So we've started the last part of the book. Ideally, soon, we're going to see the tension between Drizzt and Zaknafein come to a head. It's genuinely tense, because we, as the audience, know a lot of things that the characters do not.

We know that Drizzt has, despite all odds, retained his inner sense of morality. We know that Zaknafein has, despite appearances, always tried his best to protect Drizzt. We know that they're father and son.

And we know that only one character appears in Icewind Dale.



We resume the story with Briza reporting to Matron Malice. She seems pleased. Eight drow died in the battle with the gnomes, one of which a cleric, but they'd killed almost two score. Briza considers it a victory. I honestly think it's a little embarrassing to have even one drow killed by gnomes, but there you go.

Malice asks after Dinin and Drizzt. Dinin gets high praise: he'd killed five gnomes himself. The most for any one person, and he'd led the assault fearlessly. Malice is less pleased to hear that Drizzt didn't kill any, but Briza considers him the victor of the day for defeating an earth elemental almost single-handedly.

Malice IS impressed by that. Earth elementals are big deals. She'd seen them kill an entire raiding party. And Drizzt defeated one single-handedly! (Of course he did! He's Drizzt! But credit where it's due, I'm only rolling my eyes after the fight. The fight itself had been reasonably suspenseful.)

Briza thinks Lolth will favor them, and Malice has the idea that now is the perfect time to try to get some information from their Goddess. She wants to know how to defeat her real enemies. (Other drow of course.)

So they gather in the chapel, and Malice summons a "yochlol", a handmaiden of Lolth. I think we saw one in an earlier chapter, but here's a description:

The flame moved through a variety of colors, from orange to green to brilliant red. It then took shape, heard the beckons of the four priestesses and the urgency in the voice of Matron Malice. The top of the fire, no longer dancing, smoothed and rounded, assumed the form of a hairless head, then stretched upward, growing. The flame disappeared, consumed by the yochlol’s image, a half melted pile of wax with grotesquely elongated eyes and a drooping mouth.

After Malice identifies herself, the handmaiden appears full sized behind the ladies. There's the usual posturing, but truth be told, Lolth IS happy with the Do'Urden boys, so Malice gets to ask her question. She's heard the rumors of a threat, and wants to know who's targeting her.

Malice doesn't get entirely a straight answer. Instead, she's told that the information is "already known" to someone in her house. Malice is enraged. Briza attempts calm, suggesting that perhaps the one who knows, doesn't know that "she" knows. (I like the gender assumption here.)

Malice does not like the implication that she, or any of the daughters could miss a threat, so Briza suggests one of the boys, or Zaknafein or Rizzen. Vierna agrees, as males, they may be too stupid to understand minor details. And Drizzt and Dinen are in a patrol with children of every powerful house. Malice indeed calms down.

The dynamics of this scene are interesting. For most of the book, Briza's been a fairly one note man-hating, hyper-aggressive personality. But she does seem to be more analytical than her mother, and able to diffuse her temper.

So now, it's time for a family gathering.

-
We switch scenes to the boys returning. They cross Zaknafein's path, and things are tense:

“We’ve completed our job—successfully,” Dinin shot back, more than a little perturbed at being excluded from Zak’s greeting. “I led—”

“I know of the battle,” Zak assured him. “It has been endlessly recounted throughout the city. Now leave us, Elderboy. I have unfinished business with your brother.”

Dinin doesn't like that, but Zak's the clear winner in any pissing contest. He dismisses Dinin, who threatens to tell his mother. Zak just laughs at him. In an interesting beat, Dinin urges Drizzt to come with him. But Drizzt agrees that he has unfinished business with Zak.

Interestingly, as Dinin leaves, Drizzt notes that Zak's made an enemy. They've been in the same house for a lot longer than you've been alive Drizzt. I think they're already enemies. But Dinin and Drizzt aren't. At least not yet. And I feel like that's notable.

Zak has a warning:

["]Your actions have inspired jealousy in your brother—your older brother. You are the one who should be wary.”

“He hates you openly,” reasoned Drizzt.

“But would gain nothing from my death,” Zak replied. “I am no threat to Dinin, but you …” He let the word hang in the air.

Nalfein comes up. Zak seems a little surprised that Drizzt already knows about this. He suggests that Dinin may suspect that another secondboy might follow the same course of action.

Maybe, but not yet. That's actually why I've been paying such close attention to Dinin and Drizzt in this readthrough. Because I don't actually remember what happens there. And I'm a little surprised that Dinin hasn't, thus far, showed any signs of antagonism toward Drizzt.

Heck, he's seen enough that if he wanted to sabotage his brother, it'd be easy to. He wouldn't even have to kill Drizzt himself.

Meanwhile Drizzt wonders how many people Zaknafein murdered to get his position. They have their own pissing contest, as Zak gives Drizzt some mocking praise about the earth elemental, while Drizzt accuses him of jealousy:

“Jealousy?” Zak cried. “Wipe your nose, sniveling little boy! A dozen earth elementals have fallen to my blade! Daemons, too! Do not overestimate your deeds or your abilities. You are one warrior among a race of warriors. To forget that surely will prove fatal.” He ended the line with pointed emphasis, almost in a sneer, and Drizzt began to consider again just how real their appointed “practice” in the gym would become.

“I know my abilities,” Drizzt replied, “and my limitations. I have learned to survive.”

“As have I,” Zak shot back, “for so many centuries!”

“The gym awaits,” Drizzt said calmly.

The boastfulness isn't like Zaknafein. But we're in Drizzt's point of view, so it's not clear what he's trying to accomplish. (I'll give Salvatore the benefit of the doubt. He's generally consistent with characterization.)

Zak corrects him: Drizzt's mother awaits.

Drizzt is thoughtful:

Drizzt walked past Zak without another word, suspecting that his and Zak’s blades would finish the conversation for them. What had become of Zaknafein? Drizzt wondered. Was this the same teacher who had trained him those years before the Academy? Drizzt could not sort through his feelings. Was he seeing Zak differently because of the things he had learned of Zak’s exploits, or was there truly something different, something harder, about the weapons master’s demeanor since Drizzt had returned from the Academy?

He is jolted from these important thoughts by a confrontation between Rizzen and Briza. Oh, Rizzen, that won't end well. But it does give us, and Drizzt, some insight in what it means to be a "patron" of Do'Urden.

“Patron,” Briza laughed, “a meaningless title. You are a male lending your seed to the matron and of no more importance.”

“Four I have sired,” Rizzen said indignantly.

“Three!” Briza corrected, snapping the whip to accentuate the point. “Vierna is Zaknafein’s, not yours! Nalfein is dead, leaving only two. One of those is female and above you. Only Dinin is truly under your rank!”

I hadn't actually realized that Nalfein was Rizzen's. That doesn't entirely match the timeline that we were told before. I vaguely remember at least an implication that Nalfein was alive when Malice took over the House. Rizzen is not that old. But I'm probably remembering incorrectly. I'm too lazy to go back and look for the moment, so we'll assume I'm wrong.

Drizzt though is less interested in a spotty timeline. He's of course noticed that there's a name missing in Briza's list. He'd always kind of suspected that Rizzen wasn't his father (Rizzen has never had much interest in him), but this is pretty clear confirmation.

Rizzen seems to be trying his own power play though:

Rizzen fumbled about for some retort to Briza’s stinging words. “Does Matron Malice know of your desires?” he snarled. “Does she know that her eldest daughter seeks her title?”

“Every eldest daughter seeks the title of matron mother,” Briza laughed at him. “Matron Malice would be a fool to suspect otherwise. I assure you that she is not, nor am I. I will get the title from her when she is weak with age. She knows and accepts this as fact.”

“You admit that you will kill her?”

“If not I, then Vierna. If not Vierna, then Maya. It is our way, stupid male. It is the word of Lolth.”

Rage burned in Drizzt as he heard the evil proclamations, but he remained silent at the corner.

...I mean, really dude, it's not like you particularly love your mother.

Anyway, Rizzen suggests that Briza wants an expedited promotion, and she beats him with a whip. But then there's:

Drizzt wanted to intervene, to rush out and cut them both down, but, of course, he could not. Briza acted now as she had been taught, followed the words of the Spider Queen in asserting her dominance over Rizzen. She wouldn’t kill him, Drizzt knew.

But what if Briza got carried away in the frenzy? What if she did kill Rizzen? In the empty void that was beginning to grow in his heart, Drizzt wondered if he even cared.

I understand why, as a member of this society, Drizzt isn't looking at it from a clear-eyed perspective. But really, what did Rizzen do or say that deserves death here? He's accused Briza, but making an accusation isn't an immoral act. Especially since he's probably right. He's not planning to overthrow anyone.

We just heard how meaningless the title of patron really is. It's a temporary position based on Malice's level of interest. It lacks even the faint level of protection being the son of the House brings.

But then, it does make sense that Drizzt is pre-programmed to sympathize with the aggressor, who is acting properly in the eyes of Lolth than her victim.

--

We shift scene to a furious SiNafay, who is angry that Masoj let Drizzt escape. He defends himself, by explaining that the earth elemental caught him. He's determined that he will succeed against Drizzt. SiNafay gives him another chance. He leaves.

The dynamics of House Hun'ett have changed some, it seems, because after Masoj leaves, SiNafay speaks to Alton (in silent code, so as not to be overheard) and asks if he concurs with her decision.

Alton is wisely reluctant to question her, but does eventually point out that he wasn't granted a second chance to kill Drizzt, despite his desire for revenge. In true drow fashion, she accuses him of doubting her.

But actually, it's less a second chance for Masoj than it is for both of them. Alton will follow Masoj, with instructions to keep him safe and finish the deed. Alton is delighted.

--

So now Malice is grilling the boys. Neither of them can think of anything of course, and Dinin makes the mistake of suggesting that they may have seen something and not known what they saw. Malice decides to let Briza "help Dinin find his memory" with a whip of course.

That's when Drizzt realizes: Masoj. Masoj Hun'ett had tried to kill him. He tells his interested family about it.

Family dynamic notes: Malice and Dinin "particularly" hang on every word. While Drizzt, when speaking of the elemental, glares at Zaknafein. Malice and Briza are willing to accept the idea of the Fifth House as their enemies. Dinin has a different view:

“Perhaps not,” said Dinin, wondering even as he spoke the words why he hadn’t left well enough alone. To disprove the theory only invited more whipping.

Matron Malice did not like his hesitation as he reconsidered the argument. “Explain!” she commanded.

“Masoj Hun’ett was angry at being excluded from the surface raid,” said Dinin. “We left him in the city, only to witness our triumphant return.” Dinin fixed his eyes straight on his brother. “Masoj has ever been jealous of Drizzt and all the glories that my brother has found, rightly or wrongly. Many are jealous of Drizzt and would see him dead.”

Dinin's incorrect here, but not unreasonably so. Drizzt, understandably, takes that last bit as an open threat.

Dinin also mentions Guen, and Masoj's resentment that Drizzt and Guen are in love, and that he dislikes that Guen walks point with Drizzt. Drizzt wonders if that's WHY Dinin paired Guen with Drizzt.

I mean, kinda, but that seemed more like Dinin just being a dick to Masoj. I feel like if Dinin really wanted Drizzt dead, he could just tell Malice about his reactions in the gnome attack. But it's hard to blame Drizzt for being paranoid.

Malice asks if Drizzt is sure of his words. Drizzt sensibly just says that he knows Masoj tried to kill him. He doesn't know his reasons, he does know his intent.

This is enough for the others. The Yochlol said that one of them know, and Drizzt is the only one with anything that fits. Dinin still doubts, but Malice quickly cows him into submission.

I'm wondering about Dinin's doubt here. It seems to be a deliberate character beat, but what it means, I'm not sure. We know that he's wrong, because we've seen House Hun'ett scheming. IS it meant to be an attack on Drizzt?

So the chapter ends with everyone preparing for war. Drizzt gets to end the chapter on this dramatic line: "It wasn’t the precision of Drizzt’s family’s battle planning that amazed him—he would expect nothing less from this group. It was the eager gleam in every eye."