Quest for Life
By: Shinto of Lave
Chapter 4

Shinto:Why do I have to talk about a Disclaimer?

Dinan: If you don't, you can get sued for every piece of gold you and your parents got.

Shionto: OK. I don't own forgotten Realms but I do own Dinan, Silvara and Tasslehorn.

Dinan: You don't own me. I own myself. *Takes out two axes and chases Shinto*


"Dinan, come back to me. You can be the most powerful in my service." A voice whispered
in Dinan's dream.

"I'd rather be bound and slowly killed from the inside out by bugs than to serve one as
foul as you, Lloth." Dinan screamed back at the voice.

"Than you shall meet your doom how you so nicely put it." Lloth replied as she pulled
herself back to the Abyss where she lived.

Dinan woke with a start and groggily looked around the small campsite.

The fire was now just an ember in the fire pit and Tasslehorn was snoring away from his
side of the fire.

"I'll never serve you Lloth!" Dinan yelled to thin air.
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"Hand over the weapon now." The hobgoblin grumbled at the cleric that kneeled at its feet.

"You will have to pull it from my cold dead hands." The cleric roared back as he said a
little prayer to Gond.

The hobgoblin raised his club and swung down, smashing the cleric in the face. The cleric
stumbled back and unsheathed a small ax that seemed to burn crimson in his hand.

The cleric didn't even get to strike; he was suddenly a pincushion, full of arrows. He
slumped to the ground and whispered a single word before he was silent forever.

"Now get that weapon!" the hobgoblin hollered at a goblin.

The thing shuttled up to the cleric's body and slowly reached down to grab the weapon in
the cleric's hand. The goblin turned to ash as his finger just barely touched the ax.

The hobgoblin ran forward and grabbed the ax before it could recharge. He raised it
triumphantly.

"Lord Myrkul will be pleased." The hobgoblin sneered as he wrapped the ax then shoved it
into a pouch.
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Dinan and Tas walked for many hours the next day and Tas' whining increased tenfold.

"Dinan, lets just forget about this. If we listen to those two idiots, we'll just get killed.
Our lives mean more than being pawns to the gods. If they need anything done, they can do it
themselves!" Tas grumbled louder than an enraged mother bear.

"Will you shut up? Tas, I have had it with your whining. You didn't have to come. We already
finished one task. You could of left instead of following me on this task. I have a
responsibility to Helm and Mystra because if they wouldn't of saved me, I would be down in
Myrkul's Realm doing I don't even want to know what." Dinan shot back with so much strength
that Tas was sent flying back.

Tas kept his mouth shut for a few minutes.

Around nightfall, as Dinan was setting up camp, he stumbled across a body full of arrows. Tas
was out looking for firewood.

"A cleric of Gond!" Dinan gasped as he turned the body over.

Dinan quickly looked around then gently closed the cleric's eyes and said a little prayer to
Helm.

"May you live forever in the care of your god." Dinan whispered.

Dinan gently laid his hand on the man's forehead and concentrated. A picture started to form in
Dinan's mind.

It was an image of the hobgoblin and of the cleric's last journey.

"I must take Forestfire to Silvara, Cleric of Helm. She will need it to fight the goblins." The
cleric's voice whispered in Dinan's mind as an image of a hand ax emerged with the voice.

Dinan took his hand away then reverently said, "I will continue your journey and see it to its
end."

Dinan slid his sight into the infrared spectrum and looked around. There were very faint heat
signatures but they could be followed.

Dinan set off to follow them. He raced along the trail left by the goblins for many hours until
he started to near their camp.

He crept into their camp and looked around. He saw many sleeping goblins, many of them snoring
so loud Dinan vibrated slightly.

"I bet Lord Myrkul will reward us for get this. What do you want from him as a reward?" a voice
asked from a campfire a few feet away from Dinan.

"I want... if any of you bumbling idiots are trying to play a trick, I'll have you run through
with a rusting pike." A commanding voice ordered, "Get out here so I can see your face!"

Dinan walked out from his hiding place and bowed low. He held out his hands to show he had to
weapons out to hurt them.

"My name is Dinan Ko'Tret. I have come to the surface on a task from my Lady, Lloth. I only seek
protection so that I might refresh myself so that I might go further on." Dinan humbly asked the
hobgoblin, which owned the voice.

"My name is Gortzen. You may refresh yourself with us, for we too serve a mighty god and will help
you." The hobgoblin replied with a bow of his own.

Dinan kneeled by the fire and pulled a piece of dried meat from a pouch, taking a small bite.

"Now, I would want Lord Myrkul to give me a maid that will stay with me. Not many maids will
even come near me." Gortzen laughed.

"Dinan, what is your task that brings you to the surface?" a goblin asked from across the fire.

"I was sent by Lloth to find some rogue Drow that came to the surface. She wants her to be
brought back and sacrificed by her mother." Dinan stated between bites of meat.

"I'd hate to be her when you find her." Gortzen laughed as he lay back against a tree.

Dinan surveyed the group around the fire then slid his magic dagger out of its hidden pocket. He
spun it between his fingers, letting the others think he was imagining it wound a Drow female. He
was actually thinking of it slitting their throats.

The group talked for a few hours before two goblins got up to take over guard duty. Gortzen and
the goblin that had served duty with Gortzen went to sleep. Dinan stayed up because he didn't
sleep but he slipped into reverie.

After the guards thought he was completely in reverie, they left him alone. He slipped out of
the sleep and took out his dagger again.

He slipped up behind a guard and slit his throat without a sound. Dinan slinked up to the second
guard and stabbed him in the back with his own sword, but not killed before he let out a warning.

The camp was turmoil in milliseconds. All the sleeping goblins were up expecting an army. All
they saw was a single Drow elf holding a dagger.

"Dinan, what happened?" Gortzen groggily asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Dinan shook his head and launched a steel dagger. It embedded hilt-deep in a goblin's forehead.

"I would never serve a god like your Lord Myrkul or the foul Lady Lloth!" Dinan roared.

The air was suddenly full of arrows but none were aimed higher than Dinan's chest. They just
bounced off, not getting past the chain mail that he wore.

Dinan slipped his axes out and bolted toward the group of twenty goblins. He hacked and slashed
at the goblins. Within a few minutes, the group was covered in goblin entrails and only one left.

"Hand over the weapon Gortzen!" Dinan hollered at the cowering hobgoblin.

Gortzen shoved his hand into his pouch then pulled it out and threw a fine red dust in Dinan's
face. Dinan slammed his axes together in blind fury and heard a satisfying slurp.

Dinan leaned down and rummaged in the hobgoblin's pouch. He pulled out a few more small pouches
of dust, two daggers and the ax, still wrapped in cloth. He took the cloth off and gripped the
handle.

The ax lit up with a crimson color that quickly wrapped around Dinan's whole body. It felt like
every nerve was being broiled out of him.

The color left and Dinan slumped to the ground, unconscious.
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Tasslehorn walks back to camp with a huge pile of wood. He could barely walk but made it back
to camp without getting hurt.

"Dinan, I've got the wood." Tas called but no reply came, "Dinan?"

Tas gently put the wood near the fire pit and looked around for Dinan. After a few minutes he
found the cleric's body.

"I wonder what happened. I'll start a fire and hopefully Dinan will show up soon." Tasslehorn
shrugged as he turn around went back to the fire pit.

Tasslehorn cooked himself a good supper then relaxed next to the fire, carving a block of wood
he had picked up in Waterdeep. He was trying to make it look like a small bust of Elminster.

An hour later, Tas had gotten bored and was looking through his items when a hand touched his
shoulder.

" Where have you been Dinan?" Tas scolded as he turned around.

He was facing a man that was grossly disfigured with skin hanging off bleached bones and some
patches of exposed bone. He wore a torn tunic along with tatters that Tas believed to have
once been a fine gold cloak.

"My little Tasslehorn, you are looking fine today. I've heard Helm and Mystra saved you before
you lost your life a week or so ago." The man wheezed out of a lipless mouth.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Tasslehorn growled.

"I am Lord Myrkul, God of Death, Destruction and Decay. I want you to follow me so that you might
see what you would become if you follow Helm or Mystra." The man smiled as he turned around and
waved a skeletal hand in the air.

The air shimmered and an image appeared. It showed Tas wearing the symbol of Helm and was dressed
in flowing robes. He wore no weapons or armor.

"You are Priest of Helm. You cannot use any bladed weapons but you are safe in Helm's might."
Myrkul sneered, seeing Tas' discomfort.

Tasslehorn loved his armor and his short sword. He wouldn't give them up for anything or anyone.

The imaged changed and showed Tas wearing the symbol of Mystra. He wore long robes again and
walked with the help of a staff. His eyes were sunken into his head and his mouth was shut
tighter than a steel trap.

"Here you are a Mage, a position you liked when you were younger. You may still be able to used
your sword but magic will have taken you over, leaving you a mere husk of yourself." Myrkul
again sneered, seeing Tas' discomfort.

Tasslehorn drew his sword and tried to hack the images out of the air. He didn't do anything
other than swing his sword franticly.

The imaged changed again and this time it showed Tas standing over the body of a dead warrior. He
was clad in silver armor to look like a demon and he held a short sword that glowed with a blood
red color.

"This is what you will be if you follow me. I will make you a warrior that can shake the realms
with a thought." Myrkul said with a smirk.

Tasslehorn's eyes bulged at the image and at the thought of being that powerful. He kneeled
before the god of death and proclaimed, "I will follow you, my lord!"

Myrkul gently laid his hand of Tas' bowed head and whispered a single arcane phrase. A cloud of
blood red dust rose around them and was sucked into Tasslehorn's body.

"You will be my greatest follower." Myrkul proclaimed as Tas fell to the ground.
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Dinan woke with a start. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around. The ground was
littered with goblin bodies and the moon still shone brightly out of the west.

"I will finish your journey, Cleric!" Dinan yelled to the wind as he raised the ax above his head.

Dinan strapped the new ax into a back holster and started back for his camp.

The wind blew strong and cold but Dinan felt no cold because of the power of the ax.

As he neared came, he saw Tasslehorn snoozing next to the fire and he slipped quietly into camp.
He couldn't sleep and the sun would rise in a few hours, so he took the ax from it's holster and
looked it over.

The ax looked like dwarfs that had trained long and hard, and had put most of their energy and
life into the ax made it. It had an image of a burning hand blazed onto the blade. It also had
elven runes carved neatly along the top of the blade, which Dinan couldn't read. It glowed with
a constant crimson aura and it felt warm to Dinan's touch.

Dinan stirred the embers in the pit then went back to studying the ax.

"I will take this to Silvara, whoever she is?" Dinan said as he laughed at the second part.
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The duo walked for three more weeks, each day it getting a little colder. By the time they
reached Dead Orc Pass, they were both wearing winter cloaks and tunics.

"Halt! Who come through the pass?" a feminine but commanding voice boomed off the rocks of the
pass.

Dinan fumbled for Helm's symbol, which had been stuff inside his tunic. He got it out and yelled,
"Lord Helm, God of Guardians and Protection has sent me, Dinan Ko'Tret and my partner,
Tasslehorn Thornfield, to help a cleric of his."

A cloaked shape appeared from the rocks to the left and slowly walked forward. The shape carried
a quarterstaff and a steel-tipped whip at its side.

The shape threw back its hood to reveal a female Drow's face. Dinan reflexively unsheathed his
axes and had them up to attack.

"I am Silvara, Cleric of Helm. Yes, I am a female Drow from the city of Menzoberranzan. I mean
you and your partner no trouble, mighty Dinan." The Drow said as she bowed to the duo.

Dinan sheathed his axes then his eyes grew big.

"You said your name was Silvara? I found a cleric of Gond dead, he had a mission to bring you
this ax." Dinan said as he handed the ax over to Silvara.

"Yes, he was to bring it to me so that I might have it for when the one that Helm sent would get
here. You are the one that Helm sent so it now belongs to you. Its name is Forestfire." Silvara
explained as she handed the ax back.

"Where can we...we find a...a place to w...warm up?" Tas stuttered from the cold.

"Follow me!" Silvara instructed as she headed back the way she came.

The trio walked for a few minutes before they came to a cave that was shrouded in snow. It
blended in with the snow-covered rocks all around it.

They walk in and instantly, Tas shed his cloak and winter tunic (He had a normal tunic underneath.)

The whole cave was warm enough so that no winter clothing was needed. The three sat down and
started to talk.

"I have been up here, fighting off goblin hoards to keep the pass open so that Ten Towns in
Icewind Dale is supplied. Winter is nearing and they are still low on some supplies." Silvara
stated plainly.

"Couldn't you just inform the caravans to bring more fighters with them?" Tas asked, wanting to
go back south where it was warmer.

"They only crave to make as much gold as they can. The more fighters that employ, the less gold
they get. So they only send like 5 fighters when they require 20." Silvara shot back.

"What can we..." Dinan started as he heard sounds outside. Dinan jumped from his spot and landed
by the door, with his axes out and ready to fight.

He stood face to face with a male Drow, a human female, a male Dwarf and a huge human male. In
the Drow's hands were two scimitars, ready to fight.

Dinan brought his axes up and swung them in a downward arc, which was blocked by the scimitars.
Out of thin air, a swift hammer came flying toward Dinan's head but was deflected by Forestfire
and an elbow to the human male's gut sent flying back a few feet. A huge battle-ax was the next
to come, being swung by the dwarf. Dinan dodged then slam his axes right onto the dwarf's helm,
driving it tightly on, blinding him.

The scimitar came in a deadly sideways arc but Dinan's axes were faster and blocked. Dinan swung
Forestfire to the right and his other ax to the left then tried to bring them together of the
Drow's head. The elf blocked them but was left open for Dinan's kick to the gut and chest, which
sent the Drow elf flying further than the human male.

"Stop!" Silvara yelled as Dinan stood above the Drow, his axes held above his head.

Dinan suddenly couldn't move a muscle. Silvara had put a hold person spell on him. He tried to
move didn't things and found he could still talk.

"Why Silvara? I was about to kill this stinking piece of filth." Dinan roared in anger.

"Dinan Ko'Tret, meet Drizzt Do'Urden, Rogue Elf from Menzoberranzan. He is a follower of
Mielikki, Goddess of Rangers and the Forest. He wouldn't have harmed you if you would have
stayed your hand." Silvara scolded harshly.

"Good to meet you, old timer." Drizzt sneered as he walked into the cave.

Silvara dropped the spell once the others were inside the cave. Dinan moved his stuff to a far
corner to be away from the new people.

"Dinan, Tas, this is Cattie-Brie." Silvara said as she pointed to the human female.

"This is Wulfgar." She said pointing to the human male.

"And I am Bruenor Battlehammer, King of the dwarfs." The dwarf scowled from beside the fire.

"I am Tasslehorn Thornfield and this is my partner Dinan Ko'Tret." Tas smiled warmly.

The group talked for hours and when it was time to sleep, Drizzt and Dinan were given the first
watch.

"Dinan, sorry for my remark earlier. I shouldn't have called you an old timer, especially because
you beat me, which only my own father has been able to do." Drizzt sighed as he sat by the fire.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for attacking you. I have seen only a few Drow after I came to the surface
but all of them were trying to kill me to get Lloth's favor. I don't trust any Drow except for
you and Silvara now." Dinan replied as he sharpened his axes for the third time that watch.
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The days went by slowly but Dinan and Drizzt quickly became good friends. They even trained
together so that they could work better as a team, if the need arise.

A week after the groups got to the cave, a caravan came into sight. It had no fighters to defend
it and only one person as the driver.

"Hey, why don't you have any fighters?" Silvara asked coming up to the caravan.

The driver let out a hiss and tried to grab Silvara but its hand was gone before it got there.
The driver threw back his head t reveal a male Drow.

"Come with us back to Menzoberranzan, Ko'Tret. Lloth wants you to be her head commander of the
fighters." The Drow tempted Dinan.

"Shut up." Dinan sneered.

The Drow let out a roar and within seconds, ten goblins popped out of the snow. They all carried
crude swords.

"Goblins? I beat twice this many before." Dinan snorted.

The goblins shimmered and were replaced by Drow fighters.

"You were saying?" the driver laughed.

Dinan rush forward and smashed headfirst it a Drow's gut, followed by a swift death from
Forestfire.

The pass erupted into fighting. Dinan was swinging his ax, blocking up to three Drow at a time.
Drizzt was casually dodging the attacks and getting in some good hits of his own. Silvara dodged
as gracefully as Drizzt and would smash a head or two with her quarterstaff.

"Help!" Cattie-Brie screamed as ten hidden Drow popped up and grabbed her.

Dinan unsheathed his magical dagger and launched it with all his might. It arced at the group and
stuck hilt-deep into his back. Dinan yelled a single word and lightning shot out of the dagger,
striking down four more. The other five got away with Cattie-Brie.

Wulfgar tried to run after them but they were quicker than him and he soon lost them. He trudged
back to the group with a frown that bore deep into the heart, ripping it apart.

Dinan walked over to retrieve his dagger and a glint of metal shone on the Drow's hand. He leaned
down and pulled a simple silver ring off the Drow's hand. It had four emeralds and some runes
carved on the inside. Dinan slipped it on, hoping it wasn't cursed.

"What are we going to do?" Silvara asked after a few moments.

"We go after them to get Cattie-Brie back!" Bruenor shouted.

"I agree." Drizzt acknowledged.

"I will go." Dinan affirmed.

"I will kill every single one of those Drow if one hair is hurt on her head!" Wulfgar fumed.

"Then it's agreed, we will go save Cattie-Brie." Silvara confirmed as the group set out, after
the Drow party.