Catti-brie rushed away from it, not wanting to get caught up in that frenzied thrashing, and knowing that the fight was not yet won. She turned just in time to meet the charge of the last yeti, extending her sword and bracing herself.
The beast came straight in, arms out wide and extended.
Khazid'hea went right through its chest, but still its strong arms grasped Catti-brie's shoulders and its momentum barreled her over backward.
As she flew and fell, Catti-brie realized the danger of a five hundred pound yeti coming down atop her. Then, suddenly, she was still falling, but the yeti was gone, simply gone, its momentum reversed by the flying Guenhwyvar.
Catti-brie hit the ground hard, managed to roll to absorb some of the force, and then came back to her feet.
The fight was over, though, with Guenhwyvar's strong jaws clamped tight on the throat of the already dead yeti.
Catti-brie looked up from the cat, into the stare of blank amazement splayed across the faces of the other caravan guards.
Six dead tundra yetis in a matter of minutes.
Catti-brie couldn't restrain a smile, nor could Drizzt as he came up to join her, as the men turned their horses away, shaking their heads in disbelief.
According to Cadderly, Drizzt's reputation as a fighter had gotten them onto the caravan in the first place, and now, the pair realized, that reputation would spread wide among the merchants of Luskan. Would spread wide, as would the clear acceptance of this most unusual drow elf.
*****
Soon after, the friends were back on their mounts and back in the lead.
'Three for me,' Catti-brie remarked offhandedly.
Drizzt's lavender orbs narrowed as he considered her. He understood the game, had played it often with Wulfgar and even more so with Bruenor, during the days of their exploits.
'Two and a half,' Drizzt corrected, remembering the panther's role in killing the last of the beasts.
Catti-brie did the math quickly in her head and then decided that there was no harm in giving the drow the argument, though she believed that the last yeti was dead before Guenhwyvar ever got to it. 'Two and a half,' she replied, 'but only two for yerself!'
Drizzt couldn't suppress a chuckle.
'And only one and a half for the cat!' Catti-brie added with a superior snap of her fingers.
Guenhwyvar, loping along beside the horses, issued a growl, and both Catti-brie and Drizzt burst out in laughter, figuring that the too-intelligent panther had understood every word.
The caravan continued into Icewind Dale without further incident, arriving ahead of schedule in Bryn Shander, the primary marketplace in the dale and the largest of the ten towns that gave this region of the dale its name. Bryn Shander was a walled city, built upon low hills and circular in design. It was located near to the exact center of the triangle created by the three lakes of Maer Dualdon, Lac Dinneshere, and Redwaters. Bryn Shander was the only town of the ten without a fishing fleet, the staple of Ten-Towns' economy, and yet it was the most thriving of the cities, the home of the craftsmen and the merchants, the hub of politics in all the region.
Drizzt's welcome there was not friendly, even after he was formally introduced to the gate guards, and one of them admitted that he remembered the drow ranger from when he was a boy. Catti-brie was well received, though, quite well, particularly because her father had returned to the dale and all in the city were anxious for the precious metals to begin their flow from the dwarven mines.
Because his time of work for the caravan merchants was ended, Drizzt would not have even entered Bryn Shander. He meant to turn instead straight north for the dwarven valley. Before they could settle up with the caravan leaders inside the
city gates, though, the companions were informed that Cassius, the Spokesman of Bryn Shander had requested an audience with Catti-brie.
Though she was dirty from the long ride and wanted nothing more than to fall into a comfortable bed, Catti-brie could not refuse, but she insisted that Drizzt accompany her.
*****
'It went well,' the young woman remarked, later that day, when she and Drizzt left the spokesman's mansion.
Drizzt didn't disagree. Indeed it had gone better than Drizzt had expected, for Cassius remembered Drizzt Do'Urden well, and had greeted the drow with an unexpected smile. And now Drizzt was walking openly down the streets of Bryn Shander, suffering many curious looks, but no open hostility. Many, particularly the children, pointed and whispered, and Drizzt's keen ears caught words such as «ranger» and «warrior» more than once, always spoken with respect.
It was good to be home, so good that Drizzt almost forgot the desperate search that had brought him here. For a short while at least, the drow didn't have to think of Errtu and the crystal shard.
Before they reached the gate, another of Bryn Shander's residents came running up to them, hollering their names.
'Regis!' Catti-brie shouted, turning to see the three-and-a-half-foot halfling. His curly brown hair was bobbing, as was his ample belly as he huffed along.
'You were leaving without even a visit!' the halfling cried, finally catching up to the pair. He was immediately scooped up in a tight hug by a speechless Catti-brie. 'No 'well met' for your old friend?' Regis asked, falling back to his feet.
'We thought you would be with Bruenor,' Drizzt explained honestly, and Regis was not offended, for the explanation was simple and truly believable. Surely if Drizzt and Catti-brie had known that the halfling was in Bryn Shander, they would have gone straight to see him.
'I split my time between the mines and the city,' Regis explained. 'Somebody has to serve as ambassador between the merchants and that surly father of yours!'
Catti-brie gave him another hug.
'We have dined with Cassius,' Drizzt explained. 'It seems that not much has changed in Ten-Towns.'
'Except for many of the people. You know the way of the dale. Most don't stay long, or don't live long.'
'Cassius still rules in Bryn Shander,' Drizzt remarked.
'And Jensin Brent speaks still for Caer-Dineval,' Regis reported happily. That was good news for the companions, for Jensin Brent was among the heroes of the battle for Icewind Dale against Akar Kessel and the crystal shard. He was among the most reasonable politicians either of them had ever known.
'The good with the bad,' Regis went on, 'for Kemp remains in Targos.'
'Tough old orc-kin,' Catti-brie replied quietly.
'Tougher than ever,' Regis said. 'Berkthgar has returned as well.'
Drizzt and Catti-brie nodded. Both had heard rumors to that effect.
'He's running with Revjak and the Tribe of the Elk,' the half-ling explained. 'We hear little from them.'
His tone told the pair that there was more to that tale.
'Bruenor paid Revjak a visit,' Regis admitted. 'It did not go well.'
Drizzt knew Revjak, understood the wise man's soul. He knew Berkthgar, too, and it didn't take the drow long to surmise the source of the apparent problems.
'Berkthgar's never truly forgiven Bruenor,' Regis said.
'Not the hammer again,' said an exasperated Catti-brie.
Regis could offer no explanations, but Drizzt resolved then and there to pay the barbarians a visit of his own. Berkthgar was a noble and powerful warrior, but he could be a stubborn one, and the drow suspected that his old friend Revjak might be needing some support.
But that was business for another day. Drizzt and Catti-brie spent the night with Regis in his Bryn Shander residence, and then the three were out bright and early the next day, setting a swift pace due north for the dwarven mines.
They arrived before midday, and as they came down into the valley, an anxious Catti-brie, who had grown up in this very place, took the lead from Regis. The young woman needed no
