Page 19 (1/2)
When Wulfgar awakened just before ht’s work, he was surprised to see Drizzt already up and about, busily preparing a pack for a long hike
"Today we start a different type of lesson," Drizzt explained to the barbarian "We’ll set out right after you’ve had so to eat"
"To where?"
"First, the dwarven mines," replied Drizzt "Bruenor ant to see you so hear smiled, confident that his new-found proith the harumpy dwarf "And then?"
"To Termalaine, on the banks of Maer Dualdon I have a friend there One ofa sorwal I want you to ht better judge therily The drow’s dark and knowing eyes bore into hiar clearly understood what Drizzt had into personalize the people the barbarians had declared enear the everyday existence of the ht have been victiht on the slopes had turned out differently Fearless in any battle, Wulfgar was truly frightened of facing those people Already the young barbarian had begun to question the virtues of his warlike people; the innocent faces he would encounter in the town his people had casuallycould well complete the destruction of the foundations of his entire world
The two co their steps around the eastern trails of Kelvin’s Cairn A dusty as blowing in steadily fro sand as they crossed the exposed face of theon Drizzt, he kept a strong pace and did not stop for rest
In the late afternoon, when they finally rounded a southern spur, they were exhausted but in good spirits
"In the shelter of the otton how cruel the tundra wind could be!" laughed Wulfgar
"We’ll have some protection below the rim of the valley," said Drizzt He patted the eht refill these before we continue"
He led Wulfgar ard, below the southern slopes of the mountain The dro of an icy stream a short distance away, its waters fed fro merrily as it danced across the stones Nearby birds cackled and cawed at the approach of the co appeared as it should, but froe, flat rock that was commonly used by travelers as a ca Moving in tentatively, he searched for so suspicions
Wulfgar, though, dove belly-down onto the stone and dunked his sweat - and dust-streaked face eagerly into the cold water When he pulled it back out, the luster had returned to his eyes, as if the icy water had given him back his vitality
But then the barbarian noticed criory trail to the hairy piece of skin that had gotten caught on the sharp tip of a stone just above the rushing streaer and barbarian had little difficulty in ascertaining that a battle had recently been fought on this spot They recognized the coarse hair on the patch of skin as a piece of beard, which of course led theiant-size footsteps nearby Following a tangent line of tracks that stretched southward a short distance to a sandy patch of ground, they soon found the shallow graves
"Not Bruenor," Drizzt said grier dwarves - Bundo, son of Fellhao Grimblade, I believe"
"We should ested
"Soon," replied the drow "We still have ht ues, or are they lairing in the area? And are there ar argued
"And so he will," said Drizzt "But if these three are still nearby, as I believe they are since they took the tiht well return for soaze to the west, where the sky had already begun to take on the pink shades of twilight "Are you ready for a fight, barbarian?"
With a deter down from his shoulder and slapped the adamantite handle across his free hand "We shall see who finds sport this night"
They moved behind the secrecy of a rocky bluff south of the flat stone and waited as the sun passed below the horizon and the dark shadows deepened into evening
It wasn’t very long a wait, for the saht before were again the first out of the lair, anxious to seek fresh victi over the mountain slopes and onto the flat rock beside the streae, but Drizzt stayed hiave their position away The drow had every intention of killing these giants, but he wanted to see if he could learn anything about why they were here first
"Drats an’ dingers," gruiants "Not a dwarf to be found!"
"Rotten luck, it is," groaned another "An’ our last night out, too," The creature’s coroup’s cu explained "Our nures an’ orcs to boot, an’ the boss ain’t to let us out ’til everthin’s calain"
"A score more in that stinkin’ hole," cohtly t’send us flippin’!"
"Let’s be movin’, then," said the third "No huntin’ ’ere an’ no night fer wastin’"
The two adventurers behind the bluff tensed reflexively when the giants spoke of leaving
"If we can get to that rock," Wulfgar reasoned, unknowingly pointing to the saht before, "we’ll have them before they even realize we’re here!" He turned anxiously to Drizzt but backed off immediately when he saw the drow The lavender eyes burned with a luster that Wulfgar had never witnessed before
"There are only three of thee of calm that threatened to explode at any ar didn’t quite kno to take this unexpected change in the dark elf "You taught e," he said cautiously
"In battle, yes," answered Drizzt "This is vengeance Let the giants see us, let the doom!" The scimitars suddenly appeared in his slender hands as he walked out around the bluff, his steady stride unnervingly holding the unswerving proiants yelled out in surprise, and they all froze in their tracks when they saw the drow step out before them Apprehensive and confused, they for had heard legends of the drow, even soiants, but the sudden appearance of Drizzt caught them totally by surprise
Drizzt enjoyed their nervous twitchings, and he held back to savor the iants asked cautiously