The giant looked at them in outrage as though it had been deceived. "Dogs!"it gasped, a gout of blood bursting from its mouth. "What trick . . ."Biggrin fell dead without another word.* * * * *
"Should we go after the cat?" Wulfgar asked when they got back to the secretdoor.
Drizzt was wrapping a torch out of some rags he had found. "Faith in theshadow," he answered. "Guenhwyvar will not let the verbeeg escape. Besides, Ihave a good meal waiting for me back in the cave.""You go," Wulfgar told him. "I shall stay here and watch for the cat'sreturn."
Drizzt clasped the big man's shoulder as he started to leave. They had beenthrough a lot in the short time they had been together, and Drizzt suspectedthat the excitement was just beginning. The drow sang a feasting song as hestarted to the main passage, but only as a dodge to Wulfgar, for the dinnertable wouldn't be his first stop. The giant they had spoken with earlier hadbeen evasive when asked about what lay down the one tunnel they had yet toexplore. And with everything else they had found, Drizzt believed that couldonly mean one thing - treasure.
* * * * *
The great panther loped along over the broken stones, easily gaining on theheavy-footed giant. Soon Guenhwyvar could hear the verbeeg's labored breathingas the creature struggled with every leap and climb. The giant was making forDaledrop and the open tundra beyond. But so frenzied was its flight that itdidn't move off the face of Kelvin's Cairn to the easier ground of the valley.It sought a straighter route, believing it to be the quicker path to safety.Guenhwyvar knew the areas of the mountain as well as its master, knew whereevery creature on the mountain laired. The cat had already discerned where itwanted the giant to go. Like a shepherd's dog, it closed the remaining distanceand scratched at the giant's flanks, veering it into the direction of a deepmountain pool. The terrified verbeeg, certain that the deadly warhammer ordarting scimitar weren't far behind, didn't dare stop and engage the panther. Itsurged blindly along the path Guenhwyvar had chosen.A short time later, Guenhwyvar broke away from the giant and raced ahead.When the cat reached the edge of the cold water, it tilted its head andconcentrated its keen senses, hoping to spy something that could help itcomplete the task. Then Guenhwyvar noticed a tiny shimmer of movement under thesparkles of the first light on the water. Its sharp eyes sorted out the longshape lying deathly still. Satisfied that the trap was set, Guenhwyvar movedback behind a nearby ledge to wait.
The giant lumbered up to the pool, breathing heavily. It leaned against aboulder for a moment, despite its terror. Things seemed safe enough for themoment. As soon as it had caught its breath, the giant looked around quickly forsigns of pursuit, then started forward again.There was only one path across the pool, a fallen log that spanned thecenter, and all of the alternative routes around the pool, though the waterwasn't very wide, weaved around sheer drops and jutting rockfaces and promisedto be slow going.
The verbeeg tested the log. It seemed sturdy, so the monster cautiouslystarted across. The cat waited for the giant to get close to the center of the
