business however, and even a fighter as skilled as Laska was having trouble dealing with the man's speed. Even while she was driven back into a corner, her moonblade offered a solution. Ipsiya had noticed the kara-turan had the tendency to point his swords downward after a strike and had mentally informed her mistress of this little fact. Laska sprang into action immediately and, while still holding her own swords, grabbed both his ears and yanked them downwards, while violently raising her knee. When she heard the sounds of bone breaking, she pushed him upwards again and twirled around her axis while slashing her moonblade across the Kara-Turan's neck, severing most of it. The warrior was dead before he fell.

Korgan was having more luck with the two guards he and Jan were handling. After slashing his axe across the knees of one of them, he was now free to try to slam his axe into the skull of the other one. Jan was using his newly invented quick-loader on his crossbow to fire six bolts at a time. This new invention made quite the impression on a newly downed guard's chest.

Viconia was grinned wildly when she was circling Ketta, flail in hand. Without warning, Viconia whistled once, making the statue in her pouch turn into a giant spider. Ketta flipped out a poisoned dagger, getting ready to attack the Drow, when the cleric in front of her suddenly unleashed a spell. Instantly, Ketta felt numb, weak, sickly and was unable to think clearly. She could barely defend herself while Viconia and Khittix made mincemeat out of her.

In the meantime, while Keldorn finished off the minotaur, Sion had almost managed to creep to the door, when, suddenly, Laska slammed her sword in front of him. "And where do you think you're going?" she grinned.

"Yeah," Jan said. "It's not like we can keep him as a pet and nurse his broken wing back to health."

"I be 'avin' a solution," Korgan grinned, and with a single swipe from his axe, slave-trade in Athkatla existed no more.

"Look at this place!" Laska grinned when she went exploring after the bodies were carried out of the door by the city guards.

"Quite a little pad they had here," Jan added.

"You know," Keldorn said. "We were never able to recover Ketta's body. I wonder where it is?"

"Well," Viconia grinned.

"You didn't!" Laska grinned.

"Well, spiders have to eat too!" Viconia said. "Last time I saw, Khittix was dragging her body to the cellar. And after today's fight, he sure earned a good meal."

"Hell, I'm not complaining," Laska said. "But look at this place! Look at the luxury! So many rooms!"

The party made their way upstairs, only to find even more luxury. A luxurious office, filled with antiques and a vault, and... "Look!" Laska said excitedly. "An indoor pool! And an indoor-outhouse with magical odor-eaters! And, wow!" she added while pointing at a glass patio. Outside, was a large balcony richly adorned with plants and seats. The balcony overlooked the western part of the Temple District and, right now, offered a beautiful scene of a rainbow stretching into infinity.

"Will you look at that?!" Laska cried out.

"Aye, they be livin' large fer sure!"

"Quite a nice place, even for a nest of vipers, which often is not so nice," Minsc added while walking onto the balcony.

"Ah, friends," Jan said, while walking towards the vault with his little kit. "Genius at work here. This'll only take a few seconds."

"Hey, guys," Laska said, while she laid her arms around both Viconia and Minsc. "I got a pretty wicked idea here. Why don't we squat this place?!"

"Oy, now that be an idea!" Korgan said.

"Wait a minute!" Keldorn broke in. "You can't just decide to move in here! This property is to be confiscated by the guards and auctioned off."

"Oh, yeah?!" Laska said angrily. "Well, I'm NOT leaving! I always wanted a home of my own and I was trying to buy one in Baldur's Gate when that bastard Irenicus took Imoen and me prisoner!"

"HEY!" Jan suddenly shouted. "Take a look at this stuff I found in the vault."

Jan handed Korgan a bag of gold, which immediately vanished without a single trace and handed Keldorn a ledger. "I think this here paperwork will interest you, Keldy," Jan grinned.

"By the gods!" Keldorn shouted. "Look at these documents! This is a list of bribes to corrupt guards, clerks and nobles! And a complete listing of transactions... With this, Chief Inspector Brega can finally sanitize the guards!"

"And don't you think that deserves some kind of reward?" Laska grinned.

Keldorn sighed and shook his head.

"Come on, lassie!" Korgan said and pulled on Laska's arm. "'ere, lets go see if this pad be 'avin' a wine-cellar!"

"Think of it this way, Keldorn," Laska said. "If you give us the house, we no longer have to mooch off you!"

Keldorn smiled briefly, "It is no burden, my friend. But if this is truly what you want, I will see what I can do."

Two hours later, Keldorn Firecam returned to the mansion formally owned by the slaverlords of Athkatla. He turned to close the door behind him, only to find himself staring into the expecting looks of his party-members.

"Well?" Laska asked.

"I gave the ledger to Chief Inspector Brega, who was very happy with it. And then we discussed how best to sanitize the guards with the help of the Order and..."

"The HOUSE, Keldorn!" Laska snarled. "What about the HOUSE!"

"Well, we've talked it over with Magistrate Bylanna," Keldorn began, not mentioning the 100 gold he slipped to a clerk to speed up the process. "And we've decided that the monetary funds of Sion and Ketta will be confiscated, and the house and its contents... will be awarded to the party for services to the city," Keldorn said, also not mentioning he had threatened to take the ledger back if Laska and her friends were not given the house.

"WOOHOO!" Laska whooped. "It's OURS!"

"A private place of my own," Viconia added. "A place to come home to..."

"Hey, we don't have to worry about thieves or anything, what with a hundred paladins lodging next door," Jan chuckled.

"Look, Boo!" Minsc said. "It is ours now! We can finally get one of those little wheels for you!"

"Hell, we could get a cat now," Laska chuckled.

"Aye, I be preferrin' somethin' more damp," Korgan said, "so expect me ta move into the cellar. Close to the wine too, HAR HAR!"

"Okay, I've always wanted a communal dining room, so if we move the piano to the entrance, we can fit the dining table in the main room. Then we can turn the old dining room into a new bedroom. I think we can convert the library into another bedroom as well," Laska raved. "There's only five beds so we'll have to find another one for Keldorn."

"No, Laska," Keldorn said. "It's kind of you to think of me, but I will be staying at my own estate, near my family. It's only a short walk away."

"Sure, Keldorn," Laska smiled. "But we still have plenty of work to do! Korgan wants his room in the cellar, so we have to drag a bed and furniture down the stairs... And all the other stuff we don't need we toss into the storeroom upstairs."

Everyone groaned when they heard Laska's last statement.

"Excuse me," the merchant Belinda Quicksilver heard say while she was adjusting her stand, which specialized in pet supplies. Turning around, she was startled to find that her new customer was indeed of the Dark Elven race. She scraped her throat. This Drow female be a scary one, but as long as she had a purse filled with gold, she would not turn her away, for she had, in fact, never sent away a potential customer in her life.

"Hullo, miss," Belinda stammered. "Can I help ye?"

"Yes," the Drow female said and held up the end of a leash. "I am looking for a basket, so my pet can warm himself at the fireplace."

"Ah, a little doggie-woggie, eh? Wanting to warm himself by the nice firey-wirey?" Belinda cooed.

"Ermm, yes," the Drow replied, giving Belinda an odd look.

Belinda didn't hesitate and picked up a rectangular basket. "Here," she said. "How about this one, luv?"

"Hmmm," the Drow replied. "I do not think that is a good idea. Khittix can't lie down in a basket shaped like this."

"Ey?" Belinda replied. "Well, we've got round ones as well, but let me take a look at the little doggie-woggie," she said while leaning forward. "Where's the little doggie-woggie? Who's a nice boy?" she said, until she came face to face with... eight eyes displaying a playful look.

With a shriek, Belinda fainted and rolled off the counter on the floor.

"I will never understand surfacers," Viconia said. "Don't you agree, Khittix?"

Khittix merely looked at Viconia and chirped quizzically. With a shrug, she put a pouch with some gold coins on the counter and took the large round basket under her arm.

"Hey, VICO!" Laska shouted to her. "We've got all the paint and supplies. Let's go HOME!"

"Sure, Laska," Viconia said and led Khittix by the leash. "But whoever made that law about pets having to be on a leash should be whipped severely. I've never been stared at so many times as today..."

"Ah, home, sweet home!" Jan said as he, Keldorn and Korgan were examining their handywork which took almost a day.

The main room now sported the piano, the harp, the diningtable and two chairs in front of the largest fireplace.

The kitchen was left alone, but it was bound to be rarely used unless Laska would hire a chef. Right now, the only food that would come into the house would be the take-out from various inns. Next to the kitchen was the old dining room, which had been turned into a makeshift room for Jan. Already, he was having old keepsakes and familypictures brought in from the Jansen home in the Slums.

Right next to Jan was Minsc's new room, which was in turn, a converted barracks. Already, several Hamster-toys were being brought in.

Across the hall, lay the old bedroom of Sion and Ketta, complete with a oaken bed. The room was quickly called by Laska, who now occupied it. Next to Laska was Viconia's room, which was a converted library complete with a fireplace. Immediately, Viconia had created a small quiet corner for prayers and had lain the basket she had bought in front of the fire, so Khittix could keep warm.

The other rooms, which included another barracks and a bathhouse, were left untouched as well. The upper rooms were mostly used for storage, safe for the study.

Korgan kept house right next tot the winecellar, and had taken most of the golden antiques from the office on the second floor to surround himself with. Ipsiya had a nice little pad too : she was placed in the umbrellastand next to the door.

Keldorn, Jan and Korgan had spent most of the day painting the front of the building in an azure blue, indicating a recent change of ownership. Also, Jan had painted a small sign saying, "Here lives Laska! Please wipe feet before entering or be IMPALED!"

"So," Keldorn asked. "Where are the others?"

"Oh, Minsc and Viconia are upstairs cleaning up," Jan said. "Laska was dragging one of the kegs of Ale upstairs and..."

"Here I am!" Laska shouted and was dragging one of the kegs, which fortunately had wheels mounted, up the stairs.

"And where are you going to place that thing?" Viconia asked while she stepped down the stairs.

"Oh, just here!" Laska grinned and kicked away the old shrine of Cyric which had belonged to Sion. "I'll throw that thing in the river outside. Who needs the gods when you've got booze?"

"What's that thing on your arm?" Keldorn asked.

Laska grinned and held up her arm. "Oh, just a little something I had done to celebrate the end of slave-trade in Athkatla. What? You think buying paint takes an hour?" she said, while showing her new tattoo, a beautiful pattern of swirling azure strings, running from the back of her hand to her lower wrist. From a distant, the tattoo resembled an ornate gauntlet.

"Pretty," Jan said.

"Now, there's only one more thing to do!" Laska grinned and ran upstairs.

"Pool," Viconia, Korgan, Keldorn and Jan said simultaneously as the elf ran towards the water. And, soon enough, a splash and a whoop sounded from upstairs.

"Anyone bought a clothesline?" the elf called from upstairs a few moments later.