精灵血脉四部曲-第142部分

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del'Armgo　needed　to　e　out　of　this　war　with　high　glory；　particularly　in　light　of　Matron　Baenre's　incredible　display　in　the　destruction　of　House　Oblodra。　When　this　business　with　Mithril　Hall　was　settled；　the　rearrangement　of　the　pecking　order　in　Menzoberranzan　would　likely　begin。　Interhouse　wars　seemed　unavoidable；　with　the　biggest　holes　to　be　filled　those　ranks　directly　behind　Barrison　del'Armgo。

　　　Thus　had　Matron　Mez'Barris　promised　full　fealty　to　Baenre；　in　exchange　for　being　personally　excused　from　the　expedition。　She　remained　in　Menzoberranzan；　solidifying　her　house's　position　and　working　closely　with　Triel　Baenre　in　forming　a　web　of　lies　and　allies　to　insulate　House　Baenre　from　further　accusations。　Baenre　had　agreed　with　Mez'Barris's　offer；　knowing　that　she；　too；　would　be　vulnerable　if　all　did　not　go　well　in　Mithril　Hall。

　　　With　the　matron　mother　of　his　house　back　in　Menzoberranzan；　the　glory　of　House　Barrison　del'Armgo　was　Uthegental's　to　find。　The　fierce　warrior　was　glad　for　the　task；　but　he　was　edgy　as　well；　filled　with　nervous　energy；　wanting　a　battle；　any　battle；　that　he　might　whet　his　appetite　for　what　was　to　e；　and　might　wet　the　end　of　his　wicked　trident　with　the　blood　of　an　enemy。

　　　But　where　were　the　ugly　little　svirfnebli？　he　wondered。　The　marching　plan　called　for　no　attack　on　Blingdenstone　proper？not　on　the　initial　journey；　at　least。　If　there　was　to　be　an　assault　on　the　gnome　city；　it　would　e　on　the　return　from　Mithril　Hall；　after　the　main　objective　had　been　realized。　Uthegental　had　been　given　permission　to　test　svirfneblin　defenses；　though；　and　to　skirmish　with　any　gnomes　he　and　his　warriors　found　out　in　the　open　tunnels。

　　　Uthegental　craved　that；　and　had　already　determined　that　if　he　found　and　tested　the　gnome　defenses　and　discovered　sufficient　holes　in　them；　he　would　take　the　extra　step；　hoping　to　return　to　Baenre's　side　with　the　head　of　the　svirfneblin　king　on　the　end　of　his　trident。

　　　All　glory　for　Barrison　del'Armgo。

　　　One　of　the　scouts　slipped　back　past　the　guards；　moved　right　up　to　the　fierce　warrior。　Her　fingers　flashed　in　the　silent　drow　code；　explaining　to　her　leader　that　she　had　gone　closer；　much　closer；　had　even　seen　the　stairway　that　led　up　to　the　level　of　Blingdenstone's　massive　front　gates。　But　no　sign　had　she　seen　of　the　svirfnebli。

　　　It　had　to　be　an　ambush；　every　instinct　within　the　seasoned　weapon　master　told　Uthegental　that　the　svirfnebli　were　lying　in　wait；　in　full　force。　Almost　any　other　dark　elf；　a　race　known　for　caution　when　dealing　with　others　（mostly　because　the　drow　knew　they　could　always　win　such　encounters　if　they　struck　at　the　appropriate　time）；　would　have　relented。　In　truth；　Uthegental's　mission；　a　scouting　expedition；　was　now　plete；　and　he　could　return　to　Matron　Baenre　with　a　full　report　that　she　would　be　pleased　to　hear。

　　　But　fierce　Uthegental　was　not　like　other　drow。　He　was　less　than　relieved；　was；　in　fact　boiling　with　rage。

　　　Take　me　there；　his　fingers　flashed；　to　the　surprise　of　the　female　scout。

　　　You　are　too　valuable；　the　female's　hands　replied。

　　　〃All　of　us！〃　Uthegental　roared　aloud；　his　volume　surprising　every　one　of　the　many　dark　elves　about　him。　But　Uthegental　wasn't　startled；　and　did　not　relent。　〃Send　the　word　along　every　column；〃　he　went　on；　〃to　follow　my　lead　to　the　very　gates　of　Blingdenstone！〃

　　　More　than　a　few　drow　soldiers　turned　nervous　looks　to　each　other。　They　numbered　three　hundred；　a　formidable　force；　but　Blingdenstone　held　many　times　that　number；　and　svirfnebli；　full　of　tricks　with　the　stone　and　often　allied　with　powerful　monsters　from　the　Plane　of　Earth；　were　not　easy　foes。　Still；　not　one　of　the　dark　elves　would　argue　with　Uthegental　Armgo；　especially　since　he　alone　knew　what　Matron　Baenre　expected　of　this　point　group。

　　　And　so　they　arrived　in　full；　at　the　stairway　and　up　it　they　climbed；　to　the　very　gates　of　Blingdenstone梘ates　that　a　drow　engineer　found　devilishly　trapped；　with　the　entire　ceiling　above　them　rigged　to　fall　if　they　were　opened。　Uthegental　called　to　a　priestess　that　had　been　assigned　to　his　group。

　　　You　can　get　one　of　us　past　the　barrier？　his　fingers　asked　her；　to　which　she　nodded。

　　　Uthegental's　stream　of　surprises　continued　when　he　indicated　he　would　personally　enter　the　svirfneblin　city。　It　was　an　unheard…of　request。　No　drow　leader　ever　went　in　first；　that's　what　moners　were　for。

　　　But　again；　who　would　argue　with　Uthegental？　In　truth；　the　priestess　really　didn't　care　if　this　arrogant　male　got　torn　apart。　She　began　her　casting　at　once；　a　spell　that　would　make　Uthegental　as　insubstantial　as　a　wraith；　would　make　his　form　melt　away　into　something　that　could　slip　through　the　slightest　cracks。　When　it　was　done；　the　brave　Uthegental　left　without　hesitation；　without　bothering　to　leave　instructions　in　the　event　that　he　did　not　return。

　　　Proud　and　supremely　confident；　Uthegental　simply　did　not　think　that　way。

　　　A　few　minutes　later；　after　passing　through　the　empty　guard　chambers；　crisscrossed　with　cunningly　built　trenches　and　fortifications；　Uthegental　became　only　the　second　drow；　after　Drizzt　Do'Urden；　to　glance　at　the　rounded；　natural　houses　of　the　svirfnebli　and　the　winding；　unremarkable　ways　that　posed　their　city。　How　different　Blingdenstone　was　from　Menzoberranzan；　built　in　accord　with　what　the　gnomes　had　found　in　the　natural　caverns；　rather　than　sculpted　and　reformed　into　an　image　that　a　dark　elf　would　consider　more　pleasing。

　　　Uthegental；　who　demanded　control　of　everything　about　him；　found　the　place　repulsive。　He　also　found　it；　this　most　ancient　and　hallowed　of　svirfneblin　cities；　deserted。



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　　　Belwar　Dissengulp　stared　out　from　the　lip　of　the　deep　chamber；　far　to　the　west　of　Blingdenstone；　and　wondered　if　he　had　done　right　in　convincing　King　Schnicktick　to　abandon　the　gnomish　city。　The　most　honored　burrow　warden　had　reasoned　that；　with　magic　returned；　the　drow　would　surely　march　for　Mithril　Hall；　and　that　course；　Belwar　knew；　would　take　them　dangerously　close　to　Blingdenstone。

　　　Though　he　had　little　difficulty　in　convincing　his　fellows　that　the　dark　elves　would　march；　the　thought　of　leaving　Blingdenstone；　of　simply　packing　up　their　belongings　and　deserting　their　ancient　home；　had　not　settled　well。　For　more　than　two　thousand　years　the　gnomes　had　lived　in　the　ominous　shadow　of　Menzoberranzan；　and　more　than　once　had　they　believed　the　drow　would　e　in　full　war　against　them。

　　　This　time　was　different；　Belwar　reasoned；　and　he　had　told　them　so；　his　speech　full　of　passion　and　carrying　the　weight　of　his　relationship　with　the　renegade　drow　from　that　terrible　city。　Still；　Belwar　was　far　from　convincing　Schnicktick　and　the　others　until　Councilor　Firble　piped　in　on　the　burrow　warden's　side。

　　　It　was　indeed　different　this　time；　Firble　had　told　them　with　all　sincerity。　This　time；　the　whole　of　Menzoberranzan　would　band　together；　and　any　attack　would　not　be　the　ambitious　probing　of　a　single　house。　This　time　the　gnomes；　and　anyone　else　unfortunate　enough　to　fall　in　the　path　of　the　drow　march；　could　not　depend　on　interhouse　rivalries　to　save　them。　Firble　had　learned　of　House　Oblodra's　fall　from　Jarlaxle；　an　earth　elemental　sent　secretly　under　Menzoberranzan　and　into　the　Clawrift　by　svirfneblin　priests　confirmed　it　and　the　utter　destruction　of　the　third　house。　Thus；　when；　at　their　last　meeting；　Jarlaxle　hinted　〃it　would　not　be　wise　to　harbor　Drizzt　Do'Urden；〃　Firble；　with　his　understanding　of　drow　ways；　reasoned　that　the　dark　elves　would　indeed　march　for　Mithril　Hall；　in　a　force　unified　by　the　fear　of　the　one　who　had　so　utterly　crushed　the　third　house。

　　　And　so；　on　that　ominous　note；　the　svirfnebli　had　left　Blingdenstone；　and　Belwar　had　played　a　critical　role　in　the　departure。　That　responsibility　weighed　heavily　on　the　burrow　warden　now；　made　him　second…guess　the　reasoning　that　had　seemed　so　sound　when　he　had　thought　danger　imminent。　Here　to　the　west　the　tunnels　were　quiet；　and　not　eerily　so；　as　though　enemy　dark　elves　were　slipping　from　shadow　to　shadow。　The　tunnels　were　quiet　with　peace；　the　war　Belwar　had　anticipated　seemed　a　thousand　miles　or　a　thousand　years　away。

　　　The　other　gnomes　felt　it；　too；　and　Belwar　had　overheard　more　than　one　plaining　that　the　decision　to　leave　Blingdenstone　had　been；　at　best；　foolish。

　　　Only　when　the　last　of　the　svirfnebli　had　left　the　city；　when　the　long　caravan　had　begun　its　march　to　the　west；　had　Belwar　realized　the　gravity　of　the　departure；　realized　the　emotional　burden。　In　leaving；　the　gnomes　were　admitting　to　themselves　that　they　were　no　match　for　the　drow；　that　they　could　not　protect　themselves　or　their　homes　from　the　dark　elves。　More　than　a　few　svirfnebli；　Belwar　perhaps　most　among　them；　were　sick　about　that　fact。　Their　illusions　of　security；　of　the　strength　of　their　shamans；　of　their　very　god　figure；　had　been　shaken；　without　a　single　drop　of　spilled　svirfneblin　blood。

　　　Belwar　felt　like　a　coward。

　　　The　most　honored　burrow　warden　took　some　fort　in　the　fact　that　eyes　were　still　in　place　in　Blingdenstone。　A　friendly　elemental；　blended　with　the　stone；　had　been　ordered　to　wait　and　watch；　and　to　report　back　to　the　svirfneblin　shamans　who　had　summoned　it。　If　the　dark　elves　did　e　in；　as　Belwar　expected；　the　gnomes　would　know　of　it。

　　　But　what　if　they　didn't　e？　Belwar　wondered。　If　he　and　Firble　were　wrong　and　the　march　did　not　e；　then　what　loss　had　the　svirfnebli　suffered　for　the　sake　of　caution？

　　　Could　any　of　them　ever　feel　secure　in　Blingdenstone　again？



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　　　Matron　Baenre　was　not　pleased　at　Uthegental's　report　that　the　gnomish　city　was　deserted。　As　sour　as　her　expression　was；　though；　it　could　not　match　the　open　wrath　showing　on　the　face　of　Berg'inyon；　at　her　side。　His　eyes　narrowed　dangerously　as　he　considered　the　powerful　patron　of　the　second　house；　and　Uthegental；　seeing　a　challenge；　more　than　matched　that　ominous　stare。

　　　Baenre　understood　the　source　of　Berg'inyon's　anger；　and　she；　too；　was　not　pleased　by　the　fact　that　Uthegental　had　taken　it　upon　himself　to　enter　Blingdenstone。　That　act　reflected　clearly　the　desperation　of　Mez'Barris。　Obviously　Mez'Barris　felt　vulnerable　in　the　shadows　of　Matron　Baenre's　display　against　Oblodra；　and　thus　she　had　placed　a　great　weight　upon　Uthegen