Chapter 18 Chapter Fourteen Confirmation

When Bellany walked into Sheila Kree's private quarters one blustery autumn day, Sheila Kree asked her, "Have you been keeping an eye on that elf?" "Le'lorinel worked on the Bloody Keel, and was present on duty without complaining or arguing," the witch replied. "I feel like a spy." Bellany shrugged and swept back her dark hair, her expression dispelling Sheila Kree's suspicions. "I visited Le'lorinel surreptitiously without permission. Using magic, at a time when Le'lorinel believed the house was empty. I didn't see or hear anything that made me doubt the elf's story."

"A dark elf," Sheila Kree pointed out, and walked to the opening to the sea, the salty wind howling in, sending her red hair flying back. "A dark elf will find us, Le'lorinel himself said." She half turned to look at Bellany, who looked as if he would believe anything at the moment. "If this dark elf, this Drizzt Do'Urden, did find us, we'd be glad we didn't deal with that fellow," the witch reasoned. Sheila Kree turned back to the sea, shaking her head as if it seemed impossible. "How long do we have to wait before we're sure Le'lorinel is a spy?" she asked.

"Anyway, the Bloody Keel is in the dock, and we can't drag the elf keel," Bellany said with a giggle, and her reasoning made Sheila feel better. "I hope the winter won't be so long." This is not the first time the two have had such discussions.Le'lorinel arrived with his wild tale, that a dark elf and a dwarf king were coming to retrieve the hammer, which Sheila believed she had bought fairly and honestly from the fool Jos Padel.Since then, the Chief and her witch advisors have spent endless days arguing over the fate of the strange elves.Many days like this, when Bellany left, Sheila thought that Le'lorinel might not survive the dawn of the next day.

However, the elf is still alive. "A visitor, Ma'am," a guttural call came from outside the door.A half-ogre guard walked in, leading a tall, slender, dark-haired woman, flanked by a pair of half-ogre clansmen.When Sheila and Bellany noticed the newcomer, they were both stunned. "Jule Pepper," Sheila said suspiciously. "I thought you must own half of Ten Town by now!" The brunette clearly felt support from her ex-boss' enthusiastic tone as she swung her arms, freed herself from the brutes on either side, and crossed the room to embrace Sheila and Bellany.

"I did a good job," the female robber murmured. "I've got a pretty strong gang working for me, and a plan that seems pretty safe. Or so I thought, until some nasty drow and his friends show up and end the party." Sheila Kree and Bellany turned to each other in surprise, and the pirate chief snorted in surprise. "A dark elf?" she asked Jule. "He doesn't happen to be called Drizzt Do'Urden, does he?" Even without the help of mages and clerics, without their prophecies and messenger magics, news travels quickly along the northern reaches of the Sword Coast, especially when it concerns those who live outside the strict constraints of the law, and what is more, This time the hero belongs to a race that shouldn't have acted like this.From tavern to tavern, street to street, ship to ship, port to port, the events at Captain Deudermont's house spread, a mysterious drow and his two companions, one of whom is a gigantic leopard, and they thwart a theft-and-murder scheme against the good-natured captain.While some did know of a dark elf who had sailed the Sea Sprite, few connected Drizzt to Wulfgar, or even to Deudermont.It was a vivid story, and it was of great interest in itself, but still more to the townspeople, who knew that it was not a good idea to try so against a noble and heroic citizen. is an isolated thing.This incident at the famous captain's house must have had something to do with it.

And so the story spread swiftly along the coast, and at one point was even helped by a little magic to keep it going, and so the news of what had happened in that house was as far away as Drizzt and Catti-brie. He had reached Luskan earlier, and in this way the news traveled north with greater speed. Sheila Kree knew Gisela was lost before the dark elves passed through the gates of Luskan. The pirate raged in her private room, overturning tables and swearing incessantly.She called in two half-ogre sentries so she could yell at them and whip them and vent her displeasure, and it went on for a while.

Finally, when she was too tired to go on, the red-haired pirate dismissed the guards, picked a chair, sank himself into it, and still cursed under his breath. It means nothing to her.Who was this stupid dark elf—the one who thwarted Jule Pepper's attempt to create a powerful gang in Ten-Towns?How on earth did he happen to arrive at Captain Deudermont's house at such a precise time and intercept Gisela's gang?Sheila Kree closed her eyes and considered. "Rearrange?" came a question from the door, and Sheila opened her eyes to see Bellany, standing in the doorway with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Have you heard about Gisela?" Sheila asked. The witch shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "She won't be the last we lose." "I think I've been hearing too much about a certain drow lately," Sheila pointed out. "Looks like we've made an enemy," Bellany agreed. "How fortunate we were forewarned." "Where is that elf?" "Working on the ship, like every day. Le'lorinel did whatever task was assigned to him, without a single complaint." "That guy has only one goal." "Some dark elf," Bellany agreed. "Is it time for Le'lorinel to step up in our small group?"

"At least it's time for a talk," Sheila replied, and Bellany didn't need to hear it a second time.She nodded and turned to go down below to bring the elves, his story all the more intriguing with the return of Jule Pepper and the tragic news about Waterdeep. "I thought about killing you, finishing you off, when you first barged in without knowing it," Sheila Kree said candidly.The pirate nodded to her burly guards, who rushed forward, quickly grabbing Le'lorinel by the arm. "I didn't lie to you for doing nothing to deserve—" Le'lorinel began to protest.

"Oh, you'll get what you deserve," Sheila Kree assured the elf.She walked over and grabbed Le'lorinel's shirt, smiled evilly, and yanked it off, exposing the elf's upper body. The two half-ogres giggled.Sheila Kree motioned for a door at the back of the room, through which two rough fellows forced the prisoner into a smaller room with no decoration but a glowing fire by the walls and a central A platform that is roughly waist-high. "What are you going to do?" Le'lorinel asked in a controlled tone, even though there was clearly trouble. "That'll hurt a little," promised Sheila Kree, as the half-ogres pulled the elf hard onto the platform, holding on tight.

Le'lorinel struggled in vain against the powerful oppressive force. "Now, tell me again about that drow Drizzt Do'Urden," Sheila pointed out. "I've told you all the truth," Le'lorinel protested. "Tell me that again," Sheila said. "Yes, repeat," said another voice, Bellany, entering the room. "Tell us about this fascinating figure who has suddenly become so vital to us." "I heard about the killing at Captain Deudermont's house," Le'lorinel pointed out, grunting twice as the half-ogres pulled a little too hard. "I warned you, that Drizzt Do'Urden is a formidable foe." "But, an enemy you think you can beat," Sheila cut him off. "I made a little special preparation." "Then are you prepared to bear the pain?" Sheila asked maliciously. Le'lorinel felt an intense heat. "I shouldn't be treated like this!" the elf protested, but the words trailed off, followed by a hiss of pain as a piece of hot metal pressed hard against Le'lorinel's back. The smell of scorched flesh permeated the room, disgusting. After a while, Le'lorinel regained consciousness and sentience. "Now, tell us all about Drizzt Do'Urden again," Sheila Kree demanded, "everything, including why you were so determined to see him dead." Le'lorinel was still pressed on the platform, and he stared fiercely at the pirate leader for a long time. "Ah, let go of the fool," Sheila said to the half-ogre. "Then get out, you two!" The two guys obeyed the order and ran out of the room.Le'lorinel struggled to straighten himself. Bellany thrust a shirt into the elf's trembling hands. "You may have to wait a while before trying to put it on," explained the witch. Le'lorinel nodded, stretching his body a few times, trying to relax the new scar. "I'm waiting to hear all of it," Sheila said. "You owe me this, hurry up." Le'lorinel looked at the pirates for a while, then bowed his head to look at the new brand, the mark of the Fang of Aegis. This mark also represented being accepted by Sheila's gang and enjoying a certain status. The elf narrowed his eyes menacingly and clenched his teeth excitedly, refusing to acknowledge the pain of the brand's burn, and he looked back at Sheila. "Tell you everything, and you will believe it. I will never rest until Drizzt Do'Urden is dead, slain by my own hands." Later, Sheila, Bellany, and Jule Pepper sat together in Sheila's room, summarizing what Le'lorinel had told them about Drizzt Do'Urden and his companions, apparently trying to get That warhammer was chasing Sheila. "We were lucky to have Le'lorinel join us," Bellany admitted. "You think that elf can beat the drow?" Sheila asked with a suspicious snort. "Damn drow. I've never seen a drow. Never wish to." "I don't know if Le'lorinel has a chance at all against this dark elf," Bellany replied honestly. "But I do know that the elf's hatred for Drizzt is real and deep, and whatever the odds, if Drizzt Do'Urden is against us, we can expect Le'lorinel to lead the charge." Finishing, she Gazing guidingly at Jule Pepper, the only one of them who had encountered Drizzt and his friends. "I'd be hesitant to bet on this team," Jure said. "Their cooperation is impeccable, having fought together for years, and every single one of them is terrifying, even the diminutive halflings." "What about the others?" the pirate leader asked obviously nervously. "Where is Bruenor, the Dwarf King? Do you think he will bring an army against us?" Neither Jule nor Bellany could know. "Le'lorinel tells us much," said the witch, "but the information is far from complete." "When I encountered them in Icewind Dale, the dwarf moved with his friends, but without any support from his people," Jule interjected. "But if Bruenor knew the strength of your gang, he might decide to summon the Warhammers to a rampage." "And then?" Sheila asked. "And we sail, winter storm or not," Bellany replied quickly.Sheila was about to scold her, but noticed that Jule was nodding in agreement, and the fact that the frigid waters north of the Sword Coast seemed insignificant compared to the threat of a hostile dwarven army. "When Wulfgar was in Luskan, he was known to work for Arum Gardpike at the Cutlass," Jule offered, who was in Luskan during that time. "It's Arum's stupid friend who sold me that hammer," Sheila pointed out. "But his partner was an old friend of mine," Jule continued. "A little thief in the shadows, known as Morik the Rogue." Sheila and Bellany looked at each other and nodded.Sheila had heard of Morik, though without any specific details.Yet Bellany knew this man quite well, or rather, had known him, at least back when she was an apprentice at Sorcerer's Tower.She looked at Jule, and, given her own knowledge of the exuberant Morik, she understood what this beautiful and attractive woman might mean by "an old friend." "Oh, in the name of the gods," exhaled Sheila Kree after a moment, her head hanging as so many things suddenly became clear to her. Her two companions looked at her curiously. "Deudermont was after us," explained Sheila Kree. "What do you think he's looking for?" "Are we sure he's looking for something?" Bellany replied, but she slowed down as she finished the sentence, as if beginning to understand. "And now Drizzt and her girlfriend are waiting for us at Deudermont's house," Sheila continued. "So Deudermont is also after Aegis' Fang," Jules Pepper reasoned. "It's all connected. But Wulfgar wasn't with Drizzt and the others from Icewind Dale—or at least not then, so..." "Wulfgar may be with Deudermont," Bellany finished for her. "I'll repay Jos Padel for this, you don't doubt it," Sheila said sullenly, returning to her seat. "We don't know where Wulfgar might be," Jule Pepper interjected. "But we know that Deudermont will probably not sail anywhere north of Waterdeep next season, so if Wulfgar is with Deudermont..." She stopped as Sheila snarled and leaped from her seat, punching open palms. "We don't know enough to make any choices," she complained. "We need to find out more." An uncomfortable silence ensued, which was finally broken by Jule Pepper. "Morik," she said. Bellany and Sheila looked at her curiously. "Morik the thief, he's as versatile as any thief on the streets of Luskan," Bellany explained. "And, as you said, he was previously associated with Wulfgar. Maybe he'll give us some answers." Sheila thought about it for a moment. "Bring him to me," she commanded Bellany, whose magical powers could bring her to Luskan quickly, though in this season. Bellany nodded, stood up without a word, and left the room. "Dark elves and warhammers," Sheila Kree pointed out when it was just her and Jule. "A mysterious and beautiful elf visitor..." "Attractive, if not pretty," agreed Jule. "I admit I do like the way he looks. Especially the black mask." Sheila Kree laughed out loud at all this madness, shaking her head violently, wild red hair flying in all directions. "If Le'lorinel survives this incident, I will appoint an elf among my commanders," she explained. "A most mysterious, beautiful, alluring elf," Jule agreed with a big laugh. "Though maybe a little crazy." Sheila watched her suspiciously. "Aren't we all?"