The First Time
Chapter 3 - To The Rescue
"Why did ye let him go out in that storm?!?!?!?" Bruenor yelled again, as he had done for the last thirty minutes or so, while the two unfortunate dwarves, who happened to be those that had let Drizzt outside, tried to stay out of their king's way.
Catti-Brie, however, were too nervous herself, and paced around the throne room in a circle, wringing her hands and biting her nails, unable to do anything else out of fear for the dark elf. The storm had grown worse, and since the sun had left the sky, it was impossible to move more than a few feet away from the caverns without getting lost. She knew that the drow would have returned when the darkness claimed Icewind Dale, especially in such a weather, but since he had not, all feared the worst.
"Me king!" a call suddenly sounded from the entrance.
All in the throne room turned immediately, when a snow-covered Guenhwyvar leaped in through the door and skittered to a stop in front of the dwarven king.
"Drizzt's in trouble!" Catti-Brie found herself crying out, knowing instinctively the reason for why the panther had arrived alone.
If cats could nod, then it was what the black panther did in reply, before she leaped back towards the door, though she halted - waiting for the others.
"Gather a search team! We're goin' after him!" Bruenor yelled, leaping to his feet.
To anyone unused to the dwarves, the activity that followed the king's yell might have seemed as complete chaos. But it turned out to be quite the opposite, as a search team, consisting of ten dwarven - Stumpet included - stood ready to depart within mere minutes.
Catti-Brie, too, prepared; strapped Khazid'hea around her waist and grabbed her amulet. When she joined the ranks of the waiting dwarves, she had fully expected her father to protest, but to her surprise, he merely gave her a brief nod before taking the lead into the snow storm.
They immediately started regretting it, as the snow was chest-heigh to the dwarves, but the thought of Drizzt in trouble pushed them on, even though they only could move slowly. In fact, very slowly, as their vision was blurred by the snow-filled wind.
"It's no use!" one of the dwarves called after nearly half an hour of walking, trying to make himself heard over the howl of the wind. "We can't possibly find him in 'tis weather without needin' ta be rescued ourselves!"
"We can't leave him!" Bruenor roared back, and punched at the piling snow in front of him, stubbornly trying to continue. "We've to find him!"
"I'll move on!" Catti-Brie yelled.
"Too dangerous," the dwarf merely grumbled.
"No beasts're out here now, and Guenhwyvar'll lead me!" Catti-Brie retorted. "And I'm the tallest of all o' us, and can move through the snow faster than ye can!"
She had expected her father to show his usual stubborn side, but to her surprise, he nodded. The human girl only paused long enough to ensure she had three blankets, a couple of flasks with healing potions and some food, before she was off, following the lead of the black panther and leaving the dwarves behind.
* * * * * * * *
Drizzt paused in the sheltering shadow of a large rock, clenching his fists tightly as he fought against the pain that flooded through him from his wounded leg. Though the jaws of the trap hadn't gone all too deep, he had gained a deep cut on each side of his leg, and even though the cold was making his leg grow numb, each step sent a wave of pain through every part of his body.
"Maybe Bruenor's right... I *am* a stupid drow!" he muttered under his breath with a slight smile, despite the seriousness of his situation, as he braced himself and took another, limping step forward.
* * * * * * * *
"What is it, girl?" Catti-Brie asked, when she saw Guenhwyvar halt.
Walking up next to the panther, she saw the reason: a wolf trap, its cruel jaws still edge with blood and pieces of cloth, stuck out of a snowpile, almost hidden from view. Hadn't it been for the whiteness of the snow, the human would never even have noticed it.
Guenhwyvar raised her head and squinted against the blinding snow, then suddenly leaped forward in a impressive bounce, almost bringing her out of Catti-Brie's range of sight.
"Hold on, Drizzt, I'm comin'..," the human girl whispered to herself, gathered her cloak tighter around her and followed the black panther, who impatiently waited for her to catch up.
Chapter 3 - To The Rescue
"Why did ye let him go out in that storm?!?!?!?" Bruenor yelled again, as he had done for the last thirty minutes or so, while the two unfortunate dwarves, who happened to be those that had let Drizzt outside, tried to stay out of their king's way.
Catti-Brie, however, were too nervous herself, and paced around the throne room in a circle, wringing her hands and biting her nails, unable to do anything else out of fear for the dark elf. The storm had grown worse, and since the sun had left the sky, it was impossible to move more than a few feet away from the caverns without getting lost. She knew that the drow would have returned when the darkness claimed Icewind Dale, especially in such a weather, but since he had not, all feared the worst.
"Me king!" a call suddenly sounded from the entrance.
All in the throne room turned immediately, when a snow-covered Guenhwyvar leaped in through the door and skittered to a stop in front of the dwarven king.
"Drizzt's in trouble!" Catti-Brie found herself crying out, knowing instinctively the reason for why the panther had arrived alone.
If cats could nod, then it was what the black panther did in reply, before she leaped back towards the door, though she halted - waiting for the others.
"Gather a search team! We're goin' after him!" Bruenor yelled, leaping to his feet.
To anyone unused to the dwarves, the activity that followed the king's yell might have seemed as complete chaos. But it turned out to be quite the opposite, as a search team, consisting of ten dwarven - Stumpet included - stood ready to depart within mere minutes.
Catti-Brie, too, prepared; strapped Khazid'hea around her waist and grabbed her amulet. When she joined the ranks of the waiting dwarves, she had fully expected her father to protest, but to her surprise, he merely gave her a brief nod before taking the lead into the snow storm.
They immediately started regretting it, as the snow was chest-heigh to the dwarves, but the thought of Drizzt in trouble pushed them on, even though they only could move slowly. In fact, very slowly, as their vision was blurred by the snow-filled wind.
"It's no use!" one of the dwarves called after nearly half an hour of walking, trying to make himself heard over the howl of the wind. "We can't possibly find him in 'tis weather without needin' ta be rescued ourselves!"
"We can't leave him!" Bruenor roared back, and punched at the piling snow in front of him, stubbornly trying to continue. "We've to find him!"
"I'll move on!" Catti-Brie yelled.
"Too dangerous," the dwarf merely grumbled.
"No beasts're out here now, and Guenhwyvar'll lead me!" Catti-Brie retorted. "And I'm the tallest of all o' us, and can move through the snow faster than ye can!"
She had expected her father to show his usual stubborn side, but to her surprise, he nodded. The human girl only paused long enough to ensure she had three blankets, a couple of flasks with healing potions and some food, before she was off, following the lead of the black panther and leaving the dwarves behind.
* * * * * * * *
Drizzt paused in the sheltering shadow of a large rock, clenching his fists tightly as he fought against the pain that flooded through him from his wounded leg. Though the jaws of the trap hadn't gone all too deep, he had gained a deep cut on each side of his leg, and even though the cold was making his leg grow numb, each step sent a wave of pain through every part of his body.
"Maybe Bruenor's right... I *am* a stupid drow!" he muttered under his breath with a slight smile, despite the seriousness of his situation, as he braced himself and took another, limping step forward.
* * * * * * * *
"What is it, girl?" Catti-Brie asked, when she saw Guenhwyvar halt.
Walking up next to the panther, she saw the reason: a wolf trap, its cruel jaws still edge with blood and pieces of cloth, stuck out of a snowpile, almost hidden from view. Hadn't it been for the whiteness of the snow, the human would never even have noticed it.
Guenhwyvar raised her head and squinted against the blinding snow, then suddenly leaped forward in a impressive bounce, almost bringing her out of Catti-Brie's range of sight.
"Hold on, Drizzt, I'm comin'..," the human girl whispered to herself, gathered her cloak tighter around her and followed the black panther, who impatiently waited for her to catch up.