I Read What?!

So last time, we mostly followed Dove and her gang (which seems to keep adding members randomly) as they tracked Drizzt. It's pretty entertaining watching them draw conclusions based on their observations.



We rejoin Dove and company. They can see that Guen has rejoined Drizzt and disappeared. They're all a bit confused by this part. Roddy suggests that it's a Hell cat gone back to his "filthy home" (Fred resists a quip: your house?).

Roddy's actually close to right here. Just Astral Plane rather than Hell.

Roddy's dog, Dove and Kellindil all find Drizzt's trail from here. It's getting dark though, and the descent will be tricky, so Dove wants to make camp. Roddy wants to continue on, at least with the dog. Dove "did not agree with Roddy's reasoning, but she wanted no further arguments with Maldobar's appointed representative".

...why? Roddy's pretty much been a disruptive presence the whole time. He has skills, sure, but his biases keep him from reading events any other way than what he's decided on. You KNOW this. You're watching him do it. Why not just be honest with the dude and let him go off on his own?

But well, they go down anyway:

At the bottom of the ravine they found only more riddles. Roddy spurred his dog off in every direction but could Find no trace of the ehisive drow. After many minutes of contemplation, the truth sparked in Dove’s mind and her smile revealed everything to her other seasoned companions.

“He doubled us!” Gabriel laughed, guessing the source of Dove’s mirth. “He led us right to the cliff, knowing we would assume he used some magic to get down!”

“What’re ye talkin’ about?” Roddy demanded angrily, though the experienced bounty hunter understood exactly what had happened.

So they'll have to go back up...in the morning, Dove says. Roddy doesn't argue this time.

They get back up in the morning and then figure out how the Drow managed to break away from his own track and fool the dog: the trees.

I suppose Drizzt has experience with this kind of thing in the Underdark, but it seems a bit much to think he can fool so many experienced trackers with his limited experience on the surface.

Kellindil is able to find Drizzt's likely track and they realize he's heading back to Maldobar. This worries Fred, but Roddy, this time, recognizes "a worthy opponent" and realizes he's heading for the stream.

Drizzt is now at least a day ahead, so Dove and company will be on limited rest and ration supplies. Drizzt will have to rest and forage or hunt, so they'll be able to get closer. Poor Fred is upset by the rationing, and it's treated like comic relief. But I remember that he didn't even want to come out at all, DOVE.

We switch over to Drizzt. He's intrigued by the dogged pursuit. He doesn't really know WHY they're chasing him. He isn't aware of the frame up, and as he sees it, he just avenged the Thistledowns. He's curious enough to start observing their camp.

He likes the banter between Dove, Fred and Gabriel. He can't understand them, but he recognizes the tone. The presence of Roddy and his dog discourage contact though. But now, there are two guards: a human and a surface elf. Drizzt has only had one contact with elves before: that massacre in Homeland.

Drizzt decides that he NEEDS to see a living elf.

This goes about as well as can be expected:

“At last we have met, my dark cousin,” Kellindil whispered harshly in the drow tongue, his voice edged in obvious anger and his glowing eyes narrowing dangerously. Quick as a cat, Kellindil snapped a finely crafted sword, its blade glowing in a fiery red flame, from his belt.

Drizzt was amazed and hopeful when he learned that the elf could speak his language, and in the simple fact that the elf had not spoken loudly enough to alert the camp. The surface elf was Drizzt’s size and similary sharp-featured, but his eyes were narrower and his golden hair wasnt as long or thick as Drizzt’s white mane.

“I am Drizzt DoUrden,” Drizzt began tentatively.

“I care nothing for what you are called!” Kellindil shot back. “You are drow. That is all I need to know! Come then, drow. Come and let us learn who is the stronger!”

Drizzt had not yet drawn his blade and had no intention of doing so. “I have no desire to battle with you ...” Drizzt’s voice trailed away, as he realized his words were futile against the intense hatred the surface elf held for him.

I do like this bit here, because it is a bit too easy to fall into the Anne McCaffrey trap of having all the characters that we're supposed to like be correct about everything, while all the characters we dislike are wrong. Here, Kellindil not stupid, but he's got his cultural baggage. Historically speaking, meetings with drow didn't end well. Hell, Drizzt can verify that with his own memories.

Poor Drizzt though is finally face to face with someone he can communicate with, but who is not particularly receptive at this time. And indeed, Kellindil finally attacks. Drizzt calls down a globe of darkness and retreats.

It's not completely useless though. While Kellindil does call the alert, we're told that Drizzt's words and actions has put a bit of doubt in Kellindil's mind.

Anyway, Dove's group is chasing Drizzt. They're getting discouraged though. Fred and Roddy clash, yet again, but a stone giant attack interrupts them. Darda, the human fighter that appeared out of nowhere last chapter, goes down. Dove gets him to safety though.

It's reasonably exciting. Roddy insists that Drizzt set them up. Kellindil isn't convinced "but held his tongue".

...really guys, can you STOP fucking "holding your tongue"?

MAYBE if Dove had actually pointed out, out loud, that Roddy's account didn't make sense...

MAYBE if Dove and Gabriel had shared their conclusions about the farmhouse OUTLOUD...

MAYBE then Kellindil might not have shot Guen. MAYBE he would have been willing to TALK to Drizzt. And then, maybe they could have figured shit out sooner. Now Kellindil's doing the same fucking thing.

Dove, your group sucks at teamwork.

Drizzt, above, is watching the battle. He'd slipped past them earlier. He wonders if he should have warned the pursuers or led them away from the giants. Nah, dude. I don't mind bitching about Drizzt when he deserves it, but he doesn't owe these people anything. He still doesn't know WHY they're chasing him. And his one attempt to communicate ended badly. He's got no reason, besides protagonist instinct, to believe these people are any more complex than Roddy.

But, well:

Something stirred within the drow at that moment, the same emotions that had set him into action against the gnoll band. He couldn’t know for certain, but, as with the gnolls and their plans to attack the farmhouse, Drizzt suspected that the giants were the evil ones in this fight.

Other thoughts softened Drizzt’s determined grimace, memories of the human children at play on the farm, of the sandy-haired boy going into the water trough.

Drizzt dropped the onyx figurine to the ground. “Come, Guenhwyvar;’ he commanded. “We are needed.”

Protagonist instinct FTW.

So Dove's gang is pinned down. We're told, rather needlessly, that they've battled many giants together in the past. But this time, it's pretty bad. Darda, in particular, can't run away, and they don't want to leave them.

Roddy gets a pretty good moment here even, as does Fred.:

“Flee, mountain man,” Kellindil said to Roddy. “You owe us nothing.”

Roddy looked at the archer incredulously. “I don’t run away, elf,” he growled. “Not from nothin!”

Kellindil nodded and fitted an arrow to his bow.

“If they get to the side, we’re doomed,” Dove explained to [Fred]. “I beg your forgiveness, dear [Fred]. I should not have taken you from your home.”

[Fred] shrugged the thought away. He reached under his robes and produced a small but sturdy silver hammer. Dove smiled at the sight, thinking how odd the hammer seemed in the dwarfs soft hands, more accustomed to holding a quill.

Why did you even bring him here?

Anyway, Drizzt is above, trying to figure out how to be useful against this many giants. He figures out a way: he and Guen cause an avalanche. WOO.

But also dangerous. Guen is agile enough to get away. Drizzt is not. He tries a levitation spell, but it's not going well. He's probably going down...very soon.

Below, Dove's group are able to use the advantage - only one group now is throwing boulders at them. The one to the right is too far away. The one to the left has been avalanched (and Dove and Gabriel manage to glimpse Drizzt amidst the rocks). They push the attack.

There's lots of fighting and Drizzt essentially riding the avalanche, and it's very exciting and not really recappable. It's fun though, I'd recommend reading it yourself.

Finally, Drizzt comes to a stop behind a ridge. There's something on top of him that isn't rock - it is, however, a panther girlfriend shielding him. Aw.

Back to the group, more fighting. Everyone does really well, including Roddy. And special mention goes here:

The snarling giant took a step in, meaning to finish the puny man, but then came a sharp crack! and the monster halted abruptly. Its eyes darted about weirdly for a moment or two, then it toppled at Gabriel’s feet, quite dead.

Gabriel looked up to the side, to the top of the boulder wall, and nearly laughed out loud.

[Fred]’s hammer was not a large weapon-its head being only two inches across-but it was a solid thing, and in a single swing, the dwarf had driven it clean through the stone giant’s thick skull.

Dove approached, sheathing her sword, equally at a loss.

Looking upon their amazed expressions, [Fred] was not amused.

“I am a dwarf, after all!” he blurted at them, crossing his arms indignantly. The action brought the brain-stained hammer in contact with [Fred]’s tunic, and the dwarf lost his bhister in a fit of panic. He licked his stubby fingers and wiped at the gruesome stain, then regarded the gore on his hand with even greater horror.

Dove and Gabriel did laugh aloud.

You guys are such assholes.

There's another notable bit though. There's one giant left. Guen's going after him, while Drizzt barely makes it to his feet. Already wounded from the battle with Ulgulu, he's in bad shape.

A movement at the bottom of the slope caught his attention and held him, though. He turned to face the elf and, more pointedly, the arrow nocked in the elf s drawn bow.

Drizzt looked around but had nowhere to duck. He could place a globe of darkness somewhere between himself and the elf, possibly, but he realized that the skilled archer, having drawn a bead on him, would not miss him even with that obstacle. Drizzt steadied his shoulders and turned about slowly, facing the elf squarely and proudly.

Kellindil eased his bowstring back and pulled the arrow from its nock. Kellindil, too, had seen the dark-cloaked form floating above the rock slide.

So stalemate. Until Dove comes up. She tells him to let Drizzt go, and that he was never their enemy. Kellindil is uneasy at letting a drow walk free, and Dove agrees, but both recognize that Roddy's justice would be worse than a hypothetical.

They come to an agreement: they'll get rid of Roddy back at Maldobar, Dove will go back to Sundabar for her "appointment" which might have been mentioned before, but I don't remember it. Kellindil has kin in the area, and they'll keep an eye on Drizzt and make sure he doesn't cause harm.

That...sounds pretty reasonable, all things considered.

Before leaving, Kellindil puts a flask and something else on the ground.

So Roddy still wants to pursue. Dove vetoes, and FINALLY says what they'd all figured out: Drizzt didn't murder the farmers.

And I like this bit too:

Roddy snarled and turned away. He was an experienced bounty hunter and, thus, an experienced investigator. He had, of course, figured out the truth long ago, but Roddy couldn’t ignore the scar on his face or the loss of his ear-or the heavy bounty on the drow’s head.

Dove anticipated and understood his silent reasoning. “The people of Maldobar will not be so anxious to see the drow brought in when they learn the truth of the massacre,” she said, “and not so willing to pay, I would guess.”

Roddy's horrible, but not incompetent. I appreciate that. Roddy does go back to Maldobar with them.

Later, Drizzt returns. He finds the flask, and the dagger that had been taken from Tephanis. (I think I forgot to recap that part, but Drizzt had used it to sever Kellindil's bowstring at their first meeting.)

The flask is a healing potion, and it works quickly. The chapter ends with Drizzt, confused and thoughtful.