精灵血脉四部曲-第69部分

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　over　to　her　younger　son。　If　she　could　claim　that　the　move　was　made　because　Berg'inyon　was　the　better　fighter；　that　would　again　spread　doubt　among　the　populace　as　to　which　house　had　the　finest　weapon　master。

The　solution　was　simple：　Dantrag　had　to　get　Drizzt。

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Chapter　8

OUT　OF　PLACE

e　moved　without　a　whisper　along　the　lightless　tunnels；　his　eyes　glowing　lavender；　seeking　changes　in　the　heat　patterns　along　the　floor　and　walls　that　would　indicate　bends；　or　enemies；　in　the　runnel。　He　seemed　at　home；　a　creature　of　the　Underdark；　moving　with　typically　quiet　grace　and　cautious　posture。

Drizzt　did　not　feel　at　home；　though。　Already　he　was　deeper　than　the　lowest　tunnels　of　Mithril　Hall；　and　the　stagnant　air　pressed　in　on　him。　He　had　spent　nearly　two　decades　on　the　surface；　learning　and　living　by　the　rules　that　governed　the　outer　world。　Those　rules　were　as　different　to　Underdark　precepts　as　a　forest　wildflower　was　to　a　deep　cavern　fungus。　A　human；　a　goblin；　even　an　alert　surface　elf；　would　have　taken　no　note　of　Drizzt's　silent　passage；　though　he　might　cross　just　a　few　feet　away；　but　Drizzt　felt　clumsy　and　loud。

The　drow　ranger　cringed　with　every　step；　fearing　that　echoes　were　resounding　along　the　blank　stone　walls　hundreds　of　yards　away。　This　was　the　Underdark；　a　place　negotiated　less　by　sight　than　by　hearing　and　the　sense　of　smell。

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R。　A。　Salvatore

Drizzt　had　spent　nearly　two…thirds　of　his　life　in　the　Underdark；　and　a　good　portion　of　the　last　twenty　years　underground　in　the　caverns　of　Clan　Battlehammer。　He　no　longer　considered　himself　a　creature　of　the　Underdark；　though。　He　had　left　his　heart　behind　on　a　mountainside；　watching　the　stars　and　the　moon；　the　sunrise　and　the　sunset。

This　was　the　land　of　starless　nights梟o；　not　nights；　just　a　single；　unending　starless　night；　Drizzt　decided梠f　stagnant　air；　and　leering　stalactites。

The　tunnel's　width　varied　greatly；　sometimes　as　narrow　as　the　breadth　of　Drizzt's　shoulders；　sometimes　wide　enough　for　a　dozen　men　to　walk　abreast。　The　floor　sloped　slightly；　taking　Drizzt　even　deeper；　but　the　ceiling　paralleled　it　well；　remaining　fairly　consistent　at　about　twice　the　height　of　the　five…and…a…half…foot　drow。　For　a　long　time；　Drizzt　detected　no　side　caverns　or　corridors；　and　he　was　glad　of　that；　for　he　didn't　want　to　be　forced　into　any　direction　decisions　yet；　and　in　this　simple　setup；　any　potential　enemies　would　have　to　e　at　him　from　straight　ahead。

Drizzt　honestly　believed　that　he　was　not　prepared　for　any　surprises；　not　yet。　Even　his　infravision　pained　him。　His　head　throbbed　as　he　tried　to　sort　out　and　interpret　the　varying　heat　patterns。　In　his　younger　years；　Drizzt　had　gone　for　weeks；　even　months；　with　his　eyes　tuned　exclusively　to　the　infrared　spectrum；　looking　for　heat　instead　of　reflected　light。　But　now；　with　his　eyes　so　used　to　the　sun　above　and　the　torches　lining　the　corridors　of　Mithril　Hall；　he　found　the　infravision　jarring。

Finally；　he　drew　out　Twinkle；　and　the　enchanted　scimitar　glowed　with　a　soft　bluish　light。　Drizzt　rested　back　against　the　wall　and　let　his　eyes　revert　to　the　regular　spectrum；　then　used　the　sword　as　a　guiding　light。　Soon　after；　he　came　to　a　six…way　intersection；　two　crossing　horizontal　corridors　intersected　by　a　vertical　shaft。

Drizzt　tucked　Twinkle　away　and　looked　above；　up　the　shaft。　He　saw　no　heat　sources；　but　was　little　forted。　Many　of　the　Underdark's　predators　could　mask　their　body　temperatures；　like　a　surface　tiger　used　its　stripes　to　crawl　through　thick　strands　of　high　grass。　Dreaded　hook　horrors；　for　example；　had　developed　an　exoskeleton；　the　bony　plates

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Starless　Night

shielded　the　creature's　body　heat　so　that　they　appeared　as　unremarkable　rocks　to　heat…sensing　eyes。　And　many　of　the　Underdark's　monsters　were　reptilian；　cold…blooded；　and　hard　to　see。

Drizzt　sniffed　the　stagnant　air　several　times；　then　he　stood　still　and　closed　his　eyes；　letting　his　ears　provide　all　the　external　input。　He　heard　nothing；　save　the　beating　of　his　own　heart；　so　he　checked　his　gear　to　ensure　that　all　was　secure　and　started　to　climb　down　the　shaft；　taking　care　amid　the　dangerously　loose　rubble。

He　nearly　made　it　silently　down　the　sixty　feet　to　the　lower　corridor；　but　a　single　stone　skidded　down　before　him；　striking　the　corridor's　floor　with　a　sharp　crack　at　almost　the　same　instant　that　Drizzt's　soft　boots　quietly　came　down　from　the　wall。

Drizzt　froze　in　place；　listening　to　the　sound　as　it　echoed　from　wall　to　wall。　As　a　drow　patrol　leader；　Drizzt　had　once　been　able　to　follow　echoes　perfectly；　almost　instinctively　discerning　which　wails　were　rebounding　the　sound；　and　from　which　direction。　Now；　though；　he　had　difficulty　sorting　through　the　echo's　individual　sounds。　Again　he　felt　out　of　place；　overmatched　by　the　brooding　darkness。　And　again　he　felt　vulnerable；　for　many　denizens　of　the　dark　ways　could　indeed　follow　an　echo　trail；　and　this　particular　one　led　directly　to　Drizzt。

He　swiftly　traversed　a　virtual　maze　of　crisscrossing　corridors；　some　veering　sharply　and　descending　to　pass　beneath　others；　or　climbing　along　natural　stairs　to　new　levels　of　winding　ways。

Drizzt　sorely　missed　Guenhwyvar。　The　panther　could　sort　through　any　maze。

He　thought　of　the　cat　again　a　short　time　later；　when　he　came　around　a　bend　and　stumbled　upon　a　fresh　kill。　It　was　some　type　of　subterranean　lizard；　too　mutilated　for　Drizzt　to　figure　out　exactly　what。　Its　tail　was　gone；　as　was　its　lower　jaw；　and　its　belly　had　been　gashed　open；　its　innards　devoured…　Drizzt　found　long　tears　in　the　skin；　as　though　it　had　been　raked　by　claws；　and　long　and　thin　bruises；　like　those　made　by　a　whip。　Beyond　a　pool　of　blood　a　few　feet　from　the　corpse；　the　drow　found　a　single　track；　a　paw　print；

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R。　A。　Salvatore

in　a　shape　and　size　very　similar　to　one　Guenhwyvar　might　make。

But　Drizzt's　cat　was　hundreds　of　miles　away；　and　this　kill；　by　the　ranger's　estimation；　was　barely　an　hour　old。　Creatures　of　the　Underdark　did　not　roam　as　did　creatures　of　the　surface；　the　dangerous　predator　was　likely　not　far　away。

*　*　*　#　？

Bruenor　Battlehammer　stormed　along　the　passageway；　his　grief　stolen；　for　the　moment；　by　undeniably　mounting　rage。　Thibbledorf　Pwent　bounced　along　beside　the　king；　his　mouth　flapping　one　question　after　another　and　his　armor　squealing　annoyingly　with　every　movement。

Bruenor　skidded　to　a　stop　and　turned　on　the　battlerager；　put　his　angry　scar　and　angry　scowl　in　line　with　Pwent's　bushy…bearded　face。　〃Why　don't　ye　get　yerself　a　bath！〃　Bruenor　roared。

Pwent　fell　back　and　began　to　choke　on　the　mand。　By　his　estimation；　a　dwarf　king　ordering　a　subject　to　go　take　a　bath　was　roughly　the　equivalent　of　a　human　king　telling　his　knights　to　go　out　and　kill　babies。　There　were　some　lines　that　a　ruler　simply　did　not　cross。

〃Bah！〃　Bruenor　snorted。　〃Good　enough　for　ye；　then。　But　go　and　grease　that　damned　armor！　How's　a　king　to　think　with　yer　squeakin'　and　squealin'？〃

Pwent's　head　bobbed　his　agreement　with　the　promise；　and　he　bounded　away；　almost　afraid　to　stay；　afraid　that　the　tyrant　King　Bruenor　would　again　demand　the　bath。

Bruenor　just　wanted　the　battlerager　away　from　him梙e　didn't　really　care　how　he　acplished　that　task。　It　had　been　a　difficult　afternoon。　The　dwarf　had　just　met　with　Berkthgar　the　Bold；　an　emissary　from　Settlestone；　and　had　learned　that　Catti…brie　had　never　arrived　in　the　barbarian　settlement；　even　though　she　had　been　out　of　Mithril　Hall　for　nearly　a　week。

Bruenor's　mind　raced　over　the　events　of　his　last　meeting　with　his　daughter。　He　recalled　images　of　the　young　woman；　tried　to　scrutinize　them　and　remember　every　word　she　had　said　for　some　clue　as　to　what　might　be　happening。　But

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Starless　Night

Bruenor　had　been　too　absorbed　on　that　occasion。　If　Catti…brie　had　hinted　at　anything　other　than　her　intentions　to　go　to　Settlestone；　the　dwarf　had　simply　missed　it。

His　first　thoughts；　when　talking　with　Berkthgar；　were　that　his　daughter　had　met　some　trouble　on　the　mountainside。　He　had　almost　called　out　a　dwarven　contingent　to　scour　the　area；　but；　on　an　impulse；　had　paused　long　enough　to　ask　the　emissary　about　the　cairn　being　erected　for　Wulfgar。

〃What　cairn？〃　Berkthgar　had　replied。

Bruenor　knew　then　that　he　had　been　deceived；　and　if　Catti…brie　had　not　been　alone　in　that　deception；　then　Bruenor　could　easily　guess　the　identity　of　her　coconspirator。

He　nearly　took　the　wooden；　iron…bound　door　of　Buster　Bracer；　a　highly　regarded　armorer；　off　its　hinges　as　he　burst　in；　catching　the　blue…bearded　dwarf　and　his　halfling　subject　by　surprise。　Regis　stood　atop　a　small　platform；　being　measured　so　that　his　armor　could　be　let　out　to　fit　his　widening　girth。

Bruenor　bounded　up　beside　the　pedestal　（and　Buster　was　wise　enough　to　fall　back　from　it）；　grabbed　the　halfling　by　the　front　of　his　tunic；　and　hoisted　him　into　the　air　with　one　arm。

〃Where's　me　girl？〃　the　dwarf　roared。

〃Settle　。。。〃　Regis　started　to　lie；　but　Bruenor　began　shaking　him　violently；　whipping　him　back　and　forth　through　the　air　like　some　rag　doll。

〃Where's　me　girl？〃　the　dwarf　said　again；　more　quietly；　his　words　a　threatening　snarl。　〃And　don't　ye　play　games　with　me；　Rumblebelly。〃

Regis　was　getting　more　than　a　little　tired　of　being　assaulted　by　his　supposed　friends。　The　quick…thinking　halfling　immediately　concocted　a　ruse　about　Catti…brie　having　run　off　to　Silverymoon　in　search　of　Drizzt　It　wouldn't　be　a　plete　lie；　after　all。

Looking　at　Bruenor's　scarred　face；　twisted　in　rage；　but　so　obviously　filled　with　pain；　the　halfling　could　not　bring　himself　to　fib。

〃Put　me　down；〃　he　said　quietly；　and　apparently　Bruenor　understood　the　halfling's　empathy；　for　the　dwarf

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R。　A。　Salvatore

gently　lowered　Regis　to　the　ground。

Regis　brushed　his　tunic　straight；　then　waggled　a　fist　before　the　dwarf　king。　〃How　dare　you？〃　he　roared。

Bruenor　went　back　on　his　heels　at　the　unexpected　and　uncharacteristic　outburst；　but　the　halfling　did　not　relent。

〃First　Drizzt　es　to　me　and　forces　me　to　hold　a　secret/'　Regis　expounded；　〃then　Catti…brie　es　in　and　pushes　me　around　until　I　tell　her。　Now　you。　。　。　。　What　fine　friends　I　have　surrounded　myself　with！〃

The　stinging　words　calmed　the　volatile　dwarf；　but　only　a　little。　What　secret　might　Regis　be　hinting　at？

Thibbledorf　P