Chapter 11 Chapter 8 Talking at Sea

The repair work lasted for two days, and the Sea Spirit was not traveling at full speed.Even so, the strong sea wind from the north kept her moving briskly southward.In just three days, she rushed from Mingtan to the southeastern tip of the Moon Shadow Islands, four hundred miles away.From here, Deudermont turned around and headed west, sailing the Sea Spirit into the vast open sea, gradually moving away from the south coast of the Moon Shadow Islands. "We can still see the Moon Shadow Islands during the next two days' voyage." Deudermont told everyone. "Aren't you going to Cowell?" Duggin Tamas was always asking all kinds of questions. "I think I can go ashore at Cowell. Anyway, it's a beautiful city." Although this The little man tried his best to look relaxed, but the fingers clinging to his ears had already revealed his nervousness.

Deudermont ignored him. "If the wind is strong enough to-morrow, by noon we shall pass the dragon's head. Then we shall find a village called Wien's Gate. There we shall replenish our last supplies. Then we go out to sea. We are stranded at The time in the open sea should be twenty days, if there is no such wind, the time will be doubled." The crew knew it was going to be a tough trip.But they all nodded in unison, and no one objected, but this did not include non-crew members. "Vienne Gate?" Duggin exclaimed. "Why, I'm going to stay another month before I can get out of there!"

"Who said you were going to leave?" Deudermont asked him. "When we come back, we will naturally disembark you at a suitable place." This sentence surprised the man and changed his attitude all the time. He shouted to Deudermont, who was less than three steps away, "If you come back?! You are also from the Sword Coast, don't tell me you haven't heard Over those things, Deudermont!" The captain turned slowly and looked at him sullenly.Still, Dougin's words caused a commotion on deck. Dugin looked away from Deudermont and turned to look at the deck.A twisted smile appeared on his face at the sight of the nervous crew. "Ha, you didn't tell them."

Deudermont stared at him without blinking. "You can't take 'em to that damn place without telling them the hell!" "Is this man so troublesome?" Katie whispered to Drizzt. "He likes to be unlucky," Drizzt replied in the same low voice. Deudermont stared at Du Jin and didn't say a word for a long time.The captain's stern eyes gradually erased the silly smile on his face.Deudermont looked up at Drizzt and Katie, the way he always looked for them when he needed support.The two of them didn't seem to care about Dugin's insidious words.Taking confidence from them, the captain turned to Harkle.The magician was still as absent-minded as before, as if he hadn't heard their conversation at all.But everyone else, at least the crew near the wheel, heard their quarrel.Deudermont noticed that more than one person showed restlessness.

"Tell us what?" Robilar asked stiffly. "Kavi?" "Oh, Captain Deudermont." Duggin sighed in disappointment. "Kavi," said Deudermont calmly, "maybe it's just a legend. Almost no one has ever been there. It's too far away from all civilized areas." "We know that," said Robillard, "and it wouldn't do Sea Sprite any harm if it's just a legend and we end up having to turn back because the water ran out. But the damn things the bug said What is it?" Deudermont stared at Dugin fiercely, wishing he could strangle him immediately, "Some people claim to have been there," the captain carefully chose the words, "say they saw something special there."

"That's a ghost!" Du Jin interrupted suddenly, "Kavi is an island of ghosts." He ran around and scanned every crew member around with his wide-eyed eyes. "There are ghost ships and witches there!" "Enough," Drizzt told him. "Shut your mouth," Katie yelled. Durgin kept his mouth shut, but he glanced at the young woman triumphantly, thinking he had won the argument. "These are all rumours," Deudermont said loudly, "I will tell you this when I arrive at Wien Gate, but not now," the captain paused, and glanced around again.This time, he's looking for friendship and loyalty from his old men, "I'll tell you about that." Everyone on board, except maybe Doo-jin, takes his word for it.

"This voyage is not for Waterdeep, nor is it for fighting pirates," Deudermont continued. "This time it is for me. I have to react to the incident on Dock Street. Maybe the Sea Spirit is sailing towards the trap. Maybe I'll get the answer. But anyway, I have to go. I won't force any of you to go with me. Your job is to hunt down pirates. Every captain will feel honored to have a crew like you pride." Another long pause followed, and the captain and crew exchanged glances in turn.Finally, he set his sights on Drizzt and Katie. "Anyone who doesn't want to go to Kavi can disembark at the Venn Gate," Deudermont's words made all the crew members' eyes widen. "Everyone will be paid according to the time they stay on board, plus I provide bonus, if we can come back..."

"If you can come back." Du Jin interjected again.But Deudermont ignored the troublemaker. "When we come back," Deudermont repeated, this time more firmly, "we'll take those who were waiting there at the Wien Gate. Those who stay will not be blamed." Robila snorted, "Doesn't every island have ghosts? If a seaman believes in everything, he should stay on the coast of the Sword Coast. Sea monsters will still appear in Waterdeep City! Rothem There are big poisonous snakes on the island, aren't there pirates on Niland Island?" "That's a good point!" A sailor applauded, and everyone responded with a hearty laugh.

"That's it!" continued Robilla. "Those rumors are always true and false." "And what if Carvey really has ghosts?" asked another sailor. "Then we'll dock in the morning," Viland shouted cheerfully as he sat on the stern rail, "we'll be back in the sea in the afternoon." "Let those ghosts watch the night on the island!" I don't know who's joke was exchanged for another burst of laughter. Deudermont was sincerely grateful to the crew, and especially to Robillard, the captain did not expect such enthusiastic support for him.In the end, no one from the Sea Spirit wanted to stay at Wien Gate.

Du Jin looked at all this in confusion.He tried to describe Kavi Island as scary.But his tales of goblins and goblins were completely lost in the laughter and teasing of the sailors. Drizzt and Katie were not surprised by the unconditional support of the crew.The people on the Sea Spirit have long since formed true friends.They all radiate the light of friendship and loyalty. "I'm going to disembark at the Wien Gate," Duggin said at last in a panic. "Whoever goes to that damned place, I won't go." "Who gave you this power?" Drizzt asked him. "Captain Deudermont just said..." Du Jin looked at Deudermont.But he was so frightened by Deudermont's ferocious expression that he swallowed his words back, and only then did he realize that he was not included in the conditions agreed by the captain.

"You can't leave me here!" Du Jin objected pitifully, "I am the envoy of the lord of Mingtan Island. I have the right to return to Mingtan." "You should have died in Mintar Harbor," Drizzt reminded him. Doo Jin knew what he meant. "We're more concerned about what role you played in that ambush," said the captain. "I didn't do anything!" Doo-jin howled, yanking at his ear. "Then the time you took Drizzt away is too coincidental." "I almost died in that ambush!" Du Jin argued with tears, "If I knew that those gangsters were going to deal with you, I would never have run to the port at that time." Deudermont looked at Drizzt. "He's right." Drow nodded. Deudermont thought for a moment, then nodded, "I know you are innocent. You can go back to Mingtan when we come back from Kavi." "You can take me with you on the way back to Wien Gate." Dugin tried to suggest.But Deudermont just shook his head at him. "Too far," replied the captain, "and since none of my men will remain at the Wayn Gate, and I must go to Mingtan, I will take a more northerly route on my return. From the north through Moonshadow Islands." "Then please put me at the Wayne Gate. I will find a way to meet you in the city north of the Moon Shadow Islands." Du Jin proposed another plan. "Which northern city?" Deudermont asked. Durkin didn't answer. "If you want to leave, you can disembark at Wien Gate," Deudermont finally let go, "but I can't guarantee that you can return to Mingtan from there." After finishing speaking, Deudermont turned and walked back to the cabin.Only a dejected Dougin was left standing at the wheel. "Your knowledge of Kavi Island will help us a lot," Drizzt patted Duggin on the shoulder, "We will be grateful to you." "Well, come on," Katie said to him too, "you'll get a little adventure and a little friendship. What more could you ask for in this world?" Drizzt and Katie walked away side by side, sending each other hopeful smiles. "I just came here too," Harkle Hubbell ran up to Duggin, "but it's really interesting." Then he also ran away with a silly smile on his face. Du Jin walked to the rail and shook his head.He had to admit that he really liked the Sea Spirit.Having lost his parents since he was a child, he ran to the sea very early to make a living.Most of his twenty years as a sailor were spent on pirate ships.With him are the Sword Coast's most lawless villains.He had never seen a ship so full of friendship and warmth.The ambush outside Mingtan Port touched his heart even more. For the past few days, he's been a complete moaning fool.Deudermont must know his background, at least he can guess that he was a pirate.But the captain didn't treat him like a criminal.And the dark elf took the initiative to invite him to go to Kavi with them. Dugin leaned on the rail of the boat and saw a group of dolphins dancing on the top of the waves in the distance.The cheerful sea elf gradually made him forget the things that bothered him. ※※※※ "You're thinking about them again." A voice came from behind the sullen dwarf.That was Regis, his friend. Bruno didn't answer.He was standing on a rock at the edge of the Dwarf Canyon.At this point, four hundred miles south of the Great Cone of Cairn, stands this rock called Bruno's Rock.This is where the dwarf king brooded.Although the rock was only fifty feet higher than the surrounding tundra, every time Bruno climbed the steep path to the top it felt like he was walking toward the stars. Panting, Regis climbed the last twenty feet of the rock to stand beside his bearded friend. "I love standing here at night," said the halfling, "but will there be so many nights next month?" He tried to make Bruenor smile with a cheerful tone.His observation makes sense.In the far north, the summer days in Icewind Dale are extremely long.But in winter, the sun just lolles out for a few hours each day. "I don't have much time to stand here, leave me alone for a while." Bruenor turned to Regis.Even in the dark, the halfling could still make out the dwarf's bushy eyebrows. Regis knew the meaning behind that look, that of Bruenor's deep sorrow. "You won't be happy here alone," the halfling objected. "You'll miss Drizzt and Katie as much as I miss them. By morning you'll be an angry snow ape. I can't take it." The halfling wagged his fingers back and forth. , "Actually, the dwarves are begging me to come here to comfort you." Bruno snorted, but said nothing.He turned his head away from the halfling, but that was only to prevent the halfling from seeing his slightly raised mouth.In the six years since Drizzt and Katie were gone, Regis had become Bruenor's closest friend.There was, however, a dwarven priestess named Orator Reginclaw who was always with him.The intimacy between the dwarf king and the woman had become a major concern of the dwarves. But it was Regis who knew Bruno best.When Regis came to him, Bruenor had to admit that he really needed a companion at this moment.Thoughts of Drizzt and Katie had been haunting the old dwarf since his return to Icewind Dale.The only thing Bruenor could get out of his mind was the endless work to reopen the dwarven mines.And Regis was always there for him, always cheerful, always assuring him that Drizzt and Katie would be back. "Where do you think they will be?" Regis asked after a long silence. Bruno shrugged with a smile, his eyes looked southwest, "Not here." "Not here," Regis repeated, "only you and I miss them here," the halfling approached Bruno, putting a hand on his rock-solid shoulder, "I know, you still miss them." That big cat." Regis' words pulled the dwarf out of his melancholy contemplation again. Bruno looked at him and couldn't help parting his lips.The halfling's mention of Guenhwyvar not only reminded Bruenor of his constant conflict with the panther, but indirectly reminded him that Drizzt and Katie were not alone and could take good care of themselves. For a long time that night the dwarf and the halfling stood side by side.They are listening to the wind that never stops, feeling the same starry sky with their friends far away. ※※※※ The work of collecting supplies at the Wien Gate went very smoothly, and after the Sea Spirit was fully repaired, it quickly left the Moon Shadow Islands far behind. Just one day after leaving the western coast of the Moon Shadow Islands, the sea breeze has subsided a lot.They entered the open sea, and as far as the eye could see, there was no sign of land anymore. With Robbil on board the schooner was not at a loss.But the magician's power is limited after all, he can't keep the sailboat under full wind for a long time.Therefore, the speed of Hai Ling was greatly reduced. Everyone passed day after day in the heat and lackluster.The Sea Spirit was tossing and bouncing boringly in the waves.During the three days since leaving Wien Gate, Deudermont has been strictly controlling the distribution of supplies.It's all a balance between minimizing the chances of seasickness and preserving as much food storage as possible, but at least the crew won't have to worry about running into pirates.No other ship has come so far.There are no merchant ships or cargo ships here at all, nothing that would attract pirates. Their enemy is seasickness, sunburn, and the anguish caused by the monotony of the environment. By the fifth day, they found something exciting.Standing on the bowsprit, Drizzt spotted a towering fin, the dorsal fin of a gigantic shark.It soon approached the schooner.Drow then called out to Veran who was standing on the watchtower. "The shark is twenty feet long!" shouted the young man.He could clearly see the shadow of the shark underwater from a height. All crew members are on deck.They shouted excitedly and took up their harpoons.But the excitement of hunting fish quickly turned to horror.Vilan kept reporting new sharks appearing in the distance, and this shark was obviously not acting alone.The turbulent waves interfered with counting the dorsal fins, but Whelan managed to make an accurate estimate.There are hundreds of sharks around the Sea Spirit. Hundreds of sharks!Many of them were about as large as the one Drizzt had seen.The crew members who were shouting loudly just now turned to pray to the gods. The sharks surrounded the Sea Spirit and swam with her for a day and a night.Deudermont saw that the shark didn't seem to know what to do with the Sea Spirit.No one said a word about it, but the same thought was in everyone's mind.These overlords in the sea must not regard the Hailing as a whale. The next morning, the turtle school disappeared as abruptly as it had come.While Drizzt was taking a walk on the rail, he climbed up to the mainmast's lookout and searched it carefully.The pack of sharks did go. "They didn't communicate with us," Katie said to Drizzt as he climbed down the mast some time later. "They knew where to go, but we didn't." This simple fact troubled Drizzt, too.When he thought of this, he felt his ignorance and insignificance.Even a man who, like Deudermont, has spent most of his life in sea travel, knows only a small part of the world.This world composed of water, the countless great creatures living here, and their mysterious laws of life.These are things he will never really understand.This kind of cognition and the boundless ocean around him made Drizzt deeply appreciate their humbleness and natural grandeur. This ranger has undergone rigorous training, is equipped with excellent weapons, and has the heart of a warrior beyond compare.But he was so insignificant in the eyes of the group of sharks who easily surpassed the Sea Spirit.He was just a mote in a puzzle whose size far exceeded his imagination. He put his arm around Katie's shoulders, happy to be part of such a magnificent being.She leaned gently beside him, rejoicing in his joy. ※※※※ The wind picked up a bit the next day, and the schooner gradually picked up speed.Every crew member is happy for this.But Robilla's smile didn't last long.The magician's spell heralds the coming of bad weather.He told Deudermont that the gust of wind was only the prelude to a storm. What should they do?There are no ports nearby, not even land.Deudermont had to order that everything vulnerable to wind damage be removed as much as possible. The night that followed was one of the worst of Katie's life.Offshore storms are more violent than those along the coast.Deudermont and his crew of forty were all below decks.The slender Sea Sprite was tossed around by huge waves like a toy, and more than once fell almost upside down to the surface of the sea. Only Robilar and Harkle were working hard.Robila stayed on the deck for most of the time when the storm raged, protecting the Sea Sprite against the impact of the violent wind and waves, and at the same time monitoring the damage of the hull with magic eyes.Harkle went down with Guenhuffa and five crew members to the storeroom on the lowest level of the cabin, keeping the hull safe among scurrying rats and rolling crates.The Hubbells have a spell that brightens dark places, while the others are busy sealing the cracks in the hull.They smashed tar-soaked rope into those cracks. Katie was so weak that she could barely move, and many other crew members were in the same predicament.The crew in the cabin had to secure themselves with ropes to prevent hitting the bulkhead or other people.Poor Duggin was the unluckiest victim.In one severe overturn, the little man missed the rope and flew head-to-head and crashed into a post.He dislocated a shoulder and bruised his wrist as a result. That night, no one on the Sea Spirit fell asleep. By morning the schooner was listing heavily to port.But she remained afloat, the storm passed, and everyone was safe.The crew worked all morning before repairing a sail. By noon, Katie from the lookout reported flocks of birds to the north and west.Deudermont breathed a sigh of relief.He had been afraid that the storm would blow them off course and prevent them from finding Gull Rock in time.It is the furthest island from the mainland shown on a common chart.They followed their established route and traveled a long way to the south under the storm.But all the crew were exhausted, especially poor Robilard and Harkle.The eye circles of the two magicians were blue, and they had never experienced such a severe exhaustion of mana and physical strength. In any case, the Sea Spirit finally docked safely on the rocky island.Seagull Rock lives up to its name, and there is almost nothing here but a bare rock.Most of the rocks are even smaller than the Sea Spirit, and only two or three people can stand on them; several larger rocks are only one mile square.No matter what kind of rock it is, the true color of the stone can no longer be seen, and it is covered with a thick layer of bird droppings.As the Sea Sprite approached the rock formations, a cloud of thousands of seagulls nearly blotted out the sun.They howl angrily at uninvited intruders. Deudermont found a small harbor with calm waters where they could repair the ship undisturbed.The crew can also take turns disembarking to calm their still-twitching stomachs. For the rest of the day, Deudermont climbed with Drizzt and Katie to the vantage point of Gull Rock, fifty feet above sea level.The captain looked south with the binoculars, but he also knew that there should be nothing to be seen on the endless water. It took them two weeks to cover the five hundred miles of water from the westernmost point of the Moonshaes to Gull Rock, almost twice as long as Deudermont expected.But the captain still feels confident about the supplies on board and is sure they will find Carvey.Since the Sea Spirit left the Wien Gate, no one has publicly talked about the mysterious island.In private, though, Drizzt had heard stories of goblins and ghosts whispered by many of the crew. "We have traveled five hundred miles, and we still have another five hundred miles to go." Deudermont continued to stare in the southwest direction. "There is an island not far from the south, where we can collect more supplies." "Do we need it?" Drizzt asked. "If our journey to Kavi and back goes well, we don't need to," Deudermont replied. "So what are you going to do?" Katie asked. "I'm tired of the previous delay, and I'm still more tired of the journey ahead," replied Deudermont. "That's because you're afraid of what's going to happen," Katie pointed out Deudermont's true thoughts mercilessly. "Who knows what we'll find in Kavi, does Kavi really exist?" "There it is," insisted the captain. "We can dock on that island on our return," Drizzt said. "We have enough supplies to get us to Kavi." Deudermont nodded. They had now reached the final stage of their journey, and it was time to head straight for Karvey.All the way from Gull Rock to Kawi, the stars will be the captain's only guidepost.He hoped that the map Tahi had provided was correct. He wished that Carvey really existed. However, deep down in his heart, he seemed unwilling to face up to this hope.