Chapter 3 Chapter 1 back to back

His long white hair fell over Catti-brie's shoulders, stroking the front of her exposed arm, while her own auburn hair cascaded over Drizzt's arms and chest.They sat back to back on the shore of the largest lake in Icewind Dale, Pond Dolden, and gazed at the hazy summer sky.Lazy white clouds float in the air, their furry borders sometimes intruded by one of the many vultures soaring beneath them, providing stark contrast.What stood out in the sky today was not so many birds, but white clouds, which attracted the attention of the pair of friends. "Steelhead salmon on a harpoon," Catti-brie said, referring to a cloud of unusual shape, a thin white line trailing a curved oval at the end.

"How do you know?" the dark elf protested with a smile. Catti-brie turned her head to face her dark-skinned, purple-eyed companion, "How could you not know, these are as common as your own white eyebrows." Drizzt laughed again, not at what she said, but at the way she said it.She lived again with Bruenor's tribe, in the dwarven mines just outside Ten-Towns, and the rough dwarves' mannerisms and accent evidently affected her again. Drizzt also turned his head slightly towards the woman, his right eye inches from Catti-brie's.He could see the sparks flickering there, and he couldn't be mistaken, an expression of contentment and happiness that hadn't returned since Wulfgar's absence in the months since, an expression stronger than ever in fact.Drizzt smiled, and turned his gaze back to the sky. "Your fish has escaped," he announced as the wind had blown the thin line away from the larger part ahead. "That's a fish," she snapped, or she tried to sound like a snap.

Drizzt smiled and did not continue to argue. "You bloody stupid little thing!" Bruenor Warhammer yelled and complained, spittle flying with his rising anger.The dwarf stopped, stamped his stiff boots on the floor, and buckled his one-horned helm on his head, his thick orange hair flying violently under the scarred brim. "I thought I had a friend in the council, and then you put up no resistance there, and Camp Ortagus asked for money!" The halfling Regis was thinner than ever, fond of the arm from a horrific wound he'd suffered on his last adventure with his friends.He simply shrugged and replied, "Camp Ortagus only charges fisherman's ore prices."

"The fishermen are going to buy quite a lot of ore!" Bruno roared. "Why can't I get you back into Parliament when you can't make life easier for me?" Regis responded to the speech with a slight smile.He wanted to remind Bruenor that the dwarves hadn't gotten him back to council, that they needed a new representative since the previous representative of Lonewood had been wounded in the stomach by a snow ape, and had asked him to, but he wisely stay in my heart. "Fisherman," said the dwarf, spitting on the ground, just in front of Regis' hairy, bare feet.

The halfling smiled again, and stepped across the trail. He knew Bruenor was just bluffing, and he knew that the dwarf would be quick to drop the matter once the next crisis loomed.Bruenor Warhammer was always an excitable man. The dwarf was still murmuring when they both circled the road and were able to see Drizzt and Catti-brie in full view.Drizzt and Catti-brie were still sitting on the mossy shore, lost in their dreams of clouds, enjoying each other's company.Regis took a breath at that, thinking that Bruenor might be furious if he saw his beloved adopted daughter get so close to Drizzt, or anyone for that matter.But Bruno just shook his hairy head and left quickly.

"Damn stupid elf," he said when Regis caught up to him. "Would you just kiss this girl and be done with it?" Regis grinned to his ears. "How do you know he hasn't?" he said.No better reason than to see the dwarf's cheeks as red as his hair and beard. Of course, Regis immediately slipped away, avoiding Bruenor's fatal catch. The dwarf bowed his head, murmured curses, and stomped his way.Regis could hardly believe that the boots could make a thunderous sound on such a soft, mossy dirt road. Regis was not surprised by the boisterousness in the halls of Bryn Shander's council.While Elder Cassius, the supreme leader of Ten-Towns, presides over the routine discussions, Regis does try to focus.Previously these ten small towns were either independent or governed by a council in which a representative from each town took a seat.But Cassius's power in the region was so great that he was no longer the representative of any single community, not even the town he came from, Bryn Shander, by far the largest.Of course, the leader of the second largest city among the Ten Towns was not at peace with him.He and Cassius were often at odds, and with Cassius rising in stature and another new councilor named Bryn Shander, Kemp felt outnumbered.

But Cassius continued to grow in stature, and over the past few months, even the stubborn Kemp had grudgingly admitted that the man's behavior was generally just and appropriate. For the MP from Lonelywood, the peace and unanimity of the council only added to his boredom.This halfling loves to be eloquent and argumentative, especially when he is not in charge himself, but can suddenly step in and stir up emotion and tension. Ah, the good old days. Regis tried to keep himself sane, and he did.At this point, the discussion turned to how to divide the deep waters of Lake Dürden and distribute them to different ships, preventing crossing of routes and preventing violence on the lake.This kind of rhetorical debate had been going on in Ten-Towns for decades, and Regis understood that there were no rules for separating tangled ships on icy waters.Regardless of the rules, ships will go wherever there is rockhead.In addition to being the raw material for bone carvings and delicious food, steelhead salmon is also the main source of income for Ten Towns, attracting countless desperadoes to come to Ten Towns in search of wealth.

The rules laid down in this room are just a tool for the councilors from the shores of the three major lakes in the Ice Peak Valley. When the rules are ignored, they are used to pave the way for the ensuing debate. When the halfling councilor woke up, the discussion shifted (thankfully) to something more specific, one that concerned Regis directly.In fact, the halfling had only just realized this, and it was Cassius' voice calling to him that prompted him to open his eyes. "Forgive me for disturbing your sleep," the Elder of Ten-Towns said quietly to Regis. "I, I worked for days and nights to, uh, get ready to come here, uh," the halfling stammered, embarrassed.

"And it's a long way to Bryn Shander." Cassius smiled and raised his hand to stop Regis from speaking, so as not to put the halfling in a more embarrassing situation.Whatever the case, Regis needed no excuses with this group.They knew his faults, but also his worth, a worth that depended heavily on his powerful friends. "So, can you help us with this?" Camp Ortagus asked gruffly.He was the one who disliked Regis the least in the Council. "What's the matter?" Regis asked. Kemp lowered his head, cursing quietly. "About the robbers," Cassius explained, "this newly discovered gang is across the Morioka River, south of the town of Bremen, and we know it will take your friends a long way, but if you and Your partners were able to once again keep the roads in this region safe, and we certainly appreciate your efforts."

Regis sat back, folded his hands in front of his fat stomach (perhaps not as obvious as before), and put on a serious expression.That's it, he mused.This is another chance for him and his friends to serve as heroes to the residents of Ten-Towns. It was an essential element that filled Regis, though he had to admit that he was often a secondary character to the heroism of his powerful friends.But in parliamentary discussions, when he can be as assertive as the mighty Kemp, he has a chance to shine.He considered the task Cassius had given him.Bremen Town is the westernmost city, on the other side of the Morioka River. At the end of summer like now, the water level should be very low.

"I expect we can clear the way by the 'Ten Day,'" Regis said after an appropriate pause. After all, he knew his friends would say yes.How many times had they stalked monsters and road bandits over the past few months?It was a character that Drizzt and Catti-brie were particularly fond of, and Bruenor, despite his constant whining, didn't really care. As he sat there, thinking about it, Regis realized that he wasn't worried, though he and his friends had to embark on another adventure.The halfling's emotions had been affected during his previous long journey, when he was stabbed by a goblin spear and felt the piercing pain nearly killing him.At this moment Regis didn't realize that this change would be reversed.Back then, the badly wounded halfling thought only of returning to his cozy hut in Lonewood, carving elaborate bone carvings from stonehead salmon bones, and absent-mindedly fishing on the shores of Loch Dulden.But when he returns to the comfort of Lonelywood, he finds that showing off his scars has given him an unexpected boost. So, yes, when Drizzt and the others set off to conquer new threats, Regis was happy to go, whatever role that might be. The end of the first "ten days" on the main road south of Bremen looked like it was going to be another dreary day.Small insects and mosquitoes buzzed the air in the greedy swamp.The mud thawed from the nine months of cold in Icewind Dale tried to cling to the wheels of the little wagon, and to Drizzt's old boots as the drow moved close behind his companions. Catti-brie drives a one-horse carriage.She was wearing a dirty woolen dress that fell from her shoulders to her toes, and her hair was tightly tied.Regis, dressed like a boy, sat next to her, his face rosy from exposure to the summer sun. The most uncomfortable was Bruno, although it was of his own design.He made himself a box to sit in, so that he could be well concealed, and nailed it just under the middle of the wagon.He sat there day after day. Drizzt chose his path carefully through the mire-strewn terrain, walking all day and keeping watch. There are more dangerous things in the tundra of Icewind Dale than the raiders their pack has come to capture.While most of the tundra snow apes may have followed the caribou herd south to the foot of the Spine of the World, some may still be this area.Giants and goblins also often come down from the far mountains at this season, in search of easy game and easy riches.Many times, when crossing rocky and swampy areas, Drizzt had to pick up his pace, leaping over deadly, gray-skinned snakes, some twenty feet or more long, with venomous bites that could Pour a giant. In addition to these considerations, the drow had to keep the carriage in a corner of his field of vision from time to time, and scan around in all directions.If the robbers were easy to find, he had to find each other before the robbers saw them. Take it easy, anyway, the drow mused.They had a fairly detailed description of the gang, and it didn't appear to be numerically or technically superior.Even so, Drizzt reminded himself almost constantly not to let preconceived notions accumulate too much confidence.A single lucky arrow could reduce his team to three. And so, despite the wind and the swarms of bugs and the sun stinging his eyes, every mud puddle might hide a grayskin snake ready to feast on him, or a snow ape crouching Waiting in cover, and a rumored gang of dangerous thieves is threatening him and his companions in the area. Drizzt Do'Urden is in excellent spirits now! He walked briskly across a stream, then stopped, noticing a strange line of mud puddles, the size of human feet, spaced out as if a man was speeding by.The drow walked to the nearest pit and knelt down to examine it.He knew the tracks wouldn't stay here for long, so this was a fresh track.Drizzt's fingers reached down, and by the time his fingertips touched the ground below, the water was a second joint deep, just as deep as a grown man's footprint. The drow stood up, reaching for the hilt of the scimitar beneath the robes he had used as camouflage. The Flash is on his right hip and Ice Death is on his left, poised and ready to cut down any threat. Drizzt moved his purple eyes and raised a hand to shade from the sun.The tracks lead towards the road, where the carriage will soon be. There lay a man, covered in mud, weary on the ground, waiting.Drizzt didn't walk towards him, but lowered his body and circled back, intending to cross the road behind the moving carriage, looking for a similar ambush point.He lowered the hood of his gray cloak, making sure it covered his white hair, and ran at full speed, black fingers rubbing against his palms with each eager step. Regis yawned, stretched, and leaned over to Catti-brie, snuggling beside her, closing his large brown eyes. "Good time for a nap," the woman said softly. "Good time to make any observers think I'm taking a nap," Regis corrected, "do you see them there on the curb behind?" "Yes," said Catti-brie, "a dirty couple." As she said that, the woman left the rein with one hand and slid under the front edge of the carriage.Regis looked at her hand against the thing, and he knew she was relieved that her excellent bow, the Heartseeker, was there, Ready to use. In fact, this fact comforts the halfling more than a little. Regis stretched a hand across the back of the driver's seat, and absently but heavily slapped the wooden lining inside the carriage, signaling to Bruno to be on guard. "Let's go," Catti-brie whispered after a while. Regis continued to keep his eyes closed, and his hands continued to clap, but now at a faster pace.He did open his left eye slightly, and saw three disheveled thieves coming along the road. Catti-brie led the carriage. "Oh, kind gentlemen!" she cried, "can you please help me and my son? My man died in the back mountain road, and I think we are a little lost. Been on the road all day Tossing back and forth, I don't know which is the road to Ten Towns." "Smart," Regis whispered, smacking his lips and moving around in his seat, looking sleepy to cover his words. In fact, the halfling admired it, and Catti-brie used this method to disguise the purpose of their repeated trips on the road these days.If the gang was watching them, it wouldn't be too suspicious now. "But I don't know what to do," Catti-brie pleaded, her voice shrill and full of fear. "It's just me and my son here, and lost." "We'll help you," said the thin man in the middle, with red hair and a beard that grew almost to his belt. "But there is a price," said the rogue to his left.He was the largest of the three, and carried a huge tomahawk on his shoulder. "The price?" Catti-brie asked. "Your carriage's worth," said a third.He seemed the most elegant of the bunch, both in accent and appearance.He wore a vest and tunic of many colours, yellow and red, and a long, handsome sword was carried on a belt, close to his left hip. Regis and Catti-brie exchanged glances, not surprised. They heard a thud behind them, and Regis bit his lip, hoping Bruenor wouldn't break in and ruin the whole thing.They plan thoughtfully and the action is choreographed from first to last. Another thud came from behind, but the halfling had already lowered his arms and slammed his fist on the back of the seat to cover the sound. He looked over to Catti-brie, and from her tense blue eyes he knew it would soon be his turn to act. He'll be the toughest, Catti-brie told herself, looking at the rogue on the far right, the most graceful of the three.Although she did glance at the other side, the biggest one, once. For a moment she didn't doubt that he could split her in two with that horrible axe. "And a little bit of a woman's body," said the rogue on the left, with a longing smile showing wide gaps between his teeth.The man in the middle smiled evilly, too.But the one on the right glanced at the other two with contempt. "Well, but she's lost her husband, she said," argued the burly fellow. "I guess she must be very comfortable to ride on." The image of her sharp sword, Harzdheer, stabbing the clown in the groin flashed through her mind, but she hid her smile well. "Perhaps your carriage will suffice," explained the elegant robber, and Catti-brie noticed that he wasn't done with his tricks.Yes, she understood this man well enough.He'd rather use charm to get what the burly guy wanted with muscle.After all, it would be more fun for him if she cooperated. "With everything in it, of course," continued the elegant robber, "it's a pity we have to accept your donated cargo, but I'm afraid we are patrolling the roads and must survive." "So, that's your job?" Catti-brie asked. "I can only think of you as a bunch of vile thieves." This made them see the truth! "Two on the right and three on the left," Catti-brie whispered to Regis. "Those brutes in front are mine." "Of course they are yours," Regis replied.Catti-brie gave him a surprised look. However, this surprise only lasted for a short while, and Catti-brie immediately thought to herself that Regis knew her very well, and in the process of talking with the road bandits, maybe he followed her emotions all the time, just like herself clear. She turned to the halfling, smiled wryly, made a slight reminder, and turned back to the road bandits. "You have no reason or right to take anything," she said to the thieves, adding just enough tremors in her voice to make them think that her audacity had reached its limit, and that behind that limit lay a deep fear. Regis yawned and stretched, then stared wide-eyed in feigned surprise and fear. With a cry he jumped off the right-hand side of the carriage and ran into the mud. Catti-brie took the cue, stood tall, and flung off her camouflage woolen skirt, throwing it aside, revealing that she was a warrior.The deadly weapon Hazdeher revealed, and she reached under the edge of the carriage seat again and drew her bow.She leaped forward, one step over the harness, onto the ground beside the horse, and jerked the horse forward, using its size to separate the big man from his companion. The three robbers on the right side of the carriage saw this movement, jumped up from the mud, drew their swords, and rushed over howling. A lithe, swift figure rose from its crouch behind a small slope beside them, silent as a ghost, its feet moving so fast in the wet mud that it seemed to be floating . Shining twin swords emerged from beneath the gray robe; an innocent smile and a pair of purple eyes greeted the three charging men. "Ugh, grab him!" a bandit yelled, and all three moved toward the drow.Two stabs and one aimless slash, their movements clumsy and uncoordinated. Drizzt's right arm was straight out to the side, giving Ice Death a perfect angle to block the slash high while his left hand moves inward from above, pressing down with the curved side of the "flash" for the thrust of two swords.When "Flash" withdrew, "Ice Death" pressed down and hit the two outstretched swords again, and "Flash" pressed down crosswise and hit them again.With a deft squat back, the drow's head escaped the angry bandit's backhand sweep, and Drizzt quickly raised "Ice Death", just in time to stab the man's hand as the sword whizzed by.The robber let go with a howl, and the sword flew out. But it didn't fly far, because the drow's left hand had already moved.He stretched out the "flash" to hook The flying sword.The next dance-like movement captivates the three.Under the quick movement of the two blades, the sword rotated in the air, up and down, left and right, and the dark elf struck the sides of the weapon, as if playing a tune. Drizzt gave Ice Death a full turn, returning the sword perfectly to its original owner, thus to end the show. When the hilt fell perfectly into the stunned bandit's hands, the drow smiled and said, "You can surely do better than this," The man screamed, dropped his weapon, turned and ran. "It's that Drizzt!" cried another of them, running after him. But a third, whether from fear, anger, or stupidity, came forward.His sword swung wildly, thrusting forward, then retracting, thrusting forward a little higher, then weaving back, or at least, starting to do so. The drow's swords came up to meet them, striking the swords alternately, twice with each sword.Then "flash" the The sword lowered, and the drow struck violently, the side of his blade slamming against the side of the utterly defeated bandit.The strikes are so fast and furious that the resulting sound sounds like one continuous long note. The man was clearly feeling numb in his hands, but he was trying to take advantage of his opponent's quick movements and lunged forward, clearly trying to get close and grab the drow's lightning-quick hands. He found himself without a weapon, though he didn't know how.The bandit leaned forward and opened his arms to hug his opponent, but missed. He felt a stabbing pain between his legs, and the drow had unknowingly moved behind him, using the back of the machete Hit him between the legs and make him jump on tiptoe. Drizzt drew back the scimitar so quickly that the man had to jump, then staggered forward, almost falling. Drizzt kicked the bandit on the back between the shoulder blades, and the drow kicked him face down in the mud. "You'll have to stay here until I wake you up," Drizzt said. After taking a look at the wagon to make sure his friends were all right, the drow took his time following the tracks left by the two fleeing men. Regis managed to come across as a terrified child, running into the mud in a panic, arms flailing wildly, yelling "Help! Help!" along the way. The two whom Catti-brie had warned him stood up and cut him off.He yelled and ran to the side in a hurry, tripped and fell to his knees. "Oh, gentlemen please don't kill me!" Regis wailed pitifully.The two men came over with evil smirks on their faces and dangerous weapons in their hands. "Oh, please!" said Regis, "here, I'll give you my father's necklace, and I will!" Regis reached under the front of his shirt and pulled out a ruby ​​pendant, dangling from his hand by a short chain just enough to allow it to swing and spin. The robbers approached, and their smirks turned into curious expressions as they faced the spinning gem.The gem, with its thousands of sparkles, seemed to catch and store light with eagerness. Catti-brie let go of her galloping horse, dropped her bow and quiver to the side of the road, and leaped aside to dodge the passing carriages, poised for the big burglar and his great axe. He rushed towards her fiercely and clumsily, the ax swiped in front of him, then swiped again with his backhand, and then slashed hard from top to bottom.The agile Catti-brie easily dodged the three axes. After the third miss, the ax sank into the soft ground and sank, giving her a perfect chance to kill him instantly. She heard the sound of the more elegant thieves urging the horses, and saw the carriage rumbling by with the other two robbers in the driver's seat.They are now Bruno's problem to solve. She decided to take her time.She hated the guy's dirty talk. "Damn the latch!" Bruno complained, the door hook of his makeshift car jammed with the mud turned up by the wheels and unable to move. Now the wagon went faster and faster, jolting wildly, making the dwarf bounce violently. Finally, Bruno found one leg, then the other, curled up tight and steady.he Letting out a roar that even a red dragon would be proud of, he pushed up with all his strength, piercing the top of his head through the floor of the carriage. "You think you can slow it down?" he asked the elegantly dressed road bandit who was driving and the red-haired robber sitting next to him.They both looked back, with happy expressions on their faces. For when the red-haired bandit drew and twirled his dagger, leaped across the seat and lunged at Bruno, he realized he was not in a good defensive position, his arms clamped at his sides by splintered planks. One of the thieves stared foolishly at the spinning gem, looking rather content.The other just stared at it for a moment, then stood up, shook his head slightly, and moved his lips. "You little liar!" he growled. Regis jumped up, snapping the ruby ​​pendant into his fat hand.As another man stepped forward, with both hands at Regis' throat, he yelled at the already delirious man, "Don't let him hurt me!" Although Regis moved faster than he looked, and swept back.But the man was tall and still had the upper hand and was able to catch him easily. It's a pity that the other thief firmly believes that this little guy is a friend, a dear friend.He slammed into the side of his companion, pushing him to the ground.After a while, the two guys were rolling and shoving, exchanging punches and swearing. "You fool, he's a liar!" cried the hostile one, hitting the other in the eye with his fist. "You cruel bastard, he's a friendly little guy!" retorted the other, also punching the other on the nose. Regis sighed, and turned to watch the battle unfold.He played his part perfectly, as he has done in all of "Hallmates" lately. But he still thought about what Drizzt would do to these two, with his scimitar gleaming in the sun.He wishes he could. He thought of how Catti-brie would deal with them, no doubt she would use such a combination, the Cutter's quick and deadly slash, followed by a well-aimed, lightning-fast arrow, drawn from her wondrous bow. shoot out.The halfling wished he could do the same. He thought of how Bruenor would deal with the bandit, taking a punch to the face while giving the other one that would have knocked the giant down, and so on, and so on, until the two fell into the mud.He wished he could. "No," Regis said.He snapped back from thinking about Bruno.Everyone has their own way, he asserted, turning his attention to the two combatants rolling in the mud before him. His new pet is about to lose. Regis drew his weapon, a small mace that Bruenor had made for him.As that pair of opponents rolled back and forth, it was an opportunity to give it a shot that set things in the right direction. Soon his pets had the upper hand, and Regis was on his way to success. towards his own success. He stabbed forward, and the robber drew out the embedded axe, and stood in front of him, covering left and right, so as to block or at least deflect the stabbing sword. Catti-brie strode forward vigorously, overshooting herself, and she knew it, at least in the robber's eyes. Because she knew this guy would underestimate her.What he said when he first saw her told her well about the man's attitude towards women. The robber fell for the trap and pushed his ax out, pointing it out at her, in an attempt to hit her. But turning around on one foot made her miss the terrifying weapon, and when she could stab the man's chest with Hazidhe, she kicked him hard in the crotch with her foot. She flung herself back, and the man groaned and regained his posture. Catti-brie waited a moment so he could strike again. As expected, he continued to unleash thankless slashes his way.This time, Catti-brie stepped back just enough for the flying ax blade to miss.She moved forward beyond the distance that the man could reach, turned around with her left foot as the axis, kicked her right foot backwards, and hit the man's crotch again. She didn't know exactly why, but she just wanted to do it. Again, she backed away to safety before the bandit could react, before he could even recover from the dizzying pain writhing in his groin. Barely pulling himself upright, he charged with his ax aloft and roaring—the attack of a desperate opponent.Hazidhar's thirsty sword tip buried the man's belly, bringing him to a sudden halt.A flick of Catti-brie's wrist sent the deadly blade downward, and a quick stride brought her face to face with the man. "This must hurt," she murmured, pushing her knee hard. Catti-brie leaped back, then spun forward again, her sword cutting the inside of the falling axe, the sharp edge cutting through the handle like a candle.Catti-brie flashed back again, but before she did so, she landed another kick that hit home. With his eyes wide open and an expression of absolute pain locked on his face, the robber tried to give chase, but Hazidhe, who was downswing, unfastened his belt and all the straps on his trousers, which fell to him. the heel. Taking a small step, and then a small step, the man stumbled and fell into the mud.Covered in mud, with bursts of pain passing through his body, he crawled on his knees and tried to chop her when she approached, only to find that he was only holding less than half of the ax handle in his hand. The man leaned too far to the left because of the blank stroke.Catti-brie followed close behind, tapped the savage's shoulders, and pushed him into the mud. He was on his knees again, his eyes covered in mud, and he was flailing wildly. She is behind him. Kicked him into the mud again. "Stay on your stomach," she warned. Cursing angrily and spitting mud and brown water, the stubborn but dizzy rogue stood up again. "Get down," said Catti-brie, knowing he would find her by the sound. He stretched one leg out to the side for balance and turned, delivering a desperate blow. Catti-brie leaped over the stick and leg, landing before the man, translating her movement into an even stronger kick in the crotch. This time, when the man curled up in the mud like a fetus, weeping softly and clutching his groin, she knew he couldn't get up again. Glancing at Regis and grinning, Catti-brie walked back to get her bow. Desperation drove Bruno's arms and legs, hands pushing hard, knees coming in to help.A thick wooden plank was pushed open, standing up like a shield to block the incoming dagger, Bruno managed to give his hands enough room to move, turned the wooden plank, and knocked the dagger flying from the red-haired man's hand. Perhaps, the dwarf thought, the bandit was deciding to throw it away. The man's fist came from the side of the board and slammed into his face.Then another left, another right, and Bruno couldn't defend, so he didn't.He let the man hit him, twisted and struggled to get his hands free, and finally, he was able to defend to a certain extent.He grabbed the wrist of the man's left hand with his right hand, and punched his left hand, as if to knock the robber's head off. But the mob grabbed his arm as well, just as Bruno had grabbed him, and the two held each other, struggling in the rocking carriage. "Come here, Kanda!" the red-haired man called. "Oh, I got him!" He turned to look at Bruenor, his ugly face an inch away from the dwarf's. "What do you do now, little man?" "Did anyone ever tell you that you spit when you talk?" Bruno asked in disgust. In reply, the man sniffed with a foolish smirk, filling his mouth with a gulp of saliva, ready to spray it on the dwarf. Bruno's whole body tensed up and launched an attack, like a whole muscle, or like the body of a giant snake.He slammed his forehead against the ugly bandit's face, knocking his head back so that he was looking up at the sky, so that when he spat - somehow he managed to spit - Spit upwards and land on himself. Bruno let go, let go of the man's arm, and put one hand around the rogue's throat while the other grabbed his belt.他被高高抛起，越过矮人的头，从奔驰的马车边上飞了出去。 布鲁诺看见剩下的盗贼脸上的镇静，他放下缰绳，平静地转过身，拔出他精致的长剑。布鲁诺也冷静地完全爬出隔间，在后面捡起他布满缺口的斧子。 矮人把斧子拍着右肩，装出一付悠闲的样子，两腿远远分开，在马车的跳动中支撑住自己。 “你最好聪明点放下它，并且停住这愚蠢的马车。”他对对手说。那人正在他面前挥舞着长剑。 “是你该投降，”路匪说，“愚蠢的矮人！”说完，刺向前。布鲁诺眼都不眨一下，他有足够的经验判断对方能刺的距离和力量。 然而矮人低估了一点点，长剑的剑尖戳进了他的秘银胸甲，找到了足够的空隙，猛的刺入矮人的身体。“哎呦，”布鲁诺说，听上去好像并不是很严重。 路匪收回剑，准备再次弹起。“你笨拙的武器无法跟我的速度和敏捷相比！”他宣布，并且迎向前。“哈！”布鲁诺强壮的手腕一甩，他的斧子向前飞出，转了一圈，埋进挺剑前刺的路匪胸口，将他向后冲击，倒在驾驶坐的背面。 “是么？”矮人问。他一只脚踏在路匪的胸口，拉出他的武器。 看到布鲁诺已经控制了马车，凯蒂布莉儿放下弓。她已经瞄着那个挥长剑的路匪，如果需要便射死他。 有一小会儿，她甚至也不相信，布鲁诺·战锤需要她的帮助来对付这样两个人。 她转向瑞吉斯，瑞吉斯正从右面走来。 后面是他顺从的宠物，肩头扛着俘虏。 “你有绷带给布鲁诺扔下来的那个么？”凯蒂布莉儿问，虽然她也不大确信那人是否还活着。 瑞吉斯开始点着头，但立刻大叫示警，“左边！”凯蒂布莉儿转过身，举起“寻心者”，发现了目标。 崔斯特踢倒在泥地里的人正在爬起来。 她射出一支疾驰的箭，闪电般放着银光，钉入他正在抬起的头边上的地里。那人呆住了，看上去在呜咽。“你最好躺回去，”凯蒂布莉儿在大路上对他喊。 He did. 两个多小时后，那两个逃跑的盗贼，闯过灌木丛。这片灌木丛在隐藏他们营地 的一圈大石头的缺口处。 他们仍然跌跌撞撞，狂乱地穿过马群，在偷来的马车附近，寻找到了茱尔·派帕，他们的首领，这个组织的战略家，也是厨师，现在正围着一个巨大的锅忙碌。 “今天没什么吧？”高高的黑发女子问道，她棕色的眼睛细细观察他们。她的 语调和姿势揭示了事实，然而两个盗贼都不够聪明去察觉。茱尔意识到发生了什么，而且多半不是好事。 “那个崔兹特，”其中一个盗贼冲口而出，每说一个字喘一口气。“那个崔兹特和他的朋友找上我们了。” “崔斯特？”茱尔问。 “崔兹特·杜登，那个该死的卓尔精灵，”另外一个说。“我们截了一辆马车，只有一个女人和她的孩子，然后他出现了，在我们三个后面。可怜的沃肯先跟他斗上了。” “可怜的沃肯，”另一个说。 茱尔闭上眼摇摇头，明白了一些其他人显然还不明白的事。“这个女人，”她问，“她仅仅交出了马车而已？” “我们逃走的时候她挑起了争斗，”脏兮兮的两个人中的第一个说，“我们没看见太多。” “她？”茱尔问道。“你们是说凯蒂布莉儿？布鲁诺·战锤的女儿？你们中圈套了，傻瓜！” 两人疑惑地互相看着对方。“我们已经付出了一些损失，你不怀疑吧，”其中一个终于说，鼓足勇气看着这个仪表堂堂的女子。“不会比这更糟了。” “会吗？”茱尔怀疑地问。“那么告诉我，黑暗精灵的黑豹同伴出现了吗？” 两人再次互相望着对方。 仿佛是作为回答，一声低吼在营地响起，不断回响着，仿佛是从地底发出，渗入三个盗贼的身体里。 营地边上的马群嘶叫着，跺着蹄子，紧张地甩着头。 “我猜它出现了，”茱尔回答自己的问题，深深叹了一口气。 边上什么东西一动，闪过一片黑影，吸引了他们的注意力，三个脑袋同时转过去看新来的访客。那是一头巨大的黑豹，至少十呎长，肌肉虬结的双肩有一个强壮男子的胸那么高。 “卓尔精灵的豹子？”其中一个脏兮兮的盗贼问。 “他们说她的名字是关海法，”茱尔证实道。 另一个盗贼早就在往后退，始终瞪视着豹子。他撞上了一辆马车，然后沿着马车缓缓移动，在紧张流汗的马群前走过。 “所以你就跑回我这里来了，”茱尔对另一个以明显的蔑视态度说。“你不明白为什么卓尔精灵允许你们逃跑？” “不，他很忙！”剩下的那个盗贼抗议。 茱尔只是摇摇头。毕竟，她并不惊讶事情会到这一步。她知道她带领着这么一伙傻瓜也是应有此报。 关海法咆哮着跳到营地中央，正落在那两人中间。茱尔比较明智，不至于想跟这样强壮的野兽战斗，只是举起手来。 当她正打算命令她的同伙照她一样做，听见其中一个跌到地上的声音。他已经晕了过去。 剩下的那个肮脏的盗贼甚至没有看见关海法跳过来。他转着圈，冲出大石头环的缺口，闯过灌木丛，当到达大路上时，认为他的朋友们会在他逃跑时在后面战斗。他逃了出来，斜视摇晃的树枝，确实注意到一个黑影站在一边，也注意到一双紧张的紫色眼睛正看着他——就在一把弯刀的刀柄撞过来击中他的脸，把他打倒在地之前。