Chapter 6 Chapter 4 Marking

This was exactly the kind of meeting Regis, the representative from Lonelywood, liked best.The halfling reclined in his padded chair, hands folded behind his head, an expression of contentment on his innocent face, as prisoners caught on the road south of Bremen Township were brought before the MPs .Two were missing, one had just received a fresh wound to the chest and was (perhaps) recovering, and the other - a woman whom Regis' friends believed to be the leader of the band of thieves - was in another house Waiting to be brought out alone. "It must be great to have such a powerful friend," said Tamalut, councilor of the East Exile, calmly and mockingly in Regis' ear, the representative of Lonewood he had never liked.

"Those two," the halfling replied louder, so that the other three senators sitting on his side would surely be able to hear.The halfling paused long enough to make sure he had the attention of all four, several of the five on the opposite side, and Elder Cassius, before pointing to the two who were fighting him. The robbers--or rather the two robbers he'd set into fighting each other. "I caught them both, without any help," the halfling finished his sentence. Tamalut sat back in his seat angrily. Regis smoothed his curly brown hair, and put his hands behind his head again.He couldn't help smiling.

After the introductions, with no one dissenting, Cassius delivered the expected verdict, "Because you didn't kill anyone on the road—at least we don't know of any—you won't be put to death," he said. "Unless Bruno's ax fell into the missing man's body and killed him," interposed the Kekoni town councilor, the youngest and often cruelest member of the council.Although the comment was tasteless, a pent-up laugh spread through the beautifully furnished room. Cassius cleared his throat to remind everyone to be serious. "But your crimes cannot be pardoned," the senator continued. "Therefore you will serve ten years on the waters of Pond Doulden, in a ship chosen by Senator Kemp. All your looted goods will be confiscated and put into the public funds of the Ten Towns, with deduction for Kemp Expenses spent on boats and guards, and, of course, deductions sufficient for you to maintain a minimum standard of living. This is the ruling of this council. Do you accept it?"

"What choice do we have?" said one of the robbers, the big one Catti-brie had subdued. "It's cheap for you," Kemp interrupted before Cassius could reply. "If you're caught by Luskan's rulers, you'll be paraded through the streets at the Prisoner's Carnival, tortured to death amidst the cheery screams of the onlookers. If you like, we can arrange something like that." When he had finished, he looked at Cassius, and the senator nodded darkly in agreement with the memorable speech of the Town Councilman of Targos. "So what should we do?" Cassius asked the group.

The answer was predictable, and the group was led grumblingly out of the house, out of Bryn Shander, and onto the road to Targos, where the ship that was their prison was waiting. As soon as they left, Cassius called the council to cheer together, saluting Regis and others for their excellent task. The halfling accepted it all. "I'm afraid we'll need these 'Hallmates' again soon," Cassius explained later, gesturing to the sentry at the door of the house.One of them goes out and brings back Jule Pepper, who despite her imprisonment is still a leader. Regis looked at her with a certain respect.The tall woman's dark hair shined brightly, but her intelligent eyes sparkled even more.She stood upright, unyielding, as if the whole process was just a nuisance, as if the creatures who had taken her up could really do nothing lasting or hurtful to her.

The utilitarian tunic and leggings were gone, replaced by a simple gray sleeveless gown, too short for a woman of Jule's stature, and hanging low at the shoulders.It was indeed a very simple piece of clothing, almost shapeless, but the woman who wore it somehow gave it a rather alluring shape, and it fit perfectly to accentuate her shapely and high breasts.One side of the dress had even been torn—Regis suspected Jule had done it, and on purpose—and a smooth, curvaceous leg was well visible through the seam. "Jule Pepper," Cassius said curiously, with a hint of sarcasm. "Pipa family's...?"

"Am I imprisoned because of the name my parents gave me?" the woman replied, her voice low and booming, with a harsh Eastern accent, and every word seemed to be shortened into crisp accents. "Am I not allowed to choose my title?" "That's the custom," Cassius said flatly. "Ordinary people," Jule replied confidently. "Jule is the sparkling jewel, and Pepper is the spicy pepper," she concluded with a sarcastic sneer, which made some MPs —ten of them men, including the senators, and only one woman—moved uncomfortably in the seats. Regis was embarrassed, too, but he was more interested in Jule's manipulative wit as he tried to see through the obvious allure of this wondrous woman.The halfling knew she was someone to watch out for, yet he couldn't deny that he was more than a little curious to learn more about this intriguing creature.

After a while, people calmed down again, and one even tugged at his neckline, as if letting the heat from his body escape. "Can you tell me why you imprisoned me here against my choice and free will?" the woman said. Cassius snorted and waved her contemptuously. "Obviously, for the crimes committed against Ten-Towns," he replied. "Then list them," Jule demanded. "I didn't do anything." "Your gang—" Cassius began to answer. "I don't have any gang," Jule interrupted, eyes twinkling and narrowing. "I was on my way to Ten-Towns when I met those thieves. I didn't know who they were or why they were there, but their fires were warm and their food was good , and better company than a moaning wind."

"Ridiculous!" declared one MP. "When those two terrified fellows came back to you, you spoke to them familiarly—that's what Drizzt Do'Urden said, and I've come to trust the dark elf. "That's right," agreed another MP. "Please tell me what exactly I said," she replied, with a sneer that showed no fear of any possible answer. "I talk about Drizzt, Catti-brie, and Bruenor to those fools familiarly. Indeed, I know the subject as well as any intelligent person who ventures into Icewind Dale. Don't I familiarly tell those fools that they Doing something stupid, falling for the trap of the drow and their mates? That doesn't give enough information, I'd say."

The MPs began whispering among themselves, and Regis stared at Jule, his smile showing respect for her wit, if nothing else.He was already sure that with her perfect posture and figure, together with her extraordinary wit and thorough preparation along the way, she would probably slip out of the shackles without any damage. Regis also knew that, no matter what she said, this Jule Pepper was indeed the leader of the gang of robbers. "We'll discuss it," Cassius said immediately afterward, as private conversations between lawmakers escalated into a heated debate and divisions became more apparent.

Jule smiled familiarly at Cassius. "Then I'm free, can I go?" "You are invited back to the chambers we have provided," replied the more worldly senator, before he waved to the guards. They came and went to either side of Jule, who gave Cassius one last haughty look before turning away, swinging her shoulders in a gesture that once again made the councilors sweat Regis was grinning at all of this, utterly fascinated, but his smile turned into a dumbfounded expression after a moment, because when Jule turned completely around, he noticed a strange mark, a mark a halfling would surely recognize. "Wait a minute!" the halfling yelled, jumping up from his chair, crouching down and crawling out from under the table instead of walking around it calmly. The guard and Jule stopped, both turned to watch the sudden commotion. "Turn back," the halfling ordered. "Turn back!" he said, waving at Jule, and she just stared at him suspiciously, her gaze gradually turning from curiosity to discomfort. "Cassius, turn her back!" the halfling begged. Cassius looked at him, no less suspicious than Jule. Regis did not wait for him.The halfling ran up to Jule, grabbed her by the right arm, and began to pull her around.She resisted for a moment, but the halfling was stronger than he looked, and with a tug, turned her around enough to temporarily reveal the mark. "There!" Regis said, pointing Jule pulled, freeing him, but now that the markings were exposed, and the MPs leaned forward, Cassius came up and signaled Jule to turn around, or the guards to turn her if she didn't want to. obey. Shaking her head in disgust, the dark-haired woman finally turned around. Regis stood on a nearby chair to observe the mark more clearly, but he knew before checking that his piercing eyes would not deceive him. The mark on the woman's shoulder was a unique pattern belonging to Bruenor Warhammer , and, Bruno only used this symbol once, on the side of Aegis' Fang.Besides, the mark was exactly the same size as the mark on the warhammer, as if the hot Aegis-fang was pressed against her skin. Regis was almost ecstatic. "Where did you get this?" he asked. "The mark of a thief," said Cassius. "Very generally, I think it can belong to any guild." "Unusual," Regis replied, shaking his head. "That sign is unusual." "You know it?" asked the Senator. "My friends want to speak to her," Regis replied. "immediately." "Wait until we get her out of the way," insisted MP Tamarut. "Immediately," Regis insisted, turning his head toward him. "Unless you, Tamalut, can explain to King Bruno why the life of his adopted son is in danger and the news has been delayed." The words set off a murmur in the room. Jule Pepper just stared down at Regis, and he had the distinct feeling that she didn't quite understand what he was talking about, or the significance of the sign. The halfling knew that, for her own good, it had better be the truth. Several nights later, Drizzt found Bruenor on a quiet and dark high place called "Brunor's Heights", in a rocky valley where the mines of the Dwarves had been dug, in the Brinor · Northeast of Shande, between Lake Duerden and Lake Dinisha.Wherever he went, Bruno often had private spaces like this, which he always called "Bruno Heights," both as a warning to any intruders and as a matter of personal pride. This is the dwarf's place of reflection, a quiet place where he can contemplate some of the things in life, things other than the daily trials and tribulations.Here, in the dark of night, practical, simple Bruno could take a little liberty and allow his soul to climb above the heights of a dwarf's imagination.Here, Bruno can come and meditate on everything. Drizzt found him on Bruenor's private rise behind Mithril Hall, looking much the same as he had looked now when the Waxmelt had taken Wulfgar, when they all believed his adopted son was dead. Quiet as a cloud drifting beneath the stars, the drow stepped up and stood behind the dwarf, patiently. "Do you think it's better to lose him a second time," Bruno finally said. "Especially the monster he had become before he left us." "You can't say you lost him yet," the drow reminded. "There is no other logo like it in the world," Bruno analyzed. "The rogue said she got this symbol from a hammerhead." In fact, immediately after the confrontation in the council hall, they had a conversation with Jule, who volunteered a lot of information to these amazing friends.She admitted that the mark was intentional and had been obtained from a female captain.Pressed, Jule admits that the woman, Sheila Kree, was a pirate, a distinctive mark she reserved for the most trusted of her gang. Drizzt took great pity on his friend.He wanted to say that Jule's statement indicated that the only members of the pirate gang that were Big Men were a tribe of ogres that Sheila Kree had assembled and driven.Apparently Wulfgar had not yet fallen for the company of these monsters.The drow didn't say this, however, because another implication was that Wulfgar was clearly worse off if he hadn't made an alliance with the pirates. "You think this bastard Kerry killed my kid?" Bruno asked, apparently following the same logic. "Or do you think it was someone else, the bastard who then sold the hammer to Kerry?" "I don't think Wulfgar is dead at all," Drizzt stated without hesitation. Bruno gave him a strange look. "Wulfgar may have sold the hammer," Drizzt said, and Bruenor's expression grew more skeptical. "When he fled from us, he denied his past," the drow reminded. "Maybe freeing himself from the pressure of the hammer is to go one step further along the path he wants." "Yes, or maybe he just needs money," Bruenor's tone was so sarcastic that Drizzt couldn't argue further. In fact the drow didn't even believe it themselves.He knew Wulfgar's connection to Aegis' Fang, and he knew that the barbarian was no more willing to be parted from the hammer than his own arm. "The thief, then," Drizzt said after a moment's pause. "If Wulfgar goes to Luskan or Waterdeep as we expect, then he may well find himself among thieves." "Among the crowds of murderers," Bruno said, and he looked up at the stars. "We have no way of knowing," Drizzt told him quietly. The dwarf just shrugged, and when his shoulders dropped, Drizzt felt they were lower than ever. Early the next morning dark clouds rumbled from the south along the winds on the Spine of the World, threatening to flood the region with a gust of rain that would turn the thawed land into a swamp.Drizzt and Catti-brie still set off from Ten Towns and hurried to Luskan.A quick rush to get an answer four friends are desperately wanting to hear