The two half-ogres giggled. Sheila Kree motioned to the door at the back of the room, and the brutes dragged their captive off, through the door and into a smaller room, undecorated except for a hot fire pit near one wall and a block set at about waist height in the center.
“What are you doing?” Le'lorinel demanded in a tone that held its calm edge, despite the obvious trouble.
“It's gonna hurt,” Sheila Kree promised as the half-ogres yanked the elf across the block, holding tight.
Le'lorinel struggled futilely against the powerful press.
“Now, ye tell me again about the drow elf, Drizzt Do'Urden,” Sheila remarked.
“I told you everything, and honestly,” Le'lorinel protested.
“Tell me again,” said Sheila.
“Yes, do,” came another voice, that of Bellany, who walked into the room. “Tell us about this fascinating character who has suddenly become so very important to us.”
“I heard of the killings at Captain Deudermont's house,”
Le'lorinel remarked, grunting as the half-ogres pulled a bit too hard. “I warned you that Drizzt Do'Urden is a powerful enemy.”
“But one ye're thinking ye can defeat,” Sheila interjected.
“I have prepared for little else.”
“And have ye prepared for the pain?” Sheila asked wickedly.
Le'lorinel felt an intense heat.
”I do not deserve this!” the elf protested, but the sentence faded with an agonized scream as the glowing hot metal came down hard on Le'lorinel's back.
The sickly smell of burning skin permeated the room.
“Now, ye tell us all about Drizzt Do'Urden again,” Sheila Kree demanded some time later, when Le'lorinel had come back to consciousness and sensibility. “Everything, including why ye're so damned determined to see him dead.”
Still held over the block, Le'lorinel stared at the pirate long and hard.
“Ah, let the fool go,” Sheila told the half-ogres. “And get ye gone, both of ye!”
The pair did as they were ordered, rushing out of the room. With great effort, Le'lorinel straightened.
Bellany thrust a shirt into the elf’s trembling hands. “You might want to wait a while before you try to put that on,” the sorceress explained.
Le'lorinel nodded and stretched repeatedly, trying to loosen the new scars.
“I'll be wanting to hear it all,” Sheila said. “Ye're owing me that, now.”
Le'lorinel looked at the pirate for a moment, then craned to see the new brand, the mark of Aegis-fang, the mark of acceptance and hierarchy in Sheila's band.
Eyes narrowed threateningly, teeth gritted with rage that denied the burning agony of the brand, the elf looked back at Sheila. “Everything, and you will come to trust that I will never rest until Drizzt Do'Urden is dead, slain by my own hands.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Later Sheila, Bellany, and Jule Pepper sat together in Sheila's room, digesting all that Le'lorinel had told them of Drizzt Do'Urden and his companions, who were apparently hunting Sheila in an effort to retrieve the warhammer.
“We are fortunate that Le'lorinel came to us,” Bellany admitted.
“Ye thinking that the elf can beat the drow?” Sheila asked with a doubtful snort. “Damn drow. Never seen one. Never wanted to.”
“I have no idea whether Le'lorinel has any chance at all against this dark elf or not,” Bellany honestly answered. “I do know that the elf s hatred for Drizzt is genuine and deep, and whatever the odds, we can expect Le'lorinel to lead the charge if Drizzt Do'Urden comes against us. That alone is a benefit.” As she finished, she turned a leading gaze over Jule Pepper, the only one of them to ever encounter Drizzt and his friends.
“I would hesitate to ever bet against that group,” Jule said. “Their teamwork is impeccable, wrought of years fighting together, and each of them, even the runt halfling, is formidable.”
“What o' these other ones, then?” the obviously nervous pirate leader asked. “What o' Bruenor the dwarf king? Think he'll bring an army against us?”
Neither Jule nor Bellany had any way of knowing. “Le'lorinel told us much,” the sorceress said, “but the information is far from complete.”
“In my encounter with them in Icewind Dale, the dwarf worked with his friends, but with no support from his clan whatsoever,” Jule interjected. “If Bruenor knows the power of your band, though, he might decide to rouse the fury of Clan Battle-hammer.”
“And?” Sheila asked.
“Then we sail, winter storm or no,” Bellany was quick to reply. Sheila started to scold her but noted that Jule was nodding her agreement, and in truth, the icy waters of the northern Sword
Coast in winter seemed insignificant against the threat of an army of hostile dwarves.
“When Wulfgar was in Luskan, he was known to be working for Arumn Gardpeck at the Cutlass,” Jule, who had been in Luskan in those days, offered.
“ 'Twas Arumn's fool friend who selled me the warhammer,” Sheila remarked.
“But his running companion was an old friend of mine,” Jule went on. “A shadowy little thief known as Morik the Rogue.”
Sheila and Bellany looked to each other and nodded. Sheila had heard of Morik, though not in any detail. Bellany, though, knew the man fairly well, or had known him, at least, back in her days as an apprentice at the Hosttower of the Arcane. She looked to Jule, considered what she personally knew of lusty Morik, and understood what the beautiful, sensuous woman likely meant by the phrase “an old friend.”
“Oh, by the gods,” Sheila Kree huffed 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.