Comfort.
Because I wanted to write something…softer…than my usual smut and gore.
Disclaimer: I do not own Zaknafein or Vierna Do'Urden, nor could I afford to feed them if I did.
Vierna awoke with a startled gasp, heart pounding, drenched in sweat. The nightmare had been so vivid, so terribly and horrifyingly real that at first she was afraid to scramble from her bed, fearing it a trick, that some frightful monster waited beneath her bed to reach out and drag her down, down, down into the smoky pits of the Abyss should she be so incautious as to present it with a bare foot to snatch.
But neither could she sit still in bed, her sweat had made the sheets clammy and she fancied she could feel some presence creeping towards her in the darkness…
If it wasn't already under the bed.
After rocking back and forth for a long moment in her distress she could bare to be alone in the room no longer and positively leapt from the bed, flying across her small room as fast as she could and into the hallway. She fled then, having no clear idea of where she was going, knowing nothing more than that she wanted an adult presence who might be able to drive the fear away- or defend her from the monster if such had truly come.
Her mother, or elder sister perhaps, would be the best choice, but she realised that she had gone the wrong way, that she should have turned right, not left, from her own door to get to their rooms. But she didn't dare look back, she fancied that the beast was just behind her, just waiting for her to turn and look over her shoulder and then it would spring…
There was only one adult in this direction, only one chance at safety. Without so much as knocking (for it was a male's room she entered and though she would never dare be so rude as to intrude unannounced on her mother or sister all males were, after all, her inferiors) she crashed through the door, into a bare room with nothing but wracks of weapons on the walls.
The place was lit, only dimly, but even so the sudden light stung her eyes so that she cried out. As much as it hurt though, the light would maybe fend away her pursuer, so she did not dart back into the corridor but stayed where she was, rocking on the balls of her feet and shivering.
A door that she had not noticed creaked upon across the room, and the Weapons Master poked his head around the door, wary and curious. Seeing the small drow child standing quaking in the middle of his practice room he moved quickly to her side, kneeling down so that they were eye-to-eye.
"What are you doing in here, little Princess?" he asked her gently, folding his hands upon his knee.
Gulping back the tears that threatened to spill- her mother had told her crying was a weakness and that she must never, ever do so- Vierna clenched her fists at her side, desperately trying to still the frantic flutter of her heart.
"I-I h-had a b-bad d-d-dream," she hiccuped. "I d-didn't mean t-to c-come th-this w-w-way, b-but I-I t-turned the wr-wrong w-way."
Looking up at the male- who had always spoken gently and kindly to her, in a way which she instinctively knew he would have done even if he would have been free to do otherwise- she couldn't fight the tears back any longer.
"P-p-please Z-Zaknafein! I'm s-scared th-there's a m-m-monster in m-m-my r-r-room! C-can I stay h-here? P-please?"
"Of course you can, little one!" he exclaimed bundling her close to his chest in a warm hug. Vierna couldn't remember ever being held in such a way before. It was oddly comforting, and she wrapped her arms about the Weapons Master's neck, cuddling as close to his warm chest as possible as he lifted her easily and carried her through the doorway to his own bedroom.
It was very different to her own, and the bed was much bigger, though not as soft or as fluffy as her bed was. This room, too, was lit, though very, very softly, and she decided she liked the dim light. It was odd though, and she said so.
Zaknafein smiled at her, and picked up something that had being lying on the bed. It was unlike anything little Vierna had seen before: a wad of smooth yet textured leaves of some unknown material were fixed inside a covering of hard leather. They felt nice beneath her fingertips when she traced the scribbles that marched line after line across their surface. There was a picture, done in lines of ink, showing something which might have been a male drow holding a sword and shield. His armour was very strange though, and he was sitting on some creature, like she had seen House Do'Urden's soldiers do when they rode the house lizards, but this creature was certainly the strangest lizard she had ever seen! It didn't have scales, and seemed to have only one large, solid toe on each foot, and a tail that was more like a shock of hair.
"The lights are on because I was reading, little Princess. This is called a book, and the markings on the pages represent words. I see them and know what they say, as if someone had spoken them aloud, but I cannot see them without the light."
Vierna ran her fingers over the page again, completely enthralled.
"Can I learn to do that? What does it say?"
"Aye, you can learn, though this particular book is not written in drow, but a language of the surface. It is a story about a faerie prince."
The little drow shuddered. "Ugh! I don't want to think about scary faeries- put it away, Zaknafein."
"Aye, young mistress," the male replied, acquiescing. Vierna pushed at his shoulder, wanting him to lie down, and he did so. The little drow child cuddled up against his chest, enjoying the feeling of warmth and safety as he pulled the covers over them both.
"Better?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied with a nod, winding a handful of his hair around her small fist. "Just don't go anywhere, ok? The monster might come back."
"I'll guard you with my life, little Princess," he told her, wrapping an arm gently around her, feeling that she was still shivering slightly. "No monster shall ever harm you while I am here."
Vierna nodded, already slipping back into reverie.
Zaknafein watched her sleeping; feeling her small body warm against his; feeling her breathe. Carefully, gently, not wanting to wake her, he stroked back the little girl's hair, examining her sleeping features.
"My baby girl," he murmured softly, a smile on his face, as he laid his head on the pillow and slipped into his own dreams.
Awww. I was wondering what it would be like to write a piece about a female drow child, as it seems that people mostly concentrate on the males. I thought it highly likely they'd be treated a lot better, that's for sure. Especially a priestess-to-be.
I hope people noticed the way Vierna started bossing Zaknafein around when her fear began to leave her, but I wanted her to be very child-like while still in the grips of the nightmare- I hope it came out that way.
I also found the idea that a fairytale would seem a bit like the drow equivalent of a horror story vaguely amusing, hence the book in this fic. Whether or not Zak thinks of his book that way I leave up to you…
Anyways, if I get some positive reviews I might consider adding to this story…so please let me know what you think /big puppy dog eyes/