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They left under stars and did not stop until stars filled the sky once again Bruenor needed no support Quite the opposite It was the dwarf, recovered froible path to his long-sought goal, who drove theest pace since they had co both in past and present, Bruenor’s obsession consumed him For nearly two hundred years he had dreamed of this return, and these last few days on the road seeer than the centuries that had come before

The companions had apparently beaten their worst ene at the Holdfast was correct, Mithril Hall loomed just a few days ahile the short suer a pressing issue, Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Regis had anticipated a moderate pace as they prepared to leave the Holdfast But Bruenor, when he awoke and learned of the discoveries, would hear no arguh, for in the exciterown even fouler

"Keep yer feet s could not match the dwarf’s frantic pace "Ye should’ve stayed in Ten-Toith yer belly hanging over yer belt!" The dould then sink into quiet gru onward, his ears blocked to any re fro his behavior

They angled their path back to the Rauvin, to use its waters as a guide Drizzt did e to convince Bruenor to veer back to the northwest as soon as the peaks of the e came into view The drow had no desire to ain, certain that it was that city’s warning cries that had forced Alustriel to keep him out of Silverymoon

Bruenor found no relaxation at the cah they had obviously covered far more than half the distance to the ruins of Settlestone He sto and unclenching his gnarly fists andto himself about the fateful day when his people had been pushed out of Mithril Hall, and the revenge he would find when he at last returned

"Is it the potion?" Wulfgar asked Drizzt later that evening as they stood to the side of the camp and watched the dwarf

"Some of it, perhaps," Drizzt answered, equally concerned about his friend "The potion has forced Bruenor to live again thelife And now, as the memories of that past find their way into his eeance that has festered within hiar noted

Drizzt nodded "This is the trial of his life His vow to return to Mithril Hall holds within it all the value that he places upon his own existence"

"He pushes too hard," Wulfgar reht after they had supped "The halfling cannot keep the pace"

"Less than a day stands before us," Drizzt replied "Regis will survive this road, as shall we all" He patted the barbarian on the shoulder and Wulfgar, not fully satisfied, but resigned to the fact that he could not sway the dwarf,dwarf, and his dark face bore a look of deeper concern than he had revealed to the young barbarian

Drizzt truly wasn’t worried about Regis The halfling always found a way to coh, troubled the drow He rehty warhammer The weapon had been Bruenor’s ultimate creation in a rich career as a craftsend Bruenor could not hope to outdo that accomplishment, nor even equal it The dwarf had never put haain

Now the journey to Mithril Hall, Bruenor’s lifelong goal As Aegis-fang had been Bruenor’s finest crafting, this journey would be his highest climb The focus of Drizzt’s concern was erous, than the success or failure of the search; the dangers of the road affected all of thely before starting out Whether or not the ancient halls were reclaimed, Bruenor’s lory would be passed

"Cal beside the dwarf

"It’s me home, elf!" Bruenor shot back, but he did seem to compose himself a bit

"I understand," Drizzt offered "It seems that we shall indeed look upon Mithril Hall, and that raises a question we must soon answer"

Bruenor looked at hietting at

"So far we have concerned ourselves only with finding Mithril Hall, and little has been said of our plans beyond the entrance to the place"

"By all that is right, I areed," said the drow, "but what of the darkness that may remain? A force that drove your entire clan from the one on its own, elf," Bruenor replied in a surly tone, not wanting to face the possibilities "For all our knowing, the halls may be clean"

"Perhaps But what plans have you if the darkness reht "Word’ll be sent to Icewind Dale," he answered "Me kin’ll be with us in the spring"

"Barely a hundred strong!" Drizzt reminded him

"Then I’ll call to Adbar if lad to help, for a promise of treasure"

Drizzt knew that Bruenor wouldn’t be so quick to make such a pro but necessary questions "Sleep well," he bid the dwarf "You shall find your anshen youof the next day Mountains soon towered above thee ca for his balance Wulfgar and Drizzt were right beside hi him up

"What is it?" Drizzt asked

"Dwarvendarrow," Bruenor answered in a voice that see from the base of the nearest mountain

"You know the place?"

Bruenor didn’t answer He started off again, stued helplessly and followed

An hour later, the structures careat slabs of stone had been cunningly laid together to forh they had been deserted for more than a hundred years, the seasons and the wind had not reclaith into the rock, could have laid the stones so perfectly that they would last as the enerations and the tales of the bards, so that some future race would look upon thehtest idea of who had created them

Bruenor ree as he had those ray eye and his body treainst the memories of the darkness that had swaro about for a while, not wanting to interrupt the soleh his thick hide Finally, as afternoon waned, Drizzt moved over to him

"Do you know the way?" he asked

Bruenor looked up at a pass that cli the side of the nearest mountain "Half a day," he replied

"Caood," said Bruenor "I’ve et the way, fear not" His eyes narrowed in tight focus at the trail he had fled on the day of darkness, and he whispered, "I’ll never forget the way again"

Bruenor’s driven pace proved fortunate for the friends, for Bok had easily continued along the drow’s trail outside of Silvery the Holdfast altogether - the tower’s ical wards would not have let theoleround

In a ca his evil sht he knew to be the campfire of his victim

Catti-brie saw it, too, and knew that the next day would bring her greatest challenge She had spent most of her life with the battle-seasoned dwarves, under the tutelage of Bruenor hiht her both discipline and confidence Not a facade of cockiness to hide deeper insecurities, but a true self-belief and measured evaluation of what she could and could not accoht was e than her fear of failure

They broke camp early and arrived at the ruins just after dawn No h, they found only the remnants of the companions’ campsite

"An hour - perhaps two," Entreri observed, bending low to feel the heat of the embers

"Bok has already found the new trail," said Sydney, pointing to the gole off toward the foothills of the closest mountain

A smile filled Entreri’s face as the thrill of the chase swept over hih, more concerned with the revelations painted on Jierdan’s face

The soldier seemed unsure of himself He took up after them as soon as Sydney and Entreri started behind Bok, but with forced steps He obviously wasn’t looking forward to the pending confrontation, as were Sydney and Entreri

Catti-brie was pleased

They charged ahead through thetheir way up the side of the un his search more than two years before, Entreri saw his prey

The assassin had co his strides to accommodate a sharp dip into a small dell thick with trees, when Bruenor and his friends broke clear of so of a steep slope far ahead Entreri dropped into a crouch and signaled for the others to slow behind hiolem," he called to Sydney, for Bok had already disappeared into the copse below hi out of the other side and onto another barren ht of the companions