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Fared considerably when Connor, his oldest son, renamed Liam’s "drizzit" a dark elf Farmer Thistledown had spent his entire forty-five years in Maldobar, a village fifty miles up the Dead Orc River north of Sundabar Bartholemew’s father had lived here, and his father’s father before him In all that time, the only news any Farmer Thistledown had ever heard of dark elves was the tale of a suspected drow raid on a small settlement of wild elves a hundred miles to the north, in Coldwood That raid, if it was even perpetrated by the drow, had occurred more than a decade before

Lack of personal experience with the drow race did not di his children’s tale of the encounter in the blueberry patch Connor and Eleni, two trusted sources old enough to keep their wits about them in a time of crisis, had viewed the elf up close, and they held no doubts about the color of his skin

"The only thing I can’t rightly figure," Bartholemew told Benson Delmo, the fat and cheerful athered at his house that night, "is why this drow let the children go free I’m no expert on the ways of dark elves, but I’ve heard tell enough about them to expect a different sort of action"

"Perhaps Connor fared better in his attack than he believed," Delmo piped in tactfully They had all heard the tale of Connor’s disar; Liam and the other Thistledown children, except for poor Connor, of course, particularly enjoyed retelling that part

As much as he appreciated the h, Connor shook his head eestion "He took ht of him, but he took me - clean"

"And no easy feat," Bartholeruff crowd "We’ve all seen Connor at fighting Just last winter, he took down three goblins and the wolves they were riding!"

"Calood Farmer Thistledown," the mayor offered "We’ve no doubts of your son’s prowess"

"I’ve my doubts about the truth o’ the foe!" put in Roddy McGristle, a bear-sized and bear-hairy roup Roddy spenthis farm, a recent endeavor he didn’t particularly enjoy, and whenever someone offered a bounty on orc ears, Roddy invariably collected the largest portion of the coffers, often larger than the rest of the town combined

"Put yer neck hairs down," Roddy said to Connor as the boy began to rise, a sharp protest obviously forthco "I knohat ye says ye seen, and I believe that ye seen what ye says But ye called it a drow, an’ that title carries in to know If it was a drow ye found,dead right now in that there blueberry patch No, not a drow, by s in the did"

"Na the doubts Roddy had cast over his son’s story Bartholemew didn’t much like Roddy anyway Farmer Thistledown kept a respectable family, and every time crude and loud Roddy McGristle came to pay a visit, it took Bartholemew and his wife many days to remind the children, particularly Liaed, taking no offense at Bartholeht be a wood elf that’s seen tooafter the last state their seriousness

"Then hoe know for sure," said Del it," Roddy offered "To at Bartholeo out an’ see e can see" Considering the i at an end, Roddy slammed his hands down on the table and pushed hiot to the farerated wink and a nearly toothless sroup "And, boys," he said, "don’t be forgettin’ yer weapons!"

Roddy’s cackle rolled back in on the group long after the rough-edged mountain er," one of the other faran to depart "I heard there’s one in Sundabar, one of Lady Alustriel’s sisters"

"A bit too early for that," Mayor Del any optimistic smiles

"Is it ever too early when drow are involved?" Bartholeo with McGristle," he replied "If anyone can find some truth up in the mountains, it’s him" He tactfully turned to Connor "I believe your tale, Connor Truly I do But we’ve got to know for sure before we put out a call for such distinguished assistance as a sister of the Lady of Silvery far Bartholemew, his father, Markhe, and Connor alone in the Thistledown kitchen

"Wasn’t no goblin or wood elf," Connor said in a low tone that hinted at both anger and embarrassment

Barthole him

Up in a cave in the ht of worry over the appearance of a dark elf

"If he’s a drow, then he’s an experienced adventurer," Keh, perhaps, to send Ulgulu into ulu finished for his conniving brother "You do so dearly desire to see me depart"

"You, too, hope for the day when yourifts," Keulu snarled and did not reply The appearance of a dark elf prompted many considerations and fears beyond Kehests, like all intelligent creatures on nearly every plane of existence, knew of the drow and ht not be too ulu knew that a dark elf war party, perhaps even an army, could prove disastrous The whelps were not invulnerable The huhest whelps and ulu and Kempfana were careful about their attacks But if a band of dark elves showed up, those easy kills could disappear quite suddenly

"This drow must be dealt with," Kempfana remarked "If he is a scout, then he ulu snapped a cold glare on his brother, then called to his quickling "Tephanis," he cried, and the quickling was upon his shoulder before he had even finished the word

"You-need- replied "I-understand-what-you-need-ulu shouted iht out Tephanis was halfway to the door by the ti returned to Ulgulu’s shoulder before the last note of the shout had died away

"No," Ulgulu said again, ain in the drow’s appearance"

Kerin and understood his brother’s intent "A new enemy for the townspeople," the sulu’s e," the big, purple-skinned barghest replied wickedly, "even the appearance of a dark elf" Ulgulu turned back to Tephanis

"You-wish-to-learn-more-of-the-drow, my-master," Tephanis spouted excitedly

"Is he alone?" Ulgulu asked "Is he a forward scout to a larger group, as we fear, or a lone warrior? What are his intentions toward the townspeople?"

"He-could-have-killed-the-children," Tephanis reiterated "I-guess-hiulu snarled "You have made those points before Go now and learn uess, Tephanis, and by all accounts, a drow’s actions rarely hint at his true intent!"

Tephanis skipped down fro further instructions

"Indeed, dear Tephanis," Ulgulu purred "Do see if you can appropriate one of the drow’s weapons for ulu stopped when he noticed the flutter in the heavy curtain blocking the entry room