Disclaimer:
This fanfic is based off the Neverwinter Nights community module by the name of "A Dance with Rogues" created by Valine. I fell in love with this story and felt compelled to write something that compliments it. This story is rated
Mature (NC-17)
for explicit content and graphic violence. All characters except Shiloh, Bastian, Rhys, Nicca, Narev and Essex are property of Valine.
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The Mysterious Note
Shiloh descended the stairs from Master Nathan's offices. She hardly spared a glance at Warent as she passed by him because she knew their secret was just that... a secret. She could not allow anyone else to learn of it. She made her way into the hallway and stopped dead in her tracks as she caught sight of Caron. She smiled brightly at him and made her way over to him. He flashed his devil may care grin at her and winked before turning back to the last large crate. As much as she would have liked to stop and talk with him, she knew this moment was not the right time. The knowledge that he had been with Trissa after he had been with her did not sit well with her, but she knew she could not confront them. She knew the best thing to do was walk away.
And so she did. She left the Bear Pit and headed for South Betancuria. She needed to complete that job for Vico. She could no longer allow a scum like Rick Cars to continue to rob the citizens as he had been doing. Not after what she had witnessed. She knew she had to do it. She sucked in a deep breath and wondered if it would be as easy as sneaking into his little hideout and slashing his throat. Her hands began to tremble. She did not if she could do it. The only thing she'd ever slit the throat of was that worg she'd fought against during her lesson with Master Hatori. She had to do it. She had to make the streets safer for the people.
She started to walk into the alley that he and his gang occupied at night and found it empty. The remains of a fire smoldered nearby. She took in a deep breath. She was shaking even harder now. She couldn't go through with this. She couldn't.
Shiloh turned on her heel and headed back the way she came and crossed the bridge over onto the Isle of Men. She quickly ran past the mansions until she made it to the other bridge that would lead to the docks. Nervously she continued on, breathing heavily. By the time she had made it to the dockhouses, her heart had ceased its frantic pounding. She had a job to do. She knew she had to steel her composure and just do it. She had to do it. She had to show Vico she could do it.
She strolled in circles for a while, keeping an eye out for Rhys, but he seemed to be absent from the docks. Her eyes caught sight of Ashur, but he was busy loading a ship. Now was not the time to disturb him.
And then she caught the sound of her name on the wind. A small boy with a dirty face and woeful eyes called her name a second time and flagged her down, handing her a note. Her suspicions peaked when the boy couldn't describe the man who had given him the note to deliver to her, yet she accepted it. She handed the boy a gold coin and went on her way, stopping only to read the note. It asked her to alone come to the Old Wharf at midnight and was signed 'A Friend.'
Hmmmm
...she thought as she knew not many people outside of 'The Family' knew she was still alive. Rhys and Ashur knew, but surely this wasn't from them. She knew Rhys would have let her know in person.
Shiloh tucked the note away and headed back to the dark alley where she had previously encountered Rick Cars, wandering whether she should tell Master Nathan about it or not. Perhaps he could send someone with her as back-up. Shiloh shook her head.
No, I won't tell him. I'll do this on my own. I'll prove there is more to me than being the pretty little princess.
Shiloh knew they must be in there nearby house, sleeping the day away. The gang of cutthroats only came out at night, robbing whichever unfortunate citizen who wandered into their midst of all their money. Rick Cars called it a protection fee and the Dhorn let him get away with it because of he had bribed a few of them to look the other way.
But not anymore. Not after Shiloh was through with them. She intended to sneak into their hideout and kill each one of them. That should please Vico. She had resolved herself to do it. She had to.
Creeping through the darkness of the alley, she paused at a door. The building had a deserted decrepit feeling about it. She hid in the shadow over an overhang, carefully glancing back and forth. She noticed a single member of the Dhorn Patrol just up the street. He seemed bored and inattentive. She knew this was her chance. She pulled her thick black cloak around her fully and whipped out her lock picks. Inserting a skeletal key, she reached for a pick and began to work both of them in synch to open the lock. She listened carefully for the tumblers inside to give and smiled when she heard that tell-tale click.
Shiloh cracked it open wide enough for her to slip inside then quickly closed it again. The room she stepped into was pitch dark. She fumbled about her haversack and pulled out a torch and a tindertwig. Striking the tindertwig against the wall hard enough to ignite it, she lit the torch and viewed the room around her. It was a small dilapidated house. She scanned the room, noting a rat's nest beneath a broken staircase. Beady red glowing eyes glared at her. She took a few more steps into the room, looking around curiously. This couldn't be Rick Cars little house that Vico had told her about. There was too much dust on the floor and upon the pieces of furniture that could only be fit for firewood.
She looked around the small room. She noted a strongbox against one of the walls. Creeping over to it, she quickly picked the lock and pulled from inside a pouch of coins. She stowed it away and closed the box. She walked around the table and noted something strange about the way the carpet was placed on the floor.
Hmmm, perhaps I should investigate this.
She pulled back the carpet and smiled as she found a trapdoor beneath it. Quickly she pulled on the iron ring and lifted the door. Peering down into the darkness she noted a ladder. She quickly climbed down it and held up her a torch, noting that she must be in some manner of storeroom. Boxes and crates lined the walls. Cobwebs choked the corners. Tiptoeing across the room, she saw two doors. One was blocked with crates and cobwebs. Tiny squeaks could be heard nearby. Shiloh avoided that door, figuring she wouldn't find the bandits behind it. Her eyes grew large as she caught sight of a spider as big as small pony. A small noise escaped her throat. She hated spiders. Opting the other door, she knocked down the webs blocking it and quickly dispatched the lock on it, stepping through.
On the other side of it was a sewer entrance. She gagged at the smell of human waste and unwashed bodies.
Ewww...disgusting
. Carefully picking her way through, she avoided getting anything unpleasant on her shoes. Shiloh frowned, reminding herself to slap Vico for this. He really deserved it for making her do his dirty work.
The sewer corridor ended in a door. Meticulously examining it, she located a cleverly disguised spike trap. Hmmm...the gang of thugs must have some talent, but not enough to trick her. She quickly disabled it and went to work on the door's lock. It proved to be easy to pick. She opened the door and gagged once more. The small room reeked of urine and feces. The thugs must use this small room as a privy. Unable to keep her stomach from rolling, she doubled over and retched violently, vomiting up all she had eaten that morning.
Shiloh moaned and leaned heavily against the ladder in the middle of the room. She shook and trembled, the smell overcoming her senses. She had to get out of there. The only way she could go us up. She deftly climbed the ladder and quietly pushed up the trap door. She hoped this was Rick Cars' lair...Sneaking into the main room, she caught sight of two of them playing a game of cards at a small table while a second two were asleep on bunk-beds against one of the walls.
Sneaking over to the miscreants at the table, she forced herself to do it and pulled out her poisoned knife, placing the cold blade to his throat. He stiffened and gasped before she sliced him from ear to ear. Then she let him fall sideways to the floor. This alerted his card playing partner, but Shiloh was on him already. He cried out before she slammed the hilt of her knife against his temple. With a flick of her wrist, she brought it around to his throat and sliced him open. He, too, joined his comrade on the floor.