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Description
The violet-eyed woman sighed as she lounged against the wall of the brothel. Another typical day in Luskan, it seemed. The smell of death, blood, and unkempt soldiers permeating the air once more, staining her sinuses with the putrid smell. Trash floated through the waters of the city, and smoke trailed out of the chimneys, the pollution almost as potent as the ravages of gang rivalries that covered the streets.

Casting her gaze out, she took note of the bodies that littered the sidewalk. There must have been dozens, all of them lying there with their eyes glazed over, and maggots slowly making their way through the pores of the deceased men. Such a sight would have disturbed a normal person, but the woman had dealt with death far too much over the past century to really give a damn. Hell, some of the bodies had fallen by her blade, if she replied correctly.

But something else caught her eye. Something lurked in the shadows, and peered out at her with green eyes. Oh, she'd gotten better in the past few centuries, but she was nothing compared to her. The violet-eyed woman knew she had years of age and experience on this girl, and could take care of her in an instant. But, the time for such rivalries had long since passed.

"I was wondering when you would show up." The drow smiled towards the shadows, taking a careful seat on a nearby crate. "Come out in the open and talk to me, Lyme."

"I'd rather not be seen." A voice almost identical to her own replied. "You never know who might be watching."

"Oh, yes I do." The woman replied with unmasked arrogance, crossing her legs and stretching back on the crate. "And I assure you, it's safe."

"Alright then." Lyme appeared out of the shadows, and went to sit next to her, sitting down with awkward caution. "Well…I suppose I should ask how you've been?"

"Oh, I'm sure you already know, skilled little spy that you are." The violet-eyed woman smirked. "And you? Though I suppose you have no intention of talking about it. I would like to know one thing, however. Why bother to visit me now?"

"Because you're useful to me." She replied with a pert smile. "Another shadow-dancer has been patrolling this city. Drow, wears a mask. Hard to miss."

"Indeed. I've seen her around." The woman shrugged. "A drow in this city isn't the strangest thing I've seen. I see a drow every time I check my reflection, after all."

"True enough." Lyme frowned out towards the dirty water. "What is the strangest thing you've seen?"

"Strangest? Probably that blonde girl heading towards the Cutlass some time back. Half-elven, sweet smile, you know…the kind of girl that seems like she'd be raped and tossed into a gutter within moments of stepping into this city. But she's competent. Good with a bow and arrow. She and her friend got into a scuffle some time ago with some of Kurth's thugs. They came out with barely a scratch, even though that friend of hers is sick."

"Friend?"

"Yes. Red-brown hair, grey armor with a gold trace, constipated expression." The woman quirked a brow at the shadow-dancer. "Is this the part when you tell me what it is you want?"

"Let's just say that she's going to pay a very important role in the future of this city. And my employer would like to see that the host tower does not play a part."

"I see. I understand that this employer of yours has no affiliations with the Skulls?"

"None." Lyme's wry expression quickly darkened. "I'd sooner be crucified than work with them."

"Which you proved, I see." The woman noted, grimacing at the small, puncture scars on her companion's dark hands. "I imagine that plays into this somehow?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not an idiot, Lyme. You don't work for someone unless you want something. And you certainly wouldn't be seeking out my help unless this was a truly special occasion." She arched a snowy brow at the scars. "The Skulls aren't the only ones responsible for those, are they?"

"I want every one of those Hosttower mages dead." She remarked, her green eyes bright with anger, and her tone clipped. "And that's all I want to say on the matter."

"Well, I can certainly empaphize with that." The drow remarked in a bland tone. "So, what do you need from me?"

"I know those two are headed for the Red Panther's ship. You know her, yes?"

"There's not a soul in Luskan who doesn't."

"And I imagine you're getting pretty damned bored with this guard job of yours?"

"It has perks. I get to kill people at will, and I get a free lapdance from any of the male hookers. But only if I ask nicely."

"Sounds like your sort of job." Lyme chuckled. "How would you like something more challenging?"

"I'm listening."

"I want you to become part of that group. Join up with the blonde woman, and keep an eye on her and her friend. Make sure that she doesn't even think of visiting that host tower."

"I see. And what makes you think I'm going to do this?" She queried, watching as Lyme smirked, and took several green strands of hair between her fingers.

"The challenge, of course." The shadow-dancer declared, drawing the green highlights behind her ears, where they stood in stark contrast to her white locks. "I hear you've been cooped up in an academy training bratty recruits for the Sisters. That must have gotten dull."

"At times. Getting killed by one of my students certainly livened things up a bit."

"Funny how none of us seem to stay dead for very long, eh?"

"True enough. I hear Sol is even out raising a little boy in West Harbor. Kyle, or something."

"Kylee. And she's a little girl. You should meet her. She's...a very special child." The woman smiled, standing up from the crate, and looking towards the door to the brothel.

"So are you going to do it?" Lyme asked as the other drow strode towards the door.

"Yes." Her companion grinned, and reached back, ruffling her white and green hair. "But only because you're my sweet, baby sister."

Lyme made a face, and straightened her hair, glaring at her older sister. "Of course. Never mind that you have nothing better to do."

"True enough." The woman smiled. "I'll report back to you in a week. I assume you'll be able to find me."

"I will." Lyme hesitated for a moment, then stood up, laying a small hand on her sister's shoulder. "Ili…try to stay alive, alright?"

There was a tinge of bitterness in the former assassin's smile. "I make no promises, Lyme."

And with that, Ili walked through the door of the brothel to pass over a resignation.

Lymeeari Barrindar had disappeared by the time she stepped out.

Description
The violet-eyed woman sighed as she lounged against the wall of the brothel. Another typical day in Luskan, it seemed. The smell of death, blood, and unkempt soldiers permeating the air once more, staining her sinuses with the putrid smell. Trash floated through the waters of the city, and smoke trailed out of the chimneys, the pollution almost as potent as the ravages of gang rivalries that covered the streets.

Casting her gaze out, she took note of the bodies that littered the sidewalk. There must have been dozens, all of them lying there with their eyes glazed over, and maggots slowly making their way through the pores of the deceased men. Such a sight would have disturbed a normal person, but the woman had dealt with death far too much over the past century to really give a damn. Hell, some of the bodies had fallen by her blade, if she replied correctly.

But something else caught her eye. Something lurked in the shadows, and peered out at her with green eyes. Oh, she'd gotten better in the past few centuries, but she was nothing compared to her. The violet-eyed woman knew she had years of age and experience on this girl, and could take care of her in an instant. But, the time for such rivalries had long since passed.

"I was wondering when you would show up." The drow smiled towards the shadows, taking a careful seat on a nearby crate. "Come out in the open and talk to me, Lyme."

"I'd rather not be seen." A voice almost identical to her own replied. "You never know who might be watching."

"Oh, yes I do." The woman replied with unmasked arrogance, crossing her legs and stretching back on the crate. "And I assure you, it's safe."

"Alright then." Lyme appeared out of the shadows, and went to sit next to her, sitting down with awkward caution. "Well…I suppose I should ask how you've been?"

"Oh, I'm sure you already know, skilled little spy that you are." The violet-eyed woman smirked. "And you? Though I suppose you have no intention of talking about it. I would like to know one thing, however. Why bother to visit me now?"

"Because you're useful to me." She replied with a pert smile. "Another shadow-dancer has been patrolling this city. Drow, wears a mask. Hard to miss."

"Indeed. I've seen her around." The woman shrugged. "A drow in this city isn't the strangest thing I've seen. I see a drow every time I check my reflection, after all."

"True enough." Lyme frowned out towards the dirty water. "What is the strangest thing you've seen?"

"Strangest? Probably that blonde girl heading towards the Cutlass some time back. Half-elven, sweet smile, you know…the kind of girl that seems like she'd be raped and tossed into a gutter within moments of stepping into this city. But she's competent. Good with a bow and arrow. She and her friend got into a scuffle some time ago with some of Kurth's thugs. They came out with barely a scratch, even though that friend of hers is sick."

"Friend?"

"Yes. Red-brown hair, grey armor with a gold trace, constipated expression." The woman quirked a brow at the shadow-dancer. "Is this the part when you tell me what it is you want?"

"Let's just say that she's going to pay a very important role in the future of this city. And my employer would like to see that the host tower does not play a part."

"I see. I understand that this employer of yours has no affiliations with the Skulls?"

"None." Lyme's wry expression quickly darkened. "I'd sooner be crucified than work with them."

"Which you proved, I see." The woman noted, grimacing at the small, puncture scars on her companion's dark hands. "I imagine that plays into this somehow?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not an idiot, Lyme. You don't work for someone unless you want something. And you certainly wouldn't be seeking out my help unless this was a truly special occasion." She arched a snowy brow at the scars. "The Skulls aren't the only ones responsible for those, are they?"

"I want every one of those Hosttower mages dead." She remarked, her green eyes bright with anger, and her tone clipped. "And that's all I want to say on the matter."

"Well, I can certainly empaphize with that." The drow remarked in a bland tone. "So, what do you need from me?"

"I know those two are headed for the Red Panther's ship. You know her, yes?"

"There's not a soul in Luskan who doesn't."

"And I imagine you're getting pretty damned bored with this guard job of yours?"

"It has perks. I get to kill people at will, and I get a free lapdance from any of the male hookers. But only if I ask nicely."

"Sounds like your sort of job." Lyme chuckled. "How would you like something more challenging?"

"I'm listening."

"I want you to become part of that group. Join up with the blonde woman, and keep an eye on her and her friend. Make sure that she doesn't even think of visiting that host tower."

"I see. And what makes you think I'm going to do this?" She queried, watching as Lyme smirked, and took several green strands of hair between her fingers.

"The challenge, of course." The shadow-dancer declared, drawing the green highlights behind her ears, where they stood in stark contrast to her white locks. "I hear you've been cooped up in an academy training bratty recruits for the Sisters. That must have gotten dull."

"At times. Getting killed by one of my students certainly livened things up a bit."

"Funny how none of us seem to stay dead for very long, eh?"

"True enough. I hear Sol is even out raising a little boy in West Harbor. Kyle, or something."

"Kylee. And she's a little girl. You should meet her. She's...a very special child." The woman smiled, standing up from the crate, and looking towards the door to the brothel.

"So are you going to do it?" Lyme asked as the other drow strode towards the door.

"Yes." Her companion grinned, and reached back, ruffling her white and green hair. "But only because you're my sweet, baby sister."

Lyme made a face, and straightened her hair, glaring at her older sister. "Of course. Never mind that you have nothing better to do."

"True enough." The woman smiled. "I'll report back to you in a week. I assume you'll be able to find me."

"I will." Lyme hesitated for a moment, then stood up, laying a small hand on her sister's shoulder. "Ili…try to stay alive, alright?"

There was a tinge of bitterness in the former assassin's smile. "I make no promises, Lyme."

And with that, Ili walked through the door of the brothel to pass over a resignation.

Lymeeari Barrindar had disappeared by the time she stepped out.