a few moments later, her head sagging as so many things suddenly became clear to her.
Both of her companions looked at her curiously.
"Deudermont's chasing us," Sheila Kree explained. "What'd'ye think he's looking for?"
"Do we know that he's looking for anything at all?" Bellany replied, but she slowed down as she finished the sentence, as if starting to catch on.
"And now Drizzt and his girlfriend are waiting for us at Deudermont's house," Sheila went on.
"So Deudermont is after Aegis-fang, as well," reasoned Jule Pepper. "It's all connected. But Wulfgar is not - or at least was not - with Drizzt and the others from Icewind Dale, so . . ."
"Wulfgar might be with Deudermont," Bellany finished.
"I'll be paying Josi Puddles back for this, don't ye doubt," Sheila said grimly, settling back in her seat.
"We know not where Wulfgar might be," Jule Pepper put in. "We do know that Deudermont will not likely be sailing anywhere north of Waterdeep for the next season, so if Wulfgar is with Deudermont. . ."
She stopped as Sheila growled and leaped up from her seat, pounding a fist into an open palm. "We're not knowing enough to make any choices," she grumbled. "We're needing to learn more."
An uncomfortable silence followed, at last broken by Jule Pepper. "Morik," the woman said.
Bellany and Sheila looked at her curiously.
"Morik the Rogue, as well-connected as any rogue on Luskan's streets," Bellany explained. "And with a previous interest in Wulfgar, as you just said. He will have some answers for us, perhaps."
Sheila thought it over for a moment. "Bring him to me," she ordered Bellany, whose magical powers could take her quickly to Luskan, despite the season.
Bellany nodded, and without a word she rose and left the room.
"Dark elves and war-hammers," Sheila Kree remarked when she and Jule were alone. "A mysterious and beautiful elf visitor . . ."
"Exotic, if not beautiful," Jule agreed. "And I admit I do like the look. Especially the black mask."
Sheila Kree laughed at the craziness of it all and shook her head vigorously, her wild red hair flying all about. "If Le'lorinel survives this, then I'll be naming an elf among me commanders," she explained.
"A most mysterious and beautiful and exotic elf," Jule agreed with a laugh. "Though perhaps a bit crazy."
Sheila considered her with an incredulous expression. "Ain't we all?"
Chapter 15 SHARING A DRINK WITH A SURLY DWARF
should've known better than to let the two of ye go running off on yer own," a blustering voice greeted loudly as Drizzt and Catti-brie entered the Cutlass in Luskan. Bruenor and Regis sat at the bar, across from Arumn Gardpeck, both looking a bit haggard still from their harrowing journey.
"I didn't think you would come out," Drizzt remarked, pulling a seat up beside his friends. "It is late in the season."
"Later than you think," Regis mumbled, and both Drizzt and Catti-brie turned to Bruenor for clarification.
"Bah, a little storm and nothing to fret about," the dwarf bellowed.
"Little to a mountain giant," Regis muttered quietly, and Bruenor gave a snort.
"Fix up me friend and me girl here with a bit o' the wine," Bruenor called to Arumn, who was already doing just that. As soon as the drinks were delivered and Arumn, with a nod to the pair, started away, the red-bearded dwarfs expression grew very serious.
"So where's me boy?" he asked.
"With Deudermont, sailing on Sea Sprite, as far as we can tell," Catti-brie answered.
"Not in port here," Regis remarked.
"Nor in Waterdeep, though they might put in before winter," Drizzt explained. "That would be Captain Deudermont's normal procedure, to properly stock the ship for the coming cold season."
"Then they'll likely sail south," Catti-brie added. "Not returning to Waterdeep until the spring."
Bruenor snorted again, but with a mouthful of ale, and wound up spitting half of it over Regis, "Then why're ye here?" he demanded. "If me boy's soon to be in Waterdeep, and not back for half a year, why ain't ye there seeing to him?"
"We left word," Drizzt explained.
"Word?" the dwarf echoed incredulously. "What word might that be? Hello? Well met? Keep warm through the winter? Ye durn fool elf, I was counting on ye to bring me boy back to us."
"It is complicated," Drizzt replied.
Only then did Catti-brie note that both Arumn Gardpeck and Josi Puddles were quietly edging closer, each craning an ear the way of the four friends. She didn't scold them, though, for she well understood their stake in all of this.
"We found Delly," she said, turning to regard the two of