Chapter 5 Part 2
Drizzt looked at her for a moment, and then a slight smile curved his lips. "No, I'm not."
He considered her for a moment, and decided he might as well explain himself.
"I'm not exactly sure where I am," he began, "But I am pretty sure that I am not in my world anymore." Knowing that it would take a while to tell the girl the entire story behind his being here, he chose to settle himself on the ground beside the sleeping seishi.
He was going to continue when he noticed Miaka's eyes get very wide. He followed her gaze to a spot behind him where he found his precious friend. He smiled as he looked at the great cat. He reached a hand out and the cat bumped her head against it wanting to be scritched. Drizzt more than happily complied and suddenly found himself with a lap full of contented cat. All six hundred pounds of her. He petted her affectionately and rubbed her belly while she rumbled in response.
Miaka stared at the panther with wide eyes. Either she was dreaming, or that cat she and Chichiri saw earlier was this man's pet. Then she looked at Drizzt. He looked very happy with that cat in his lap. She studied him for a while and found her eyes resting on his ears again. She had never seen ears like that before. She had heard of ears like that in story books. They described man-like people with pointed ears, but usually, those stories described them as being three feet tall and living in trees. They referred to them as elves. Could this guy be an elf? She shook her head, that was just plain silly. Elves don't exist.
The motion Miaka caused caught Drizzt's attention. "Is something wrong?" His voice was strong and unwavering, yet soft and gentle.
Miaka looked at him and shook her head. "No, I'm just thinking." She spoke quietly and involuntarily looked at his ears again. "Are you human?" She was afraid of offending him, but she couldn't help it. She really wanted to know what he was.
He chuckled. No one had ever asked him that before. He sighed. "You must not have elves around here, I presume." He looked at her. Her reaction was oddly amusing to him.
"An elf?" She stared at him blankly. So he was an elf. She started to laugh at herself. 'Baka, they're just story books, what do they know about real elves anyway.'
Drizzt was watching her again, he couldn't help but notice how strange this girl acted. Then he remembered that this wasn't home. Everyone must act strange here. He looked at Guenhwyvar and silently thanked her for being here with him. She was the one thing that was normal to him. The one thing he knew very well.
"She's a beautiful cat." Miaka intoned. "How did you come to have her?"
"Have her?"
"Isn't she your pet?" She looked at the magnificent feline. Her black fur looked almost blue as it glistened in the sunlight.
"She is not my pet," he said that in a very stern tone of voice. It bothered him when people regarded Guen as nothing more than a pet. "She's my companion," he clarified, "My friend. She is always there for me when I need her most, and she asks for nothing in return save companionship. She is very precious to me."
As he spoke that, Guen yawned lazily and looked at Miaka. Those sapphire green eyes seemed to pierce into her soul. From the way the cat looked at her, she could swear the cat was reading her. Miaka looked away. She felt naked when that cat looked at her like that. She tried not to think about it, instead, she studied Chichiri.
He was quietly resting and his wounds were almost healed. She was so scared that she would lose him. She didn't know what she would do if he died. He meant too much to her. His comforting companionship, his wisdom, his lighthearted demeanor, they way he perceived things. He was a truly remarkable guy. She was very found of him. Before she knew what she was doing, she found her fingers lightly brushing his bangs out of his face. She gently stroked the side of his face and cheek with the back of her fingers. His skin felt warm and soft. She pulled her hand back and studied him for a minute. How much did she really care for him? Did she love him? She knew that she was in love with Taka. And she knew that she was going to marry him someday. But the feelings she harbored for Chichiri were new to her. So what did she feel for him?
As she studied him, his face began to twitch. His head turned toward her and his eye slowly opened. Miaka smiled as he focus on her. She was so happy that he was finally awake. He gave her a confused look and brought a hand to his face. He rubbed his face and tried to get his bearings strait. With his other arm he tried to push himself up. Waves of dizziness made him drop back onto his back. Miaka frowned at his failed attempt to get up, she wanted to help him. When she reached over to Chichiri to try to help him up, she was stopped by Drizzt.
He motioned her hand away. "He is not yet completely healed, give him a few minutes. It's best not to try to rush him."
The sound of another man's voice gave Chichiri a start. He looked in the direction of the voice and was even more startled. He was beginning to wonder how long he was unconscious, but then he remembered what had happened before he blacked out. And if his memories were correct, he should be dead by now. He looked at the elf sitting next to him. An elf? Last he checked, elves didn't exist except in legends. This elf must have been the first figure that Taiitsukun couldn't track down. And now, here he was. Was it him that saved Miaka? Chichiri looked at Miaka for some explanation. She looked at him and smiled.
"His name is Drizzt. And yes, he did save your life." 'My life? What did she mean by my life' Chichiri finally pushed himself into a sitting position and stared intently at the newcomer. The scar on his face throbbed and he didn't know why. It hadn't ached like this since it started healing all those many years ago. He couldn't get over how out of place the dark elf looked. And that cat. This was the same cat that he and Miaka saw yesterday. At least, he thought it was yesterday. He pulled one knee up and leaned against it trying to clear his head. That's when he noticed how tattered his clothes were.
'That demon sure did a number on me and this elf must have healed me. So that's what she meant by saving my life.' At that thought, an exasperated chuckle resounded in his throat. He looked at the dark elf. A thankful smile played against the monk's lips. "I'm grateful for your help, no da. And I'm grateful to you for saving Miaka's life. You must be pretty powerful to get rid of a demon like that thing."
Drizzt stared at him curiously. 'Powerful? He thinks I'm powerful?' The thought made him chuckle. He motioned Guenhwyvar off of his lap and stood up. He then reached an arm down to help the monk up.
Chichiri thankfully accepted and was hoisted up. The sudden motion almost made him fall over, but again, Drizzt helped him by steadying him till he regained his balance. After a moment, when the dizzy spells cleared. Chichiri made a gesture in the air and his staff magically appeared in his hand. He leaned on it for support and looked at Miaka and studied her, making sure she was alright.
The sudden appearance of the staff made Drizzt reconsider the abilities of the young man. Was this man a magician? Or was he an actual wizard? He put the thought away for later consideration. He watched as Chichiri made his way to the horse. Drizzt wondered why it didn't bolt when the demon appeared.
Chichiri pulled a pack out and found another set of clothes and quickly donned them. He looked at the sky when he was finished dressing. The sun was already high in the sky. He sighed and then went back to packing the rest of their things.
Miaka watched him, wondering about the elixir Drizzt gave him. Only an hour before, Chichiri was dying. Now he looked as if nothing had happened. Only Mitsukake could have had that affect on someone as badly injured as he was. Miaka wondered what other things this elf was capable of. Again, her thoughts wandered to Drizzt. She studied him closer now. He was wearing a black hooded cloak and some strange type of tunic. It looked thick, so it must have been some kind of armor. His gloved hands rested easily on the hilts of his blades. She looked at those blades. They were over three feet long, broad and curved. She had seen some of the Kutou soldiers with blades like that. She remembered someone calling them scimitars.
She felt something nudge her shoulder. She turned to look eye to fangs with a yawning cat. She almost soiled herself.
After finishing the yawn, Guen regarded her and nudged her again. A little unsure of what the feline wanted, she reached up and stritched her behind the ear. The cat leaned into Miaka's hand obviously enjoying the attention. Miaka gladly obliged the animal for a few minutes.
Drizzt watched Chichiri, extremely curious about him. It became obvious that the monk meant to continue their journey while they still had some daylight left. The ranger decided he would follow them and keep watch over them in case that demon decided to show his ugly face again. He looked around for his companion and found her in the arms of the priestess. He almost hated to interrupt their moment of bonding, but he knew it was time to get going. "Guenhwyvar," he calmly called. The cat looked at him only half interested in what the drow wanted. "Take point," Drizzt affectionately commanded. The cat regarded him for a second, got one last scritch from Miaka and then trotted away, disappearing into the trees.
Miaka watched the cat curious as to what all that was about. She glanced at Drizzt looking for a reason for the dismissal of the cat. He looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes.
"I believe your seishi wants to get going while there is still some daylight left. Guen and I will keep watch over you two just in case that demon comes back." He turned away and started to head for a nearby tree.
"Drizzt!" Miaka called as she got up. He turned and looked at her. "We will see you again, won't we?"
Drizzt gave her a warm smile. "Of course you will." He studied her for a moment while he pulled his hood over his head to shade his sensitive eyes. He turned away once more and climbed into a tree and disappeared.
Miaka wondered why he covered his head, he looked like a phantom with his face concealed. She made a point to ask him about it later and walked over to Chichiri who was ready to get on their way.
"Ready to go?" He watched her as she made her way towards him. She seemed to almost skip as she happily stepped up to the horse. He mounted and pulled her up behind him. Miaka settled in and put her arms around his waist and leaned against him. Chichiri didn't think much on the extra affection she seemed to be giving him. He just put the horse into an easy trot and continued on their journey to Mount Reikaku.
Drizzt looked at her for a moment, and then a slight smile curved his lips. "No, I'm not."
He considered her for a moment, and decided he might as well explain himself.
"I'm not exactly sure where I am," he began, "But I am pretty sure that I am not in my world anymore." Knowing that it would take a while to tell the girl the entire story behind his being here, he chose to settle himself on the ground beside the sleeping seishi.
He was going to continue when he noticed Miaka's eyes get very wide. He followed her gaze to a spot behind him where he found his precious friend. He smiled as he looked at the great cat. He reached a hand out and the cat bumped her head against it wanting to be scritched. Drizzt more than happily complied and suddenly found himself with a lap full of contented cat. All six hundred pounds of her. He petted her affectionately and rubbed her belly while she rumbled in response.
Miaka stared at the panther with wide eyes. Either she was dreaming, or that cat she and Chichiri saw earlier was this man's pet. Then she looked at Drizzt. He looked very happy with that cat in his lap. She studied him for a while and found her eyes resting on his ears again. She had never seen ears like that before. She had heard of ears like that in story books. They described man-like people with pointed ears, but usually, those stories described them as being three feet tall and living in trees. They referred to them as elves. Could this guy be an elf? She shook her head, that was just plain silly. Elves don't exist.
The motion Miaka caused caught Drizzt's attention. "Is something wrong?" His voice was strong and unwavering, yet soft and gentle.
Miaka looked at him and shook her head. "No, I'm just thinking." She spoke quietly and involuntarily looked at his ears again. "Are you human?" She was afraid of offending him, but she couldn't help it. She really wanted to know what he was.
He chuckled. No one had ever asked him that before. He sighed. "You must not have elves around here, I presume." He looked at her. Her reaction was oddly amusing to him.
"An elf?" She stared at him blankly. So he was an elf. She started to laugh at herself. 'Baka, they're just story books, what do they know about real elves anyway.'
Drizzt was watching her again, he couldn't help but notice how strange this girl acted. Then he remembered that this wasn't home. Everyone must act strange here. He looked at Guenhwyvar and silently thanked her for being here with him. She was the one thing that was normal to him. The one thing he knew very well.
"She's a beautiful cat." Miaka intoned. "How did you come to have her?"
"Have her?"
"Isn't she your pet?" She looked at the magnificent feline. Her black fur looked almost blue as it glistened in the sunlight.
"She is not my pet," he said that in a very stern tone of voice. It bothered him when people regarded Guen as nothing more than a pet. "She's my companion," he clarified, "My friend. She is always there for me when I need her most, and she asks for nothing in return save companionship. She is very precious to me."
As he spoke that, Guen yawned lazily and looked at Miaka. Those sapphire green eyes seemed to pierce into her soul. From the way the cat looked at her, she could swear the cat was reading her. Miaka looked away. She felt naked when that cat looked at her like that. She tried not to think about it, instead, she studied Chichiri.
He was quietly resting and his wounds were almost healed. She was so scared that she would lose him. She didn't know what she would do if he died. He meant too much to her. His comforting companionship, his wisdom, his lighthearted demeanor, they way he perceived things. He was a truly remarkable guy. She was very found of him. Before she knew what she was doing, she found her fingers lightly brushing his bangs out of his face. She gently stroked the side of his face and cheek with the back of her fingers. His skin felt warm and soft. She pulled her hand back and studied him for a minute. How much did she really care for him? Did she love him? She knew that she was in love with Taka. And she knew that she was going to marry him someday. But the feelings she harbored for Chichiri were new to her. So what did she feel for him?
As she studied him, his face began to twitch. His head turned toward her and his eye slowly opened. Miaka smiled as he focus on her. She was so happy that he was finally awake. He gave her a confused look and brought a hand to his face. He rubbed his face and tried to get his bearings strait. With his other arm he tried to push himself up. Waves of dizziness made him drop back onto his back. Miaka frowned at his failed attempt to get up, she wanted to help him. When she reached over to Chichiri to try to help him up, she was stopped by Drizzt.
He motioned her hand away. "He is not yet completely healed, give him a few minutes. It's best not to try to rush him."
The sound of another man's voice gave Chichiri a start. He looked in the direction of the voice and was even more startled. He was beginning to wonder how long he was unconscious, but then he remembered what had happened before he blacked out. And if his memories were correct, he should be dead by now. He looked at the elf sitting next to him. An elf? Last he checked, elves didn't exist except in legends. This elf must have been the first figure that Taiitsukun couldn't track down. And now, here he was. Was it him that saved Miaka? Chichiri looked at Miaka for some explanation. She looked at him and smiled.
"His name is Drizzt. And yes, he did save your life." 'My life? What did she mean by my life' Chichiri finally pushed himself into a sitting position and stared intently at the newcomer. The scar on his face throbbed and he didn't know why. It hadn't ached like this since it started healing all those many years ago. He couldn't get over how out of place the dark elf looked. And that cat. This was the same cat that he and Miaka saw yesterday. At least, he thought it was yesterday. He pulled one knee up and leaned against it trying to clear his head. That's when he noticed how tattered his clothes were.
'That demon sure did a number on me and this elf must have healed me. So that's what she meant by saving my life.' At that thought, an exasperated chuckle resounded in his throat. He looked at the dark elf. A thankful smile played against the monk's lips. "I'm grateful for your help, no da. And I'm grateful to you for saving Miaka's life. You must be pretty powerful to get rid of a demon like that thing."
Drizzt stared at him curiously. 'Powerful? He thinks I'm powerful?' The thought made him chuckle. He motioned Guenhwyvar off of his lap and stood up. He then reached an arm down to help the monk up.
Chichiri thankfully accepted and was hoisted up. The sudden motion almost made him fall over, but again, Drizzt helped him by steadying him till he regained his balance. After a moment, when the dizzy spells cleared. Chichiri made a gesture in the air and his staff magically appeared in his hand. He leaned on it for support and looked at Miaka and studied her, making sure she was alright.
The sudden appearance of the staff made Drizzt reconsider the abilities of the young man. Was this man a magician? Or was he an actual wizard? He put the thought away for later consideration. He watched as Chichiri made his way to the horse. Drizzt wondered why it didn't bolt when the demon appeared.
Chichiri pulled a pack out and found another set of clothes and quickly donned them. He looked at the sky when he was finished dressing. The sun was already high in the sky. He sighed and then went back to packing the rest of their things.
Miaka watched him, wondering about the elixir Drizzt gave him. Only an hour before, Chichiri was dying. Now he looked as if nothing had happened. Only Mitsukake could have had that affect on someone as badly injured as he was. Miaka wondered what other things this elf was capable of. Again, her thoughts wandered to Drizzt. She studied him closer now. He was wearing a black hooded cloak and some strange type of tunic. It looked thick, so it must have been some kind of armor. His gloved hands rested easily on the hilts of his blades. She looked at those blades. They were over three feet long, broad and curved. She had seen some of the Kutou soldiers with blades like that. She remembered someone calling them scimitars.
She felt something nudge her shoulder. She turned to look eye to fangs with a yawning cat. She almost soiled herself.
After finishing the yawn, Guen regarded her and nudged her again. A little unsure of what the feline wanted, she reached up and stritched her behind the ear. The cat leaned into Miaka's hand obviously enjoying the attention. Miaka gladly obliged the animal for a few minutes.
Drizzt watched Chichiri, extremely curious about him. It became obvious that the monk meant to continue their journey while they still had some daylight left. The ranger decided he would follow them and keep watch over them in case that demon decided to show his ugly face again. He looked around for his companion and found her in the arms of the priestess. He almost hated to interrupt their moment of bonding, but he knew it was time to get going. "Guenhwyvar," he calmly called. The cat looked at him only half interested in what the drow wanted. "Take point," Drizzt affectionately commanded. The cat regarded him for a second, got one last scritch from Miaka and then trotted away, disappearing into the trees.
Miaka watched the cat curious as to what all that was about. She glanced at Drizzt looking for a reason for the dismissal of the cat. He looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes.
"I believe your seishi wants to get going while there is still some daylight left. Guen and I will keep watch over you two just in case that demon comes back." He turned away and started to head for a nearby tree.
"Drizzt!" Miaka called as she got up. He turned and looked at her. "We will see you again, won't we?"
Drizzt gave her a warm smile. "Of course you will." He studied her for a moment while he pulled his hood over his head to shade his sensitive eyes. He turned away once more and climbed into a tree and disappeared.
Miaka wondered why he covered his head, he looked like a phantom with his face concealed. She made a point to ask him about it later and walked over to Chichiri who was ready to get on their way.
"Ready to go?" He watched her as she made her way towards him. She seemed to almost skip as she happily stepped up to the horse. He mounted and pulled her up behind him. Miaka settled in and put her arms around his waist and leaned against him. Chichiri didn't think much on the extra affection she seemed to be giving him. He just put the horse into an easy trot and continued on their journey to Mount Reikaku.