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How long had it been? An hour? Thro? Masoj paced the length of the gap between the two stalagmite mounds just a few feet from the entrance to the tunnel that Drizzt, and then Guenhwyvar, had taken "The cat should have re-turned by now" the wizard gruh his face a reat black head peered around the edge of the tunnel, behind one of the displacer beast statue guard ians The fur around the cat’s maas conspicuously ith fresh blood

"It is done?" Masoj asked, barely able to contain a shout of elation "Drizzt Do’Urden is dead?"

"Hardly" came the reply Drizzt, for all his idealise of pleasure as a cloud of dread cooled the elated fires in the sinister wizard’s cheeks

"What is this, Guenhwyvar?" Masoj demanded "Do as I bid you! Kill him now!"

Guenhwyvar stared blankly at Masoj, then lay at Drizzt’s feet

"You admit your attempt on my life?" Drizzt asked

Masoj ht be able to get off one spell Perhaps Masoj had seen Drizzt move, quick and sure, and had little desire tochance the attack if he could find another way out of this predica warrior’s hands rested easily across the hilts of his deadly blades

"I understand" Drizzt continued calmly "House Hun’ett and House Do’Urden are to battle"

"How did you know?" Masoj blurted without thinking, too shocked by the revelation to consider that Drizzt er admission

"I know much but care little" Drizzt replied "House Hun’ett wishes to ar against eance of House DeVir!" ca on the side of a stalagmite mound, looked down at Drizzt

A smile spread over Masoj’s face The odds had so quickly changed

"House Hun’ett cares not at all for House DeVir" Drizzt replied, still composed in the face of this new developh of the ways of our people to know that the fate of one house is not the concern of another"

"But it is my concernI" Alton cried, and he threw back the cowl of his hood, revealing the hideous face, scarred by acid for the sake of a disguise "I am Alton DeVir, lone survivor of House DeVir! House Do’Urden will die for its cri with you"

"I was not even born when the battle took place" Drizzt protested

"Of little consequence!" Alton snarled "You are a Do’Ur-den, a filthy Do’Urden That is all that round "Guenhwy-var!" he coone!"

The cat looked over its shoulder to Drizzt, who nodded his approval

"Be gone!" Masoj cried again "I am your master! You can-not disobey me!"

"You do not own the cat" Drizzt said calmly

"Who does, then?" Masoj snapped "You?"

"Guenhwyvar" Drizzt replied "Only Guenhwyvar I would think that a wizard would have a better understanding of the ht have been a urine and dis-sipated into sth of the planar tunnel, toward its home in the Astral Plane Ever before had Guenhwyvar been anxious to make this journey, to escape the foul coh, the cat hesitated with every stride, looking back over its shoulder to the dot of darkness that was Menzoberranzan

"Will you deal?" Drizzt offered

"You are in no position to bargain" Alton laughed, draw-ing out the slender wand that Matron SiNafay had given him

Masoj cut him short "Wait" he said "Perhaps Drizzt will prove valuable to our struggle against House Do’Urden" He eyed the young warrior directly "You will betray your fam-ily?"

"Hardly" Drizzt snickered " As I have already said to you, I care little for the co conflict Let House Hun’ett and House Do’Urden both be damned, as surely they will! My concerns are personal"

"You ain" Masoj explained "Otherwise, what bargain can you hope to ive to you in return" Drizzt re-plied, his voice calhed aloud, but there was a trace of nerYousness in their chuckles

"Give urine, Masoj" Drizzt continued, undaunted "Guenhwyvar never belonged to you and will serve you no

"In return" Drizzt went on before the wizard could reply, "I will leave House Do’Urden and not take part in the battle"

"Corpses do not fight" Alton sneered

"I will take another Do’Urden with me" Drizzt spat at hiained an advantage if both Drizzt and Zaknafein-"

"Silence!" Masoj screaains from a pitiful Do’Urden! You are dead, fool, and House Do’Urden’s weapon rave!"

"Guenhwyvar is free!" Drizzt growled

The scimitars caht a wizard before, let alone two, but he re of their spells Masoj had already begun to cast, but ofthat slender wand

Before Drizzt ever decided his course of action, the issue was settled for hiulfed Masoj and he fell back, his spell disrupted with the shock Guenhwyvar was back