though the elf stoically pretended otherwise.
"They owe ye more than they'll xxx suecas ever xxx suecas know," Bruenor stated flatly,
turning a sympathetic eye on his friend.
"They owe xxx suecas me nothing."
Bruenor shook his head. "Why do ye care?" he growled. "Ever yer watchin'
over the folk that show ye no good will. What do ye owe to them?&xxx suecas quot;
Drizzt shrugged, hard-pressed xxx suecas to find an xxx suecas answer. Bruenor was right. When
the drow had first come to this land, the only one who had
shown him any
friendship at all was Regis. He often escorted and protected the halfling
through the dangerous first legs of the journey from Lonelywood, around xxx suecas the
open tundra north of Maer Dualdon and down toward Bryn Shander, when Regis
went to the principle city for business or council meetings. They had
actually met on one such trek: xxx suecas Regis tried to flee from Drizzt because he'd
heard terrible rumors about him. Luckily for xxx suecas both of them, Regis was a
halfling who was usually able to keep an open mind about people and make
his own judgements concerning their character. It wasn't xxx suecas long before the
two were fast friends.
But to this day, Regis and the dwarves were the only
ones in the area
who considered the drow a friend. "I do not know xxx suecas why I care," Drizzt
answered honestly. His eyes turned back to his ancient homeland, where
loyalty was merely a device to gain an advantage over a common foe.
"Perhaps I care because I strive
xxx suecas to be different xxx suecas from my people," he xxx suecas said,
as much to himself as to Bruenor. "Perhaps I care because I am different
from my people. I may be xxx suecas more xxx suecas akin to the races of the surface . . . that
is my hope at least. I care because I have to care about something. You are
not so different, Bruenor Battlehammer. We care lest our own lives be
empty."
Bruenor cocked a curious eye.
"You can deny your feelings for the people xxx suecas of Ten-Tbwns to me, but xxx suecas not
to yourself."
"Bah!" Bruenor snorted. "Sure that I xxx suecas care for xxx suecas them! My folk need the
trade!"
"Stubborn," Drizzt mumbled, xxx suecas smiling knowingly. "And Catti-brie?" he
pressed. "What of the human girl who was orphaned in the raid those years
xxx suecas ago on Termalaine? The waif that you took in and raised as your own child."
xxx suecas Bruenor was glad that the cover of night offered some protection from his
revealing blush. "She lives with you still, though xxx suecas even you would have to
admit that she is able to go back to her own kind. Might it be, perhaps,
that you care for her, gruff
dwarf?"
"