Chapter 35 Chapter 31 Victory?

Ten-Towns, the confederacy of the Dwarves and the Barbarians fought their way from all over the Fields to where they now stood at the North Gate of Bryn Shander.Kessell's army had begun to run in the opposite direction when their originally scattered armies came together with the same goal of survival.When the goblins charged into Icewind Pass, their common goal was to defeat in Akar Kessell's honor.But now that Kessell is gone, and the Crystal Tower is in ruins, the threads that bind these long-hostile goblins to the orc hordes are beginning to loosen. Men and dwarves watched the invaders with hope, as the enemy's army continued to retreat from the battlefield to the tundra.

The defenders of the Ten-Towns were still surrounded on three sides, with Bryn Shander's walls behind them.At this moment, the monsters stopped attacking, but thousands of goblins still surrounded the northern suburbs of the city. In previous battles, where the initial surprise attack had taken the invaders by surprise, the leaders of the defending army might have thought that a slowdown in the disaster of war would lower their own morale and allow the stunned enemy to reunite. into a favorable formation. Now, however, the temporary truce does a double good: it gives the soldiers much-needed rest, and it allows the goblins and orcs to focus on their own blows.The fields beside the city were strewn with corpses, and there were far more goblins than humans, and the pile of rubble from the magic crystal tower intensified the monsters' sense of such a heavy loss.Now that there were no giants or man-eaters to support their weakening lines, they saw more allies abandoning their targets and fleeing with every passing second.

Cassius now had time to call all surviving speakers to his side for a brief meeting. A short distance away, Wulfgar and Revje were meeting Fender Marot, the appointed leader of the Dwarves following Bruenor's disturbing disappearance. "Glad to see you back, strong Wulfgar," Fender said. "Bruno knew you'd come back." Wulfgar looked across the field, looking for signs that Bruenor was still there hacking. "Have you heard anything about Bruno's whereabouts?" "Yes, you were the last to see him," Fender replied worriedly. Then they fell silent, their eyes searching and searching the plain.

"Let me hear your ax again," Wulfgar said softly. But Bruno couldn't hear what he said.    "Jesin," Casios asked the spokesman for the town of Cadineva, "where are your women and children? Are they safe?" "They're safe in Eastern exile," Jacin Brant replied. "They should be with the people of Meadtown and Dougan's Hole by now. They're well-fed and there's someone on watch. If Kessell's damned army marches on the town, the people will know the danger and have time to retreat. to Lake Denisia." "But how long will they live on the lake?" asked Cassius.

Jacin Brant shrugged. "Live till winter, I guess. They must have somewhere to go ashore, though, for there aren't enough goblins and orcs left to cover the whole shore." Cassius seemed satisfied.He turned to Kemp. "Lonewood Town." Kemp answered the question he hadn't asked yet. "I bet they're better off than we are, they've got enough boats at the docks to build a town in the middle of Lake Doulden." "That's good," Cassius told them. "Now we have another option in front of us. Maybe we can hold here for a while, and then retreat inside the city walls. Although the goblins and orcs are more numerous, they cannot conquer our city!"

The idea seemed appealing to Jacin Brant, but Kemp rants. "So our men are safe enough," he said, "and what about the savages?" "Their women are strong! You can live without them," Cassius replied. "I don't care about women who are disgusting to ask," Kemp snapped, raising his voice so that Wulfgar and Revje, who were meeting not far away, could hear him. "I mean the wild dogs themselves! You're not going to open the door to invite these guys, are you?" A proud Wulfgar started walking towards the speaker. Cassius turned to Kemp angrily. "You stubborn donkey!" he said sharply. "Our only hope lies in unity!"

"Our only hope is to be proactive!" Kemp retorted. "We've scared those monsters, and now you want us to run away and hide?" The giant barbarian king stepped up to the two speakers and looked down at them. "Hello, Cassius of Bryn Shander," he said politely. "I am Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, leader who leads the tribes to your noble cause." "How can you people understand the sublime?" Kemp put in. Wulfgar ignored him. "I overheard your discussion over there," he continued, unwavering. "I judge your rude and ungrateful counselor." He paused to suppress his anger. "The only solution suggested."

Cassius still thought Wulfgar was offended by Kemp's insult, so he was a little confused. "Be proactive," Wulfgar explained. "The goblins aren't sure what they're getting right now. They're wondering why they came here to die with an evil wizard. If they get the fighting spirit back, they might be hard to beat." "Thank you for your advice, King of the Barbarians," Cassius replied. "But I guess these rabble can't keep the siege going. They'll be out of the field within a week." "Perhaps," Wulfgar said. "But then your people will pay dearly. Goblins who volunteer to fight don't go back to their caverns empty-handed. On their way out of Icewind Dale, they attack a few unguarded towns."

He continued, "What's worse, they don't leave with fear in their eyes. Your retreat will save some of your lives, Cassius, but it won't prevent your enemies from coming back," "Then you think we must strike?" Cassius asked. "Our enemies have grown to fear us. They look around and see the ruins we've brought down on them. Fear is a useful tool, especially for timid goblins. Let's crush them completely, as Your people did to our people five years ago..." Cassios saw the pain in Wulfgar's eyes as he recalled the incident. "...let the hideous beasts scurry back to their mountain home! It may be many years before they dare venture into Ten-Towns again."

Cassius looked at the young savage with deep respect and equal curiosity.It was hard for him to believe that these proud tundra warriors, who vividly remembered the massacre by the men of Ten-Towns five years ago, would come to the aid of these fishermen. "Our men did break you, noble king, cruelly. Then why did you come?" "These matters will be discussed after we have completed the task at hand," Wulfgar replied. "Now let us sing the battle song! Let us strike fear into the hearts of our enemies and destroy them!" He turned to Raveyer and some of the other barbarian leaders. "Sing, proud warriors!" he ordered. "Let the song of Tempus herald the death of these goblins!" A passionate chants arose through the ranks of the barbarians, who raised their voices proudly to their war god.

Cassius noticed the effect the song had on the closest monsters.They took a step back, gripping their weapons tightly. A smile spread across the spokesman's face.He still had no way of understanding why the savages were here, but an explanation would have to wait until later. "Join our barbarian allies!" he called to his soldiers. "Today is the day of victory!" Already the dwarves sang the battle songs of their ancient homeland.The fishermen of Ten-Towns followed the tune of the Song of Tempus, trying at first until the tone and the words came easily from their mouths.Then they all joined in, proclaiming the glory of the towns, as the savages did to their own tribes. The rhythm is getting faster and faster, and the volume is gradually increasing to be very powerful.The goblins trembled with the mounting frenzy of these desperate foes.The river of escapees from the main force grew wider and wider. Then a frenzied wave of killing humans and dwarves rushed down the hillside.    Drizzt had climbed far enough from the south slope of the mountain to escape the wrath of the avalanche, but he still found himself in peril.The Cone of Cairn is not a very high mountain, but the top third of it is covered with deep snow all year round, and has been brutally exposed to the cold wind that gave the valley its name. To make matters worse for the drow, his feet were wet from the melting snow of Crenshinipon, and the temperature was freezing his skin to ice, and it was painful to walk through that snow. He decided to stagger forward, towards the west side of the mountain to get some shelter from the cold wind.His movements were violent and exaggerated, and he exhausted all his energy to maintain blood circulation.When he came to the edge of the mountain and began to descend, he had to be more cautious in his movements, fearing that if he accidentally shook something, he would suffer the same fate as Acar Kessell. His legs were completely numb at the moment, but he kept pushing them forward, almost having to force himself into reflexes. Then he started to slide down.    Wulfgar's valiant warriors were the first to charge into the goblin ranks, slashing and driving the monsters in the front line back.Neither goblins nor orcs dared stand against the mighty King, but in the huddled confusion few found their way out of his grasp.They fell to the ground one by one. Fear kept the goblins motionless, and their slight hesitation sealed the fate of the first to meet the fanatical barbarians. But the decline of the enemy actually started from the back of the team.Clans not directly involved in the war began to wonder what was the point of continuing to fight the war, as they found that they had a great advantage over their home enemies, who had suffered heavy casualties in the war, and were able to expand on the Spine of the World without competition. own territory.So soon after the second battle broke out, as more than a dozen tribes of goblins and orcs set foot on their way home, the dust from stomping feet rose again on the Icewind Pass. The results of this mass flight are utterly devastating to goblins who cannot escape easily.Even the dumbest goblins know that their only chance of victory against the tenacious resisters of the Ten-Towns lies in overwhelming numbers. Aegis-fang thumped repeatedly as Wulfgar fought his way through alone.Even the people of Ten-Towns would dodge him, disturbed by his strange strength.But his own people looked at him with awe, trying to keep up with his honorable leadership as best they could. Wulfgar charged into the mass of orcs.The Fang of Aegis hit its target, killing the orc instantly, and the enemies behind it fell to the ground.Wulfgar swung his hand back and did the same on the other side.With his charge, half of the orcs were either killed or fell to the ground unable to move. Those who are still alive have no intention of approaching this strong human being. Glenn Sather of the Eastern Exile also charged a group of goblins, hoping to inspire his men to the same morale as the barbarian king.But Glenn Suther was not a tall man like Wulfgar, nor could he wield a weapon as powerful as Aegis' Fang.His sword cut down the first goblin he encountered, then turned and deftly took out the second.The speaker did a good job, but there was one missing element in his attack that made Wulfgar stand out from the rest.Glenn Suther killed two goblins, but he couldn't disrupt the enemy formation enough for him to continue.Instead of fleeing like they did before Wulfgar, the goblins kept swarming behind him. As Glensuther caught up with the Barbarian King, a brutal spear-point pierced his back and emerged from his chest. Wulfgar saw the ghastly sight, and swung the Fang of Aegis over the speaker's head, striking the assailant goblin in the chest.Glensuther heard the sound of the hammer hitting its target behind him, smiled at Wulfgar in thanks, and fell dead on the grass. The dwarves use completely different tactics than their allies.Once they form a tight formation that supports each other, they slash and slay goblins one row at a time.Fishermen fought and died without fear for the lives of their wives and children. In less than an hour, every group of goblins was crushed, and half an hour later, even the last monster fell on the blood-stained ground.    Drizzt slid down the side of the hill on a wave of falling snow.He rolled helplessly, trying to avoid rocks jutting out of his way whenever he saw them.When he was almost at the bottom of the snow-covered place, he was ejected out of the range of the avalanche, flying over many gray rocks, as if the proud and unconquerable peaks had spit out him as an unwelcome guest. His agility (and sheer luck) saved him.When he was finally able to stop and find a place to shelter, he found that few of his many injuries were serious, the worst being a bruised knee, a bleeding nose, and a sprained waist.Looking back, he thought that this little avalanche was a blessing, because he was going down the mountain quickly, otherwise he might have met Kessell's cold fate. The fighting in the south now began again.Drizzt heard the slaughter, and watched curiously as the thousands of goblins passed across the other side of Dwarfvale and set foot on Icewind Pass as their first step home.The dark elf wasn't sure what happened, but he was familiar with the goblin's reputation for cowardice. He didn't think about it too much, however, because the war was no longer his main concern.His eyes moved along a narrow path to the pile of broken black stones that used to be the Magic Crystal Tower.He descended from the Cairne Cone and immediately ran up the Bremen Pass, toward the pile of rubble. He had to find out if Regis and Guenhwyvar had escaped.    victory. This seemed to be a small consolation to Cassius, Kemp, and Jacin Brant as they looked around at the traces of brutal killings in the devastated fields.They were the only three speakers left after the struggle; the remaining seven were killed. "We won," Cassius declared coldly.He watched helplessly as yet more soldiers fell and died, men who had been mortally wounded in battle before and refused to fall until they saw the results.More than half of the men in Ten Towns were dead, and many more probably wouldn't last long because the half that survived were badly injured.Four towns were burned to ashes, and one was plundered and destroyed by the occupying goblin army. They paid a terrible price for their victory. The savages also suffered heavy casualties.Most of them were young and inexperienced, fighting with natural tenacity, and dying their fate as a glorious end to their legends. Only dwarves who have cultivated strict discipline in many battles have relatively few casualties.A few are dead and a few more are wounded, but if there are any goblins to fight, most are ready to fight again anytime!Their saddest thing, however, was Bruno's disappearance. "Go back to your people," Cassius said to the other speakers. "Then come back in the evening for a meeting. Kemp represents the four towns of Pond du Erden, and Jacin Brant represents the people of the other lakes." "We have so many things to decide and so little time," says Jacin Brant. "Winter is coming soon." "We'll survive!" Kemp declared with his characteristic dismissive tone.But he soon caught the other speakers looking at him sullenly, before he acknowledged reality a little. "But maybe it's going to be pretty hard work." "To our people too," said another voice.The three speakers turned to see the gigantic Wulfgar striding across the sky from what seemed to be a scene of unreal misery.The dust has caked on him!The blood of the enemy was splashed everywhere, but he looked like a noble king no matter what. "I request to join your meeting, Cassius. There is much that our people can do to help each other during these trying times." Kemp growled. "If we need load animals, we'll go buy cattle," Cassius gave Kemp a dangerous look, and said to the unexpected ally, "You may join the Council, Wulfgar, son of Beornegar. Our people owe you your help today. There are many of you. I ask you again, why are you here?" Wulfgar ignored Kemp's insult for the second time in a day. "To pay the debt," he replied to Cassius. "And maybe make life better for our people on both sides." "By killing goblins?" asked Jacin Brant, who guessed the barbarian had more than that on his mind. "That's a start," Wulfgar replied. "But we can achieve more. My people know the tundra better than the snow apes. We know the tundra well enough to know how to survive. Your people will benefit from our friendship, especially It’s a difficult time ahead.” "Fuck you!" Kemp said contemptuously, but Cassius told him to be quiet.A spokesman for Bryn Shander is interested in the possibilities. "Then what benefits can your people gain from this cooperation?" "A channel of communication with the outside world," Wulfgar replied. "Get in touch with a rich world we never knew existed. These tribes have a dragon's treasure on hand, but gold and silver jewels can't provide warmth on winter nights, nor food when prey is scarce." He went on: "Your people have much to rebuild. The wealth our people possess will help in that work. Ten-Towns will make my people better off in return." When Wulfgar When this plan was proposed, both Cassius and Jacin Brant nodded in agreement. "Finally, and perhaps most important," concluded the savage, "we need each other, at least for now. Both our peoples are weakened and defenseless against the dangers of this land. Together , what is left of our strength will see us through the winter." "You strike me as curious and amazed," Cassius said. "I personally welcome you to the council, let us promote a plan that will benefit all who survive the fight against Akar Kessell!" As soon as Cassius turned, Wulfgar grabbed Kemp's shirt with one of his large hands, lifting the Targos spokesman with ease.Kemp kept flapping the muscular forearm, but he found it impossible to break free from the savage's steely grip. Wulfgar glared at him dangerously. "Now," he said, "I am responsible for all my people. So I did not respond to your insult. But if one day I am no longer king, then be careful not to be touched by me on the road!" He With a flick of the wrist, the speaker fell to the ground. Kemp, too scared to be angry or embarrassed at this moment, just sat where he landed and didn't answer.Cassius and Brandt elbowed each other, and they both laughed softly. The laughter lasted only until they saw a girl run in, her arms in bloodstained slings, her brown hair smeared with dust.Wulfgar saw her too, and the sight of her hurt hurt him more than his own. "Catti-brie!" he called out, rushing to her.She calmed him down with her outstretched palm. "My wounds are nothing serious," she assured Wulfgar stoutly, but the barbarian could see that she was seriously wounded. "But if Bruno doesn't arrive in time, I don't know what will happen!" "Did you see Bruno?" "In the tunnel," Catti-brie explained. "Some goblins found their way in. Perhaps I should break down the tunnel first. But not many, and I can hear the dwarves doing well in the fields above." She went on: "Then Bruenor came down, but there were more Goblins behind him. A beam fell down; I guess Bruenor broke it, and there was nothing but dust and chaos." "Where's Bruno?" Wulfgar asked anxiously. Catti-brie looked back across the field behind her. "There. He's calling for you."    By the time Drizzt reached the pile of rubble that had once been the Crystal Tower, the battle was over.Horrible sights and sounds of the aftermath oppressed him from all directions, but his purpose remained unchanged.He started walking over the edge of the rubble. In fact, the dark elf thought himself foolish for such a hopeless undertaking.If Regis and Guenhwyvar hadn't escaped from the tower, how could he possibly have found them? He stubbornly pushed himself to continue, refusing to give in to the natural thought of scolding himself.This is what sets him apart from his own people, and it is what ultimately makes him banished from their great city of boundless darkness.Drizzt Do'Urden allowed himself compassion. He stepped onto the rubble and began digging with his bare hands.The huge rocks prevented him from digging very deep, but he still didn't give up, and even squeezed into those unstable cracks that might collapse at any time.He rarely used his burned left hand, and his right hand soon began to bleed from abrasions.But he kept looking, first circling the rubble and then climbing up. His persistence and hard work finally paid off.When he reached the top of the ruins, he felt a familiar field of magical force.This led him into a small gap between two stones.He went in tentatively, hoping to find something undamaged, and pulled out a small leopard-shaped statue.His fingers trembled as he inspected the thing for marks.But he found that there was absolutely no magic in the thing that made it resist the weight of the stone. The drow, however, had mixed feelings about the discovery.Although he was relieved that Guenhwyvar had survived, the appearance of this statue also told him that Regis probably did not escape from this place.His heart sank.His heart sank even deeper when he noticed something gleaming farther down in that crack.He went in and pulled out the gold chain attached to the ruby ​​pendant, confirming his fears. "This is a very fitting grave for you, brave boy," he said sadly, deciding to name the place Regis Crowd as well.He couldn't understand, however, what had caused the halfling to separate from his necklace, since there was no blood or anything on it to suggest Regis was wearing it when he died. "Guanhivar," he called. "Come to me, my shadow." When he put the statue on the ground in front of him, he had a familiar feeling.Then a black mist appeared, gradually taking the shape of a leopard, which was not injured and had regained its energy after returning to its own world for a few hours. Drizzt walked quickly towards his panther companion, but stopped as another cloud of black mist formed nearby. That's Regis. The halfling sat there, eyes closed, mouth wide open, as if about to take a big bite of an invisible delicacy.One of his hands was clasped in front of his mouth, and the other was spread out in front of him. His eyes opened in surprise as he bit the air with his mouth. "Drizzt!" he moaned. "Seriously, you should have asked me before you brought me here! This amazing leopard caught me a succulent meal!" Drizzt shook his head, then smiled with a mixture of relief and disbelief. "Oh, awesome," exclaimed Regis. "You found my jewel. I thought I had lost it; somehow it didn't travel with me and the leopard." Drizzt handed him the ruby ​​back.This leopard is actually able to take others through many realms?Drizzt decided to explore Guan Haifa's ability in this aspect in the future. He touched the leopard's neck, and then sent it back to its own world for further recuperation. "Come on, Regis," he said gravely. "Let's see if we can help." Regis shrugged reluctantly and followed the dark elf.When they climbed to the top of the ruins and saw the brutal scene unfold before their eyes, the halflings realized the extent of the damage.His legs almost gave way, but he made his way down the pile of stones with the help of his nimble friend. "Did we win?" he asked Drizzt when they were almost down to level ground, wondering if the people of Ten-Towns called what he saw a victory or a defeat. "We survived," Drizzt corrected him. Suddenly there was a shout from the fisherman, and seeing the two companions, they rushed forward, shouting to their heart's content. "The hero who defeated the wizard and smashed the tower!" they shouted. Always humble, Drizzt lowered his eyes. "Hail to Regis!" the men went on. "Heroes of Ten Towns!" Drizzt turned back, looking at his friend with surprised but amused eyes.Regis just shrugged resignedly, as if he, like Drizzt, was the victim of someone else's blunder. The men lifted Regis onto their shoulders. "We will take you with honor to the council that is sitting in the city!" one proclaimed. "You are more qualified than anyone else to have a say in the decisions we're about to make!" They realized only later that Drizzt was there.One said to him, "You may come too, Dark Elf." Drizzt declined. "Hats off to Regis!" he said, with a smile on his face. "Ah, boy, you're always lucky to find gold in it while others are rolling in the mud!" He patted the halfling on the back, then stepped aside as the procession moved forward. Regis rolled his eyes back, as if he had just agreed to go for a ride. But Drizzt understood the whole situation better.    The joy of the dark elves didn't last long. He had hardly left the place when the two dwarves shouted at him. "It's good to have found you, said one of the elf friends. The dark elves knew at once that they had bad news. "Bruno?" he asked. The dwarves nodded. "He's lying in a hospital bed, he won't live long, he may be dead by now. He's looking for you." Without saying another word, the dwarves took Drizzt across the field, arrived at a small tent pitched near the exit of the tunnel, and escorted him in. Candles flickered gently inside.On the other side of the single bed, Wulfgar and Catti-brie stood there, bowing their heads respectfully. Bruno lay on the cot, his head and chest covered in bloody bandages.His breathing was sharp and harsh, and each breath seemed likely to be his last.Drizzt walked solemnly to his side, determined to hold back the tears that were already welling in his lavender eyes, unlike his own.Bruno should want him to be strong. "Is that... an elf?" Bruenor gasped as he saw the dark elf coming over him. "Here I am, dearest friend," Drizzt replied. "Are you here to take me on my last journey?" Drizzt couldn't answer such a straightforward question frankly. "Send you off?" He forced himself to laugh out his already tense throat. "You're past the worst. I won't listen to you about death, or who else will find Mithril Hall?" "Ah, my hometown..." Bruno seemed calm and relaxed at the name, as if he felt his dream would lead him through the dark journey ahead. "Then will you come with me?" "Of course," Drizzt agreed.He looked to Wulfgar and Catti-brie for support, but they were too caught up in their own grief to look him in the eye. "But not now, no, no," Bruno explained. "Don't start when winter is coming!" He coughed a few times. "In spring. Yes, in spring." His voice trailed off, and his eyes closed. "Yes, my friend," Drizzt agreed. "In the spring. I'll see you back home in the spring!" Bruno's eyes suddenly opened wide, and the eyes that were on the verge of death regained their former brilliance for a while.A contented smile crept across the dwarf's face, Drizzt glad he was able to comfort his dying friend. The dark elf looked back at Wulfgar and Catti-brie, and even they were smiling.Drizzt watched them curiously. Suddenly, Drizzt started, as Bruenor sat up, tearing off the bandages. "Listen everyone," he yelled at the others in the tent who found it amused. "That's what you said, I have many witnesses!" Drizzt almost fell down in surprise, and looked at Wulfgar with a bit of complaint.The Savage and Catti-brie fought hard not to laugh. Wulfgar shrugged, then laughed. "Bruno said if I spoke a single word, he'd chop me up to the height of a dwarf!" "He really can!" Catti-brie added.The two of them hurried out. "I have a meeting at Bryn Shander," Wulfgar explained hastily.After they went outside, they couldn't help bursting out laughing anymore. "Fuck you, Bruno Warhammer!" the dark elf said angrily.Then he couldn't stop his arms from wrapping around the barrel-like dwarf. "Just let this go!" Bruno moaned, accepting the hug. "But be quick. We've got plenty to do all winter! Spring will come sooner than we think, and on the first warm day we'll be heading for Mithril Hall!" "Wherever it is," laughed Drizzt, more relieved than angry at the prank. "We'll find it, Dark Elf!" Bruenor cried. "There is nothing we can't do with adventure!"