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Theythe paths of the Moonwood easily, with Tarathiel, astride Sunset, leading the way The bells of his saddle jingled ht behind The sky was gray, and the air stifling and a bit too warm, but the elves see at their winding trail They kept co dead ends and Tarathiel, who knew the western stretch of the Moonwood better than anyone alive, would ht adjust It almost seee, and that they had co
A the four, only Ivan was in a surly ht, awakened often by Elvish singing, and while Ivan would join in any good drinking song, any hy), or songs of heroes of old and treasures lost and treasures found, he found the Elvish styling littleat the moon and the stars
In fact, over the past few days, Ivan had had about enough of the elves altogether and only wanted to be back on the road to Mithral Hall The yellow-bearded dwarf, never known for his subtlety, had related those emotions to Tarathiel and Innovindil often and repeatedly
The four were ion where the elves of the Moonwood made their round was higher and they would likely spot the snaking River Surbrin The dwarves could then use the river as a guide on their southerly turn to Mithral Hall, Tarathiel had explained that they had about a tenday of traveling ahead of theed to float soht
Pikel and Innovindil chatted alhts on the various plants and animals they passed Once or twice, Pikel called a bird down fro to it The bird, apparently understanding, flew off and returned withthe branches around the fourso Innovindil clapped her hands and beamed an enchanted smile at Pikel Even Tarathiel, the far more serious of the two elves, see, gru to himself about "stupid fairies"
That, of course, only pleased the elves even more-especially when Pikel convinced the birds torun above his brother
"Think ye runtled Ivan asked Tarathiel The dwarf glared up at the branches as he spoke "I can get us a bit of supper"
Tarathiel’s ansas a bemused smile, which only widened when Pikel added, "Hee hee hee"
"We shan’t be acco you two to Mithral Hall," Tarathiel explained
"Who was askin’ ye?" Ivan grumbled in reply, but when the two elves fixed him with surprised and a bit wounded looks, the dwarf seeo and stay with a bunch of dwarfs anyway? Course ye could, if ye’re wanting to, and me and me brother’d make sure that ye was treated as well as ye treated us two in yer stinkinin yer pretty forest"
"Your compliments roll as freely as a frozen river, Ivan Bouldershoulder," Innovindil said in a deceivingly complimentary tone
She tossed a wink to Tarathiel and Pikel, who giggled
"Aye," said Ivan, apparently not catching on
He smirked and looked hard at the elf
"We have h," Tarathiel re the conversation back to the issue at hand "Perhaps you will bid him to send an emissary to the Moonwood Drizzt Do’Urden would be welcomed"
"The dark elf?" Ivan balked "Couple o’me to ask a droalk into yer home? Ye best be careful, Tarathiel Yer reputation for hospitality to dwarfs and dark elfs ht not be sittin’ ith yer kin!"
"Not to dark elves, I assure you," the elf corrected, "but to that one dark elf, yes We would welcoh we have not na him-information that will be important to him and is important to us"
"Such as?"
"That is all that I am at liberty to say at this time," Tarathiel replied "I’d not burden you with such a long and detailed story to bring to King Bruenor Without knowledge of that which cah to properly convey the information"
"It is out of noBruenor’s official e over Ivan’s face "There is protocol that reat io with complete confidence that you will not only deliver our words to King Bruenor, but deliver theency ina fist into the air
Tarathiel started to second that, but he stopped suddenly, his expression growing very serious He glanced around, then at Innovindil, then slid down froed mount
"What’s he seein’?" Ivan demanded
Innovindil locked stares with Tarathiel, her expression growing equally stern
Tarathiel motioned for Ivan to be quiet then round, head tilted as if he was listening Ivan started to say so hi around with alar but his three concerned companions
"What’d ye know?" he asked Tarathiel, but the elf was deep in thought and did not reply
Ivan rushed across to Pikel and asked, "What’d ye know?"
Pikel crinkled his face and pinched his nose
"Ores?" Ivan cried
"Yup yup"
In a single movement, Ivan pulled the axe from his back and turned, feet set wide apart in solid balance, axe at the ready before hi every shadow
"Well, bring ’e afore another long and boring road!"
"I sense them, too," Innovindil said ato the north
The two elves followed his finger, then looked back at hi
"Our borders have seen orc incursions of late," Innovindil explained "This one, as the others, will be repelled Trouble yourselves not with these creatures Your road is to the west and the south, and there you should go and quickly We will see to the beasts that dare stain the Moonwood"
"Uh-uh," Pikel disagreed, crossing his burly, hairy arms over his chest
"Bah!" Ivan snorted "Ye’re not for throwin’ us out afore the fun begins! Ye call yerselfs proper hosts and ye’re thinking o’ chasin’ us off with orcs needin’ killing?"
The two elves looked to each other, honestly surprised
"Yeah, I know, and no, I’ ye," Ivan explained, "but I’ Now, are ye to make a friend of a dwarf and let him chop an orc or fifty? Or are ye to chase us off and hope we’re re Bruenor?"
Still the elves exchanged questioning glances, and Innovindil gave a slight shrug, leaving the decision to Tarathiel alone
"Co, then," the elf said to the brothers "Let us see e can learn before rousing ainst the threat And do try to be quiet"
"Bah, if we’re too quiet, ood’s that?"
They moved a short distance before Tarathiel motioned for theasus, found a run for Sunset, and lifted into the air, rising carefully in the close quarters, up and out to the north
He returned al for them to hold silent and to follow him Up to the north a short distance, the elf led thee point, Ivan saw that the mystical tree-attuned senses of his companions had not led the of their own , was a band of orcs It was a dozen at least, perhaps asin and out of the shadows of the trees They carried large axes, perfect for chopping the tall trees, andwhy Tarathiel had been so quick to return with Sunset) andbow
"I saw them from afar," Tarathiel explained quietly to the other three as they crouched at the ridge top "I do not believe that they spotted et word to the clan," Innovindil said
Tarathiel looked around doubtfully They had been traveling for a couple of days While he realized that his people would move much more quickly with such dire news as orc intruders, and without having a pair of dwarves slowing theet there in time to catch the orcs in the Moonwood
"They hts of the last band retreating into the mountains still fresh in his mind
"Then let’s kill ’em,’7 Ivan replied
"Three to one," Innovindil remarked "Perhaps five to one"
"It’ll be quick, then," Ivan replied
He took up his heavy axe Beside hi pot out of his sack, plopped it on his head, and agreed, "Oo oi!"
The elves looked to each other with obvious confusion and surprise
"Oo oi!" Pikel repeated
Tarathiel looked at Innovindil for his answer
"It has been a long tirin
"Only a dozen-ye’ll have longer to wait for any real fight," Ivan said dryly, but the elves didn’t seem to pay his remark much heed
Tarathiel looked over at Ivan and asked, "Where will you fit in?"
"In the ," the dwarf answered, pointing toward the distant orcs "And I’ in real well between theh, and so Tarathiel and Innovindil looked to Pikel, who merely chuckled, "Hee hee hee"
"Don’t ye be frettin’ about me brother," Ivan explained "He’ll find a way to do his part I’m not knowin’ how -I’htin’s over-but he does, and he will"
"Good enough, then," said Tarathiel "Let us find the best vantage point for launching our strike"
He asus’s ear, then started ahile Sunset walked off in another direction Innovindil went next,as silently as her elf partner Then ca away on every dry leaf and dead stick
"Vantage point," Ivan huffed to his brother "Just walk in, say yer howdies, and start killing!"
"Hee hee hee," said Pikel
Innovindil also wore a sed with a bit of trepidation Confidence was one thing, carelessness quite another
With the elves guiding them, and despite the noisiness of the dwarves, the fourso Across the way, the orcs were at their work, so ropes tied off along the higher branches
"We will hit at them after they have retired," Tarathiel quietly explained "The sun is high It should not be long"
Pikel’s face grew very tight, though, and he shook his head
"He’s not for watching them cut down a tree," Ivan explained, and the elves looked to each other doubtfully
Pikel opened a pouch, revealing a cache of bright red berries His expression grew very serious and very stern With a grim nod to the others, he walked up to a nearby oak, the widest tree around, and put his forehead against its thick trunk He closed his eyes and began , he stepped into the tree, disappearing cos," Ivan whispered to the two elves, ere standing du open "He does it all the tiaze went up to the branches, and he pointed and said, "There"
Pikel exited the trunk so out on a branch that overhung the rocky field
"Your brother is a curious one," Innovindil whispered "Many tricks"
"Wedoubtfully at the dozen orwithin easy reach Looking up at Pikel, though, he knew that the dwarves weren’t likely to wait, whatever he suggested, so he went into a crouch and began surveying the battlefield, then motioned to Innovindil to fan out to the side
Ivan walked right between the onto the edge of the clearing
"Can’t be hitting anything that moves, now can ye?" he taunted loudly