the white worm from its feast. The drow pointed down along the gorge to where a sizeable number of huge ogres and half-ogres were running up the ravine. The companions had hoped to dispatch these sentries without alerting the main base, but they had understood from the beginning that such might be the case - that's why they had used the white worm.
"Come," Drizzt bade the halfling. "We will catch up with our friends, or they with us, in due time." He started away to the south, staying as near to the edge of the gorge as he safely could.
They heard the ogre posse pass beneath them soon after, and Drizzt veered back to the edge, then moved down a bit farther and went right over, picking his way down a less steep part of the ravine.
Regis huffed and puffed and worked hard but somehow managed to keep up. Soon, the halfling and the drow were standing on the floor of the gorge, the posse far away to the north, the mound that housed the main complex just to the south and with the cave opening quite apparent.
"Are you ready?" Drizzt asked Regis.
The halfling swallowed hard, not so thrilled about moving off with the dangerous Drizzt alone. He far preferred having Bruenor and Wulfgar standing strong before him and having Catti-brie covering him with that deadly bow of hers, but it was obvious that Drizzt wasn't about to let this opportunity to get right inside the enemies' lair go by.
"Lead on," Regis heard himself saying, though he could hardly believe the words as they came out of his mouth.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The four leaders of Sheila Kree's band all came out of their rooms together, hearing the shouts from below and from outside the mound complex.
"Chogurugga dispatched a group to investigate," Bellany informed the others. The sorceress's room faced north, the direction of the tumult, and included a door to the outside landing.
"Ye go and do the same," Sheila Kree told her. "Get yer scrying pool up and see what's coming against us."
"I heard yells about a white worm," the sorceress replied.
Sheila Kree shook her head, her fiery red hair flying wildly. "Too convenient," she muttered as she ran out of the room and down the curving, sloping passage leading to Chogurugga and Bloog's chamber, with Jule Pepper right behind her.
Le'lorinel made no move, though, just stood in the corridor, nodding knowingly.
"Is it the drow?" Bellany asked.
The elf smiled and retreated back into the private room, shutting the door.
Standing alone in the common area, Bellany just shook her head and took a deep breath and considered the possibilities if it turned out to be Drizzt Do'Urden and the Companions of the Hall who were now coming against them. The sorceress hoped it was indeed a white worm that had caused the commotion, whatever the cost of driving the monster away.
She went back into her chamber and set up for some divining spells, thinking to look out over the troubled area to the north and to look in on Morik, just to check on where his loyalties might truly lie.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A few moments later, Le'lorinel slipped back out and headed down the same way Sheila and Jule had gone.
Chogurugga's chamber was in complete chaos, with the ogress's two large attendants rushing around, strapping on armor pieces and hoisting heavy weapons. Chogurugga stood quietly on the side of the room in front of an opened wardrobe, its shelves filled with potion bottles. Chogurugga mulled them over one at a time, pocketing some and separating the others into two bunches.
At the back of the room, Bloog remained in the hammock, the ogre's huge legs hanging over, one on either side. If Bloog was the slightest bit worried by the commotion, the lazy brute didn't show it.
Le'lorinel went to him. "He will find you," the elf warned. "It was foreseen that the drow would come for the warhammer."
"Drow?" the big ogre asked. "No damn drow. White worm."
"Perhaps," Le'lorinel replied with a shrug and a look that told Bloog implicitly that the elf hardly believed all the commotion was being caused by such a creature as that.
"Drow?" the ogre asked, and Bloog suddenly seemed a bit less cock-sure.
"He will find you."
"Bloog crunch him down!" the ogre shouted, rising, or at least trying to, though the movement nearly spilled him out of the unsteady hammock. "No take