Chapter 2
Last night's nightmare had disturbed Drizzt as they did every night he woke to the
stinging memories. At the rising of the sun's glowing orb he threw his dark green cloak
around his shoulders, sheathing his midnight complexion -hiding as the dark night hid
away- and white hair. For precaution he grabbed his weapon belt and bounded out of the
cave. Silently he slid down the snow-covered, glistening hill.
Lights of Longsaddle were dimmed as night fell over the town. With one last glance out
her window Catti-brie saw the night dwellers beginning to rise up onto the street. She
placed her weapons close to the bed as she lied down to sleep...
Melodic laughter reached her ears. She flung her head around, trying to pinpoint the
racing voice. The forest clearing was lush and green. The stench from the slaughter of
orcs years ago in war had finally cleared.
Rising Heartseeker slowly, she pulled an arrow from the magical quiver. The silver
feathers seemed to materialize out of no where. The red-haired woman stood in the dead
center of the clearing, setting the arrow to the bowstring.
As the laughter continued to circle around her, she took an aim, following the voice as it
ran through the trees.
"Ye durned elf! You're enjoying this aren't ye?" she was truly beginning to get frustrated.
"Ha!" The laughter came even stronger, "You know, you're sounding more like her father
everyday."
A twisted smirk on her face, Catti let the arrow fly, directed to where she last heard the
elf.
"Nice shoot, you managed to miss the tree too!" he teased sarcastically pretending to be
impressed.
"I hope ye slip an' fall elf."
"No you don't," the voice had quieted considerably, not laughing anymore. He made
rustling purposely in the trees behind her. As she spun around he was standing there on a
tree branch, hand on a higher branch, leaning forward to gaze down at the human.
Lowering her weapon she stared at those lavender eyes. It took all of her willpower to a
keep a smile from spreading on her face.
"You want to yield," he stated with conviction.
She cocked her head, striking a defiant pose as a slender eyebrow rose. Opening her
mouth to offer a retort she could get nothing out but a half-surprised gasp. The dark elf
had leaped at her sending them both tumbling to the ground, limbs tangling. Luckily she
was able to fling the bow aside before it could be crushed between them.
As the sun beamed down on the two they rolled down the slight decline of the grass.
Laughter came gleefully from Drizzt and Catti-brie. It seemed in this moment of honest
friendship -becoming close to desperate love- that they were invincible, happier than ever
before....
'Ash shu di matak lieon'...it was a whisper, an omen in a language only a mage could
speak or command. Standing in the shadows -on one side of a housing street- his white
clothes were concealed mostly by black flowing robes. His hands worked their magic. An
ember of orange flame leaped into his one gleaming eye, so akin to the fireball he was
about to release.
Catti-brie, smiling slightly, continued sleeping. Her dreams shifted to a time more
dangerous and more recent then the last memory of the forest clearing.
"Here's the cave, the one Bruenor wanted us to find, me thinks," she whispered.
"Yes..." Drizzt murmured. "Come on." His hand rested confidently on Icingdeath's hilt
as he began moving down the corridor, out of the sun and into a humid, dark cave.
As Catti-brie followed her companion she placed a hand on the wall -not quite as
confident walking in the darkening tunnel. "Drizzt..."
He tilted his head curiously, silently encouraging her to continue.
"The rock. It's getting...hotter."
He was about to question her before a spark of orange ahead and to the left caught his
eye. "Lava...molten fire." He pointed in explanation.
Catti began to get hotter, her skin under the armor sweating.
Tumbling between a past reality and her current reality, Catti only awoke as smoke
entered her lungs. It choked her sleeping breath.
'I am sweating...it is hot,' she thought to herself, slightly confused. Her eyes flung open
wide only to be clouded immediately by a thick smoke.
She bound out of bed, throwing the covers, and stepping unto the wooden floor of her 3rd
story room. Without warning a flame burst up from the floor, catching the blankets on
fire. Fully awake from the dreams now her mind began to race.
The outline of the window was barely visible. She grabbed her weapon belt of sword and
daggers. Almost beginning to panic over the missing Heartseeker and quiver she
remembered that she no longer had it in her possession.
The floor creaked loudly, weakened by the blazing flames. Taking as deep a breath as
possible in the smoke she leaped out the window opening -unsure of what obstacles lie
below her fall.
Breeze whipped her hair and a distant din of screams whizzed past her ears...the tavern
collapsed. Fire erupted high into the night sky as she descended, heat shooting at her
backside in a shock wave.
"It is burning." Hearing the confirmation enter into it's head the creature continued it's
constant patter across the Icewind Dale. A slight smile on the face it kept
chanting..."Must find him, must move on, must RUN!"
A/N: Wow, no clue where that all came from. Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed it and please
leave me a review!