The Last Threshold (Neverwinter #4)(132)

Where the dour assassin was concerned, Drizzt took his victories where he could find them.

The innkeeper offered them a pair of complimentary rooms for the night, and promised to find lodging for them thereafter, though they’d have to pay—it was the busy season in Ten-Towns, after all. Drizzt graciously accepted the generous offer, and went back to his conversation with the others, when a complimentary dinner showed up at the table, to the cheers of all in the tavern.

“Insufferable,” Entreri muttered, but Drizzt noted that Entreri ate quite eagerly.

They hadn’t finished the meal before the next interruption, a middle-aged woman moving up to the table and fixing a grin on Drizzt.

“Ah, but you’ve heard the rumors, then,” she said.

“Rumors?” Dahlia asked. She looked to Drizzt as she spoke, and he had no answers for her.

He looked at the woman more closely, a flicker of recognition in his eyes as he agreed, “Rumors?”

“About the forest, and the witch,” she replied.

Drizzt’s eyes widened. “I know you,” he mumbled, though he couldn’t remember the woman’s name.

“My da was Lathan, who’s been to the wood.”

“Tulula!” Drizzt said. “Tulula Obridock!”

“Aye, but it’s Hoerneson now,” she said. “And well met again to you, Drizzt Do’Urden.”

“What forest?” asked Dahlia. “What rumors?”

Again Drizzt felt her gaze upon him, but he could only shrug in reply, preferring to answer the second question and not the first.

“Iruladoon,” Tulula answered. “A magical forest, ’tis said to be, appearing at its whim, so they speak.”

“What is she talking about?” Entreri asked.

“Ruled by an auburn-haired witch and a halfling who lives by the lake,” Tulula said.

Entreri and Dahlia turned directly on Drizzt, who sat staring at Tulula and seeming not to even draw breath at that point, clearly overwhelmed.

“Catti-brie,” Entreri remarked quietly, nodding.

“The barbarian tribes have spoken of it of late,” Tulula confirmed. “Seems my da wasn’t so crazy, and more than a few of the folk have apologized for their jokes about crazy Lathan Obridock, and sure that they owed it to me!”

Drizzt ran his fingers through his hair. He didn’t know where to begin, or what to think, even! He scrutinized Tulula and suspected, feared, that this was no more than a woman holding on desperately to her father’s reputation. Did he dare allow his hopes to soar yet again?

“Ah, but the crazy Lady Hoerneson’s captured you, has she?” said another patron, coming over and draping an arm affectionately across Tulula’s shoulders.

“Bah for your own bluster, Rummy Hoerneson,” she said.

“Your husband?” Drizzt asked.

“His brother,” Rummy corrected. “As soon as I heard you were back in town, I knew Tulula would run to you.”

“These rumors …” Drizzt started to ask.

“Nonsense and nothing more,” said Rummy.

“Three have seen it!” Tulula protested.

“Three took your coins to say they’ve seen it, you mean,” Rummy countered.

“They were speaking of it before ever did I see them,” Tulula protested.

“Because they knew you would come running, purse in hand,” Rummy said with a great laugh. “You’ve been looking for that forest since your da passed, and who can blame you? But a band of drunken barbarians looking for more to drink isn’t anything to send this poor drow here swimming across Dinneshere!”

“What tribe?” Drizzt asked.

“Oh, don’t you think it!” Rummy Hoerneson cried.

“Elk,” Tulula explained. “Tribe of the Elk. They’re following the herd back into the foothills, and came through to market. They’d be fair high up in the Spine of the World by now, I’m thinking.”

Not even considering the movement, Drizzt reflexively turned his head to the southeast, for he knew well the route and destination of the caribou herds.

“Have you ever seen it?” he asked the woman.

“Went across Dinneshere only the one time with yourself, and again a few years later, when my da passed.” She shook her head. “Never seen it.”

“None ever seen it,” Rummy grumbled.

“Catti-brie,” Dahlia said, her tone terse, and she almost spat out the last part of the thought, aiming her venom at Drizzt, “long dead.”

Drizzt swung his head around to regard her.

“Right?” she asked.

Drizzt just stared.

“You cannot even say it?” Dahlia asked incredulously.

Entreri gave a little laugh and Drizzt glared at him.

The tension growing thick around them, Tulula and Rummy offered quick salutations to Drizzt and his friends, welcoming them to Ten-Towns, then promptly hustled away.

“So, when do we head out to find the Tribe of the Elk?” Entreri asked when they were alone, and Drizzt glared all the harder—to no discernible effect.

“We are going, you know,” Entreri said to Dahlia. “Or he is, at least.”

Dahlia’s glower more than matched the one Drizzt wore.

The drow relented and sat back. “Two of my friends were lost to me, many years ago,” he began to explain.