Page 71 (1/2)

But nor could Drizzt lie any longer, to hi her up here in the first place, but reminded hio Baenre But now that threat see reason for any of theer

Any of the other five, at least

"It is best that you go," he agreed

"That I go?" she asked, and a dark edge came over her voice and her posture Drizzt nodded

"But not you?"

"This is my home"

"But not mine?" she asked

"No"

"So that you can chase your witch of the wood?"

Drizzt chuckled helplessly at that, for there was some measure of truth in it, he had to admit Not literally, of course, but in this place, even without his old and dear friends by his side, he felt the war he would not allow to slip froain

"Have I told you of Innovindil?" he asked, and Dahlia rolled her eyes Drizzt pressed on anyway, though he remembered that yes, he had told her many stories of his lost elf friend "Have I explained to you the idea that an elf who resides a races must live his life in bursts to accommodate their sensations of tio of the past and press ahead to new roads," Dahlia said absently, as if long bored of that particular lecture

"I see Innovindil’s advice," said Drizzt

"Then let us leave in the ed, clearly confused by the seeiven his answer

"Innovindil rong," Drizzt said "Perhaps not entirely, and perhaps not for everyone, but for ard, I kno, and adard?"

"Regarding love," Drizzt said

"The auburn-haired witch of the wood"

Drizzt nodded "My heart reave it to her wholly and cannot take it back"

"She is dead a hundred years"

"Not in my heart"

"Ghosts are cold comfort, Drizzt Do’Urden"

"So be it," he replied, and he had never been more certain of his road in all of his two centuries "I’m not saddened by this realization, by this admission that I reo"

"Saddened? I would think you insane!"

"Then I hope for you, dear Dahlia, for I wish you nothing but the best road, that one day you will understand my … insanity Because I do truly care for you, as my friend, I hope that you will one day be so afflicted as am I Catti-brie died, but , and I will live my life happier in the warm memories of Catti-brie’s embrace than in a foolish and impossible effort to replace her"

"So there is only one love? There can be no other?"

Drizzt considered that for a ed "I know not," he ad last, the time when I will find closure Perhaps there will come in my path someday another to so warm me But I do not seek that I do not need it Catti-brie remains with me, very much alive"

He watched Dahlia s hard, and it pained hi her by living a lie out of cowardice?

"Then take our relationship for what it is," Dahlia offered at length, and there seees of her voice

"And what is that, a distraction?"

"Play," she said as lightly as she could e, and she put on a too-wide sht well together and we love well together, so take it for what it is and let it have no h he could not deny that Dahlia’s offer was enticing "Not for your sake and not for my own My heart and home are here, in Icewind Dale, and here I will stay And here, you should not stay"

The crestfallen expression that enveloped Dahlia nearly had Drizzt running to eain, for her own sake, he did not