I Read What?!

So last time, Drizzt entered the Academy, and got his first lesson in why not to trust his fellows. I feel like he probably should have learned that lesson awhile ago, but then he did spend a few years with the only half decent person in Menzoberranzan.



So we rejoin Drizzt as he calls Kelnozz out for deceiving him. Kelnozz's reaction is interesting:

Kelnozz fully expected this encounter. He had guessed Drizzt’s naiveté early on, when Drizzt had actually queried him about the rules of engagement. An experienced drow warrior, particularly a noble, should have known better, should have understood that the only rule of his existence was the pursuit of victory. Now, Kelnozz knew, this foolish young Do’Urden would not strike at him for his earlier actions—vengeance fueled by anger was not one of Drizzt’s traits.

“Why?” Drizzt pressed, finding no answer forthcoming from the smug commoner of House Kenafin.

The volume of Drizzt’s voice caused Kelnozz to glance around nervously. They were supposed to be sleeping; if a master heard them arguing …

“What is the mystery?” Kelnozz signaled back in the hand code, the warmth of his fingers glowing clearly to Drizzt’s heat-sensing eyes. “I acted as I had to act, though I now believe I should have held off a bit longer. Perhaps, if you had defeated a few more, I might have finished higher than third in the class.”

I think I like Kelnozz.

But this does touch on the tricky balance that comes from writing such an alien society like Menzoberranzzan. How common is naivete as a trait in drow society, that Kelnozz would recognize it as such, rather than Drizzt playing a longer game? That said, this is a good character beat so I won't complain too much.

Drizzt points out that if they'd worked together as planned, Kelnozz might have won or finished second. Kelnozz is sure he would have been second and freely admits that Drizzt is the finest swordsman he'd ever seen.

“Not by the masters standing,” Drizzt grumbled aloud.

“Eighth is not so low,” Kelnozz, whispered back. “Berg’inyon is only ranked tenth, and he is from the ruling house of Menzoberranzan. You should be glad that your standing is not to be envied by your classmates.” A shuffle outside the room’s door sent Kelnozz back into the silent code. “Holding a higher rank means only that I have more fighters eyeing my back as a convenient place to rest their daggers.”

Drizzt let the implications of Kelnozz’s statement slip by; he refused to consider such treachery in the Academy. “Berg’inyon was the finest fighter I saw in the grand melee,” he signaled. “He had you beaten until I interceded on your behalf.”

I mentioned this before, but I feel like Drizzt's backstory doesn't completely hold together right. It wouldn't have even registered in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, but Homeland is actually a pretty decent book so it stands out.

Drizzt spent the first 5-10 years of life with Vierna, his sister who, while evil, seems to have a soft spot for him. He then spent a very abusive period of five years or so as a "houseboy" before going to Zaknafein. As a houseboy, he waited hand and foot on Malice and others. He would have seen the depravity of his family. This naivety doesn't make sense.

Honestly, it'd have made much more sense if he went straight from Vierna to Zaknafein. Going from one shelter to another would have made Drizzt's lack of comprehension of his fellows' morals make far more sense. His lack of decorum to Malice, in the earlier chapter, would have made more sense too.

Anyway, Kelnozz switches gears a bit.

Kelnozz smiled the thought away. “Let Berg’inyon serve as a cook in some lowly house for all I care,” he whispered even more quietly than before—for the son of House Baenre’s bunk was only a few yards away. “He is tenth, yet I, Kelnozz of Kenafin, am third!”

“I am eighth,” said Drizzt, an uncharacteristic edge on his voice, more anger than jealousy,” but I could defeat you with any weapon.”

Kelnozz shrugged, a strangely blurring movement to onlookers seeing in the infrared spectrum. “You did not,” he signaled. “I won our encounter.”

Both Drizzt and Kelnozz are right. Drizzt is the better fighter, but Kelnozz plays by the rules of his culture and gets ahead.

“Who was left standing?” Kelnozz pointedly reminded him. “Who wore the blue light of a master’s wand?”

“Honor demands that there be rules of engagement,” growled Drizzt.

“There is a rule,” Kelnozz snapped back at him. “You may do whatever you can get away with. I won our encounter, Drizzt Do’Urden, and I hold the higher rank! That is all that matters!”

And here we trip up a little again. Where did Drizzt get this definition of honor? Where did Drizzt get the idea that drow CARE about honor? I can see him learning it, in an unspoken sense, from Zaknafein's actions. Zak is about as honorable as you can get in this society. But why would he believe anyone cares about it?

Drizzt does learn his lesson:

The finality of Kelnozz’s last statement rocked Drizzt to some prudent observations. He realized then that his friendship with Kelnozz had come to an end—and, perhaps, that he and Kelnozz had never been friends at all.

Aw.

We switch scenes to Alton and Masoj. They are talking about Drizzt. Alton knows now that Drizzt's family destroyed his own after all. Masoj has seen Drizzt, and notes his skill with weapons. Alton notes that Drizzt came in eighth at the melee and notes, with no sarcasm, that it's a fine achievement. Masoj notes that by all accounts Drizzt has the prowess to be first. Masoj intends to be careful.

Alton...maybe less so:

“He will never live to claim it!” Alton promised. “House Do’Urden puts great pride in this purple-eyed youth, and thus I have decided upon Drizzt as my first target for revenge. His death will bring pain to that treacherous Matron Malice!”

Masoj quickly pulls him back, reminding him that he's not to harm or even go near Drizzt. Alton had accepted SiNafay Hun'ett's invitation into the House, which means following her orders. MASOJ is meant to handle Drizzt.

Matron SiNafay has plans that will bring you all the revenge you could possibly desire,” Masoj continued. “I warn you now, Alton DeVir,” he snarled, emphasizing the surname that was not Hun’ett, “that if you begin a war with House Do’Urden, or even put them on the defensive with any act of violence unsanctioned by Matron SiNafay, you will incur the wrath of House Hun’ett. Matron SiNafay will expose you as a murderous imposter and will exact every punishment allowable by the ruling council upon your pitiful bones!”

It is interesting how the power dynamic between these two has subtly changed. Anyway Alton has to admit that Masoj is right. He asks what plans Matron SiNafay (he corrects himself to add her title, a nice touch) has, so that he can survive the torturous waiting.

Masoj has a balancing act: he wasn't forbidden to let Alton in on things, but he also thinks if his mother wanted Alton to know, she'd have told him. So:

“Let us just say that House Do’Urden’s power has grown, and continues to grow, to the point where it has become a very real threat to all the great houses,” Masoj purred, loving the intrigue of positioning before a war. “Witness the fall of House DeVir, perfectly executed with no obvious trail. Many of Menzoberranzan’s nobles would rest easier if …” He let it go at that, deciding that he probably had said too much already.

By the hot glimmer in Alton’s eyes, Masoj could tell that the lure had been strong enough to buy Alton’s patience.

Well played.

Anyway, back to Drizzt, who is unfortunately not enjoying the reality of the Academy.

The Academy held many disappointments for young Drizzt, particularly in that first year, when so many of the dark realities of drow society, realities that Zaknafein had barely hinted at, remained on the edges of Drizzt’s cognizance with stubborn resilience. He weighed the masters’ lectures of hatred and mistrust in both hands, one side holding the masters’ views in the context of the lectures, the other bending those same words into the very different logic assumed by his old mentor. The truth seemed so ambiguous, so hard to define. Through all of the examination, Drizzt found that he could not escape one pervading fact: In his entire young life, the only treachery he had ever witnessed—and so often!—was at the hands of drow elves.

He's not wrong.

He does enjoy the phyiscal training though. Even though he comes in with the advantage of Zaknafein's teaching, he still learns a lot, creating his own methods, "innovations that almost always at least equaled- and usually outdid - the standard techniques." Of course!

I don't mind this actually. It's funny, but this bit reminds me of my old Dragonsinger reviews. Drizzt, like Menolly, has come into the Academy having been trained by the best. He's well in advance of his peers. But, unlike Menolly, he's learning other lessons that are less to his taste and talent. And there's still a sense of progression in his ability.

Dinin, it should be noticed, is starting to get a bit nervous. He'd killed Nalfein to get his position after all. What if Drizzt, who is showing the potential to become "one of the finest swordsmen in Menzoberranzan", decided he doesn't want to be secondboy anymore?

Drizzt's classmates are both jealous and pragmatic, and he gets many offers of partnership for the next melee. Including Kelnozz!

“Do we join again, this time to the very top of the class?” the haughty young fighter asked as he moved beside Drizzt down the tunnel to the prepared cavern. He moved around and stood before Drizzt easily, as if they were the best of friends, his forearms resting across the hilts of his belted weapons and an overly friendly smile spread across his face.

Drizzt could not even answer. He turned and walked away, pointedly keeping his eye over one shoulder as he left.

“Why are you so amazed?” Kelnozz pressed, stepping quickly to keep up.

Drizzt spun on him. “How could I join again with one who so deceived me?” he snarled. “I have not forgotten your trick!”

“That is the point,” Kelnozz argued. “You are more wary this year; certainly I would be a fool to attempt such a move again!”

I think I love Kelnozz.

Drizzt is not actually an idiot though. He points out that Kelnozz wouldn't be able to win without the backstabbing. Kelnozz says second place is highly honored. Drizzt is not fooled, and says that they'll meet as opponents.

Good lad.

And indeed, Kelnozz ends up being his first opponent. Drizzt wins, and manages to hold back from the urge to jab his scimitar pole in the guy's ribs. He fights on, until eventually he faces Berg'inyon Baenre. And he does this by direct challenge:

Drizzt moved out into an open stretch of the cavern. “Come out, then, student Baenre!” he called. “Let us settle this challenge openly and with honor!”

Watching from the catwalk, Dinin shook his head in disbelief.

“He has relinquished all advantage,” said Master Hatch’net, standing beside the elderboy of House Do’Urden. “As the better swordsman, he had Berg’inyon worried and unsure of his moves. Now your brother stands out in the open, showing his position.”

“Still a fool,” Dinin muttered.

But...maybe not. Drizzt taunts Berg'inyon more, until:

“Fighting is more than swordplay!” the son of House Baenre cried as he came on, his eyes gleaming at the advantage he now seemed to hold.

Berg’inyon stumbled then, tripped up by a wire Drizzt had set out, and fell flat to his face. Drizzt was on him in a flash, scimitar pole tip in at Berg’inyon’s throat.

“So I have learned,” Drizzt replied grimly.

Drizzt is not Wulfgar. Honor is important, sure. But there's room for a bit of trickery as well. Drizzt wins the melee, and Dinin is again reminded of the difficult position of being the Elderboy to a talented secondboy.

And Drizzt wins again, the next year and the next. Eventually, he gets put in the grand melee of students three years older. He wins that too. We get some interesting world building:

The Academy, above anything else in Menzoberranzan, was a structured place, and though Drizzt’s advanced skill defied that structure in terms of battle prowess, his tenure as a student would not be lessened. As a fighter, he would spend ten years in the Academy, not such a long time considering the thirty years of study a wizard endured in Sorcere, or the fifty years a budding priestess would spend in Arach-Tinilith. While fighters began their training at the young age of twenty, wizards could not start until their twenty-fifth birthday, and clerics had to wait until the age of forty.

Drizzt is learning a lot at least. The first four years were single combat, which Zaknafein had already taught Drizzt better than the Academy could. But after that, the lessons are more involved: group fighting tactics, warfare tactics, acting beside and against wizards and clerics.

In the last year of the Academy, they spend six months in Sorcere, learning some basic magic use, and then the last six months they go to the priestesses of Arach-Tinilith.

Drizzt is taking it as a personal challenge, and the chapter ends with a cryptic mention of Drizzt getting caught up in situations that he can't easily brush away.

One touch I really like about all this is that Drizzt really is a dick. He believes in teamwork and honor, of course, but he hasn't really shown any sign of empathy. And that's not a criticism of Salvatore. I think it makes perfect sense. He doesn't think about how a commoner like Kelnozz probably has had very little training that would balance his colleague's skills. Because he's never had to think about it.

It's a character flaw that Drizzt will grow past. I like it.