Chapter 36 end

"He now knows that his son is dead," Drizzt said. He cleaned up Mu Miao carefully, especially where Pegasus was injured by the orcs. "Then he may come to us," answered the elf. "That saves us the trouble of finding him." Drizzt's concerns were washed away by Innovindi's stern emphasis, and he watched her try to come by herself—he couldn't take his eyes away.She took off her battle clothes, and she was wearing a bright blue thin coat, which perfectly set off every curve of her body.Behind her, the last rays of the setting sun on the horizon cast a golden gleam on the elf, accentuating her golden hair even more.

"You brought me into anger." Innoventi reminded him, "My place...can make people focus." Drizzt wanted to explain, trying to look away from the beautiful elf. "A very simple consciousness. Discovered when I wandered the tunnels of the Underdark after I left my homeland. I spent ten years there, mostly alone." He smiled Laughing, holding up the onyx statue. "Sometimes with Guenhuffa too." "If the Underdark is really what I've heard, there's no way you'll survive." "If I hadn't discovered the hunter instinct, I wouldn't have survived even with Guenhwyvar."

"Hunter instinct?" "It's that state of concentration," Drizzt explained. "In that state, the consciousness and mind are completely useless, and only anger and instinct direct the body." "Most things you do in a rage are blind." "It is," Drizzt agreed, "if not controlled." "And so you become a creature that focuses on anger. . . . " "And paid a considerable price, I only found out later." Drizzt added. "Hope, and..." "Love?" "I don't know," Drizzt admitted. "Maybe there's a space for everything I need."

"Drizzt? Or a hunter?" Drow shrugged. "We still have a lot to do," Innoventi told her. "After the dwarves retreat, the Northlands are in danger. We must mobilize all resistance forces in this area to fight Obard together—if they are not willing to fight Drizzt and Innovindi." Drizzt nodded in agreement, and then added solemnly, "Then when are we going to mobilize them? Before killing him, or after killing him?" These words made Innovindi sneer, and Drow stared at her in bewilderment with her lavender eyes.This beautiful and terrifying elf can be the best friend and deadliest foe.

"We must go back," Dagna grumbled. "The troll is undoubtedly heading for Mithril Hall!" "No!" Galen Firth cried. "Not now! My countrymen are nearby—somewhere." He stopped to search around, and many people also stopped. In the mud, a few dead trees stood staggeringly. This was the trace of the looting by the trolls. Galen Foss had already reminded Mithril Hall.The Nesmer riders were confirmed by what the dwarven party saw after they emerged from the tunnels to the south. A small army of ugly and foul-smelling trolls attacked them. The dwarves react quickly, but their legs are faster.The team hid in a low tunnel that was too small for the troll.The long cave walls were at first completely stony, and gradually became a mixture of rock and mud.The tunnels took them all the way to somewhere east of Nesme, on the edge of the Trollfields--that's what Galen Fosse guessed.

Dagna stared at Galen with a straight face, and gradually understood his thoughts.Dagna felt that he should report back to Regis, alerting Mithril Hall, but Galen Firth was adamant that they should search that place, find the people of Nesmer and keep them safe.Dagna could not refuse the request.He also provided support to Nesme's riders. "I'll give you three days," Dagna said. "Then my people and I will go back to Mithril Hall. The trolls will not come after them, their goal is Mithril Hall" "But you don't know either." "I think so," Dagna retorted. "With my old bones I can feel my people being threatened. What could a troll in Trollfield do in the tunnels?"

"They may be chasing Nesmer survivors down below." Dagna nodded, hoping that Galen Firth was right, that the trolls hadn't attacked Mithril Hall, they were just picking up on Nesme's misery. "Three days," he said. Galen Firth nodded in agreement, and fifty dwarves gathered with packs and weapons. They had just run for an hour, and there was another day's hasty march before that.The sun is about to set, and night is covering the earth. But now is not the time to rest. "The elves are still out there," Bruno repeated over and over. Regis, Catti-brie, and Wulfgar gathered around him, as did some of the other leaders, and no one said a word.They had just brought him news of the battle at Shallowwater and the death of Little Dagna, and the reinforcements of the Mirabar dwarves, and the series of battles that ensued.

"Well, we have already set up defenses in the gate and the underground tunnel." The dwarf king said conclusively. "Don't tell me those pigs attack from there." "If they attack," Regis added, all eyes were on him, "what is their plan? Is it reckless to achieve the so-called final victory?" "Or something else?" Bruno asked. Regis shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to organize his thoughts.The orcs drove them back into the tunnel, which was not in keeping with the orcs.Every step they take is very clever.The orcs attacking this time were more like an army than a mob in the usual sense.

"And giants," Regis said. "This orc seems to be called Obard Manyarrows." "Cursed be his name forever!" said Trede McNuclis. "You and your fellow Felba know him well, of course," Bruno said to Tride. "Do you think he is capable of doing that?" Trede sniffled and shrugged. "If he thinks so, he wants to kill all his men," said Banneker Braunenwell.He couldn't even sit down now, he was lying on a cot in the room. Cadio and the other clerics tried their best to heal him, but the stubborn old dwarf could not recover, the orc's spear pierced too deep.His spine had been severed, and the old dwarf's days were numbered in the general sense.

The others looked at him pityingly. "Any news from the south?" Bruenor asked Regis. "There is no news from Dagna." The halfling replied.He looked at everyone, obviously shy. It was his idea to send the dwarves to support Garen Firth after all. "But there is some fighting in the lower tunnels, and a sizable army of trolls is attacking here." "We'll get rid of them," Banak said. "Panter and his boys went down. Panter's favorite thing about trolls, he said he likes to see trolls squirming after being torn apart." Bruno nodded.The dark elves had failed to capture Mithril Hall, and he believed that neither the orcs, nor even with the help of trolls and giants, would be able to drive the Warhammers out again.

They still had a lot of work to do, fortify the fortifications, bandage the wounds, and reorganize the army, but Bruno was relieved that during his absence, Mithril Hall was functioning normally. But while he was very relieved of his clansmen, he also felt a little sad in his heart.He had lost a friend, and it made the dwarf ache. "The elves are outside," he said again, shaking his head.But his face lit up again, and he looked at Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Regis. "I know a secret passage can get out, let's find him back!" "Don't even think about it." Cadio Muffinhead said immediately, and he rushed to Bruno's side quickly. "You just came back to us and can't hang around anymore—" He was about to finish, but Bruno shoved him against the wall. "Listen to me, listen carefully," Bruno said to them. "I can see that none of you are telling me the truth. You call me a king, don't you—I'm a king, and I have the right to do whatever I want." Bruno looked back at his three best friends and added, "The elves are still out there." "Let's go get him back," Regis suggested. Catti-brie and Wulfgar exchanged a meaningful glance, then Regis and Bruenor. So the matter was settled. On the slopes of a high mountain, the Dark Elves watched the setting sun.Seeing the light fading into darkness, he wondered why he paid so much attention to this sight.Perhaps it was because it was a change of day, perhaps because it marked the completion of another chapter in Drizzt Do'Urden's life. He was an elf, as Innovindi had reminded him.He can see the sunset many times unless his enemies kill him. This is a very real question, but he rarely thinks about it.A smile played on Drow's mouth.Maybe this was where I belonged, like my friends, like poor Tarasher.But it wasn't going to happen, he swore to himself, at least not until he killed that ugly orc himself - Obard Manyarrows. ——End of the full text