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THE UNFORGIVING ICEWIND DALE

The rocks provided onlywind

North of Kelvin&039;s Cairn, out on the open tundra, Drizzt and Regis appreciated having found any shelter at all Soh the flaed in so fierce a battle with the wind that they seeis sat unco his little knife fast over a piece of knucklehead bone

"A cold night indeed," Drizzt re at hiis would launch into a series of complaints, as, he had to admit, had often been his nature For some reason even he didn&039;t understand - perhaps it was the feeling of hoain - Regis wasn&039;t ru," the halfling said absently, still focused on his scrimshaw "And it&039;s here for the season, of course" He looked up at the sky and confirmed his observation Far fewer stars shone, and the black shapes of clouds moved swiftly froar&039;s tribe in the et out of Icewind Dale in time to beat the first deep snows," said Drizzt "We&039;re stuck here for the duration of the winter"

Regis shrugged, strangely unbothered by the thought, and went on with his carving

A few &039;s eyes up to see the drow staring at hiis paused in his carving and let the drow&039;s words sink in "A lot of years, a lot of rand"

"And even the bad ones, like Akar Kessell and the Crystal Shard, worth retelling," Regis agreed "So e&039;re all gone, even Bruenor dead of old age, will you return to Icewind Dale?"

The question had Drizzt blinking and leaning back froht so I prefer to think about," he replied

"I&039;ed and see "With all the battles ahead of us, what makes you believe I&039;ll outlive you all?"

"It&039;s the way of things, or could well beelf"

"And if I&039;m cut down in battle, and the rest with me, would you return to Icewind Dale?"

"Bruenor would likely bind , or to serve as steward until a king ht be found"

"You&039;ll not escape that easily, my little friend"

"But I asked first"

"But I demand of you an answer before I offerhis aris blurted out, "Yes!" before he could assuain "I would return if I had no duties elsewhere I cannot think of a better place in all the world to live"

"You don&039;t ainst the winter&039;s chill and complain at the turn of the first leaf of Lonelywood"

"My co was"

"Extortion," Drizzt finished "A way to ensure that Regis&039;s hearth was never short of logs, for those around you could not suffer your whining"

Regis considered the playful insult for a ree "And the complaints were borne of fear," he explained "I couldn&039;t believe this was my home - I couldn&039;t appreciate that this wasPasha Pook and Arte Inmore, a place to set that devilish assassin off h and shake of his head as he looked back down at the s the way, I carowing somber "I don&039;t think I understood that until I caht be you&039;re just weary of the battles and tribulations of Mithral Hall," said Drizzt, "with Obould so close and Bruenor in constant worry"

"Perhaps," Regis conceded, but he didn&039;t seem convinced He looked back up at Drizzt and offered a sincere slad we&039;re here, o together"

"On a cold winter&039;s night"

"So be it"

Drizzt looked at Regis with friendship and adrown over the last few years, ever since he had taken a spear in battle several years before That wound, that near-death experience, had brought a palpable change over Drizzt&039;s halfling friend Before that fight on the river, far to the south, Regis had always shied fro, but fronized, aderous burden to his heroic friends, the halfling had faced, e put before hi up at the lowering and thickening clouds

"So be it," Drizzt replied with an infectious grin

Surprisingly, the wind let up before dawn, and though Regis&039;s prediction of snow proved accurate, it was not a driving and unpleasant stor, dodging and darting on their way to the whitened ground

The coain the smoke of campfires, and as they neared the canized the standards and knew that they had indeed found the Tribe of the Elk, Wulfgar&039;s people

"Just the Elk?" Regis remarked, and cast a concerned look up at Drizzt at the apparent confirmation of what they had been told in Bryn Shander When they&039;d left for Mithral Hall, the barbarians of Icewind Dale had been united, all tribes in one That seemed not to be the case anymore, both from the small size of the encauished banner

They approached slowly, side by side, hands up, pal manner