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"You deceived ht in the barracks The room was black around them and no other Stu-dents stirred in their cots, exhausted fro the older students

Kelnozz fully expected this encounter He had guessed Drizzt’s naivete early on, when Drizzt had actually queried hiement An experienced droarrior, particularly a noble, should have known better, should have understood that the only rule of his existence was the pursuit of victory Now, Kelnozz knew I this foolish young Do’Urden would not strike at hier was not one of Drizzt’s traits

"Why?" Drizzt pressed, finding no answer forthco commoner of House Kenafin

The volulance around nervously They were supposed to be sleeping; if a

"What is the naled back in the hand code, the war clearly to Drizzt’s heat-sensing eyes "I acted as I had to act, though I now believe I should have held off a bit longer Perhaps, if you had defeated a few her than third in the class"

"If we had worked together, as we had agreed, you naled back, the sharp er

"Most assuredly second" Kelnozz replied "I knew fro that I would be no match for you You are the finest swords" Drizzt gruhth is not so low" Kelnozz whispered back

Berg’inyon is only ranked tenth, and he is frolad that your standing is not to be envied by your classmates" A shuffle outside the roo a higher rankers"

Drizzt let the implications of Kelnozz’s statement slip by; he refused to consider such treachery in the Acaderand naled "He had you beaten until I interceded on your behalf "

Kelnozz s’inyon serve as cook in some lowly house for alii care" he whispered even more quietly than before-for the son of House Baenre’s bunk was only a few yards away "He is tenth, yet I, Kelnozz of Kenafin, ae on his voice, er than jealousy, "but I could defeat you with any weapon"

Kelnozz shrugged, a strangely blurringin the infrared spectrunaled "I won our encounter"

"Encounter?" Drizzt gasped "You deceived ?" Kelnozz pointedly reht of a master’s wand?"

"Honor derowled Drizzt

"There is a rule" Kelnozz snapped back at hiet aith I won our encounter, Drizzt Do’Urden, and I hold the higher rank! That is all that rown too loud The door to the roo wide, and a master stepped onto the threshold, his forhts Both students promptly rolled over and closed their eyes-and their mouths

The finality of Kelnozz’s last statement rocked Drizzt to some prudent observations He realized then that his friendship with Kelnozz had come to an end-and, perhaps, that he and Kelnozz had never been friends at all

"You have seen hi anx-iously on the shest chaer students of Sorcere to work repairing the blasted place, but the scorch acy of Alton’s fire-ball

"I have" replied Masoj "I have heard of his skill eapons"

"Eighth in his class after the grand melee" said Alton, "a fine achievement"

"By all accounts, he has the prowess to be first" said Masoj "One day he will claim that title 1 shall be careful around that one"

"He will never live to claireat pride in this purple-eyed youth, and thus 1 have decided upon Drizzt aspain to that treacherous Matron Malice!"

Masoj saw a problem here and decided to put it to rest once and for all "You will not haro near hirian

"You can wait a few more" Masoj snapped back "I remind you that you accepted Matron SiNafay’s invitation into House Hun’ell Such an alliance requires obedience Matron SiNafay-our matronDrizzt Do’Urden, and I will execute her will"

Alton rested back in his seat across the table and put as left of his acid-torn chin into a slender pal the words of his secret partner

"Matron SiNafay has plans that will bring you all the re-venge you could possibly desire" Masoj continued "I warn you now, Alton DeVir" he snarled, e the sur-nain a ith House Do’Urden, or even put them on the defensive with any act of violence unsanctioned by Matron SiNafay, you will incur the wrath of House Hun’ett Matron SiNafay will expose you as a murderous imposter and will exact every punish council upon your piti-ful bones!"

Alton had no way to refute the threat He was a rogue, without faainst him, he would find no allies "What plan does SiNafayMatron SiNafayhave for House Do’Urden?" he asked cale so that I "

Masoj knew that he had to act carefully at this point His mother had not forbidden him to tell Alton of the future course of action, but if she had wanted the volatile DeVir to know, Masoj realized, she would have told him herself

"Let us just say that House Do’Urden’s power has grown, and continues to grow, to the point where it has becoreat houses" Masoj purred, lov-ing the intrigue of positioning before a war "Witness the fall of House DeVir, perfectly executed with no obvious trail Many of Menzoberranzan’s nobles would rest easier if"

He let it go at that, deciding that he probably had said too limmer in Alton’s eyes, Masoj could tell that the lure had been strong enough to buy Alton’s patience

The Acade Drizzt, particularly in that first year, when so many of the dark realities of drow society, realities that Zaknafein had barely hinted at, reni-zance with stubborn resilience He weighed the masters’ lectures of hatred andthe masters’ views in the context of the lectures, the other bending those saic assuuous, so hard to define Through all of the exa fact: In his entire young life, the only treachery he had ever witnessed-and so often!-was at the hands of drow elves The physical training of the Acade exercises and stealth techniques, wasHere, with his weapons so readily in his hands, he freed hi questions of truth and per-ceived truth

Here he excelled If Drizzt had co and expertise than that of his class months passed He learned to look beyond the accepted defense and attack routines put forth by the masters and create his own methods, innovations that almost always at least equaled-and usually outdid-the standard techniques