Chapter 21 Chapter 17 Morik's Viewpoint
"As a prisoner, he was very cooperative, I think," Sheila Kerry pointed out to Bellany after three grueling hours of interrogation.During the interrogation, Morik the Rogue volunteered everything he knew about Wulfgar, Drizzt, and Catti-brie.Sheila listened carefully to every word about this particular dark elf.
"Morik's credo is self-preservation," Bellany explained. "Other than that, nothing else. He can plunge the dagger into Wulfgar's heart himself, if he needs to do so to save his own life. Morik won't be happy if Drizzt and Wulfgar turn against us Yes. He'll even try to stay out of the fight, and he won't help us when we wipe out his former comrades, but he won't risk his life against us. Nor will he spoil the bright future we promised him , he knows we can provide that. That's not his style."
Sheila can easily accept the notion that self-interest takes precedence over group loyalty.All the loyalty her gang of thugs offer her is indeed derived from it.They were a gang merely held together by her through threats and promises—simply because they all knew that their best personal interests could be wrought by Sheila Kree.They also knew that if they tried to leave, they would face the wrath of the dreaded pirate chief and her group of elite commanders.
Jule Pepper sat at the side of the room, more convinced of Morik's credibility, mostly because of what he'd done after arriving in Golden Cove with Bellany.Everything Morik said fit perfectly with everything she had learned about Drizzt during her short stay in Ten-Towns.
"If the drow and Catti-brie are going to track down that hammer, then we can expect Bruenor the dwarf and Regis the halfling to join them," she said. "And don't ignore Drizzt's fellow panther."
"I won't forget any of them," Sheila Kerry assured her. "I'm glad Le'lorinel is here with us."
"Le'lorinel here may prove to be the luckiest of luck," agreed Bellany.
"Is Morik going to fight that elf now?" asked the pirate chief, for Le'lorinel was so troubled by Drizzt that he asked for some private time with the newcomer to the Hidden Lair, and the Just suffered directly from the hateful dark elves.
Jule Pepper laughed out loud at the question.Not long after Jule arrived at the Golden Cove, Le'lorinel spent hour after hour with her, making her mimic every movement she'd seen Drizzt make, even those that had nothing to do with combat.He wanted to know the length of his stride, the angle at which his head tilted when he spoke, and everything about the hateful drow.Jule knew that Morik would probably not show the elf anything of value, but she also knew that Le'lorinel would make him repeat his actions and words over and over again.Jule had never seen anyone so completely enthralled.
"Even now, Morik is probably still with Le'lorinel, no doubt reenacting how he got caught by Drizzt and Catti-brie," Bellany replied, glancing at jule.
"Go and spy on them with magic," Sheila instructed the witch. "You pay attention to every word Le'lorinel utters, every gesture he makes to Morik."
"You're still afraid that our enemies might send elves undercover?" Bellany asked.
"Le'lorinel's arrival is a little too timely," Jule pointed out.
"I'm even more afraid that this stupid elf will go after Drizzt and his friends before they find us," Sheila explained. "That group of people may spend dozens of days wandering in the mountains, but still can't find any clues about Sanctuary Valley and Golden Cove, and I prefer that rather than letting such a powerful enemy go straight in."
"I'd like to light a fire to bring them in," Jule said quietly. "I owe something to that group of people and intend to fully pay them back."
"Not to mention the many magical treasures they carry," agreed Bellany. "I'm sure I'll get used to a partner like Guenhuffa. Besides, Sheila, don't you look pretty with the dark elf's legendary magical scimitar around your waist?"
Sheila Kree nodded, smiling wickedly. “But we want to meet this group of people when we think it’s right, not when they think it’s right,” she explained. "When we're ready to deal with them, wait until winter has weakened their strength a bit, and then bring them in. We let Le'lorinel fight, and that wish has followed stubborn and foolish elves all these years, and hopefully by then Cui Sturt will be completely defeated. If not, then we will have fewer people left to share the treasure."
"Speaking of which," Jule interjected, "I've noticed a lot of our ogre friends out and about, hunting the countryside. I think keeping them in check until the Drizzt Do'Urden thing is over will do us a favor. There are benefits."
"Just a few at a time," replied Sheila Kree. "I've spoken to Choguruga many times."
Bellany couldn't help smiling when she left the house shortly after, and things were going so well.Usually winters are dull, but now there is the promise of a good fight, better treasures, and more opportunities to keep Morik the Thief in company, the young witch since her apprenticeship in Luskan. Morik hadn't had so many opportunities to keep company since those days.
It's going to be a fantastic winter—but Bellany knows Sheila Kree is right to be concerned about Le'lorinel.The mad elves, haunted by Drizzt, could spell disaster if they weren't careful.
Bellany went straight back to her room, gathered some items needed for the divination spell, located the spell in the large stone room assigned by Sheila Kree to Le'lorinel, watched the elves and Morik wielding weapons, Lero Rinne ordered Morik to tell him everything he knew about the strange dark elf over and over again.
"How many times have I told you? There was no fight," Morik asked angrily, his arms outstretched sideways, a dagger in each hand. "When I know how powerful the drow and his friends are, I don't want to continue."
"Don't want to go on," Le'lorinel repeated sharply. "That means you started it. And you just admitted that you know how powerful the dark elves are. Then show me, hurry up, or I will show you how powerful I am!"
Morik nodded and smirked at the elf, ignoring the upstart's rude threats.Or, at least it seems so.In fact, Le'lorinel had Morik rather overwhelmed.With his knowledge of potential foes and friends alike, the thief has survived for so many years in the abominable streets.He instinctively knows when to fight, when to cheat, and when to run.
This encounter quickly fell into the third category, as Morik couldn't predict Le'lorinel.He realized that the elf's confusion was beyond comprehension, almost into a state of frenzy.He could see it clearly in the extreme tension in the elf's blue and gold eyes, which were staring at him from behind the absurd black mask.If he doesn't give the necessary information, of course with an attitude that Le'lorinel can accept, will Le'lorinel really attack him?He didn't doubt it for a moment, nor did he doubt that he might be defeated.Drizzt Do'Urden seemed to thwart his best line of attack with ease, and launched a counterattack that could kill Morik in seconds if the drow wanted him dead, and if Le Rolini can openly challenge Drizzt...
"You want him dead, but why?" asked the rogue.
"That's my business, not yours," Le'lorinel replied curtly.
"You talk to me with anger, like I'm not going to help you," Morik said, the composure evident in his forced voice. "Maybe there's a way—"
"This is my fight, not yours," the reply was as sharp as Morik's dagger.
"Ah, but you are alone against Drizzt and his friends?" the rogue reasoned. "You might be able to unleash a nice, overwhelming blow on the drow, but that only drew a deadly arrow from Catti-brie, who was standing calmly aside. Her bow—"
"I know all about Taumriel and Guenhwyvar, and all the rest," the elf assured him. "I will seek to find Drizzt myself, and defeat him face to face, as justice demands, and that is only reasonable."
Morik smiled back. "He's not such a bad man," he was about to begin, but the growing ferocity in Le'lorinel's eyes suggested he change his line of reasoning. "Perhaps you should find a woman," the rogue added. "Elves or humans - there seems to be plenty of fascination everywhere. Love, my friend. That's justified!"
The look in response to Morik surprised him, it looked so suspicious, so uncertain even though he'd never expected approval.
"How old are you?" Morik demanded. "Seventy? Fifty? Or younger? The age of you elves is too difficult to judge, yes, I envy you for that. But there is no denying that you are handsome, and women appreciate such delicate beauty. Therefore, find a Love, my friend. Get two! Don't risk the centuries that are left of your life in this battle with Drizzt Do'Urden."
Le'lorinel pressed a step further.Morik stepped back quickly, turning his hands deftly, preparing to drive the dagger into his opponent's masked face if Le'lorinel continued.
"I can't live!" cried the elf angrily. "I want to see justice done! The simple thought of a dark elf walking the surface pretending to be friendly, pretending to be kind, hurts my feelings terribly, and goes against everything I believe in. The liar Drizzt Do'Urden An insult to all my ancestors who drove the drow from the surface world into the depths of the dark subterranean world where the drow belonged."
"Would you still pursue Drizzt if he retreated into the depths of the dark subterranean?" Morik asked, thinking he might have found a hole in the elf's reasoning.
"If I had that ability, I'd kill every drow," Le'lorinel replied with a sneer. "I will wipe out the entire race and be proud of it. I will kill their matrons, and their murderous raiders. I will stab a dagger into every drow child!"
As the elf advanced with every word, Morik stepped back wisely, keeping a dangerous distance, hands raised before his face, dagger still at the ready, beating the air in an effort to calm the brewing storm.
Finally, Le'lorinel stopped pressing and stood staring at him. "Now, Morik, are you going to show me the action between you and Drizzt Do'Urden, or shall I personally test your fighting qualities, plus what I know about your encounters? Battle, as a measure of Drizzt Do'Urden's power?"
Morik sighed, nodding in resignation.Then he treated Le'lorinel as Drizzt in the alleys of Luskan that night, and guided the elves through the process of attack and defense.
It is conceivable that at Le'lorinel's insistence, they repeated it over and over again.
Bellany looked at the entire interaction process and found it more than a little interesting.He liked watching Morik's fluid movements, though he couldn't deny that Le'lorinel was far more handsome in battle, with more skill and grace.Bellany laughed loudly at Morik's misinterpretations.
When the two finally finished their many performances, Bellany heard Morik arguing boldly, "You are a good warrior, a distinguished warrior. I have no doubts about your abilities, my friend. But I warn you, Drizzt Do'Urden was strong, very strong. Probably as good as anyone in the whole of the North. I know that, not just from my brief encounter with him, but from Wulfgar and I in the stories we told when we were together.
Morik bowed, turned, and left so quickly that Bellany suspected he was heading for her room.She liked the idea, and because she was excited to watch Morik and Le'lorinel play, she decided not to correct the rogue.At least not right away.This is so interesting.
When Morik left the fighting room in Le'lorinel, he really wanted to go and see Bellany.The elves amuse him more than scare him - Morik takes him for a complete fool, wasting every potential opportunity for enjoyment and experience in his life, chasing a blood oath to a Better not to provoke the dark elves for revenge.From Morik's point of view, it didn't matter whether Drizzt was good or bad.A simple measure of an elf's mission is whether Drizzt is looking for elves.If he was looking, it would have been good for Le'lorinel to strike first, but if he wasn't, then the elf was a fool indeed.
Drizzt wasn't looking for elves.Morik knew this instinctively.Drizzt came to find out about Wulfgar and Aegis' Fang, but there was no mention of an elf called Le'lorinel, or any elves at all.Drizzt wasn't chasing Le'lorinel, and there was a good chance he didn't even know that Le'lorinel was chasing him.
Morik turned into a side corridor and walked towards a wooden door awkwardly placed there.With some difficulty he pushed it open, through the door, and onto the terrace outside, which stood high on the cliff face, perhaps two hundred feet from the crashing waves far below.
Morik considered the path that snaked among the jagged rocks, that would take him to the other side of the mountain, on the ground in the valley, that would take him to a path that would take him away from Sheila Kree.He might be able to sneak past the sentries guarding the valley with relative ease, and he might be able to travel far, far away with ease.
Of course, on the other side of the ice-moving sea, the storm clouds are gathering in the northwest, and the wind is cold.He would have a hard time making it to Luskan before winter overwhelmed him, and even if he succeeded it would not be a pleasant journey.Besides, Bellany had shown him that she could find him in Luskan.
Morik grinned as he considered other possible routes.He wasn't quite sure where he was - Bellany had magically transported them from one place to another on the way here - but he suspected he wasn't very far from a potential winter shelter.
"Ah, Lord Feringal, are you waiting for a visitor?" said the thief softly, but he was laughing at every word, and he hardly thought it possible to escape to Orkney--even if he could find out Where is Orkney compared to Golden Bay, without suitable attire, it will not be easy for the thief Morik to impersonate Waterdeep Lord Brandbo again. He once deceived Orkney Lord Feringal in this way.
Morik laughed at the idea of slipping into the icy mountains, which was far from serious.It was merely a reassurance to Morik that he could probably leave if he wanted to.
With that in mind, it didn't surprise him at all that the pirates had given Morik a fair amount of freedom, and if they offered to let him go back to Luskan and stop harassing him, he wasn't sure he would take it.Even for a man as cunning and famous as Morik, life there was hard, but life in the cove was easy, and Bellany would surely try to make it pleasant.
But what about Wulfgar?What about Drizzt and Catti-brie?
Morik looked out onto the icy water, grimly considering the debt he owed, perhaps to former traveling companions.Yes, he did care about Wulfgar, and here and now, he decided that if the barbarians did come against the Cove of Gold and try to take back the Fang of Aegis, then he would do everything in his power to do so, to convince Sheila Kree, and especially Bellany, to capture the man instead of destroying him.
Morik knew that, considering Drizzt, and the crazed Le'lorinel he had just met, it would be a more difficult task, but Morik easily brushed that possibility aside. .
In fact, what exactly did Morik the Rogue owe Drizzt Do'Urden?Or owe something to Catti-brie?
The small, dark-haired rogue stretched out and folded his arms across his chest to keep out the cold wind.He thought of Bellany and her warm bed, and set off for her at once.
After Morik left, Le'lorinel stood sullenly in the fighting room, pondering his last words.
Morik was wrong, Le'lorinel knew.The elf did not doubt his assessment of Drizzt's fighting prowess.Le'lorinel was well aware of the stories that described Drizzt's exploits.But Morik was unaware of the years of preparation he had made for this fight, and in order to be in a position to defeat Drizzt Do'Urden, Le'lorinel had gone to complete extremes.
But Le'lorinel could not simply ignore Morik's warning.This battle with Drizzt would indeed come, the elf repeated silently, fumbling for the ring that contained the necessary magic.Even if things went exactly as Le'lorinel had prepared and planned, it could still end with the death of two people instead of one.
So be it