精灵血脉四部曲-第101部分

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tuation梬ell　under　control；　but　deep　inside；　Dantrag　almost　hoped　that　she　did　not；　hoped　that　his　fight　with　Drizzt　would　be　thrust　upon　him。　He　felt　his　sentient　sword's　agreement　with　that　thought；　felt　a　wave　of　vicious　hunger　emanate　from　the　weapon。

Dantrag　let　his　thoughts　continue　down　that　path。　He　would　carry　the　slain　renegade's　body　in　to　his　mother　at　the　high　ritual；　would　let　her　and　the　other　matron　mothers　（and　Uthegental　Armgo；　who　sat　in　the　audience）　witness　the　result　of　his　prowess。

The　thought　was　not　an　unpleasant　one。

〃Head　first；〃　Catti…brie　mouthed　silently　as　the　panions　came　up　into　the　main　level　within　the　marble　cylinder。　Guenhwyvar　crouched　in　front　of　her；　ready　to　spring；　Drizzt　and　Entreri　stood　to　either　side　of　the　cat；　weapons　drawn。　Catti…brie　bent　back　Taulmaril。

A　high…ranking　drow　soldier；　a　female；　stood　right　before　the　opening　as　the　marble　door　slid　aside。　Wide　went　her　red　eyes；　and　she　threw　her　hands　up　before　her。

Catti…brie's　arrow　blew　right　through　the　meager　defense；　blew　right　through　the　female；　and　took　down　the　drow　behind　her　as　well。　Guenhwyvar　leaped　in　the　arrow's　wake；　easily　clearing　the　two　falling　dark　elves　and　barreling　into　a　host　of　others；　scattering　them　all　across　the　circular　room。

Out　went　Drizzt　and　Entreri；　one　on　either　side　of　the　opening；　their　flashing　weapons　leading。　They　came　back　into　Catti…brie's　line　of　sight　almost　immediately；　both　of　them　bearing　suddenly　blood…stained　blades。

Catti…brie　fired　again；　right　between　them；　pounding　a

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hole　in　the　fleshy　drow　wall　blocking　the　entrance　to　the　exit　corridor。　Then　she　leaped　out；　between　her　panions；　with　Drizzt　and　Entreri　doing　equally　brilliant　sword　work　on　either　side　of　her。　She　fired　again；　nailing　a　drow　to　one　of　the　side　doors　in　the　circular　room。　Entreri's　dagger　bit　hard　into　a　drow　heart；　Drizzt's　scimitars　crossed　up　an　opponent's　attack　routine；　then　countered；　one　over　the　other　in　opposing；　diagonal；　downward　swipes；　drawing　a　neat　X　on　the　draw's　throat。

But　this　was　Guenhwyvar's　show。　Inside　the　crowded　room；　nothing　in　all　the　world　could　have　created　more　general　havoc　and　panic　than　six　hundred　pounds　of　snarling；　clawing　fury。　Guenhwyvar　dashed　this　way　and　that；　swiping　one　drow　on　the　backside；　tripping　up　another　with　a　bite　to　the　ankle。　The　cat　actually　killed　no　dark　elves　in　that　wild　rush　through　the　room　and　into　the　corridor；　but　left　many　wounded；　and　many　more　fleeing；　terrified；　in　its　wake。

Catti…brie　was　first　into　the　corridor。

〃Shoot　the　damned　door！〃　Entreri　cried　to　her；　but　she　needed　no　prodding　and　put　the　first　and　second　arrows　away　before　the　assassin　even　finished　the　mand。　Soon　she　could　hardly　even　see　the　door　for　the　blazing　shower　of　sparks　igniting　all　about　it梑ut　what　she　could　make　out　continued　to　appear　solid。

〃Open；　oh；　open！〃　the　young　woman　shouted；　thinking　that　they　were　going　to　be　trapped　in　the　corridor。　Once　the　chaos　in　the　room　behind　them　subsided；　their　enemies　would　overwhelm　them。　Just　to　accentuate　Catti…brie's　fears；　the　corridor　suddenly　went　black。

Good　fortune　alone　saved　them；　for　the　woman's　next　shot　struck　one　of　the　opening　mechanisms　within　the　door；　and　up　it　slid。　Still　running　blindly；　Catti…brie　stumbled　out　into　the　Baenre　pound；　Drizzt　and　Entreri；　and　then　Guenhwyvar；　ing　fast　behind。

They　saw　the　streaks　of　glowing　house　emblems；　leaving　a　residual　trail　of　light　as　several　lizard…riders　swarmed　to　the　area　of　the　motion。　The　panions　had　to　make　their　choice　immediately；　as　crossbow　quarrels　clicked　off　the　stone　around　them。　Entreri　took　up　the　lead。　His　first

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thought　was　to　go　for　the　fence；　but　he　realized　that　the　three　of　them；　with　only　one　spider　mask；　could　not　get　past　that　barrier　in　time。　He　ran　to　the　right；　around　the　side　of　the　great　mound。　It　was　an　uneven　wall；　for　the　structure　was　really　a　tight　cluster　of　several　huge　stalagmites。　Catti…brie　and　Drizzt　came　right　behind；　but　Guenhwyvar　pivoted　pletely　about　just　outside　the　doorway；　and　rushed　back　in；　scattering　the　closest　pursuing　dark　elves。

Entreri's　mind　worked　furiously；　trying　to　remember　the　general　layout　of　the　huge　pound；　trying　to　discern　how　many　guards　were　likely　on　duty；　and　where　they　were　all　normally　located。　The　immense　house　grounds　covered　nearly　half　a　mile　in　one　direction　and　a　quarter　of　a　mile　in　the　other；　and　many　of　the　guards；　if　Entreri　chose　correctly；　would　never　get　near　the　fighting。

It　seemed　as　if　all　the　drow　of　the　house　were　about　them　now；　though；　a　mounting　frenzy　on　all　sides　of　the　escaping　prisoners。

〃There's　nowhere　to　go！〃　Catti…brie　cried。　A　javelin　slammed　the　stone　just　above　her　head；　and　she　swung　about；　Taulmaril　ready。　The　enemy　dark　elf　was　already　moving；　diving　out　of　sight　behind　a　mound　near　the　fence；　but　Catti…brie　let　fly　anyway。　The　magical　arrow　skipped　off　the　stone　and　slammed　the　fence；　disintegrating　into　a　tremendous　shower　of　silver　and　purple　sparks。　For　a　moment；　the　woman　dared　to　hope　that　luck　had　shown　her　a　way　to　blow　through　the　barrier；　but　when　the　sparks　cleared；　she　realized　that　the　strand　of　the　mighty　fence　wasn't　even　scratched。

Catti…brie　hesitated　for　a　moment　to　consider　the　shot；　but　Drizzt　slammed　roughly　against　her　back；　forcing　her　to　run　on。

Around　another　bend　went　the　assassin；　only　to　find　that　many　drow　were　ing　at　them　from　the　other　direction。　With　enemies　so　close；　to　run　out　into　the　open　pound　would　have　been　suicide；　and　they　could　go　neither　forward　nor　back　the　way　they　had　e。　Entreri　rushed　forward　anyway；　then　cut　a　sharp　right；　leaping　up　onto　the　mound；　onto　a　narrow；　ascending　walkway　used　mostly　by　the　goblin　slaves　the　Baenre　family　had　put　to　work

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sculpting　the　outside　of　the　gorgeous　palace。

The　ledge　was　not　difficult　for　the　assassin；　who　was　used　to　running　along　the　high；　narrow　gutters　of　the　great　houses　of　southern　cities。　Neither　was　it　difficult　for　Drizzt；　so　agile　and　balanced。　If　Catti…brie　had　found　the　time　to　pause　a　moment　and　consider　her　course；　though；　she　likely　would　not　have　been　able　to　go　on。　They　were　running　up　a　path　a　foot　and　a　half　wide；　open　on　one　side　（to　an　increasingly　deep　drop）　and　with　an　uneven　wall　on　the　other。　But　the　dark　elves　were　not　far　behind；　and　none　of　the　fugitives　had　time　to　consider　his　or　her　course。　Catti…brie　not　only　paced　Entreri　step　for　step；　but　she　managed　to　fire　off　a　couple　of　shots　into　the　pound　below；　just　to　keep　her　enemies　scrambling　for　cover。

Entreri　thought　that　they　had　met　an　obstacle　when　he　rounded　a　bend　to　find　two　stupidly　staring　goblin　workers。　The　terrified　slaves　wanted　no　part　of　any　fight；　though；　and　they　dove　over　the　edge　of　the　walkway；　sliding　the　bumpy　ride　down　the　side　of　the　mound。

Around　the　next　bend　the　assassin　spotted　a　wide　and　decorated　balcony；　five　feet　to　the　side　of　the　continuing　walkway。　Entreri　leaped　onto　it；　seeing　a　better　carved　stairway　ascending　from　that　point。

As　soon　as　he　landed；　two　dark　elves　burst　out　of　doors　set　in　the　back　of　the　balcony；　against　the　mound。　A　silver…streaking　arrow　greeted　the　first；　blowing　her　back　into　the　carved　room；　and　Entreri　made　short　work　of　the　other；　finishing　her　before　Drizzt　and　Catti…brie　had　even　leaped　across　to　join　him。

Then　came　Guenhwyvar；　the　panther　flying　past　the　three　surprised　panions　to　take　up　the　lead　along　the　stairway。

Higher　and　higher　went　the　panions；　fifty　feet；　a　hundred　feet；　two　hundred　feet；　off　the　ground。　Huffing　and　puffing；　the　tired　group　ran　on；　having　no　choice。　Finally；　after　they　had　put　a　thousand　feet　below　them；　the　huge　stalagmite　became　a　stalactite；　and　the　stair　gave　way　to　horizontal　walkways；　connecting　many　of　the　larger　hanging　stones　over　the　Baenre　pound。

A　group　of　drow　charged　along　the　walkway　from　the

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other　direction；　cutting　off　the　panions。　The　dark　elves　fired　their　hand…crossbows　as　they　came；　into　the　great　panther　as　Guenhwyvar　flattened　its　ears　and　charged。　Darts　stung　the　cat；　pumping　their　poison；　but　Guenhwyvar　would　not　be　stopped。　Realizing　this；　the　trailing　members　of　the　group　turned　and　fled；　and　some　of　those　caught　too　close　to　the　cat　simply　leaped　over　the　side　of　the　railed　walkway；　using　their　innate　powers　of　levitation　to　keep　them　aloft。

Catti…brie　immediately　hit　one　of　them　with　an　arrow；　the　force　of　the　impact　spinning　the　dying　drow　over　and　over　in　midair；　to　hang　grotesquely　at　a　diagonal；　upside…down　angle；　lines　of　his　blood　running　freely　from　the　wound　to　scatter　like　rain　on　the　stone　floor　many　hundreds　of　feet　below。　The　other　levitating　dark　elves；　realizing　how　vulnerable　they　were；　quickly　dropped　from　sight。

Guenhwyvar　buried　the　remaining　elves　on　the　walkway。　Entreri　came　right　behind　and　finished　off　those　wounded　drow　left　broken　in　the　fierce　panther's　wake。　Entreri　looked　back　to　his　panions　and　gave　a　determined　shout；　seeing　running　room　ahead　of　them。

Catti…brie　responded　in　kind；　but　Drizzt　kept　silent。　He　knew　better　than　the　others　how　much　trouble　he　and　his　friends　were　really　in。　Many　of　the　Baenre　drow　could　likely　levitate；　an　ability　that　Drizzt　had　for　some　reason　lost　after　he　had　spent　some　time　on　the　surface。　The　Baenre　soldiers　would　be　up　all　along　the　walkways　before　long；　hiding　among　the　stalactites　with　their　hand…crossbows　ready。

The　walkway　came　to　another　stalactite　and　split　both　ways　around　the　structure。　Guenhwyvar　went　left；　Entreri

right…Suspecting　an　ambush；　the　assassin　rushed　around　the　bend　in　a　slide　on　his　knees。　A　single　drow　was　waiting　for　him；　arm　extended。　The　dark　elf　snapped　the　hand…crossbow　down　as　soon　as　she　saw　the　assassin　ing　in　low。　She　fired　but　missed；　and　Entreri's　sword　punctured　her　side。　Up　came　the　assassin　in　a　flourish。　Having　no　time　for　any　extended　battles；　Entreri　used　his　prodding　sword　as　leverage　and　heaved　the　female　over　the　railing。

Drizzt　and　Catti…brie　heard　a　roar　and　saw　a　dark　elf；

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swatted　by　the　panther；　go　tumbling　away　on　the　left　as　well。　Catti…brie　started　that