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i_read_whatSo I ended up taking a bit of a hiatus from the blog due to a trip and some fun distractions afterward, but I think I'm back now and raring to go.
So, since this chapter's subtitle is "Lavender Eyes", I'm thinking that finally, FINALLY means that we're going to get the meeting between Wulfgar and Drizzt.
It also makes me wonder where guys get off when they call characters like Rey from Star Wars "Mary Sue". Drizzt Do'Urden has purple fucking eyes.
So this is how the chapter starts:
"Bruenor had regained his dour visage by the time he called on Wulfgar the following morning. Still, it touched the dwarf deeply, though he was able to hide the fact, to see Aegis-fang casually slung over the young barbarian's shoulder as if it had always been there
- and always belonged there.
Wulfgar, too, was wearing a sullen mask. He passed it off as anger at being put into the service of another, but if he had examined his emotions more closely, he would have recognized that he was truly saddened about separating from the dwarf.
Now, see, this I think illustrates the fundamental problem with the relationship dynamic as set up by Mr. Salvatore here. If we're looking at this from the idea of a gruff foster family, like Bruenor is a whiter and shorter Joe West, then it's almost sweet. Gruff dad hiding fondness for his son, who is sad to leave him.
But here's the problem: Wulfgar isn't a foster son. He's a slave. And he isn't just being sent to a teacher, he's essentially being handed over to another master. Now, we know that Drizzt is a good guy, but Wulfgar doesn't. He has no choice in any of this. He would be absolutely right to be angry.
Catti-brie is waiting for him, very cheerfully, which perturbs Wulfgar. He notes that she seems "pleased at this parting", but she's nonchalant, saying he'll be back soon enough.
It is still weird to me that as close as Bruenor and Drizzt are, and as close as Catti-brie and Drizzt are (if I remember correctly), that neither even mention Drizzt to Wulfgar over five years. I also really think maybe Wulfgar deserved a warning.
We also find out that Bruenor hasn't come to terms with Wulfgar's resolve to leave after his indenture. Um, Bruenor, did you think he was going to stay in the dwarf tunnels forever? For one, he's like seven feet tall.
Catti-brie's teasing leads to some inevitable bluster from Wulfgar about how his new teacher will be hard-pressed to teach him anything in the ways of battle and Catti-brie exchanges a knowing smile with Bruenor, saying she'll mark his lessons of humility.
So they head out, where Drizzt is waiting, leaning against the shadowed side of a boulder. We're told that Drizzt is amazed at the graceful interplay of the huge man's corded muscles as Wulfgar approaches which apparently changes his mind. He had initially planned to humor Bruenor for a short while, but now he's interested in the challenge of "developing the young man's seemingly limitless potential."
Honestly, it sounds like Drizzt's a size queen, but what do I know?
Drizzt is also bracing himself for "the most painful part" of the meeting which is everyone's initial reaction. Wulfgar doesn't disappoint, he understandably balks at the sight of the dark elf. Though, he seems less angry about the fact that Drizzt is a member of a species that, until now, has been genocidal and murderous to a man, and more that elves are tricky magic using sorts. True Warriors, like the Barbarians have no need to learn that kind of thing!
You know, I feel like that's a different reaction than one Drizzt was expecting. But unfortunately we don't get Drizzt's response, instead he and Bruenor exchange a look, and Drizzt administers the first lesson. He attacks and gets Wulfgar on the ground very quickly, much to Bruenor's amusement and Wulfgar's amazement.
There's a bit of a time skip, where, for the first time in nearly five years, Wulfgar actually gets to see the Icewind Dale. Drizzt has taken him to his home: a shallow cave, sparsely furnished with skins and pots.
You know, Drizzt. You HAVE friends. Regis would take you in in a heart beat. And while you may be a pariah in some of the Ten Towns, we were also told clearly that at least the people of Termalaine are very happy that you helped keep them from dying. You could live there. Bruenor is the king of the dwarves! You have options besides a fucking shallow cave.
But I suppose someone must be the hair-shirted martyr in this series.
We're told that to Wulfgar, whose people rarely stayed in any place longer than a single night, the, cave itself seemed a luxury. Really? Because Nomads generally do have shelters. Tents? Yurts? Other things like that. And generally they involve a bit more than a few skins and cooking pots.
We're told that Drizzt took a nap at one point, a sign of trust that, along with the takedown earlier, has made Wulfgar question his initial anger about Drizzt. Drizzt asks if they should start lessons tonight, and Wulfgar says that he's the master, and Wulfgar is the slave.
'No more a slave than I,' replied Drizzt. Wulfgar turned to him curiously.
'We are both indebted to the dwarf,' Drizzt explained. 'I owe him my life many times over and thus have agreed to teach you my skill in battle. You follow an oath that you made to him in exchange for your life. Thus you are obliged to learn what I have to teach. I am no man's master, nor would I ever want to be.'
Um, Drizzt. While I can see your argument, sort of, that you're not Wulfgar's master, there's a difference between choosing to train someone as a favor because you feel like you owe someone, and being a child forced to work for five years in exchange for your life.
Drizzt shows some compassion to Wulfgar though, and gives him the night to go enjoy himself and feel the wind on his face. Aw. Okay, Drizzt, when you're not being an over-the-top droning bore, you're not a bad guy.
So anyway, we're told that Drizzt rests in the day time while Wulfgar hunts for supper, and they fight nightly to train. Drizzt is a relentless teacher, and Wulfgar doesn't control his temper well, which leads to Drizzt winning pretty much all the time. But it's improving, and Drizzt is genuinely impressed with Wulfgar's raw ability. Wulfgar's pride works to his advantage too, since it pushes him to grab any advantage he can find for his goals, and Drizzt is undeniably a VERY skilled warrior.
We're told that Wulfgar's respect for Drizzt continues to grow. Especially with the way he lives without complaint in stoic solitude, which appeals to Wulfgar's sense of honor. He doesn't know why Drizzt lives that way (because he's DRAMATIC), but he figures it has something to do with principles.
Drizzt has something else for Wulfgar though: news of his people. The barbarians did survive the failed attack, albeit with great losses. They've basically banded together tighter, and while they keep their old names, in a practical sense only the Tribe of Bear and Tribe of Elk actually remain. Wulfgar's tribe (Elk) is actually doing really well and are dominating the plain.
We're told that Heafstaag is still alive, which makes Wulfgar happy, but when Wulfgar says Heafstaag is a mighty king, Drizzt corrects him angrily, saying that Heafstaag is a "savage warrior". Drizzt points out that Wulfgar has lived with Bruenor and should know the difference:
"Drizzt decided that the tune had come for him to lay bare the barbarian's principles and judge the wisdom and worth of teaching the young man. 'A king is a man strong of character and conviction who leads by example and truly cares for the sufferings of his people,' he lectured. 'Not a brute who rules simply because he is the strongest. I should think you would have learned to understand the distinction.'"
It's a good speech and Wulfgar receives it thoughtfully, as the chapter ends.
So, I actually really liked this chapter. I really like Wulfgar as a protagonist. I think he's got a good mix of reasonable flaws (given his age and experience) and adaptability and thoughtfulness. I still rather resent that after this initial trilogy, he's going to be shoved to the backburner in favor of his sidekick, but that is the way it goes.
For his part, Drizzt actually aggravated me far less this chapter than he usually does. He's more fun as a trickster mentor than as a nobly suffering martyr. (I suppose it's harder to play "angstier than thou" with a man who's been a slave for five years, even if it is a more gentle type of slavery than most.) And we got to see his strengths in a more low key way than usual.
I still really wish that Salvatore had just had Bruenor raise an injured Wulfgar, without the slavery/indentured servitude aspect. He could have just established that Bruenor had no way to get Wulfgar back to his people, so he had taken it as responsibility to raise the kid up to be strong enough to find them himself. It's clear Salvatore wants a more father-son dynamic here. But the slavery gives everything a darker tone, makes Bruenor far less likable, and makes Catti-brie and Drizzt seem more callous than I think they're intended. It's a bit of a misfire.
So, since this chapter's subtitle is "Lavender Eyes", I'm thinking that finally, FINALLY means that we're going to get the meeting between Wulfgar and Drizzt.
It also makes me wonder where guys get off when they call characters like Rey from Star Wars "Mary Sue". Drizzt Do'Urden has purple fucking eyes.
So this is how the chapter starts:
"Bruenor had regained his dour visage by the time he called on Wulfgar the following morning. Still, it touched the dwarf deeply, though he was able to hide the fact, to see Aegis-fang casually slung over the young barbarian's shoulder as if it had always been there
- and always belonged there.
Wulfgar, too, was wearing a sullen mask. He passed it off as anger at being put into the service of another, but if he had examined his emotions more closely, he would have recognized that he was truly saddened about separating from the dwarf.
Now, see, this I think illustrates the fundamental problem with the relationship dynamic as set up by Mr. Salvatore here. If we're looking at this from the idea of a gruff foster family, like Bruenor is a whiter and shorter Joe West, then it's almost sweet. Gruff dad hiding fondness for his son, who is sad to leave him.
But here's the problem: Wulfgar isn't a foster son. He's a slave. And he isn't just being sent to a teacher, he's essentially being handed over to another master. Now, we know that Drizzt is a good guy, but Wulfgar doesn't. He has no choice in any of this. He would be absolutely right to be angry.
Catti-brie is waiting for him, very cheerfully, which perturbs Wulfgar. He notes that she seems "pleased at this parting", but she's nonchalant, saying he'll be back soon enough.
It is still weird to me that as close as Bruenor and Drizzt are, and as close as Catti-brie and Drizzt are (if I remember correctly), that neither even mention Drizzt to Wulfgar over five years. I also really think maybe Wulfgar deserved a warning.
We also find out that Bruenor hasn't come to terms with Wulfgar's resolve to leave after his indenture. Um, Bruenor, did you think he was going to stay in the dwarf tunnels forever? For one, he's like seven feet tall.
Catti-brie's teasing leads to some inevitable bluster from Wulfgar about how his new teacher will be hard-pressed to teach him anything in the ways of battle and Catti-brie exchanges a knowing smile with Bruenor, saying she'll mark his lessons of humility.
So they head out, where Drizzt is waiting, leaning against the shadowed side of a boulder. We're told that Drizzt is amazed at the graceful interplay of the huge man's corded muscles as Wulfgar approaches which apparently changes his mind. He had initially planned to humor Bruenor for a short while, but now he's interested in the challenge of "developing the young man's seemingly limitless potential."
Honestly, it sounds like Drizzt's a size queen, but what do I know?
Drizzt is also bracing himself for "the most painful part" of the meeting which is everyone's initial reaction. Wulfgar doesn't disappoint, he understandably balks at the sight of the dark elf. Though, he seems less angry about the fact that Drizzt is a member of a species that, until now, has been genocidal and murderous to a man, and more that elves are tricky magic using sorts. True Warriors, like the Barbarians have no need to learn that kind of thing!
You know, I feel like that's a different reaction than one Drizzt was expecting. But unfortunately we don't get Drizzt's response, instead he and Bruenor exchange a look, and Drizzt administers the first lesson. He attacks and gets Wulfgar on the ground very quickly, much to Bruenor's amusement and Wulfgar's amazement.
There's a bit of a time skip, where, for the first time in nearly five years, Wulfgar actually gets to see the Icewind Dale. Drizzt has taken him to his home: a shallow cave, sparsely furnished with skins and pots.
You know, Drizzt. You HAVE friends. Regis would take you in in a heart beat. And while you may be a pariah in some of the Ten Towns, we were also told clearly that at least the people of Termalaine are very happy that you helped keep them from dying. You could live there. Bruenor is the king of the dwarves! You have options besides a fucking shallow cave.
But I suppose someone must be the hair-shirted martyr in this series.
We're told that to Wulfgar, whose people rarely stayed in any place longer than a single night, the, cave itself seemed a luxury. Really? Because Nomads generally do have shelters. Tents? Yurts? Other things like that. And generally they involve a bit more than a few skins and cooking pots.
We're told that Drizzt took a nap at one point, a sign of trust that, along with the takedown earlier, has made Wulfgar question his initial anger about Drizzt. Drizzt asks if they should start lessons tonight, and Wulfgar says that he's the master, and Wulfgar is the slave.
'No more a slave than I,' replied Drizzt. Wulfgar turned to him curiously.
'We are both indebted to the dwarf,' Drizzt explained. 'I owe him my life many times over and thus have agreed to teach you my skill in battle. You follow an oath that you made to him in exchange for your life. Thus you are obliged to learn what I have to teach. I am no man's master, nor would I ever want to be.'
Um, Drizzt. While I can see your argument, sort of, that you're not Wulfgar's master, there's a difference between choosing to train someone as a favor because you feel like you owe someone, and being a child forced to work for five years in exchange for your life.
Drizzt shows some compassion to Wulfgar though, and gives him the night to go enjoy himself and feel the wind on his face. Aw. Okay, Drizzt, when you're not being an over-the-top droning bore, you're not a bad guy.
So anyway, we're told that Drizzt rests in the day time while Wulfgar hunts for supper, and they fight nightly to train. Drizzt is a relentless teacher, and Wulfgar doesn't control his temper well, which leads to Drizzt winning pretty much all the time. But it's improving, and Drizzt is genuinely impressed with Wulfgar's raw ability. Wulfgar's pride works to his advantage too, since it pushes him to grab any advantage he can find for his goals, and Drizzt is undeniably a VERY skilled warrior.
We're told that Wulfgar's respect for Drizzt continues to grow. Especially with the way he lives without complaint in stoic solitude, which appeals to Wulfgar's sense of honor. He doesn't know why Drizzt lives that way (because he's DRAMATIC), but he figures it has something to do with principles.
Drizzt has something else for Wulfgar though: news of his people. The barbarians did survive the failed attack, albeit with great losses. They've basically banded together tighter, and while they keep their old names, in a practical sense only the Tribe of Bear and Tribe of Elk actually remain. Wulfgar's tribe (Elk) is actually doing really well and are dominating the plain.
We're told that Heafstaag is still alive, which makes Wulfgar happy, but when Wulfgar says Heafstaag is a mighty king, Drizzt corrects him angrily, saying that Heafstaag is a "savage warrior". Drizzt points out that Wulfgar has lived with Bruenor and should know the difference:
"Drizzt decided that the tune had come for him to lay bare the barbarian's principles and judge the wisdom and worth of teaching the young man. 'A king is a man strong of character and conviction who leads by example and truly cares for the sufferings of his people,' he lectured. 'Not a brute who rules simply because he is the strongest. I should think you would have learned to understand the distinction.'"
It's a good speech and Wulfgar receives it thoughtfully, as the chapter ends.
So, I actually really liked this chapter. I really like Wulfgar as a protagonist. I think he's got a good mix of reasonable flaws (given his age and experience) and adaptability and thoughtfulness. I still rather resent that after this initial trilogy, he's going to be shoved to the backburner in favor of his sidekick, but that is the way it goes.
For his part, Drizzt actually aggravated me far less this chapter than he usually does. He's more fun as a trickster mentor than as a nobly suffering martyr. (I suppose it's harder to play "angstier than thou" with a man who's been a slave for five years, even if it is a more gentle type of slavery than most.) And we got to see his strengths in a more low key way than usual.
I still really wish that Salvatore had just had Bruenor raise an injured Wulfgar, without the slavery/indentured servitude aspect. He could have just established that Bruenor had no way to get Wulfgar back to his people, so he had taken it as responsibility to raise the kid up to be strong enough to find them himself. It's clear Salvatore wants a more father-son dynamic here. But the slavery gives everything a darker tone, makes Bruenor far less likable, and makes Catti-brie and Drizzt seem more callous than I think they're intended. It's a bit of a misfire.