ht； the tip scraping the rough wood floor。 The drow was wet and bleeding from his face； from his leg； and maybe other places as well。 Piet had never seen a dark elf before。 He'd actually always thought they were a myth； so it was impossible for him to get a read on the creature； but he seemed to be weak； exhausted； maybe even dying。
〃Who are you？〃 Piet asked； not liking at all the terrified quaver he heard in his voice。 〃What are you doing here？ What do you want？〃
Difficult as it was for Piet to tell what the drow was thinking； the logger was convinced that the outsider understood him。 The look he gave Piet in answer seemed haughty at first then wasn't so much haughty as 。。。 Piet didn't know what to call it。 He thought he remembered a word： disdainful； but he wasn't sure he remembered what that meant。
The drow didn't answer。 Instead； he started to bring his sword up； and Piet； afraid the drow was going to cut him； chopped down with his axe。 Piet had spent his entire adult life…since he was eleven…and…a…half…chopping wood。 He knew how to swing an axe； and he did it with speed； power； and precision。 Still； he didn't e within an armslength of the dark elf。
Piet barely saw him move。 He was a couple of feet to the right all of a sudden； standing between Piet and Ulo。 The drow had his sword up； but it looked as if he was defending himself； not attacking。 Ulo； surprised that the dark elf was suddenly standing so much closer to him； waved his knives in front of himself madly…cutting no one…and scrambled backward until he hit the wall。
〃Stab him； Ulo！〃 Piet shouted； but it didn't look as if Ulo even heard him。
The dark elf came at Piet with his sword low； and Piet dodged out of the way instinctively。 A rush of adrenaline coursed through him。 He'd never moved so fast in his life。
He changed his grip on his axe and swung it sideways at the dark elf； who leaped back to let the axe head pass a few inches in front of his face。 Piet reversed his grip at the end of the swing； twisted the axe around and swung again。 He knew the dark elf would lean back again and was ready for it。 He actually aimed at a point several inches behind the drow's head。 The only thing he could see was the drow； and when the axe came at the dark elf's head； Piet closed his eyes； expecting a splash of blood。
The axe stopped； and hot； thick liquid splashed over Piet's face。 He closed his eyes tighter to keep the blood out of his eyes and tried to wrench the axe out of the dark elf's skull； but it was stuck。 The falling body dragged Piet down with in and he slowly sank to his knees。 Piet's forehead bumped the wall； which surprised him。 He didn't think he was that far forward。
He wiped his eyes with one sleeve as he said； 〃I got him； Ulo！ I split the black devil's sku…〃
Piet stopped cold when he opened his eyes and saw exactly whose skull he'd split。 Ulo's dead eyes stared back at him； glassy and vacant。 Piet's axe head was jammed into the side of his friend's head； and blood was still oozing out from around it。
Piet's body shook； wracked by a spasm； but he kept himself from vomiting by pressing a hand tightly to his mouth； letting go of the axe that was still stuck in his friend's head； and rolling off onto the floor。
He looked up and saw the dark elf looking down at him； making no move to kill him； though the drow would have had an easy time of it。 Piet met the black creature's gaze and got the sinking feeling that the drow was not only pleased with himself for getting Piet to kill Ulo but that he was thinking about trying something like it again。
〃Men！〃 Piet barked； his voice cracking。
He wanted to warn them； but his throat was tight； and he had trouble forcing the words out。 Looking up at the other four loggers； Piet saw the huge； gray…furred demon rip Arkam's throat out with one hand； as if he were digging a handful of shortening out of a pot。 Blood poured out everywhere； and Arkam was dead before his gore…soaked body hit the floor。
Piet knew the second the two bizarre creatures burst in through the window that things were going to end badly for the logging crew； but there was something about the way matters were unfolding…the casual manner in which the gray demon ripped Arkam's throat out and the conniving； almost mean…spirited way the dark elf made Piet kill his own friend…that made it seem too personal； as if they'd e there for that reason。
Piet's palms weren't sweating anymore。 His jaw was still tight； but for a different reason。 His blood pounded in his ears。 The dark elf was watching the demon toy with Ansen； Kinsky； and Lint。 He didn't even think Piet was dangerous enough to keep an eye on。
That； Piet thought； is your second and last mistake； drow。
Piet coughed back the bile that rose in his throat when he put his heavy…booted foot on his friend Ulo's split…open head and pushed while pulling on the axe handle。 The axe head came loose with a nauseating sucking sound； but Piet managed to ignore it。
Axe in hand； Piet stood then lunged at the dark elf。 The slippery drow dodged him again； quickly and easily enough that Piet thought he must have eyes on the back of his head。 Undaunted； the logger swung again but sliced through nothing but air。 The drow danced back； not even parrying with his huge greatsword； just stepping back； leaning to either side or backward as Piet swung again and again。
Piet finally gave up。 His lungs were burning。 He tried to speak but couldn't。 He wanted to run but his legs felt like twigs ready to snap…he'd already spent a long day cutting down trees。 All he could do was stand there and watch the dark elf watch the demon…thing kill the rest of the men in the room。
The demon had one of the heavy oak tables in his hands…the larger two of the thing's three hands…and was pressing Ansen； Kinsky； and Lint into the wall。 Their weapons were caught between the tabletop and their own bodies。 Ansen's torch burned his face； Kinsky's axe handle cracked his collarbone； and Lint's spear wagged impotently from behind the table； digging deep furrows into the roof beam above him。
The men were grunting and coughing。 Ansen screamed。 Smoke billowed up from his hair； and the flesh around his right eye was crisping and beginning to flake away。
〃Stop it；〃 Piet gasped。
Neither the drow nor the demon even looked at him。
〃Stop 。 。 。〃 he moaned and was about to drop his axe when the door burst open； and five men all but crawled over each other to get into the mon room。
Piet knew them all： Nedreg； the tall man from Sembia who was one of two men in the camp who'd brought a sword with him。 Kem； the short guy from Cormyr who also had a sword and who hated Nedreg as much as Nedreg hated him。 Raula； the only woman in the camp； had a spear she said was magical but no one believed her。 Aynd； Raula's husband； had a spear that was so warped he didn't bother telling anyone it was anything but an old piece of Impilturan army garbage he'd found on the side of a road。
The first of the five to get into the room was the foreman of the camp： a big man named Rab who claimed to have been a sergeant in the Cormyrean army； who was on the battlefield the day King Azoun was killed。 Everyone believed what Rab told them…whatever Rab told them…because everyone was afraid of him。 Piet never liked Rab； but seeing him burst into the blood…soaked tavern with his greataxe at the ready was the most beautiful thing Piet had ever seen。
It was then； for no reason Piet could understand； that the dark elf finally attacked him。 The greatsword moved so fast Piet could barely see it。 Still； he managed to stagger back away from the blade。 He tried to parry with his axe； but the dark elf never touched it。 His greatsword whirled around it； flipped over it； pulled away from it。
Piet had taken maybe ten steps before he even realized he was walking。 He was closer to the demon than he'd intended to go； but the monster was still pushing against the table behind which Ansen； Kinsky； and Lint were trapped。 Ansen was still screaming。 The tone of his voice had taken on a more desperate； almost girlish quality； and Piet found himself wishing the man would hurry up and die。 It was the only humane thing。
The other two men looked as if they were trying to scream but couldn't。 The demon…thing glanced up at the men who'd burst into the room but who were hesitating at the door still trying to understand the grim scene。 The demon took advantage of their hesitation and pressed harder。 Piet could see the thing's legs tense and the sharp claws on its feet dig into the floor。 Kinsky's eyes popped out of his head； followed by a waterfall of blood。 Lint coughed out a mouthful of blood； gurgled； and died。 Kinsky tried to scream。 The room filled with a series of loud cracking noises； and he went limp。 Ansen finally stopped screaming； though he continued to burn。
Rab and the others charged at the demon。 Piet wasn't even sure they noticed the dark elf。
〃Why？〃 Piet asked the drow； who was watching the others charge the demon。 〃What are you doing here？ Why are you doing this？ What do you want？〃
The dark elf turned to him an