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Bruenor had regained his dour visage by the ti Still, it touched the dwarf deeply, though he was able to hide the fact, to see Aegis-fang casually slung over the young barbarian’s shoulder as if it had always been there - and always belonged there

Wulfgar, too, earing a sullenput into the service of another, but if he had exanized that he was truly saddened about separating fro for thee that led to the open air

"Sure that you’re a sour pair this fine !" she said as they approached "But not to mind, the sun will put a s," Wulfgar answered, a bit perturbed though the sparkle in his eyes at the sight of the girl belied his anger "You know, of course, that I am to leave the dwarven town this day?"

Catti-brie waved her hand nonchalantly "You will be back soon enough," She s! Consider the lessons you will soon learn needed if you’re ever to reach your goals"

Bruenor turned toward the barbarian Wulfgar had never spoken with him about what lay ahead after the terh he ar as well as he could, hadn’t honestly coar scowled at the girl, showing her beyond doubt that their discussion of the unfulfilled voas a private matter Of her own discretion, Catti-brie hadn’t intended to discuss the issue any further anyway She siar Catti-brie recognized the fire that burned in the proud young man She sahenever he looked upon Bruenor, his mentor whether he would adar looked at her

"I a back his broad shoulders and straightening his fir the Tribe of the Elk, the finest warriors in all of Icewind Dale! I know nothing of this tutor, but he will be hard-pressed indeed to teach ed a knowing sar passed her "Farewell, Wulfgar, son of Beornegar," she called after them "When next we ar looked back and scowled again, but Catti-brie’s wide smile diminished not at all

The two left the darkness of the h the rocky valley to the appointed spot where they were to meet the drow It was a cloudless, war haze Wulfgar stretched high into the air, reaching to the li muscles His people were meant to live in the wide expanses of the open tundra, and he was relieved to be out of the stifling closeness of the dwarven- for theainst the shadowed side of a boulder, seeking relief frolare of the sun The hood of his cloak was pulled low in front of his face as further protection Drizzt considered it the curse of his heritage that nothe surface dwellers his body would never fully adapt to the sunlight

He held hih he was fully aware of the approach of Bruenor and Wulfgar Let thee now the boy would react to the new situation

Curious about the ure as to be his new teacher and ar boldly walked over and stood directly in front of the drow Drizzt watched hiraceful interplay of the huge inally planned to hueous request for a short while, then make some excuse and be on his way But as he noted the s strides, an ease unusual in so interested in the challenge of developing the young ly limitless potential

Drizzt realized that thethis ar’s initial reaction to hiet it over with, he pulled back his hood and squarely faced the barbarian

Wulfgar’s eyes widened in horror and disgust "A dark elf!" he cried incredulously "Sorcerous dog!" He turned on Bruenor as though he had been betrayed "Surely you can not ask this of ical deceits of his decrepit race!"

"He’ll teach ye to fight - no more," Bruenor said The dwarf had expected this He wasn’t worried in the least, fully aware, as was Catti-brie, that Drizzt would teach the overly proud young ar snorted defiantly "What can I learn of fighting fro elf? My people are bred as true warriors!" He eyed Drizzt with open contes like his kind!"

Drizzt calin the day’s lesson The dwarf snorance and nodded his consent

In an eyeblink, the two scied the barbarian Instinctively, Wulfgar raised his warhammer to strike

But Drizzt was the quicker The flat sides of his weapons slapped in rapid succession against Wulfgar’s cheeks, drawing thin streaks of blood Even as the barbarian moved to counter, Drizzt spun one of the deadly blades in a declining arc, its razor edge diving at the back of Wulfgar’s knee Wulfgarout of the way, but the action, as Drizzt had anticipated, put him off-balance The drow casually slipped the scimitars back into their leather scabbards as his foot sla into the dust, thefrom his hands

"Now that ye understand each other," declared Bruenor, trying to hide his ao, "I’ll be leavin’ ye" He looked questioningly at Drizzt to make sure that the droas comfortable with the situation

"Givethe dwarf’s sis-fang and was resting on one knee, eyeing the elf with blank amazement "Heed his words, boy," the dwarf instructed one last tih for a vulture’s gullet!"

For the first tiar looked out beyond the borders of Ten-Towns to the open stretch of Icewind Dale that spread wide before him He and the drow had spent the reth of the valley and around the eastern spurs of Kelvin’s Cairn Here, just above the base of the northern side of the mountain, was the shallow cave where Drizzt made his ho pots, the cave had no luxuries to speak of But it served the unpretentious drow ranger well, allowing him the privacy and seclusion that he preferred above the taunts and threats of the huer than a single night, the cave itself seean to settle over the tundra, Drizzt, in the comfortable shadows deeper in the cave, stirred froar was pleased that the drow had trusted hih to sleep easily, so obviously vulnerable, on their first day together This, coupled with the beating Drizzt had given hie at the sight of a dark elf

"Do we begin our sessions this night, then?" Drizzt asked

"You are the ar said bitterly "I am only the slave"

"No ar turned to him curiously

"We are both indebted to the dwarf," Drizzt explained "I owe hireed to teach you my skill in battle You follow an oath that you ed to learn what I have to teach I aar turned back to the tundra He didn’t fully trust Drizzt yet, though he couldn’t figure out what ulteriorwith the friendly facade

"We fulfill our debts to Bruenor together," said Drizzt He e azed out over the plains of his hoht, barbarian Go about as you please and rein at the fall of toar the privacy he desired

Wulfgar could not deny that he appreciated the respect the drow had shown hi the daytiar acclimated hiht, they fought