Page 3 (1/2)

Captain Deudermont seemed out of place indeed as he strolled down Dock Street, the infah and tumble avenue that lined Waterdeep Harbor His clothes were fine and perfectly tailored to his tall and thin fraoatee s who had put in for their weeks ashore staggered out of taverns, reeking of ale, or fell down unconscious in the dust The only thing protecting the in the area was the fact that they had no hts, and didn’t fancy his In fact, there was an aspect of their way of life that intrigued the gentlemanly captain, an honesty that mocked the pretentious courts of nobles

Deuder off the chill night breeze that blew in off the harbor Normally one would not walk alone down Dock Street, not even in the light of noonday, but Deudermont felt secure He carried his decorated cutlass at his side, and kne to use it well Even h every tavern and every pier in Waterdeep that the Sea Sprite’s captain had been afforded the personal protection of the Lords of Waterdeep, including some very powerful wizards ould seek out and destroy anyone bothering the captain or his crehile they were in port Waterdeep was the Sea Sprite’s haven, and so Deuder alone down Dock Street He was more curious than fearful when a wrinkled old man, bone skinny and barely five feet tall, called to hie of an alleyway

Deudermont stopped and looked about Dock Street was quiet, except for the overspill of sound froainst the incessant sea breeze

"Ye’s is Doo-dor-mont-ee, asin’t yer?" the old seabones called softly, a whistle acco each syllable He s but a couple of crooked teeth set in black gums

Deudermont stopped and eyed the man patiently, silently He felt no compulsion to answer the question

"If ye be," the ot a bit o’ news for yer A warnin’ frohtly fearin’"

The captain stood tall and impassive His face showed none of the questions that raced about in hisof Pinochet? That see the two caravels the Sea Sprite had escorted into Waterdeep Harbor earlier that week But few in Waterdeep had any contact with the pirate, whose domain was much farther to the south, south of Baldur’s Gate even, in the straights near the Moonshae Isles

But who elsemotioned for Deudermont to come to the alley The captain didn’t move as the old man turned and took a step in

"Well, be yer fearin’ old Scara whistled

Deuderreatest assassins in the Realms could look as helpless as this one, only to put a poisoned dagger into their victi caht out into the uise, the captain told himself, for it was too complete, too perfect Besides, he recollected that he had seen this saht near to this very same alleyhich probably served as his hoht there be an ambush set down that alley?

"Have it yer oay then," the old man wheezed as he threw up one hand He leaned heavily on his walking stick and started back to the alley, gruer, I be, and not fer carin’ if yer hears the news or not!"

Deuder nobody nearby, and no likely hiding spots for an ambush party, hewas ten short paces in, at the edge of the slanting shadows cast by the building to the right, and barely visible in the dihed and moved in yet another step

One hand on the hilt of his cutlass, Deuder carefully before each step The alleyway seeh!" Deuder in his tracks "If you have news for s shouldn’t be said too loudly," the olds He a barely three feet from Deudermont

The smell of the man nearly overwhelmed the captain, as accustomed to powerful body odors There wasn’t much opportunity to bathe on a ship at sea and the Sea Sprite was often out for weeks, even months, at a tiave this one a particularly nasty flavor that made Deudermont scrunch up his face, even put a hand over his nose to try to intercept sohed hysterically at that

"Now!" the captain insisted

Even as the word left Deuderht him by the wrist Deudermont, not afraid, turned his arm, but the old man held on stubbornly

"I want you to tellsaid, and it took Deudermont a one

"Who are you?" Deudered fiercely, to no avail Only then did Deuderht as well have been pulling against one of the great fog giants that lived on the reef surrounding Delmarin Island, far to the south

"The dark one," the old man repeated With hardly any effort, he yanked Deudermont deeper into the alleyway

The captain went for his cutlass, and though the old ht fairly ith his left It was so blade from its sheath with that hand, and before the cutlass came fully free, the old man’s free hand shot forward, open-palmed, to slaainst the wall Keeping his wits about hiht hand, and slashed hard at the ribs of the approaching sea dog

The fine cutlass gashed deep into the sea dog’s side, but he didn’t even flinch Deudermont tried to block the next slap, and the next after that, but his defenses siet his cutlass in line to parry, but the oldfro Open pal snake, heavy blows that knocked Deuder, and he would have fallen, except that the old h bleary eyes, Deudermont peered at his foe Confusion crossed his stern features as his enean to melt away and then to reforain, and Deudermont hardly heard the voice, his voice, so du back at hi on the bar

She was growing impatient, Drizzt realized, and not because Deudermont was late-the captain was often detained at one function or another in Waterdeep-but because the sailor on the other side of her, a short and stocky man with a thick beard and curly hair, both the color of a raven’s wing, kept bu over his shoulder to regard the beautiful wo

Drizzt turned so that his back was against the waist-high bar The Merht The weather had been fine andand merchant fleets were out Still, the place was loud and rowdy, full of sailors relieving months of boredom with drink, companionship, much bluster and even fisticuffs

"Robillard," Drizzt whispered, and Catti-brie turned and followed the drow’s gaze to see the wizard slipping through the crowd, ," the wizard said without much enthusiasm He didn’t look at the companions as he spoke, and didn’t wait for the bartender to colass ically came to his place The bartender started to protest, but a pile of copper pieces appeared in his hand The bartender shook his head with disdain, never caring ant antics, and moved away