Chapter 4 Chapter 2 City of a Thousand Sails

"Hey! Old friend, there is the City of a Thousand Sails," Bruenor said to Wulfgar as they looked down from the top of a small hill a few miles north of Luskan. Wulfgar looked at the city with admiration.There are more than fifteen thousand houses in Luskan, which is nothing compared to the big cities in the south and Waterdeep, which can be reached by walking a few hundred miles south along the coast.But to a young barbarian who had spent eighteen years of his life among nomadic tribes and the small villages of Ten-Towns, the well-fortified seaport looked magnificent indeed. The city wall surrounds Luskan, and there are specially designed high and low watchtowers on it.Even from this distance, Wulfgar could make out soldiers pacing up and down the low walls like black dots, the points of their guns gleaming in the morning light.

"We don't seem welcome," Wulfgar noted. "Luskan doesn't like visitors," Drizzt said, coming up behind his two friends. "They may open the door for merchants, but ordinary travelers are usually driven away more." "This is our first stop," Bruno growled, "I must go in!" Drizzt nodded and stopped arguing with him.When he traveled to Ten-Towns, he avoided Luskan far away.The city's main inhabitants are humans, and treats other races with contempt, often inaccessible even to surface elves and dwarves.Drizzt guessed that the guards at the gate here would do more than just drive the dark elves away.

"Let's start a breakfast coal fire," Bruno went on.His angry tone reflected his determination that no one could make him change his schedule. "We broke camp early, and got to the gates by noon. Where's that damned glutton?" Drizzt looked back in the direction of the tent. "Still sleeping," he replied, although Bruno was only asking casually.After they set off from Ten Towns, Regis was always the first to go to bed and the last to rise (and he had to be called). "Then kick him!" Bruno said.He turned back to the tent, but Drizzt took his arm and told him not to go.

"Let him sleep," suggested the dark elf. "Perhaps we'd better reach Luskan's gates in the twilight of evening." Drizzt's plea only confused Bruenor for a brief moment, until the dwarf looked closer and saw his sullen expression and the fear in his eyes.The two of them had gotten so close these past few years that Bruenor often forgot that Drizzt was someone who wasn't welcome anywhere.The farther they moved from Drizzt's well-known Ten-Towns, the more likely they were to be ostracized because of his dark complexion and the notoriety of their people.

"Oh, let him sleep." Bruno agreed. "Maybe I should get more sleep myself." They started late that morning and were walking at a leisurely pace, only to find that they had miscalculated the distance.When they arrived at the north gate of the city, it was already past dusk, and the sky was completely dark. The city's structure bears out the rumors that Luskan doesn't welcome visitors: two low square stone towers with a closed stone wall between the stone walls and iron-clad gates.A pack of hide-packed heads protruded from the short wall above the gate, and the group felt more eyes, and even bows and arrows, aimed at them in the darkness of the tower.

"Who are you who come to the gates of Luskan?" A voice came from the wall. "We are travelers from the North," Bruno answered. "We've come all the way from Icewind Dale, and we're very tired." "The gates are closed at sunset," replied the voice, "go away!" "Fildless goblin bastard!" Bruno snarled under his breath.He swung the ax hard, as if to split the city gate. Drizzt put a hand on the dwarf's shoulder to calm him down, for his keen ears could already hear the click of the crossbow crank. Then Regis unexpectedly stepped up and took control of the scene.He tugged on the trousers that had dropped below his protruding stomach, hooked his thumbs to his belt, and tried to act as if something was important.He waddled up to his partner.

"Sir, may I have your name?" he called to the soldiers on the wall. "I'm the Night's Watch at the North Gate, and that's all you need to know!" replied a gruff voice, "and if anyone—" "I am Regis, First Citizen of Bryn Shander. I am sure you have heard my name, or seen my bone ornaments." The group of them heard the chattering whisper above, and then the whispering stopped. "We've seen the carvings made by the halflings of Ten-Towns, are you that person?" "I am the hero and master sculptor of the Goblin War." Regis bowed after declaring. "The spokesman for Ten-Towns would not be pleased if he knew I was driven out into the night at the door of this favored trading partner."

There was another whisper, followed by a longer silence.A short time later they heard a shrill sound behind the door, and the iron gate was hoisted and bolted.The halfling looked back at his surprised friends and smiled sarcastically. "Be diplomatic, my rough dwarf friend." The door opened only a crack, and two men slipped out, unarmed but alert.It was obvious that they were being well protected by soldiers on the wall.A crowd of menacing-looking soldiers crowded the walls, watching their every move with crossbows. "I am Gildan," said the stouter of the two soldiers, though their true size could not be seen, for they were clad in so many layers of hide.

"I am the Night's Watch," said another. "Show me what you guys bring to trade." "A deal?" Bruno responded angrily. "Who said anything about a deal?" He swung the ax again, making the men up there nervous. "Do you think this looks like a weapon carried by a merchant who stinks of copper?" Both Regis and Drizzt hoped to appease the dwarf.Wulfgar, as fiery as Bruenor, stood aside, thick arms folded across his chest, glaring coldly at the reckless gatekeeper. The two sergeants backed away defensively, and the Night's Watch spoke again, this time on the verge of anger. "First Citizen," he confronted Regis, "what are you doing at our door?"

Regis stepped up to Bruenor and stood before the soldiers. "Well... let's do the market research beforehand." He made up a story to turn around. "I have some special crafts this season, and I want to make sure that the conditions here, including the price of bone ornaments, can meet my needs." The two soldiers exchanged knowing smiles. "You came all the way here for this kind of reason?" the night watchman said ferociously, "Why don't you just bring the goods here?" Regis was a little embarrassed.He learned that these soldiers were too experienced to be fooled.In order to get a better result, he felt the ruby ​​magic pendant from under his clothes.He knew that the gem's hypnotic power would allow the Night's Watch to let them in, but he was still afraid that if he took it out, the assassin not far behind would find them.

Gildan started to move, however, as he noticed a figure standing behind Bruno.Drizzt Do'Urden's coat was partly open, revealing the dark skin of his face. As if he had received a cue, the night watchman also became nervous.After Gildan, he also immediately understood the reason for his partner's sudden action.Reluctantly, the four adventurers put their hands on their weapons, preparing for a fight they didn't want to fight. But just as the tension was suddenly caused by him, Gildan quickly ended the tension.He put his hand across the Night's Watchman's chest, and called out the Dark Elf's name directly. "Drizzt Do'Urden?" he asked quietly, hoping for confirmation. The dark elf nodded, surprised at how he was recognized. "Your name came to Luskan along with the legend of Icewind Dale," Gildan explained. "Forgive our surprise," he bowed deeply, "you rarely see your kind before our door." Drizzt nodded again, but made no reply, uncomfortable at the unusual attention.Never before had a gatekeeper asked his name or what he did, and the dark elf quickly learned the advantage of not passing through any gates, sneaking over the walls of a city at night and looking for comparisons. The seedy district, so he could hide in a dark corner with the homeless and be unnoticed.Did his heroism and fame earn him some degree of respect so far from Ten-Towns? Bruenor turned and blinked at Drizzt.His anger died away, for at last his friend received the respect he deserved from the stranger. But Drizzt didn't quite believe it.He couldn't believe this could happen - it brought out all the feelings he'd been trying so hard to keep hidden.He preferred to remain skeptical, his defensiveness clinging to him like the dark cap attached to his cloak.He pricked up his curious ears as the two soldiers stepped back to talk in private. "I don't care who he is," he heard the Night's Watch whisper to Gildan. "Not a single dark elf can enter my gate!" "You're wrong," retorted Gildan, "these men are heroes of Ten-Towns, and that halfling is really the first citizen of Bryn Shander, a dark elf ranger who can kill with a single blow, but It cannot be denied that he is worthy of veneration. And the dwarf with the cup of foam overflowing drawn on his shield is Bruenor Warhammer, chief of the dwarves in Icewind Dale." "What's that giant barbarian doing?" The Night's Watch said in a disdainful tone that he wasn't frightened, although he was clearly a little nervous. "What kind of guy is he?" Gildan shrugged. "He's huge, young, and has a self-control that's not expected of him at his age. I don't think he should be in this place, but he's probably a young chief of some tribe, like some storyteller. Same as said. We shouldn’t be pushing them away, otherwise the consequences could be severe.” "Does Luskan have to be afraid of those small villages in Icewind Dale?" asked the Night's Watch. "We're not alone in the trading ports," replied Gildan, "not every war is fought with the sword. If the carvings of Ten-Towns are lost, whether it be our merchants or the merchant ships that come to anchor each season, Neither will be happy." The Night's Watch looked at the four strangers again.However eloquently his partner had told him, he still couldn't believe it at all.And he really didn't want these people to go to the city.But if his suspicions were wrong, and he did something to impede trade, his own future would be ruined.Soldiers of Luskan are responsible to merchants, and they will not easily forgive mistakes that thin their wallets. The Night's Watch threw up its hands in surrender. "Go in!" he told the party. "Go down the wall to the docks. The Cutlass is just down the last alley, and you'll be warm enough there." Drizzt caught sight of his friends striding proudly into town, and he guessed they'd heard snippets of conversation.As they left the guard tower and walked down the wall, Bruenor confirmed what he suspected. "I said elf," snorted the dwarf, nudging Drizzt with an elbow, and was visibly pleased. "The news of us has already spread from Icewind Dale to such a far south. What's your opinion on this?" Drizzt shrugged again.Bruno chuckled under his breath, assuming his friends were just a little embarrassed by their fame.Regis and Wulfgar also shared in Bruenor's delight, and the giant, as he walked to the head of the procession, kindly patted the dark elf on the back. But Drizzt's discomfort didn't come from embarrassment.Passing the gates he noticed Gildan grinning, a grin that didn't look like it came from admiration.And although he didn't doubt that some legends about the battle against Akar Kessell's goblin army had spread to the City of Thousand Sails, what made Drizzt feel weird was that an ordinary soldier knew so much about him and his friends However, the non-commissioned officer responsible for guarding the city gate and deciding who can enter the city did not know it at all. The streets of Luskan are lined with buildings of two or three storeys close together, a reflection of the people's desperate attempt to squeeze inside the safe walls from the dangers of the barbarians in the north.The post and watchtower protruding from the roof may be decorations for individuals and guilds to show their superior status.The cautious city of Luskan has survived, and even prospered, because of their hypervigilance to the point of paranoia on their treacherous frontier.It was a city of shadows, and as the four visitors advanced that night, they could still feel keenly the curious and dangerous eyes cast upon them from every dark hole. The pier is the worst place in the whole city.There are thieves, hooligans, and beggars here, in every narrow alley and in every shadowy crevice.The fog that shrouds all the time comes from the sea, which makes the already dark streets even more mysterious. The four of them found themselves walking in one such street, the last street before reaching the docks, a run-down lane called Half Moon Street.Regis, Drizzt, and Bruenor knew at once that they had entered a place infested with thugs and bums, and everyone put their hands on their weapons.Only Wulfgar continued to swagger without fear.But even he already felt the threatening atmosphere.Unaware that this place is anything but ordinary, he decides to face his first experience in the civilized world with an open heart. "Here we are," said Bruno, pointing to a tavern where a group of likely thugs had gathered.The weather-beaten sign above the door reads "Curved Dagger." Regis swallowed with difficulty, a complex emotion that frightened him welled up in his heart.It all felt familiar to him from his early days as a bandit, but the familiarity only deepened his uneasiness.He knew that the allure of illegal business in the shadows of a dangerous saloon could be as deadly as the knives hidden by the rogues who sat at every table. "Are you really going into this place?" he asked his friends cautiously. "Don't quarrel with me," Bruno snapped back. "When you joined us in Icewind Dale, you knew what the road ahead was like. Don't whine at me there now!" "We'll protect you," Drizzt interjected to comfort Regis. With the ego that came with his inexperience, Wulfgar made the statement even fuller. "Why do they have trouble with us, we have done nothing wrong." He said.Then he shouted a challenge to all shadows. "There's nothing to fear, my boy. My hammer will wipe out all who oppose us!" "Youth's pride," Bruno murmured, as Bruno exchanged skeptical glances with Regis and Drizzt. The atmosphere inside the Curved Dagger is consistent with the dilapidated and antiquated appearance seen from the outside.The part of the building that belonged to the tavern was a large room with a long bar set defensively in the innermost corner, directly opposite the door.There is a staircase next to the bar that leads to the second floor. It is not the average traveler who uses it most often, but women with heavy make-up and too much perfume and their latest partners.While it is true that sailors of merchant ships anchored in Luskan often come ashore for fun and excitement, they usually make it back to the safety of their ships before inevitably passing out drunk and defenseless. In any case, Curved Dagger is a tavern full of various sounds, colors and tastes.The aroma of alcohol, whether from ale, cheap fruit wine, or rare spirits, pervades every corner.The smoke from the imported tobacco is like the fog outside, blurring the harsh reality into a soft dreamlike feeling. When Bruenor went to check in at the counter, Drizzt led them to a table crowded by the door.Wulfgar followed the dwarf, but Drizzt told him not to. "Go to the table," he explained. "You seem too excited about these things. Just leave it to Bruno." Wulfgar started to protest, but was cut off. "Come here," Regis suggested, "sit next to Drizzt and me. No one can bully a strong, grown dwarf, but to those beasts, bully a little halfling and a skinny elf." Maybe it looks like a good sport. We need your strength and size to stop their unwanted intentions." At the compliment, Wulfgar walked toward the table with a firm chin, his chin raised.Regis gave Drizzt a knowing wink and turned to follow him. "You have much to learn on this journey, young friend," Drizzt murmured to Wulfgar, in a tone too soft for the barbarian. "Very different from where you came from." Bruno brought back four bottles of wine and began to murmur. "Let's get this done," he said to Drizzt. "Get on the road early. The price for this bloody orc cave is blatant robbery!" "The rooms here are not meant for people to sleep through the night." Regis snickered. But Bruno continued to frown. "Drink it up!" he said to the dark elf. "According to the barmaid, Mouse Lane is just a short walk away. Maybe we can get there tonight." Drizzt nodded and began to sip his ale .He didn't really want to drink, but hoped that sharing the drink this way would put the dwarf at ease.The dark elf was apprehensive about leaving Luskan, too, fearing his identity in the flickering torchlight of the tavern, and he pulled his hood tighter—more trouble for their party.He went a step further and began to worry about Wulfgar, due to his youthful and egotistical nature.The barbarians of Icewind Dale are merciless in battle, yet their society is built upon strict and inflexible norms, and their straightforwardness cannot be denied.Drizzt feared that Wulfgar would fall prey to the city's false impressions and betrayal.Wulfgar's hammer was enough to protect him on the wild road.But here he will be bewildered by the swords hidden under the smile, and his weapons and martial arts will be of little use. Wulfgar drained his bottle, wiped his mouth eagerly, and stood up. "Let's go!" he said. "Who are we going to find?" "Sit down and shut your mouth, young man," Bruno scolded him, looking around, hoping no one else noticed. "Tonight, it's me and the dark elves. There's no room for a big fighter like you! You stay with the glutton, and remember, keep your mouth shut and your back against the wall !" Wulfgar sat down in shame, but Drizzt was pleased that Bruenor seemed to come to the same conclusion as he did about the young warrior.Regis saved Wulfgar a little face again. "Don't go with them!" he said hastily to the barbarian. "I don't want to go, but I dare not stay here alone. Let Drizzt and Bruenor have fun in the cold and disgusting alleyway. We'll stay here and enjoy a comfortable night!" Drizzt patted Regis on the knee under the table in thanks, and got up to go.Bruenor drank his ale and jumped up from his chair. "Let's go, then," he said to the dark elf.Then to Wulfgar, "Watch out for that halfling, and watch out for those women. They're like overstarved rats, and the only thing they're going to bite is your wallet!" Bruenor and Drizzt turned in the first empty alleyway on the other side of the curved dagger.The dwarf stood nervously at the entrance of the alley as Drizzt took a few steps further into the darkness.After Drizzt was sure he was safe, he took out a finely carved small agate statue in the shape of a cheetah from his pocket, and placed it on the ground in front of him. "Guenhwyvar," he called softly, "come, my shadow." His call traveled through many realms and reached the Astral Plane (Astral Plane): the alien world where Guan Haifa lives, also known as the outer planet.s home.The big cat was awakened from sleep.It's been months since its owner last called it, and the cheetah is anxious to serve him. Guan Haifa crossed the gap between worlds and followed the firelight summoned by the dark elves.Then the leopard came to Drizzt's side in the alleyway, immediately alert to the unfamiliar environment. "I'm afraid we've come to a dangerous place," Drizzt explained. "I need eyes to see what I can't see." Without hesitation and without sound, Guenhwyva jumped onto a pile of rubble, onto a platform above a ruined porch, and onto the roof.Drizzt, feeling relieved and much safer, hurried back to where Bruenor was waiting. "What about the dead cat?" Bruno asked.His voice expressed relief that Guenhwyvar hadn't really followed the dark elf.Many dwarves were wary of all magic except that attached to their weapons, and Bruenor didn't like the leopard. "Here we need it most." was the answer of the dark elf.He started out on Half Moon Street. "Don't be afraid, strong Bruno, Guenhlvar's eyes are watching and protecting us, even if our eyes can't return it!" The dwarf looked around nervously, and beads of sweat could be seen clinging to the lower rim of his horned helmet.He'd known Drizzt for years, but he still couldn't feel comfortable with the big cat not far away. Drizzt smiled under his hood. As they walked towards the docks, every alleyway presented the same scene, that is, they were all filled with rubble and debris.Bruenor looked at each shadowed hollow with heightened alertness.His eyes weren't as sharp in the dark as the drow's, and if he could see what was hidden in the dark like Drizzt, he might have held on to the handle of his ax even harder. But dwarves and dark elves were not particularly noticed.They didn't look like the typical drunks who would pass out here at night, nor would they be easy prey for thieves.Bruenor's notched ax and the two dangling scimitars dangling from the drow's belt are enough to deter most villains. In the maze of streets and alleys, they spent a long time looking for "Rat Alley".It was right on the pier, parallel to the sea, and seemed impassable in the fog.The long and short warehouses are sandwiched between the sides, and various broken boxes and boxes are scattered on the street, making the already narrow passages only suitable for one person to pass through in many places. "This is a very suitable place for walking in the hazy night." Bruno said expressionlessly. "Are you sure this is the alley we're looking for?" Drizzt asked.He was equally uninterested in the place in front of them. "According to the merchants of Ten Towns, if there is still a living person who can give us that map, he would be Whisper. And the place where we can find Whisper is Mouse Alley—only Mouse Alley. " "Let's go, then," Drizzt said. "Bad missions had better be done quickly." Bruno walked ahead and slowly entered the alley.They hadn't gone ten feet before the dwarf heard the click of a crossbow.He stopped suddenly and looked back at Drizzt. "They're after us," he said quietly. "In that boarded-up window above us to the right." Drizzt explained that his peculiar night vision and hearing had allowed him to discern the source of the sound. "I hope it's just a warning. Maybe it's a good sign that you're close to finding what you're looking for." "No one ever said pointing a crossbow above my head was a good sign!" Bruno retorted. "But keep going, and be ready to fight. This place is fraught with danger!" He started walking over the rubble again. A flash of someone to their left told them that someone on the other side was watching them too.But they went on, for they could no longer expect to see anything different when they took the first step of the curving dagger.Rounding the last pile of planks, they saw a slender figure leaning against the wall, cloak tightly wrapped against the cold night fog. Drizzt rested his head on top of Bruenor's shoulder. "Is this the man?" he asked quietly. The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and said, "Who else is it?" He took another step forward, stood firmly with his feet spread, and spoke to the man. "I'm looking for a man named Whisper," he cried. "Are you the man?" "Yes, and neither." The other replied.The man turned to them, but the tightly wrapped cloak still covered most of his body, and nothing could be seen. "What are you playing?" Bruno called back. "I am Whisper," replied the figure, letting the cloak slide back a little. "But I'm definitely not a man!" Now they could clearly see that the person was indeed a woman.The dark and mysterious appearance, with long black hair and deep-set and sharp eyes, shows her rich experience and undeniable wisdom to survive on this street.