Eirik Agerrion 3
I have decided that my days of staying in this forest are at an end. I will always name this place as home but I am in need to see the world outside of this place. Garret understands my restlessness and has given me leave to go out and seek my destiny, what ever that may be. I have decided to travel with Drizzt and his companions. Bruenor, surly dwarf he may be, agreed to this saying he and his friends could use an extra sword. I sense more than that but his tough demeanor won't allow him to show kindness. With a few parting words to Garret, I set on my way out of the forest in search of Mithril hall with my new found friends.
We walked for about two weeks when we reached our destination. Longsaddle, a quiet town, a place that someone could stay without fear. At least that was my impression of the place. We asked some of the locals if they knew where the Ivy Mansion was. We got a few strange looks from the towns folk but they were helpful and didn't look upon Drizzt and me with hatred, just curiosity. I felt a little nervous at getting all this attention but I reminded myself that Drizzt was probably in the same situation.
As we walked up to the mansion we saw an old man sitting on a stool at the corner of the fence. We approached and the old man and he conversed with Bruenor for a few moments. Upon hearing nothing but riddles from the man, Wulfgar stated that we should leave and find our information on our own. But before he completely finished his sentence, another man stepped out of nowhere and apologized for the old mans lack of manners. The old man promptly said to Wulfgar, "Come on boy, why don't you try your luck with that hammer of yours". Wulfgar looked to us with an unsure look on his face. The man that had appeared out of nowhere said to indulge the old man with his pleasure. Wulfgar had his dilemma answered by the old man as he said "bastard son of a caribou".
Wulfgar hammer was out and spinning toward the old man before the last word got out of his mouth. If I had been impressed with Wulfgar before, I was amazed at the sheer strength and fluidity with which he threw the hammer. It twirled through the air and smacked an invisible barrier just inches from the old man. The old man just sat there and laughed until he fell off his stool. Wulfgar looked embarrassed as his hammer returned to his hand. "Don't mind him", said the younger man "he just needed to have a good laugh and to teach your friend a lesson". He introduced himself as Harkle Harper. When we introduced ourselves, Drizzt went before I did and uncovered his head. Harkle's eyes bulged out of their sockets at the sight of the drow. If its possible, his eyes got even larger when I stepped up next to Drizzt and uncovered my head. At this point, Harkle got excited and quickly led us inside. Wulfgar, having had no respect and even a fear of magic, had the hardest time getting to the mansion. Bruenor just grumbled and went along, but Regis, having been here before was enjoying himself. When we finally made it inside, Harkle led us to a tavern inside the mansion. A mage was on the stage with a set of musical instruments that were playing by themselves and a bunch of colored spheres tat were moving to the beat of the music. Harkle excused himself for a while and told us that dinner would be brought out soon. We sat own near the middle of the room and were brought drinks by a mage at the bar. Wulfgar let out a ground-shaking roar that startled the mage on the stage, making him loose concentration over the spheres and the instruments. The roar ended with a belly laugh that cleared our doubts about Wulfgar's sanity. He had just cleared himself of his fear and disrespect of magic and began to look at it with an open mind. Then the drinking began. Drizzt and I just sipped the mead and enjoyed watching Bruenor and Wulfgar try to out drink each other. Regis however drank much and when our dinner arrived, he put away more food that he should have been able to. Harkle returned later that the head mage of the mansion would be able to help us on our quest. In exchange of his help, he requested to talk to Drizzt and myself in private so that he might learn all that he could about the dark elf society. Later the next day, after Wulfgar and Bruenor recovered from serious hangovers, our group entered the mages room and we laid out what information we had so far. He gave us some suggestions on which route we should take. Bruenor wanted to leave as soon as possible but Drizzt and Regis talked him out of it saying that a few days rest would do us some good after weeks of hard travel. He reluctantly agreed to stay a few days if nothing more than to quiet Regis's complaining.
Over the next few days, Drizzt and I were summoned to the head mage's chamber. One at a time and then both of us at the same time. He offered both of us a quest. Drizzt refused politely saying that he had made a promise to Bruenor. I, on the other hand, accepted this quest. I hated leaving Drizzt and his companions but Drizzt said that I had to walk my own path. The nature of the quest was not told to me right away but I was told that someone who was to help me on the first part of my quest was to arrive in about two weeks. Drizzt and I left the room and went to find our friends. We found them swapping tales with some of the mages in the tavern and having a grand time doing it. I sat Bruenor, Regis, and Wulfgar down and told them that I had been given a quest. They were disappointed in the fact that I would not get to travel with them, but I promised Bruenor that I would come and visit him in Mithril Hall when he got the mines open again.
The next few days, I spent mostly with Drizzt. We talked, sparred, and just enjoyed the peaceful time that we had left. I think Drizzt recognized me as a true friend when he brought out his most prized companion. Guenyvaur. I was, to say the least, the happiest I had ever been. I was awed by the sheer beauty of the beast. When Drizzt first brought her out, she growled at me but I didn't care. I knelt down in front of Guen and let her make her own decision about me. Drizzt, fearing Guen would attack me because I was a drow, calmed her down with a few words and explained that I was a friend. She inched forward and sniffed at me and made a decision. I had never been licked on the face, much less by a panther, and it startled me. I nearly fainted at the gesture when she tackled me, pinned me on the ground and just sat down. Drizzt laughed at the surprise on my face and commented," She likes you." I wrestled with Guen for about twenty minutes before giving up, pinned and being sat on by the six hundred pound cat, again.
When I emerged from my playful romp with Guen, Drizzt explained how he got his companion. I was horrified at the thought of such a beautiful creature being used a tool of murder. But I dismissed the thought as soon as it came to mind. I could never think of Guen as a murder tool. After a while, Drizzt dismissed Guen back to her home and we walked back toward the mansion. The next day, Drizzt and his companions left on their journey and I started preparing for my quest. That day, I laid down my scimitars for a quarterstaff. It was explained that I was to go to the aid of the elves near Carradoon. But, since the elves wouldn't appreciate an armed dark elf in their forest, I was to meet someone called Elminster in a week, and he would act as an intern between the elves and me. So I trained with the quarterstaff for the week while I was waiting for Elminster. My teacher was an elf by the name of Cloud Silverleaf. The mages had already told him my story and he gave me the benefit of the doubt where my heritage was concerned. He was a patient teacher and I learned the quarterstaff quite quickly. By the time Elminster arrived, I was ready for my quest. He sat me down and told me why I was to go to the aid of the elves in Carradoon. He also told me that I could request one item to aid me in my quest. I already had one in mind but I was hesitant to ask since it seemed like a rare item. He told me that my request was not that hard considering all the items that people had requested of him before. Abruptly he stood up and said to wait for one day and he would see to my request. The rest of that day and half of the next were long for me while I waited. I had almost given up hope when Elminster returned and handed me a white figurine carved into the shape of a cat. When he handed it to me, I stared at it for a long time before asking what its name was. Elminster told me that "his" name is Ru. With my hands shaking, I set the figurine on the floor and softly called the cat's name. A cloud of gray smoke formed and solidified into a white tiger. I knelt down and looked at my new companion. I knew he would follow my every command but I wanted him to know that I would never demand anything from him. I didn't order him to come to me; I just waited for him to make a decision. It took a little while but he accepted me as a friend. I don't know how I knew but I knew that this cat would trust me and be a faithful companion.
Elminster asked me if I was ready. I stood up and dismissed my companion. I picked up the figurine and went to stand by Elminster. I watched as he made the gestures of magic and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, we were in a grassy lane leading up to an old stone building. As we walked, Elminster explained that I would be talking to priests from the order of Denier. They would be able to tell the elves if I was trustworthy enough to go into the elven forest. I took the opportunity to stop and call Ru out so I might meet the priests without any tricks. As we neared the building, we came upon a young priest, feeding a rather large squirrel. As he turned to address us, I quickly pulled my hood over my head to hide my features. The young man introduced himself as Cadderly of the order of Denier. When Elminster introduced himself, the youths eyes got big, and got even bigger when Elminster introduced me and pulled my hood down at the same time. I was reminded of Harkle Harpel........................
I have decided that my days of staying in this forest are at an end. I will always name this place as home but I am in need to see the world outside of this place. Garret understands my restlessness and has given me leave to go out and seek my destiny, what ever that may be. I have decided to travel with Drizzt and his companions. Bruenor, surly dwarf he may be, agreed to this saying he and his friends could use an extra sword. I sense more than that but his tough demeanor won't allow him to show kindness. With a few parting words to Garret, I set on my way out of the forest in search of Mithril hall with my new found friends.
We walked for about two weeks when we reached our destination. Longsaddle, a quiet town, a place that someone could stay without fear. At least that was my impression of the place. We asked some of the locals if they knew where the Ivy Mansion was. We got a few strange looks from the towns folk but they were helpful and didn't look upon Drizzt and me with hatred, just curiosity. I felt a little nervous at getting all this attention but I reminded myself that Drizzt was probably in the same situation.
As we walked up to the mansion we saw an old man sitting on a stool at the corner of the fence. We approached and the old man and he conversed with Bruenor for a few moments. Upon hearing nothing but riddles from the man, Wulfgar stated that we should leave and find our information on our own. But before he completely finished his sentence, another man stepped out of nowhere and apologized for the old mans lack of manners. The old man promptly said to Wulfgar, "Come on boy, why don't you try your luck with that hammer of yours". Wulfgar looked to us with an unsure look on his face. The man that had appeared out of nowhere said to indulge the old man with his pleasure. Wulfgar had his dilemma answered by the old man as he said "bastard son of a caribou".
Wulfgar hammer was out and spinning toward the old man before the last word got out of his mouth. If I had been impressed with Wulfgar before, I was amazed at the sheer strength and fluidity with which he threw the hammer. It twirled through the air and smacked an invisible barrier just inches from the old man. The old man just sat there and laughed until he fell off his stool. Wulfgar looked embarrassed as his hammer returned to his hand. "Don't mind him", said the younger man "he just needed to have a good laugh and to teach your friend a lesson". He introduced himself as Harkle Harper. When we introduced ourselves, Drizzt went before I did and uncovered his head. Harkle's eyes bulged out of their sockets at the sight of the drow. If its possible, his eyes got even larger when I stepped up next to Drizzt and uncovered my head. At this point, Harkle got excited and quickly led us inside. Wulfgar, having had no respect and even a fear of magic, had the hardest time getting to the mansion. Bruenor just grumbled and went along, but Regis, having been here before was enjoying himself. When we finally made it inside, Harkle led us to a tavern inside the mansion. A mage was on the stage with a set of musical instruments that were playing by themselves and a bunch of colored spheres tat were moving to the beat of the music. Harkle excused himself for a while and told us that dinner would be brought out soon. We sat own near the middle of the room and were brought drinks by a mage at the bar. Wulfgar let out a ground-shaking roar that startled the mage on the stage, making him loose concentration over the spheres and the instruments. The roar ended with a belly laugh that cleared our doubts about Wulfgar's sanity. He had just cleared himself of his fear and disrespect of magic and began to look at it with an open mind. Then the drinking began. Drizzt and I just sipped the mead and enjoyed watching Bruenor and Wulfgar try to out drink each other. Regis however drank much and when our dinner arrived, he put away more food that he should have been able to. Harkle returned later that the head mage of the mansion would be able to help us on our quest. In exchange of his help, he requested to talk to Drizzt and myself in private so that he might learn all that he could about the dark elf society. Later the next day, after Wulfgar and Bruenor recovered from serious hangovers, our group entered the mages room and we laid out what information we had so far. He gave us some suggestions on which route we should take. Bruenor wanted to leave as soon as possible but Drizzt and Regis talked him out of it saying that a few days rest would do us some good after weeks of hard travel. He reluctantly agreed to stay a few days if nothing more than to quiet Regis's complaining.
Over the next few days, Drizzt and I were summoned to the head mage's chamber. One at a time and then both of us at the same time. He offered both of us a quest. Drizzt refused politely saying that he had made a promise to Bruenor. I, on the other hand, accepted this quest. I hated leaving Drizzt and his companions but Drizzt said that I had to walk my own path. The nature of the quest was not told to me right away but I was told that someone who was to help me on the first part of my quest was to arrive in about two weeks. Drizzt and I left the room and went to find our friends. We found them swapping tales with some of the mages in the tavern and having a grand time doing it. I sat Bruenor, Regis, and Wulfgar down and told them that I had been given a quest. They were disappointed in the fact that I would not get to travel with them, but I promised Bruenor that I would come and visit him in Mithril Hall when he got the mines open again.
The next few days, I spent mostly with Drizzt. We talked, sparred, and just enjoyed the peaceful time that we had left. I think Drizzt recognized me as a true friend when he brought out his most prized companion. Guenyvaur. I was, to say the least, the happiest I had ever been. I was awed by the sheer beauty of the beast. When Drizzt first brought her out, she growled at me but I didn't care. I knelt down in front of Guen and let her make her own decision about me. Drizzt, fearing Guen would attack me because I was a drow, calmed her down with a few words and explained that I was a friend. She inched forward and sniffed at me and made a decision. I had never been licked on the face, much less by a panther, and it startled me. I nearly fainted at the gesture when she tackled me, pinned me on the ground and just sat down. Drizzt laughed at the surprise on my face and commented," She likes you." I wrestled with Guen for about twenty minutes before giving up, pinned and being sat on by the six hundred pound cat, again.
When I emerged from my playful romp with Guen, Drizzt explained how he got his companion. I was horrified at the thought of such a beautiful creature being used a tool of murder. But I dismissed the thought as soon as it came to mind. I could never think of Guen as a murder tool. After a while, Drizzt dismissed Guen back to her home and we walked back toward the mansion. The next day, Drizzt and his companions left on their journey and I started preparing for my quest. That day, I laid down my scimitars for a quarterstaff. It was explained that I was to go to the aid of the elves near Carradoon. But, since the elves wouldn't appreciate an armed dark elf in their forest, I was to meet someone called Elminster in a week, and he would act as an intern between the elves and me. So I trained with the quarterstaff for the week while I was waiting for Elminster. My teacher was an elf by the name of Cloud Silverleaf. The mages had already told him my story and he gave me the benefit of the doubt where my heritage was concerned. He was a patient teacher and I learned the quarterstaff quite quickly. By the time Elminster arrived, I was ready for my quest. He sat me down and told me why I was to go to the aid of the elves in Carradoon. He also told me that I could request one item to aid me in my quest. I already had one in mind but I was hesitant to ask since it seemed like a rare item. He told me that my request was not that hard considering all the items that people had requested of him before. Abruptly he stood up and said to wait for one day and he would see to my request. The rest of that day and half of the next were long for me while I waited. I had almost given up hope when Elminster returned and handed me a white figurine carved into the shape of a cat. When he handed it to me, I stared at it for a long time before asking what its name was. Elminster told me that "his" name is Ru. With my hands shaking, I set the figurine on the floor and softly called the cat's name. A cloud of gray smoke formed and solidified into a white tiger. I knelt down and looked at my new companion. I knew he would follow my every command but I wanted him to know that I would never demand anything from him. I didn't order him to come to me; I just waited for him to make a decision. It took a little while but he accepted me as a friend. I don't know how I knew but I knew that this cat would trust me and be a faithful companion.
Elminster asked me if I was ready. I stood up and dismissed my companion. I picked up the figurine and went to stand by Elminster. I watched as he made the gestures of magic and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, we were in a grassy lane leading up to an old stone building. As we walked, Elminster explained that I would be talking to priests from the order of Denier. They would be able to tell the elves if I was trustworthy enough to go into the elven forest. I took the opportunity to stop and call Ru out so I might meet the priests without any tricks. As we neared the building, we came upon a young priest, feeding a rather large squirrel. As he turned to address us, I quickly pulled my hood over my head to hide my features. The young man introduced himself as Cadderly of the order of Denier. When Elminster introduced himself, the youths eyes got big, and got even bigger when Elminster introduced me and pulled my hood down at the same time. I was reminded of Harkle Harpel........................