Chapter 35 end

Drizzt held his breath and turned over the stones one by one, hoping to find his buried friends.According to his estimation, Qianshui town was completely destroyed.He didn't know what happened to the sharp wood on the south side of the town gate. He speculated that it was a siege machine brought by the orcs to launch the final offensive. The battlefield was littered with dead orcs and wargs, and the scene left an indelible memory on him.But the fact that so many orcs had died at the entrance to the subterranean passage - presumably the last line of defense - told him that the battle could end in tragedy.

There was not a single body in the tunnel, which at least gave him hope that his friends had been captured, not killed. Then he found a familiar unicorn helmet. Drow, who had almost lost all his strength to stand, knelt on his knees, stroking Bruno Warhammer's imperial helmet, slowly lifted it up, and turned it around with his hands.He had hoped earlier that his eyes had deceived him that night beyond the Rift, when the burning towers were falling.He had hoped that Bruno would manage to jump out of the way and escape the catastrophe. Drow forced himself to look away, digging up the wreckage near the helmet with his hands.Beneath tons of stone, he found a squashed hand, a gnarled hand, a dwarf's hand.

So, he believed, he found Bruno's grave. Were Regis and Wulfgar buried here too?Where's Catti-brie? In Drizzt Do'Urden's frantic thoughts, all kinds of scenes swept over him, overwhelming him.He recalled the idea that the open road was better for adventure - even if it cost him his life, even if it cost Catti-brie's life - and nestling in safety was clearly not what he wanted lifestyle. How empty were these thoughts to him at this frightful moment! Strangely, he thought of Zaknafein, his family, his days in Menzoberranzan, the tragedies that had adorned his early life.He also thought of Alifen, of the fateful night witnessed by the stars, everything he did for her; of her final ending.

He thought of his friends, some gone, most likely dead.He was exhausted by such futile thoughts.In the time since leaving Zaknafem, in the time escaping from Menzoberranzan, in the time spent with Monterey, and those friends he cherishes most in Icewind Dale, Drizzt has abided by Self-imposed constraints based on discipline and extreme optimism.He fights for a more peaceful and better world because he firmly believes that it can and must be achieved.He never expected to bring change to every corner of the world, and he didn't even have the idea of ​​changing even a relatively limited part of it.However, he still believes that even if it is just to change the corner, it is worth the effort.

But Alifen died, and so did Bruno. He stared down at the helmet, turning it back and forth in his hands. In his speculation, he lost all his close friends. Except one, Guenhwyvar thought, as he hovered beside Drizzt. Three days later, Drizzt Do'Urden sat on the rocky slope of the mountain, listening to the piercing hissing of horns beside him, and watching the clusters of torches flickering on every mountain path.He understands that everything is just a prelude to disaster.The orcs swelled in number, and absorbed a considerable number of goblins in their ranks. Worse, they joined forces with more frost giants than ordinary people imagined.

The looting of Fort Fellbar's convoy gradually escalated, becoming a serious event that destroyed two towns and endangered the entire Northland. Just looking at these groups, Drizzt could imagine the threat that Mithril Hall would face soon. He believed it was more than that, because Mithril Hall was leaderless. But in fact, all the predictions did not leave Drizzt Do'Urden with enough feelings to sink his heart.He sat quietly on the hillside in the dark night, when he saw a small crowd of humanoid creatures and a campfire raised not far away, everything went away from him except the scene in front of him.

The drow pulled out the onyx statue and summoned Guenhwyvar.Then he pulled out the scimitar and walked slowly towards the camp.He didn't squint, didn't even blink; his face was stern and rigid. Time to clean up. ——"A Thousand Beastmen" ends here