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Wulfgar set Regis and Bruenor down on adeeper in the wood, then toppled over in pain Drizzt caught up to him a few , "though I e could putfriend writhing on the ground and grasping at his injured leg, nearly overcome by the pain Drizzt rushed over to exaust
A troll’s hand, probably froar rescued Bruenor, had latched on to the barbarian as he ran, finding a niche in the back of his knee One clawed finger had already buried itself deep into the leg, and two others were even now boring in
"Do not look," Drizzt advised Wulfgar He reached into his pack for his tinderbox and set a s, then used it to prod the wretched hand As soon as the thing began to s and threw it to the ground It tried to scurry away, but Drizzt sprang upon it, pinning it with one of his sci stick
He looked back to Wulfgar, amazed at the sheer determination that had allowed the barbarian to continue with so wicked a wound But now their flight was ended, and Wulfgar had already succumbed to the pain and the exhaustion He lay sprawled unconscious on the ground beside Bruenor and Regis
"Sleep well," Drizzt said softly to the three of theht" He moved to each of them to make sure they were not too badly hurt Then, satisfied that they would all recover, he set to his vigilant watch
Even the valiant drow, though, had overstepped the bounds of his stah the Evermoors, and soon he too nodded his head and joined his friends in slu roused therily "I can’t be cutting stinkin’ trolls without me axe!"
Drizzt stretched out comfortably, somewhat refreshed, but still far froar, as si off his sound sluly "Take the axe and leave the ungrateful dwarf"
"’Twas the nose that confused ar replied "More akin to an axe-head than to any nose I have ever seen!"
Bruenor unconsciously looked down his long snout "Bah!" he growled, "I’ll find me a club!" and he trois snapped as the last hint of his pleasant drea awakened so early, he rolled back over and covered his head with his cloak
They could have ht’s rest would not erase the weariness of the days they had spent in the Everar, for one, with his injured leg and back, had to use a walking stick, and the sleep that Drizzt had found the night before had been his first, in nearly a week Unlike the h they knew that they were still in the wild lands, they felt safe enough to stretch out the road to the city and enjoy, for the first time since they had left Ten-Towns, a leisurely walk
They broke out of the forest by noon of the next day and covered the last few miles to Silverymoon Before sunset, they came over the final climb, and looked down upon the River Rauvin and the countless spires of the enchanted city
They all felt the sensation of hope and relief when they glanced down upon that ht, but none felt it more keenly than Drizzt Do’Urden The drow had hoped fro of their adventure that its path would take hi to sway Bruenor’s decision in choosing a course Drizzt had heard of Silverymoon after his arrival in Ten-Towns, and were it not for the fact that he had found soed frontier community, he would have set back at once for the place Reknowned for their acceptance of all who caardless of race, the people of Silveryade black elf a true opportunity to find a ho to the place, but so within him, perhaps the fear of false hope and unfulfilled expectations, kept him within the security of Icewind Dale Thus, when the decision had been saddle that Silverymoon would be their next destination, Drizzt had found hi the fantasy he had never dared to drea do on his one hope for true acceptance in the surface world, he courageously forced his apprehensions away
"The Moonbridge," Bruenor rely floating in mid-air Bruenor had heard of the invisible structure as a boy, but had never seen it firsthand
Wulfgar and Regis watched the spectacle of the flying wagon in blank amazeic during his stay in Longsaddle, and he was truly looking forward to exploring this legendary city Regis had been here once before, but his fa to lessen his exciteerly, despite their weariness, the same post that Entreri’s party had passed four days before, with the saroup to enter the city
"Greetings," Bruenor offered in a tone that could be considered jovial for the dour dwarf "And know ye that the sight of yer fair city has bringed new life into uards hardly heard him, intent upon the droho had pulled back his cowl They seemed curious, for they had never actually seen a black elf, but, they didn’t appear too surprised by Drizzt’s arrival
"May we be escorted to the Moonbridge now?" Regis asked after a period of silence that grew increasingly uncouess how anxious we are to view Silverymoon SoAn angry luuard said quietly "You is cut off his explosion "Surely we have done nothing to cause such a harsh judge protested cal no trouble" His hand went to his jacket, and to the hypnotic ruby, but a scowl froh your actions," Wulfgar reuards
"I am sorry," replied one, "but I have h"
"Us, or the drow?" Bruenor deuard "The rest of you o to the city, but the drowaround him His hands trembled at his sides Never before had he experienced such pain, for never before had he come to a place without the expectation of rejection Still, he er and remind hiood or for ill
"Ye dogs!" Bruenor cried "Th’ elf’s worth a dozen of ye, and more! I owe him me life a hundred tih for yer stinking city! How many trolls be layin’ dead for the work of yer sword?"
"Be calm, my friend," Drizzt interrupted, fully in control of himself "I expect as much They cannot know Drizzt Do’Urden Just the reputation of o in, then I will await your return"
"No!" Bruenor declared in a tone that brooked no debate "If ye can’t go in, then none of us will!"
"Think of our goal, stubborn dwarf," Drizzt scolded "The Vault of Sages is in the city Perhaps our only hope"
"Bah!" Bruenor snorted "To the Abyss with this cursed city and all who live here! Sundabar sits less than a week’s walking Hel, or I’ar said "Let not our anger defeat our purpose But I rear, refuses to go!"
But the deters were already carrying hied at the other two and started after, as loyal to the drow as any of theuard offered, alhts of Silver will not disturb you, nor will they let any monsters near the borders of Silvery of the rejection had not diuard had been helpless to change the unfortunate situation He started sloay, the disturbing questions that he had avoided for so ar was not so forgiving "You have wronged hiuard when Drizzt ainst any who did not deserve it, and this world, yours andDrizzt Do’Urden about!"
The guard looked away, unable to answer the justifiable scolding
"And I question the honor of one who heeds to unjust colare on the barbarian "The Lady’s reasons are not asked," he answered, hand on sword hilt He syer of the travelers, but would accept no criticism of the Lady Alustriel, his beloved leader "Her cohteous course, and are beyond the wisdoar did not justify the threat with any show of concern He turned away and started down the road after his friends
Bruenor purposely positioned their caht of the guard post He had sensed the guard’s discouilt as strongly as he could
"Sundabar’ll show us the way," he kept saying after they had supped, trying to convince himself as much as the others that their failure at Silverymoon would not hurt the quest "And beyond that lies Citadel Adbar If any in all the Realms know of Mithril Hall, it be Harbrois commented "Su Harbromm"
"Sundabar," Bruenor reiterated stubbornly "And Adbar if we must!"
The tent back and forth with the conversation for a while Wulfgar didn’t join in, too intent on the droho had ht after the meal - which Drizzt had hardly touched and stood silently staring at the city up the Rauvin
Presently, Bruenor and Regis settled theh in the safety of the caar moved to join the drow
"We shall find Mithril Hall," he offered in coh he knew that Drizzt’s lament did not concern their current objective
Drizzt nodded, but did not reply
"Their rejection hurt you," Wulfgar observed "I thought that you had accepted your fate willingly Why is this tiain the drow ar respected his privacy "Take heart, Drizzt Do’Urden, noble ranger and trusted friend Have faith that those who know you would die willingly for you or beside you" He put a hand on Drizzt’s shoulder as he turned to leave
Drizzt said nothing, though he truly appreciated Wulfgar’s concern Their friendship had gone far beyond the need for spoken thanks, though, and Wulfgar only hoped that he had given his friend so Drizzt to his thoughts
The stars ca alone beside the Rauvin Drizzt had made himself vulnerable for the first time since his initial days on the surface, and the disappointered the sao, before he had ever left Menzoberranzan, the city of the black elves How could he ever hope to find any norht world of the fair-skinned elves? In Ten-Tohere murderers and thieves often rose to positions of respect and leadership, he was barely tolerated In Longsaddle, where prejudice was secondary to the fanatical curiosity of the unsinkable Harpells, he had been placed on display like soh the wizards meant him no har other than an oddity to be observed
Now Silverymoon, a city founded and structured on tenets of individuality and fairness, where peoples of all races found welcooodwill, had shunned him All races, it seemed, except for the dark elves
The inevitability of Drizzt’s life as an outcast had never before been so clearly laid out before hie, in all the Realms could offer hies of its civilization The severe limitations of his options, and even e, appalled hi up at them with the same profound level of love and awe as any of his surface cousins had ever felt, but sincerely reconsidering his decision to leave the underworld
Had he gone against a divine plan, crossed the boundaries of some natural order? Perhaps he should have accepted his lot in life and re his own kind
A twinkle in the night sky brought hirew, already beyond norht bathed the area around Drizzt in a soft glow, and still the star pulsed
Then the enchanting light was gone, and standing before Drizzt was a wo years of experience and wisdom within the luster of eternal youth She was tall, taller than Drizzt, and straight, wearing a gown of the finest silk and a high crown of gold and gems
She looked upon hiht and understood completely the juh
"Peace, Drizzt Do’Urden," she said in a voice that chih Lady of Silveryh her manner and beauty left him no doubts as to her claim "You know of me?" he asked
"Many by now have heard of the Companions of the Hall, for that is the name Harkle Harpell has put upon your troupe A dwarf in search of his ancient ho beside him certainly catches the notice of all those he passes"
She sed hard and looked deeply into his lavender eyes "It was I who denied you passage into the city," she admitted
"Then why coer, unable to reconcile that act of rejection with the person who now stood before him Alustriel’s fairness and tolerance ell known throughout the northland, though Drizzt had begun to wonder how exaggerated the stories uard post But now that he saw the high lady, wearing her honest compassion openly, he could not disbelieve the tales
"I felt I must explain," she replied
"You need not justify your decision"