What Next?
Chapter Two
Drizzt felt a painful jerking sensation, then the sound of rushing wind, and, finally....birdsong? He groaned and sat up, trying to block out the pain in his head, and failing. Frankly, he felt like he had been stomped on by a tundra yeti. Repeatedly. Frowning, he pulled himself to his feet. His surroundings were totally unfamiliar. Light filtered through lofty tree branches, shafts of sunlight falling upon the forest floor. He squinted and pulled up his hood, for the light still stung his delicate eyes, even after years of exposure. He looked around once more, and, having no better solution, started to walk. If not for the fact that he was miles away from his friends and taken to a place he had never been before, he would have enjoyed the walk. It was early fall, the weather was perfect, and the trees had a slight golden tinge to them. A crisp breeze swept by him, bringing the promise of winter, but Drizzt smelled something out of the ordinary. Wood smoke. Quickening his stride, he saw that the trees thinned out up ahead. He came to a ledge, gasped, and fell to his knees.
"How is it possible?" he gasped. "Where am I?"
Spreading out before him was the city of Corus, the largest city Drizzt had ever seen. The smoke he had smelled came from hundreds of chimneys, but the crowning effect was a large castle on a hill, standing majestically at the head of the valley, looking for all the world like a monarch, shrugging away the smaller buildings. Once Drizzt had regained his composure, he started down toward the city. Just in case, he kept his hood up, in the event that these people had qualms about drow elves. Also, when he came to the city limits, he made sure to keep his head down. A few people looked strangely at the cloaked stranger, but shrugged it off. ............................................................................................................ Jonathan, King of Tortall, sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"At least that ordeal is over." he said. "How did Alanna take it?"
"Not very well, really." said George, Baron of Pirate's Swoop.
"Why not?"
"She still can't believe that our daughter is in the Copper Isles, trying to put a half-raka queen on the throne. Not only is she trying to pull off this trick under the noses of the Royal Family, she's trying to trick two major gods as well."
Jonathan winced and said soberly, "I wish her all the luck in the world, then."
"Amen to that." agreed George. "By the way, where is Alanna?"
"She told me she was going down to the market place. She deserves a break, what with the war and Aly being so far away."
"I wish I could have a break," grumped Jonathan, glaring at the pile of paper on his desk.
George came to his feet, stretched, and sighed. "I'm going to go and get a drink."
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
Before Jonathan could reply, George had left.
............................................................................................................
Alanna grumbled as she sifted through the pile of silks. Usually, shopping calmed her down, but this time, it wasn't helping.
Why did she stay? Why didn't she come home when she had the chance? She could be dead by now, for all I know! Then, abruptly, her mind reined itself in. She's sixteen now. She is old enough to take care of herself! She stood up and scowled. She hated the reasonable part of her mind.
"Do you have any silks in red?" she asked the awed merchant.
"Yes, my lady," said the poor man. After all, it's not every day that the King's Champion comes into your store. "I'll get it at once."
While waiting for the silks, Alanna leaned against the counter, still thinking about Aly's problem, when screams and shouts interrupted her musings. She drew her sword and ran outside. An enormous man stood in the middle of the street, holding a huge sword. He was gibbering insanely, and there was foam around his mouth. He was quite obviously mad. The man howled and pounded down the crowded street, shrieking as he went, scattering people left and right, until his path was clear of all people. Except for one. The person was tall and slender, and walked with a grace that a queen would envy. The madman howled in triumph, and brought the sword whistling down on the man's head. Alanna ran forward, hoping that she could stop the blade in time. But her help was not needed. *CLANG* The blade struck the cobblestones. Alanna blinked in surprise. He had dodged the blow. The madman, infuriated, swept his sword sideways, but the man ducked under the blow, leapt up, and kicked the man in the face. Under the flurry of blows, the stranger dodged every one. Finally, the madman brought his sword down with all his strength. Alanna gasped. There was no dodging this one. But the stranger whipped his arms down and drew his weapons. He had two slightly curved swords. One was worth a king's ransom, covered with jewels. The other one, Alanna would have sworn by every god she knew of that it very faintly glowed blue. He beat the man back with a skill she gaped at. He was poetry in motion; he danced and dodged each blow, fluidly weaving in and out. Alanna caught on and grinned. He was taunting his opponent into doing something stupid. When the madman lurched forward, he leapt forward, and slammed the hilts of his swords into the man's temples. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed. The stranger sheathed his swords, and started off, the respectful bystanders clearing a path for him. But he stopped, and looked back at the unconscious man, and walked back. He knelt by the comatose man, slung his pack off his shoulder, and rummaged through his pack. He drew out his hand, holding a large blue bottle. He uncorked it, pried open the man's mouth, and poured it in. the man instinctively swallowed. Under the unbelieving eyes of the townspeople, a column of blue and white light swirled around the man, soaking into his skin. The man twitched and groaned, and his eyes fluttered opened.
"Mithros, what happened?" he moaned "Why does my head hurt?"
"I'm sorry," said the stranger politely." I'm afraid you went mad." His accent was strange. "I had to knock you unconscious. The blow cleared your head."
The man came to his feet, grunting slightly.
"I'm terribly sorry. If there's anything I can do...,"
"There is. Could you tell me where I could buy a horse?"
"I can do better than that. I own a stable. It's the least I could do. This way, please."
Alanna watched the two walk off. She returned to the store, her head spinning. Who was that man?
Chapter Two
Drizzt felt a painful jerking sensation, then the sound of rushing wind, and, finally....birdsong? He groaned and sat up, trying to block out the pain in his head, and failing. Frankly, he felt like he had been stomped on by a tundra yeti. Repeatedly. Frowning, he pulled himself to his feet. His surroundings were totally unfamiliar. Light filtered through lofty tree branches, shafts of sunlight falling upon the forest floor. He squinted and pulled up his hood, for the light still stung his delicate eyes, even after years of exposure. He looked around once more, and, having no better solution, started to walk. If not for the fact that he was miles away from his friends and taken to a place he had never been before, he would have enjoyed the walk. It was early fall, the weather was perfect, and the trees had a slight golden tinge to them. A crisp breeze swept by him, bringing the promise of winter, but Drizzt smelled something out of the ordinary. Wood smoke. Quickening his stride, he saw that the trees thinned out up ahead. He came to a ledge, gasped, and fell to his knees.
"How is it possible?" he gasped. "Where am I?"
Spreading out before him was the city of Corus, the largest city Drizzt had ever seen. The smoke he had smelled came from hundreds of chimneys, but the crowning effect was a large castle on a hill, standing majestically at the head of the valley, looking for all the world like a monarch, shrugging away the smaller buildings. Once Drizzt had regained his composure, he started down toward the city. Just in case, he kept his hood up, in the event that these people had qualms about drow elves. Also, when he came to the city limits, he made sure to keep his head down. A few people looked strangely at the cloaked stranger, but shrugged it off. ............................................................................................................ Jonathan, King of Tortall, sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"At least that ordeal is over." he said. "How did Alanna take it?"
"Not very well, really." said George, Baron of Pirate's Swoop.
"Why not?"
"She still can't believe that our daughter is in the Copper Isles, trying to put a half-raka queen on the throne. Not only is she trying to pull off this trick under the noses of the Royal Family, she's trying to trick two major gods as well."
Jonathan winced and said soberly, "I wish her all the luck in the world, then."
"Amen to that." agreed George. "By the way, where is Alanna?"
"She told me she was going down to the market place. She deserves a break, what with the war and Aly being so far away."
"I wish I could have a break," grumped Jonathan, glaring at the pile of paper on his desk.
George came to his feet, stretched, and sighed. "I'm going to go and get a drink."
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
Before Jonathan could reply, George had left.
............................................................................................................
Alanna grumbled as she sifted through the pile of silks. Usually, shopping calmed her down, but this time, it wasn't helping.
Why did she stay? Why didn't she come home when she had the chance? She could be dead by now, for all I know! Then, abruptly, her mind reined itself in. She's sixteen now. She is old enough to take care of herself! She stood up and scowled. She hated the reasonable part of her mind.
"Do you have any silks in red?" she asked the awed merchant.
"Yes, my lady," said the poor man. After all, it's not every day that the King's Champion comes into your store. "I'll get it at once."
While waiting for the silks, Alanna leaned against the counter, still thinking about Aly's problem, when screams and shouts interrupted her musings. She drew her sword and ran outside. An enormous man stood in the middle of the street, holding a huge sword. He was gibbering insanely, and there was foam around his mouth. He was quite obviously mad. The man howled and pounded down the crowded street, shrieking as he went, scattering people left and right, until his path was clear of all people. Except for one. The person was tall and slender, and walked with a grace that a queen would envy. The madman howled in triumph, and brought the sword whistling down on the man's head. Alanna ran forward, hoping that she could stop the blade in time. But her help was not needed. *CLANG* The blade struck the cobblestones. Alanna blinked in surprise. He had dodged the blow. The madman, infuriated, swept his sword sideways, but the man ducked under the blow, leapt up, and kicked the man in the face. Under the flurry of blows, the stranger dodged every one. Finally, the madman brought his sword down with all his strength. Alanna gasped. There was no dodging this one. But the stranger whipped his arms down and drew his weapons. He had two slightly curved swords. One was worth a king's ransom, covered with jewels. The other one, Alanna would have sworn by every god she knew of that it very faintly glowed blue. He beat the man back with a skill she gaped at. He was poetry in motion; he danced and dodged each blow, fluidly weaving in and out. Alanna caught on and grinned. He was taunting his opponent into doing something stupid. When the madman lurched forward, he leapt forward, and slammed the hilts of his swords into the man's temples. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed. The stranger sheathed his swords, and started off, the respectful bystanders clearing a path for him. But he stopped, and looked back at the unconscious man, and walked back. He knelt by the comatose man, slung his pack off his shoulder, and rummaged through his pack. He drew out his hand, holding a large blue bottle. He uncorked it, pried open the man's mouth, and poured it in. the man instinctively swallowed. Under the unbelieving eyes of the townspeople, a column of blue and white light swirled around the man, soaking into his skin. The man twitched and groaned, and his eyes fluttered opened.
"Mithros, what happened?" he moaned "Why does my head hurt?"
"I'm sorry," said the stranger politely." I'm afraid you went mad." His accent was strange. "I had to knock you unconscious. The blow cleared your head."
The man came to his feet, grunting slightly.
"I'm terribly sorry. If there's anything I can do...,"
"There is. Could you tell me where I could buy a horse?"
"I can do better than that. I own a stable. It's the least I could do. This way, please."
Alanna watched the two walk off. She returned to the store, her head spinning. Who was that man?