Chapter 17 Chapter 14 Starlight, Starlight

Wulfgar lowered Regis and Bruenor on a lathe in a felled part of the forest, and collapsed in agony.Drizzt caught up to him a few minutes later. "We must camp here," said the Dark Elf, "though I wish we could be farther away..." as he saw his young friend curled up on the ground and clutching his wounded leg, almost overcome with pain , he shut up.Drizzt rushed to check his knee, eyes wide in shock and disgust. A troll's hand, perhaps the one Drizzt chopped off when Wulfgar rescued Bruenor, found its place on Knee's back as the barbarian ran, and clasped it tightly around him. body.One of the claw-shaped fingers was already digging deep into the leg, and even now the other two were digging in.

"Don't look," Drizzt advised Wulfgar.He reached into his pouch, took out the tinder box, lit a little twig, and scalded that mean, dirty hand with it.Immediately the thing smoked and squirmed, and Drizzt plucked it from its leg and dropped it to the ground.It frantically tried to escape, but Drizzt caught up and pinned it to the ground with a machete, before burning it completely with flaming twigs. He looked back at Wulfgar, marveling at the barbarian's determination to carry on with such a serious injury.But now their battle was over, and Wulfgar had succumbed to pain and fatigue.He lay sprawled unconscious beside Bruenor and Regis.

"Sleep well," Drizzt said softly to the three of them. "You've earned that right." He walked up to everyone to make sure they weren't too badly hurt.Then, satisfied that they would all be well, he began to watch vigilantly. Even the valiant Dark Elf pushed the limit of his stamina on the run in the Evermoor, and before long he began to nod to join his sleeping friends. Bruno's complaints woke them up around noon the next morning. "You forgot my axe!" growled the dwarf angrily. "I can't chop those stinking trolls without an axe!" Drizzt stretched comfortably, recovering somewhat, but still far from being fully recovered. "I told you to take the axe," he said to Wulfgar, who too was shaking off peaceful sleep.

"I made it clear," Drizzt reproached wryly. "You should have taken the axe and left the ungrateful dwarf out there." "It was the nose that confused me," Wulfgar replied. "It's more like an ax's head than any nose I've ever seen!" Bruno unconsciously looked down at his long nose. "Go!" he growled. "I'll find a stick!" Then he walked heavily into the forest. "Be quiet, please!" Regis said hastily, as the last sliver of his sweet dreams faded away.Resenting being woken so early, he rolled over and covered his head with the cape of his cloak.

They could have reached Silvermoon City that day, but a night's rest couldn't relieve the fatigue they had accumulated over the past few days in the Evermoor and the difficult road before.Wulfgar was one of those still recovering, having injured his back and legs and had to walk with a cane, and the sleep that Drizzt slept that day was the first he'd had the chance to do in nearly a week.Unlike the wasteland, this forest seems to be good for the mind and body.Even though they knew they were still out in the wilderness, they felt safe enough to walk slowly and enjoy a leisurely pace for the first time from Ten-Towns.

They left the forest at noon the next day and covered the last few miles to Silvermoon.Before sundown they passed the last hill, and looked down upon the Loffin and the countless pinnacles of the charming city. Everyone felt hope and relief as they looked down at the majestic sight, but none felt it as strongly as Drizzt Do'Urden.The dark elf had hoped to pass through Silvermoon City from the beginning of his plan for this adventure, though he did nothing to influence Bruenor's determined route.Drizzt had heard of Silvermoon City since arriving in Ten-Towns, and if he hadn't found a certain level of tolerance in the rough society of the frontier, he would have set off for Silvermoon City immediately.The people of Silvermoon have a reputation for being receptive to anyone who seeks knowledge, regardless of race, and these inhabitants offer the drow renegade a chance to truly find a home.

Many times he'd wanted to travel here, but something inside him, perhaps fear of disappointment or high expectations, kept him safe in Icewind Dale.In this case, when they had decided in Longsaddle that Silvermoon would be their next destination, Drizzt found himself directly dreaming a dream he had never dared to dream.He now looks down at his hopes of being truly accepted on the surface, bravely forcing his worries away. "This is the Moon Bridge," Bruno commented as a carriage below crossed the Loffin, seemingly floating in mid-air.Bruno had heard of the invisible structure as a child, but had never seen it directly.Wulfgar and Regis were stunned at the sight of the carriage flying through the air.The barbarian overcame many fears of magic while staying in Longsaddle, and he was really looking forward to exploring this fabled city.Regis had been here once before, but his familiarity didn't lessen his surprise.

Desperately, they reached the post on the Loffin, despite their weariness, the same post that Entreri and his party had passed four days earlier, the same guards that had allowed this vile group to enter the city. "Greetings," Bruno said, in what might have been a warm tone for the stern dwarf. "Hope you know that the sights of your cities breathe new life into my weary heart!" The guards paid little attention to him, focusing on the dark elf who had pulled off his hat.They seemed intrigued, since they hadn't actually seen the black elf yet, but they didn't seem surprised by Drizzt's presence.

"Can you escort us across the Moonbridge now?" Regis asked after a silence that kept growing uneasy. "You can't guess how anxious we are to see Silvermoon City. We've heard so much!" Drizzt imagined what would happen next.A cloud of anger gushed from his throat. "Go away," the guard said quietly. "You are not allowed to go there." Bruenor's face flushed with rage, but Regis stopped his outburst. "We really didn't do anything to deserve such a harsh sentence," the halfling said calmly. "We're just ordinary travelers, not here to cause trouble." He reached into his coat to take out the hypnotic gem, but Drizzt's glare made him stop.

"You seem to be taking your name too far," Wulfgar remarked to the guards. "I'm sorry," one of them replied, "but I have my responsibility, and I will follow through on it." "Is it us, or the dark elves?" Bruenor asked. "Dark elf," the guard replied. "Others can go in! But the dark elves can't." Drizzt felt the walls of hope crumbling around him.His hands trembled by his sides.He had never experienced such pain, because he had never traveled to a place without anticipating rejection.But he tries to channel his anger and remind himself that this is Bruno's adventure, not his.

"Damn bitch!" Bruno yelled. "You people, you can't compare to this elf in a fight! I owe him my life a hundred times, and you say he has no right to enter your stinking city! How many trolls have been cut down by your sword Woolen cloth?" "Calm down, my friend." Drizzt cut him off, completely in control. "I've expected that. There's no way they knew Drizzt Do'Urden. It's because of our race. They don't deserve to be condemned. You go in. I'll wait for your return." "No!" said Bruno in a voice that was beyond argument. "If you don't go in, we don't go in!" "Think about our purpose, stubborn dwarf," Drizzt scolded. "The Libraries of the Wise Men in the City. That may be our only hope." "Go!" Bruno snorted. "May this city and everyone in it go down to the Abyss! Sundabar is within a week's journey. Helm, Friend of the Dwarves, must be much better than here, or I'm a bearded dwarf!" "You should go in," Wulfgar said. "Don't let anger spoil our business. But I stay here with Drizzt. I, Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, refuse to go where he cannot go!" But Bruno's stubby legs were determined to carry him back out of town.Regis shrugged at the other two, and followed, loyal to the drow like all of them. "Choose your own camp, don't be afraid," the guard said almost apologetically. "The Silvermoon Knights will not harass you, and they will not let any monsters enter the border of Silvermoon City." Drizzt nodded, for even if the pain of rejection was still there, he knew there was nothing the guard could do to change the unfortunate situation.He's starting to drift away slowly, and the nagging questions he's avoided for years are beginning to weigh on him. Wulfgar was not so easy to forgive. "You misread him," Drizzt said to the guard as he walked away. "His sword never cut a man who should not have been cut, and this world, yours and ours, is better because of Drizzt Do'Urden!" The guard looked away, unable to refute the just scolding. "And I have doubts about the integrity of the man who gave the order unjustly," Wulfgar declared. The guard glared at the barbarian and snapped, "We never ask her why!" he answered, closing his hand on the hilt of his sword.He sympathized with the wrath of these travelers, but he would never accept criticism of his beloved leader, Alustriel. "Her orders are due process and beyond my wits, and yours!" he growled. Wulfgar showed no concern for the threat.He turned away and followed his friends on the road. Bruenor purposely placed their camp a hundred yards down the Loffin River, clearly visible from the sentry post.He felt the uneasiness of the guards chasing them away, wishing to increase the guilt of the guards as much as possible. "Sundabar will show us the way," he kept saying after they had eaten dinner, trying to convince himself and others at the same time that their setbacks in Silvermoon would not hurt the journey. Impact. "Further beyond is Fort Adba. If there is anyone in this world who knows about the Hall of Mithril, it is King Habrun and the dwarves of Adaba!" "That's a long road," Regis commented. "The summer may be over before we reach King Harbron's stronghold." "Sundabar," Bruno repeated stubbornly. "And Adeba, if we have to!" The two have been chatting about this topic for a while.Wulfgar did not join in the fray, for his attention was on the dark elf who left the camp a short distance after eating (Drizzt hadn't actually eaten anything), and the elf stood silently looking out at Raw. A city on the upper Finn. It wasn't long before Bruenor and Regis were ready for bed, still angry, but safe enough to succumb to their fatigue.Wulfgar went to the dark elf's side. "We'll find Mithril Hall!" he reassured, though he knew that Drizzt's pain was irrelevant to their immediate goal. Drizzt nodded, but made no reply. "Their refusal hurts you," Wulfgar observed. "I thought you had voluntarily accepted your fate. What's different this time?" The dark elf still didn't answer. Wulfgar respected his privacy. "Cheer up, Drizzt Do'Urden, noble ranger and trustworthy friend. Please believe that those who really know you will be willing to die for you, or die by your side." As he turned to leave , he put his hand on Drizzt's shoulder. Drizzt said nothing, though he appreciated Wulfgar's concern.Their friendship was long past the point of needing to say thank you, and Wulfgar wished only that he had given his friend some comfort when he returned to the tent, leaving Drizzt alone to think for himself. The stars came out and found that the dark elf was still standing alone by the Loffin River.For the first time since Drizzt was on the surface, he made himself vulnerable, and this depression brought back the problems he thought he had solved years ago, before he even left the black elf city of Menzoberranzan. doubt.How could he expect to be treated like a pale elf in a world under the sun?In Ten Towns, where murderers and thieves occupy respected leadership positions, he is simply tolerated.In Long Saddle, where prejudice was no match for the frenetic curiosity of the indefatigable Hubbells, he was psychologically stabbed by being displayed as some sort of domestic mutant.Even though the wizards hadn't meant to hurt him, they had little sympathy or respect for him, and just viewed him as something odd. But now Silvermoon City, a city built on the basis of the belief in freedom and fairness, where all people with good intentions are welcomed regardless of race, unexpectedly rejected him.The welcome seems to be regardless of race, save for the dark elves. Drizzt's lifetime of inevitability to be homeless had never been more clearly laid before his eyes than it was now.No city in this world, not even a remote village, could give him a home, or a foothold on the fringes of civilization.He is terrified by the harsh boundaries created by his past choices and, more importantly, by his future hope that circumstances will change. He stood in the light of the stars now, looking up at them with the same love and awe that his surface relatives had felt, but he had really rethought his decision to leave the underworld from the bottom of his heart. Had he violated some divine plan, crossed some natural line?Perhaps he should have accepted his destiny in life and stayed in the dark city with his kind. A flash of light in the night sky brought him out of a state of self-reflection.A star flickered and grew larger than it should have been.Its light enveloped Drizzt's place softly, and then the flickering stopped. Then the alluring light faded, and a woman stood before Drizzt's eyes, her hair gleaming with silver, her eyes shining with years of experience and wisdom in a radiance of eternal youth.She was tall, taller than Drizzt, and slim, and wore a gown of the finest silk and a crown of gold studded with jewels. She looked at him with genuine sympathy, as if she could read his every thought, fully aware of the jumble of emotions he was still sorting out himself. "Peace, Drizzt Do'Urden," she said in a voice like sweet music. "I am Alustriel, the lord of Silvermoon City." Drizzt took a closer look at her, though her grace and beauty made him doubt her claims. "You know me?" he asked. "Many of you now have heard of the 'Mithril Four,' which is the name Harkle Harbel bestowed on you. It is not uncommon in this world for a dwarf to seek his homeland, but a dark elf walks in his He is next to him, but he will attract the attention of everyone who passes by him." She hesitated to speak, and looked deeply into his lavender eyes. "I didn't let you into town," she admitted. "Then why are you coming to me now?" Drizzt asked, more curious than angry, he couldn't associate the act of refusal with the person in front of him.Alustriel's justice and tolerance were well known throughout the North, and though Drizzt began to wonder how exaggerated these stories were after his encounter with the sentry, now that he had seen her with his own eyes, he spoke with candor and sincerity. With sympathy, he Wu Chong did not believe those legends. "I think I have to explain," she replied. "You don't need to defend your decision." "But I must," said Alustriel. "Not just for you, but for me and my homeland. This rejection hurts you more than you admit." She moved closer to him. "It hurts my heart too," she said softly. "Then why did you do that?" Drizzt asked, his anger softening under his calm exterior. "If you know me, you should know that I am no threat to your people." She put her cold hand on his cheek. "Because you are a very popular person," she explained. "Now there are some factors in the Northland that make every move of this city extremely important. During the operation of these factors, sometimes even the right things are suppressed, and you are forced to become a victim." "I'm so used to being a victim." "I know." Alastriol said softly. "We know from Nesme that you're being chased away, and that's a scenario you're usually faced with." "I expected it a long time ago." Drizzt said coldly. "But it shouldn't be here," retorted Alustriel. "You didn't expect this to happen in Silvermoon City, and you shouldn't have either." Her concern touched Drizzt.While he waited for her to explain, his anger completely disappeared, and he was sure that the woman must have a good reason for her actions. "There are many power struggles here that have nothing to do with you, and in fact shouldn't have anything to do with you." She began to explain. "Threats of war and secret alliances; rumors and conjectures that have no basis in fact and mean nothing to a reasonable man. I am no good friend to the merchants, though they pass through Silvermoon without hindrance. They Afraid of our ideas and ideals, seeing it as a threat to their power structure, and rightfully so. They are very powerful and want to see Silvermoon become more in line with their ideas." She went on: "But that's enough to say about it. Like I said, it's none of your business. All I ask you to understand is that, as a leader of a city, I sometimes have to To act for the good of the whole, no matter how high the cost to one individual." "Are you afraid that if a dark elf walks freely in Silvermoon City, lies and doubts will fall on you?" Drizzt sighed in disbelief. "Just allowing a dark elf to walk among your people implies that you have some kind of indirect alliance with the underground world?" "You're not just any drow," Alustriel explained. "You are Drizzt Do'Urden, a name destined to be known all over the world. Even now, you are a dark elf who has quickly attracted the attention of the rulers of the North, and at first, at least, They will not learn that you have renounced your race." "The story seems to be getting more and more complicated," Alustri continued. "Did you know I have two sisters?" Drizzt shook his head. "The Storm," a bard known, and Dove Hawkhand, a ranger.Both of them were interested in the name Drizzt Do'Urden.Storm is thinking that a growing legend needs music, and Hawkhand, I can't see her motivation yet.You've become a hero to her, and I think, also as a ranger, you're an example of all the personality traits she's struggling to achieve.She came to this city this morning and knew you were coming here. " "She's much younger than I am," Alustriel went on. "Not very knowledgeable about how the politics of the world work." "It's possible she's already found me," reasoned Drizzt, seeing the crux of Alustriel's fear. "She will eventually," answered the lord. "But I won't allow it to happen now. Not in Silvermoon." Alustria gazed at him intently, her gaze suggesting something deeper and more personal. "And more importantly, I am also looking for opportunities to meet you myself, just like I am doing now." It seemed obvious that the meeting in the city would involve Drizzt in the political struggle that Alustriel was alluding to. "Next time, maybe somewhere else." He questioned. "Will this bother you too much?!" She answered with a smile. "No, not at all." Satisfaction and fear suddenly fell on Drizzt.He looked back at the stars, wondering if he would one day fully discover that he had made the right decision to come to the surface world, or if his life would forever remain a mess of vacillating hopes and dashed expectations. For a while they stood in silence before Alustriel spoke again. "You have come to the Libraries of the Wise," she said, "to see if there is anything mentioned about the Halls of Mithril." "I persuaded the dwarf to go in," Drizzt replied. "But he's stubborn." "That's what I assumed too," Alastriol laughed. "But I don't want my actions to affect your most precious journey to find Mithril Hall. I have read all the documents in it. You can't imagine its reserves! When you face the books full of cows Wouldn't know where to start. But I know what's in it best of anyone alive. I know what it might take you weeks to find. In fact, there's nothing written here about the Halls of Mithril, If there is, it is only a brief hint of the general area where it is located." "Then maybe we were right to leave." Alustriel blushed with shame, though Drizzt's words hadn't been meant to be sarcastic. "My guard told me that you plan to go to Sundabar," said the lord. "That's right," Drizzt said. "And, if necessary, to Fort Adaba." "I advise you not to go this way," said Alustriel. "From all the clues I've been able to find in the pavilion, and from the legends I know from the days when the treasure still flowed from Mithril Hall, I guess it lies in the West rather than the East." "We came from the west, and we chose to go straight east after asking those who knew about Mithril Hall," Drizzt retorted. "After Silvermoon, our only hope is Helm and Habron, both to the east." "Heim will tell you something," Alustriel agreed. "But you will learn nothing from King Harbron and the dwarves of Adebar. They themselves set out years ago to find the ancient home of the Bruenors, and they also went west through Silvermoon City. But They didn't find the place, and they came home believing that it had either been destroyed and buried deep in some obscure mountain, or that it never existed, and was just a trick of the Southern merchants trying to market their wares in the North." "You don't give us much hope," Drizzt commented. "No," retorted Alustriel. "West of here, less than a day's journey away, on an unnoticed path leading from the Loffin, there is a place called Hermit's Castle. It is an ancient fortress of accumulated knowledge. The hermits there, old Night, will guide you, if there is anyone in the world who can guide you. I have told him that you are coming, and he has promised to see you, although he has not received visitors for decades, except for me and a few selected other than academics." "We owe you something," Drizzt said, bowing deeply. "Don't expect too much," warns Arrastriol, "it's only a matter of time before the Hall of Mithril appears and is known to the world. It has only been excavated by the Dwarves for three generations, though I admit A generation of dwarves is a long time, and their trade is not very public. They seldom let people into their mines, if the legend is true. They bring out the finished product in the dark of night, and through A secretive and complex supply chain of dwarven agents transports these items to market for sale." "They protect themselves well from the greed of the outside world," Drizzt observed. "But the plague that killed them came out of the mines," said Alustriel. "The unknown danger may still be lurking there, and you know it." Drizzt nodded. "Do you still choose to go?" "I don't care about the treasures, although they may be as splendid as Bruno's description, then I might want to see them. But this is the dwarf's voyage of discovery, his great adventure, and if I can't help him complete this I would regret it as a friend." "It's really hard to stick the label of your kind around your neck, Drizzt Do'Urden," said Alustriel.She took a small vial from inside the crease of her robe. "Take it," she instructed. "what is this?" "Potion of memory," explained Alustriel. "When your answer seems to be within reach, bring it to the dwarves. Beware, it is powerful! For a time, Bruenor will walk both in the memory of the distant past and in the experience of the present .” "And this," she said, and she took a small packet from the same crease and handed it to Drizzt. "Here's to you all. Salve for your wounds, and biscuits for quick relief from fatigue." "My friends and I thank you," Drizzt said. "This is nothing compared to the injustice I imposed on you." "But the care of the giver is no small gift," Drizzt replied.He looked directly into her eyes and hugged her tightly. "You gave me hope again, Jaw Lord of Silvermoon City. You reminded me that doing things according to my conscience will be rewarded, and it is more precious than the things that those who show justice can easily get." "Yes, indeed," she agreed. "And your future will show you more, vain ranger. But the night is dark now, and you should rest. Fear not, there is someone watching over you tonight. Farewell, Drizzt Do'Urden, I wish you the best of luck." She waved her hand and disappeared into the starlight, leaving Drizzt to wonder if he was daydreaming.But her last words wafted to his ears on a soft breeze. "Farewell, come on Drizzt Do'Urden. Your honor and courage will not go unnoticed!" Drizzt stood silently for a long time.He stooped to pick a wildflower from the river and rubbed it between his fingers, wondering if he and the lord of Silvermoon would really meet again under more favorable conditions.There are also such meetings that will take place there. Then he threw the flower into the Loffin River. "Let what has to happen happen," he said decisively, and looked back at the tent, with his closest friends. "I don't need fantasies to belittle the great treasure I already have." He took a deep breath, blowing away all remnants of his self-pity. With his renewed confidence, the stoic ranger went to rest.