A/N: Chapters 9 and 10 of the original combined.

Disclaimer: Please see previous chapters. I honestly don't feel like typing this out again today.

Just keep reading. Just keep reading. Just keep reading, reading, reading...


Chapter Seven: Gone

She opened the door just as his energy left. They had just missed the one they had come to rescue. The window was open to the evening sky, and Shiara was nowhere in sight. The others filed in behind her wondering what to do.

Kagome walked to the open window. The complex was built up into a hill somewhere, they would probably just go back the way they came. Either way it wasn't too far to get out. She tried to reach her friend's mind again but this time it was closed to all who would look. She tried a bit harder and got the response that he would contact her later. He was running far away right now. Looking for something and he had someone with him.

She turned and left the room, the others wordlessly followed. The hallway didn't seem so long this time. Kagome wasn't paying attention anyway, she was too upset. She had spent the whole time waiting to see Shiara and now he was gone. 'At least he got out...' she thought. That made it worth something.

By the time the exited the sinkhole it was fully night. They had been in the cave much longer than they had thought. Kagome did not feel like moving on at the moment. The others said nothing as they set up camp, they politely let her be, only bothering her to give her food which she sparsely ate. She was not really hungry but she ate to make them feel less worried about her.

The rest of the night slipped by uneventfully. The only action was made when they switched turns for the watch. Kagome and Drizzt were once again paired, this time they were the last.

He knew that she was very upset about not seeing her friend. He would be too, but it upset him that she was upset. Ever since he had first seen her he had started to develop a sort of kinship with her. That bond strengthened when she had told him why Shiara was so important to her. Now even moreso. He could no longer stand the silence, he had to say something. He just hoped that he would not upset her like he had last time.

"You'll see him again," he said hopefully. She just nodded without looking up. He let out a soft sigh, "What else is bothering you?" She just shook her head. Nothing? Or did she not feel like talking? Probably the latter, Drizzt decided. He respectfully dropped the conversation and turned his attention to the sky. What else was there to do?

As much as Kagome appreciated Drizzt's inquiry, she didn't feel like talking to him about it. How could he know how she felt right now? She did not put him above or below being alone. She knew for a fact that he had been for most of his life. She knew what that woman Catti-brie had done to him. But how could he understand what being betrayed by a so-called friend and then being alone in a house for six months, having to rescue a father figure on top of that only to have him vanish just before she got to see him felt like? It wasn't fair. She had worked so hard these last few months. These last few years. She wanted a break from everything!

She lay down in her bedroll frustrated. What was she going to do, she asked herself. She forced her anger melt away. It wasn't Drizzt's fault that all these things had happened to her. She should have said something to him. She made herself fall asleep, she wouldn't be any help to him tired. At least in her dreams she could relax. She could feel Shadow waiting for her already.

She silently fell into her Dreamscape and landed in the usual field of bright colored wild flowers. He was standing right in front of her and she wrapped her arms around him. "Hello my Shadow."

"Hello my love."


Shiara found a large hollow tree to spend the night in. He gently set Vierna down on the bed of soft pine needles and covered her with one of his blankets. He had no idea why he had chosen to take her with him. It just hadn't seemed right to leave her.

He knew Kagome wouldn't have killed her.

But it still didn't seem right to him that she stay in the cave.

He looked over at her still sleeping form. The spell he had used had been powerful, she would not wake for a while. That left him with plenty of time to think.

But he was tired. How long had it been since he had really slept? A tenday? He couldn't remember and the pine needles looked so soft... And he had another blanket... His eyelids felt weighted down. He had to sleep. The tree was big enough for both of them to lie comfortably apart, but close enough so he could keep an ear on her if she woke...

He sealed the tree with a spell. No point in her escaping and risking her life. He couldn't have that...

He lay down a short distance away from her and fell asleep.


The words had simply slipped from his lips. They left a soft tingle upon them in their wake but oddly it did not bother him. In the few short months he had been dreaming, Drizzt Do'Urden had fallen in love with a woman he had yet to meet, and it didn't disturb him in the least.

She stared up at him not knowing what to think. No one had ever called her that before. Life was full of surprises...

He watched her as she searched his face for any hints of trickery. Her eyes widened when she found none but her face remained full of uncertainty. Gently he pulled her to the ground and closer to him. She did not fight him, for that he was glad. He ran his fingers through her hair and felt her relax against him, her head on his shoulder. She placed her hand on his chest and her fingers unconscious made small circles there. Drizzt didn't mind it though, he was enjoying the sensation of her soft fingertips against his skin.

The ranger tucked her head under his chin. "I do love you, you know," he whispered softly. "Don't ask me how, I honestly have no idea. I hope you don't mind."

She chuckled softly. "Why would I mind?"

Drizzt had no answer for that. He just wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"I don't know how I feel yet," she continued her voice still soft. "But just in case we never meet each other, don't wait for me. I don't want you to waste your life."

The drow nodded. He had been expecting an answer like this. He understood and agreed with her reasoning, but what would he do if they never did meet? There was no point in dwelling on thoughts of a possible future, he decided. He had made that mistake before and it had cost him dearly. Instead they lay there together in silence. There was no need for words as each of them was lost in their own thoughts.

Someday, they both thought, they would meet and be together. But for now...

They could only be together in their dreams.

But how long would that be satisfying?

No one awake seemed to notice that the girl and the ranger had fallen into an equally peaceful sleep.


They were awakened a few hours later but the sound of a cooking pot being dropped against a rock. Both the girl and the drow ranger sat up grudgingly in their bedrolls and looked around questioningly.

Jarlaxle was standing next to the campfire cursing at the deviant cooking pot. The pot sat innocently on the ground a short distance away from him.

Entreri just sat across from them and shook his head in frustration. Was Jarlaxle able to do anything for himself? The mercenary had always seemed to put himself above such small tasks as cooking and cleaning. The former assassin smirked, his drow friend would have to learn.

The mercenary in question looked over at him glaring, "And what is so funny over there Artemis?"

Entreri grinned over at the other two, "The Great Jarlaxle had been defeated by a mere cooking pot." The others burst out laughing.

The reprieve was small, but it had done a lot for the five of them. The fact that they had found drow on the surface seemed a million miles away. Their improved mood made their return to the village all the quicker. Instead of the previous three days, it only took one. They reached the village gates just as the sun was beginning to set. The feelings of foreboding came back to them. There was still much they had to do.

Hitori and an elfmaid were waiting in the house for them when they got there. From the shining tone of her long hair, the four companions assumed her to be their employer. Their suspicions were confirmed when she spoke, "Good you have returned. We were becoming worried, you must tell us what has happened."

They sat down on the couch.

Kagome explained that they had freed Shiara but he went off somewhere on his own. She told them what he said about having had someone with him and that he was looking for something. He had said nothing more regarding either.

When she reached the part about the drow in the caves beneath the sinkhole, both Hitori and Silver tensed significantly. Drow usually meant disaster for the surface.

The room was quiet for a long moment after she finished the story.

"We must be cautious," Silver finally said. "Chances are the if there was a small group, there is a larger one somewhere else. There is nothing we can do, however, until we receive word from Shiara. You will all remain in the village until then."

No one offered any debate to the elfmaid. She was right after all. Now all they could do was wait.

"Should we plan?" Kagome asked.

Silver nodded." Any and all possible forms of attack. We must be prepared for a full assault. This was not just some random raiding party, they want something. We must find out what. Do any of you four have an idea of what is going on?" Her voice was not accusing when she asked them this.

"What about your dream?" Jarlaxle asked Drizzt. "It could mean something."

The younger drow did not feel like explaining it again, but the elfmaid wore a questioning expression. He had no choice. Once again he launched into the story of his first dream. Then he told them what happened in his second, only referring to Secret as the girl in his dream.

The elfmaid looked thoughtful while he explained all of this. He had a feeling she knew something about his first dream but said nothing about it. After a few hours of discussion the elfmaid told them to rest. She would return when one of them heard from Shiara.


Entreri lay in bed a little while later. The strange tingling sensation had returned to him.

The first time he had felt this was when he had first acquired his jeweled dagger. He had been sixteen at the time. He knew now that at the same time he had this feeling, his mother had died.

The second time, was the first time he had battled Drizzt. The ranger had cornered him and he felt as though he was going to die. Then he felt the surge of power go through him. He had formed a plan and executed his escape perfectly. Later, his wounds had healed much faster than normal, without the use of his vampiric dagger.

The next time was almost a year later when he was trapped in Menzobarranzan. His life was in danger every minute of his time there and the feeling never left him. It reached a peak during the rescue of Drizzt from House Baenre. He had been hit with many hand crossbow darts tipped with the insidious sleeping poison, and it had not effected him at all. When he should have been exhausted from all the battles, he had found himself with much more energy than he should have had -it had been more than an adrenaline rush.

He had felt it again when Jarlaxle had been under the spell of Crenshinibon. This time, the feeling led him to attempt to gain the Charon's Claw. Then the sword practically fell into his hands. It had rejected Soulez completely and devoured his soul, leaving a bleached skull-headed body in its wake. Shortly thereafter, when he had his battle with the demonic sword, the power had returned to him. It had added to his strength of will and he had been able to overpower the sword and claim it. After he killed the shade the sword respected him more completely, more than that, it feared him. He had the feeling that it recognized something within him.

It had been the strongest when he had returned to Memnon looking for his mother. Then, however, most of it had been drowned out by the force of his memories. It was more powerful when he had let his anger take him over when he destroyed the Temple of Selûne. Or had that anger resulted from the power? He asked himself now. It could have been.

He felt it now, with a familiar warmth. It was trying to tell him something he realized. He let himself fall into the sensation.


In his dream he saw a beautiful woman.

She was with a man -her mate. He understood that neither of them was human, but he could not tell what they were. They were somewhere in Memnon, on some sort of mission. There was something evil in the city and they were going to destroy it.

They came to a temple, he recognized it as the one he had destroyed. They were going to confront the priests. Their crimes had not gone unnoticed.

But there was something else there. Something darker than the corrupt priests.

They entered the House Proper where itwas waiting for them there. They pulled out their weapons and prepared to fight.

The man was caught by a spell. Something about his race made him all but useless against it. It was poisoning him somehow.

The woman fared a bit better, her sword was deflecting the spells. The Charon's Claw, he realized. Its blood red blade cut through all of her attackers easily.

But then somehow she was disarmed. The leader of the things in his dream wore the very gauntlet he wore now. He grabbed her by her throat and used the power of the gauntlet to take the sword from her hand. It did not destroy him. He put her under the same spell as he had her mate and removed her other weapon. A dagger, his dagger. He would later give the weapons and gauntlet to some of his followers.

He put his own sword through her side and she fell unconscious. Her mate desperately called out her name. Entreri could not make it out though.

Her mate was then wounded himself and he too fell into blackness. He was dragged away somewhere.

Entreri watched as the monster (what else could he call it) called over the corrupt priests and told them to take care of her. She could not get in his way. He would see to her mate. The priests cast a spell on the woman. They made her human. But unknown to them, she had sealed her power into her unborn child.

The scene shifted then. The moment of the child's birth. They were in a rundown shack, one of the many in Memnon. When the baby was out the spell had been fully sealed. The child was born human, but Entreri understood that this was only a temporary thing. The mother's power as well as its own would be released in time. The only question was when. The woman whispered to her newborn. "Soon you will know my little one. Soon you will come into your blood and you will know what you truly are. Forgive me, my son, but this is the only way I can protect you."


Entreri sat up in shock. The dream had been far too vivid for his liking.

Something about the entire vision seemed familiar to him. What was it about the woman?

He tried to sort things out.

He instinctively knew that the woman was now dead.

So why was he dreaming about her?

"Soon you will come into your blood...you will know what you truly are..."

The words echoed through his mind. What did all of this mean? And then as if someone had spoken to him he knew something else, the woman's mate was still alive.