Chapter 4 Chapter II The Shores of Pond Dürden

Regis, the only halfling within a hundred miles Halfling (Halfling): A special race in the Forgotten Kingdom, whose height is about half that of a human.Generally cheerful by nature, but by Due to the notoriety of stealing things, it is not highly evaluated among other races. , leaning against a mossy tree trunk, using his hands as a pillow.Even by halfling standards, Regis was still quite short, and his curly brown hair barely reached three feet when he stood up.But the gluttonous Regis never let go of any delicious meal (as long as he has the opportunity), so his waistline is getting bigger and bigger.

He gripped his rod—a bent stick—with his hairy toes.The fishing rod sticks out over the quiet lake, making a perfect reflection on the luminous surface of Lake Dürden.The red-painted wooden buoy swayed slightly, and the tiny ripples caused the reflection to rise and fall.Because the slack line was so close to shore, Regis didn't even feel the fish eating his bait.In less than a few seconds, the bait disappeared without a sound, but the halfling didn't know it at all. By the time he remembered to check, it might have been several hours later.However, he didn't care too much. He came out to rest, not to work.As winter came, Regis felt that this might be his last visit this year, and he would not come here to fish in winter, like those greedy humans in Ten Towns.Besides, Regis had already stockpiled enough fish bones to keep him busy during the seven-month snow season.For halflings, a race that loves leisure and work, he is a remarkable outlier, and his carving skills bring a little civilization to the wild land around the bird.Other halflings don't come so far north, even in summer, because they prefer the milder climate in the south.If he hadn't provoked the leader of a well-known thieves' guild, Regis would be more than happy to pack his bags and return to the warm south.

Beside the recumbent halfling was a four-foot piece of "platinum" and several fine carving tools.A bit of a horse muzzle has been carved into the edge of this fishbone.Regis originally wanted to finish this work while fishing. What Regis should have done in the first place, there are many more! "The weather is so nice!" he always excused himself with an excuse he would never find clichéd.But this time it was a little different from usual, the weather was exceptionally good today.It's as if the weather demons that usually ravage this place have suddenly taken a day off, or as if they are hiding in preparation for the next harsh winter.And the result is a fall day as cozy as the land of civilization in the South.It was a rare day for this place, which has always been known as "Icewind Dale" because of the cold wind blowing from the Reg Glacier.Even on the few days when the wind wasn't blowing, it wasn't much better, because around Ten Towns was a vast tundra, and more seas of ice floes.Only the southern winds bring some warmth, but most are blocked by the high peaks of the Spine of the World.

Regis tried to keep his eyes open a little longer, looking at the white clouds in the sky moving slowly with the breeze through the gaps in the furry branches.The sun poured down its warm rays, and the halfling had to take off his vest.But whenever the clouds blocked the sun, Regis could immediately feel the coldness of the tundra in September.It will snow in another month.And in two months, the road to the nearest city, Luskan, southwest of Ten-Towns, would no longer be passable except to those who were brave enough or foolish enough. Regis looked at the shore extending from his tiny fishing rod.The rest of Ten Towns also benefited from the weather, with fishing boats coming out in groups, competing for good fishing spots.No matter how many times he's seen it, Regis is still amazed by the greed of humans.In the land of Calimshan in the south, Regis once rose rapidly in the famous Calimport Thieves Guild.However, human greed stopped his ascension.The guild leader, Bashapuk, has collected at least a dozen beautiful rubies, each of which is so perfectly cut that it confuses anyone who sees it.Regis was always fascinated by the sparkling gems every time the guild leader put them on display, and, come on, he just took one.Even now, Regis still couldn't understand why the guild boss was so angry. He obviously had at least eleven more.

"Human greed! Long live!" Every time when Regis was chased by the people sent by the guild and forced him to flee to a more distant place, he would always yell at the pursuers.But he hasn't said this sentence for a year and a half, since he came to Ten Towns.Although the guild's sphere of influence is vast, it cannot reach this wild land.Regis was quite satisfied with the security his new home provided.And there is a way to make money here, for those skilled enough to carve those hardhead trout bones that look like ivory into scrimshaw: scrimshaw, which is abundant in the three lakes of Icewind Dale. The handicrafts carved from the head turned skulls are the main products sold in Shizhen.For those who live comfortably, they don't have to work too hard.

As bone ornaments from Ten-Towns became popular in the South, Regis decided to work hard to expand his new business and stop being lazy. Starting from a certain day of a certain month in a certain year...    Drizzt Do'Urden moved soundlessly, his soft booties kicking up nothing but dust on the ground.He lowered the brim of his cloak to cover his distinctive white hair, moving with such an effortless grace that the uninitiated might think it was a vision of the tundra! Dark Elf (Dark Elf, Drow): A black elf who was exiled by the elves on the ground and established a huge kingdom underground.black

Dark skin and silver-white hair are the most recognizable appearances of a dark elf.Dark elves have always been known for their ruthlessness.In Stuttgart is a rare case outside.Tighten your cloak.In the sun, his insecurity is comparable to that of a human being in the dark.More than half a century of life deep underground cannot be replaced by a few years of life on the ground.To this day, the sun still leaves him feeling weak and dizzy. But Drizzt, who had been driving all night, still had to keep going.He was late for an appointment with Bruno in the valley, and he saw something unusual.

Caribou herds have begun their autumn migration southwards, but until now no traces of human populations have been seen moving with them.Nor were supplies for long journeys stockpiled as usual in the caves north of the Ten-Towns that the nomadic barbarians used as a way station.Drizzt knew what that meant.Barbarian tribes usually make their living following herds of reindeer.It is very disturbing to abandon their traditions.Also, Drizzt heard the sound of war drums. Over the empty plain thundered the sound of a delicate drum known only to the tribes of the barbarians.But Drizzt knew what the drumbeats meant.He was an observer who could tell friend from foe, and he used to use his fine stealth skills to observe the daily life and traditions of these proud inhabitants of Icewind Dale.

Drizzt quickened his pace, pushing himself as far as he could bear.In just five short years, he has grown to care about Ten-Towns and its inhabitants.Like many other exiles who ended up here, Drizzt was unpopular elsewhere.Even though most of the residents of Ten-Towns just "put up with" him, with the tacit understanding of these exiles, no one would particularly bother him.And he's luckier than most exiles, because here he has some friends who can truly see the real him regardless of his background. The dark elf watched with some anxiety at the Cone of Cairn, the only mountain that marked the rocky valley of the dwarves between the lakes of Dinesia and Duldon.But his lavender eyes, which have owl-like eyesight at night, are so blurry that it is impossible to estimate the distance under the sun.

He retracted his head under the brim of his hat again, and under the continuous sunlight, he would rather consider himself a blind man on the road, immersed in the darkness, the nightmare of Menzoberranzan, the underground city of his ancestors.Dark elves once lived on the surface like their white cousins, dancing and frolicking in the sun and stars.But even their unjudgmental cousins ​​couldn't stand these ruthless killers.After the inevitable elven civil war, the dark elves were driven underground.But they discovered all kinds of dark secrets and magic there, and they were willing to stay.Over the centuries, they flourished again and adapted themselves to arcane magic.They grew stronger than their sunlight-trained cousins.

The entire dark elf family no longer wanted to see the sun and stars.Their bodies and minds are used to the underground, but fortunately for those residents who live under the blue sky, the dark elves are very satisfied with the underground world, so they only return to the ground occasionally to burn, kill and loot.As far as Drizzt knew, he was the only dark elf living on the surface.He has tolerated a fair amount of sunlight, but he still suffers from the traditional weaknesses of the dark elves. However, even considering their own disadvantages in the sun, when two bear-like tundra snow apes with long brown hair, the Tundra Yeti: huge white snow apes living in the tundra.He was still angry at his own carelessness when Su Ran popped up in front of him.    A fishing boat slowly hoisted a red flag, which meant they had caught hard trout.Regis watched the flag rise and fall. "At least four feet long, or bigger," Regis murmured approvingly as he watched the flag rise to the bottom of the spar. "Probably one family will sing and celebrate tonight." Another boat sped up suddenly, approaching the one that had previously raised its flag to symbolize capture.The crews of the two ships immediately drew their weapons and confronted each other, although they remained on their own ships.There was only water between Regis and the two ships, so he could hear the captains of the two ships very clearly. "Hey! You stole my fish!" shouted the captain of the second boat. "I think you're seasick!" the captain of the first boat retorted. "That fish was never yours. We caught it with our own hands. Get your stinky boat out of the way now, or..." As expected by Regis, the crew of another ship roared loudly and rushed up with their weapons before they finished speaking. Regis moved his eyes to the clouds in the sky. He was not interested in the battle between the two ships, although the noise of the clashing weapons annoyed him.Small fights are common on this lake, usually over the catch, especially when it comes to big fish.Generally speaking, these fights are not too intense, most of them are just scolding and point-and-click fights, but not really desperate, so very few people are actually injured or killed.But occasionally there are still surprises.In a battle that numbered seventeen ships, three and a half ships had their crews slaughtered and their bodies floating to the surface.From that day on, among the three lakes, Dilun Luen Lake, which is the closest to the south, has a new name: Red Water Lake. "Ah! Little fish, you're sure to make trouble!" Regis muttered to himself, thinking of the merciless vengeance of the silvery fish on the greedy humans of Ten-Towns.If it weren't for these fish with fist-sized heads and ivory-like skulls, Ten Towns wouldn't be able to survive.The three lakes here are the only places in the world that have these fish. Even though this area is so desolate and savage, all kinds of humanoid monsters and barbarians that can destroy the strongest buildings are rampant here, but the greed of getting rich overnight still bring people to the borders of this kingdom. Just as there are always people migrating to Ten-Towns, there are always people "leaving" the place.Icewind Dale is a desolate and monotonous wasteland with countless dangers and harsh weather.The god of death often visits this place, taking the souls of those who cannot bear the cruel truth of Icewind Dale. Yet a hundred years have passed since the discovery of the bristle-headed fin, and Ten-Towns is still growing considerably.The nine trout established by the lake at the beginning were actually just simple settlements established by the frontier people to declare that they had occupied the fishing point.The tenth town - Bryn Shander, although it is now a prosperous town with thousands of people and high walls, it was only the other nine towns that exchanged information with the Luskan business traveler once a year And just a hillock of goods. Back then, there was only one boat in the entire Ten Towns, and it was just a one-man oar boat.Occasionally, people will fall into the freezing water of the lake all year round, and the unfortunate people who fall usually cannot survive for a minute.But now each of the ten towns has its own fleet flying its banner.The largest fishing town, Targos, can independently send more than a hundred ships to Lake Duerden, some of which are brigantines with more than ten crew members. From the battling ships came the howl of death, and the clash of arms rang loudly.I don't know how many times it was, Regis thought, perhaps without these troublesome fish, Ten Towns would be better. Still, the halfling had to admit that Ten-Towns seemed like heaven to him.He has dexterous hands for carving bone ornaments, and has been chosen as the spokesman for one of the towns.Although Lonelywood was the most northerly and smallest of the Ten-Towns, Regis still felt the mission was an honor, and one that was helpful to him.As the only bone ornament maker in Lonewood Town, Regis is the only one in the town who wants to go to Bryn Shander.And that helped Regis' standing in the town quite a bit.He is responsible for bringing the catches of Lone Forest Town to the market, and the price is one-tenth of the goods he can get, so he is never short of fish bones for carving. Every month during the summer, Regis sat on the ten-town council agenda, fulfilling his duties as spokesman.In winter, it is once every three months, as long as the weather permits.These meetings were held at Bryn Shander.While these meetings degenerate into disputes over the fishing spheres of the various towns, they usually end within a few hours.Regis regarded this as a small price to pay for monopolizing the southern market. The fighting on the ship quickly subsided, and only one person was killed.Regis looked at the clouds floating in the sky leisurely.He turned his head to look at the small wooden houses in the dense forest of Lonely Forest Town.Regardless of its notorious residents, Regis considered Lonelywood the best town in the neighbourhood.The surrounding woods provide a good site to build a house and provide considerable protection from the raging winds.If it weren't for being too far away from Bryn Shander, the town of Lonely Forest would actually be even more famous. Regis roughly pulled the ruby ​​pendant from his fanny pack, looking at the dazzling gem that had sent him fleeing south from Calimport to a wild land thousands of miles away. "Ah! Pook, if you can find me!" he snickered.    The elf quickly took out the two scimitars from his waist, but the snow ape quickly approached.Drizzt turned to the left, revealing a gap to the right, ready to take an attack from the approaching monster.His right hand was pinned helplessly beside him as the Yeti grabbed him with its huge arms, but Drizzt tried to draw another weapon with his left.Enduring the pain of being pinched by the yeti, Drizzt pressed the hilt of his scimitar against the hip bone, aiming at the second monster charging up. In the agony of death, the second snow monkey backed away with the scimitar stabbed in its body, and fell. The remaining one yeti pinned Drizzt to the ground.The dark elf used his free hand to resist the fangs that were about to bite his throat, but he knew it was only a matter of time, because the opponent was much stronger than he. Suddenly Drizzt heard the sound of bones cracking.The snow ape trembled violently, its head was severely deformed, and blood and brains gushed out from its forehead. "Elf! You are late!" A familiar low voice came.Bruenor Warhammer stomped over the yeti's corpse, ignoring his elf friend under the monster's corpse.Though his pain only escalated, Drizzt was glad to see the dwarf's often broken nose and red beard tinged with silver. "Why do you get into a lot of trouble every time I come to see you?" Watching Bruenor struggle to free the ax from the yeti's skull, Drizzt couldn't help smiling at the astonishing dwarf, even under the yeti's corpse himself. "This head is as hard as a frozen oak!" the dwarf grumbled.He straddled the monster's corpse's head and yanked it out, ripping out his battle-axe. "Where's your kitten?" Drizzt searched in the backpack for a long time, and took out a leopard-shaped agate statue. "My name will not be Guenhwyvar Guenhwyvar: Drizzt's magical black panther, who lives in the Astral Plane and is Drizzt's loyal comrade in arms. Kitten!" he said with half love and half reverence.He stroked the statue with both hands, checking for any damage from the snow monkey's attack just now. "Ha! A cat is a cat!" insisted the dwarf. "Why didn't you call it out when it was so dangerous just now?" "Even magical creatures need rest," Drizzt explained. "Come on!" Bruno mocked again. "It's a tragic day for a dark elf ranger to be attacked by two tundra snow apes on the open plain!" Bruno licked the bloody ax and spat in disdain. "Damn monster!" he grumbled. "They can't even eat their meat!" He struck the ground with his battle ax vigorously to remove the blood, and quickly moved towards the Kane cone. Drizzt put Guenhwyvar back in his knapsack and walked towards the other yeti's body.His machete was still there. "Elf, hurry up!" the dwarf scolded. "We have more than five miles to go!" Drizzt shook his head, wiping the blood from the knife on the fur of the yeti's corpse. "Forward, Warhammer Bruenor!" he said with a smile. "You will be delighted! If the monster on this road knows you are coming, it will hide its head well!"