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Here it is! I told you I was almost done with it... I finished it last night, as a matter of fact.
The disclaimer applies to this chapter as it did the last and it shall apply to all chapters forthcoming.
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Chapter 2The next morning, Chenalai and Marro left after a short breakfast. He led her to the stable and brought out a large and docile bay that smelled, then nuzzled Chenalai. Smiling, she pet the horse and fed it a dried apple Marro had in one of his pouches. Then, the wizard saddled Cherie, his horse and they mounted, Chenalai riding behind the wizard.
Presently, they set off at a trot, riding out of Thavven and down the main road. They spoke together the entire time, Chenalai questioning Marro of the Harpells and Marro questioning Chenalai of the drow. Some things, she refused to tell him, saying that it was best that they remain buried within her memories. At this, Marro would shrug and ask a different question. In that way, they passed the time until around midday, they halted to have lunch. After a half an hour, though, they mounted again and continued on to Longsaddle, speaking of magic.
Near dusk, they were intercepted by a group of Longriders. They waved to Marro and he spent a few minutes, chatting with his friends before they waved him on and said, "You know the way, Marro."
Not long after, they reached Ivy Mansion. Chenalai gasped in surprise, staring at the building that defied all sense of structure. "Welcome to my home!" said Marro cheerily. "You don't have to worry about keeping your hood up here. We Harpells are welcoming to everyone."
Therefore, Chenalai pulled off her scarf, tucking it into a pouch and she let her hood fall upon her shoulders, breathing in the air and grinning, happy to be free under the sun. A rail fence ran along the borders of the Ivy Mansion and sitting behind it was a fat man with a long beard, apparently meditating. He scowled when he noticed the pair, now dismounted from the horse.
"What do you want?" he demanded, then paused, his expression softening. "Ha, Marro! You're back. That war fast. Usually you spend a couple of days in Thavven. Who... Oh, I see! Another drow! Where is Harkle when you need him? Come on in!"
Marro lead Chenalai through a gate through the fence. The half drow had at first thought it an ordinary fence until she felt its magic and realized the fence she saw was merely an image upon an invisible barrier. As she followed the wizard, leading the horse, a blinding light assailed her. When she could see once more, the horse had been reduced to the size of a tabby cat. Surprised and intrigued, Chenalai bent down to examine it, even going so far as to pick it up and hold it in her arms.
Grinning broadly, Marro explained. "It was Harkles' idea, I think. If you make animals such as horses small, then, not only to they require less feed, but less space as well. Also, with livestock, you raise a small cow to maturity, then, when you want to slaughter it, enlarge it once more!"
Smiling and petting the small horse that contentedly nibbled at her glove, Chenalai replied, "A clever idea, but does the beef taste the same, I wonder?"
Marro shrugged and lead the way to the bridge crossing the river. Chardin was seated upon his stool, staring at the water with a mixed expression of wonder, consternation and annoyance. He was the one who had made the stream run uphill, disappearing just at the top, or so Marro said, and the wizard now spent his days trying to figure out the invisibility under the bridge. It was not an ordinary dweomer, but an invisibility field.
"Really?" said the half drow. "Curious... It would be quite an interesting study, though frustrating, I am sure."
"Yes, it certainly is!" moaned Chardin, who had apparently listened to all of Marro's speech and Chenalai's comment.
"Now then," began Morro, happy to show his new friend all the strange wonders of his rather bizarre family. "The building for horses is over there, but first you must cross the underbridge! It is quite interesting and wonderful, you see, for it prevents arguments in crossing from both directions! Come!"
Then, the cheerful wizard jumped under the bridge, landing upon his feet with the manner of one who has done it so many times, they aren't even aware of their actions. He beckoned a hesitant Chenalai, then turned and walked down the bridge, leaping out at the other side with the same easy movement. The half drow shrugged and jumped onto the bridge after him, landing on her feet nimbly, despite the fact that she dropped her staff in an effort to prevent the horse from falling. Carefully, she picked up, or picked down as it were, the staff and slowly made her way across the bridge. Once upon the other side, she saw two buildings; the smaller of which being the one Morro headed for.
"This is where we keep the horses."
He knocked on the door and a woman wearing a dusty blue robe poked her head out. "Oh! Hello, Morro. Back so soon? Oh, you have a companion, I see. Hello there, young drow. You are the second drow to come to Longsaddle and in only a few days, too! Give me Cherie and let me go get the key to his cage. She took the horse from Chenalai and disappeared within the building once more. A few moments later, the lady emerged and handed a key to Morro.
With a smile, the mage took the key and lead Chenalai towards Ivy Mansion proper. He wished to find Harkle, who had essentially been his father due to the fact that Morro's father Bidderdoo was currently a dog. However, luck was with them for at the moment they neared the door nearest to where Morro though Harkle might be, the wizard himself opened the door and came out, Bidderdoo trailing him. The dog saw Morro first and bounded over, leaping upon the mage and licking his face joyfully. Harkle cocked an eyebrow at Morro, then turned to Chenalai.
"Another drow? Amazing!" he said with a warm smile. "Morro, I am afraid we didn't expect you back for a few days, so your room is, uh... being borrowed by one of your cousins who is visiting from Waterdeep. You can stay at the Fuzzy Quarterstaff, as can you. What is your name, by the way? Mine happens to be Harkle and this is Bidderdoo, Morro's, uh... father who became a dog through a bad potion accident."
"Chenalai Do'Urden," replied she, hesitantly.
Harkle's face registered amused surprise. "Are you really? Well, then, what relation are you to Drizzt?"
"By blood, he is my uncle," she said. "But on my mother's side, I am the granddaughter of Barnor Harpell."
Again, Harkle showed surprised, then he grinned. "Welcome to one of your ancestral homes, then. Perhaps you'll tell me exactly how you came to be half drow, besides a quarter human and a quarter wood elf? Not now? Perhaps later during your stay then? You wonder how I know your genealogy. Well, almost all Harpells know that Barnor and Miriel of Neverwinter fell deeply in love."
Chenalai herself was stunned and did not speak for a moment. Then she managed to mumble, "I see. Uh... Perhaps I can tell you the story later, though I hate to bring up such dreadful memories now. Is Drizzt at the Fuzzy Quarterstaff?"
"Indeed!" replied Harkle. "I was just on my way there to ask when he and his companions would be leaving tomorrow."
"Then let us go to the Fuzzy Quarterstaff!" interrupted Morro.
And so they turned, heading back to the tavern, the dog accompanying them, wagging his tale the whole way. It was located at the back of Ivy Mansion and consisted of a large circular chamber with a small room that was the kitchen inside the bar. The bar was in the exact center of the bar and the barman looked up as they entered, waving to Morro, who seemed to know absolutely everyone in Ivy Mansion and Longsaddle. At the back of the chamber was a small stage upon which musical instruments played them selves to the conducting of an old wizard. Occasionally, at crucial moments in the music, he would snap and rainbow sparks flashed out of the horns.
Near the fire was an occupied table at which sat a dwarf, craggy of face, but possessing a rather long beard. The dwarf's back was turned to the door. On his right sat a chubby halfling, his face a picture of happiness and amusement. On the left of the dwarf sat a tall, muscular barbarian, handsome and bearing an obviously magical warhammer. Across from the dwarf sat a drow, his lavender eyes watching those who had just entered with curiosity. At first, he only saw Morro, Harkle and the dog, all of who had entered first. Then his purple eyes met the green of Chenalai's and widened considerably, shock and amazement being the first things to register in them. Chenalai, not quite as surprised for she already knew Drizzt was there, still was unable to move for a moment. The companions of Drizzt turned to see what had shocked him and gasped as well when they saw Chenalai.
Drizzt stood up, breathing a name. "Chenalai." Then he managed to make his voice work and he called out, "Chenalai!"
The half drow smiled softly, sadly. Then, she snapped out of her amazed stupor and ran over to the table. The dwarf stood up, too, and stepped in front of her. The barbarian stood up, glaring at the female drow and the halfling just sat there, looking from Drizzt to Chenalai and back.
"Hold on jest a moment, drow!" growled the dwarf, his hand upon his axe.
He was about to say more when Drizzt spoke. "Chenalai? Is that really you?"
The drow came around the table, staring at the green-eyed elf. "Yes," she replied. "It's been a while. You've come to the surface all right, I see."
Drizzt grinned and nodded. The two then embraced each other. "This is Bruenor," introduced Drizzt, gesturing first to the dwarf and then to the barbarian. "This is Wulfgar and the halfling is named Regis. Friends, this is Chenalai, technically my niece but more like a sister; a true sister."
Chenalai bowed to the others.
"Why the green eyes, then?" questioned Regis. "From what I gathered, drow almost always have red, yellow or orange eyes with the occasional purple or bluish tint, but never green."
"They come from my mother, half wood elf and half human," replied she, hesitantly. "This is Morro Harkle, by the way," she added.
Harkle broke in at this moment. "Before you all get lost in discussion, might I ask when you shall be leaving tomorrow?"
"Early in the morning," grunted Bruenor, still eyeing the new drow warily.
"I shall see you then," said Harkle. He turned, and with a wave, he left the tavern accompanied by Bidderdoo,
Morro waved to them, then turned back to the others. Realizing that the two kinsmen would likely want to talk to each other in private, he cleared his throat. "Well, Chenalai, I had better go see what exactly my cousin is doing with my room before I eat. Bye." The wizard followed Harkle and the dog out the door.
Wulfgar gazed at Chenalai's staff, especially at the strange symbols. The runes were unknown to him for the most part, save for several dwarven ones he espied, but the barbarian was certain of their magic. "You are a mage," he stated, with an edge upon his voice. Though he had accepted the Harkle's magic and idiosyncrasies, Wulfgar was distrustful of dark magic and her perceived that Chenalai knew much of it.
"I am," she replied, meeting his gaze steadily as it turned upward.
"Bah," scoffed Bruenor. "Ye be a dark mage, that's sure enough. We've no dealings with the dark, be ye kin to Drizzt or no!"
Chenalai sighed, turning her clear gaze downward, to the floor. "I study all forms of magic, not simply the dark alone. However, it is the dark with which I am most aquatinted, as you would be, too, had you lived in Menzoberranzan."
The dwarf heard the bitter note in her voice.
"Bruenor! Wulfgar!" scolded Drizzt. "Chenalai, like me, follows not the ways of the drow. The blood of her mother runs through her veins more so than her father. You may trust her as you would me."
Chenalai continued to gaze sadly at the floor. Then Bruenor's glare softened and he growled something about being sleepy and an early morning. Then he turned and went to his bed. Wulfgar, still untrusting of Chenalai, shrugged and followed. Neither intended to sleep, but both were troubled by the sudden appearance of the new drow. So, they sat together, discussing her and contemplating their meeting with her. Regis, interested to no end in the newcomer, remained at the table, still sipping at his ale. Drizzt shot him a look and, though he desperately wished to talk with Chanalai, the halfling scuttled off, taking the hint and deciding to go on a walk.
That left the two of drow blood alone. Drizzt sat down and Chenalai sat opposite, laying her staff upon an empty chair. They each ordered a drink, Chenalai also ordering a small meal.
"So," began Drizzt. "You left after I did, remaining in the city, something I could not bear to do. How and why did you finally leave?"
With a sip of her wine, Chenalai began the tale of her escape from the Underdark.
Author's comments, etc.
Thankyou Zarbok and Waldfree for taking the time to read and then post a review of my story1
Firstly, something doesn't seem quite right with this chapter and I'm not sure what. Something with the dialong isn't right is what I am thinking, but I am not sure. Comments? Suggestions? Ideas? Please?
I am still having difficulties coming up with a title. If anyone has any suggestions, please say so in your review. Which brings me to my next comment.
Please R&R!