精灵血脉四部曲-第185部分

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a　closer　bond　growing　between　the　dwarf　king　and　the　female。

　　　But　it　was　Regis　who　knew　Bruenor　best；　Regis　who　had　e　out　here　when；　Bruenor　had　to　admit；　he　truly　needed　the　pany。　Since　the　return　to　Icewind　Dale；　Drizzt　and　Catti…brie　had　been　on　the　old　dwarfs　mind　almost　continually。　The　only　things　that　had　saved　Bruenor　from　falling　into　a　deep　depression　had　been　the　sheer　volume　of　work　in　trying　to　reopen　the　dwarven　mines；　and　Regis；　always　there；　always　smiling；　always　assuring　Bruenor　that　Drizzt　and　Catti…brie　would　return　to　him。

　　　〃Where　do　you　think　they　are？〃　Regis　asked　after　a　long　moment　of　silence。

　　　Bruenor　smiled　and　shrugged；　looking　to　the　south　and　west；　and　not　at　the　halfling。　〃Out　there；〃　was　all　that　he　replied。

　　　〃Out　there；〃　Regis　echoed。　〃Drizzt　and　Catti…brie。　And　you　miss　them；　as　do　I。〃　The　halfling　moved　closer；　put　a　hand　on　Bruenor's　muscled　shoulder。　〃And　I　know　that　you　miss　the　cat；〃　Regis　said；　once　again　drawing　the　dwarf　from　dark　thoughts。

　　　Bruenor　looked　at　him　and　couldn't　help　but　grin。　The　mention　of　Guenhwyvar　reminded　Bruenor　not　only　of　all　the　conflict　between　himself　and　the　panther；　but　also　that　Drizzt　and　Catti…brie；　his　two　dear　friends；　were　not　alone　and　were　more　than　able　to　take　care　of　themselves。

　　　The　dwarf　and　halfling　stood　for　a　long　time　that　night；　in　silence；　listening　to　the　endless　wind　that　gave　the　dale　its　name　and　feeling　as　though　they　were　among　the　stars。



*****



　　　The　gathering　of　supplies　went　well　at　Wyngate　and　the　Sea　Sprite；　fully　provisioned　and　fully　repaired；　put　out　and　soon　left　the　Moonshaes　far　behind。

　　　The　winds　diminished　greatly；　though；　just　a　day　off　the　western　coast　of　the　Moonshaes。　They　were　out　in　the　open　ocean　with　no　land　in　sight。

　　　The　schooner　could　not　be　pletely　calmed；　not　with　Robillard　aboard。　But　still；　the　wizard's　powers　were　limited；　he　could　not　keep　the　sails　full　of　wind　for　very　long；　and　settled　for　a　continual　fluttering　that　moved　the　ship　along　slowly。

　　　Thus　the　days　passed；　uneventful　and　hot；　the　Sea　Sprite　rolling　in　the　ocean　swells；　creaking　and　swaying。　Deudermont　ordered　strict　rationing　three　days　out　of　Wyngate；　as　much　to　slow　the　rising　incidents　of　seasickness　as　to　preserve　the　food　stores。　At　least　the　crew　wasn't　worried　about　pirates。　Few　other　ships　came　out　this　far；　certainly　no　cargo　or　merchant　vessels；　nothing　lucrative　enough　to　keep　a　pirate　happy。

　　　The　only　enemies　were　the　seasickness；　the　sunburn；　and　the　boredom　of　days　and　days　of　nothing　but　the　flat　water。

　　　They　found　some　excitement　on　the　fifth　day　out。　Drizzt；　on　the　forward　beam；　spotted　a　tail　fin；　the　dorsal　fin　of　a　huge　shark；　running　parallel　to　the　schooner。　The　drow　yelled　up　to　Waillan；　who　was　in　the　crow's　nest　at　the　time。

　　　〃Twenty　footer！〃　the　young　man　called　back　down；　for　from　his　high　vantage　point；　he　could　make　out　the　shadow　of　the　great　fish。

　　　All　of　the　crew　came　on　deck；　yelling　excitedly；　taking　up　harpoons。　Any　thoughts　they　might　have　had　of　spearing　the　fish　dissolved　into　understandable　fear；　though；　as　Waillan　continued　to　call　down　numbers；　as　they　all　came　to　realize　that　the　shark　was　not　alone。　The　counts　varied梞any　of　the　dorsal　fins　were　hard　to　spot　amidst　the　suddenly　churning　water梑ut　Waillan's　estimate；　undoubtedly　the　most　accurate；　put　the　school　at　several　hundred。

　　　Several　hundred！　And　many　of　them　were　nearly　as　large　as　the　one　Drizzt　had　spotted。　Words　of　excitement　were　fast　replaced　by　prayers。

　　　The　shark　school　stayed　with　the　Sea　Sprite　throughout　the　day　and　night。　Deudermont　figured　that　the　sharks　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　the　vessel；　and　though　no　one　spoke　the　words；　all　were　thinking　along　the　same　lines；　hoping　that　the　voracious　fish　didn't　mistake　the　Sea　Sprite　for　a　running　whale。

　　　The　next　morning；　the　sharks　were　gone；　as　suddenly　and　inexplicably　as　they　had　e。　Drizzt　spent　the　better　part　of　the　morning　walking　the　rails　of　the　ship；　even　climbing　up　the　mainmast　to　the　crow's　nest　a　few　times。　The　sharks　were　gone；　just　gone。

　　　〃They're　not　answering　to　us；〃　Catti…brie　remarked　late　that　morning；　meeting　Drizzt　as　he　came　down　the　mast　from　one　of　his　skyward　jaunts。　〃Never　that。　Suren　they're　moving　in　ways　they　know；　but　we　cannot。〃

　　　It　struck　Drizzt　as　a　simple　truth；　a　plain　reminder　of　how　unknown　the　world　about　him　really　was；　even　to　those；　like　Deudermont；　who　had　spent　the　bulk　of　their　lives　on　the　sea。　This　watery　world；　and　the　great　creatures　that　inhabited　it；　moved　to　rhythms　that　he　could　never　truly　understand。　That　realization；　along　with　the　fact　that　the　horizon　from　every　angle　was　nothing　but　flat　water；　reminded　Drizzt　of　how　small　they　really　were；　of　how　overwhelming　nature　could　be。

　　　For　all　his　training；　for　all　his　fine　weapons；　for　all　his　warrior　heart；　the　ranger　was　a　tiny　thing；　a　mere　speck　on　a　blue…green　tapestry。

　　　Drizzt　found　that　notion　unsettling　and　forting　all　at　once。　He　was　a　small　thing；　an　insignificant　thing；　a　single　swallow　to　the　fish　that　had　easily　paced　the　Sea　Sprite。　And　yet；　he　was　a　part　of　something　much　bigger；　a　single　tile　on　a　mosaic　much　huger　than　his　imagination　could　even　prehend。

　　　He　draped　an　arm　fortably　across　Catti…brie's　shoulder；　connected　himself　to　the　tile　that　plimented　his　own；　and　she　leaned　against　him。



*****



　　　The　winds　picked　up　the　next　day；　and　the　schooner　rushed　on；　to　the　applause　of　every　crewman。　Robillard's　mirth　disappeared　soon　after；　though。　The　wizard　had　spells　to　tell　of　impending　weather；　and　he　informed　Deudermont　that　the　new　winds　were　the　forerunners　of　a　substantial　storm。

　　　What　could　they　do？　There　were　no　ports　nearby；　no　land　at　all；　and　so　Deudermont　ordered　everything　battened　down　as　much　as　was　possible。

　　　What　followed　was　among　the　worst　nights　of　Catti…brie's　life。　It　was　as　bad　as　any　storm　anyone　aboard　the　schooner　had　ever　suffered。　Deudermont　and　the　forty　crewmen　huddled　belowdecks　as　the　Sea　Sprite　rode　out　the　storm；　the　long　and　slender　ship　tossing　about　wildly；　nearly　going　over　more　than　once。

　　　Robillard　and　Harkle　worked　frantically。　Robillard　was　on　the　deck　for　most　of　the　storm；　sometimes　having　to　take　cover　below　and　view　the　deck　through　a　magical；　disembodied　eye。　All　the　while；　he　enacted　spells　to　try　and　counter　the　fierce　winds。　Harkle；　with　Guenhwyvar　and　a　handful　of　crewmen　beside　him；　scrambled　about　on　all　fours　in　the　lowest　hold；　dodging　rats　and　shifting　crates　of　foodstuff　as　they　inspected　the　hull。　The　Harpell　had　a　spell　to　keep　the　area　well　lit；　and　others　that　could　enlarge　wood　to　seal　cracks。　The　crewmen　carried　tarred　lengths　of　rope　that　they　hammered　in　between　any　leaking　boards。

　　　Catti…brie　was　too　sick　to　move梥o　were　many　others。　The　tossing　got　so　bad　at　one　point　that　many　of　the　crew　had　to　tie　themselves　down　to　stop　from　bouncing　off　the　walls　or　crushing　each　other。　Poor　Dunkin　got　the　worst　of　it。　In　one　particularly　bad　roll；　the　small　man；　reaching　at　the　time　for　an　offered　length　of　rope；　went　flying　head　over　heels　and　slammed　into　a　beam　so　violently　that　he　dislocated　a　shoulder　and　broke　his　wrist。

　　　There　was　no　sleep　that　night　aboard　the　Sea　Sprite。

　　　The　ship　was　listing　badly　to　port　the　next　morning；　but　she　was　still　afloat　and　the　storm　had　passed　without　a　single　loss　of　life。　The　crew；　those　who　were　able；　worked　through　the　morning；　trying　to　get　up　a　single　sail。

　　　About　midday；　Catti…brie　called　down　from　the　crow's　nest；　reporting　that　the　air　was　alive　with　birds　to　the　north　and　west。　Deudermont　breathed　a　deep　sigh　of　relief。　He　had　feared　that　the　storm　had　blown　them　off　course　and　that　they　would　not　be　able　to　recover　in　time　to　put　in　at　the　Gull　Rocks；　the　last　charted　islands　on　the　way　to　Caerwich。　As　it　was；　they　were　well　to　the　south　of　their　intended　course；　and　had　to　work　frantically；　particularly　poor　Robillard　and　Harkle。　Both　of　the　wizards　had　bluish　bags　under　their　eyes　that　showed　their　exhaustion　from　both　the　physical　and　magical　strain。

　　　Somehow；　the　Sea　Sprite　managed　to　veer　enough　to　get　to　the　rocks。　The　place　was　aptly　named。　The　Gull　Rocks　were　no　more　than　a　series　of　barren　stones；　most　smaller　than　the　Sea　Sprite；　many　large　enough　for　only　two　or　three　men　to　stand　upon。　A　couple　of　the　rocks　were　substantial；　one　nearly　a　mile　across；　but　even　these　large　ones　were　more　white　than　gray；　thick　with　guano。　As　the　Sea　Sprite　neared　the　cluster；　thousands　and　thousands　of　seagulls；　a　veritable　cloud　of　them；　fluttered　in　the　air　all　about　her；　squawking　angrily　at　the　intrusion　to　this；　their　private　domain。

　　　Deudermont　found　a　little　inlet　where　the　water　was　more　calm；　where　repairs　could　be　done　in　peace；　and　where　each　of　the　crew　could　take　turns　off　of　the　ship；　to　calm　their　churning　stomachs；　if　nothing　else。

　　　Later　on　that　day；　at　the　highest　point　on　the　Gull　Rocks；　perhaps　fifty　feet　above　sea　level；　Deudermont　stood　with　Drizzt　and　Catti…brie。　The　Captain　was　looking　south　using　the　spyglass；　though　he　obviously　expected　to　find　nothing　but　flat　water。

　　　It　had　taken　them　nearly　two　weeks　to　cover　the　five　hundred　miles　from　the　westernmost　spur　of　the　Moonshaes　to　the　Gull　Rocks；　nearly　double　the　time　Deudermont　had　expected。　Still；　the　captain　remained　confident　that　the　provisions　would　hold　and　they　would　find　their　way　to　Caerwich。　Nothing　much　had　been　said　about　the　island　since　the　Sea　Sprite　had　put　out　of　Wyngate。　Nothing　openly；　at　least；　for　Drizzt　had　overheard　the　nervous　whispers　of　many　of　the　crew；　talk　of　ghosts　and　the　like。

　　　〃Five　hundred　behind　us　and　five　hundred　to　go；〃　Deudermont　said；　the　spyglass　to　his　eye　and　his　gaze　to　the　south　and　west。　〃There　is　an　island　not　far　south　of　here　where　we　might　gain　more　provisions。〃

　　　〃Do　we　need　them？〃　Drizzt　asked。

　　　〃Not　if　make　good　speed　to　Caerwich；　and　good　speed　on　the　return；〃　Deudermont　replied。

　　　〃What're　ye　thinking　then？〃　Catti…brie　asked。

　　　〃I　grow　weary　of　delays；　and　weary　of　the　journey；〃　Deudermont　replied。

　　　〃That's　because　yer　fearin'　what's　at　its　e