Chapter 15 Chapter 12 Comrades

Bruno finds Catti-brie in the water on the other side of Pinocchio's flagship where the disaster has taken place.But Pinocchio paid no attention to the young woman.In the distance, the crew of his remaining ballista-mounted ship had the fire under control, but it too turned around and sped away from the scene at full speed. "I thought you had forgotten me," said Catti-brie as the boat approached. "You should have stayed with me," the dwarf said, laughing at her. "I'm not like you, I'm kind of related to Fire," Catti-brie retorted with some suspicion.

Bruno shrugged. "I have been like this since I was in Mithril Hall," he replied. "Maybe the armor passed down from my ancestors has protected me." Catti-brie grabbed hold of the side of the skiff and began to climb up, stopping abruptly as he realized what was going on when he saw the machete strapped to Bruenor's back. "You carry the drow's knife!" she said, remembering the story of the fire demon that Drizzt had told her.The magic in the ice-forged knife saved Drizzt from being burned to death that day. "That knife must have saved you!" "Nice knife," murmured Bruno, looking back at the hilt, "the elf should give it a name!"

"The boat cannot carry the weight of three people," interrupted Pinocchio. Bruno glared at him angrily, then yelled at him, "Then you swim!" Pinocchio's expression twisted, and he stood up threateningly. Bruno found that he was laughing at the proud pirate a little too much.Before the man could stand upright, the dwarf slammed his forehead into Pinocchio's chest, knocking him into the water behind the boat.Without hesitating for a moment, the dwarf grabbed Catti-brie by the wrist and pulled her closer to him. "Shoot him, girl," he said loudly, deliberately, so that Pinocchio, who was once again bobbing up and down in the water, could hear him.He threw the end of a rope to the pirate. "If he can't keep up, kill him,"

Catti-brie put a silver arrow on Tamari's string and aimed it at Pinocchio to threaten him, although she had no intention of actually killing the helpless man. "My bow is called the Heartbow," she warned, "and you must choose wisely which one you use." The proud pirate wrapped the rope around himself and started paddling.    "The dark elves are not allowed back on this ship!" one of Deudermont's crew snarled at Drizzt. For saying this, he was slapped on the back of the head, and Deudermont walked towards the planks connecting the boats, and the man stepped aside in shame.The captain watched the expressions of the crew as they looked at the dark elves who had been with them for weeks.

"What are you going to do with him?" asked a sailor, courageously. "We still have men in the sea," replied the captain, avoiding the question at hand, "get them up and dry, and put the pirates in chains." He waited for a while for the crew to disperse, but they remained The original posture did not move, they were completely focused on the scene performed by the dark elves. "And quickly separate the two ships!" Deudermont shouted. He turned to face Drizzt and Wulfgar, now only a few feet from the slab. "Let's go to my captain's cabin and rest together," he said quietly. "We must talk."

Neither Drizzt nor Wulfgar answered.They followed the captain silently, bearing the curious, fearful, and angry eyes that fell on them. Deudermont paused halfway on deck to join a group of crew members looking south on the other side of Pinocchio's burning ship, and they were watching a small boat struggling to pull in their direction. "The man who flew through the sky in a chariot of fire," explained one of the crew. "He got rid of the whole ship!" said another person, pointing to Pinocchio's swaying flagship wreck that was about to sink, "and forced another ship to run away,"

"Then he is our friend!" replied the captain. "Also our friend." Drizzt added, making everyone's eyes turn to him.Even Wulfgar looked at his companion curiously.He heard voices calling for Moradin, but still he could not hope that Bruenor Warhammer would fly in to help them. "It was a red-bearded dwarf, if I guess right," Drizzt went on, "and a young woman came with him." Wulfgar's jaw dropped open. "Bruno?" he whispered. "And Catti-brie?" Drizzt shrugged. "I guessed." "We'll know the answer soon," Deudermont assured them.He told the crew to wait until the passengers in the dinghy arrived on the Sea Sprite, and then take them to their cabins, and then take Drizzt and Wulfgar away, knowing that if the dark elves continued to stay on the deck, it would be difficult. would make his crew unable to do anything.At this moment, their ship was also badly damaged, so there was much important work to be done. "What do you want with us?" Wulfgar demanded as Deudermont closed the captain's cabin door. "We fight for you—"

Deudermont stopped the heated tirade he wanted to say with a calm smile. "You did fight for us," he admitted. "I only hope that every time I sail south, I have a partner as strong as you. Then as long as the Sea Spirit appears on the horizon, the pirates will definitely run away!" Wulfgar relaxed his defensive stance. "I'm not pretending to hurt anyone," Drizzt said darkly, "and all I'm hiding from you is my appearance. I have to go south to save a friend—it's all true." Deudermont nodded, but before he could answer, there was a knock at the door, and a sailor peeped through the crack. "Sorry to bother you," he began.

"What's going on?" Deudermont asked. "We follow your lead! Captain, you know that," stammered the sailor, "but we want you to know how we feel about this elf." Deudermont considered the sailor and Drizzt for a while.He was always proud of his crew; they had been with him for many years, but he seriously doubted what conclusion the crew would come to on this conundrum. "Go on," he urged, doggedly insisting on trusting his men. "Well, we know he's a Dark Elf!" began the sailor, "and we know what that means." He paused, and weighed carefully what he had to say next.Drizzt held his breath, anticipating what he was going to say; it wasn't the first time this had happened.

"But these two men got us through," the sailor poured out all that was in his heart at once, "without them we might be dead!" "So you want them to stay on board?" Deudermont asked, a smile on his face.His crew once again exercised due judgment. "Hmm!" replied the sailor sincerely. "Everyone agrees! We feel honored to have them on board!" Another sailor, the one who had challenged Drizzt in front of the slab a few minutes earlier, poked his head in. "I was freaked out, that's all it is." He apologized to Drizzt. Drizzt, who had been restless before, was still out of breath.He accepted the apology with a nod.

"See you on deck then," said the second sailor, and disappeared through the door. "We just thought we should let you know," said the first sailor to Deudermont, and he too went away. "What a fine crew," Deudermont said to Drizzt and Wulfgar after the door closed. "What do you think yourself?!" Wulfgar had to ask. "I judge a man, or an elf, by his personality, not by his appearance," Deudermont declared. "For that matter, I wish you would not wear a mask, Drizzt Do'Urden. You It looks so much better without it!" "Few would think so," Drizzt replied. "But Sea Sprite's crew is not like any other man!" cried the captain. "We've won the battle now, but there's still a lot to do. I guess some work in the bow will require your strength, Strong barbarians. We must fix the ship and go before the pirates on the third ship return with more allies!" "And you," he said to Drizzt with a furtive smile, "I can't think of anyone better suited to guard the captives than you." Drizzt took his mask off and put it in his backpack. “There are benefits to my skin tone,” he admits, before shaking the knot out of his gray hair.He turned and left with Wulfgar!But the door opened suddenly before them. "Good knife, elf!" said Bruenor Warhammer, with a puddle of water at his feet.He tossed the magic scimitar to Drizzt. "You'll give it a name, won't you? A knife like this must have a name. Perfect for a pig roast cook!" "Good for dragon-slaying dwarves, too," Drizzt said.He picked up the scimitar respectfully, and remembered the first time he saw this knife in the dragon's treasure pile.He then sheathed the knife on his original plain knife, thinking it was a more worthy pair with the Shining. Bruenor walked up to his dark elf friend and squeezed his wrist tightly. "When I saw your eyes looking at me from across the canyon," said the dwarf softly, struggling to keep his voice from choking, "I knew the rest of my friends were safe. It's all right." "But not all my friends," Drizzt replied. "Regis is still in mortal danger." Bruno blinked. "We'll get him back, elf! A glutton never dies at the hands of a disgusting killer!" He squeezed the dark elf's arm one last time, then turned to Wulfgar, the warrior who Inculcation and inculcation changed from a young boy to an adult. Wulfgar tried to speak, but the words were choked up.Unlike Drizzt, it never occurred to the barbarian that Bruenor might still be alive, and seeing his mentor, a dwarf like his father, rise from the dead and stand before him, he was overwhelmed with emotions. step by step.The dwarf was about to speak when he grabbed Bruno by the shoulders, lifted him up, and hugged him tightly. It took Bruno several seconds to sway his body, so that the other party would not hug him too tightly, before he finally managed to breathe. "If you'd squeezed the dragon like that," he coughed, "I wouldn't have to ride it down the canyon!" Catti-brie walked through the door, soaking wet, her red hair plastered around her neck and shoulders.Pinocchio followed, soaked and groveling. Her gaze first met Drizzt's, and in that quiet moment, the dark elf felt more than just friendship. "It is a pleasure to see you," she whispered. "It is good to see Drizzt Do'Urden again. My heart has been with you all the way here." Drizzt gave her a casual smile, then turned his lavender eyes away. "I don't know why, but I just think you will definitely join us before this mission is over," he said, "It's nice to see you, and you are welcome here." Catti-brie turned her gaze from the dark elf to Wulfgar's.She had been separated from this man twice, and every time they met again, she was reminded again how much she loved this man. Wulfgar was watching her too.The sea water was shining on her face, but it was nothing compared to her bright smile.The giant, who never took his eyes off Catti-brie, put Bruno back on the floor. In front of Drizzt and Bruno, the shyness of youthful love kept them from hugging each other immediately. "Captain Deudermont," Drizzt said, "I introduce to you my good friends and allies in battle, Bruno Warhammer and Catti-brie." "We brought you a present." Bruno sneered, "Because we have no money to pay for the boat trip." Bruno walked over, grabbed Pinocchio by the sleeve, and pulled him into the middle of the room, "I guess he's the captain of the ship I burned." "You two are welcome," Deudermont replied, "I assure you that what you have done has more than paid for the journey." The captain went to meet Pinocchio, who knew the importance of this man. "You know who I am, don't you?" said the pirate indignantly, thinking that now at last he had found someone more reasonable than the grumpy dwarf to deal with. "You're a pirate," Deudermont said quietly. Pinocchio looked at the captain proudly.A funny smile appeared on his face, "You must have heard of Pinocchio, right?" As soon as Pinocchio entered the room, Deudermont thought and feared that he was Pinocchio.The captain of the Sea Sprite had indeed heard of him, and every merchant ship that passed the Sword Coast had heard of him. "I demand that you release me and my men immediately!" growled the pirate. "If the time comes," Deudermont replied.Drizzt, Bruno, Wulfgar, and Catti-brie all looked at Deudermont incredulously because they didn't understand the influence of pirates. "I warn you that your actions will have serious consequences!" continued Pinocchio, suddenly gaining the upper hand in the conversation, "I am not a forgiving person, and neither are my allies. .” Drizzt, whose clan twisted justice for power and position, understood the captain's dilemma at once. "Let him go," he said.Both of his magic scimitars are in his hands.The flash emits a dangerous light. "Give him a knife and let him go. I'm not one to forgive easily." Bruno saw the fearful look in the pirate's eyes when he looked at the dark elf, and immediately joined the conversation. "Well, Captain, let the dog go," growled the dwarf. "I'm leaving his neck and head with him for the time being, just to give you a living present. If you don't need him..." Bruno said from Picking up the ax in his belt, he swung it with ease. Wulfgar didn't want to miss his chance either. "Let's go up the mast empty-handed!" the barbarian shouted, arching his muscles to the point where he seemed about to explode. "I fight this pirate one-on-one! Let the winner get the glory of victory. Let the loser fall to his death!" Pinocchio looked at these crazy fighters.Then he went back to Deudermont in an almost pleading manner. "Well, you're not having any fun doing that," said Catti-brie, laughing, not going to change the subject. "You ripped him apart, what's the point of that? Give him the boat and let him go." Her expression suddenly became serious, and then she gave Pinocchio a wicked look. Give him the skiff," she repeated, "and let him see if he can't dodge my silver arrow!" "Very well, Captain Pinocchio," Deudermont began to speak, and he managed to hold back his laughter. "I will not annoy the pirates. You are free, and you can go wherever you like." Pinocchio suddenly changed his attitude and faced Deudermont directly. "Otherwise," the captain of the Sea Spirit continued, "you and your crew can continue to stay under my supervision and protect you in my own name until you arrive at the port." "You can't even control your own crew?" the pirate said disdainfully. "They are not my crew," Deudermont replied. "And I can tell you that if these four men were going to kill you, I wouldn't do anything to stop them." "Our people will never let the enemy live!" Drizzt interrupted suddenly in a tone so vicious that even his best friends felt the creeps, "yet I need you, Captain Deudermont, and Your ship." He sheathed the two knives with lightning speed, "I'll let the pirate live in exchange for you to let us ride to the end." "Shall I supervise, Captain Pinocchio?" Deudermont asked, waving two of the crew to come in and escort the pirate chief. Pinocchio stared back at Drizzt. "If you dare to come to this sea area by boat again..." the stubborn pirate began to say some threatening words. Bruno kicked him in the ass. "Wag me your tongue again, bitch," growled the dwarf, "I promise I'll cut it off!" Pinocchio quietly followed Deudermont's crew out of the room.    Later that day, the crew of the Sea Spirit was still busy with the repair work, these few friends who finally met again retreated to the cabin of Drizzt and Wulfgar, listening to Bruno tell about his Adventures in Mithril Halls.The stars began to twinkle in the evening sky, and the dwarf hadn't finished talking about the treasures he had seen in that ancient and sacred homeland, and the many little battles he had had with the duergar patrols, and how he ended up Escaped from that dungeon. Catti-brie sat across from Bruno, watching the dwarf through the only flickering candle on the table.She'd heard the stories before, but Bruno was a good storyteller, and she leaned forward in her chair, once again concentrating on the plot.Wulfgar's long arms rested easily on her shoulders, and he had moved his chair behind her earlier. Drizzt stood by the window, looking at the dreamy sky.The scene in front of them is so familiar, as if they brought a corner of Icewind Dale here.Many nights, these friends gather to share their past experiences with each other, or just enjoy the quiet of the night together.Of course there was another person there at that time, and his strange stories from afar were the best. Drizzt looked at his friends, then turned back to the night sky, thinking and looking forward to the day when the five friends could be together again. The knock on the door nearly made the three at the table jump, for they were too engrossed in the story the dwarf was telling, even Bruenor himself.Drizzt opened the door, and Captain Deudermont walked in. "Welcome," he said politely, "I don't want to disturb you, but I have some news to tell you." "We're on to the best parts," Bruno grumbled, "but it's better to be a joke." "I've talked to Noche again," said Deudermont. "He's well known around here, and it's not unusual for him to stop us with three ships. He's after something." "Us," Drizzt deduced. "He didn't say anything directly," replied Deudermont, "but I believe so. Please understand that I cannot push him too far." "Fuck it! I'll make that dog bark!" Bruno said angrily. "No," Drizzt said, "those pirates must be looking for us." "But how did they know you were on this ship?" Deudermont asked. "Fireball over Baldur's Gate," Wulfgar deduced. Deudermont nodded, he remembered that scene. "You seem to have attracted some powerful enemies." "The man we're looking for knew we were going to Baldur's Gate," Drizzt said, "and he even left us a message. Someone like Artemis Entreri would arrange for someone to signal him, It will not be difficult to tell him when and how we will leave." "Perhaps he arranged the attack," Wulfgar said sadly. "It seems so," said Deudermont. Drizzt said nothing, but he thought differently from these people.Why had Entreri lured them all this way, only to have pirates kill them?Drizzt knew that someone else might have been involved in the affair, and he could only guess that it was Bashar Pook himself. "But there are other things we need to discuss," said Deudermont. "The Sea Spirit was a good ship, but we were badly damaged, as was the pirate ship we captured." "Are you going to take both out?" Wulfgar asked. "Well," replied the captain, "Pinocchi and his men must be released when we come into port. We shall return the ship to him there." "They should have been punished more severely," Bruno murmured. "Will those injuries slow down our journey?" Drizzt asked, his focus still on their mission. "Yes," Deudermont replied. "I wish we could reach Menon in Calimshan, just past the border of Tethyr. Our flag will get us help in that desert kingdom. We can anchor there for repairs." "how long?" Deudermont shrugged. "A week, maybe longer. We won't know exactly until someone comes to assess our damage. After that, it will be another week before we round the Cape and reach Calimport." The four friends exchanged discouraged and worried looks.How many days does Regis have to live?Can halflings afford the delay? "But you have another choice," Deudermont said to them, "from Menon to Calimport by boat, and go around Tehiborg to the Shining Sea. It is much farther by sea than by land. There are caravans every day. It will take only a few days to set off for Calimport, though much harder to cross the Karim Desert." "We don't have much money to pay for the journey," said Catti-brie. Deudermont waved his hand and told her not to worry about this problem. "It won't cost much," he said. "The caravan will be very happy to have you as bodyguards. I will also pay you enough to get you to your destination." He gently shook the belt tied at his waist A bag of gold on board, "You can also choose to stay on the Sea Spirit and go with us." "How long to Menon?" asked Drizzt. "Depending on how windy our sails are," replied Deudermont, "about five days; or a week if you're slow." "Tell us about the Karin Desert, please," Wulfgar said. "What is a desert?" "It's a barren land," Deudermont replied worriedly, not wanting to downplay the challenge and cause these people to make the wrong decision. body. There, monsters overwhelmed people, and many unfortunate travelers died there, eaten up by vultures." The four friends shrugged, not caring about the captain's dire description.It sounded like home to them, except the temperature was different.