Homeland - Chapter Twenty-Three

[kalinara]

So last time, Drizzt got kidnapped by gnomes. Apparently. Because that's what we needed in the middle of the genuinely interesting and suspenseful conflict between Drizzt and Zaknafein, both of whom believing that the other is evil and that they need to kill them.

Fucking gnomes.

Don't get me wrong. I love gnomes. I have played my share of adorable gnomes in tabletop. But generally no one thinks "OH NO, I'm facing a pack of GNOMES. I hope I survive!"

So yeah, this feels like a bit of a distraction.



So we rejoin our...not heroes really, as Masoj reports to Dinin that Drizzt got kidnapped by gnomes. Dinin, unrealistically, does not laugh his ass off, though he does have the question of why they let Masoj live.

Masoj points out his whole half-in-the-plane/half-not status prevented his own capture, and Dinin's arrival prevented the gnomes from just killing him. Meanwhile, the high priestess happens to have a spell memorized that can free Masoj. She also detects a secret door for Dinin.

So Masoj's rescue is pretty comedic and involves a lot of mud, but he makes it out. He also claims credit for killing the Earth Elemental, which the high priestess sees through (she can tell by the "cut of the rubble" that a blade made the wound. Though there ARE magic blade spells, just saying.)

They encounter a maze, but Dinin has an idea:

Dinin thought for a moment, then spun on Masoj. “They have my brother,” he said, an idea coming to mind. “Where is your cat?”

“About,” Masoj stalled, guessing Dinin’s plan and not really wanting Drizzt rescued.

“Bring it to me,” Dinin ordered. “The cat can smell Drizzt."

“I cannot … I mean,” Masoj stuttered.

“Now, wizard!” Dinin commanded. “Unless you wish me to tell the ruling council that some of the gnomes escaped because you refused to help!”

As I said before, on reread, I'm very interested in Dinin's perspective on Drizzt. I'd never noticed before. But he does seem to care, at least as much as Vierna does.

So anyway, Guen is summoned. She's unscathed from her fight with the earth elemental, and she goes off.

--

So now we rejoin Drizzt. He wakes up, tied up, in gnome captivity. Belwar tells him to be quiet, revealing that he can speak drow. Drizzt recognizes that Belwar is the leader of the group, though he doesn't speak svirfnebli.

I like Belwar, but I'm kind of looking forward to his inevitable death just so I don't have to keep typing "svirfnebli".

Belwar actually seems like a decent sort:

The leader slapped the other gnome hard on the back and sent him off through one of the two low exits in the chamber, then put the others into defensive positions. He walked over to Drizzt. “You come with us to Blingdenstone,” he said in hesitant words.

“Then?” Drizzt asked.

Belwar shrugged. “The king’ll decide. If you cause me no trouble, I’ll tell him to let you go.”

Drizzt laughed cynically.

“Well, then,” said Belwar, “if the king says to kill you, I’ll make sure it comes in a single clean blow.”

Again Drizzt laughed. “Do you believe that I believe?” he asked. “Torture me now and have your fun. That is your evil way!”

Belwar started to slap him but held his hand in check. “Svirfnebli don’t torture!” he declared, louder than he should have. “Drow elves torture!” He turned away but spun back, reiterating his promise. “A single clean blow.”

Drizzt finds himself believing it and acknowledges that this promise is far more merciful than Dinin's patrol would have been to him.

You know, for all I bitch about the clumsiness of the "evil surface dweller" talk, I may not have given Salvatore enough credit. When we look at the massacre of the surface elves in juxtaposition with the encounter with the gnomes, it becomes clearer what Salvatore was going for. And it's actually pretty well done.

I mean, I still think it's pretty silly and inconsistent to have them bitch about the cruelty and deceptiveness of the surface elves, when their own society openly venerates those very traits. But I can see the relevance to Drizzt himself. First, Drizzt participates in a raid against alleged enemies and sees his own people behave in cruel and monstrous ways. Now, and this is the actual important beat, he himself is a captive of ANOTHER alleged enemy race, and they're treating him far better that the drow ever would.

Drizzt makes conversation with Belwar, asking how he speaks his language. There's some back and forth posturing, before Belwar admits that there was a drow in Blingdenstone. Interesting. Drizzt figures the drow was a slave, but Belwar snaps back that the Svirfnebli don't keep slaves.

I wonder if the drow was Zak. Zak hasn't been outside Menzoberranzan in a long time, but it's hard to imagine most other drow being respectful guests.

Drizzt asks Belwar's name, but Belwar, rather understandably balks, worried that Drizzt would use his name in some dark magic. He reiterates his offer: no trouble and Drizzt will either be let go or killed with a clean blow.

Drizzt does end up hearing the guy's name when another gnome comes up to him, but he pretends he didn't. Drizzt thinks that he'll never forget. And...oh no.

Suddenly, Belwar stops moving. He's caught in a dweomer. And here comes Guen and the drow warriors.

The drow warriors, Guenhwyvar leading the way, charged into the room. Any relief Drizzt might have felt at seeing his feline friend unharmed was buried under the ensuing slaughter. Dinin and his troops cut into the disorganized gnomes with typical drow savagery.

In seconds—horrible seconds that seemed like hours to Drizzt— only Belwar and the other gnome caught in the clerical spell remained alive in the chamber. Several of the svirfnebli had managed to flee down the back corridor, but most of the drow patrol was off in pursuit.

Dinin cuts Drizzt free, commending him for finding his measure of luck. He orders the others to finish the gnomes. Drizzt is very fucking obvious about his distress, as he first tries to propose taking them as prisoners (svirfnebli make terrible slaves, and honestly, I think Belwar would rather die), and then, more successfully argues that killing all the gnomes means that no one will tell the gnome city about their strength. He wants them to send Belwar back to tell them of their folly.

Dinin looked back to the high priestess for advice.

“It seems proper reasoning,” she said with a nod.

Dinin was not so certain of his brother’s motives. Not taking his eyes off Drizzt, he said to the warrior, “Then cut off the gnome’s hands.”

Drizzt didn’t flinch, realizing that if he did, Dinin would surely slaughter Belwar.

The warrior replaced the dagger on his belt and took out his heavy sword.

“Wait,” said Dinin, still eyeing Drizzt. “Release him from the spell first; I want to hear his screams.”

Oof. I think Dinin will have his moment of truth soon. And well, I suspect he won't pass. But I suppose it could be worse, he could have had Drizzt do it himself. As it is, Drizzt averts his gaze, unable to watch.

Belwar, for his part, is far smarter and more observant than given credit for:

Belwar noted Drizzt’s reaction. Was it compassion?

The drow warrior then swung his sword. Belwar never took his stare off Drizzt as the sword cut across his wrists, lighting a million fires of agony in his arms.

Neither did Belwar scream. He wouldn’t give Dinin the satisfaction. The gnome leader looked back to Drizzt one final time as two drow fighters ushered him out of the chamber, and he recognized the true anguish, and the apology, behind the young drow’s feigned impassive facade.

I wonder if we'll see him again. I don't actually remember much about the second book in this series. I remember Homeland, and I remember Sojourn, when Drizzt finally reaches the surface, but I don't remember much of anything about Exile. Maybe Belwar will be back.

I kind of hope so. Even if I don't want to type svirfnebli again. (I peeked at the wiki. We DO see him again. Yay! <3)

So Belwar is sent on his way. A few others have managed to escape, which leads to another power play:

“Come, my pet,” Masoj said. “There is hunting left to be done!” The wizard watched Drizzt squirm at the words, knowing that Drizzt did not approve of Guenhwyvar engaging in such tactics.

“They are gone?” Drizzt asked Dinin, his voice on the edge of desperation.

“Running all the way back to Blingdenstone,” Dinin replied calmly. “If we let them.”

“And will they return?”

Dinin’s sour scowl reflected the absurdity of his brother’s question. “Would you?”

“Our task is complete, then,” Drizzt reasoned, trying vainly to find some way out of Masoj’s ignoble designs for the panther.

“We have won the day,” Dinin agreed, “though our own losses have been great. We may find still more fun, with the help of the wizard’s pet.”

Ah, poor Drizzt. Poor unsubtle Drizzt. Masoj sends Guen off to bring back some (now) dead gnomes.

Drizzt and Guen share angst:

Drizzt’s heart dropped at the sound of the corpse flopping to the stone floor. He looked into Guenhwyvar’s eyes and saw a sadness as profound as his own. The panther was a hunter, as honorable in its own way as was Drizzt. To the evil Masoj, though, Guenhwyvar was a toy and nothing more, an instrument for his perverted pleasures, killing for no reason other than his master’s joy of killing.

In the hands of the wizard, Guenhwyvar was no more than a murderer.

Guenhwyvar paused at the entrance to the small tunnel and looked to Drizzt almost apologetically.

Masoj is, of course, mad at this exchange. Dinin and the others don't notice. They're busy waiting for Guen to bring back more gnomes and gleefully speculated at their faces when they face their inevitable death. The ending line is very melodramatic, talking about perverted drow humor that brings laughter when tears were needed.

Aw.

So I guess this gnome section wasn't quite as pointless as I thought, as it cements home the lesson throughout this part of the book. Also, I liked Belwar. But let's be honest, the real event is still to come. And the next and last part of the book, the final six chapters are entitled "Zaknafein". And, well, we know there's no way that this can end happily, right?

Only one drow ever made it to Icewind Dale...