The First Time
Chapter 2 - Parting Again
The dwarf looked from one to the other, too stunned to say anything, feeling how his face slowly took on a more reddish colour. Suddenly, he turned around, grabbing the doorknob on the way, and shut the door closed after him. Cursing, he slammed his head against the wall to let out his frustration. He had purposely pushed Catti-Brie towards Drizzt, doing almost everything in order to bring the two of them together - sending them out on missions together, placing them side by side in the dinner-hall, putting their rooms next to each other - all done in the hope that the dark elf could help lessen the recent loss of Wulfgar. And now the dwarf properly had ruined it all...
Growling to himself and cursing his stupidity, he stomped back down the hall, every thought about goblins erased from his mind for the time being.
* * * * * * * *
The two lay perfectly still, not daring to move, when they heard the slam as Bruenor's head rammed against the stone, and then the sound of his boots as he moved down the hall again.
"I'd better leave...," Drizzt whispered, blushed enough to show through his ebony skin. "At least until Bruenor has cooled down a bit..."
Catti-Brie nodded slowly, and, with more than a little regret, untangled herself from the black elf. Drizzt quickly pulled the shirt over his head and grabbed his cloak, while Catti-Brie got dressed as well, and pressed a gently kiss against her lips, before he disappeared out the door.
With a disappointed sigh, the human girl dropped back onto the bed, wanting to give the drow time to get away, before she, too, left the room. The blanket was still warm, and she found herself burying her nose in it to breathe in the faint scent of Drizzt that still lingered there. If only her father hadn't disturbed them...
* * * * * * * *
Drizzt quickly made his way through the hallways, not being in any mood to face Bruenor after what just had transpired between him and Catti-Brie. Though it had been quite innocent at that time, he did not know if the stubborn dwarf thought about it the same way, and at the current moment, Drizzt felt he needed some time alone to let it all sink properly in. And therefore, he was on his way to the outer gate, knowing that outside would be the only place to get the needed peace.
The guard were more than mildly surprised by the fact that he wanted to leave the warmth of The dwarven stronghold to the harsh snowstorm, but, while grumbling about the strange ideas the drow sometimes got, opened the gate.
Normally, the blast of icy wind and snow, which entered through the now-open door, would have made Drizzt change his mind, but at the moment, he found the thought of braving a blizzard more doable than to face Bruenor, so he merely pulled the cloak tightly around him and stepped outside.
Behind him, the gate closed again, shutting the warmth and comfort of the dwarven caverns in, leaving him alone in the cold, fast setting darkness. For a moment, he fingered with the statuette of Guenhwyvar, thinking to summon the panther to his side, but dropped it back into his pocket and started walking.
* * * * * * * *
Finally, Catti-Brie rose from the bed, deciding that she needed to talk with Bruenor, to explain what had happened. She knew all too well the temper her dwarven foster-father possessed, but also knew that she had a much better chance of escaping him alive than Drizzt had... And so, she wanted to talk with the dwarf before he caught the drow.
To her internal surprise, though, she stumbled across her father as she entered the hallway, nearly bumping into him.
"Da'! Ye've ta.. We... I mean, he... I..," Catti-Brie stammered, feeling how her cheeks grew red again as she suddenly found herself lacking words.
The dwarf caught her arm, making her fall silent.
"Do ye love him?" he merely requested.
Catti-Brie nodded slowly. There was no doubt as to whom Bruenor was referring to.
"Of all me heart," she whispered.
To her surprise, the dwarf smiled broadly and pulled her into a hug. No words were said, but she knew now that her father not only did not detest the relationship, but even were happy for Drizzt and her. Flinging her arms around her father, she thanked him in a whisper and then rushed up to tell Drizzt the good news.
* * * * * * * *
Drizzt sighed and looked up, only to be blinded by the whirling snow. It was nearly impossible to see anything, and the drow found that he had to rely on his memory to guide him. But his mind was wandering, and as the snow blew into his face, he was forced to keep his eyes locked at the ground, and thus did not have whatever little visual guidance that could be gained through the blanket of snow.
He cursed silently to himself as he made his way through the piling snow, when he realised that he was lost.
* * * * * * * *
Catti-Brie scratched her neck. She had searched through half of the stronghold by now, and still hadn't found any trace of Drizzt. It had been nearly two hours since she had talked with Bruenor, and still she hadn't spotted the black elf in any of the placed he used to be. And now, though she had no idea of why, she walked to the outer gate and asked the guards if *they* had seen him.
"The drow? He's outside," one of the two dwarves replied with a shrug. "Silly ideas that elf som'times gets, if ya ask me."
* * * * * * * *
Slowly and carefully not to slip, Drizzt descended a pile of huge rocks. He could vaguely remember them, but could not quite place them.
Suddenly, a wolf trap, having been hidden beneath the thick layer of snow, slammed shut around his left leg and dropped him into the snow, a cry on his lips. He remembered all of a sudden that the rocks had been made as a barrier to keep a group of troublesome goblins from roaming Icewind Dale until a band of dwarves had taken care of them. Wolf traps had been used to keep the goblins away as well, and Drizzt could all too vividly remember the fact that they, when collecting the traps again, had lacked a single one...
Gritting his teeth against the pain, and refusing to look at the crimson hue the snow around his leg slowly gained, he grabbed around the jaws and carefully pulled them apart, silently thanking Bruenor for having the trap made so that it would not cut off the leg of whatever it caught, but merely keep the victim trapped. Grimacing, he jerked the leg loose of the metal and tumbled backwards into the snow, away from the cruel trap. Using the rocky barrier for support, he climbed to his feet again, careful not to lay any weight on the wounded leg.
He found that he could walk, but only slowly and very painfully. Knowing he did not have any chance in surviving the storm, much less getting back to the dwarven stronghold, he tossed the onyx figurine on the ground, calling out to the great panther.
Guenhwyvar sensed the pain in the elf's voice and immediately responded to his call.
"Get help," Drizzt said with a harsh groan, as soon the mist had formed around the statuette, knowing that the panther could not be of any other assistance.
Like a black lightning that quickly disappeared among the white flakes falling from the sky, the black panther rushed through the snow in the direction of the dwarven homes.
Chapter 2 - Parting Again
The dwarf looked from one to the other, too stunned to say anything, feeling how his face slowly took on a more reddish colour. Suddenly, he turned around, grabbing the doorknob on the way, and shut the door closed after him. Cursing, he slammed his head against the wall to let out his frustration. He had purposely pushed Catti-Brie towards Drizzt, doing almost everything in order to bring the two of them together - sending them out on missions together, placing them side by side in the dinner-hall, putting their rooms next to each other - all done in the hope that the dark elf could help lessen the recent loss of Wulfgar. And now the dwarf properly had ruined it all...
Growling to himself and cursing his stupidity, he stomped back down the hall, every thought about goblins erased from his mind for the time being.
* * * * * * * *
The two lay perfectly still, not daring to move, when they heard the slam as Bruenor's head rammed against the stone, and then the sound of his boots as he moved down the hall again.
"I'd better leave...," Drizzt whispered, blushed enough to show through his ebony skin. "At least until Bruenor has cooled down a bit..."
Catti-Brie nodded slowly, and, with more than a little regret, untangled herself from the black elf. Drizzt quickly pulled the shirt over his head and grabbed his cloak, while Catti-Brie got dressed as well, and pressed a gently kiss against her lips, before he disappeared out the door.
With a disappointed sigh, the human girl dropped back onto the bed, wanting to give the drow time to get away, before she, too, left the room. The blanket was still warm, and she found herself burying her nose in it to breathe in the faint scent of Drizzt that still lingered there. If only her father hadn't disturbed them...
* * * * * * * *
Drizzt quickly made his way through the hallways, not being in any mood to face Bruenor after what just had transpired between him and Catti-Brie. Though it had been quite innocent at that time, he did not know if the stubborn dwarf thought about it the same way, and at the current moment, Drizzt felt he needed some time alone to let it all sink properly in. And therefore, he was on his way to the outer gate, knowing that outside would be the only place to get the needed peace.
The guard were more than mildly surprised by the fact that he wanted to leave the warmth of The dwarven stronghold to the harsh snowstorm, but, while grumbling about the strange ideas the drow sometimes got, opened the gate.
Normally, the blast of icy wind and snow, which entered through the now-open door, would have made Drizzt change his mind, but at the moment, he found the thought of braving a blizzard more doable than to face Bruenor, so he merely pulled the cloak tightly around him and stepped outside.
Behind him, the gate closed again, shutting the warmth and comfort of the dwarven caverns in, leaving him alone in the cold, fast setting darkness. For a moment, he fingered with the statuette of Guenhwyvar, thinking to summon the panther to his side, but dropped it back into his pocket and started walking.
* * * * * * * *
Finally, Catti-Brie rose from the bed, deciding that she needed to talk with Bruenor, to explain what had happened. She knew all too well the temper her dwarven foster-father possessed, but also knew that she had a much better chance of escaping him alive than Drizzt had... And so, she wanted to talk with the dwarf before he caught the drow.
To her internal surprise, though, she stumbled across her father as she entered the hallway, nearly bumping into him.
"Da'! Ye've ta.. We... I mean, he... I..," Catti-Brie stammered, feeling how her cheeks grew red again as she suddenly found herself lacking words.
The dwarf caught her arm, making her fall silent.
"Do ye love him?" he merely requested.
Catti-Brie nodded slowly. There was no doubt as to whom Bruenor was referring to.
"Of all me heart," she whispered.
To her surprise, the dwarf smiled broadly and pulled her into a hug. No words were said, but she knew now that her father not only did not detest the relationship, but even were happy for Drizzt and her. Flinging her arms around her father, she thanked him in a whisper and then rushed up to tell Drizzt the good news.
* * * * * * * *
Drizzt sighed and looked up, only to be blinded by the whirling snow. It was nearly impossible to see anything, and the drow found that he had to rely on his memory to guide him. But his mind was wandering, and as the snow blew into his face, he was forced to keep his eyes locked at the ground, and thus did not have whatever little visual guidance that could be gained through the blanket of snow.
He cursed silently to himself as he made his way through the piling snow, when he realised that he was lost.
* * * * * * * *
Catti-Brie scratched her neck. She had searched through half of the stronghold by now, and still hadn't found any trace of Drizzt. It had been nearly two hours since she had talked with Bruenor, and still she hadn't spotted the black elf in any of the placed he used to be. And now, though she had no idea of why, she walked to the outer gate and asked the guards if *they* had seen him.
"The drow? He's outside," one of the two dwarves replied with a shrug. "Silly ideas that elf som'times gets, if ya ask me."
* * * * * * * *
Slowly and carefully not to slip, Drizzt descended a pile of huge rocks. He could vaguely remember them, but could not quite place them.
Suddenly, a wolf trap, having been hidden beneath the thick layer of snow, slammed shut around his left leg and dropped him into the snow, a cry on his lips. He remembered all of a sudden that the rocks had been made as a barrier to keep a group of troublesome goblins from roaming Icewind Dale until a band of dwarves had taken care of them. Wolf traps had been used to keep the goblins away as well, and Drizzt could all too vividly remember the fact that they, when collecting the traps again, had lacked a single one...
Gritting his teeth against the pain, and refusing to look at the crimson hue the snow around his leg slowly gained, he grabbed around the jaws and carefully pulled them apart, silently thanking Bruenor for having the trap made so that it would not cut off the leg of whatever it caught, but merely keep the victim trapped. Grimacing, he jerked the leg loose of the metal and tumbled backwards into the snow, away from the cruel trap. Using the rocky barrier for support, he climbed to his feet again, careful not to lay any weight on the wounded leg.
He found that he could walk, but only slowly and very painfully. Knowing he did not have any chance in surviving the storm, much less getting back to the dwarven stronghold, he tossed the onyx figurine on the ground, calling out to the great panther.
Guenhwyvar sensed the pain in the elf's voice and immediately responded to his call.
"Get help," Drizzt said with a harsh groan, as soon the mist had formed around the statuette, knowing that the panther could not be of any other assistance.
Like a black lightning that quickly disappeared among the white flakes falling from the sky, the black panther rushed through the snow in the direction of the dwarven homes.