Chapter 1

Running ever so swiftly across the frozen tundra of Icewind Dale, the creature was a blur.
Petite in size but clad in pure white, gender and race was unclear. "Must find him, must
move on, must RUN!" whispered through the winds.

In a whirlwind of sound, the husky voice quietly swirled around the creature. Whether by
the blurring of quick falling snow flakes or light stepping footfalls, no imprint, no mark
was left behind in the snow...

A deep growling -friendly though slightly muffled- aroused the dark elf from his frozen
state. Though the weather fierce with a biting chill as the snow fell, Drizzt was frozen in
another sense.

Leaning against the wall just inside the entrance to his rocky cave -arms crossed over his
lean but fit torso - his lavender gaze swept all across the blanket of white below. Lost
deep in inner thought, but eyes alert to all movement below, he didn't note the approach
from behind of his panther.

A smile lit across his ebony face when he turned around to find Guenhwyvar sitting on her
haunches, fresh (though slightly frozen) prey she killed hanging in her mouth. "Guen,
either you are becoming more of the sly one...or I'm losing my touch."

Though meant as a jest, Drizzt realized perhaps there was more truth then he realized in
the statement. His gaze slipped over to his weapon belt as he began cleaning his dinner.
His scimitars hadn't been drawn from their sheaths in over 2 months now. Guenhwyvar
did his hunting when she was able to come from her Astral home.

His inner contemplations took most of his time now. The joy of putting his blades to
work somehow lost it's luster since he last saw his dearest friends.

But the winds had been changing so to speak across Ice Wind Dale. An unrest was flying
through the air. Some evil feeling penetrated in his heart while he spent time gazing at the
fields below. When something did happen (if his instinct's proved true) Drizzt would have
to be ready.

Sweat covered her entire body. Moving in a well practiced manner the sword dance was
remarkable. The door bolted shut in her dark enclosure of a room (what typical tavern in
Longsaddle wasn't full of them?) the human had her privacy.

Auburn air, tied loosely behind her head, smacked against her back as she twirled, leaped,
parried, and struck. Sword swished through the air in a fast metallic blur.

A body still well toned for her age in the forties, Catti-brie's figure could prove her trouble
if she didn't know how to defend herself -if she wasn't one of the best and most famed
warriors around, in other words.

The assumed lover of the other renowned warrior, Drizzt Do'Urden, continued practicing
with Cutter. She stopped in between to throw daggers. The left hand wall of her room
had become quite beaten up when Catti took up the new weapon of choice recently.

The death of her father and Regis, the moving on of Wulfgar and Delly, and the
"disappearance" of Drizzt, freed up much time for the woman.

'Disappearance'...shaking the thought from her head (rumors that people had concocted
when the dark elf was no where to be found) rised again in her thoughts, screaming in her
head. Furious, she shook the voices away. She knew the truth...the horrible truth.

His rest came quick. Living alone again opened up new dangers with no one to keep
watch. Drizzt, lying in a corner of his cave, tossing in a fitful sleep....

Bright light blinding his eyes, beating rhythm drowning his ears. An even brighter flash
of silver streaked before his face, the hum of Heartseeker. An even louder scream pierced
his ears. Laughing too, an irritating laugh from the throat of one he once wanted to
strangle. "Catti!!"

He screamed although it came as a whisper to his ears. "Cat!" Frantic
beyond compare, knowing horrors that he couldn't see. Drizzt's limbs turned leaden as he
tried to move, tried to break the feeling of bonds on his wrists. "Cat...."

"Noooo." He bolted upright, his voice echoed around the cave for a moment or two while
he ran nimble fingers through his white hair. Shaking his head, Drizzt rose to his feet
checking that Guenhwyvar's statue still lie safe in his cloak pocket. The sun was rising.

A/N: Ok...I really need reviews guys! I have a lot planned for this story.
It will be having a double plot. 1) Flashbacks to the MANY events leading to the
beginning of this chapter and 2) Plot line that will continue on from this point on.
(In case you didn't figure, the "'s" will be denoting dreams or flashbacks