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The people of Ten-Towns and their barbarian allies found the winter following the battle a difficult one, but by pooling their talents and resources, they hout those longthe people of Ten-Towns, and Wulfgar and Revjak speaking for the barbarian tribes The first order of business was to officially recognize and condone the alliance of the two peoples, though ly opposed

Those cities left untouched by Akar Kessell’s ar the brutal winter Reconstruction began with the first signs of spring When the region ell on its way to recovery, and after the barbarian expedition following Wulfgar’s directions returned with the dragon treasure, councils were held to divide the towns a people Relations between the two peoples alether only by the coar and the continued calm of Cassius

When all was finally settled, the barbarians were given the cities of Bre were moved into the reconstructed city of Caer-Dineval, and the refugees of Bre the tribesos

It was a difficult situation, where traditional enemies were forced to put aside their differences and live in close quarters Though victorious in the battle, the people of the towns could not call theic losses; no one had cois

The opportunistic halfling arded the title of First Citizen and the finest house in all of Ten-Towns for his part in the battle Cassius readily surrendered his palace to the "tower-breaker" Regis accepted the spokesifts that rolled in froh he hadn’t truly earned the accolades awarded hi hi drow And since Drizzt Do’Urden wasn’t about to coured that it was his duty to do so

This was the pa had always desired He truly enjoyed the excessive wealth and luxuries, though he would later learn that there was indeed a hefty price to be paid for fame

Drizzt and Bruenor had spent the winter in preparation for their search for Mithril Hall The drow intended to honor his word, though he had been tricked, because life hadn’t changed h he was in truth the hero of the fight, he still found hi the people of Ten-Towns And the barbarians, other than Wulfgar and Revjak, openly avoided hiods whenever they inadvertently crossed his path

But the drow accepted the shunning with his characteristic stoicisiven your voice at council to Revjak," Catti-brie said to Wulfgar on one of her ar nodded "He is older and wiser in ar under the uncomfortable scrutiny of her dark eyes She knew that there were other reasons for Wulfgar stepping down as king "You o with thear’s only explanation as he turned away, in no ain you parry the question," Catti-brie laughed "You go to pay no debt! You go because you choose the road!"

"What could you know of the road?" Wulfgar growled, pulled in by the girl’s painfully accurate observation "What could you know of adventure?"

Catti-brie’s eyes sparkled disarly "I know," she stated flatly "Every day in every place is an adventure This you have not yet learned And so you chase down the distant roads, hoping to satisfy the hunger for excitear of Icewind Dale Follow your heart’s trail and be happy!

"Perhaps when you return you will understand the excite alive" She kissed hiar called after her, pleasantly surprised by her kiss "Perhaps then our discussions will beresponse

One fine , the time finally came for Drizzt and Bruenor to leave Catti-brie helped them pack their overstuffed sacks

"When we’ve cleared the place, I’ll take ye there!" Bruenor told the girl one more time "Sure yer eyes’ll shine when ye see the rivers runnin’ silver in Mithril Hall!"

Catti-brie sht, then?" Bruenor asked more seriously He knew that she would, but his heart flooded with fatherly concern

Catti-brie’s sh this discussion a hundred tioing, though she knew that she would miss him dearly, for it was clear that Bruenor would never truly be contented until he had at least tried to find his ancestral home

And she knew, better than anyone, that the dould be in fine coo

The cooodbyes to the dwarves and started off for Bryn Shander to bid farewell to their two closest friends

They arrived at Regis’s house later in thefor the and his pack by his side

Drizzt eyed the barbarian’s belongings suspiciously as they approached, half-guessing Wulfgar’s intentions "Well ar," he said "Are you off to Bre, to oversee the work of your people?"

Wulfgar shook his head "I a," he replied "Councils and speeches are better left to older men; I have had more of them than I can tolerate Revjak speaks for the men of the tundra now"

"Then what o’ yerself?" asked Bruenor

"I go with you," Wulfgar replied "To repay my last debt"

"Ye owe ar agreed "And I have paid all that I owe to Ten-Towns, and to my own people as well But there is one debt I am not yet free of" He turned to face Drizzt squarely "To you, friend elf"

Drizzt didn’t kno to reply He clapped the huge man on the shoulder and smiled warmly

"Come with us, Rumblebelly," Bruenor said after they had finished an excellent lunch in the palace "Four adventurers, out on the open plain It’ll do ye soood an’ take a bit o’ that belly o’ yers away!"

Regis grasped his aled it "I like my belly and intend to keep it, thank you I in to understand why you all insist on going on this quest, anyway," he saidthe winter trying to talk Bruenor and Drizzt out of their chosen path "We have an easy life here; ould you want to leave?"