ye," Bruenor grumbled. The soldier eyed him dangerously.
"We've come to meet up with friends who are on the road," Regis was quick to interject, in a calmer tone.
He stepped between Bruenor and the soldier, trying to diffuse a potentially volatile situation - for any situation involving Bruenor Battlehammer was volatile these days! The dwarf was anxious to find his lost son, and woe to any who hindered him on that road.
"I am a councilor in Ten-Towns," the halfling explained. "Regis of Lonelywood. Perhaps you have heard of me?"
The soldier, his bristles up from Bruenor's attitude, spat at the halfling's feet. "Nope."
"And my companion is Bruenor Battlehammer himself," Regis said, somewhat dramatically. "Leader of Clan Battlehammer in Ten-Towns. Once, and soon again to be, King of Mithral Hall."
"Never heard of that either."
"But oh, ye're gonna," Bruenor muttered. He started around Regis, and the halfling skittered to stay in his way.
"Tough one, aren't you?" the soldier said.
"Please, good sir, enough of this foolishness," Regis pleaded. "Bruenor is in a terrible way, for he has lost his son, who is rumored to be sailing with Captain Deudermont."
This brought a puzzled expression to the face of the old soldier, "Haven't heard of any dwarves sailing on Sea Sprite" he said.
"His son is no dwarf, but a warrior, proud and strong," Regis explained. "Wulfgar by name." The halfling thought that he was making progress here, but, at the mention of Wulfgar's name, the soldier took on a most horrified and outraged expression.
"If you're calling that oaf your son, then you are far from welcome in Luskan!" the soldier declared.
Regis sighed, knowing what was to come. The many-notched axe hit the ground at his feet. At least Bruenor wouldn't cut the man in half. The halfling tried to anticipate the dwarfs movements to keep between the two, but Bruenor casually picked him up and turned around, dropping Regis behind him.
"Ye stay right there," the dwarf instructed, wagging a gnarly, crooked finger in the halfling's face.
By the time the dwarf turned back around, the soldier had drawn his sword.
Bruenor regarded it and laughed. "Now, what was ye saying about me boy?" he asked.
"I said he was an oaf," the man said, after glancing around to make sure he had enough support in the area. "And there are a million other insults I could rightfully hurl at the one named Wulfgar, murderer and rogue among them!"
He almost finished the sentence.
He almost got his sword up in time to block Bruenor's missile - that missile being Bruenor's entire body.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Drizzt turned to see a ragged and dirty Catti-brie standing at the window, outside and leaning on the pane, grim-faced and with Taulmaril in hand.
"It took you long enough," the drow remarked, but his humor found no spot in Catti-brie - not so soon after the kill. She stared right past Drizzt, not even registering his words. Would such actions ever become less troubling to her?
A big part of the woman who was Catti-brie hoped they would not.
Delly Curtie sprang up from the floor and rushed at Drizzt, running to her crying child's call. The woman calmed as she neared, for the smiling dark elf held the unharmed, though obviously upset child out to her and gladly handed Colson over.
"It would have been easier if you came up right behind me," Drizzt said to Catti-brie. "We could have saved some trouble."
"Are these looking like elven-bred to ye?" the woman growled back, pointing to her eyes - human orbs far inferior in the low light of the Waterdeep night. "And are ye thinking this to be an easy climb?"
Drizzt shrugged, grinning still. After all, the rocky climb hadn't given him any trouble at all.
"Go back down, then," Catti-brie insisted. She threw one leg over the window and eased herself into the room, not moving quickly, for her pant leg was torn, her leg bleeding. "Come back up with yer eyes closed, and ye tell me how easy them wet rocks might be for climbing."
She stumbled into the room, moving forward a few steps before fully gaining her balance - and that put her right in front of Delly Curtie and the baby.
"Catti-brie," the woman said. Her tone, while friendly and grateful enough, showed that she was a bit uneasy with seeing Catti-brie here.
The woman from Icewind Dale gave a slight bow. "And ye're Delly Curtie, unless I'm missing me guess," she replied. "Me and me friend just came from Luskan, from