Chapter 16 Chapter Twelve Know Your Enemy

Winter comes and goes quickly.The snow gradually stopped, and the wind also brought a warm breath from the south.It didn't take long for Drizzt to find a comfortable way of life for himself.Still, the reflection of sunlight on the snow bothered the Dark Elves.Drizzt had only spent a few months acclimatizing himself to the sunlight of the surface world before, and he could move around and even fight in the daylight without a hitch.But Drizzt hardly dared to go out in daylight now, because the unthawed snow on the ground would reflect the sun in his face. The dark elves are only out at night, reserving the daylight for bears and other animals.Drizzt wasn't too worried, he believed that the snow would disappear soon, and he could live the comfortable days before winter again.

One night, after eating and sleeping, Drizzt gazed at the valley across the river in the soft, alluring moonlight. "What's there?" the dark elf whispered to himself.The snowmelt-laden river seemed swift, but Drizzt had found his way across earlier in the evening.The large boulders scattered in the river jut out of the water and extend to the opposite bank. There is still some time before dawn, and the moon has just reached the center of the night sky.Perhaps caught in the adventurous spirit of the season, Drizzt decided to take a look across the river.He jumped off the bank, moving lightly among the stones.For humans, orcs, and most other creatures, it is very difficult and dangerous to traverse these wet and slippery loose rocks.However, for the nimble dark elves, it was no big deal.

Drizzt wandered nonchalantly among the rocks and rocks on the opposite bank.If he knew that he had already set foot on the territory of the half-orc King Gele, the dark elf's demeanor would not be so relaxed. A half-orc sentry caught a glimpse of dark elves wandering about halfway up the mountain.The half-orcs once saw Drizzt catching fish by the river, and at the same time, out of awe of the dark elves, Goller ordered his men not to approach Drizzt.The orc king thought that once the cold winter snow came, the other party would leave the pass.However, winter has passed, and the dark elves not only did not disappear, but also crossed the Raven River.

When he heard the news, Geler couldn't help twisting his stubby fingers nervously.Take some consolation, however, that the Dark Elves came with just one, rather than a whole host of them.This lone guy could be a scout, or he could be a traitor.Although it cannot be determined, neither of the above two identities is what the orc king is happy to see.If Drizzt was a scout, then he might bring more dark elves.If Drizzt had been a defector, he might have wanted to ally himself with the orcs. Gele has ruled the area for many years.Not unusual for a capricious half-orc.The secret of Geller's survival is that he never takes any risks.It's the same this time.The possibility that the dark elves might jeopardize the dominion that Gelor was so keen to secure was absolutely intolerable.Therefore, two bands of orcs slipped out of the dark cave a little later, and were ordered to assassinate the dark elves.

The cold wind keeps blowing down from the top of the mountain, and at the same time, the more you go up, the thicker the snow.However, Drizzt didn't care at all.Entire patches of evergreen trees cover the hillside, forming a good shade from the light.This is the favorite environment of the dark elves, and Drizzt, who has been hiding in the small cave all winter, can't wait to start exploring here. After walking about a mile, Drizzt suddenly found himself being followed.Although he didn't see anything except the occasional black shadow out of the corner of his eye, his subtle warrior instinct told him the truth of the matter.Drizzt walked up a steep slope, through thick undergrowth, towards the ridge.Once there, he hid behind a boulder and watched his surroundings.

Seven black figures slowly emerged from the woods.Six of them are humanoids, and one resembles a large dog.They followed Drizzt's trail with regularity and caution.The distance was still far, and the dark elf could not distinguish the other party's race, but he guessed that it should be human.Drizzt looked around for the best routes of retreat and places to defend. He didn't even notice that he had drawn his machete and dagger.When Drizzt came to his senses, the other party was already very close to the rock where he was hiding, and the dark elf stopped his movements and began to meditate.

Before approaching the rock, he had to pass a slippery and dangerous slope, where he could meet the pursuers. "No," Drizzt whispered, dismissing the momentary thought that came to mind.He might be able to beat him up, but what good would it do him?Drizzt didn't want to be in conflict with others, and he didn't want to have any contact with others.He couldn't bear any more guilt. He heard the voices of the stalkers talking, guttural like goblins in their tones. "It's an orc," Drizzt said silently from his opponent's size and tone. Despite recognizing the tracker's race, Drizzt's attitude remained unwavering.The dark elves had seen the foul-smelling creature once in Menzoberranzan.He didn't like orcs, but there was no reason to go to war with them.Drizzt turned away, sinking into the dark night.

However, the orcs were in hot pursuit.The distance between the two sides was so close that Drizzt couldn't get rid of the opponent's pursuit.The situation is becoming more and more unfavorable. If the half-orc is hostile to him, then he has given up the best chance to face his opponent.Judging from the noise these guys make, they probably have no good intentions.The moon had already set, and the eastern sky gradually turned pale.Although half-orcs don't like sunlight, dark elves who are exposed to the sun in the snow are even worse, and can hardly see anything. Drizzt was determined to avoid the fight, and he circled back in the direction of the valley, trying to shake him off.This was a wrong decision, for soon after he found another group of stalkers waiting where they were, among them were Golems as well as Orcs and wolves.The two teams of half-orcs were not far from him, one team went down the steep slope from the dark elf's left, and the other went up the steep slope from the dark elf's right.In the present situation, it is impossible to get rid of them.Drizzt only had the advantage of speed, and he had to get back to the cave on the other side before the sun rose.There, maybe there is still a chance to fight.

A wolf with bristling hair (Worg): The wolf is a branch of the wolf family, with a certain degree of intelligence and a tendency to evil.They communicate in their own simple language and often serve as mounts for goblins.With a roar, he sped across the rocky pile above Drizzt, cutting him off.The warg opened its bloody maw and pounced on the dark elf's head.Drizzt ducked to avoid the blow, and the scimitar was unsheathed at the same time, cutting a long gash in the worg's abdomen.The warg fell heavily to the ground, desperately licking the bleeding wound with his tongue. Te stepped forward to make up a blow and knocked down the warg.However, at this moment, six half-orcs rushed over wielding spears and sticks.The dark elf turned and fled, lowering his posture at the nick of time to avoid the flying stones behind him.

With no time to think carefully, Drizzt immediately cast a spell, creating a dark ward behind him. The four half-orcs who were chasing closer broke into the barrier before they could figure out what happened.The remaining two companions stopped their charge urgently, clutching their spears tightly with both hands, and looked around uneasily.They couldn't see through the black magic barrier, but the clashing sounds of weapons and strange screams continued to come from within the barrier, as if a whole army was fighting inside.Then they heard another frightening sound, the panther's growl.

The orcs backed away quickly, looking back now and then to see if the stone giants had caught up to support them.Not long after, two orcs scrambled out of the barrier, screaming in fear.The orcs who ran ahead were out of danger, those who fell behind were not so lucky. Guenhwyfa spotted the unfortunate fellow.The half-orc was thrown to the ground, and the panther mercilessly took his life with its sharp claws.However, Guenhwyvar didn't stop to admire his masterpiece, he rushed to one of the two half-orcs waiting beside him.The opponent struggled desperately, trying to escape from the black panther's claws, but ultimately failed.The remaining half-orcs scattered, stumbling for their lives.The law of the sea is pressing.Drizzt emerged from the other side of the barrier unharmed, cutlass and dagger stained with orc blood.A huge giant with thighs as thick as tree trunks approached, but Drizzt didn't hesitate.He jumped onto a boulder next to him, and then jumped off the boulder, pointing the knife at his opponent. Startled by the sudden attack, the Golem didn't even have time to raise his club or arms to defend himself.But this time, Lady Luck didn't smile at Drizzt.His scimitar tempered with the magic of the Underdark has been exposed to the sun for too long.Just as the point touched the fifteen-foot-tall, rock-hard skin of the giant, the blade buckled badly and finally snapped in two at the hilt. Drizzt leaped back.For the first time, he was betrayed by a weapon he trusted. The golem grinned evilly and raised his club, roaring.Sooner or later, a black shadow quickly passed by the dark elves and came to the stone giant.In an instant, the four sharp claws of the black panther sank deeply into the stone giant's chest. Guenhwyvar managed to save Drizzt's life, but the Golem remained alive.The giant beat the panther repeatedly with a wooden club until the panther let go.Guan Haifa originally wanted to use the moment of landing to turn around, but the impact drove the snow on the hillside.The black panther slid down the hill involuntarily, and managed to stand still, but he had already pulled away, and it was too late to go back to help Drizzt. This time, the stone giant couldn't laugh anymore, blood kept gushing from the wounds on his chest and face.Behind the stone giant, another group of orcs, led by the wargs, gradually approached. Outnumbered, Drizzt made the decision any intelligent person would make, turned and fled. If the two orcs, frightened off by Guenhwyvar, turned around, they could cut off Drizzt's path.However, half-orcs have never been a race known for their bravery.Although the two guys had crossed the ridge, they were still running desperately without looking back. Drizzt followed the path, looking for a way down the mountain to meet Guenhuffa.However, all the roads leading down the mountain are very difficult. If you go down the mountain rashly, you may get stuck halfway and be attacked by boulders thrown by stone giants.If you go up the mountain, it seems useless when the pursuers are so close.The dark elf had no choice but to continue running along the path, praying that the path would not be interrupted suddenly. At this time, the sun slowly rises from the eastern horizon.Drizzt, who is in a desperate situation, has another thorny problem. Drizzt knew that Lady Luck no longer favored him.The trail ends after a sharp bend.A pile of rocks that fell long ago blocked the way.Drizzt stopped and unloaded his belongings.Time was not on the Dark Elf's side, he had to hurry. The worgs and orcs overtook the stone giants, and only when they were outnumbered did the monsters have the courage to attack.At this moment, they pursued the dark elves together, led by the rampaging warg. The warg accelerated around the sharp bend, got entangled in the rope unexpectedly, and fell to the ground.Wargs are not stupid creatures, but when a drow rolls a boulder down a hill, it doesn't understand what it means.The warg froze for a moment, until the boulder tugged on the rope, bringing it down the hill with it. The simple trap works perfectly.For Drizzt, however, thorny issues lay ahead.The escape route was completely blocked, and the slopes up and down both sides of the path were too steep to pass.The goblin and golem hesitated for a moment as they rounded the sharp bend and saw the worg rolling down the hill howling.And Drizzt, with the only remaining weapon in his hand, a dagger, turned to face all his enemies. Drizzt tried to negotiate with the other party in goblin language, but the goblin didn't want to hear it.Before he could finish his sentence, a half-orc threw the spear in his hand towards the dark elf. The spear made a sound of piercing through the air, and flew towards Drizzt, who was blinded by the sun.However, the clumsy half-orc's throw angle was too large, and the dark elf easily dodged the spear, and threw the dagger backhand to fight back.Although half-orcs have better eyesight in sunlight than dark elves, their agility is much worse.The dagger hit the throat, and the orc fell to the ground with a cluck.The orc closest to the dead man grabbed the handle of the dagger, pulled it out forcefully, and took it for himself, without any intention of rescuing his companion. Drizzt quickly picked up the tattered spear that fell beside him, stood firm, and met the stone giant who rushed forward. An owl suddenly swooped down from mid-air and cooed at the Golem.The stone giant was distracted by the sudden interruption, and when he recovered to deal with the dark elf, he got an arrow in the back at some point. The angry stone giant turned to look.At this time, Drizzt saw the trembling black arrow body stuck in the opponent's back.The dark elf was not distracted from finding the source of this unexpected aid, he raised his spear and thrust all his strength into his opponent's back. Before the stone giant could turn around, the owl swooped down again, cooing twice.Same as the situation just now, the stone giant was hit by two more arrows in the chest. The orc looked around in surprise, hoping to find out who was helping the dark elf.However, for nocturnal orcs, the sun and the reflection of the snow are too much for their eyes.The stone giant whose heart was pierced stared blankly, as if he didn't realize that his life had come to an end.Drizzt raised his spear again to attack the Golem, but the Golem only staggered back a few steps. The orcs looked at each other in blank dismay, completely losing their will to fight. The strange owl swooped down on a half-orc again and made a cry.Knowing his impending doom, the unlucky fellow screamed helplessly.Suddenly, the screaming stopped abruptly, and the orc fell silently with an arrow shot in the face. The remaining half-orcs began to flee in all directions.One climbed up the hill, one ran back, and the other two rushed towards Drizzt. The dark elf skillfully swung his spear, first knocking down a half-orc with the handle of the spear, and then using the momentum of the spin to suppress the spear of another half-orc.Knowing that he could not wrest the weapon from the drow, the orc decided to abandon the spear. The orcs climbing up the mountain saw the owl approaching and ran away desperately.On hearing the hooting of the owl, the poor fellow hastened to hide behind a rock.However, the stupid Orc got it wrong.If you carefully recall the angle of the stone giant's arrow, you can know that the hidden opponent is hiding in the direction of the top of the mountain. As soon as he bent down, the orc was shot in the thigh by an arrow, and fell to the ground and rolled in pain.And the moaning and struggling commotion just gave the enemy the best target.The mysterious archer no longer needs the guidance of the owl, and an arrow hits the opponent's chest, ending the orc's life. Drizzt rubbed his body forward, knocked down the unarmed orc with the butt of his spear, turned again, reversed the spear, and sent the point down his opponent's throat.The orc who had been knocked down earlier shook his head vigorously, still not recovering from the dizziness.He had a vague feeling that the dark elf grabbed his scruffy bearskin jacket, then lifted his feet off the ground, flew into the air, and was thrown down the mountain to be with the warg. The screams of his companions kept coming from his ears, and the orc who was running back couldn't help but quicken his pace, secretly glad that he chose this way to escape.However, this thought quickly disappeared when I turned the sharp bend and saw the panther waiting there with its claws. Exhausted, Drizzt leaned against a rock, his spear gripped tightly in both hands.If a sneaky owl approaches him, he will throw his spear without hesitation.However, the other party kept a distance and stopped on a protruding rock near the sharp bend of the path dozens of steps away. A commotion from above the hillside caught Drizzt's attention.The blinding sunlight made the dark elf almost completely invisible, but he could vaguely distinguish a figure cautiously looking for a way, walking towards him. The owl took off again and circled above the dark elf's head, cooing.Frustrated, Drizzt hastily crouched low and remained vigilant.The figure took the opportunity to slide down the hillside and stood behind a rock.The cooing of the owl did not bring the attack of the bow and arrow, but the archer appeared. The man was tall, erect, with scraggly gray hair and a gray moustache, and he was probably very old.However, the most special thing is his pale and lifeless eyes.If Drizzt hadn't witnessed the other's archery prowess, he might have decided the man was blind.The old man's limbs looked thin, but Drizzt would not easily judge a person's strength by his appearance.The opponent's bowstring was fully stretched, and his fingers were tightly clasped on the nock of the arrow, ready to go, and he did not use a single bit of extra strength from his whole body.Drizzt didn't need to look to know how powerful this man's bow and arrow skills are. The old man uttered a few words in a language Drizzt didn't understand, then another, and finally a goblin tongue that Drizzt understood. "Who are you?" "Drizzt Do'Urden," the dark elf replied calmly.There was a glimmer of hope in his heart, at least, he could communicate with the other party. "Is that a name?" The old man chuckled and shrugged. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you do here," The owl noticed some movement on the other side of the path, and lowered its height to make a noise.However, the warning came too late, Guenhhvar had already come a step behind the old man, with his ears flat on the back of his head, his teeth bared, ready to strike at any moment. The old man ignored the threat of the panther and continued to finish his sentence. "From now on, you are my prisoner." Guenhwyvar growled, and Drizzt smiled. "I don't think so," he replied.