Thanks for the compliment, Silverbane; I love throwing curves at my readers! Of course in doing so I often end up writing myself into corners….Luckily I usually can write myself back out of them.
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Chapter 40--The Hunter's Fury
When Drizzt couldn't find Catti-brie where she'd been just a few minutes ago he was upset, but not overly worried. He started to search for her.
Finally a woman selling flowers came up to him. "Are you looking for a pretty lady with red hair?" she asked.
"Yes, have you seen her?" Drizzt asked.
The woman pointed to an alley. "She went down there, but I don't think she's come out yet," she said.
"Thank you," Drizzt said and hurried that way. When he entered the alley he knew that something was wrong. The skin on the back of his neck prickled in warning and Catti-brie was nowhere to be seen. He stopped and drew his scimitars then looked around warily. There was a noise behind him and he whirled to see a Human man standing behind him.
"Drop your weapons and come quietly, Drow or you'll never see your slut again," the man warned. He aimed a loaded crossbow at him.
"Where have you taken her?" Drizzt growled.
"Put down your weapons and I'll show you. She's not hurt, but she will be if you don't come quietly," the man said. "I'm sure the others will enjoy her company immensely."
Drizzt got the veiled hint and his eyes darkened in rage, but he fought for control and listened. He heard nothing and sensed no one else. "You're alone, that was a bad idea," he said. He took a step toward the Human, feeling the hunter rise in him.
"No closer, Drow or I'll shoot you. It won't bother me if I have to kill you," the Human warned.
Drizzt took another step. "Go ahead," he purred dangerously. "Shoot me, but be warned that if I'm not killed you'll wish you were dead." He felt the hunter fight to break free; he let some of his alter ego free.
The Human blanched at the threat. He fired, aiming for Drizzt's chest, only to see the bolt neatly deflected aside.
"You missed, too bad and trust me when I say you won't get a chance to reload," Drizzt hissed and lunged.
The man let out a scream and fled for the entrance of the alley with Drizzt on his heels. He burst out into the crowd. "Help me! He's insane!" he cried.
People screamed and quickly backed up, others fled and still others yelled for the guards.
Drizzt struck, but with the flat edge of the scimitar. It cracked against the back of the man's head and sent him sprawling on his face in the middle of the square. Before he could move the sharp edge of a scimitar was at the back of his neck. He froze in terror. "Don't kill me!" he pleaded.
"Tell me where you and your friends have taken Catti-brie and I'll let you live," Drizzt warned.
By that time two guards had been found and they came up to Drizzt. "What's going on here, Ranger Do'Urden? Back off and let him up," one guard said. He laid one hand on Drizzt's shoulder.
Drizzt glared at him so fiercely that the guard flinched. "This bastard and some of his friends have kidnapped Catti-brie. Either he tells me where she is or I swear I'll take him apart one digit at a time," he said.
The guard was shaken by the savagery in Drizzt's voice as well as the sincerity. It was obvious the Drow meant every word and he wasn't going to compromise.
Drizzt pressed down on one of the scimitars, until he drew blood. "Answer me, damn you!" he said.
"No! I'll tell you! Just don't kill me!" the man wailed. "They took her to the north side of town. There's an abandoned tavern there." He gave Drizzt directions to it.
"You had better hope you're telling me the truth, because if you lied to me you won't live long to regret it," Drizzt swore. He moved his scimitars and drew back. He started to walk away as the guards began to shackle the prisoner.
"Ranger Do'Urden! Wait! Where are you going?" one guard called.
"To get Catti-brie," Drizzt said. He didn't stop or look back and soon he was lost in the crowd.
The guard hoped the angry ranger wouldn't do anything to foolish. He didn't fancy having to arrest him if he lost control…..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~That was a close one. Don't you guys think? I take full credit for this one, since the plot bunnies still are in hiding. R/R please!