FIELD OF BLOOD AND FIRE 2 page

Kimmuriel bowed to concede the point. The main reason Kimmuriel was training Gromph in psionics, after all, was because that gave him and Jarlaxle, the co-leaders of Bregan D?aerthe, intimate access into the goings-on in Menzoberranzan through the eyes of the city?s archmage. As Kimmuriel trained Gromph, so too did he read the archmage?s mind.

?And you believe that Archmage Gromph does not, or would not, disapprove of your actions here?? Kimmuriel asked.

Jarlaxle shrugged. ?I am not dead.?

?I have not sensed any of this in my time with him.? ?Did you know to look for it??

?It is a startling claim, I admit.?

?You?ll not find the direct proof, in any event,? Jarlaxle told him. ?Even in Gromph?s mind. Understand, my cerebral friend, that when you enter there in your training sessions, still you see only what Gromph wants you to see. He is not practiced in the art of psionics as are you, of course, but he is a drow of tremendous intelligence, will, and arcane skill. He?ll not ever

reveal to you anything that would get him in the bad graces of Quenthel or the Spider Queen.

?But here I am,? Jarlaxle finished. ?Alive and well. And Gromph surely knows more than you expected and yet, he has not destroyed me and has not come for me, to drag me back to the whip of Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre.?

?To what end? For him?? Kimmuriel asked.

?I doubt he?s thought it out that far,? Jarlaxle replied. ?But certainly he is angry. Lady Lolth has struck out for Mystra?s arcane domain, for the Weave itself, from which Gromph derives his powers. And in that realm of the arcane, his powers are greater than any other in Menzoberranzan, perhaps likely even greater than any other of our race. And yet, despite that, Gromph understands that he remains a male.?

?The female children of the noble Houses will flood Sorcere in its next class,? Kimmuriel admitted.

?Of course they will. For the grace of Lady Lolth, yes? A grace, a station, reserved for them.? Jarlaxle gave a little knowing laugh. ?My dear brother Gromph will not be the Patron Father of Menzoberranzan, after all, will he??

Kimmuriel could only sigh. Emotions were such destructive things.

?So what are Tiago?s ambitions, then?? Jarlaxle asked. ?What greater glory does he seek?? ?You know the answer.?

?Drizzt Do?Urden,? said Jarlaxle, and he huffed and shook his head. ?What is it about this one that makes so many feel the need to challenge him? For Artemis Entreri, it was a reflection in a mirror he could not bear to view. But for Tiago??

?A quick means to an end,? said Kimmuriel. ?The head of Drizzt will gain him instant recognition and status. He is not a patient sort.?

?He is as impulsive and quick to devour the meal as a human,? Jarlaxle agreed.

?He travels with Warlord Hartusk, but his eye is ever northward,? Kimmuriel explained, ?waiting for Mithral Hall to break out.?

?Drizzt is not in Mithral Hall.? ?He does not know that.?

Jarlaxle rubbed a hand over his face, a sparkle coming into his red eyes. ?What are you thinking?? Kimmuriel asked.

?Strange of you to ask such a question.?

Kimmuriel responded with a sour look?for they both understood the power of Jarlaxle?s eye patch. Indeed, Kimmuriel would rarely ask such a question as he had just posed, and instead just peer into someone?s thoughts. He couldn?t do that with Jarlaxle, to his ultimate frustration.

?I am thinking that perhaps we should give Tiago what he wants,? Jarlaxle admitted. ?Before he and his idiot army can cause too much more damage.?

?He will be recalled in the later part of Eleasis, just over three months from now,? Kimmuriel explained. ?So said Gromph and the matron mother.?

?Then we must be quick,? Jarlaxle replied. ?It takes a bit of time to shape the course of a region as large and diverse as the Silver Marches, after all.?

Jarlaxle shuddered uncomfortably, as he always did when stepping out of one of Kimmuriel?s unconventional teleport spells. He had always been intrigued by these strange alterations, distinct from the Weave and powered by thought, for it seemed to him as if the psionicist could simply bend time and space his way for this one instant he needed to usher Jarlaxle through.

Perhaps he could find some way to learn this trick, Jarlaxle mused?as he did every single time he stepped through one of Kimmuriel?s ? distortions. He couldn?t quite bring himself to call this bending of space a gate?

Jarlaxle shook his head, even slapped himself on the cheek, to focus his thoughts. The campfire was not far in front of him, and surely there were many sentries about.

He crept up toward the light.

?Do you intend to leave a trail of little Wulfgars all across Faerûn?? he heard Regis scolding the barbarian. The drow mercenary smiled and thought to head right in, but then Wulfgar?s reply gave him pause.

?I intend to enjoy this second life,? Wulfgar answered. ?Then fall in love!? Regis suggested.

?I am.?

?At every stop?? Regis asked. ?I hope so.?

Jarlaxle?s smile widened, thinking he had found a man after his own heart. He wanted to stay back then and let Wulfgar expound upon the joys of hedonism, but he reminded himself that sentries were likely near and that he was, after all, a dark elf not named Drizzt Do?Urden.

?Ah, Wulfgar, I have some sisters I should introduce to you!? he said cheerily, stepping into the firelight?and Regis and Wulfgar were to their feet in the blink of an eye, weapons in hand, though Regis?s weapon was actually a turkey leg.

?Jarlaxle?? they both stammered together. ?Well met, my old friends!?

?Never that,? said Wulfgar.

?My new friends, then, and glad you will be for the company. I come with news of Drizzt and the others.?

?How did you find us?? asked Regis, and Jarlaxle did not miss the nervous glance the halfling tossed Wulfgar?s way. Yes, this band of raiders had gone to great lengths to hide their whereabouts from prying eyes and prying spells?there were magical wards all around the encampment.

But they did not understand the subtle power of psionics, and psionics was not magic, nor was it a physical sense. Their wards could hide them from orcs, from most drow, from dragons even, but not from Kimmuriel.

?Drizzt, Catti-brie, Bruenor, and Athrogate made their way safely into Mithral Hall, but they are not there now,? the drow explained. ?Citadel Adbar is free, and so, now, is Citadel Felbarr, through underground routes at least.?

The halfling and the barbarian exchanged dumbfounded stares.

?It is time for you to rejoin them, I expect,? the drow went on. ?King Connerad begs your presence?soon. He will break free of Mithral Hall through the eastern door in front of the Surbrin. There he will find allies, and better will it be if your raiders are among those allies.?

?You come with this message from King Connerad?? Wulfgar asked skeptically. Jarlaxle bowed.

?The time is upon you,? he said. ?And what a relief it will be to Silverymoon and to Everlund when word spreads southward that the three dwarven armies have joined in the fight!?

He dipped another bow, never taking his eyes off the faces of the two startled heroes.

?I found you,? he reminded them. ?And your band is but fifty strong. If I wanted to have you killed, a simple note of your location to Warlord Hartusk would have you overrun in short order.?

Regis shrugged first, but Wulfgar couldn?t argue the point.

?You can thank me by keeping my name out of your discussions,? the drow told them, and with that, Jarlaxle felt the tug of Kimmuriel?s thoughts and stepped backward, simply fading from the view of Regis and Wulfgar, stepping miles away across time and space bent by Kimmuriel.

Now Jarlaxle had to go and convince King Connerad that his, and his garrison?s, presence were requested at Mithral Hall?s eastern gate.

?King Harnoth?s already crossed the Surbrin in the north,? Bruenor told Emerus as they gathered at council. They were not in King Emerus?s normal audience hall, however, having moved far to the northwest of the main area of Citadel Felbarr, where dwarf tunnelers were digging their escape behind enemy lines and into the Glimmerwood.

?He should be rolling straight into Dark Arrow Keep then,? King Emerus declared, and beside him, both Parson Glaive and Ragged Dain nodded their heads in agreement.

?Bah, but we had to convince him not to!? said Oretheo Spikes.

?One step at a time, me friend,? Bruenor explained. ?The upper ways o? the Underdark?re cleared and lets us get us all out o? here and into the forest. We break the siege at Mithral Hall??

?But ye?re meaning to leave the siege in force about Felbarr?? Ragged Dain interrupted. ?Felbarr?s free from below, Mithral Hall?s to be free above,? Bruenor replied.

?The orcs won?t know whether to reinforce the tunnels or the surface camps,? Drizzt explained. ?Our greatest advantage is coordination of our forces. We pick the battlefields.?

?Aye, and their stinking corpses litter them,? Bruenor added.

?By every report and all that we saw in coming here, they?ve few drow left in support,? added Catti-brie. ?Without that directing and guiding force, we will have them running every way but the correct one.?

?So we go into the Glimmerwood, then across the river to join in the fight for Mithral Hall?? King Emerus asked.

?Aye, the eastern fight, by the bridge, where Connerad?ll come roarin? out,? said Bruenor. ?Some of you will go to Connerad,? Drizzt corrected. ?Most, actually, but a few may be

called to rendezvous with King Harnoth and join the fight north of Mithral Hall.?

?That?ll be yerself, elf,? said Bruenor, and Drizzt nodded. That much had already been arranged. Drizzt could move quickly and stealthily, after all, and coordinating the movements

of the armies would be the key to victory.

?Without reinforcements from the north, the bridge can be won,? Drizzt explained. ?And those orcs in Keeper?s Dale, far to the west, will have no way to join the fight in time.?

?We can go and crush them after,? said Ragged Dain.

?Aye, or might be that we then come back across the river and pay a visit to the ugly dogs surrounding Felbarr,? Bruenor said. ?We?ll know. We got better eyes and better heads than the orcs, don?t ye doubt. They?ll not ever find us where they expect us, and?ll always be seeing us where they ain?t wantin? us!?

?We got eyes? What eyes?? King Emerus demanded.

?Same eyes what got me and me boys out o? Mithral Hall,? Bruenor replied. ?Same eyes what bringed me boys with the elfs to Adbar, to save Harnoth and break that siege. Same eyes that bringed me and me boys and Oretheo and his boys to yerself.?

?Warlord Hartusk looks south to Silverymoon and Everlund,? Drizzt put in. ?He does not even know of the return of Bruenor Battlehammer, or that Mithral Hall has a brigade of Gutbusters running free. Or that Adbar is free and has made her way to Felbarr. He is oblivious to the cracks behind as he walks out farther upon that branch.?

?Branch? Bah, I mean to chop the whole damned tree down!? Bruenor declared, and he pounded his fist on the table.

He and King Emerus eyed each other intently for a few heartbeats, then Emerus nodded his agreement.

They came forth the very next day: Bruenor and Bungalow Thump and the boys of Mithral Hall, Oretheo Spikes and the eight hundred of Citadel Adbar, and King Emerus and two thousand of Citadel Felbarr?s best.

They found the boats at the Surbrin, as had been arranged with the Moonwood elves, and the legions of Felbarr and Adbar silently drifted across to the bank north of the Surbrin Bridge and the eastern door of Mithral Hall.

The orc force just south of their position was considerable, they realized, and the campfires in the northwest spoke of a second force many times that size.

Even worse, and unexpectedly, another enemy force had come into the region, here on the eastern side of the Surbrin, down in the south bear to the bridge.

?Got to take and hold that bridge,? Bruenor muttered, already formulating a plan. ?Harnoth and the boys of Adbar better not be late,? King Emerus solemnly said to Bruenor,

his eyes still gazing to the northwest and the swarms of campfires.

?Aye,? Bruenor could only agree, for if that force in the north joined the battle at the bridge, Connerad?s forces and this battle group would be overwhelmed in short order.

Bruenor turned to Drizzt as he finished, and the drow nodded. Drizzt kissed Catti-brie, promised to see her soon, and ran off into the night to rendezvous with Afafrenfere to help counsel and guide King Harnoth?s march, as had been arranged.

?Do you ever tire of this?? Tazmikella asked Jarlaxle that same night, she and her sister having immediately left the dwarven force when they had first come out into the Glimmerwood. Tazmikella had gone to find Jarlaxle, and Ilnezhara went off in search of

another principal for the upcoming events. Tazmikella was in her elf form now, reclining comfortably under the dark sky.

?Dear lady, I live for this,? replied the drow, who had just returned from Mithral Hall. ?You have informed the four allied groups of the breakout. When will you tell the enemy?? ?When will your sister return?? came the somewhat flippant response.

?She is here,? Ilnezhara answered before Tazmikella could. Also in the guise of an elf, she walked up to join the pair.

?That was quick,? Jarlaxle dryly replied.

?I had not far to search,? replied Ilnezhara. She looked to her sister. ?Arauthator and his son have returned. They flew along the line of the Surbrin this very night, then turned southwest to the ruins of Sundabar.?

Both of the sisters looked to Jarlaxle then.

?I believe it is your move,? said Tazmikella, with a wry smile. ?It is time to betray the dwarves.?

CHAPTER 17

Jarlaxle beside him, though with the magic of Jarlaxle?s wondrous mask, the drow looked exactly like Beniago.

?I?ll not reveal myself to Tiago,? Jarlaxle replied. ?Nay, not to that favored child of House Baenre. This is Bregan D?aerthe coming to inform him, not Jarlaxle.?

?And if he catches on? Who?s first to die, yerself or meself??

?Tiago,? Jarlaxle assured him, and he started away. In front of them, a vast army crawled, lumbering across the miles, heading south from the ruins of Sundabar to the Moon Pass through the Nether Mountains.

Warlord Hartusk was reaching farther, just as Jarlaxle had hoped.

Before long, orc sentries had surrounded the pair, along with a particularly nasty-looking ogre.

?A prisoner!? more than one cried with glee when they spotted Athrogate. The ogre even moved toward the shackled dwarf.

?Back away. The dwarf is not your concern,? Jarlaxle ordered them. ?I warn you only once.? He met the dwarf?s gaze and silently begged for patience. If the ogre reached for Athrogate, the dwarf would shed the phony shackles and put his glassteel morningstars, Whacker and Cracker, against either side of its misshapen head.

?Bring me to Tiago immediately,? Jarlaxle ordered. ?I have dire news!?

The orcs seemed to hardly hear him, the ogre not at all, so entranced were they by the presence of a hated dwarf. The ogre leaned in closer and reached ?

A glob of green goo slammed the brute in the face, sending it reeling backward into a tree. There, the viscous material grabbed at the tree as well, pinning the ogre, its head fully engulfed. It clawed at the goo desperately, but futilely.

The orcs grew agitated, hopping around, brandishing weapons, and all looking at Jarlaxle and the wand that had somehow appeared in his hand.

The drow casually pulled out a large feather, as if it had magically appeared behind his ear, and threw it to the ground. A moment later, that feather became a gigantic bird, thick-legged, thick-bodied, and with a beak as long as a tall man?s forearm. It ran for the struggling ogre and drove its beak against the brute?s trapped head, stunning it. Up came a three-clawed foot, disemboweling the helpless ogre with one devastating slash.

And the bird pecked and bit at the spilling entrails, the thrashing, dying ogre helpless to dissuade it from its gory feast.

?I told you to take me to Tiago immediately,? Jarlaxle said to the orcs.

A short while later, Jarlaxle and Athrogate walked into a tent where Tiago, Saribel, Ravel, and some other drow, undoubtedly also of Q?Xorlarrin, had settled after the day?s hard march.

?Beniago?? Tiago asked, clearly perplexed.

?Take off those shackles,? Jarlaxle instructed Athrogate, and the dwarf shook himself free of the bonds.

?Do you know my associate, Athrogate?? he asked the others. ?A fine spy for Bregan D?aerthe these last decades.?

?What is the meaning of this?? Saribel demanded, as usual, impressing Jarlaxle with her quick wit and lightning mental reflexes.

?You march for Everlund?? Jarlaxle, still disguised as Beniago, asked.

?What are you doing here?? Tiago demanded. He glanced around; Jarlaxle noted that all of

the drow were on edge.

?Are you here by order of Menzoberranzan?? Saribel demanded.

?I am here with news,? Jarlaxle calmly replied. ?You can listen or not, as you choose. ?High Priestess, pray enact a divination spell,? Jarlaxle said to Saribel, ?that you will know

the veracity of my claim.?

When Saribel was done casting her enchantment, Jarlaxle began. ?This is Athrogate, a long-time associate of Bregan D?aerthe, and one, as you can see, particularly suited to spying on the enemies of Hartusk in this particular conflict. He went to Nesmé at my bidding, and to Mithral Hall from there, with my blessing.?

He noted that Tiago seemed to perk up quite a bit at the mention of Mithral Hall. ?You did this on orders from Menzoberranzan?? Tiago asked.

?From Matron Mother Quenthel?? Saribel added, and it wasn?t hard to notice her glare at her husband as she named the matron mother specifically.

?Bregan D?aerthe is free to use its own discretion here on the World Above,? Jarlaxle reminded them. ?I thought it prudent to learn of the dwarves, and so I sent Athrogate.?

?And now you are here,? said Tiago. ?Why??

Jarlaxle turned to his dwarf associate and held forth his hand, bidding Athrogate to explain.

?They?re coming out,? the dwarf told them, as he had been instructed. ?Morning after tomorrow. King Connerad and his boys?re bursting from Mithral Hall, don?t ye doubt, through the east door to take the bridge over the Surbrin.?

?The d-day after to-tomorrow?? Tiago stammered. ?You know this??

?He just told you,? Jarlaxle intervened. He didn?t want Athrogate to say any more. The dwarf?s words had been carefully orchestrated, and Jarlaxle?s own improvisations carefully added, for Saribel?s spell would surely show no lies in anything they had said, but saying more risked losing all.

?You are certain?? Tiago asked Jarlaxle.

?I am always certain, cousin,? said the double agent, who, like Beniago, really was the distant cousin of Tiago Baenre. ?That is why I am alive.?

Tiago rubbed his face and paced around excitedly. ?I knew we were premature in our march to Everlund!?

?Because the dwarves would come forth?? Saribel was quick to scold. ?They are inconsequential, and why should we care? Let them battle Many-Arrows to the death of both ?it matters not.?

Tiago fixed her with a hard stare, Jarlaxle noticed.

?You keep playing as if we can win, or as if there is anything to win,? Saribel continued. ?This has been made clear to you, Husband.?

Jarlaxle thought it perfectly delicious that hot-humored Tiago did not draw his sword. He chewed his lip, but he didn?t even lash out verbally against Saribel Xorlarrin?because she was Saribel Do?Urden now, but more importantly, she was also High Priestess Saribel Baenre.

?There is something to be won here,? Tiago said, his tone decidedly more threatening suddenly. He was talking about Drizzt, Jarlaxle knew, and apparently Tiago?s bloodlust for that one exceeded any good judgment he might have had regarding Saribel?and likely regarding anything at all.

?Come with me,? Tiago ordered Jarlaxle, and he started for the tent flap. ?With you?? Jarlaxle replied.

?To Warlord Hartusk. He must be informed of this development.?

Again he started for the tent flap, but stopped once more when Jarlaxle laughed.

?This is your fight, Tiago, and for all the seasons I?ve grown and learned, I cannot begin to figure out why you want it,? Jarlaxle said. ?You have been chasing this rogue for two decades, and to what good end??

?The end is in sight, at the Surbrin Bridge on the day after tomorrow.?

?Whose end?? Jarlaxle quipped. Tiago stared at him threateningly, and for a moment, Jarlaxle thought the impetuous young fool might move against him.

?I advise you as others have warned you,? Jarlaxle calmly explained. ?You have made great gains here in the Silver Marches, for your Matron Mother Zeerith?s fledgling city and for your own fledgling House in Menzoberranzan. Matron Mother Quenthel is pleased by her expedition here, with such minimal loss and with her fist tightening over all who might dare oppose her. You risk much in going after this rogue.?

?Matron Mother Quenthel herself granted us these one hundred and fifty days, Beniago of Bregan D?aerthe,? Saribel intervened, surprisingly. ?She did not tell us how we must use them. What would make a Houseless male think that his words would carry more weight than the blessings of the matron mother??

Jarlaxle considered that for a few moments. He had tried to dissuade Tiago from going after Drizzt, even though he was glad that Tiago was likely going after Drizzt?for now, after all, Jarlaxle could honestly pass any interrogation the matron mother might put his way in days to come.

?As you will, Priestess,? he said with a bow. ?And as you will, Cousin Tiago.? And he bowed again. ?I had information I thought pertinent, and so I have done my duty and delivered it to you. And now I, and my spy here, will leave you to your choices.?

He bowed once more, and Athrogate laughed as they felt time and space bending once more. Kimmuriel, watching the proceedings through Athrogate?s thoughts, had recalled them far, far away.

Kimmuriel was shaking his head when Jarlaxle and Athrogate walked through that warp to return to his side.

?Exactly as I told you it would transpire,? Jarlaxle said to the psionicist?s doubting expression.

?So you believe,? said Kimmuriel.

?Do you doubt that Tiago will go after Drizzt, and surely astride Arauthator? You heard Saribel?even she is too eager for the prestige the head of Drizzt might bring to warn Tiago away.?

?And if Hartusk pivots his force at this news?? Kimmuriel asked. ?They cannot get to the Surbrin Bridge in time.?

Date: 2016-06-13; view: 200