The Not So Great Death Scenes As Told By Me
By Semdai
Chapter Three : Dantrag
Disclaimer : Semdai - Yes, yes, I do not, I repeat NOT, own Dantrag Baenre or any of his fellow R. A. Salvatore generated... fellows The lawyer behind Semdai - (removes the gun from her head and runs off cheering triumphantly) Semdai - (gives the lawyer the finger as he disappears out her back door) Damn lackeys of the copyright owners. (continues typing on her computer growling nasty phrases about how badly she hates lawyers)
Dantrag : Dantrag was the eldest son of Matron (Yvonne) Baenre and the Weapon Master of House Baenre. His greatest rival was Zaknafein Do'Urden. He was first featured (and killed by Drizzt) in the book 'Starless Night' second in the 'Legacy of the Drow' series. This chapter will change a little bit of the actual story a little, like how Dantrag was supposed to be dead by the time Drizzt takes his bracers and throwing Berg'inyon into the mix. Whoo! This is gonna be fun! Yeah... So... (clears throat) Onward!
Up came Drizzt's knee, quicker than Dantrag's, as they inevitably moved together, and in a sudden explosion of agony, the wounded weapon master understood that he could not hold Drizzt back. Drizzt turned Twinkle over the blocking sword and put it in line for Dantrag's ribs, then the two paused for an instant, eye to eye.
" Zaknafein would have defeated you," the ranger promised grimly, and he plunged Twinkle deep into Dantrag's heart.
The Baenre weapon master gave a stifled groan and clutched the new wound. The agony Dantrag felt as Twinkle slid free of his falling body was unbearable, waves of pain rippled from the wound along his chest. The stone rushed up to meet him, slamming the remaining breath from his failing lungs. He lay there on the cold stone, too weak to rise up again, too weak to attempt to stem the flow of his life blood as it pooled around him, too weak to roll to the side as the first shock wave hit. Dantrag held his breath as the blast rolled over him, singeing his stark, white hair and warming his black skin. Then it was gone as soon as it had come and Dantrag lay quivering on the hard, unrelenting stone, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
Drizzt's hands slipped the bracers from Dantrag's wrist. Dantrag moaned in protest, but could offer no further resistance. He was faintly aware of Drizzt's fingers pressing into the side of his throat as the rouge drow checked for a pulse.
" Shall I put an end to your existence here and now Baenre Weapon Master," Drizzt whispered in Dantrag's ear. Dantrag lifted his head.
" Leave and let me die as my brother has, Rouge Do'Urden," he hissed through clenched teeth, before once again resting his head against the wet stone. Blood poured freely from his chest and belly and made a small lake under the dying Baenre, turning his hair from white to scarlet.
Drizzt was stung by Dantrag's words. The weapon master really expected to die there on that stone floor. There was truth in Dantrag's words when he had said that his brother had deserted him. Berg'inyon had indeed abandoned Dantrag to this fate.
" How long are we going to stand here," Entreri demanded as he returned to the scene.
" A few moments more," Drizzt delayed. The ranger pulled Dantrag's piwafwi from the drow's shoulder and propped the weapon master up against his chest. Dantrag opened his amber eyes and stared at Drizzt with utter amazement as the ranger tied the piwafwi tightly around his chest, stemming the blood flow from his chest and belly. Dantrag closed his eyes and tried to push away from Drizzt. The ranger wouldn't have it, though, and he carefully laid Dantrag on the ground.
" Let's go then," Entreri insisted, " a thousand miles between me and this cursed city could never be enough." The assassin started off in the direction of the surface. After a last look back at Dantrag, Drizzt and Catti-brie followed the assassin, but stopped as another figure riding a drow lizard slipped into the cavern and glided over to the fallen Dantrag, who was curled up (almost) comfortably on the ground. The newcomer dismounted and approached the weapon master, gently shaking the fallen drow's shoulders. Dantrag struggled to open his eyes, and glared at the drow above him.
" So," he hissed weakly, " you've returned to watch me die."
" Not exactly," Berg'inyon contradicted, scooping his older brother up into his arms, " I'm to take you back to House Baenre if you still live," he turned to Drizzt as he added, " and attempt to kill the rouge should he still live." Berg'inyon placed his brother atop the lizard and drew his swords, approaching Drizzt after doing so.
" Berg'inyon," Drizzt inclined his head.
" Drizzt," Berg'inyon returned.
" I have no wish to fight you, son of House Baenre," Drizzt tried to discourage the younger drow.
" Nor do I," Berg'inyon admitted, shaking his head, " I already know that I cannot better you in combat and have no wish to prove it, but I must obey Baenre's orders." Berg'inyon sighed.
" Say that I was gone when you arrived," Drizzt offered before turning on his heel and following Entreri and Catti-brie. Berg'inyon smiled and sheathed his swords. He caught the reins of his lizard and mounted behind his brother.
" You chose wisely, little brother," Dantrag remarked weakly. Berg'inyon grinned and allowed his trembling brother to lean on his chest for support.
The two reached the Baenre compound in record time, a heavy trail of blood marked their passage through the place as Berg'inyon was forced to slow his mount. Several dark elves stopped and stared at the brothers as they passed, pointing and whispering, wondering who could have done such serious harm to the Baenre weapon master.
Matron Baenre floated in her driftdisk with Triel and Gromph at her side. She seemed hopeful at the sight of Berg'inyon's return but her expression sank as she recognized the limp form of her older son.
" Vendes is dead," she informed, " how fares Dantrag?" Matron Baenre inquired the condition of Baenre's weapon master coldly.
" He lives," Berg'inyon replied, " but just barely. His heart was struck and he has lost much of his lifeblood." Berg'inyon passed Dantrag's unconscious body to Triel and Gromph and dismounted. Matron Baenre placed her hand on Dantrag's forehead and felt mentally for signs of life in her son. Dantrag managed to part a single eyelid halfway open. Pain showed clearly in his amber eye.
" Mother..." Dantrag's voice was more a sigh than anything else, " I... have... failed... you..."
" Hush, Dantrag," Matron Baenre commanded, to Triel and Gromph she added, " take him to his chamber and tend to him," she retreated her hand and turned to leave, " if he survives that long." Obediently, Triel and Gromph moved Dantrag to his room and placed him as gently as they knew how on his bed. The two removed Dantrag's piwafwi from around his chest and stripped his tunic and undershirt away as well. Both winced at the sight of their brother's grievous wounds, the deep gash across his belly and the deeper thrust wound in his chest, both flowed freely with crimson fluid. Triel and Gromph sighed sadly, both knowing that Dantrag could not be saved. Matron Baenre herself arrived at that moment with Berg'inyon, Quenthel, and Sos'Umptu in tow.
" How is he," the Matron Mother inquired.
" We cannot save him," Triel shook her head in regret.
" A pity," Baenre remarked, she approached Dantrag and stared down at him. His body jerked slightly as his breathing became erratic. " Die well then, Dantrag Baenre." With that, the Matron Mother strode from the room.
Berg'inyon waited for his mother to leave, then closed the distance between himself and his dying brother. The youngest Baenre son sat down on the edge of Dantrag's bed and stared sadly at Triel. " He really can't be saved," he asked his sister. Triel shook her head but could not find the words to speak.
" I was not... strong enough..." Dantrag's voice nearly made his five sibling's jump out of their skin with surprise, " Drizzt... rightfully... defeated me..." Berg'inyon wanted to say something to his brother, in fact they all did, but the right words would not form. Berg'inyon hung his head.
Dantrag didn't seem to need any comfort, however, for he had his eyes closed and his body relaxed when Berg'inyon was again able to face him.
Dantrag's death came then, swift and silent. His body simply ceased to struggle and his last breath left a sigh on his lips. His head dropped to the side, eyes closed and features slack. Blood stopped trickling from his wounds. He simply became at peace.
His siblings shared a moment of silence for their dead brother.
Ending comment : I feel so sad now. That scene didn't exactly follow Salvatore's but it works. I did this for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to give the impression that the Baenre siblings had some kind of special bond, since their mother obviously doesn't care about them they would pretty much have to turn to each other for support, right? I tried to portray this by having all of Dantrag's siblings stay with him when their mother abandoned him. Second, I wanted to make the scene longer than it would have been if I hadn't had Berg'inyon come back for his brother. Thirdly, I just wanted to throw something of my own creation in there.
My thanks to all who have reviewed and read my work. And my explicit thanks to my dear friends Plays-With-Squirrels and Sharon, who get to read most of my work before anyone else does. Thank you all and please feel free to flame.
Semdai Bloodquill has now left the document...
By Semdai
Chapter Three : Dantrag
Disclaimer : Semdai - Yes, yes, I do not, I repeat NOT, own Dantrag Baenre or any of his fellow R. A. Salvatore generated... fellows The lawyer behind Semdai - (removes the gun from her head and runs off cheering triumphantly) Semdai - (gives the lawyer the finger as he disappears out her back door) Damn lackeys of the copyright owners. (continues typing on her computer growling nasty phrases about how badly she hates lawyers)
Dantrag : Dantrag was the eldest son of Matron (Yvonne) Baenre and the Weapon Master of House Baenre. His greatest rival was Zaknafein Do'Urden. He was first featured (and killed by Drizzt) in the book 'Starless Night' second in the 'Legacy of the Drow' series. This chapter will change a little bit of the actual story a little, like how Dantrag was supposed to be dead by the time Drizzt takes his bracers and throwing Berg'inyon into the mix. Whoo! This is gonna be fun! Yeah... So... (clears throat) Onward!
Up came Drizzt's knee, quicker than Dantrag's, as they inevitably moved together, and in a sudden explosion of agony, the wounded weapon master understood that he could not hold Drizzt back. Drizzt turned Twinkle over the blocking sword and put it in line for Dantrag's ribs, then the two paused for an instant, eye to eye.
" Zaknafein would have defeated you," the ranger promised grimly, and he plunged Twinkle deep into Dantrag's heart.
The Baenre weapon master gave a stifled groan and clutched the new wound. The agony Dantrag felt as Twinkle slid free of his falling body was unbearable, waves of pain rippled from the wound along his chest. The stone rushed up to meet him, slamming the remaining breath from his failing lungs. He lay there on the cold stone, too weak to rise up again, too weak to attempt to stem the flow of his life blood as it pooled around him, too weak to roll to the side as the first shock wave hit. Dantrag held his breath as the blast rolled over him, singeing his stark, white hair and warming his black skin. Then it was gone as soon as it had come and Dantrag lay quivering on the hard, unrelenting stone, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
Drizzt's hands slipped the bracers from Dantrag's wrist. Dantrag moaned in protest, but could offer no further resistance. He was faintly aware of Drizzt's fingers pressing into the side of his throat as the rouge drow checked for a pulse.
" Shall I put an end to your existence here and now Baenre Weapon Master," Drizzt whispered in Dantrag's ear. Dantrag lifted his head.
" Leave and let me die as my brother has, Rouge Do'Urden," he hissed through clenched teeth, before once again resting his head against the wet stone. Blood poured freely from his chest and belly and made a small lake under the dying Baenre, turning his hair from white to scarlet.
Drizzt was stung by Dantrag's words. The weapon master really expected to die there on that stone floor. There was truth in Dantrag's words when he had said that his brother had deserted him. Berg'inyon had indeed abandoned Dantrag to this fate.
" How long are we going to stand here," Entreri demanded as he returned to the scene.
" A few moments more," Drizzt delayed. The ranger pulled Dantrag's piwafwi from the drow's shoulder and propped the weapon master up against his chest. Dantrag opened his amber eyes and stared at Drizzt with utter amazement as the ranger tied the piwafwi tightly around his chest, stemming the blood flow from his chest and belly. Dantrag closed his eyes and tried to push away from Drizzt. The ranger wouldn't have it, though, and he carefully laid Dantrag on the ground.
" Let's go then," Entreri insisted, " a thousand miles between me and this cursed city could never be enough." The assassin started off in the direction of the surface. After a last look back at Dantrag, Drizzt and Catti-brie followed the assassin, but stopped as another figure riding a drow lizard slipped into the cavern and glided over to the fallen Dantrag, who was curled up (almost) comfortably on the ground. The newcomer dismounted and approached the weapon master, gently shaking the fallen drow's shoulders. Dantrag struggled to open his eyes, and glared at the drow above him.
" So," he hissed weakly, " you've returned to watch me die."
" Not exactly," Berg'inyon contradicted, scooping his older brother up into his arms, " I'm to take you back to House Baenre if you still live," he turned to Drizzt as he added, " and attempt to kill the rouge should he still live." Berg'inyon placed his brother atop the lizard and drew his swords, approaching Drizzt after doing so.
" Berg'inyon," Drizzt inclined his head.
" Drizzt," Berg'inyon returned.
" I have no wish to fight you, son of House Baenre," Drizzt tried to discourage the younger drow.
" Nor do I," Berg'inyon admitted, shaking his head, " I already know that I cannot better you in combat and have no wish to prove it, but I must obey Baenre's orders." Berg'inyon sighed.
" Say that I was gone when you arrived," Drizzt offered before turning on his heel and following Entreri and Catti-brie. Berg'inyon smiled and sheathed his swords. He caught the reins of his lizard and mounted behind his brother.
" You chose wisely, little brother," Dantrag remarked weakly. Berg'inyon grinned and allowed his trembling brother to lean on his chest for support.
The two reached the Baenre compound in record time, a heavy trail of blood marked their passage through the place as Berg'inyon was forced to slow his mount. Several dark elves stopped and stared at the brothers as they passed, pointing and whispering, wondering who could have done such serious harm to the Baenre weapon master.
Matron Baenre floated in her driftdisk with Triel and Gromph at her side. She seemed hopeful at the sight of Berg'inyon's return but her expression sank as she recognized the limp form of her older son.
" Vendes is dead," she informed, " how fares Dantrag?" Matron Baenre inquired the condition of Baenre's weapon master coldly.
" He lives," Berg'inyon replied, " but just barely. His heart was struck and he has lost much of his lifeblood." Berg'inyon passed Dantrag's unconscious body to Triel and Gromph and dismounted. Matron Baenre placed her hand on Dantrag's forehead and felt mentally for signs of life in her son. Dantrag managed to part a single eyelid halfway open. Pain showed clearly in his amber eye.
" Mother..." Dantrag's voice was more a sigh than anything else, " I... have... failed... you..."
" Hush, Dantrag," Matron Baenre commanded, to Triel and Gromph she added, " take him to his chamber and tend to him," she retreated her hand and turned to leave, " if he survives that long." Obediently, Triel and Gromph moved Dantrag to his room and placed him as gently as they knew how on his bed. The two removed Dantrag's piwafwi from around his chest and stripped his tunic and undershirt away as well. Both winced at the sight of their brother's grievous wounds, the deep gash across his belly and the deeper thrust wound in his chest, both flowed freely with crimson fluid. Triel and Gromph sighed sadly, both knowing that Dantrag could not be saved. Matron Baenre herself arrived at that moment with Berg'inyon, Quenthel, and Sos'Umptu in tow.
" How is he," the Matron Mother inquired.
" We cannot save him," Triel shook her head in regret.
" A pity," Baenre remarked, she approached Dantrag and stared down at him. His body jerked slightly as his breathing became erratic. " Die well then, Dantrag Baenre." With that, the Matron Mother strode from the room.
Berg'inyon waited for his mother to leave, then closed the distance between himself and his dying brother. The youngest Baenre son sat down on the edge of Dantrag's bed and stared sadly at Triel. " He really can't be saved," he asked his sister. Triel shook her head but could not find the words to speak.
" I was not... strong enough..." Dantrag's voice nearly made his five sibling's jump out of their skin with surprise, " Drizzt... rightfully... defeated me..." Berg'inyon wanted to say something to his brother, in fact they all did, but the right words would not form. Berg'inyon hung his head.
Dantrag didn't seem to need any comfort, however, for he had his eyes closed and his body relaxed when Berg'inyon was again able to face him.
Dantrag's death came then, swift and silent. His body simply ceased to struggle and his last breath left a sigh on his lips. His head dropped to the side, eyes closed and features slack. Blood stopped trickling from his wounds. He simply became at peace.
His siblings shared a moment of silence for their dead brother.
Ending comment : I feel so sad now. That scene didn't exactly follow Salvatore's but it works. I did this for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to give the impression that the Baenre siblings had some kind of special bond, since their mother obviously doesn't care about them they would pretty much have to turn to each other for support, right? I tried to portray this by having all of Dantrag's siblings stay with him when their mother abandoned him. Second, I wanted to make the scene longer than it would have been if I hadn't had Berg'inyon come back for his brother. Thirdly, I just wanted to throw something of my own creation in there.
My thanks to all who have reviewed and read my work. And my explicit thanks to my dear friends Plays-With-Squirrels and Sharon, who get to read most of my work before anyone else does. Thank you all and please feel free to flame.
Semdai Bloodquill has now left the document...