Chapter 29 end

Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Catti-brie entered Longsaddle a few days later, weary from the journey and still mournful.Harkle and his people welcomed them warmly, and invited them to live in the Ivy Hall for as long as they liked.But while the three of them welcome the chance to relax and recover from their trials, a new path calls for them. Drizzt and Wulfgar stood at the exit of Longsaddle the next morning, beside the well-repaired horses provided by House Harbell.Catti-brie walked slowly down to join them, Harkle a few paces behind her. "Will you come?" Drizzt asked, but already guessed from her expression that she would not be going.

"If I could go with you, I would," Catti-brie replied. "You will find halflings, I am not worried. I have other vows to fulfill." "When?" Wulfgar asked. "I guess next spring," Catti-brie said. "House Harbell's magic has set things in motion: they have called upon the people of Icewind Dale and King Harbron of Fort Adbar for help. Bruenor's people will set out before the week is out, and from Ten-Towns Bring many allies. King Habrun promised to send 8,000 troops, and some members of the Habel family also agreed to help." Drizzt thought of the subterranean cities he had seen in the lower levels of Mithril Halls, and the hustle and bustle of thousands of duergar, all armed with shiny mithril gear.Even with the entire Warhammer Clan and friends from Icewind Dale, eight thousand war-accustomed dwarves from Adebar, and the magical power of the Harbells, it would be hard to win.

Wulfgar also understood the dangers of the task Catti-brie was about to face, and he had doubts about his decision to go with Drizzt.Regis needed him, but he couldn't leave Catti-brie in her time of need. Catti-brie felt his inner struggle too.She walked up to him and kissed him suddenly and passionately, before bouncing back. "Do your work well, Wulfgar, son of Beornegar," she said. "Then come back to me!" "I'm also Bruenor's friend," Wulfgar argued. "I also saw him in Mithril Hall. When you go to honor him, I should be by your side." "You have a friend who needs you alive now," Catti-brie snapped at him. "I can make the whole plan. You go save Regis! Give Entreri what he deserves, and fast. Maybe you can get to Mithril Hall in time."

She turned to Drizzt, a hero most trusted. "Please keep him safe for me," she pleaded for him. "Guide him the quickest shortcut, and the way back!" Seeing Drizzt nod, she turned back to Harkle, and walked toward the Ivy Hall.Wulfgar did not follow.He trusted Catti-brie. "For the halfling and the panther," he said to Drizzt, gripping Aegis-fang and watching the road ahead. The dark elf's lavender eyes suddenly caught fire, and Wulfgar took an involuntary step back. "There are other reasons," Drizzt said sternly, looking out across the vast Southlands, where the evil monster he could become was now.He knew he was destined to meet Entreri again on the battlefield, and defeating the killer would be a test of his self-worth.

"There are other reasons."    Dandiba's breathing became difficult when he saw a sight, Sydney's dead body huddled in the corner of a dark room. The ghostly Mokai waved his arms, and the scene was replaced by the image of the bottom of Glen Canyon. "No," Dandiba screamed when he saw the golem's remains lying headless on the rubble.The spotted wizard visibly began to tremble. "Where are the dark elves?" he pressed the ghost. With a wave of Mokai's hand, the sight disappeared, and it stood still, amused by Dandiba's concern. "Where are the dark elves?" Dandiba repeated, louder this time.

Mokai started laughing at him. "Find out for yourself, foolish mage. My service to you ends here!" The ghost spewed flames and disappeared. Dandiba leaped frantically from his magic circle, kicking over the burning copper basin. "I'll torture you a thousand times for your rudeness!" he yelled at the emptiness of the room.His mind turned to other possibilities.Sydney is dead.Polk is dead.What about Entreri?Where is the dark elf and his friends?Dandiba needs to know the answer.He couldn't give up looking for Sumo Yuetian, and he couldn't deny the power he was looking for.A deep breath stabilized him as he concentrated on casting the spell.He saw the bottom of the canyon again, and he focused the image in his mind.As he chanted the mantra throughout the ceremony, the vision became more and more real, more substantial.Dandiba experienced it in full: the dark, shadowy cavities of the stone walls, the air flowing almost imperceptibly through the chasm, and the hard, broken rock jutting out beneath his feet.

He stepped out of his thoughts and went into Glen Canyon. "Pork," he said softly as he gazed down at his great masterpiece, now a mass of twisted and mutilated limbs. The thing moves.As it struggles to stand up before the man who created it, a rock rolls aside.Dandiba watched in disbelief, amazed that the mana he had poured into the golem was still functioning after such a terrible fall and damage. Polk stood up before it, waiting. Dandiba looked at the thing for a while, thinking about how to fix it. "Pork!" he said to Pork in particular, with a hopeful smile on his face. "Come on, my pet. I'll take you home and heal your wounds."

Polk took a step forward and pushed Dandiba against the wall.Still not quite understanding the situation, the wizard began ordering the golems to go away. But Pork's remaining arm stretched out, grabbed Dandiba by the throat, and lifted him into the air, suffocating him and preventing him from giving any more orders.Dandiba grabbed the arm and started beating, helpless and confused. A familiar smile came into his ears.A ball of fire appeared above the golem's severed neck, transforming into a familiar face. Mokai. Danshiba's eyes bulged in fear.He finds that he has crossed his boundaries and summoned the ghost too many times.In fact, he hadn't actually let Morkai go back since the last meeting, and he thought that even if he did try to force the ghost back from the physical world, he might not be strong enough to do it.Now he stood outside the protection of the magic circle, his life in the hands of the enemy.

"Come on, Dendiba," Morkai smirked, and the arm of the golem he controlled would begin to twist. "Come to this kingdom of death together, where we can slowly discuss your betrayal!" The sound of bones shattering echoed among the stones, and the fireball spewed flames and died out.Both the wizard and the golem fell, lifeless.Far away in the canyon, amidst the half-buried rubble, the flames that burned the dragon's body died out, reduced to smoking ash.Another rock shifted and rolled aside.