Aegis-fang," Drizzt confirmed. "The mark of Sheila Kree."
"What does it mean?" asked a concerned Delly, and she rose out of her chair, moving toward the drow, hugging her child close like some living, emotional armor. "Does it mean that Wulfgar and Captain Deudermont have caught Sheila Kree, and so her friends're trying to hit back?" she asked, looking nervously from the drow to the woman at the window. "Or might it mean that Sheila's sunk Sea Sprite and now is coming to finish off everything connected with Captain Deudermont and his crew?" Her voice rose as she finished, an edge of anxiety bubbling over.
"Or it means nothing more than that the pirate has learned that Captain Deudermont is in pursuit of her, and she wished to strike the first blow," Drizzt replied, unconvincingly.
"Or it means nothing at all," Catti-brie added. "Just a coincidence."
The other two looked at her, but none, not even Catti-brie, believed that for a moment.
The door crashed open a moment later and a group of soldiers charged into the room. Some turned immediately for the dark elf, howling at the sight of a drow, but others recognized Drizzt, or at least recognized Delly Curtie and saw by her posture that the danger had passed. They held their companions at bay.
Catti-brie ushered Delly Curtie away, the woman bearing the child, and with Catti-brie calling Guenhwyvar to follow, while Drizzt gave the authorities a full account of what had occurred. The drow didn't stop at that, but went on to explain the likely personal feud heightening between Sheila Kree and Captain Deudermont.
After he had secured a net of soldiers to stand guard about the house, Drizzt went upstairs to join the women.
He found them in good spirits, with Catti-brie rocking Colson and Delly resting on the bed, a glass of wine in hand.
Catti-brie nodded to the woman, and without further word, Delly launched into her tale of Wulfgar, telling Drizzt and Catti-brie all about the barbarian's decline in Luskan, his trial at Prisoner's Carnival, his flight to the north with Morik and the circumstances that had brought him the child.
"Surprised was I when Wulfgar came back to the Cutlass," Delly finished. "For me!"
She couldn't help but glance at Catti-brie as she said that, somewhat nervously, somewhat superiorly. The auburn-haired woman's expression hardly changed, though.
"He came to apologize, and oh, but he owed it to us all," Delly went on. "We left, us three - me man and me child - to find Captain Deudermont, and for Wulfgar to find Aegis-fang. He's out there now," Delly ended, staring out the west-facing window. "So I'm hoping."
"Sheila Kree has not met up with Sea Sprite yet," Drizzt said to her. "Or if she has, then her ship is at the bottom of those cold waters, and Wulfgar is on his way back to Waterdeep."
"Ye can not know that," Delly said.
"But we will find out," a determined Catti-brie put in.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"The winter fast approaches," Captain Deudermont remarked to Wulfgar, the two of them standing at Sea Sprite's rail as the ship sailed along at a great clip. They had seen no pirates over the past few tendays, and few merchant vessels save the last groups making the southern run out of Luskan.
Wulfgar, who had grown up in Icewind Dale and knew well the change of the season - a dramatic and swift change this far north - didn't disagree. He, too, had seen the signs, the noticeably chilly shift in the wind and the change of direction, flowing more from the northwest now, off the cold waters of the Sea of Moving Ice.
"We will not put in to Luskan, but sail straight for Waterdeep,"
Deudermont explained. "There, we will ready the ship for winter sailing."
"Then you do not intend to put in for the season," Wulfgar reasoned.
"No, but our route will be south out of Waterdeep harbor and not north," Deudermont pointedly explained. "Perhaps we will patrol off of Baldur's Gate, perhaps even farther south. Robillard has made it clear that he would prefer a busy winter and has mentioned the Pirate Isles to me many times."
Wulfgar nodded grimly, understanding more from Deudermont's leading tone than from his actual words. The captain was politely inviting him to debark in Waterdeep and remain there with Delly and Colson.
"You will need my strong arm," Wulfgar said, less than convincingly.
"We are not likely to find Sheila Kree south of Waterdeep," Deudermont said clearly. ''Bloody Keel has never