title: The Jewel of Turmish (Forgotten Realms:  The Cities)
author:  Mel Odom 
description: Mel Odom is the author of the Forgotten Realms(r) titles The Lost Library of Cormanthyr, Rising Tide, Under Fallen Stars, and The Sea Devil's Eye and has contributed stories to Realms of the Deep and Neverwinter Nights. Odom has also authored multiple novelizations of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer television series. He lives in Oklahoma.
zlib_text: Forgotten Realms
  
  The Cities, The Jewel of Turmish
  
  By Mel Odom
  
  CHAPTER ONE  
  Blood stink fouled the air.  
  Haarn Brightoak followed the scent through the thickly forested land near
  Evenstar Lake with a sense of trepidation, knowing that ultimately he would
  find yet another body only a short distance ahead. He'd been finding them for
  the last three hours.  
  Despite the heavy foliage covering the land, Haarn moved gracefully, not
  leaving a quivering bush in his wake. Twilight laid a soft hand on the harsh
  terrain, etching shadows where the land dipped and opened.  
  The men Haarn pursued would stop soon for the night and he'd catch up with
  them. Nothing would stay his hand from the justice he would exact.  
  Only a few yards farther on, he spotted the gray goose fletching of the ash
  arrow jutting from an elm tree. He went to it, knelt, and grabbed the shaft.
  His arm knotted with muscle as he pulled the arrowhead from the tree trunk.  
  The fletcher had used ash to make the shaft, and Haar