And now there was Waterdeep, with ten times the people, ten times the intrigue—and ten times the trouble.
Wulfgar settled back a bit, and Drizzt had no choice but to put his trust in the young warrior. The drow had his own dilemma, a personal battle that he now had to settle. Gingerly he took the magical mask out of his belt pouch.
Wulfgar understood the determination guiding the drow’s hesitant motions, and he looked upon his friend with sincere pity. He did not know if he could be so brave—even with Regis’s life hanging on his actions.
Drizzt turned the plain mask over in his hands, wondering at the limits of its magic. He could feel that this was no ordinary item; its power tingled to his sensitive touch. Would it simply rob him of his appearance? Or might it steal his very identity? He had heard of other, supposedly beneficial, magical items that could not be removed once worn.
“Perhaps they will accept you as you are,” Wulfgar offered hopefully.
Drizzt sighed and smiled, his decision made. “No,” he answered. “The soldiers of Waterdeep would not admit a drow elf, nor would any boat captain allow me passage to the south.” Without any more delays, he placed the mask over his face.
For a moment, nothing happened, and Drizzt began to wonder if all of his concerns had been for naught, if the mask were really a fake. “Nothing,” he chuckled uneasily after a few more seconds, tentative relief in his tone. “It does not—” Drizzt stopped in midsentence when he noticed Wulfgar’s stunned expression.
Wulfgar fumbled in his pack and produced a shiny metal cup. “Look,” he bade Drizzt and handed him the makeshift mirror.
Drizzt took the cup in trembling hands—hands that trembled more when Drizzt realized they were no longer black—and raised it to his face. The reflection was poor—even poorer in the morning light to the drow’s night eyes—but Drizzt could not mistake the image before him. His features had not changed, but his black skin now held the golden hue of a surface elf. And his flowing hair, once stark white, showed lustrous yellow, as shiny as if it had caught the rays of the sun and held them fast.
Only Drizzt’s eyes remained as they had been, deep pools of brilliant lavender. No magic could dim their gleam, and Drizzt felt some small measure of relief, at least, that his inner person had apparently remained untainted.
Yet he did not know how to react to this blatant alteration. Embarrassed, he looked to Wulfgar for approval.
Wulfgar’s visage had turned sour. “By all the measures known to me, you appear as any other handsome elven warrior,” he answered to Drizzt’s inquiring gaze. “And surely a maiden or two will blush and turn her eyes when you stride by.”
Drizzt looked to the ground and tried to hide his uneasiness with the assessment.
“But I like it not,” Wulfgar continued sincerely. “Not at all.” Drizzt looked back to him uncomfortably, almost sheepishly.
“And I like the look upon your face, the discomfort of your spirit, even less,” Wulfgar continued, now apparently a bit perturbed. “I am a warrior who has faced giants and dragons without fear. But I would pale at the notion of battling Drizzt Do’Urden. Remember who you are, noble ranger.”
A smile found its way onto Drizzt’s face. “Thank you, my friend,” he said. “Of all the challenges I have faced, this is perhaps the most trying.”
“I prefer you without the thing,” said Wulfgar.
“As do I,” came another voice from behind them. They turned to see a middle-aged man, well muscled and tall, walking toward them. He seemed casual enough, wearing simple clothes and sporting a neatly trimmed black beard. His hair, too, was black, though speckles of silver edged it.
“Greetings, Wulfgar and Drizzt Do’Urden,” he said with a graceful bow. “I am Khelben, an associate of Malchor. That most magnificent Harpell bade me to watch for your arrival.”
“A wizard?” Wulfgar
Wulfgar settled back a bit, and Drizzt had no choice but to put his trust in the young warrior. The drow had his own dilemma, a personal battle that he now had to settle. Gingerly he took the magical mask out of his belt pouch.
Wulfgar understood the determination guiding the drow’s hesitant motions, and he looked upon his friend with sincere pity. He did not know if he could be so brave—even with Regis’s life hanging on his actions.
Drizzt turned the plain mask over in his hands, wondering at the limits of its magic. He could feel that this was no ordinary item; its power tingled to his sensitive touch. Would it simply rob him of his appearance? Or might it steal his very identity? He had heard of other, supposedly beneficial, magical items that could not be removed once worn.
“Perhaps they will accept you as you are,” Wulfgar offered hopefully.
Drizzt sighed and smiled, his decision made. “No,” he answered. “The soldiers of Waterdeep would not admit a drow elf, nor would any boat captain allow me passage to the south.” Without any more delays, he placed the mask over his face.
For a moment, nothing happened, and Drizzt began to wonder if all of his concerns had been for naught, if the mask were really a fake. “Nothing,” he chuckled uneasily after a few more seconds, tentative relief in his tone. “It does not—” Drizzt stopped in midsentence when he noticed Wulfgar’s stunned expression.
Wulfgar fumbled in his pack and produced a shiny metal cup. “Look,” he bade Drizzt and handed him the makeshift mirror.
Drizzt took the cup in trembling hands—hands that trembled more when Drizzt realized they were no longer black—and raised it to his face. The reflection was poor—even poorer in the morning light to the drow’s night eyes—but Drizzt could not mistake the image before him. His features had not changed, but his black skin now held the golden hue of a surface elf. And his flowing hair, once stark white, showed lustrous yellow, as shiny as if it had caught the rays of the sun and held them fast.
Only Drizzt’s eyes remained as they had been, deep pools of brilliant lavender. No magic could dim their gleam, and Drizzt felt some small measure of relief, at least, that his inner person had apparently remained untainted.
Yet he did not know how to react to this blatant alteration. Embarrassed, he looked to Wulfgar for approval.
Wulfgar’s visage had turned sour. “By all the measures known to me, you appear as any other handsome elven warrior,” he answered to Drizzt’s inquiring gaze. “And surely a maiden or two will blush and turn her eyes when you stride by.”
Drizzt looked to the ground and tried to hide his uneasiness with the assessment.
“But I like it not,” Wulfgar continued sincerely. “Not at all.” Drizzt looked back to him uncomfortably, almost sheepishly.
“And I like the look upon your face, the discomfort of your spirit, even less,” Wulfgar continued, now apparently a bit perturbed. “I am a warrior who has faced giants and dragons without fear. But I would pale at the notion of battling Drizzt Do’Urden. Remember who you are, noble ranger.”
A smile found its way onto Drizzt’s face. “Thank you, my friend,” he said. “Of all the challenges I have faced, this is perhaps the most trying.”
“I prefer you without the thing,” said Wulfgar.
“As do I,” came another voice from behind them. They turned to see a middle-aged man, well muscled and tall, walking toward them. He seemed casual enough, wearing simple clothes and sporting a neatly trimmed black beard. His hair, too, was black, though speckles of silver edged it.
“Greetings, Wulfgar and Drizzt Do’Urden,” he said with a graceful bow. “I am Khelben, an associate of Malchor. That most magnificent Harpell bade me to watch for your arrival.”
“A wizard?” Wulfgar
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