#luskan

In the distance he could begin to make out the silhouette of the temple.

“There, lass.” He gestured with his chin. “We're coming upon it now.”

“Oh!” She twisted and leaned forward in her seat, straining to see.

He watched as her shoulders sagged in disappointment and confusion. “Are– are you sure that's it?”

“Quite sure.”

“But it doesn't look anything like the illustrations, looks hardly like a temple at all. It's more like…” She was squinting now to try and make sense of what lay before her.

“A fortress?”

“Yes.” Her shoulders were tense now, finally she had realised something was amiss.

“Well we had to fortify it. Too vulnerable otherwise. Never know when they could attack.”

“When who could attack?” She whipped around to regard him. Though she tried to restrain herself, the concern was evident in her voice.

“Why the rival gangs of course. We didn't become the largest faction in Luskan by resting on our laurels.”

“You said you were a priest of Tymora.”

“It's more that I implied it.” He smirked.

“Let me down, let me down now.” The panic in her voice was rising.

“I could do that aye, and you could walk all the way back to the Cutlass through the muck. But you’d have to hand over all your maps and take the first boat out of Luskan.” She could hear the edge in his voice now, the unspoken threat.

“You can’t do this.” She protested. “I’ve worked on those for months.”

“And I’ve cut my way through every half-way competent rival for just as long, not about to let some fool girl show the rest of them how to waltz into my lair.”

“They're my maps! I can't graduate without a thesis.”

“What you seem to be failing to grasp is that I could've just as easily cut you down there in the inn. I'm being more than fair.”

She didn't have a retort for that and only stared at him aghast. He said nothing more, allowing her time to weigh her options.

Isolde turned back towards the fortress. The horse had continued on through their argument and they would be there before long.

“And if I don't get down? What then?”