Chapter 20
An'auvri
Drizzt
looked up when the door clicked open. Jarlaxle strode in, a very smug expression on his face as he twirled a
set of lockpicks on his hand, then made them disappear somewhere into his robe.
"You're
supposed to knock," Drizzt complained.
Jarlaxle
looked at him curiously. "Why?
Knocking's when you can't get in and want the person to open the door to
you. Since I can get in..."
"Forget
it," Drizzt said wearily.
Jarlaxle
closed the door behind him. "You sound
like you swallowed a rat," he commented.
"If
I swallowed a rat I'd be choking." Drizzt pointed out.
"Whatever,"
Jarlaxle waved away the question. "So. You're going on patrol
tomorrow."
"Yes."
Drizzt said tonelessly. He returned to
turning one of his scimitars over and over, fingers touching the jeweled
pommel.
"Something
wrong with you?" Jarlaxle pressed.
"No."
Drizzt said. He began to examine the
other scimitar.
"Something
wrong with the Ceremony?" Jarlaxle grinned. Drizzt looked up and glared at him. "Some reaction at last!" Jarlaxle's grin widened. "Now. What was wrong with the Ceremony?"
"Vile!"
Drizzt spat out, "I mean, that glabrezu..."
"It
didn't happen to you," Jarlaxle shrugged. As long as he was concerned, that was the end of the matter. "Or did it?"
Drizzt's
mouth worked convulsively for a while. "No!"
"Then
why get upset about it? I'd think it's the girl's problem and not yours."
Jarlaxle said reasonably. "Hasn't
Tyrank'al taught you anything?"
Drizzt
looked embarrassed. "They shouldn't do
it in public if it was so important." He said. It sounded lame even to him.
Jarlaxle
grinned viciously. "I'm sure as far as
the girl was concerned, she didn't notice you. Tell me, did you accept any offers?"
Drizzt's
face burned.
Jarlaxle
chuckled. "I won't press you. Zaknafein wanted me to give you this." He took out the dagger scabbard and tossed
it to Drizzt.
Drizzt
caught it neatly, then stared at the thing. The scabbard was threadbare but beautifully done. The purple stone seemed to watch him as he
drew out the scabbard.
He
could feel something from the dagger. Some filth that seemed to slough away at his touch, and something that
seemed to be released partly.
"Magic?"
he asked quickly.
"How
did you know?" Jarlaxle asked curiously.
"I
can feel it." Drizzt said. The dagger
was radiating a sense of right, like
he was meant to hold it. Then something
that had been calling for attention in his mind got to him, and he looked down
at the scabbard.
Dark
dragons – and he remembered. "A black
dragon holding a dagger," he muttered, "This dagger. My vision!"
"What's
that?" Jarlaxle asked, sidling closer to take another look at the dagger.
"I
saw a dragon holding this dagger," Drizzt said helplessly.
"In
the Ceremony?" Jarlaxle asked. Drizzt
nodded. "Well then. I don't know how Zak found out, but it means
the dagger's yours. Pity, really – it
must be worth quite a bit."
"Black
dragon is evil," Drizzt protested.
"How
do you know? Met one, have you?" Jarlaxle inquired.
Drizzt
looked embarrassed. "No," he
admitted. "But they say it's evil."
"They,
if I believe who you're talking about, say that just about everything is evil,"
Jarlaxle said dryly, "Come to think of it, they've never said we were good
either, have they? Only wronged, etc, etc. I like to think of 'evil' as well, something that sees thing in a
different way from the norm such that the norm believes they are 'evil'."
Drizzt
stared at him. "Then...you believe
everything is good?"
"I
didn't say anything about good," Jarlaxle commented. "Good is what you believe is beneficial or whatever. To some people, yes, they'd see Zak and me
as evil, and some regrettable few would see us as good."
"But..."
Drizzt started.
"You're
still young, boy," Jarlaxle said, not unkindly, "You don't understand."
"I'm
no longer a boy," Drizzt said.
"I'd
tell you when I think so." Jarlaxle countered. "Now, your father and I will be seriously irritated if you were to die
in the patrols."
"What
would you do if I did?" Drizzt asked curiously.
"Finding
your spirit and making it stay around here forever would be favorite," Jarlaxle
grinned. Drizzt looked horrified.
There
was a hesitant knock on the door, a knock that meant that the knocker knew she
was entitled to barge in but was unsure of whether it was wise, i.e., if it
would cause her any hurt.
Jarlaxle
winked at Drizzt. "Come in, An'auvri."
The
door was opened by a tiny young female drow, delicate face framed by a cloud of
white hair, eyes a disconcerting dark green. She glared at Jarlaxle, placing perfectly formed hands on her hips.
"Who're
you to order me around?" she demanded. "I can tell Matron Malice!"
"I'm
sure you can," Jarlaxle said lazily, turning around to face her. "Incidentally, I'm taller than you are,
and..." the Weapon Master moved so fast that Drizzt blinked. He had closed the door and picked up
An'auvri before she could protest, and lifted her up into the air.
"You're
growing," he commented to her frantic squeal of indignation.
"Of
course I am!" she snapped, finally giving up to fold her hands with dignity
over her chest, while her feet dangled a foot or so above the ground. "What did you think I'd do, shrink?
Honestly, sometimes you say the most obvious things..."
"This
is An'auvri?" Drizzt walked over, grinning at her furious glare. "The youngest sister?"
An'auvri
pouted. "Yes, the one you're sixteen
years older than. Do you have anything
more intelligent you'd like to tell me?"
"Let
me guess," Drizzt said, "Lanfaye's her teacher as well as wean-mother."
"How'd
you know?" An'auvri inquired.
Jarlaxle
grinned. "Let's just say we recognize a
certain attitude."
"How's
Lanfaye as teacher?" Drizzt asked, "I got Jarlaxle here. Not too bad, I suppose..."
"Hey!"
Jarlaxle protested.
"Lanfaye's nice," An'auvri grinned viciously,
"Because every time Jarlaxle passes by or goes over Outside she just gives me
something to do and goes off somewhere. She doesn't even check if I do it."
Jarlaxle
glared at An'auvri. She stuck her
tongue out at him. Drizzt looked at the
both of them, and started to laugh.
"What
did you come here for?" Jarlaxle asked.
"Put
me down first." An'auvri said.
"Say
please." Jarlaxle smirked. He gave her
a little shake.
"H-hey!"
An'auvri protested, "Stop it!"
"And
what must you say?" Jarlaxle asked, giving her another shake.
An'auvri
tried to kick him, but Jarlaxle dodged deftly, then shook her again.
"Please."
An'auvri muttered. Drizzt grinned.
Jarlaxle
dropped her, but she landed softly, then abruptly turned and kicked at the
Weapon Master again. He dodged, and his
sword flew into his hand, landing her a stinging slap on her rump. She let out a cry of rage and snatched one
of Drizzt's scimitars from the bed, and swung wildly at Jarlaxle.
"Jarlaxle..."
Drizzt began.
Jarlaxle
winked at him, parrying the swing, then the following one. Then he twisted his wrist and the scimitar
wrenched out of An'auvri's hand for Drizzt to catch as it tumbled down near
him.
"Checkmate."
Jarlaxle smiled. An'auvri glared at
him.
"Lanfaye!"
she called. Jarlaxle winced.
"Damn."
He said.
::Yes,
An'auvri?:: Lanfaye's voice sounded in their minds. ::Greetings, Drizzt.::
"Greetings,
Lanfaye," Jarlaxle muttered. Drizzt
snickered.
An'auvri
gave Jarlaxle a triumphant look. "Jarlaxle's been bullying me again," she said.
"Teaching
her a lesson," Jarlaxle protested.
::What
kind of lesson?:: Lanfaye inquired.
"Er. Do Not Attack a Weapon Master when you don't
have any bloody Training?" Jarlaxle suggested. Drizzt nearly doubled over laughing.
::Sounds
like a perfectly reasonable lesson,:: Lanfaye said sweetly. ::An'auvri, dear, did you give them the
message?::
An'auvri's
cheeks burned crimson. "No." she said.
::Oh. Well, Drizzt, the Matron wishes to see you
in ten minutes about duty, patrols and suchlike.:: Lanfaye said serenely. ::She can't use the summoning coin since
she's having company at the moment. And
Jarlaxle, I'd like to see you about giving unauthorized lessons.:: An'auvri smirked at the crestfallen weapon
master.
Drizzt
nodded to Jarlaxle, sheathing the scimitars and tucking in the dagger behind
one of the scimitar scabbards for concealment, then hurried out of the room.
Jarlaxle
gave An'auvri a sour look. "Thank you
very much." He told her.
"You're
welcome," she said brightly. "But you
do seem to enjoy visiting Lanfaye – I mean, the two of you always take so
long..."
::Quite.::
Lanfaye seemed to grin. ::He just
doesn't want to admit it, that's all...::
Jarlaxle
flushed, then fled out of the room, An'auvri's mocking laughter floating behind
him.