The First Time
A/N: The first part of this chapter originally didn't exist, but was added, simply because my muses refused to work on the sequel to this one, if I didn't put this up. Damned muses... The only time they can work together is when they are blackmailing me... And then we were reading The Crystal Shard once again while waiting for Paths of Darkness to arrive by mail. You might recognize the situation...
Chapter 7 - A Promise Made
Barely a few days had passed, when Catti-Brie suddenly bursted into Bruenor's throne room, making every dwarf present leap to their feet, halfway expecting a tribe of goblins following the human girl.
"What's wrong?" Bruenor asked in confusion.
"It's Drizzt!" Catti-Brie panted. "Ye've ta come, Da'! Now!!"
Fearing the worst, the dwarven king ran after his daughter. His fears only grew worse, when he realised they were heading for the hospital-hall...
Pausing for a short second in front of the door, Bruenor mentally prepared himself for the worst, before he pushed the doors open. The dwarf saw Drizzt lying on one of the beds, a fine sheet of sweat covering him, and only breathing in ragged breaths.
"Th' wound've festered," Stumpet, sitting behind the drow and holding one of his hands, whispered. "There's nothin' I can do, me king... I'm sorry. I don't know how much time he's left..."
Nearly dropping to his knees next to the bed, Bruenor grabbed Drizzt's other hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Bruenor..," the black elf murmured hoarsely, clenching Bruenor's hand tightly and turned his head towards the dwarf, though he still did not open his eyes.
"I'm here," the dwarf whispered and squeezed the drow's hand again. "I'm here, ye durned elf..."
"Bruenor... I... I'm sorry for having been such a fool," Drizzt managed, before his head dropped back onto the pillow and his eyelids slid back for a short moment, revealing his purple eyes.
"What makes ye think ye're a fool?" Bruenor asked softly, holding on to the black-skinned hand as if it was the only way of keeping Drizzt alive.
"That.. that I believed you wouldn't mind that I.. I married Catti-Brie...," the drow muttered. "I should have known it to be stupid to.. think such a thing.."
"Of course it ain't, ye durned elf," Bruenor sobbed silently and somehow managed a smile. "If ye wouldn't have made th' cat sit on me, then I'd've made ye marry her a long time ago!"
"So.. You wouldn't.. have minded..." The black elf paused after almost each word, drawing a ragged breath, before he could continue: "... Having a.. a drow for.. son-in-law?"
"No more than I'd mind Wulfgar," the dwarven king said and gently patting his friend's hand. "Though methinks it'd be even less..."
"You.. mean that?"
"Aye... Catti-Brie belongs with ya. And if it was needed ta make ye do it, I'd even preform th' ceremony meself," the dwarf replied softly. "Seein' ye two promised ta each other'd make me more happy than anythin' else."
Drizzt nodded slightly and drew another ragged breath. Fearing it to be the last, Bruenor looked up at Catti-Brie and Stumpet, but to his surprise, found them sniggering.
Suddenly, Drizzt's eyes shot open and he leaped out of the bed.
"Then what are we waiting for?!?" he exclaimed with a broad grin.
Not understanding what was happening at the first, Bruenor looked at the black elf, then to Catti-Brie and Stumpet, and finally back at Drizzt, when he suddenly realised the trick he had been played - the same trick he had used so long ago to persuade Drizzt to accompany him on his search for Mithril Hall.
"Ye durned elf!!!" he roared and aimed a blow at the black elf's feet, before he, too, dropped to the floor laughing.
* * * * * * * *
About four weeks later, Catti-Brie sought out Drizzt in their shared room. She found her beloved sitting on the edge of the bed, looking into the fire, and reminding her of the first time she had kissed him. Looking up as she entered, the drow smiled and moved over to make room for her.
"Something wrong?" he asked, placing an arm around her waist as she sat. "You look troubled..."
"Aye...," she slowly replied. "There's somethin' I must tell ye, Drizzt..." Looking at the floor, Catti-Brie paused, seeking courage. "I'm pregnant..."
At his continued silence, she turned her head, looking into his lavender orbs, and saw the mixture of happiness, disbelieving and surprise within them.
"Catti... That's the best news you could possibly give me!" he laughed and pulled her into his embrace.
"There's more," she continued, unable to share his happiness, and pushed him away from her. "I went ta see Stumpet, and... She told me I'm too big... The baby's at least two months old, judgin' from th' size. It... can't be yers, but Wulfgar's..."
She looked at the floor again, unable to meet her beloved's gaze. Drizzt's hand gently cupped her chin and raised her eyes to meet his.
"Even if the child belonged to Artemis Enteri, I'd love it as my own," he softly said and smiled. "No matter who sired it, I'll treat it and raise it as my own. That, I promise you."
Unable to hold back her tears, Catti-Brie flung her arms around the drow's neck and pulled him into a tight hug, tears of relief and happiness flowing freely down her cheeks and mingling with Drizzt's.
A/N: The first part of this chapter originally didn't exist, but was added, simply because my muses refused to work on the sequel to this one, if I didn't put this up. Damned muses... The only time they can work together is when they are blackmailing me... And then we were reading The Crystal Shard once again while waiting for Paths of Darkness to arrive by mail. You might recognize the situation...
Chapter 7 - A Promise Made
Barely a few days had passed, when Catti-Brie suddenly bursted into Bruenor's throne room, making every dwarf present leap to their feet, halfway expecting a tribe of goblins following the human girl.
"What's wrong?" Bruenor asked in confusion.
"It's Drizzt!" Catti-Brie panted. "Ye've ta come, Da'! Now!!"
Fearing the worst, the dwarven king ran after his daughter. His fears only grew worse, when he realised they were heading for the hospital-hall...
Pausing for a short second in front of the door, Bruenor mentally prepared himself for the worst, before he pushed the doors open. The dwarf saw Drizzt lying on one of the beds, a fine sheet of sweat covering him, and only breathing in ragged breaths.
"Th' wound've festered," Stumpet, sitting behind the drow and holding one of his hands, whispered. "There's nothin' I can do, me king... I'm sorry. I don't know how much time he's left..."
Nearly dropping to his knees next to the bed, Bruenor grabbed Drizzt's other hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Bruenor..," the black elf murmured hoarsely, clenching Bruenor's hand tightly and turned his head towards the dwarf, though he still did not open his eyes.
"I'm here," the dwarf whispered and squeezed the drow's hand again. "I'm here, ye durned elf..."
"Bruenor... I... I'm sorry for having been such a fool," Drizzt managed, before his head dropped back onto the pillow and his eyelids slid back for a short moment, revealing his purple eyes.
"What makes ye think ye're a fool?" Bruenor asked softly, holding on to the black-skinned hand as if it was the only way of keeping Drizzt alive.
"That.. that I believed you wouldn't mind that I.. I married Catti-Brie...," the drow muttered. "I should have known it to be stupid to.. think such a thing.."
"Of course it ain't, ye durned elf," Bruenor sobbed silently and somehow managed a smile. "If ye wouldn't have made th' cat sit on me, then I'd've made ye marry her a long time ago!"
"So.. You wouldn't.. have minded..." The black elf paused after almost each word, drawing a ragged breath, before he could continue: "... Having a.. a drow for.. son-in-law?"
"No more than I'd mind Wulfgar," the dwarven king said and gently patting his friend's hand. "Though methinks it'd be even less..."
"You.. mean that?"
"Aye... Catti-Brie belongs with ya. And if it was needed ta make ye do it, I'd even preform th' ceremony meself," the dwarf replied softly. "Seein' ye two promised ta each other'd make me more happy than anythin' else."
Drizzt nodded slightly and drew another ragged breath. Fearing it to be the last, Bruenor looked up at Catti-Brie and Stumpet, but to his surprise, found them sniggering.
Suddenly, Drizzt's eyes shot open and he leaped out of the bed.
"Then what are we waiting for?!?" he exclaimed with a broad grin.
Not understanding what was happening at the first, Bruenor looked at the black elf, then to Catti-Brie and Stumpet, and finally back at Drizzt, when he suddenly realised the trick he had been played - the same trick he had used so long ago to persuade Drizzt to accompany him on his search for Mithril Hall.
"Ye durned elf!!!" he roared and aimed a blow at the black elf's feet, before he, too, dropped to the floor laughing.
* * * * * * * *
About four weeks later, Catti-Brie sought out Drizzt in their shared room. She found her beloved sitting on the edge of the bed, looking into the fire, and reminding her of the first time she had kissed him. Looking up as she entered, the drow smiled and moved over to make room for her.
"Something wrong?" he asked, placing an arm around her waist as she sat. "You look troubled..."
"Aye...," she slowly replied. "There's somethin' I must tell ye, Drizzt..." Looking at the floor, Catti-Brie paused, seeking courage. "I'm pregnant..."
At his continued silence, she turned her head, looking into his lavender orbs, and saw the mixture of happiness, disbelieving and surprise within them.
"Catti... That's the best news you could possibly give me!" he laughed and pulled her into his embrace.
"There's more," she continued, unable to share his happiness, and pushed him away from her. "I went ta see Stumpet, and... She told me I'm too big... The baby's at least two months old, judgin' from th' size. It... can't be yers, but Wulfgar's..."
She looked at the floor again, unable to meet her beloved's gaze. Drizzt's hand gently cupped her chin and raised her eyes to meet his.
"Even if the child belonged to Artemis Enteri, I'd love it as my own," he softly said and smiled. "No matter who sired it, I'll treat it and raise it as my own. That, I promise you."
Unable to hold back her tears, Catti-Brie flung her arms around the drow's neck and pulled him into a tight hug, tears of relief and happiness flowing freely down her cheeks and mingling with Drizzt's.