Sojourn - Chapter Seventeen
Sep. 18th, 2023 01:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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i_read_whatSo last time, Drizzt got introduced to religion and we saw more preparation for a fight. Woo!
We rejoin Drizzt and Montolio. Montolio is lost in thought and barely responsive to Drizzt's queries. Drizzt isn't taking it personally though and is about to summon Guen for a hunt. Montolio stops him, he thinks they're going to need Guen for more serious things soon.
Montolio fills Drizzt in: the prior night was the new moon, a holy day for the orcs. Both Montolio and Drizzt has heard their celebration, and apparently Montolio's owl went to investigate. Hence, now Montolio knows that the orcs have formed a war party.
There aren't any villages closer than Maldobar, and he doesn't think Graul would be brave or stupid enough to attack a dwarf caravan. They aren't saying it outloud, but they're both pretty sure what Graul's actual target is going to be.
Drizzt decides to go scouting, while Montolio makes defensive plans. He's never had to defend the place before, but he's expected Graul to be an issue someday, so he's had time to consider a lot of strategies. He's confident that he'll be ready.
Meanwhile, Drizzt goes to investigate. He attempts to levitate into a tree, but it fails. So he climbs it the old fashioned way. He manages to get up high enough to find a very comfortable, very oblivious orc sentry. Drizzt initially is going to kill him, then figures it might not be necessary - the orc is THAT oblivious. Drizzt observes.
Orc language, we're told, is related to goblin, but Drizzt isn't great at either yet. He can only pick out a few words. That said, given that the orcs have made effigies of a dark elf and a moustached human...it's not hard to figure out what they're planning. Drizzt observes the orcs for hours - sadly, he can't really get a good look at their battle plans though. And eventually it's almost dawn.
There's a very nice moral quandary moment here when Drizzt considers "striking the first blow" against the now-sleeping sentry. But his conscience betrays him. He descends instead.
Montolio has already figured out they're the targets through Hooter's observations. Drizzt asks if he has a sanctuary, since the orcs will be coming the following night. Montolio has no interest in running though.
This bit makes me laugh a little:
“Should I even bother to remind you of the odds?” Drizzt said, smiling in spite of his concern.
“You should remind Graul!” Montolio laughed. “The old ore has lost his wits, or grown an oversized set of fortitude, to come on when he is so obviously outnumbered!”
Drizzt’s only reply, the only possible reply to such an outrageous statement, came as a burst of laughter.
It reminds me a bit of Wulfgar and Drizzt. Poor sensible apprentices and their gung-ho masters.
Montolio also thinks that Graul won't be along for the actual fight. He'll be watching and flee at the first sign of trouble. He urges Drizzt to get some sleep, while he begins preparation.
We shift scenes to Kellindil and his kin. They also become aware that the orcs are stirring, and they're quick to figure out that the grove is their target. They turn to Kellindil for the decision, as apparently Drizzt is his responsibility. Heh. Kellindil says that he doesn't believe Drizzt is in league with Graul, and they decide to go help. They are however a long way away - they'll have to set out now if they have any hope of being the dramatic cavalry in time.
Back at the grove, Drizzt wakes up to strangeness:
The day had darkened with gray clouds but still seemed bright to the drow as he crawled out of his den and stretched. High above him he saw the ranger, crawling about the top boughs of a tall pine. Drizzt’s curiosity turned to horror, when Montolio, howling like a wild wolf, leaped spread-eagled out of the tree.
Montolio wore a rope harness attached to the pine’s thin trunk. As he soared out, his momentum bent the tree, and the ranger came down lightly, bending the pine nearly in two. As soon as he hit the ground, he scrambled to his feet and set the rope harness around some thick roots.
Dear Mooshie is having fun, I suppose.
We get a look at the preparations:
As the scene fully unfolded to Drizzt, he realized that several pines had been bent this way, all pointing to the west and all tied by interconnected ropes. As he carefully picked his way over to Montolio, Drizzt passed a net, several trip wires, and one particularly nasty rope set with a dozen or more double-bladed knives. When the trap was sprung and the trees snapped back up, so would this rope, to the peril of any creatures standing beside it.
Montolio tells Drizzt what the narrative already told us before: he's been expecting this for a long time and planning for it. He starts drawing the landscape for Drizzt with surprising accuracy. Drizzt, again, looks to make sure Montolio is really blind.
So here's some info:
The grove consisted of several dozen trees, running north-south for about fifty yards and less than half that in width. The ground sloped at a gentle but noticeable incline, with the northern end of the grove being half a tree’s height lower than the southern end. Farther to the north the ground was broken and boulder-strewn, with scraggly patches of grass and sudden drops, and crossed by sharply twisting trails.
Montolio thinks they'll come in from the west, as it's the only way they can attack together. The eastern ground is too rough and uneven and would require an army to charge single file. The south has a deep ravine and unclimbable wall. The north would require an uphill run.
Montolio shows off his traps, one of which apparently had belonged to good old Roddy McGristle. It's pretty vicious. Montolio doesn't like the traps, calling them evil, but thinks using them against the orcs might "amend some of the damage they have wrought". Drizzt goes and sets them up.
Drizzt has a trick of his own in mind - he hides a ranseur in a hole in the ground with the butt sticking out - covered by grass and leaves. He intends to make his stand here, apparently. I had to look up what a ranseur is. Pointy.
Montolio's also got a fun little split log boat filled with Adbar brandy - very flammable. There's also a crossbow that Drizzt will be needed to sight - Hooter is useful, but at this height, his aim might still be off.
It's almost night when Montolio tells Drizzt that he can call Guen. Drizzt thinks a night attack is foolish: Drizzt is used to darkness and Montolio is blind. They can see the orcs start their approach.
Drizzt really wants to draw the giant to him, so Montolio teaches him a phrase that translates to "stupid blockhead". Apparently stone giants really hate that phrase. Preparations complete, the chapter ends here.
We rejoin Drizzt and Montolio. Montolio is lost in thought and barely responsive to Drizzt's queries. Drizzt isn't taking it personally though and is about to summon Guen for a hunt. Montolio stops him, he thinks they're going to need Guen for more serious things soon.
Montolio fills Drizzt in: the prior night was the new moon, a holy day for the orcs. Both Montolio and Drizzt has heard their celebration, and apparently Montolio's owl went to investigate. Hence, now Montolio knows that the orcs have formed a war party.
There aren't any villages closer than Maldobar, and he doesn't think Graul would be brave or stupid enough to attack a dwarf caravan. They aren't saying it outloud, but they're both pretty sure what Graul's actual target is going to be.
Drizzt decides to go scouting, while Montolio makes defensive plans. He's never had to defend the place before, but he's expected Graul to be an issue someday, so he's had time to consider a lot of strategies. He's confident that he'll be ready.
Meanwhile, Drizzt goes to investigate. He attempts to levitate into a tree, but it fails. So he climbs it the old fashioned way. He manages to get up high enough to find a very comfortable, very oblivious orc sentry. Drizzt initially is going to kill him, then figures it might not be necessary - the orc is THAT oblivious. Drizzt observes.
Orc language, we're told, is related to goblin, but Drizzt isn't great at either yet. He can only pick out a few words. That said, given that the orcs have made effigies of a dark elf and a moustached human...it's not hard to figure out what they're planning. Drizzt observes the orcs for hours - sadly, he can't really get a good look at their battle plans though. And eventually it's almost dawn.
There's a very nice moral quandary moment here when Drizzt considers "striking the first blow" against the now-sleeping sentry. But his conscience betrays him. He descends instead.
Montolio has already figured out they're the targets through Hooter's observations. Drizzt asks if he has a sanctuary, since the orcs will be coming the following night. Montolio has no interest in running though.
This bit makes me laugh a little:
“Should I even bother to remind you of the odds?” Drizzt said, smiling in spite of his concern.
“You should remind Graul!” Montolio laughed. “The old ore has lost his wits, or grown an oversized set of fortitude, to come on when he is so obviously outnumbered!”
Drizzt’s only reply, the only possible reply to such an outrageous statement, came as a burst of laughter.
It reminds me a bit of Wulfgar and Drizzt. Poor sensible apprentices and their gung-ho masters.
Montolio also thinks that Graul won't be along for the actual fight. He'll be watching and flee at the first sign of trouble. He urges Drizzt to get some sleep, while he begins preparation.
We shift scenes to Kellindil and his kin. They also become aware that the orcs are stirring, and they're quick to figure out that the grove is their target. They turn to Kellindil for the decision, as apparently Drizzt is his responsibility. Heh. Kellindil says that he doesn't believe Drizzt is in league with Graul, and they decide to go help. They are however a long way away - they'll have to set out now if they have any hope of being the dramatic cavalry in time.
Back at the grove, Drizzt wakes up to strangeness:
The day had darkened with gray clouds but still seemed bright to the drow as he crawled out of his den and stretched. High above him he saw the ranger, crawling about the top boughs of a tall pine. Drizzt’s curiosity turned to horror, when Montolio, howling like a wild wolf, leaped spread-eagled out of the tree.
Montolio wore a rope harness attached to the pine’s thin trunk. As he soared out, his momentum bent the tree, and the ranger came down lightly, bending the pine nearly in two. As soon as he hit the ground, he scrambled to his feet and set the rope harness around some thick roots.
Dear Mooshie is having fun, I suppose.
We get a look at the preparations:
As the scene fully unfolded to Drizzt, he realized that several pines had been bent this way, all pointing to the west and all tied by interconnected ropes. As he carefully picked his way over to Montolio, Drizzt passed a net, several trip wires, and one particularly nasty rope set with a dozen or more double-bladed knives. When the trap was sprung and the trees snapped back up, so would this rope, to the peril of any creatures standing beside it.
Montolio tells Drizzt what the narrative already told us before: he's been expecting this for a long time and planning for it. He starts drawing the landscape for Drizzt with surprising accuracy. Drizzt, again, looks to make sure Montolio is really blind.
So here's some info:
The grove consisted of several dozen trees, running north-south for about fifty yards and less than half that in width. The ground sloped at a gentle but noticeable incline, with the northern end of the grove being half a tree’s height lower than the southern end. Farther to the north the ground was broken and boulder-strewn, with scraggly patches of grass and sudden drops, and crossed by sharply twisting trails.
Montolio thinks they'll come in from the west, as it's the only way they can attack together. The eastern ground is too rough and uneven and would require an army to charge single file. The south has a deep ravine and unclimbable wall. The north would require an uphill run.
Montolio shows off his traps, one of which apparently had belonged to good old Roddy McGristle. It's pretty vicious. Montolio doesn't like the traps, calling them evil, but thinks using them against the orcs might "amend some of the damage they have wrought". Drizzt goes and sets them up.
Drizzt has a trick of his own in mind - he hides a ranseur in a hole in the ground with the butt sticking out - covered by grass and leaves. He intends to make his stand here, apparently. I had to look up what a ranseur is. Pointy.
Montolio's also got a fun little split log boat filled with Adbar brandy - very flammable. There's also a crossbow that Drizzt will be needed to sight - Hooter is useful, but at this height, his aim might still be off.
It's almost night when Montolio tells Drizzt that he can call Guen. Drizzt thinks a night attack is foolish: Drizzt is used to darkness and Montolio is blind. They can see the orcs start their approach.
Drizzt really wants to draw the giant to him, so Montolio teaches him a phrase that translates to "stupid blockhead". Apparently stone giants really hate that phrase. Preparations complete, the chapter ends here.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-18 03:38 pm (UTC)The battle is going to be pretty entertaining.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-18 03:46 pm (UTC)