on backward, for it leaned forward over the ugly creature's sloping brow, one ribbon dangling annoyingly before the goblin's nose.
No doubt, the goblin thought itself the height of thieving fash ion, dressed in the clothing of its tribe's unfortunate victims. It con tinued to ramble in its high pitched voice, too fast for Catti-brie to make out more than a single word here or there. Then the creature stopped, abruptly, and pounded a fist against its chest.
"Do ye speak the surface tongue?" Catti-brie asked, trying to find some common ground. She fought hard to hold her nerve, but expected a spear to plunge into her back at any moment.
The goblin leader regarded her curiously, apparently not under standing a word she had said. It scanned the woman up and down, its red glowing eyes finally coming to rest on the locket that hung about Catti-brie's neck. "Nying so, wucka, " it remarked, and it pointed to the locket, then to Catti-brie, then swept its hand about to indicate the far exit.
Had the locket been a normal piece of jewelry, Catti-brie will ingly would have given it over in exchange for passage, but she needed the magic item if she was to have any chance of locating Drizzt. The goblin repeated its demand, its tone more urgent, and the young woman knew that she had to think fast.
On sudden inspiration, she smiled and stuck an upraised finger before her. "Nying, " she said, thinking that to be the goblin word for gift. She clapped her hands sharply twice before her and called out, "Guenhwyvar!" without looking back over her shoulder.
A startled cry from the goblins at the back end of the chamber told her that the panther was on its way.
"Come in with calm, Guen, " Catti-brie called. "Walk to me side without a fight."
The panther stalked slowly and steadily, head down and ears flattened. Every so often, Guenhwyvar let out a low growl, just to keep the closest goblins on their heels. The crowd parted widely, giving the magnificent cat a large open path to the drow priestess.
Then Guenhwyvar was at Catti-brie's side, nuzzling the woman's hip.
"Nying, " Catti-brie said again, pointing from the panther to the goblin. "Ye take the cat and I walk out the passage, " she added, motioning as best she could with her hands to convey the message. The ugly goblin fashion king scratched its head, shifting the head piece awkwardly to the side.
"Well, go over and make nice, " Catti-brie whispered to Guen hwyvar. She pushed the cat away with her leg. The panther looked up to her, seemed more than a little annoyed by it all, then padded over to the goblin leader and plopped down at its feet (and the blood drained from the monster's face!).
"Nying, " Catti-brie said again, motioning that the goblin should reach down and pet the cat. The creature eyed her incredulously, but gradually, with her coaxing, the goblin mustered the nerve to touch the cat's thick fur.
The goblin's pointy toothed smile widened, and it dared to touch the cat again, more solidly. Again it dipped, and again, and each stroke went more firmly over the panther's back. Through it all, Guenhwyvar leveled a withering stare at Catti-brie.
"Now, ye're to stay here with this friendly goblin, " Catti-brie instructed the cat, making sure that her tones did not give away her true meaning. She patted her belt pouch, the one holding the fig urine, and added, "I'll be calling ye, don't ye doubt."
Then Catti-brie straightened and faced the goblin leader squarely. She slapped a hand against her chest, then snapped it straight out and pointed to the far exit, her expression a scowl. "I go!" she declared and took a step forward.
At first, the goblin leader seemed as though it would move to hinder her, but a quick glance to the powerful cat at its feet changed the creature's mind. Catti-brie had played the game perfectly; she had allowed the overly proud goblin leader to retain its dignity, had kept herself appearing as a potentially dangerous enemy, and had strategically placed six hundred pounds of fighting ally right at the goblin leader's feet.
"Nying so, wucka, " the goblin said again, pointing to Guenhwy var, then to the far exit, and it gingerly stepped aside so that the drow could pass.
Catti-brie swept across the rest of the chamber, backhand slap ping one goblin that didn't get