Chapter 4 Chapter 2 Conflict

The wind was blowing on his face, and the salty and fine water droplets splashed on his face, and it felt good. His long blond hair was flying in the wind behind his head, and his crystal blue eyes were fixed on the sea.Although the "ten days" at sea had made his skin red, Wulfgar's face was determined but a little boyish.To the more discerning observer, however, Wulfgar's eyes flickered with a faint shock that belied his youthful appearance, a sadness born of painful experience. But he had no such melancholy now, for there, at the bow of the Sea Sprite, Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, felt a familiar excitement that had existed among those who had During the years when Gu grew up, during those years when he learned the ways of his people to survive, during those years when he fought side by side with Drizzt.It is an undeniable pleasure; it is the warrior's habit, the proud and exciting anticipation before the battle begins.

The battle was at hand, and the Savage had no doubts.Ahead, across the shimmering water, Wulfgar caught sight of the sails of the fleeing pirate ship. Is this Sheila Kree's ship Bloody Keel?Was the Fang of Aegis, a gift from his adoptive father, the mighty hammer, in the hands of the pirates on that ship? Wulfgar squinted at the question, with mixed emotions in his mind, just because the thought crept into his mind, that he would have Aegis Fang again.He left Delly Curty and their adopted baby girl, Colson, in Waterdeep.He came out with the Sea Spirit in order to regain the Fang of Aegis, and they lived in Captain Deudermont's gorgeous mansion.At that time, however, he still couldn't sort out the mess of thoughts about the Fang of Aegis and what he would do once he got the weapon in his hands again.What does this warhammer really mean?This warhammer was a gift from Bruenor to him, symbolizing the dwarf's love for him, symbolizing the dwarf's recognition of him. Wulfgar grew up to be a good warrior under his persevering and cruel teaching, and more importantly, a good man.But was Wulfgar really?Was he worthy of that hammer, worthy of Bruenor's love?Obviously, some things that happened after he returned from the Demonic Abyss did not fit this statement.Wulfgar hadn't done anything he'd be proud of the past few months, and, starting with slapping Catti-brie, he'd done a whole host of stupid things he'd rather forget .

Thus, while he continued to try to solve the problem, chasing Aegis-fang became a pleasant relief, a distraction, and obviously a good thing.But what if the Fang of Aegis was indeed on the ship ahead, or the next ship in pursuit, and Wulfgar retrieved it?Will he return to a life of adventure and field warfare, living on the brink of disaster with Drizzt and the others? Wulfgar's thoughts went back to Delly and the child.With the new life now, with the two of them, how could he go back to the old life?What does this reversal mean for his responsibilities to his new family? The Savage smiled, realizing that much more than responsibility troubled him, though he didn't always admit it even to himself.When he first took the child from Orkney, a small kingdom on the east end of the Spine of the World, he had gone beyond duty, because his true (or what he would find again!) humanity demanded that he not let this The child suffers because of his father's sin, cowardice, and stupidity, and also because of the duty to bring him to the Cutlass Tavern in Luskan, a debt owed to his former friends Arum, Delly, and even Jos Padel, His drunken ugliness must have disappointed them once.Having Delly with him and the child was also a matter of duty - he saw an opportunity to make up for his poor treatment of the poor woman, so he gave her a new path to explore.In fact, Wulfgar hadn't thought much of it at all when he made the decision to ask Delly to follow him, and even when she unexpectedly said yes, the barbarian didn't understand how profoundly her choice would affect his life.Because now... now his relationship with Delly and their adopted daughter had grown deeper.The child he had taken for virtue—indeed, because Wulfgar had instinctively realized that he needed it more than this child had ever done—had become fully his daughter, became his own child.Like when he was Bruenor Warhammer's child long ago.Wulfgar had never been given any hint of the extent to which his father's new title would weaken him.He never imagined that anyone could actually hurt him in any way.All he could do now was look into Colson's blue eyes so much like her biological mother's, and Wulfgar knew that his whole world might be destroyed before his presence.

Similarly, with regard to Delly Curty, the Savage understands that he has more to gain than he has earned.Also out of nobility, and to save him from being a villain, he invited this woman with him, who was now far more than a traveling companion.In the months since they left Luskan, Wulfgar had seen an entirely different side of Delly Curty, seeing her deep soul and wisdom buried beneath a sarcastic, crass exterior, in order to survive the tragic To survive in the environment, she forced herself to present such an appearance. Delly told him some of her proudest moments—none of which was being held in the arms of one of her many lovers.She told him of the many hours she had spent by the quiet docks of Luskan before she had to force herself to start an evening job at the Cutlass Tavern.There she sat watching the sun sink into the distant sea, seemingly igniting all water.

Delly loves twilight—a time of quiet, she calls it—when the laborers of Luskan come home to their families, and the nocturnal folks haven't yet begun their stimulating but essentially empty evenings. And busy.In the first few months he had known Delly at the Cutlass, during the nights they spent embracing each other, Wulfgar had never imagined that there was so much in her, so many hopes and dreams in her, that she So deeply understanding of the people around her.When men sleep with her, they often think of her as an easy target to be rewarded with a few casual compliments. Wulfgar knew Delly, those words, those games, had never meant much to her.Her strength is her body, so she uses it for affection, for knowledge, for security, and all three are lacking in that place.How strange it was to Wulfgar, when he discovered that while everyone thought they were taking advantage of Delly's ignorance, she was actually taking advantage of the weakness in their greedy faces.

Yes, Delly Curty can play the game of "exploitation" as well as anyone, which is why this hot relationship is so amazing for him.Because he knew that Delly didn't use him at all, and he didn't use her either.For the first time in their shared history, the two are simply in good faith with each other's company, with no demands, no negotiating agenda. Wulfgar would be lying if he could not admit that he enjoyed it greatly.If Wulfgar could not admit that he was in love with Delly Curty, he would be a liar and a coward.In this way, the two combined.Not formally, but in heart and soul, Wulfgar knew that this woman, this unlikely mate, had completed his life in a way he had never thought possible.

"Raise the Killer Flag!" A cry came from the lookout booth, which meant that there was indeed a pirate ship in front of the Sea Spirit, and because of her arrogance, she hung the recognized pirate pennant. With nothing but open water ahead, the ship had no chance of escape.Not a single ship on the Sword's Coast escaped the Sea Sprite, especially the mighty mage Robillard who sat behind the pontoon, constantly summoning gusty gusts of wind to the ship's mainsail. Wulfgar took a deep breath, then another, but found it didn't do much to calm his nerves. "I'm a fighter!" he reminded himself, but the other truth, the fact that he was a husband and a father, wasn't so easily undercut.

How strange this change of heart seemed to him.Only a few months ago, he had been Luskan's fear, throwing himself into fight after fight with recklessness, to the point of self-destructiveness.But that was when he had nothing to lose, when he believed that death would take away the pain.Now, with more important things than what he had to lose, he realized that if he died outside, Delly and Colson would suffer.for what?Savage had to ask himself.For a warhammer, for a token of the past?And this past he wasn't even sure he wanted to get back. Wulfgar clung to the rope to the mast, gripping so hard that his knuckles paled from the pressure, and he took another deep, steady breath, exhaling it with a bestial growl.Wulfgar pushed those thoughts away, realizing that they were what must be driven out of the mind of a true warrior.Charge bravely, that is his mantra, his law, and indeed, that is the way of being a true warrior.Subdue the enemy quickly, and you may retreat unscathed.Hesitating will only give the enemy the opportunity to knock you down with arrows and spears.

Hesitation and cowardice will destroy him. The Sea Spirit quickly caught up with the ship, and it was soon clear that it was a small brig.How quickly the pirate flag was lowered when the ship recognized who the pursuer was. The ballista catapults at the rear of the Sea Spirit and the catapults at the front fired at the same time, neither of which hit any targets. The pirate ship also counterattacked with its own ballista catapults, but compared to the approaching predators, their The range is much closer. "Second shot?" Captain Deudermont asked his ship's mage.The captain was a tall, erect man with a neatly trimmed goatee, more brown than gray.

"For deception?" Robillard replied. "No, if they have a mage, he's too shrewd to bait him, or he'd already be there. Move to precise range, and fire, I Will launch, too." Deudermont nodded, raising his binoculars to his eyes to get a better view of the pirate ship—he could already see the people on deck now, hurrying about. The Sea Sprite was getting closer every second, her sails ravenously rounded, her bow clear of the water, splashing a high wall of water. Deudermont looked back, at the gunner on the poop who was operating the ballista ejector.One of them aimed a marked pole at the ship with a telescope similar to the captain's.He put down the binoculars, looked at the captain, and nodded.

"Fire against the mainsail," Deudermont said to the crew beside him, and the shouts spread, increasing in speed and intensification, and again the catapult and trebuchet fired simultaneously.This time, a flaming fireball hit the sail and drive ropes of the Corsair, which was desperately trying to turn a corner, with the bolts dragging chains and tearing through one of the sails. A moment later there was a blinding flash, and from Robillard a bolt of lightning struck the corsair's hull near the horizon, tearing the planks. "On the defensive!" yelled Robillard, who ignited a translucent orb around himself and rushed to the bow, pushing Wulfgar aside.Wulfgar was walking amidships now. As expected, a flash of lightning struck back from the pirate ship, far inferior to Robillard's heat and brightness.The mage of the Sea Spirit is considered to be one of the best naval battle mages in Faerun. He has already set up a protective cover to minimize the damage, but it only becomes a black scar on the side of the bow of the Sea Spirit, becoming a proud One of many Medals of Honor earned during service on a pirate trap. The Corsair continued to turn and flee, but the Sea Sprite was much more agile, cutting into her angle and approaching more rapidly. Deudermont smiled, thinking of Robillard, the mage eagerly poking his fingers together, ready to cast a flurry of spells against any defense, followed by a destructive fireball that would burn the ropes and sails and leave the corsair sluggish. on the water. The pirates may soon surrender. A line of archers lined Sea Sprite's side rails, some of them standing in front, as obvious targets, and Robillard had enchanted the few who were immune to unenchanted arrows. damage, so they are warriors who draw fire. "Shoot as we pass!" ordered the leader, and every man and woman began to examine their bows and arrows for those that would fly straight and true. Behind them, Wulfgar paced nervously.He wanted it done - a perfectly reasonable wish - but he cursed himself for those feelings. "Take a sip, and hold your hand?" a filthy sailor said to him, handing him the little bottle of rum that was being passed between those preparing to embark for battle. Wulfgar stared hard at the bottle for a long moment.For several months, he had been hiding in those seemingly transparent things.For months, he bottled up fears and terrible memories, a futile attempt to hide the truth of his life and his past. He shook his head and went back to continue pacing. A moment later, there was the hum of twenty bowstrings, the screams of many pirates, and the cries of some crew members of the Sea Spirit who had been hit by arrows from the other side. Wulfgar knew he should take his place with the rest of the crew, but he found he couldn't.His legs couldn't carry him through the vision of Delly and Colson.How can he do this?How could he make them wait in Waterdeep just to go out after a warhammer? These questions roared horribly in Wulfgar's mind.The call he had heard came back.He heard the name of Tempus, the war-god of the barbarians, and gave him a blow to deny his fear, and remind him of who he was. With a roar, those closest to him turned and fled in terror, and Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, rushed for the railing, despite no order for the boarding crew to move, although Robillard was preparing a violent Although the two ships were still twelve feet apart, the frenzied savage leaped onto the rail and sped forward as the Sea Sprite passed quickly. Cries of protest sounded behind him, and cries of surprise and fear sounded before him.But the only thing Wulfgar could hear was his own cry. "Tampos!" he roared, rejecting fear and hesitation. "Tampos!" Captain Deudermont rushed to Robillard, grabbed the slender mage, and pulled his arms out to the sides, interrupting his spellcasting. "The fool!" roared Robillard, who, opening his eyes, saw what prompted the captain's intervention. The mage wasn't terribly surprised, since Wulfgar had been a thorn in Robillard's side since he joined the crew.Unlike his older companions, Drizzt and Catti-brie, the barbarian knew nothing of the intricacies of magical combat.And according to Robillard's thinking, magical battles are very important, of course far more important than the actions of a group of mindless fighters. Robillard shook off Deudermont. "I'm going to be shooting fireballs soon," he insisted. "When Wulfgar is dead!" Deudermont was not listening.He ordered the crew to turn Sea Sprite back and the archers to adjust their firing angles to support the boarders fighting alone. Wulfgar stepped onto the rail of the pirate ship and landed firmly forward on the deck.The pirates' swordsmen flooded toward him—but he stood up and roared, holding a long chain in each hand. The closest pirate swung his sword, and it still caught the barbarian's shoulder, though Wulfgar quickly put his forearm on it, preventing the blade from going any further.As the Savage parried, he landed a right hook that landed hard on the man's chest, knocking him off the ground and flying across the deck, where he fell on his back in disintegration. Swinging his chain violently and calling out to his gods, the barbarian went into a frenzy and scattered the pirates before him.They had never seen such a wild man nearly seven feet tall, and most of them fled before his thunderous charge. Wulfgar flung a chain that entangled a man's feet, and with a powerful tug he sent the man flying from the deck.Wulfgar threw off the second chain, wrapping it around the chest of the man to his left, and the chain wrapped around him a full circle, hitting his chest hard.With a tug, Wulfgar ripped off a chunk of the man's skin and sent him mid-air, spinning and falling. "Run!" came a voice in front of him. "Oh, he's a devil!" Both of his chains snagged in a moment, so Wulfgar dropped them, drawing a pair of small sticks from his belt.Leaping forward, he turned quickly aside and overtook a pirate who was clearly the leader of the deck and the best armed of the group, cornering him against the rail. The pirate swung a fine sword, but Wulfgar leaped back out of the sword's reach, then stepped back with a growl. A good shield greeted him, and such a shield should be enough, but this warrior had never faced Wulfgar's primitive violence. The barbarian's first blow paralyzed the pirate's arm.Wulfgar's second blow focused on the top of the shield, pressing the blocking arm down.His third blow completely disarmed all defenses, followed by a swiftly followed fourth that, without even a chance to withdraw his sword, hit the pirate's helmet on the side, sending him staggering to the side. Wulfgar followed, raining blows on the armor, leaving countless dents, and the pirate stumbling to the deck.Before he could fall to the deck, Wulfgar grabbed his ankles and lifted him upside down. The strong barbarian turned around and took a big step, standing on the edge of the railing, while the fully armed pirate was hanging upside down in mid-air beside the ship.Wulfgar carried him effortlessly, using only one hand.The Savage eyed the rest of the crew dangerously.No one approached, no archer raised his bow to him. On the pontoon, however, someone actually challenged him, and Wulfgar looked back to see the pirate mage staring at him as he struggled to cast his spell. With a flick of his wrist, Wulfgar threw the rest of his stick, spinning and flying towards the man, and the mage had to dodge out of the way, interrupting his own spellcasting. But now Wulfgar was without weapons, and the pirate crew seemed to have recovered from the initial shock of his unstoppable charge.The pirate captain appeared and promised a huge treasure to whoever knocked down the tall barbarian.The mage continued to cast spells. The hooligans at sea approached with murderous intent in their eyes. They stopped and stood stiff, some dropped their weapons, as the Sea Sprite glided alongside their ship behind the savages, archers in place and boarders in place. Robillard unleashed another bolt of lightning that struck the distraught pirate mage, pushing him over the far ship's rail and into the icy sea. A pirate rushed forward, shouting, but stopped suddenly, because two arrows were driven into his chest. The crew of the Sea Spirit is so well trained, so disciplined, and so experienced.The battle was over before it really started. "Perhaps you can pull him back over the rail," Deudermont said to Wulfgar after a moment.The barbarian was still standing, carrying the armored pirate upside down, suspended above the water not so wide between the two ships, though, at least, Wulfgar was now using two hands. "Do as he says!" demanded the embarrassed pirate, lifting the visor of his expensive helmet. "I am the Earl of Tusca Valley! I demand—" "You're a pirate," Deudermont told him succinctly. "Just a little adventure experience, no big deal," the man replied haughtily. "Now please ask your ogre friend to put me down." Before the captain could say a word, Wulfgar gave the count a half-circle, threw him across the deck, slammed on the mainmast, and rolled away with a loud thud. "The Earl of Tusca Vale, or whatever, I don't care," Deudermont commented. "Nothing much," Wulfgar replied, and he started back toward the planks leading to the Sea Sprite. An angry Robillard was waiting for him at the other end. "Who told you to board the ship?" asked the exasperated mage. "They can be solved with just one spell!" "Then cast your spell, mage," Wulfgar murmured to him, walking straight past, not having time to explain his emotions and impulses to the others until he sorted out his emotions and impulses. "Don't think I won't do it next time!" Robillard yelled at him, but Wulfgar only went his own way. "Poor Wulfgar, the shards of the burning sail rained down on his head, burning his hair and scorching his skin! Poor Wulfgar—" "Take it easy," Deudermont said, following closely behind the mage. "The pirates have been subdued without the loss of a single crew member." "As it should be," Robillard insisted, "there's less chance of loss of men. Their magical defenses have been disarmed, their sails are exposed. I've—" "Enough, my friend," interrupted Deudermont. "That fellow, Wulfgar, is a fool," Robillard replied. "A true savage! He's uncivilized in mind and soul, and understands tactics and advantages no better than an orc." Deudermont had sailed with Wulfgar before and knew the dark elf who had trained the warrior well, and he knew Wulfgar better.But he said nothing, and let the usually surly Robillard vent his displeasure with a barrage of curses and protests. In fact, Captain Deudermont was beginning to reconsider Wulfgar's decision to join Sea Sprite's crew, even though he believed he owed the man much more than friendship and respect.Wulfgar's efforts to atone for his crimes touched Captain Deudermont deeply, for he had seen the man at his lowest point, when he was tried in the presence of Luskan's vicious magistrates on charges of attempting to kill Deudermont. The captain could hardly believe such a charge - the only reason Wulfgar was still alive - even though he found that something bad had happened to the noble warrior, something unspeakable had thrown Wulfgar into a trough.Deudermont was indeed pleased when Wulfgar arrived at the docks of Waterdeep, asked to join the crew, and asked Deudermont to help him retrieve the mighty warhammer that Bruenor Warhammer had forged for him.It was clear to the captain now, however, that Wulfgar's scar hadn't fully healed.His charge just now had been foolish and reckless, and could have brought danger to the crew.This was something Captain Deudermont could not tolerate.He had to have a serious talk with Wulfgar. Besides, here and now, the captain decided that he would prioritize finding Sheila Kree and her elusive ship, retrieving Aegis' Fang for Wulfgar, and returning him to shore in Waterdeep. for the good of all