He watched from the back of the tent, keeping an eye on the young ones that had run to the front of the crowds to see more, even thought they're father stood two heads taller than those around him, they still wanted to be at the front, not on his shoulders.
A smile crept on his lips as the gaped in wander at the animals that moved and danced in the performing ring, remembering when he had first met the young ones and there same gawking expressions seeing there father running and hugging this strange 'human'.
In Wulfgar' opinion he had spent too long away from them in his traveling, but Drizzt knew he's spent just enough time apart. As Wulfgar and Catti-Brie had settled down together, growing in love and happiness as newlyweds, he didn't want to linger around. They had both held a love for him in there hearts at some point that went beyond that of mere friendship, he didn't want to be a temptation to there young desires but he knew there... He couldn't think love because it would be harsh but it was such a thing. When two lovers have finally gotten over there first stages of shyness and taken there first step towards a true life bond, then... well they couldn't keep there hands off of each other.
Drizzt had smiled at it, as much as it had made him and Bruenor blush when they were caught in the hallways of Mithril Hall.
He had spent eight whole years away, wandering the world and learning as he went, he was still shunned, hence his place at the back of the traveling tent and not closer to the young ones. When had returned, Catti-Brei had given Wulfgar a beautiful set of twins, one male one female. The had the fair hair of there father but the beautiful eyes and faces of there mother, with a mix of the strength and agility both parents possessed.
So when Drizzt had walked in upon Wulfgar teaching the two about the wilds, the animals, the plants, he had been shocked to say the least.
He wouldn't confess to having been thinking about them to the point where he was wandering if he was hearing voices from his memories. That was two days ago, when he had come across there little camp, Catti-Brei had been collecting different flowers and herbs to show them there uses and had dropped her basket when she had seen him.
"Now, you see how it's done Teian? Good girl Teiya!"
Drizzt' head had shot up as the voice drifted up to him from his high perch in one of the largest redwoods in the area. It was one of few that had grown here, and it was a giant amongst the hardier oaks and birch and he'd been using this and another as star watching posts for the last few nights as summer hit her peek and he watched the stars and summer comet falls.
He had sat up listening to the words floating up still, in shock at how his mid-day dozing had become real when he shook his head and started to climb down the tree, only realizing how long he'd been gone when he questioned himself on wither or not Wulfgar and Catti-Brei had mentioned children when he had seen them last.
That was eight years ago, only a month after there wedding.
Silently moving closer he listened more.
"Da, how are we suppos' to catch bunnies if we ain't seen any bout 'ere?" Asked a voice that Drizzt would have sworn was Catti-Brei herself, aged only ten. There was laughter from the towering giant as he sat and showed his children how to make snare traps that would catch rabbits and small deer.
"Ah! Thats because we haven't shown you what to look for when you want to hunt rabbits."
It was then that Drizzt had finally laid eyes on the scene and stopped dead, unfortunately one of the children had noticed his movements. "Da! There's summit in the bushes!" He'd cried pointing and jumping to his feet in child like enthusiasm.
Wulfgar had turned, hammer forever on his back, ready for trouble but ready to dismiss it as a child's excitement.
Drizzt had then taken a few steps out of the shade to stand in the sun light before pushing his cowl back and gaping at his old friend. Wulfgar hadn't aged a day, nothing except a subtle softness had entered his features, mostly from his new role as father and not to much as hero. Drizzt noted he still worked the forges as his muscles hadn't lost any of there firmness.
"Your back at last?" Wulfgar had whispered, equally shocked. His two children had stood and his behind there fathers thighs -as it was all the reached- and stared at the new comer before there father had jumped forward to embrace the tall thin man, lifting him clean in the air.
"We thought you lost!!" Roared Wulfgar, tears rimming his eyes in joy as he held the Drow at arms length before crushing him once more against his chest in joy. Dropping the elf to his feet, he held one shoulder in each hand and looked him in the eye, sternness filling his features, "if you EVER go eight whole years without a word, letter or peep, NOTHING will stop me hunting you down!"
Drizzt smiled, warmed by the fact he had been missed, "what stopped you last time?" He asked while guessing full well what and who might have stopped him, they were still standing behind there father, but now holding hands.
Wulfgar turned and smiled at his children, Teian! Teiya! This is one of your dads oldest and greatest of friends, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be standing here! Many a time over." They gawked at Drizzt more.
It was Teiya who moved first, pulling her brother along with her and moving over to Drizzt, who to be honest was actually nervous of what they would think of him, being the children of his greatest friends...
"What's your name mister?" She asked as Drizzt' kneeled down to be on eye level with her, "your not human are you."
"Teiya!" Gasped her brother, pulling on her hand as if to scold her before there father did, casting a small peek at the grinning giant. She just shook her head at him and turned her large eyes on the lavander ones before her.
"Well, he not. He got purple eyes and black skin, white air and big ears." She said tilting her head to the side and looking at him so as to spot the other differences. The elf smiled, "my name is Drizzt Do'Urden and I am a Drow Elf."
There was a gasp and a small pain in his chest, fearing the next few words.
"YOUR Drizzt!!" It was a gasped two words, spoken in reverence and awe as though one would speak of a wrathful god or the spring bringer.
Then they jumped on him.
It was not expected from anyone but Wulfgar and the twins were giggling as they did so, speaking rapidly to each other, there words merging and getting shorter as they did. It sounded almost like another language.
But they hugged him an stroked his hair and his face, pinched his ears and looked at his ear rings, touching his clothes and cloak, all in wander. Yet in all of it, Drizzt sat still, Wulfgar looked like he was about to call the children off from the expression on Drizzt's face before the drow burst out laughing, scooping the two up and spinning around with them.
Catti-Brei had walked in on the scene just them, before moving up slowly and with a measured step, a blank expression on her face before she was eye to eye with Drizzt. The slap echoed through the woods.
"If you EVER LEAVE for that amount of time EVER again..." she let the threat hang in the air before throwing her arms around his shoulders and hugging him, unrestrained by there usually allowance of space between the two.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly to the pair once he was released again. "I... didn't track the time, and there were hundreds of times I thought of returning but on my way I would get... caught up in helping someone who had no one else to turn to..."
They returned to Mithril hall that day, with a happy, tearful reunion with Bruenor and much drinking and story telling going on through the night. He let himself truly relax as he hadn't been able to in the last eight years alone.
"It's good to be back among friends."
Now they were in a traveling entertainers tent, watching the exotic animals performing to the crowds delight, enjoying it as he saw the animals enjoyed the tricks. There were no whips or sticks as some needed with animals, there trainers -a family of 3 brothers and 2 sisters- held true love for there creatures. Afterwards, there was a magic show which was just someone doing simple light shows with magical lights and puffs of smoke, nothing on par with the Harkles.
It was still enough to make the small pair's eyes light up in wander and even though he had never been around children more than seeing them in someone's arms or running thought what ever street he was traveling down, he had never known he liked them. Even Wulfgar had been nearly a man when they had met and Catti-Brei had held a wisdom beyond her own age when they had met, making him see her as not a woman or a baby girl.
"NOW!" Boomed the Master Entertainer, blazing red coat and top hat making him the center of attention no matter where he stood. "I have one more pair I must show you, a exotic pair of dancers who's tricks of balance and mind will have you all amazed."
Two cloaked figures walked in to the arena as the ring master turned to leave, whispering something to one of them as they passed, Drizzt couldn't hear what was said but he didn't like the expression on the mans face.
The two stood in the middle of the room facing each other as the music started, they missed there staring point in the music and it faltered to a stop before a pause and starting up again. There was a shudder from the pair before they started to nod in time with the music, taking there spot and turning in time with the music, cloaks flying out and off to reveal an identical pair of beautiful twins, silver haired and pale skinned.
As they began to sway and move, there moves perfectly synchronized it was there eyes that held the drow, silver eyes stared out at the world, while pointed ears poked only just thought there shining hair.
'They are not human, they are some kind of elf... a race I had only heard of in his childhood.' He watched the dance as mesmerized as the rest of the crowd, as they started to climb long silk banners that were hanging from the tent supports. As they whorled and glided, floating, dancing, weaving...
Drizzt was reminded of his own special dance, nearly a whole decade ago... When he had danced the dance of death with the blades of a particularly deadly assassin. The styles had a link, there were moves they used that reminded him of some of the surface elf settlements he had been allowed into.
They grew faster, there steps becoming lighter and quicker, knives appeared and were juggled, flipped, thrown between the pair, fourteen glinting blades of death flying in the air. Suddenly the music reached a pitch and they grabbed the knives out the air, in unison and throwing a line of daggers up of the support posts before the last two landed, one above the Master Entertainers head and one between his boots, quivering just between his toes.
Silence filled the tent as the twins panted, staring pure hatred at the man in red and he just glared but smirked.
The crowd clapped and cheered suddenly, the shock wearing off as they thought the last part being part of the entertainment. Drizzt knew better and as the pair suddenly clutched at there necks and fell to the ground, shuddering the crowd was blind to there pain. Wulfgar and Drizzt straightened while Catti-Brei gasped openly, as two men came and scooped up the pair of dancers, another gathering up there knives while the Master Entertainer moved to the center of the arena to announce the next act and quell any fears.
"Well well, seems they must have over done themselves with there performance. It happens every so often when a performer puts there heart in to achieving the best for his audience!" The crowd loved it and gold coins made there way in to the arena as people flipped them in to show there appreciation.
Catti-Brei had come back with the twins complaining they wanted to watch the show more, while Wulfgar and Drizzt' whispered between themselves. The small family left the tent unnoticed.
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