Chapter 26 Chapter 21 The Charm of Waste

"I have business to attend to in Luskan," Morik grumbled. "I've arranged so many things—relationships and deals—and now, because of you and your friends, all of that is going to come to naught." "But you're going to have fun through the long winter nights," Bellany said with a mischievous grin.She curled up seductively on a pile of fur. "That's not... well, it is," Morik admitted, shaking his head. "My protest has nothing to do with you—you know that." "You talk too much," the woman replied, reaching out to the smaller man.

"I... I mean, no way! Not now. My business—" "Wait a minute." "Now!" Bellany grinned, rolled over, and stretched.Morik's protest had to wait a while.But later the rogue from Luskan came back to this point, complaining to Bellany that this little fork in her path would cost him as much as a king's riches, and more. "Inevitable," explained the witch. "I had to bring you here, and winter comes early." "I can't be allowed to leave?" "You can leave if you want," Bellany replied. "It's been a long, cold road—you think you'll survive all the way back to Luskan?"

"You brought me here, and you're going to take me back." "Impossible," said the Witch quietly. "I can't teleport that far. That spell is beyond my powers. Maybe I can conjure temporary close-range magic doors, but not enough to leap us all the way to Luskan. And I don't like the cold, Morik. not at all." "Then Sheila Creed has to find a way to take me home," Morik declared, pulling up his pants—or at least trying to.As he pulled his trousers over his ankles, Bellany waved his hand and cast a simple spell, bringing a sudden gust of wind.The gust was strong enough to push the already off-balance Morik back, causing him to stumble and fall.

He rolled to stabilize his heels, knelt up while stumbling, and then stood up by himself, staring at the woman angrily. "Very humorous," he said darkly, but as soon as he had said that, Morik noticed that there was not a hint of humor in the expression on Bellany's face. "You're going to Sheila Kree and asking him to take you home?" asked the witch. "What if I do this?" "She's going to kill you," Bellany stated. "Sheila doesn't really like you very much, my friend, and actually she wants you out of here as badly as you want to go. But she won't free up the resources to do so unless it's a short trip, Have one of her ogre pets drop your lifeless corpse into the icy waters.

"No, Morik, you have to understand, it's better for you to be cautious and quiet, and not get in her way." Bellany continued. "The Bloody Keel will set sail in the spring, probably along the coast. We'll put you on the coast not far from Luskan, maybe even in the port, if we can be sure that Deudermont isn't waiting for us .” "By then I'll be a beggar." "Well, if you are still rich and wish to die rich, then go to Sheila with your request," said the witch, laughing.She rolled over and wrapped herself in the fur, even burying her head in it, signaling to Morik that this talk was over.

For a moment the thief stood and stared at her lover.He liked Bellany--very much--and believed it wouldn't be a bad thing to cuddle with her all winter.There were a few other women there, including some pretty attractive ones like Jule Pepper.Maybe Morik will find a little challenge this winter! The thief shook his head to get the thought out of his head.He had to be careful about such things in such a well-guarded, inescapable place, with such fearsome companions.It would be a tragedy for Bellany to piss off Bellany by seducing Jules.He flinched at the thought of how the beautiful witch might beat him.Morik never liked mages of any kind because they were able to see through his disguise and stealth and blast him away before he could even get close.According to Morik's line of thinking, mages do not fight fairly at all.

Yes, he has to be careful not to incur any jealousy. Or, maybe so, Morik mused, considering Sheila's apparent haughtiness.Perhaps the irascible pirate resented Bellany's mate because she too was stuck here without anyone to warm her fur cushions. Morik watched Bellany's rhythmic breathing in sleep, and a twisted smile broke across his face. "Ah, Sheila," he said softly, and then he wondered if he wanted to go home after his time with the Captain, and wondered if he could have a bigger harvest here. Choguruga paced angrily about her vast room, throwing furniture and any smaller ogres and half-ogres that moved too slowly to get in her way.

"Bassenk!" the female ogre screamed repeatedly. "Bassenk, where are you?" The female ogre's precious son left home with a raiding party. This expedition should only last three or four days, but now ten days have passed, and the young ogre The devil has no news. "The snow is deep," Brugger said calmly from the side of the house, lying down in a huge hammock--a gift from Sheila Klee--with thick legs dangling outside, one on each side. Choguruga dashed across the room, grabbed the side of the hammock, and threw Brugg onto the stone floor. "If you let me know that you hurt—"

"Bassenk is out," Brueger protested, continuing to maintain his composure, though whether it was because he didn't want to beat up his beautiful wife, or because he didn't want to laugh at her hysteria, the female ogre didn't know . "Whether he comes back or not, Brugger didn't go out." The logic was so simple that even Choguruga could understand it, but it didn't calm the female ogre, but at least it got her out of Brugge.She ran across the room, screaming for Basenk.In fact, her son had been late for returning from raiding parties many times, but this time was different.It wasn't just violent storms.This time, Choguruga sensed that something was very wrong.Disaster befell her beloved Basenk.He won't be coming home.

The female ogre just knows this. Grinning broadly, Morik took a second goblet from his right hip pocket, another beautiful silver and glass, and set it down in front of Sheila Kree, and they on the table between the two. Sheila watched him with a playful expression, and nodded to him to continue. The next thing out of the bag was a bottle of elf wine - too big to fit in the little bag by itself, let alone beside a pair of rather large stemware. "What else do you have in your magic pocket, Morik the Rogue?" Sheila asked suspiciously. "Does Bellany know that there is such magic around you?"

"Why should it have anything to do with her, dear, beautiful Sheila?" Morik asked, pouring generous amounts of the expensive wine into Sheila's glass and less in his own. a little bit. "I'm not a threat to anyone here. A friend, not an enemy." Sheila smirked, then lifted her glass and took a swig so fast that some of the wine spilled from the sides of the vessel and ran down her rosy face.The pirate didn't care, he put the goblet back on the table heavily, and then wiped his face with one arm. "Which enemy doesn't say that?" she simply asked. "I don't see many people who get caught and say they are the enemy." Morik giggled. "You don't approve of Bellany bringing me here." "Did I make you feel otherwise?" "You're also not satisfied that Bellany is interested in my company," Morik said boldly. Sheila froze slightly and shifted in her seat, Morik knowing he had hit a weak spot.Backed up by the idea that Sheila's rudeness to him may have had no reason other than jealousy - along the lines of the confident Morik, why not? —The thief raised his goblet and toasted the pirate leader. "To better understand each other's worth," he said, touching Sheila's glass. "And to better understand each other's expectations," replied the pirate, his smile deepening. Morik grinned, too, thinking about how to channel the fellow's passionate fire into wild fun. He didn't get what he expected. Moments later, Morik stumbled out of Sheila's house, his head convulsingly aching, and the pirate, still smiling like hers, took aim at him and gave him a left hook.Morik pushed forward, only to be confused by Sheila's violent reaction—he had just moved closer to her, brushing the back of his hand lightly across her rosy cheek—and the rogue muttered a string of varying curses and stumbled towards Bella. Lenny's house.Morik was not used to being treated like this from ladies, and the witch opened the door and blocked the way, clearly aware of his indignation. "Flirting with a tied badger?" Bellany asked with a sneer. "It's better that way," Morik replied, trying to enter the house.But Bellany kept holding his arm in front of him, blocking the way. Morik looked at her inquiringly. "Surely you are not jealous." "The fact that you are so sure of that seems to be a fairly accurate estimate of your own worth," she replied. Morik wanted to respond, but the attack worked, and he paused, giving the woman a brief salute. "Jealous?" Bellany asked suspiciously. "Not at all. I thought you were at least sleeping with Jule Pepper by now. But your taste really surprises me. I don't think Sheila is your type, nor is she your type." "Obviously your suspicions are correct," the rogue commented, rubbing his bruised temple.He started walking again, and this time Bellany let him pass, into the house. "I doubt you'd have any more luck chasing that guy." "It took you so long to get that," Bellany replied, closing the door behind the burglar. Morik collapsed on a soft fur bed and rolled over to cast a glance at the grinning witch. "A simple warning?" he asked. "Can't you do that beforehand?" "And miss out on the fun?" "You haven't missed much," Morik said, reaching out to her with open arms. "Do you need to massage the wound?" Bellany asked, without moving. "Or your self-esteem?" Morik only considered the question for a moment. "Both," he admitted, and the Witch stepped forward, laughing even harder. "This is the last time I'm warning you," she said, sliding next to him on the bed. "Tangle with Sheila Kree and she'll kill you. I mean if you're lucky. If not, she'll probably tell Choguruga you're interested in her." "The female ogre?" Morik asked in horror. "If you got hooked with that guy and didn't get killed, Brugger would kill you for sure." Bellany moved a little closer and tried to kiss him, but Morik turned away, and any thought of passion suddenly flew away. "Choguruga," he said, a shiver running down his spine