[Warning: This is definitely not my best work. Beware. Good gods, beware.
Anyway. Copyrights!
Catti-brie, Bruenor, Delly, Regis, Drizzt, Moradin © RAS and those other chaps.
Everything else © Me. I think.
Yehp, pretty sure.
I had NO idea what to do about the bloody priest speech. I winged it. Heheh.]
Catti-brie was frightened.
It was strange. She was, after all, the daughter of Bruenor Battlehammer. She had grown up with mostly men, had faced the rigours of travel and battle, and death. But now, she was afraid. She was terrified.
She started at a knock on her door, whirling on her heel and dropping her comb in shock. The carved piece of bone hit the floor with a clatter, and she held her breath, heart beating wildly. That had been a gift of Regis, an expensive one, and if it broke...
But the brush was still intact.
"Yes?" she called.
The door opened, and there was Drizzt; smiling, kind, as handsome as ever. His wild white hair tumbled down his shoulders, longer than her own auburn tresses.
Her heart gave a painful shudder, seeing him, his white smile and sparkling lavender eyes. He was so lovely.
"Ye shouldn't be here," she scolded, stooping to pick up the brush, "It's tradition."
Drizzt smiled, "I wanted to see my bride. Can you hold such a wish against me?"
"Bah, away with ye!" Catti-brie laughed, nervous and lightheaded, "Away! Ye'll not see me till I'm at the threshold."
Drizzt gave a yelp as someone unseen behind him gave him a sharp blow to the back of his head; he scrambled aside, revealing Delly, smiling and amused.
"Out, sir!" She snapped, though her eyes were the kindest they had ever been, "Out, not till the girl's ready. You'll have enough time to oggle her later."
Delly flashed a wink at the redhead.
Once Drizzt had been ushered out, Delly plucked the comb from Catti-brie's fingers, beginning to untangle the hopelessly tangled auburn strands.
"You made a fine choice, Cat," Delly said.
Catti-brie nodded, shaking.
"Ah, now. I know how it feels," Delly said kindly, laying her hand on Catti-brie's shoulder. "It's just nerves. You'll be fine. You'll make a lovely bride, and you'll marry a handsome groom. Every girl's dream."
"Aye," Catti-brie said, feeling sick. She was so… scared. "Aye, it is. I'm living a dream."
Delly comfortingly squeezed Catti-brie's shoulder, and said, "Now, let's get you into your dress."
*
Catti-brie was still scared when she stood at the end of the aisle. She was scared as her father, Bruenor, walked her along, up next to the smiling Drizzt, with his fiery eyes and kind face.
She was scared as the priest began to talk.
"Dearly beloved…"
Purple eyes…
"We are gathered here today…"
Slender, delicate…
"To join these two…"
Long, black hair…
"In holy matrimony…"
Pale white skin…
"In the name of Moradin…"
Soft lips and loving touches… encouragement and valour…
"And the goddess of love…"
"No," she said.
Everyone looked at her.
Catti-brie was scared, so terribly scared; but she was brave, because she was a woman, and within a woman is a bravery that can barely ever be expressed. In their hearts they can fight anything, anyone; it pumps in their veins and flows in their heart and burns in their eyes.
"No," she repeated.
Drizzt looked scared, too; scared, and hurt. Her heart went out to him, it truly did; but she wouldn't do it, she wouldn't live it. She was brave, she was Catti-brie Battlehammer, and she would do the right thing.
She tugged off her ring, and put it in Drizzt's hand, and she kissed his cheek. "I love you," she said, and she meant it, in her very heart she meant it, and she walked back down the aisle.
She was packing in her room no less than a half-hour later, back in her normal clothes, her hair its usual mess. Nobody spoke to her, Drizzt least of all; he understood her decision, or at least thought he did, and he respected it.
Yes, she was running. A woman's bravery can only last for so long.
There was a movement behind her, and she was met by a pair of purple eyes; not Drizzt's lavender, but these were dark and violet and nearly black with intensity.
Lips met Catti-brie's, and Catti-brie cried, and she sagged into the other's arms, weak, powerless, unable but to do anything but quake with relief. What had done had been done, and soon everything would be right again.
"Do you run from me?" A soft, throaty voice whispered.
Catti-brie shook her head, "I run from myself," she admitted.
"Fine," said Julianne, holding Catti-brie close, fingering her auburn hair. The woman smiled at the redhead, proud of the other. "Then I shall run with you. Running from something always leads you somewhere else, I shall be there when you reach it."
Catti-brie laughed, "And we shall ride into battle, and never know fear."
"Aye," Julianne murmured, "because real bravery is only shown when fighting in your own territory. For in a stranger's battlefield there is only life, and death; and there are worse things than death."
"Like living a lie?"
"That's so cliched, Cat. No, what's worse than death is not living at all."
[Whoo.
First off: Julianne IS quoting Albus Dumbledore in the third from last paragraph, because I am a FREAK when it comes to Harry Potter. You all feel lucky Lucius Malfoy didn't waltz in to complain about the food. Or Bellatrix and Voldemort appeared arm in arm like a celebrity couple. So anyway, that quote is © JKR.
Secondly: What? Catti-brie is a Grade A lesbian. How could she not be?
Thirdly: I told you it was different.
Fourthly: I didn't use The Real Drizzt. I used Clone Drizzt. But most of you probably can't tell the difference. (Clone Drizzt is cheaper, more somber, and with 40% less fat than Real Drizzt: 99% of the fandom can't even tell the difference! [/end Simpson's Fake Gruel Tone])
Fifthly: AU, AU. No, not the chemical sign for gold, but the initials for 'alternate universe'. Same characters, same setting, no Hunter's Blade Trilogy.
Sixthly: Tell me what you think, daaaaahlinks. Really.]