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"They live in the wilderness," Drizzt explained "They are not bad sorts, but surely desperate ones, former farmers, former craftsmen, cast to the wilds by the entrenched powers of the Sword Coast Luskan used to protect these coh captains view them with indifference at best, or even as enearded no ree with that assessment," Dorwyllan rehwaymen? I would shoot them dead if I encountered theuilt"

"So I thought of myself," Drizzt said dryly "And yet, when I had the chance to punish them, I did not, and when I did not, I caroup of desperate folk"

"They could have gone to Neverwinter, you understand?" Dorwyllan said "The settlers of that town seek additional citizens almost as desperately as we do here in Port Llast"

"The Shadovar were there, with the Thayans lurking around the forest"

"Now you areexcuses"

Drizzt nodded solemnly "They are in need of a home, and you are in need of citizens Capable citizens, which these folk have proven themselves to be by the mere fact that they and their families have survived the wilds of the Sword Coast without the benefits of walls and garrisons Do I go to them, or not?"

"I don’t speak for Port Llast"

"Don’t play such seaze drift to the right, overlooking the stillsea beyond

"I will say nothing of this conversation," the elf quietly relanced at Dahlia this ti the smile

"Need I remind you that the last time we dealt with Farmer Stuyles, ound up in a desperate battle in the forest against a legion devil and its minions?" Dahlia asked when Dorwyllan had departed

"Ah, but that’s not soundin’ good," A Drizzt’s gaze, and when he had it, the assassin pointedly shook his head and looked away

"Stuyles and the others knew nothing about Hadencourt’s true identity," Drizzt argued

"You have to believe that, don’t you?" said Dahlia, and she snorted derisively

The drow’s sh he believed his claims These two, ever cynical, would not allow him to hold fast to hope In their cynical view of the world, he was a foolish idealist, unable to face the harsh realities of life in the shadowy Realht, of course In fact, hadn’t that been the very weight he had been dragging along like a heavy chain around his ankles for years now, back far before Bruenor’s death, even?

"No," he heard hi to Dahlia He stood up from his seat, painted a determined expression on his face, and spoke clearly and loudly and with all confidence "I say that because I know it to be almost certainly true"

"Because the world is full of good people?"

Drizzt nodded "Most," he answered "And forcing them into untenable choices is no way to er for blood, but for food"

"Unless there arethem," Dahlia interrupted "Have you considered that possibility?"

"No," Drizzt replied, but it wasn’t so much an admission as a denial of the entire premise

Dahlia moved as if to respond, but chortled and looked to Entreri instead, and Drizzt, too, found hiard the assassin

Entreri looked away from Dahlia and returned that look to Drizzt, and he nodded his support to Drizzt, albeit slightly

"I could have killed you all," Effron pointed out to the four battered and reeling highwaymen "Be reasonable"

"Ye put spiders under me skin!" said one man, the archer who had nearly killed Effron with the first shot

Effron looked at hiot thes?"

Theand rubbing his skin raw, as s Effron had placed upon all four, tying the had his co back with annoyance, to Effron’s great amusement

"Not funny," the wo fro

"You attacked ize for not allowing you toto murder anyone!" the woman insisted

Effron nodded at the frantic, whining archer "His first shot would have slain ical defenses"

"He’s not so good a shot, then," said one of the larger thugs

"Just supposed to scare you," the woman said

"You would do well, then, to hire better archers For this fool has surely doomed you" Effron paused there and walked around to directly face the wo a pensive pose with the index finger of his good hand against his pursed lips "Unless--" he teased

"What do you want?" the woear and our few coins"