Chapter 2 preamble

If I were free to choose how I want to live my life, I would choose the life I have now, at least for now.I am at peace here, but even so, life around me is often turbulent.It is full of barbarian invasions and wars against goblins, as well as dangerous tundra snow apes and polar giant worms.Icewind Dale is a realistic, brutal world, an unforgiving environment where a small mistake could kill you. These are the joys of this place, a dangerous place, but not like my home city of Menzoberranzan, where the danger is based on mutual betrayal.I can accept the dangers of Icewind Dale; I can swim in them, using them to keep my warrior instincts from rusting.I can walk past these dangers and remind myself every day of the joy and light in my life.In this dangerous place, one will learn not to be complacent.Any gust of wind may cause the snow on your head to collapse; as long as you accidentally step on the boat, you will fall into the bad water that can freeze your muscles in an instant and drown you. A little hesitation, and you will become a delicacy in the belly of the ferocious snow ape.

When you live so close to death, you will appreciate life even more. And when you have people like the friends I've made over the years to share your life with, you'll know what heaven is.Back in the days of Sobera and the Nether, or even when I first came to the surface, I never dared to dream that I would have friends like this.They belonged to three races, three different races than mine.Yet at heart they resemble me more than anyone but my father, Zaknafein, or the ranger, Monterey, who taught me the ways of the Goddess Merikhai. In the wild ten towns of Icewind Dale, I have met many people who know my bloodline but can still accept me.But three of them are almost as close as family to me.

Why them?Why do I hold Bruenor, Regis, and Catti-brie so dear to me, as I hold Guenhivar, my loyal comrade-in-arms for so many years? Everyone thought Bruno was rude, and while dwarves were known for their brashness, Bruno seemed more serious.Or, in fact, he was making everyone believe so.But I know him well.I knew another side of Bruno's personality, a hidden place, a gentle and warm place.Yes, he has a warm heart, it's just that he tries so hard to bury it.He was rude, yes, especially outspoken.When someone else made a mistake, he never thought about the situation or first apologized for his opinion, and would criticize.He is usually only responsible for telling the truth, regardless of whether the wrongdoer corrects it or not.Bruno is tactless and unsympathetic when he tells the world how to change for the better.

But that's just one side of Bruno.On the other hand, he is not at all reckless.He wasn't dishonest when it came to complimenting others, he just became quieter. Maybe that's why I like him.I saw the shadow of Icewind Dale in him, cold and stern, but extremely honest.He always makes me feel at my best at all times, so he helps me survive here better.There's only one Icewind Dale, and there's only one Bruenor Warhammer, can I ever find a place so compatible with a person? In contrast, once Regis stood up (or more correctly, leaned against something), it reminded me of the rewards for completing a job, although Regis was never the one who actually put things together. good people.Regis taught me and Bruno (I guess) that there is more to life than responsibilities.There is also leisure and enjoyment of the fruits of work in life.He's a little too weak for the tundra, with a big belly and slow movements.He has no combat skills, nor the ability to track a herd of reindeer walking through the snow.But relying on his wisdom and methods, he not only survived, but even had a very good life here.He knew far more than Bruno and I did how to please the people around him, how to manipulate people, not just respond to their actions.Regis understands not just what other people do, but why.And it is this ability to understand that allows Regis to see the real me without being affected by my skin color or the notoriety of my tribe.If Bruno was honest in expressing his observations, Regis was honest in doing what he wanted to do.

And finally Catti-brie, such a beautiful girl full of life.Catti-brie and I were two different sides of the same coin, different causes leading to the same conclusion.We are soul mates who got to the same place through countless things in the world.Perhaps we mutually confirmed each other's existence.Maybe seeing Catti-brie go from a different path to the same place as mine tells me that I'm walking with the integrity of my heart.Is that so?Do I trust her more than I trust myself? It's not about doubting my own feelings or accusing myself.We share a common belief about the world.She is as close to my heart as the goddess Melikai.If I found my Goddess by looking honestly into my heart, I have found my closest friends and companions in the same way.

They are with me, the three of them and my dearest Guenhuffa.I live in such a beautiful and realistic place, a place where you have to look your best at all times and be careful. I call it - heaven. — Drizzt Do'Urden