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A lie within a lie

Out on the waters of Maer Dualdon later that evening, the assembled fleet of the four toatched suspiciously as a second group of monsters flowed out from the main force and headed in the direction of Bremen

"Curious," Kemp remarked to Muldoon of Lonelywood and the spokes on the deck of Targos’ flagship beside him All of Breroup of orcs, after the initial bowshots, had met no further resistance in the city And Bryn Shander stood intact Why, then, was the wizard further extending his line of power?

"Akar Kessell confuses enius is si tactical errors!"

"Assume the second possibility," Keht try shall be in vain if the first is the truth!"

So they continued repositioning their warriors for an opportune strike,boats to the as yet unassailed ee forces on the other two lakes

On the wall of Bryn Shander, Cassius and Glensather watched the division of Kessell’s forces with deeper understanding

"Masterfully done, halfling," Cassius whispered into the night wind

S hand on his fellow spokeso and inform our field commanders," he said "If the time for us to attack comes, we shall be ready!"

Cassius clasped Glensather’s hand and nodded his approval As the spokese of the wall, glaring deterritted teeth, he declared openly, "The tie point of Kelvin’s Cairn, Drizzt Do’Urden had also witnessed the abrupt shift of the monster army He had just coeous assault on Cryshal-Tirith when the distant flickers of a large mass of torches suddenly floay to the west He and Guenhwyvar sat quietly and studied the situation for a short while, trying to find so beca and he had to make haste He wasn’t sure if the activity would prove helpful, by thinning out the ca monsters’ state of readiness Yet he knew that the people of Bryn Shander could not afford any delays He started down thesilently behind hiood tith of Bres or put one of his sensitive ears to the ground, he ht have heard the distant rumble fro army

But the drow’s focus was on the south, his vision narrowed upon the waiting darkness of Cryshal-Tirith as heonly items he believed essential to the task He had his five weapons: the two scier tucked in his belt at the middle of his back, and the two knives hidden in his boots His holy symbol and pouch of wealth was around his neck and a siant’s lair, still hung on his belt - a senti adventures he had shared with Wulfgar All of his other supplies, backpack, rope, waterskins, and other basic items of everyday survival on the harsh tundra, he had left in the s when he crossed by the eastern outskirts of Termalaine "Strike now, sailors of Maer Dualdon," the drow said quietly But when he thought about it, he was glad that the boats remained out on the lake Even if they could slip in and strike quickly at the monsters in the city, they could not afford the losses they would suffer Termalaine could wait; there was a ht

Drizzt and Guenhwyvar approached the outer perimeter of Kessell’s ns that the couard leaned wearily on its spear, halfheartedly watching the empty blackness of the northern horizon Even had it been wary; it would not have noticed the stealthy approach of the two shapes, blacker than the darkness of night

"Call in!" came a couard

Drizzt listened as the check was called in fronaled for Guenhwyvar to hold back, then crept up within throwing range of the guard

The tired orc never even heard the whistle of the approaching dagger

And then Drizzt was beside it, silently breaking its fall into the darkness The drow pulled his dagger froround He and Guenhwyvar, unnoticed shadows of death, uards that had been set on the northern peri caoblins, even a verbeeg, though the cessation of its thundering snores ht have drawn attention, but he couldn’t afford to slow his pace Each passing minute continued to drain Guenhwyvar, and now the first hints of a second ene apparent in the eastern sky

The drow’s hopes had risen considerably with the progress he had made, but he was disroup of battle-ready ogre guards ringed the tower, blocking his way

He crouched beside the cat, undecided on what they should do To escape the breadth of the huge camp before the dawn exposed them, they would have to flee back the way they came Drizzt doubted that Guenhwyvar, in its pitiful state, could even atteroup of ogres There see happened back in the northeast section of the enca a path for the stealthy cores a few long strides away frouard had been discovered, but the cries were too far to the east

Soon the clang of steel on steel rang out in the predawn air A battle had been joined Rival tribes, Drizzt supposed, though he could not spot the combatants fro, however The undisciplined ogres had moved even farther away from their appointed positions And Guenhwyvar had spotted the tower door The two didn’t hesitate for a second

The ogres never even noticed the two shadows enter the tower behind the vibration, cah Cryshal-Tirith’s entryway, as though he hadentity He continued on, though, through the darkened hallway that led to the tower’s first level, e crystalline material that comprised the walls and floors of the structure

He found himself in a squared hall, the bottom chamber of the four-roomed structure This was the hall where Kessell often enerals, the wizard’s pri commanders

Drizzt peered around at the dark forh he sighted no movement, he sensed that he was not alone He knew that Guenhwyvar had the sas, for the fur on the scruff of the black-coated neck was ruffled and the cat let out a lol

Kessell considered this room a buffer zone between himself and the rabble of the outside world It was the one chamber in the tower that he rarely visited This was the place where Akar Kessell housed his trolls