"What do you mean he's gone?" asked Catti-brie as she and Rollins, a younger member of the crew, hurried toward Drizzt's cabin.

"I was walking past his room during my rounds and hear some noise but I thought nothing of till they sounded the alarm on deck, then--" Catti-brie cut him off as she ran to the open door to the drow's room. Inside there where defiant signs of a struggle: a chair was over turned, the bed sheets a mess, and as her eyes scanned the room they fell on a half-sheathed scimitar, Twinkle, lying on the floor. The other had fallen into a partially opened dresser drawer.

Catti-brie circled the little room in a mixture of horror and confusion, running different possibilities through her head, but nothing made any sense. Joining her unexpectedly in this confusing mess was the captain.

"What in the nine hells happened here?" With a helpless shrug, Cat sank down to the messy bed. The captain made his way around the room. "I don't know where to start." He said with a weak voice. He glanced toward the young woman and saw the tears well in her eyes. "I'm sorry Cat, but there's naught we can do till sunrise." He laid an empathetic hand on her shoulder. "Try to get some rest- wait, what do we have here?" The captain picked up a small medallion out of the folds of the sheets.

"That belongs to one of those slave traders," Rollins said matter-of- factly.

"You know who they are; we can just go break him out or buy him back or something, can't we?" Catti-brie said with a wisp of hope in her voice.

"Nimjac was in league with these traders which leads me to believe Drizzt's abduction was not at random."

"Revenge?"

"Quite possibly. We will go see the poor wretch on the morrow and see what we can find." With that the crew present turned to go. The captain stayed Cat with an out stretched arm. "Listen to me. These traders do not sell their goods on the block. They sell exotic goods in strange and unknown lands. Just think at what a novelty a black elf would be in a land where there are none," He said in a grave voice.

"Meaning?"

"I believe we are in for an interesting adventure."

* * * * *

The nest day, Catti-brie and Captain Deudermont set out for the jail. "Do you think he will tell us anything?"

"I'm not sure lass." When they arrived at the old stone building a guard showed them down toward the jail cell. Suddenly another guard appeared.

"What is their business down here?" The guard inquired.

"We're here to see a prisoner, a Captain Nimjac." Deudermont said.

"You're too late for him."

"You haven't executed him, have you?" Worry was clearly etched on the young woman's face.

"In a sense. Late last night some one snuck in here a slit the poor bastard's throat. We didn' know till we came in this morning an saw him long dead." Catti-brie let out a long moan and fell against the wall.

"Now what?"