Streams of Silver - Chapter Twenty-Three

[kalinara]

So we've made it to the penultimate chapter of Streams of Silver. After this there's just one more and an epilogue, which I'll probably tackle together.

Last time, Catti-brie proved herself to be a massive racist, utterly traumatized by her first time ever killing a human while surrounded by the corpses of Gully Dwarves all skewered by her arrows. I agree the violence was necessary, but the double standard in guilt/grief is not a good look lady.



So now, two chapters from the end, we finally get the appearance of Shimmergloom. I feel like Salvatore could have done a LITTLE more to build up the scary factor of our goth my little pony. I mean, he's not Akar Kessell, but I'm not really sure why I should be so impressed by him when we've seen our heroes kill a dragon last book.

If this dragon is meant to be more powerful than Icingdeath was, then I feel like that could have been demonstrated for us in a more dramatic fashion.

Anyway, Drizzt and Entreri see Shimmergloom fly past them. Drizzt climbs faster, worried about his friends who are about to face "a foe mightier than anything they ever faced." Entreri keeps up, though we're told he hasn't formulated his plan of action yet.

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang are supporting each other. Regis is concerned about Bruenor's wounds, and freezes when Bruenor snaps back. Bruenor "wondered if he had somehow offended the halfling again" which is actually an interesting little character beat. For most of this trip, it's been Regis getting on Bruenor's nerves and Regis being derided for cowardice or weakness by the narrative. I can't actually think of a time when Regis was offended or angry at Bruenor, though he would have every right to be.

But anyway, the real issue is that Regis senses Shimmergloom as "a sudden coldness that had entered the cavern, a foulness that insulted the companions' caring bond with its mere presence."

It IS Goth My Little Pony.

So anyway, Bruenor conveniently remembers the last bit that he'd conveniently forgotten: it was the "dragon of darkness" that murdered so many of his kin. I feel like this would have been a good thing to know earlier. Instead of running, he draws his axe, and Shimmergloom rears up before him.

Remember Regis the coward?

"Bruenor!" Regis cried, drawing his little mace and turning back to the cavern, knowing that the best he could do would be to die beside his doomed friend.

Bets on whether or not Regis actually gets credit for this later?

For his part, Wulfgar throws Catti-brie behind him and spins back on the dragon. And well, I suspect part of his motive is sexism, it's also true that Catti-brie's awesome weapon is ranged. So it makes some sense. He attacks Shimmergloom, who is distracted from Bruenor and pissed off, it breathes darkness onto Wulfgar. Catti-brie screams and rushes to him, because now that she's gotten past her fear, she's also incapable of rational thought.

This pisses Bruenor off and he charges the dragon. We're told that his axe has more effect on dragon scales than Wulfgar's hammer, but the dragon fights back, lifting him in its maw. Wulfgar, in the meantime, has been affected by the magic of the dragon's breath and is filled with magical fear. He stumbles back with Catti-brie.

This is interesting actually, and of everything that happens here, I wonder if this will have a lasting effect. Wulfgar, as long as we've known him, has been pretty fearless. And indeed, Barbarian culture doesn't favor fear or cowardice. Catti-brie takes charge, pushing Wulfgar out the door into a sheltered room and returning to do what she should have done before: blast fucking arrows at the thing. It's very effective, and she starts aiming at its feet to drive it from the ledge.

Shimmergloom spits out "Bruenor's broken form" and shouts threats, only for the stone beneath it to break away. It falls...but um. Dragons can fly?

so Regis drags Bruenor back, but he's separated from Wulfgar and Catti-brie. He has no idea how to help his friend, but happily, Bruenor opens his eyes and winks.

We rejoin Drizzt and Entreri, who almost get hit with the rockfall. Drizzt starts up again, desparate to get to his friends...we know. That was told to us in your last paragraph, Drizzt. Less talk, more action.

So Regis is amazed. Bruenor's armor was what did it: it held together through the dragon's bite. That said, it was not a comfortable squeeze, and Bruenor has deep bruises and probably broken ribs. He pushes through the pain and calls out for Catti-brie, who explains that Wulfgar's overcome and unable to fight. She's also inclined to leave, and Bruenor agrees in an exchange that has such butchered dialogue as to make me cringe.

They start to head out, and Shimmergloom appears again. Bruenor doesn't take it well. He figures this is the logical course of fate for him, but Regis, Wulfgar and Catti-brie shouldn't die too. He thinks about Drizzt's death and the loss that's already been too high a price. He searches for an option. He catches sight of a curtained off area. In a nice bit of sly characterization, Bruenor looks at Regis for an explanation: storage area but no weapons.

I rather love that bit. Of course, Regis would have looked for loot. And of course, Bruenor would have known that.

Bruenor investigates, most of what's in there is useless: dried food (would that keep after 200 years?), wood, cloak, a water skin and a keg of oil.

We switch over to Drizzt and Entreri. Drizzt is about to rush to help his friend. Entreri thinks he's being a fucking moron. They're kind of both right here, and it's the usual sort of fight for men such as these. Evil can't comprehend good, and all that. Entreri sees no value in Drizzt dying with his friends and says "Your worth outweighs that of all your pitiful friends."

...get a room?

So anyway, Drizzt gets a pretty nice speech:

"If I do not go to them, your words will hold the truth," Drizzt continued, more calmly now. "For then my life will be of no value, less even than your own! Beyond my embrace of the heartless emptiness that rules your world, my entire life would then be no more than a lie." He started up again, fully expecting to die, but secure in his realization that he was indeed very different from the murderer that followed him.

It's preachy and sanctimonious, but actually fitting for once. Drizzt feels like he's escaped his heritage. And I shake my head because this actually could have been an interesting theme if explored throughout the novel, but it only came up while Drizzt teamed with Entreri. Prior to that, Drizzt's entire arc was "Oh, woe is me, no one will accept me, even though I am actually very heroic."

And I mean, it makes sense that Entreri brings up these doubts, but this wasn't the theme of the entire book.

Bruenor has a plan. He's got a oil soaked cloak on his shoulder and the keg tied to his back. Regis looked upon him in complete confusion, though he could guess enough of what the dwarf had in mind to be worried for his friend.

That's contradictory.

So...this is a clear goodbye:

"Aye, we agreed on that afore our road e'er began!" snorted Bruenor. He calmed suddenly, the wild glimmer mellowing to a caring concern for his little friend. "Ye deserve better'n what, I've given ye, Rumblebelly," he said, more comfortable than he had ever been in apology.

"Never have I known a more loyal friend than Bruenor Battlehammer," Regis replied.

Bruenor pulled the gem-studded helmet from his head and tossed it to the halfling, confusing Regis even more. He reached around to his back and loosened a strap fastened between his pack and his belt and took out his old helm. He ran a finger over the broken horn, smiling in remembrance of the wild adventures that had given this helm such a battering. Even the dent where Wulfgar had hit him, those years ago, when first they met as enemies.

He tells Regis to keep the helm safe as it's the crown of the King of Mithril Hall. Bruenor intends to go out as Bruenor of Icewind Dale. He shouts over to Wulfgar and Catti-brie's room, claiming that he's using one of Wulfgar's tricks, but he's not about to miss. And...whoa.

Okay. This...is legitimately badass.

Bruenor lights the cloak on fire and when the dragon comes to investigate the noise, he leaps from the ledge and down onto it. He drives the axe into Shimmergloom's back and then the keg breaks, spewing flames all over its back. Seeing Bruenor's act, Wulfgar snaps out of dragon mind control and throws his hammer at Shimmergloom's head, clipping it. He tells Catti-brie to pick up her bow, so Bruenor doesn't fall in vain. She does.

Entreri and Drizzt watch. Drizzt tries to call out for his friends, but they can't hear him. Meanwhile:

Entreri was directly below him. The assassin knew that his last chance was upon him, though he risked losing the only challenge he had ever found in this life. As Drizzt scrambled for his next hold, Entreri grabbed his ankle and pulled him down.

The companions fight on: Catti-brie shooting, Wulfgar throwing his hammer, becoming wiser with each strike, and choosing his throws carefully. Bruenor keeps holding on and singing. Drizzt tumbles down the face of the gorge, slamming onto a ledge twenty feet down. Entreri is happy, as that was where he'd hoped Drizzt would land. He and Drizzt have a last exchange:

"Farewell, trusting fool!" he called down to Drizzt and he started up the wall.

Drizzt never had trusted in the assassin's honor, but he had believed in Entreri's pragmatism. This attack made no practical sense. "Why?" he called back to Entreri. "You could have had the pendant without recourse!

"The gem is mine," Entreri replied.

"But not without a price!" Drizzt declared. "You know that I will come after you, assassin!"

Entreri looked down at him with an amused grin. "Do you not understand, Drizzt Do'Urden? That is exactly the purpose!"

When Entreri reaches the top, he sees Wulfgar and Catti-brie fighting. Regis is concentrating on the scene, which allows Entreri to startle him. Regis goes limp with fear, and Entreri silently picks him up.

Finally, the dragon, in blind rage, slams himself into a wall and spirals down to the bottom of the Gorge. Bruenor enjoys one final sight though: "the piercing gaze of Drizzt Do'Urden's lavender eyes bidding him farewell from the darkness of the wall."

Well, now. THAT was a fight scene. Next week, we'll finish up!