"Stalking Shadows"
Author: Radiant Sea Serpent
Disclaimer: Everyone except Lynara and Vaitrue belongs to R.A.S.
Authors Note: The first Fanfic I ever wrote, before I even knew it was called fanfiction, this is also one I managed to only recently save from my laptop.
* * * * *
They rode hard for the rest of the night and well into the next day until they saw the gates to the town. Catti sighed with relief, "We're almost there." She said and Drizzt barely coherent pulled the hood of his cloak forward to hide his face as they made their way to the gates. They were promptly stopped by the guards who eyed them suspiciously.
"State your business." The first said
"Me names Catti-Brie and me friends sick. He needs help." she said out of breath. The second guard eyeing her with distrust came forward and roughly ripped the hood from Drizzt's head who blinked as the guard gasped and jumped backward drawing his sword and looking to his companion for support. Catti growled in anger.
"I'm not fer carin for yer stupid racism or fears! Me friend needs help! He may be dieing. What if ye were in my position. Think about that then you'd best be thinkin bout what i'm goin to do to ye if me friend dies because ye didn't think to help him." She cried, to filled with worry and frustration to stay calm.
The first guard looked pointedly at the second who came forward to better inspect Drizzt then looked back at the first, "He doesn't look to good to me. I think she's telling the truth."
"Then go fetch the healer. I want to hear it from her before I let any drow into my town." Answered the first to which the second immediately made his way past the gate to fetch the healer. After afew moments he returned guiding a thin young woman with curly blond hair tied up into a loose bun.
"There he is." The second guard said motioning to Drizzt.
The woman scowled, "My eyesight is not impaired I can see that for myself." She snapped as she made her way to the horse's side. She began inspecting Drizzt with an expert eye but it was only when she placed her hand on his forehead that she showed signs of worry. She shook her head as if in denial before turning back to the guards.
"I want them brought to my place immediately." She demanded.
"Then she's not lying?" asked the first guard.
"No, one can't fake this." She said guiding the horse towards the gates, "Now open up!"
The guards immediately jumped to follow her orders. The woman guided them quickly through the all but deserted streets of the town to a three story building near the east side of the town. With the woman's help they managed to get Drizzt off the horse, into the house, and into a bed. Once he was comfortable and sleeping. The woman pulled Catti aside, "My name is Lynara, i'm the healer of this town. Now I need you to tell me what happened, everything." She said.
Catti immediately told her everything that had happened over the past two days. Lynara nodded as if she had heard it all before, "Alright. You should get some rest. You can sleep in the room across the hall."
Catti nodded but hesitated looking at Drizzt. Lynara smiled reasuringly, "I'll look after him, you just get some rest." she said guiding Catti to the room across the hall and gently pushing her in. Catti sighed and slowly closed the door. Lynara's smile vanished as she returned to Drizzt's room.
Taking a deep breath, hoping for the best but knowing better than to actually expect it, She placed a hand under Drizzt's chin and gently tilted it to the side and let out her breath in a resigned sigh upon sighting the marks upon his throat. She ran her fingers lightly over the already healed over puncture wounds noting from the size of the wounds that the drow had already been bitten twice. She sat down heavily in a nearby chair, placing her chin in her palm as she tried to figure out what to do. She had dealt with plenty of vampire victims, it was common place around those parts, but none of those had been bitten more than once. But she had been trained well. She new by the story told her by Catti that the vampire was powerful and she also new that Drizzt would begin reacting to the vampire's presence. That was probably their only true advantage at the moment. After a moments hesitation she leaned forward over Drizzt, now that she had resigned herself to the fact that she may loose this one she wanted to see just how far along the drow was, placed a finger lightly onto his upper lip. As if in an instinctive reaction to her touch the lip pulled back from the teeth clearly revealing the budding fangs growing into place over his canines. Pulling back she realized that the drow was in true danger. This was the first patient she had ever had that was actually infected. The fact that he could actually become a vampire on her terrified her. She herself had never actually met a vampire and after seeing what they could do she was truly afraid.
Drizzt gave a low moan as he turned his head away from her. The hardest part about this was going to be the act of explaining all this to the woman in the other room, She thought as she glanced towards the room.
* * * * *
"What?! What are ye sayin?" Cattie asked, her voice little more than a stunned whisper.
"Your friend is suffering from a vampiric assault. He's been bitten twice i'm guessing." Lynara said hesitant to speak of the true danger.
"But...he'll be ok, won't he?" Cattie asked hopefully but fully expecting the worst.
Lynara began to look flustered, "I'm not...not really...I'm not quite sure..."She mumbled looking at the floor in her discomfort.
"I'm wantin to be knowin the truth," Catti cried suddenly angry, "If me friends to die i'm wantin to know!"
Lynara scowled, "I don't know! He may die, true, but I am not certain. He's been infected, of that I am certain."
"Infected? With what?" Catti asked confused.
"You dared venture into these parts without any knowledge of the vampire," Lynara exclaimed almost shocked, "Fool!" she cried forcing the laughter back for the sake of her foolish guest.
"We never planned...we didn't think..." Catti muttered, now herself flustered.
"Obviously." Lynara said with a sigh, "Your friend has been infected with vampirism, there is a very good chance that he himself will become one."
Catti-brie stared at her in shock then began shaking her head as she made her way to the door of Drizzt's room, watching him as he slept, "How long?"
"He must be bitten once more for the change to acure, after that it will take him about a week, maybe more." Lynara answered as she moved to Catti's side.
"How can we cure him?"
"If the vampire is destroyed your friend will heal. If it manages to bite your friend again...then the only way to help him will be to kill him and destroy his body for I know of no cure for vampirism."
"Alright," Catti said turning to face Lynara fully, blue eyes flashing, "How do we be destroyin the thing."
* * * * *
About an hour later Catti found herself pacing in front of the door inside Drizzt's room. Lynara sat at his side studying him intently. They had spent the hour covering the door and windows with holy symbols and holy water, they had attempted garlic but Drizzt had had a reaction to it. Now they were simply waiting for the vampire to show itself. An hour more passed and found them in the same position. Drizzt gave a low moan and both women immediately fixed their eyes on him. His face was contorted in what seemed like pain and his head tossed fitfully from side to side. Catti looked to Lynara who nodded, "The vampire is close." She stated.
As if in response they both heard a crash of crockery hitting the floor and a terror filled scream that seemed to die away into a sigh coming from the hall outside the door. Her hand gripping her sword Catti pulled open the door and stepped out into the hall then froze.
TBC
* * * * *
Review Please!
Author: Radiant Sea Serpent
Disclaimer: Everyone except Lynara and Vaitrue belongs to R.A.S.
Authors Note: The first Fanfic I ever wrote, before I even knew it was called fanfiction, this is also one I managed to only recently save from my laptop.
* * * * *
They rode hard for the rest of the night and well into the next day until they saw the gates to the town. Catti sighed with relief, "We're almost there." She said and Drizzt barely coherent pulled the hood of his cloak forward to hide his face as they made their way to the gates. They were promptly stopped by the guards who eyed them suspiciously.
"State your business." The first said
"Me names Catti-Brie and me friends sick. He needs help." she said out of breath. The second guard eyeing her with distrust came forward and roughly ripped the hood from Drizzt's head who blinked as the guard gasped and jumped backward drawing his sword and looking to his companion for support. Catti growled in anger.
"I'm not fer carin for yer stupid racism or fears! Me friend needs help! He may be dieing. What if ye were in my position. Think about that then you'd best be thinkin bout what i'm goin to do to ye if me friend dies because ye didn't think to help him." She cried, to filled with worry and frustration to stay calm.
The first guard looked pointedly at the second who came forward to better inspect Drizzt then looked back at the first, "He doesn't look to good to me. I think she's telling the truth."
"Then go fetch the healer. I want to hear it from her before I let any drow into my town." Answered the first to which the second immediately made his way past the gate to fetch the healer. After afew moments he returned guiding a thin young woman with curly blond hair tied up into a loose bun.
"There he is." The second guard said motioning to Drizzt.
The woman scowled, "My eyesight is not impaired I can see that for myself." She snapped as she made her way to the horse's side. She began inspecting Drizzt with an expert eye but it was only when she placed her hand on his forehead that she showed signs of worry. She shook her head as if in denial before turning back to the guards.
"I want them brought to my place immediately." She demanded.
"Then she's not lying?" asked the first guard.
"No, one can't fake this." She said guiding the horse towards the gates, "Now open up!"
The guards immediately jumped to follow her orders. The woman guided them quickly through the all but deserted streets of the town to a three story building near the east side of the town. With the woman's help they managed to get Drizzt off the horse, into the house, and into a bed. Once he was comfortable and sleeping. The woman pulled Catti aside, "My name is Lynara, i'm the healer of this town. Now I need you to tell me what happened, everything." She said.
Catti immediately told her everything that had happened over the past two days. Lynara nodded as if she had heard it all before, "Alright. You should get some rest. You can sleep in the room across the hall."
Catti nodded but hesitated looking at Drizzt. Lynara smiled reasuringly, "I'll look after him, you just get some rest." she said guiding Catti to the room across the hall and gently pushing her in. Catti sighed and slowly closed the door. Lynara's smile vanished as she returned to Drizzt's room.
Taking a deep breath, hoping for the best but knowing better than to actually expect it, She placed a hand under Drizzt's chin and gently tilted it to the side and let out her breath in a resigned sigh upon sighting the marks upon his throat. She ran her fingers lightly over the already healed over puncture wounds noting from the size of the wounds that the drow had already been bitten twice. She sat down heavily in a nearby chair, placing her chin in her palm as she tried to figure out what to do. She had dealt with plenty of vampire victims, it was common place around those parts, but none of those had been bitten more than once. But she had been trained well. She new by the story told her by Catti that the vampire was powerful and she also new that Drizzt would begin reacting to the vampire's presence. That was probably their only true advantage at the moment. After a moments hesitation she leaned forward over Drizzt, now that she had resigned herself to the fact that she may loose this one she wanted to see just how far along the drow was, placed a finger lightly onto his upper lip. As if in an instinctive reaction to her touch the lip pulled back from the teeth clearly revealing the budding fangs growing into place over his canines. Pulling back she realized that the drow was in true danger. This was the first patient she had ever had that was actually infected. The fact that he could actually become a vampire on her terrified her. She herself had never actually met a vampire and after seeing what they could do she was truly afraid.
Drizzt gave a low moan as he turned his head away from her. The hardest part about this was going to be the act of explaining all this to the woman in the other room, She thought as she glanced towards the room.
* * * * *
"What?! What are ye sayin?" Cattie asked, her voice little more than a stunned whisper.
"Your friend is suffering from a vampiric assault. He's been bitten twice i'm guessing." Lynara said hesitant to speak of the true danger.
"But...he'll be ok, won't he?" Cattie asked hopefully but fully expecting the worst.
Lynara began to look flustered, "I'm not...not really...I'm not quite sure..."She mumbled looking at the floor in her discomfort.
"I'm wantin to be knowin the truth," Catti cried suddenly angry, "If me friends to die i'm wantin to know!"
Lynara scowled, "I don't know! He may die, true, but I am not certain. He's been infected, of that I am certain."
"Infected? With what?" Catti asked confused.
"You dared venture into these parts without any knowledge of the vampire," Lynara exclaimed almost shocked, "Fool!" she cried forcing the laughter back for the sake of her foolish guest.
"We never planned...we didn't think..." Catti muttered, now herself flustered.
"Obviously." Lynara said with a sigh, "Your friend has been infected with vampirism, there is a very good chance that he himself will become one."
Catti-brie stared at her in shock then began shaking her head as she made her way to the door of Drizzt's room, watching him as he slept, "How long?"
"He must be bitten once more for the change to acure, after that it will take him about a week, maybe more." Lynara answered as she moved to Catti's side.
"How can we cure him?"
"If the vampire is destroyed your friend will heal. If it manages to bite your friend again...then the only way to help him will be to kill him and destroy his body for I know of no cure for vampirism."
"Alright," Catti said turning to face Lynara fully, blue eyes flashing, "How do we be destroyin the thing."
* * * * *
About an hour later Catti found herself pacing in front of the door inside Drizzt's room. Lynara sat at his side studying him intently. They had spent the hour covering the door and windows with holy symbols and holy water, they had attempted garlic but Drizzt had had a reaction to it. Now they were simply waiting for the vampire to show itself. An hour more passed and found them in the same position. Drizzt gave a low moan and both women immediately fixed their eyes on him. His face was contorted in what seemed like pain and his head tossed fitfully from side to side. Catti looked to Lynara who nodded, "The vampire is close." She stated.
As if in response they both heard a crash of crockery hitting the floor and a terror filled scream that seemed to die away into a sigh coming from the hall outside the door. Her hand gripping her sword Catti pulled open the door and stepped out into the hall then froze.
TBC
* * * * *
Review Please!