Chapter 20 Chapter 16 Bait

"Icewind Dale." Drizzt said the name when the three left the summoning room.Cadderly looked surprised; and Katie knew what Drizzt was going to say when she heard the name.She had the same speculation in her mind. "You thought the devil would be hunting for the Crystal Shard," she said.Just to explain to Cadderly what Drizzt meant. "If Errtu did come back to our world, he will certainly seek out the treasure," Drizzt replied. Cadderly knew nothing about the Crystal Shard they were talking about, but he could hear the two talking about something very important. "Are you sure about your speculation?" he asked Drizzt.

Drow nodded. "I met Errtu for the first time on the Spine of the World, where the wind was howling. The specific location where we met was the Icewind Dale next to the Cairn. Errtu appeared there at the summon of a magician who possessed Crenshinibon, also known as the Crystal Shard, is one of the most powerful treasures of evil." "Where is this treasure?" Cadderly asked, suddenly very concerned about it.The cleric had some experience with nefarious artifacts, having put himself and the lives of his loved ones at risk in order to destroy one such item. "Buried," Katie replied, "buried by an avalanche from the Cairn's Cone beneath a rocky peak covered with snow all year round." She kept her eyes on Drizzt as she explained to the wizard. .Her expression showed that she was starting to doubt Drow's speculation.

"This artifact is sentient," the ranger reminded her. "A tool of iniquity will not endure such solitude. If Errtu returns to our world, he will surely seek Clinshinibon in Icewind Dale." .If he gets close to that thing, it will definitely call to him." Cadderly agreed. "You must destroy the Crystal Shard," his firm tone shocked the two friends. "This is a serious disaster." Drizzt wasn't sure if he agreed with the priest's idea, he was still hesitating whether to rescue his father who was imprisoned by Baelor first.But he was sure the world would be a better place without such things as Clinshinibon.

"How can such a powerful treasure be destroyed?" the ranger asked the priest. "I don't know. Every artifact should have a special way of destroying it," Cadderly replied. "Years ago, when I was young, my god asked me to destroy Holofer. It was an evil artifact with a self-awareness. I must seek...to ask a great red dragon to help me." "A few years ago, I was young." Katie repeated this sentence quietly, except for her, the remaining two friends did not hear. "Therefore, I want you to find and destroy Clinshinibon—the thing called the Crystal Shard."

"It's easy to say." Katie seemed a little dissatisfied. "It's really hard to do," Cadderly said, "but I believe it can be done. Would it please you if I changed 'hope' to 'request'?" "I see what you mean," Katie replied. A wide smile spread across Cadderly's face.He threw an arm around the young woman's strong shoulders.Katie didn't shy away from the pastor's affection, and she felt that she really liked the pastor.There was nothing about Cadderly that made her uncomfortable, except perhaps his casual attitude towards Errtu and the Crystal Shard.He is simply too confident!

"We can't get the Crystal Shard out of the snow," Katie said to Drizzt. "No need, it will come out of its own accord," Cadderly said, "or it has already come out." "Or Errtu will find it," Drizzt said. "Then shall we go to Icewind Dale and wait patiently?" Katie felt that they had led the original mission astray, and she couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. "You want to sit in Icewind Dale, two guardsmen? How many centuries are you going to sit?" Drizzt didn't want the mission to change either, but he couldn't shake that sense of responsibility.Errtu was apparently free now.But the desire to see Zach Nafein again will not weaken a little no matter how many centuries pass.

"We will proceed according to the arrangement of fate," Drizzt told Katie, "the road ahead of us is still long, and there may indeed be a long wait." "There is a temple of Dinai in Luskan," Cadderly said to them. "It must be near the place called Icewind Dale?" "It's the largest city in the south of the mountains," Drizzt replied. "I can send you there," Cadderly said. "The three of us can ride the wind to Luskan." Drizzt considered the suggestion.It was now midsummer, and many traders would go to Luskan; and from there they would enter Ten-Towns and trade in salmon skull carvings.If Cadderly could get them to Luskan quickly, they could easily catch a wagon to Icewind Dale.

Only then did Drizzt think of another question, "What should my friends do?" Katie and Cadderly looked at each other.In their excitement, they forgot about Deudermont and the trapped Sea Spirit. "I can't take that many people," Cadderly admitted, "and I definitely can't take a boat!" Drizzt thought for a while longer. "But we have to go there," he said to Katie. "I'm imagining how Deudermont will lead the Sea Spirit on a voyage in the lake after we leave." Katie said sarcastically, "There are no pirates here. If he spreads all the sails of the Sea Spirit, then he You will definitely find that the Sea Spirit has plunged into the woods one mile away from the lake!"

Drizzt couldn't help feeling a little discouraged at the thought of his responsibilities to the Sea Sprite. "Let's talk to the captain. Maybe we can get Harkle Harbell back, since he brought the ship into Lake Ipers; he should have a way of getting the Sea Sprite back to Waterdeep!" Katie muttered something under her breath.But her voice was so low that Drizzt didn't hear what she was saying.But he knew those words were about Harkle, and he had to agree with some of Katie's views on Harkle. The three found Deudermont, Vilan and Dugin sitting with Ivan and Pike on the lawn outside the door.Deudermont told them of Robilla's arrival, and of their plans to return.This made Katie and Drizzt greatly relieved.The two looked at each other, and Deudermont, who knew them well, already understood what they meant.

"You're leaving us, and you can't wait two or three weeks until Robilar is ready." "Cadderly can take us to Luskan," Drizzt replied. "I hope to be in Ten-Towns in two or three weeks." The news cast a pall over the cheerful conversation.Even Pike, who couldn't quite understand what others were saying, let out a long sigh of disappointment: "Oh..." Deudermont tried his best to find a compromise, but he couldn't find it in the end.He was responsible for the Sea Sprite; and Drizzt and Katie had no choice but to follow the blind witch's riddles to complete their quest.Moreover, Deudermont did not ignore the news that Ivan said that Bruno had left Mithril Hall.Drizzt was going back to Ten Towns, back to Icewind Dale.That should be where Bruno was going too.

"Maybe if we get back to the Sword Coast before winter, I'll sail the Sea Sprite around the peninsula and into the Sea of ​​Pack Ice," Deudermont said goodbye to his friends in his usual fashion, "I'd love to visit Icewind Valley." "My home," said Drizzt solemnly. Katie nodded to Drizzt, then turned to stare at Deudermont.Parting is always painful for her, but she knows exactly what to do now. It's time to go home.