Quest for Life
By: Shinto of Lave

Chapter 5

Shinto: *Wheezing* I never knew Drow were that quick. Dinan would give the Flash a run for his
money.

Dinan: So Shinto, where's the disclaimer? If you give the people one, I'll give you a piece of
cake.

Shinto: YEA!!! I don't own anything of Forgotten Realms except Dinan, Silvara & Tasslehorn are
owned by themselves (ME!). *Grabs the whole cake and runs)

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The Drow party quickly made it back to the cave that led them back to the Underdark. They had
gagged and bound the human female, so she couldn't inform her friends where they were.

/Should we take this human back to the city? She could be a good sacrifice/ the Drow that carried
Cattie-Brie said in the Drow hand language.

/No. We'll drop her off in the Hook Horror's den and hope it will have a good lunch/ the leader
replied.

"No you will not!" Cattie-Brie yelled as she pulled out the gag, shattering the Drow's eardrums.

"What?" the leader yelled in amazement.

"She will be sacrificed on the alter to Lloth. Now plug her mouth again!" the Drow leader ordered.
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Dinan crept ever so slowly, following a trail that could only be seen by the three Drow in the
group. Dinan lead with Drizzt and Silvara holding second and third in line. The rest followed in
a line behind the three.

/Do you think they're setting a trap? / Dinan signaled to Drizzt.

/Maybe. But I bet they're going to head back to their city. / Silvara interjected.

"Why must you do that?" Bruenor grumbled from behind Silvara.

"Shh!" Tasslehorn hissed at the dwarf.

"The Drow might be just around the next turn. We have to talk like that so we aren't overheard."
Drizzt whispered in Bruenor's ear then went back to his spot in line.

The party continued forward for a few more minutes when they heard Cattie-Brie's statement and
they forgot all stealth. They bolted as fast as they could, with Wulfgar out beating Dinan,
Drizzt and Silvara.

"Let go of her or you will just be a bloody smear on Aegis Fang." Wulfgar yelled so loud he
shook a nearby hill of snow.

The Drow looked at Wulfgar then bolted into the cave, leaving Cattie-Brie in the snow. Wulfgar
skipped up to the girl and undid the bindings.

Cattie-Brie went up on her toes and gave Wulfgar a kiss on the cheek. He blushed as the other
party members walked up to surround them.

While the party was busy, the leader of the Drow party gave a quick look back and his eyes
grew big right before he turned and ran back to his group.

"I'm going after the patrol." Dinan stated as he bolted into the cave.

"I'll go too. You guys guard the entrance." Drizzt added as he followed Dinan

"Me too." Silvara quickly laughed as he slinked into the dark cave.
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"Sir, should we have dropped the female like that? She really could of gotten us in Lloth's
pleasure as a sacrifice." A Drow whispered to the leader of the party.

"Did you not see who those three Drow were? The one with the axes was Denkaro Ko'Tret, Rogue
Drow that Matron Baenre has been trying to find for 75 years, the one with the scimitars was
Drizzt Do'Urden, Renegade Drow with the deadliest blades in all of the Underdark, and the female
is Silventara Baenre, Daughter of Matron Baenre and she too is a Rogue Drow. We can report our
finding and we will get enough of Lloth's pleasure because we will have brought down three of
the most wanted runaways." The leader shot back forcefully.

A grin crossed every face in the group as they hurried toward Menzoberranzan. But they didn't
know just how close their "friends" were.
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"When will those three get back?" Tas whined as the group of four sat around a campfire, outside
the cave.

"Will you be quiet?" Cattie-Brie shot back.

"Fine!" Tasslehorn yelled as he stalked away from the group.

Tas walked all the way back to the cave that they had all met up in and he went inside. He
grabbed some food and took a seat by a small fire that he made.

"Why does everyone seem to hate me?" Tas grumbled through bites of meat.

"They are jealous of you and want the world to forget all about you, Tasslehorn." A familiar
voice sounded from the walls.

"My lord!" Tas reverently bowed as the God of Death walked into the cave.

"Arise!" Myrkul smiled as the halfling stood up.

"What brings my lord to this cold place? Surely he has work to do in his Realm." Tasslehorn
replied.

"I have come to test your loyalty to me. I give this short sword to you. It is called Deathcry.
It will serve you well, if you serve me well." Myrkul smiled as he handed the halfling a short,
black sword.

"I will serve you, my lord. What is the test?" Tas bowed again.

"I want you to kill one of Drizzt Do'Urden's friends. You can pick which but you just have to
kill one. And make sure nobody sees that you kill the person." Myrkul laughed as he walked out
of the cave.

Tas smiled as he looked over his new short sword with a childlike glee. He yanked out the sword
he had gotten from Helm from its sheath and slid Deathcry in.

"Which one will get to meet my lord first?" Tas laughed as he threw his cloak around his
shoulders and headed back to the three that were back at the cave that led to the Underdark.
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"We're getting close to the portal. I can't wait to reap our reward for this information." One
of the Drow eagerly laughed, rubbing his hands together in delight.

Suddenly, he slumped forward and landed on the ground without a head.

"And what reward would that be?" Dinan laughed as he sauntered out from the shadows.

The Drow party went crazy and tried to run in every direction at once. Three more went down to
Drizzt's deadly blades and Silvara's whip.

"So, how's Matron Baenre? Has it been, 25 years...no...50...no...oh yeah, 75 years now. I wonder
if she still has Lloth's favor, especially after she lost me." Dinan laughed at the last two
Drow.

Before any of the group could do anything, the leader of the Drow party bolted and disappeared
into thin air but his friend was as lucky. He slumped to the ground with Forestfire stuck in his
head.

"Should we try to follow him?" Drizzt asked as Dinan retrieved his ax.

Silvara prodded at the air where the enemy had gone through.

"Portal's closed and I don't know for sure where it took him." Silvara sighed.

Dinan knelt by the Drow he had downed and put his hand on the Drow's forehead. A picture formed
in Dinan's mind and he saw where the portal went.

"The portal was a direct link to Menzoberranzan, just outside the Baenre House." Dinan stated as
he broke the link and stood up.

"How do you know that?" Drizzt asked in surprise.

"I've had an ability ever since I was born. I can see into people's minds by touching their
foreheads. It even works on dead people but to get a good image, they need to be dead less than
24 hours." Dinan replied with a nod as he searched the dead Drow for anything of worth.

He pulled out a scroll tube, a spell book, some gold, silver and platinum, and a single undamaged
dagger that glistened blue in Mage Sight. Drizzt took the dagger, some of the coins along with
Silvara. Dinan took the left over coins and the spell book and scroll tube, as gifts to Mystra.

"Let's head back. I don't think the Drow will be back." Silvara laughed as the three turned
around and headed back to the cave mouth and their friends.
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"Was Tas getting on your nerves?" Cattie-Brie asked the two guys that were with her sitting
around a small fire.

"Sort of but you didn't need to be that harsh." Wulfgar frowned back at her.

"He deserved it." Cattie-Brie shot back.

"Yes, he did but you could have been a little nicer." Wulfgar snarled back.

"Sit down!" Bruenor snarled like a lion.

Wulfgar sat without giving it a second thought. He also kept his mouth shut, same as Cattie-Brie.

Tas was just in earshot and had heard the whole thing. He silently slid Deathcry out of its
sheath and padded up behind Wulfgar. He brought the sword back then plunged it into the
barbarian's back, right where his heart was. He quickly pulled the bloodless sword back and
sheathed it then slid into the shadows.

Wulfgar slumped to the ground. The silence was shattered only by a high pitch screech that
emitted from Cattie-Brie. She screeched so much that she lost her voice and fainted.

Bruenor knelt down and propped up Wulfgar's head. His eyes looked out into thin air and his hand
was frozen in trying to reach for something behind him.

"You were like a son to me, Wulfgar. You worked for me for five years. You became the mighty and
caring man I've grown attached to. You will be dearly missed by all." Bruenor whispered as he
gently closed his adopted son's eyes.
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Dinan, Drizzt and Silvara came walking out of the cave a few hours later and saw a dismal scene.
Wulfgar's body laying on the group, covered with his cloak, Cattie-Brie still unconscious,
Bruenor sitting straight up and very inflexible and Tas sitting next to Bruenor.

"What happened?" Silvara asked.

"Wulfgar was killed by somebody or something from behind and what's strange is that it left no
blood in him. He only has a single wound, which is straight to the heart. I was the one who undid
his cloak and covered him with it." Tas rattled back to the trio.

Drizzt knelt next to Cattie-Brie and took her hand. She slowly came to, smiling at the handsome
Drow and thought of giving him a kiss.

The group headed back to the first cave, Dinan and Drizzt carrying Wulfgar's huge body. They made
plans for Wulfgar's burial near Ten Towns.
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The next day, the whole group headed north, toward Ten Towns. Cassius of Bryn Shandor met the
group at the gates of Bryn Shandor. He arranged all the stuff for Wulfgar to be given a huge
funeral to commemorate him as a guardian of the cities.

The funeral lasted for a week. Each night, there was a feast in Bryn Shandor and the Champions of
the Hall (Dinan and Tas getting numbered as part of the group) were named as Honorable guests and
sat with the Councilors

After the week was through, life returned to Ten Towns and the Champions of the Hall moved back
to the pass.

"Tas and I must go back down to tell Helm and Mystra that we have finished the task. We were
pleased to be numbered as part of your wonderful group." Dinan bowed to Drizzt and he extended
his hand to shake Drizzt's hand.

"You are always welcome in Mithril Hall as one of my guests. May your gods watch over you and
keep you safe my friends." Bruenor bowed back.

"Dinan, before you go, I would like to give you a gift." Drizzt said as he reached into his pouch
and pulled out a small, white tiger cub," He has no name but he is loyal and will be a great
companion."

"Thank you Drizzt. Before I go, may I see your panther? I've heard so much about it from Drow who
were hunting us both down." Dinan asked as he gently stroked the tiger's small head.

Drizzt pulled out a panther statue and whisper the name, "Guenhwyvar."

A mist formed out of the statue and soon turned into a sleek black panther. It padded up next to
Drizzt as he introduced the panther to Dinan and Tasslehorn.

Dinan gently patted Guenhwyvar's head, who replied with a purring sound. Tas just stayed as far
away as he could but not seem like he wanted to get away.

"Dinan, I'm going to go with you. With the problem here done, I must see what Helm wants of me
now." Silvara said she walked up to Dinan with a pack on her back and her quarterstaff in her
hand.

The group split in two and went their separate directions. Each group seemed to not want to part
but had to.
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"Lord Helm, I come before you to ask what you wish of me to do, for the problem you had me to fix
has been done." Silvara reverently prayed to the God of Protectors.

Out of thin air, Helm and Mystra stood once more in the Realms.

"You have done well Silvara. And you too Dinan and Tasslehorn." Helm smiled.

"Lord Helm, what is it that I might do to serve thy now that the pass is safe." Silvara asked.

"Go with these two and help them in all that you can. You know much that these two can learn.
That is my task to you." Helm stated as he gently placed his hand on Silvara's shoulder.

"Lord Helm, I serve no god but I have seen much holy might and I wish to be one of your
followers." Dinan kneeled to the God of Protectors.

Helm's seemed to think about it then gently laid both hands of Dinan's back. The two of them
glowed for a brief second then he proclaimed, "Raise Dinan, Cleric of Helm."

Dinan rose to his feet and looked at his god, then gave a deep bow and said, "I will serve thee
well, my lord."

Mystra stepped forward and said," I have a third task for the three of you. Go to the island of
Brynnlaw. There you are to find a mage by the name of Kigrato. You are to take the Firestalker,
a magic amulet that acts like a spell book, away from him and bring it back to me." Mystra fumed
as she recalled the information, "Kigrato was one of my High Clerics and he stole it from one of
my temples. He broke a holy law and he must be punished."

"I will obey thee, Lady of Mysteries." Dinan bowed followed by Silvara.

"I'm sorry but I have to go on my way. I have other things to do." Tasslehorn boldly announced.

"If you leave before the task we have for you are done, you will be out of our protection and an
easy target for vengeful people." Helm replied in a stern mood.

"I'll take that risk!" Tas yelled as he walked out of the shrine
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Tas walked for many days, only stopping at night to sleep and to pray to his unholy god.

"You have served me well, little one. You have proven your loyalty to me and you have thrown off
the shackles of those two gods that only wanted to bind and changed everything about you." Myrkul
said as he conversed with Tasslehorn one night.

"What is your next task for me to do, my lord?" Tas asked.

"You are to get me magic items, wherever you can find them." Myrkul sneered as he dissolved into
thin air but his laugh remained.