I Read What?!

So last chapter, we actually had some interesting things happen. We had a villain centered narrative that didn't make my eyes roll so much that they hurt, and we got some good Drizzt and Wulfgar development to boot. So here's hoping this chapter keeps up the momentum.

The name of the chapter is "Shallow Graves" by the way, so that's probably a good sign.



Happily, the chapter starts us with Drizzt and Wulfgar! Yay! Drizzt is telling Wulfgar that he's planned a new lesson for him. First, it involves going back to the dwarven mines so Bruenor can see Wulfgar's progress. Drizzt says that Bruenor won't be disappointed, and Wulfgar is happy at the thought. Then they intend to go visit Drizzt's friend Agorwal (from the Ten Towns battle!) I'm glad Agorwal's offer of friendship back then wasn't empty. Though I still wonder why Drizzt HAS to live in a cave.

Anyway, Drizzt wants Wulfgar to actually meet some of the Ten Towns people so he can better judge them. Seriously? I mean, I'm not criticizing Drizzt here. It's a good idea. Wulfgar's made it clear that he wants to go home to his people, and his people did invade the Ten Towns. It would definitely be helpful for him to have some positive feelings about the towns. But in five years of indentured servitude, Bruenor never ONCE introduced the poor kid to other humans???

Wulfgar bristles a little, but he's smart enough to recognize what Drizzt is doing, and the thought of facing the people of Ten Towns actually frightens him a little. He realizes that he's already begun to question the values that he was raised with, and meeting the innocent people of the town might complete the destruction of the foundations of his entire world.

Wulfgar, honey, I think if you're smart enough to be aware of this, it's probably already too late. Even if you haven't yet put faces to the concept. But I do like that Wulfgar has that quiet intelligence. And his identity crisis is a genuinely interesting conflict. Possibly the only truly interesting conflict in the book so far.

So they head out on their journey, but soon notice something wrong: blood stains on the rocks of the Cairn, course hair on a bloody patch of skin that they identify as a dwarf's beard (ewww), and giant footprints leading to a shallow grave.

Drizzt identifies the dwarves, and Wulfgar wants to go report to Bruenor. But Drizzt thinks the perpetrators are probably nearby and, since they took the effort to bury their kills, might well come back to kill more. He asks Wulfgar if he's ready to fight.

This is kind of an interesting dynamic actually. Based on their personalities, I would have expected Wulfgar to be the more gung-ho fighter, but Drizzt is the one itching to do something.

So they wait, until the giants arrive. Wulfgar wants to charge immediately, but Drizzt wants to eavesdrop and see if they can learn anything important. The giants babble to each other about eventual reinforcements an their numbers.

Wulfgar points out a rock they can use to take them by surprise, but Drizzt "his voice holding a fragile edge of calm that threatened to explode at any moment" says that they don't need surprise. Wulfgar cautiously says that Drizzt taught him to seek every advantage, but Drizzt says this is vengeance and not battle. He wants the giants to see them and be afraid.

Okay, this is actually pretty intriguing. I remember Drizzt as a mostly broody, pontificating sort. I did NOT remember this kind of righteous fury. And I kind of love it. I also love that Wulfgar is the calmer, cautious one of the two.

So Drizzt emerges to catch them by surprise. Verbeeg have of course heard of drow, so they're a little nervous. As the battle ensues, Drizzt uses faerie fire (a drow innate ability that causes purple flames to erupt around a person, it doesn't damage them but it, rather understandably freaks them out).

Meanwhile Wulfgar has the sudden impulse to throw his hammer. He does, and it EXPLODES into a giant, "hurling its broken body into the swollen stream". Wulfgar realizes that throwing your main weapon is not a great idea, since now he only has a dagger. But then, lo and behold, the hammer actually returns to his grasp. Nice.

So Drizzt fights the biggest giant, rather sadistically actually. He's gleefully dancing around the Verbeeg, tormenting it with dozens of wounds, ultimately slicing its hamstring. Wulfgar has his own opponent, and he fights more judiciously, avoiding striking his enemy until it wears itself out, then he whacks it with the hammer. Eventually Drizzt gets tired of tormenting his and jabs a scimitar into its brain.

After the battle, Drizzt and Wulfgar discuss the hammer (Drizzt noting that Bruenor must care about Wulfgar a great deal to have made him such a wondrous gift). They also note that, per their adversaries, there are twenty verbeeg here and another twenty coming. Drizzt sends Wulfgar to report to Bruenor while he searches for the lair. Wulfgar is concerned, remembering the "uncharacteristic smolder" in Drizzt's eyes. But Drizzt reassures him that he'll meet Wulfgar back up at this spot in the morning and won't fight without him.

So Wulfgar delivers his message and rushes back, without waiting for Bruenor to rouse his clan. He's still very concerned about Drizzt. When Drizzt isn't at the rendezvous point, he starts to go look for him, only to get cuffed on the back of the head by a scolding Drizzt who reminds him not to doubt an appointed rendezvous until the hour has passed. Drizzt is moved by the concern though.

They're joined by Bruenor and fifty other dwarves. We're told that enraged dwarves can "roll along at an incredible speed. I know that's not meant literally, but I enjoy the mental image of rolling dwarves.

Bruenor and his dwarves go off to catch the verbeeg reinforcements, leaving Drizzt and Wulfgar to watch the lair. There's some amusing banter, in which Bruenor accuses Drizzt of slipping (since Wulfgar killed two to his one), and Drizzt retorts that Wulfgar needed the practice. The chapter ends here.

I have to admit that this is actually a really fun chapter. It's quick and energetic with great character beats. It's really amazing how much better the book has gotten now that Drizzt and Wulfgar are traveling together.

Drizzt is actually FUN here! Which is not something I remember from when I read the series when I was younger. But he's bantering! He's joking! He's ready to commit giant homicide!

And it's fun to see the young student being the one who is calm, cautious and contemplative here. The introspection and quiet observation in this scene feel much more natural than his earlier blustering, sexist tirades. I like Wulfgar a lot. (I feel like the later books are going to sincerely upset me.)