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"And four for the cat," added Wulfgar

"Four for the cat," Drizzt echoed "Well fought, friend You’ve held your own up to now, but I’ve a feeling that we have a lot reater experience in out in the end!"

"You grow old, good elf," Wulfgar teased, leaning back against the wall, the whiteness of a confident grin showing through his blond beard "We shall see We shall see"

Bruenor, too, was sood-natured competition between his friends and at his continued pride in the young barbarian Wulfgar was doing well to keep pace with a skilled veteran like Drizzt Do’Urden

Regis eray pall upon his usually jovial face deadened the lighthearted atrimly

"Where’s the orc?" Bruenor de the halfling’s is replied The orc had been happy to tell its new-found friend everything about Akar Kessell’s plans to invade Ten-Towns and the size of the gathering forces Regis visibly treoblin tribes and verbeeg clans of this region of the Spine of the World are banding together under a sorcerer naar looked at each other, recognizing Kessell’s nae frost giant when the verbeeg had spoken of him, but Drizzt had suspected differently, especially after the incident at the is continued "And even the barbarians, led by soar’s face reddened in anger and e beside orcs! He knew the leader that Regis spoke of, for Wulfgar was of the Tribe of the Elk and had even once carried the tribe’s standard as Heafstaag’s herald Drizzt painfully recalled the one-eyed king, too He put a coar’s shoulder

"Go to Bryn Shander," the drow told Bruenor and Regis "The people is winced at the futility If the orc’s esti arether could not withstand the assault The halfling dropped his head andto alarm his friends any h Bruenor and Regis were able to convince Cassius of the urgency and importance of their news, it took several days to round up the other spokesht of knucklehead season, late su catch for the final trading caravan to Luskan The spokeses understood their responsibilities to their community, but they were reluctant to leave the lakes even for a single day

And so, with the exceptions of Cassius of Bryn Shander, Muldoon, the new spokesis as the hero of his town, Glensather of Easthaven, the coood of Ten-Towns, and Agorwal of Termalaine who held fierce loyalty to Bruenor, the mood of the council was not very receptive

Keainst Bruenor for the incident over Drizzt after the Battle of Bryn Shander, was especially disruptive Before Cassius even had the opportunity to present the Foros leaped up from his seat and slas and be on with it!" Keht do you order us in from the lakes, Cassius? Even as we sit around this table, thefor their journey!"

"We have news of an invasion, Spokes the fisherer "I would not have summoned you, any of you, at this tient"

"Then the rumors are true," Kemp sneered "An invasion, you say? Bah! I see beyond this sha between Targos and Termalaine had escalated in the past feeeks, despite Cassius’s efforts to diffuse it and bring the principles of the warring towns to the bargaining table Agorwal had agreed to a ainst it And so, with suspicions running high, the tient council could not have been worse

"This is a pitiful attempt indeed!" Kemp roared He looked around at his fellow spokes supporters to bring about a favorable settleos!"

Incited by the aura of suspicion that Ke, pointed an accusing finger at Jensin Brent of Caer-Dineval "What part have you played in this treachery?" he spat at his bitter rival Schermont had co had been killed on the waters of Lac Dinneshere in a battle with a Dineval boat Doriar had been Schermont’s friend and leader, and the new spokesman’s policies toward hated Caer-Dineval were even is and Bruenor sat back quietly in helpless dis Finally Cassius sla the others long enough to make a point

"A few moments of silence!" he coer of gris!" The others fell back to their seats and ree had already been done

He turned the floor over to Regis

Honestly terrified by what he had learned frois passionately told of the battle his friends had won over the verbeeg lair and on the grass of Daledrop "And Bruenor has captured one of the orcs that was escorting the giants," he said emphatically Some of the spokesmen sucked in their breath at the notion of such creatures banding together, but Kemp and some of the others, ever suspicious of the more immediate threats of their rivals, and already decided on the true purpose of the is continued gri of a powerful wizard, Akar Kessell, and his vast host of goblins and giants! They ht that his draed "On the word of an orc, Cassius? You summoned us in fro orc?"

"The halfling’s tale is not an uncooblin wag its tongue in any direction it could think of to save its worthless head"

"Or perhaps you had other h he truly believed the gri With tensions on the lakes as high as they were, and the final trading fair of a particularly fruitless fishing season fast approaching, he had suspected that this would occur He looked resignedly at Bruenor and Regis and shrugged as once again the council degenerated into a shouting is slipped the ruby pendant out froed Bruenor

They looked at it and each other in disappointeavel in a call for the floor and was granted it by Cassius Then, as he had done five years previous, he hopped up on the table and walked toward his chief antagonist

But this tiis had expected Ke on that council before the barbarian invasion The spokeslad of the final outcome of that whole situation, and, in truth, realized that he and all of Ten-Toere indebted to the halfling forYet it bothered Kemp more than a little that his initial stance had been so easily swayed He was a brawling type whose first love, even above fishing, was battle, but his is several times over the last few years and had listened intently to tales of the halfling’s prowess in the art of persuasion As Regis approached, the burly spokesrowled, shoving his chair defensively back fro people of your point of view, but I’ll not fall under your spell this ti! He has soic about him, be sure!"

Ke his claiis looked about, flustered and unable to even answer the spokesh the spokesman froer look Regis straight in the eye

"Sit down, trickster!" Keood once we’re on to you!"

Bruenor, silent up to now, suddenly leaped up, his face contorted with rage "Is this, too, a trick, dog of Targos?" the dwarf challenged He pulled a sack fro head, down the table toward Kemp Several of the spokesmen jumped back in horror, but Keiants ues?" Bruenor echoed incredulously "Two score o’ the beasts we cut down, orcs and ogres besides!"

"A passing band," Kemp explained evenly, stubbornly "And all dead, so you have said Why, then, does this become a hty dwarf, then you shall have them!" His voice dripped with veno face with deep pleasure "Perhaps Cassius could make a speech in your honor before all of the people of Ten-Towns" Bruenor sla all of the men about him in an open threat to anyone ould continue Kemp’s insults "We have come before ye to help ye save yer hoht be that ye believe us and ye’ll do soht be that ye’ll hear the words o’ the dog o’ Targos and ye’ll do nothin’ Either way, I’ve had enough o’ ye! Do as ye will, and ods show ye favor!" He turned and stalked out of the rooht many of the spokesrave to be passed off as the deception of a desperate captive, or even as a more insidious plan by Cassius and soant, and certain that Agorwal and his non-hu the facade of an invasion to gain soe Second only to Cassius in all of Ten-Towns, Keht, especially to the people of Caer-Konig and Caer-Dineval, who, in light of Bryn Shander’s unshakable neutrality in their struggle, sought the favor of Targos

Enough spokes to accept Ke the council to decisive action The lines were soon clearly drawn

Regis watched the spectacle as the opposing sides volleyed back and forth, but the halfling’s own credibility had been destroyed, and he had no i In the end, little was decided The orwal, Glensather, and Muldoon could squeeze out of public declaration that, "A general warning should go out to every household in Ten-Towns Let the people know of our gris, and let them be assured that I shall make room within the walls of Bryn Shander for every person who so desires our protection"

Regis eyed the divided spokes wondered how h walls of Bryn Shander could offer