Sojourn

Sojourn is the third book in the Dark Elf trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. It was later reissued as book three of the Legend of Drizzt series.

"Far above the merciless Underdark, Drizzt Do'Urden fights to survive the elements of Toril's harsh surface. The young drow begins a sojourn through a world entirely unlike his own—even as he evades the dark elves of his past. He begins to understand his new home and its inhabitants, but acceptance among the surface-dwellers doesn't come easily."

Summary
Drizzt, a renegade drow who has forsaken the ways of his evil people to live a better life on the surface of Toril, is resting in a place to meet the dawns of the sun, with his faithful panther Guenhwyvar. He travels out one day and happens upon a village, where he encounters a human child, where he tries unsuccessfully to communicate. The child runs away to tell the tales of a drow, and the vilage decides to call upon Roddy McGristle, a bounty hunter with two savage dogs and a huge axe named Bleeder. More villagers assemble and try to drive him out, before he meets a rugged band of gnolls. He travels with them to escape the villagers, but after soon realising their evil intent, kills them but attracts the attention of a barghest whelp, Ugulu. After realising that it was Drizzt and his panther who killed his best soldiers, orders revenge on him by his full force. Fortunately, this also takes the attention of Dove Falconhand, a ranger and Chosen of Mystra. She an her party are able to aid Drizzt and they become conscious of the fact that he is not like the others of his kin. But Ugulu morphs into the shape of a drow, and attacks a nearby village, killing the Thistledowns, a peaceful farming family. Danger takes it's shape in a human bounty hunter named Roddy McGristle, who has heard of the plight of the village, and sets off to hunt down Drizzt. Drizzt enounters Ugulu and slays him. He flees the village and the rangers chasing him. After that battle, Roddy confronts Drizzt, but loses, waking away with scars, only one ear and a lost dog. For the winter, Drizzt stays in the den of Bluster the bear, leaving him with daily meals of fish. Montolio "Mooshie" DeBrouchee, the blind ranger witnesses that bond through the eyes of Hooter the owl, and takes Drizzt under his wing to teach him the ways of the ranger, and the goddess of Mielikki, Goddess of the Forest. After prospering under the guidance of Mooshie and learning the Common Surface tongue, they battle with the last forces of Graul. One day, Mooshie is found dead, leaving Drzzt to fulfill the promise he made to leave and never return to his grove. He makes his way forward to Ten-Towns, a place where he might find friendship and refuge, but he is pursued by Tephanis, a quickling sprite, who has teamed up with Roddy, after being enslaved by Graul, then Caroak, a winter wolf Gwenhwyvar killed in the Battle of Mooshie's Grove. Drizzt meets the Weping Friars, a group of religious postulants who make themselves suffer for the good of all. They lead him to Hephaestus the red dragon, after being entrapped by Tephanis. They escape, and Tephanis is killed by Roddy for betraying his orders. Drizzt goes to Ten-Towns in Icewind Dale, where he is rejected by Cassius, the spokesman for his town, and led to the caves of the Battlehammer dwarves, and finds refuge in a small cave there. He meets Cattie-Brie, the adopted daughter of King Bruenor Battlehammer, and makes her acquaintance, but Bruenor is furious when he finds out that his daughter has been meeting with a drow, and has a solid argument with her. Roddy later comes, and explains to Bruenor the antics of Drizzt, but Cattie-Brie interjects, defending Drizzt. She later goes to Drizzt's cave, but is manhandled by Roddy. She is rescued by Drizzt, who then fights Roddy, and closes one of Roddy's eyes. He defeats Roddy, who is knocked unconscious, and the dog is scared by Gwenhwyvar to remain by it's master's side. When Roddy wakes up, he is met by Bruenor, who banishes him from Icewind Dale. Drizzt is then accepted into the community, and has now found a home.



Sojourn