them had yet been, and shook its head.
To Belly's dismay, the woman merely waved away the ugly creature, giving in.
Delly closed her eyes and tried to let her mind fly free of her body.
The thug that had dropped the dinnerware scrambled across the room to the drapery beside the open window and with one great tug, pulled it free. The brute started to turn back for the remaining dinnerware, but it stopped, regarding a curious sculpture revealed by removing the curtain. It was a full-sized elf figure, dressed in the garb of an adventurer and apparently made of some ebony material, black stone or wood. It stood with eyes closed and two ornate scimitars presented in a cross-chest pose.
"Huh?" the brute said.
"Huh?" it said again, reaching slowly to feel the smooth skin.
The eyes popped open, penetrating, lavender orbs that froze the giantkin in place, that seemed to tell the brute without the slightest bit of doubt that its time in this world was fast ending.
* * * * * * * * * *
With a blur the creature hardly even registered, the "statue" exploded into motion, scimitars cutting left and right. Around spun the drow elf, gaining momentum for even mightier slashes. A double-cut, one scimitar following the other, opened the stunned half-ogre from shoulder to hip. A quick-step put the drow right beside the falling brute. He reversed his grip with his right hand and plunged one enchanted blade deeply into the half-ogre's back, severing its spine, then half-turned and hamstrung the beast - both legs - with a precise and devastating slash of the other blade.
Drizzt stepped aside as the dying half-ogre crumbled to the floor.
"You should probably get off of her," the drow said casually to the next brute; who was laying atop Delly, staring at Drizzt incredulously.
Before the pirate woman could even growl out, "Kill him!" the third half-ogre charged across the room at Drizzt, a course that brought him right past the opened window. Halfway across, a flying black form intercepted the brute. Six hundred pounds of snapping teeth and raking claws stopped dead the half-ogre's progress toward Drizzt and launched it back toward the center of the room.
The brute flailed wildly, but the panther had too many natural weapons and too much sheer strength. Guenhwyvar snapped one forearm in her maw, then ripped her head back and forth, shattering the bone and tearing the flesh. All the while, the panther's front paws clawed repeatedly at the frantic brute's face, too quick for the other arm to block. Guen's powerful back legs found holds on the half-ogre's legs and torso, claws digging in, then tearing straight back.
The surviving half-ogre rolled off of Delly and onto its feet. It lifted its weapon, a heavy broadsword, and rushed the drow, thinking to cut Drizzt in half with a single stroke.
The slashing sword met only air as the agile drow easily sidestepped the blow, then poked Twinkle into the brute's belly and danced another step away.
The half-ogre grabbed at the wound, but only for a moment. It came on fast with a straightforward thrust.
The scimitar Icingdeath, in Drizzt's left hand, easily turned the broadsword to the side. Drizzt stepped forward beside the lunging brute and poked it hard again with Twinkle, this time the scimitar's tip scratching off a thick rib.
The half-ogre roared and spun, slashing mightily as it went, expecting to cut Drizzt in half. Again the blade cut only air.
The half-ogre paused, dumbfounded, for its opponent was nowhere to be seen.
"Strong, but slow," came the drow's voice behind it. "Terrible combination."
The half-ogre howled in fear and leaped to the side, but Icingdeath was quicker, slashing in hard at the side of its neck. The half-ogre took three running strides, hand going up to its torn neck, then stumbled to one knee, then to the ground, writhing in agony.
Drizzt started toward it to finish it off but changed direction and stopped cold, staring hard at the woman who had backed to the wall beside the room's broken doors. The baby girl was in her arms, with a narrow, deadly dagger pressed up against the child's throat.
"What business does a dark elf have in Waterdeep?" the woman asked, trying to sound calm and confident, but obviously shaken. "If you wish the house as your own target, I will leave it to you. I assure you I have no interest in speaking with the authorities." The woman paused and stared hard at Drizzt, a smile of recognition at last