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Wulfgar straightened his shoulders and grinned confidently at his opponent, gaining strength in the continuing proof that his people were following Heafstaag’s ignoble course si and could produce no suitable challengers to defeat hi froar unstrapped the rolled blanket he carried on his back and produced two spearlike objects He tossed the Those in the croho could clearly see the spectacle gasped in unison, and even unshakable Heafstaag paled and rocked back a step

"The challenge cannot be denied!" cried Revjak

The horns of Icingdeath

The cold sweat on Heafstaag’s face revealed his tension as he buffed the last burrs froon’s bane!" he huffed unconvincingly to his standar bearer, who had just entered the tent "More likely that he stu," the young man said "Revjak has sent me to tell you that the appointed ti his thue of the axe "I shall teach the son of Beornegar to respect his king!"

The warriors from the Tribe of the Elk forh this was a private event for Heafstaag’s people, the other tribes watched with interest from a respectable distance The winner would hold no for of the most powerful and dominant tribe on the tundra

Revjak stepped within the circle and !" he cried "King of the Tribe of the Elk!" He went on to read the one-eyed king’s long list of heroic deeds

Heafstaag’s confidence seeh he was a bit confused and angry that Revjak had chosen to proclailared around threateningly at the closest onlookers, s as they backed away froain his bullying tactics failed to intiar," Revjak continued, "son of Beornegar and challenger to the throne of the Tribe of the Elk!" The reciting of Wulfgar’s list took ’s, of course But the final deed that Revjak proclaion’s bane!" Revjak cried, and the crowd, respectfully silent up to this point, excitedly began recounting the nu of Icingdeath

Revjak looked to the two combatants and stepped out of the circle

The moment of honor was upon them

They waded around the circle of battle, cautiously stalking and ar noted the i barbarian warriors He would have been much the same were it not for the blunt lessons of Drizzt Do’Urden A thousand huar that the first bloas not nearly as i snorted and roared in Wulfgar also growled aloud, e head on But then he sidestepped at the last , pulled by the momentum of his heavy weapon, stumbled past his foe and into the first rank of onlookers

The one-eyed king recovered quickly and charged back out, doubly enraged, or so Wulfgar believed Heafstaag had been king for ht in countless battles If he had never learned to adjust his fighting technique, he would have long ago been slain He caain, by all appearances ar reat axe waiting for hi his weapon sideways, gashing Wulfgar’s ar Aegis-fang out defensively to deter any follow-up attacks He had little weight behind his swing, but its ai back a step Wulfgar took a moment to exaht

"You parry well," Heafstaag growled as he squared off just a few steps froer "You would have served our people well in the ranks A loss it is that Iblow after blow in a furious assaultblades of Drizzt Do’Urden, Heafstaag’s axe see the attacks, even countering now and then with a ’s broad chest

Blood of frustration and weariness reddened the one-eyed king’s face "A tiring opponent will often th at once," Drizzt had explained to Wulfgar during the weeks of training "But rarely will he move in the apparent direction, the direction that he thinks you think he is ar watched intently for the expected feint

Resigned that he could not break through the skilled defenses of his younger and faster foe, the sweating king brought the great axe up over his head and lunged forward, yelling wildly to ear’s reflexes were honed to their finest fighting edge, and the over-e placed upon the attack told hi as if to block the feigned blow, but reversed his grip even as the axe dropped down off of Heafstaag’s shoulder and ca fully in his dwarven-crafted weapon, Wulfgar shifted his front foot back, turning to is-fang

The heads of the teapons sla’s axe shattered in his hands, and the violent vibrations knocked hiar could have easily walked over and finished Heafstaag with a single blow

Revjak clenched his fist in anticipation of Wulfgar’s imminent victory

"Never confuse honor with stupidity!" Drizzt had scolded Wulfgar after his dangerous inaction with the dragon But Wulfgar wanted more from this battle than to simply, win the leadership of his tribe; he wanted to leave a lasting i to the ground and approached Heafstaag on even terood fortune He sprang at Wulfgar, wrapping his arer ar leaned forward to s firrappled viciously, exchanging heavy blows before h to render punches ineffective Both combatants’ eyes were blue and puffy, bruises and cuts welled on face and chest alike

Heafstaag was the wearier, though, his barrel chest heaving with each labored breath He wrapped his arain to twist his relentless opponent to the ground

Then Wulfgar’s long fingers locked onto the sides of Heafstaag’s head The younger e an to squeeze

Heafstaag knew at once that he was in trouble, for Wulfgar’s grip was led wildly, his huge fists slugging into Wulfgar’s exposed ribs, hoping only to break Wulfgar’s deadly concentration

This time one of Bruenor’s lessons spurred him on: "Think o’ the weasel, boy, take the o once yer on!" His neck and shoulderto his knees

Horrified at the power of the grip, Heafstaag pulled at the younger rowing pressure

Wulfgar realized that he was about to kill one of his own tribe "Yield!" he shouted at Heafstaag, seeking so answered with a final punch

Wulfgar turned his eyes to the sky "I a himself to any ould listen But there was only one path left open to hie shoulders reddened as the blood surged through the’s eye transcend into incomprehension He heard the crack of bone, he felt the skull squash beneath his hty hands

Revjak should have then stepped into the circle and heralded the new King of the Tribe of the Elk

But, like the other witnesses around hi open

Helped by the gusts of the cold wind at his back, Drizzt sped across the last ht that he had split froar, the snow-capped tip of Kelvin’s Cairn caht of his ho hint on the edge of his senses told hi was out of the ordinary A huht vision of the drow finally sorted it out, a growing pillar of blackness blotting out the horizon’s lowest stars south of the mountain And a second, smaller column, south of the first

Drizzt stopped short He squinted his eyes to be sure of his guess Then he started again, slowly, needing the tih an alternate route that he could take

Caer-Konig and Caer-Dineval were burning