Thanks to everyone that reviewed and special thanks to those that offered their condolences about my friend's death. It was deeply appreciated. Here's the next part of the tale!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 36--Culture Shock
A week passed with no trouble and there was only a week more to go before they reached Kern. Late afternoon on the twelfth day of travel they came upon a river.
"Let's stop here for the night. It's been hot and I'd love a chance to bathe," Kylia suggested.
"That sounds good to me as well," Shandra said.
They stopped and dismounted. Drizzt tended the horses while the other got camp set up and dinner started.
"I'm going to bathe before dinner," Kylia announced and began stripping off her clothes right there.
Tarion blushed so hard his face turned purple and quickly turned away.
Drizzt had to fight back a laugh. He didn't watch Kylia, but he didn't turn away in a big hurry either. He just continued what he was doing.
Shandra looked a little shocked at Kylia's casual stripping. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Undressing, I can't bathe with my clothes on," Kylia said.
"But what about Tarion and Drizzt?" Shandra protested.
They're welcome to join me and so are you," Kylia said. She took off the last of her clothes.
"It is not proper for a woman to be unclad in front of two men!" Tarion hissed.
"I never thought you Elves were such prudes," Kylia laughed. She smiled impishly at Drizzt. "Are you coming?"
Drizzt glanced over at her, hearing the challenge and mischief in her voice. He was about to refuse when his own sense of humor kicked in. Since he had come to the surface he had followed the surface dwelling people's ideas of proper behavior. He was tired of it. "Of course," he said and began to undress as well.
Shandra's eyes widened in shock and she turned away just as fast as Tarion had. She heard a soft splash and dared to look over her shoulder. Drizzt was deep enough in the water that he was covered now and so was Kylia. The two paladins turned to watch supper.
Eventually the two Drow left the water, dried off and dressed while the paladins avoided looking at them. They came over to the fire and settled down comfortably.
"I can't believe you two did such a thing! It isn't proper!" Tarion said.
"What's wrong, handsome? You didn't like the view?" Kylia asked.
Drizzt snickered, despite his attempts not too. The look on Tarion's face at that remark was simply priceless.
Tarion blushed all over again and began hurriedly dishing up the food.
"Drow patrols often make up both male and female and they bathe together all the time. There's not much chance of privacy in the underdark. Most Drow only wear clothes to conceal weapons," Kylia said. "Isn't that so, Drizzt?"
"It is true," Drizzt agreed.
Shandra shook her head. "Your people's ways are so very strange. I can't understand much of it," she remarked.
"You're going to learn a lot about it, more then you want to know, with us around," Kylia said.
"That's somehow a little disturbing," Tarion muttered, handing out plate of food.
They ate their food in silence then Kylia gathered the dishes. "You two cooked, we'll wash up. Come on, Drizzt," she said.
Drizzt shrugged and followed her to the river where they began to scrub the dishes clean.
Tarion looked at Shandra. "Those two are starting to make me a little uncomfortable," he admitted.
"I have to admit I feel the same way, but I guess we can't expect their behavior to be the same as ours. They are a different race and culture," Shandra said.
After finishing with the dishes Kylia turned to Drizzt. "I need to tell you something and I'm not sure how you'll take it," she said.
"What?" Drizzt asked curiously.
Kylia hesitated, trying to think of a less shocking way to say what she needed too, but couldn't think of one. She decided to just say it. "I'm your half-sister," she blurted out….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N--Don't ask me where this chapter came from….I have no idea. The plot bunnies took over and I know Drizzt is OOC. You can expect that to happen a bit in this fiction. After all, people change and you have to admit it was kind of humorous, right? R/R please!!!