She walked lightly through the door that lead to the realm of the
dead and continued on her way. Beings who resided in this realm moved
aside as she passed, some with awe, some with gestures of reverence. To
these she smiled, or dipped her head with respect. These were her
followers, come here for their well-earned rest, and she was their goddess.
Many times Mielikki had come here to look in on her followers, but tonight
she had purposes in another realm. Gathering up her bow and arrows from
her home, she moved her fingers in a complicated gesture that opened the
gate to this other realm. The deal had been made already and she had now
only to receive her payment.
Mielikki walked through the land, as silent and unnoticed as a shadow until she found the one she desired to talk with. All was set in place now, she only hoped that it went as planned.
He sat on a rock in front of a vast lake. The land was black but peaceful and the quietness seemed like a balm for his troubled soul. Zaknafein had spent many years like this. As a spirit he'd gained the right to on occasion spy upon his mortal world, but it had been a long time since he'd done that. His house was gone and there was only one other on the realm that he still cared about, and that one was out of his reach. He'd learned long ago that to watch was both a blessing and a curse. He was relieved to know that his son, Drizzt was still alive and doing well but knowing that he was incapable of communicating with his son brought extreme agitation and frustration.
To be able to affect the world of the living again ... for that he would give almost anything.
"Almost anything?"
Zak spun around, his hands going to the places where his swords would have rested, then let them drop in awe. Before him stood a being of incredible beauty. She was lithe and graceful, with russet hair and brown eyes. She appeared to be human, but the feeling about her revealed what she truly was. Zaknafein bowed his head and dropped to his knees, then raised his gaze to meet that of the goddess.
"Does watching your son grow bring you that much sorrow?" She asked gently, an expression of kindness that seemed genuine.
"Only because I cannot be there for him. My apologies goddess, I do not know your name."
She laughed, a silvery sound full of merriment and benevolence. "I am Mielikki."
Zaknafein's jaw dropped. The goddess his son followed had come to visit /him/? One part of him was struck dumb by awe. The other part was frantically searching for a reason why the goddess could possibly wish to visit someone as unworthy of her presence as him.
"You are more worthy of seeing my face than many who claim to follow my ways." Mielikki said reassuringly.
"I am honored by your presence." Zaknafein at last managed to say. To his surprise his response brought another silvery laugh as Mielikki put a hand to her mouth as she shook with silent mirth.
"Goddess?" He questioned hesitantly.
/There is no need to be so reserved, Zaknafein Do'Urden. The two of us have met before./ She informed him. Zaknafein's eyes widened with sudden recognition and he dropped his head in reverence.
"Yes, I was the one who aided you in your fight against Malice in your final battle. I aided you then, without ever expecting to ask for a repayment, and yet now I find myself in need of your aid.
/Impossible!/ Zaknafein thought. He was only a fighter, the weapons master of his house, and a drow at that.
"Your son fares will in the mortal's world. However, before him is a great conflict which he is not capable of fighting alone."
Zaknafein felt a violent tug of emotions, concern, fear and protectiveness towards his son as Mielikki told him of the trials he would soon face.
"I need someone to go to him and to guide him along on his quest, and I know that he desires to see you again."
To see his son again! To once again be able to talk to Drizzt and to join on his ventures! His heart leapt for joy, and then he shook his head.
"I have no right to go. I gave my life so that he might live. Also, I was not a follower of your ways during life and I have committed far too many wrongs to deserve this." In despair, Zaknafein felt tears come to his eyes and let them flow.
"Dry your eyes." The Goddess said, cupping his chin with her hand and lifting his head so that his gaze met hers. "You shall go. Your son needs you and you have given your life twice for him. You have earned the right to travel back into his world. However, I cannot send you directly to him. You know nothing of the ways of the surface world and you would be more of a hindrance than a help to him at this point. Also ..." Mielikki's voice faltered as she thought of what she would be asking this drow to do.
"I will pay whatever price is needed." Zaknafein said solemnly.
"You will not remember who you were at first, nor will you remember this conversation until your quest is done. You will have your old body and your fighting skills. However, you will be weaponless. But worry not. You shall travel with my blessing and allies will soon make themselves known to you."
"I will do as you bid happily, and I thank you for the right of performing this task." Zaknafein said, happiness flowing through his whole being.
Mielikki motioned for him to rise again then put her hand on his left shoulder. Immediately it was bathed in light, and a sigil glowed there for a moment then faded.
"Rest now, and when you wake you will be in the land of the living." Mielikki promised and Zaknafein's eyes closed as he fell into sleep. He felt his body, solid again against the soft dirt and took his first lungful of surface air, then unconsciousness took him.
Mielikki took one final look at the drow sleeping within the forest clearing then cast a spell that brought her back to her home realm. Despite her proclamations, she felt a deem amount of concern for the drow who had found his way to her path and for his father who, given time, might well join her followers. The goddess made a silent vow to protect her children as she re-entered her realm and began her work, during which the calls of her followers came directly to her mind. She granted strength to those who needed it; a word of courage to her frightened ones and her blessing to those who gave their lives for her. She was incapable of doing everything at once, but that did not mean she would not try.
Moonlight filtered down into the glade and the drow stirred as it hit his closed eyelids, then opened them. His eyes widened in astonishment at the sight before him. Above him was a blue-black dome so high he couldn't imagine how it was hung. In the dome were tiny pinpricks of light and a silver crescent much larger than any of the other shapes.
/Stars,/ something in his head seemed to say. /And the crescent is the moon./
"That is well and good." He mumbled, "but where am I?" A second later he knew he was in the surface world, a place that he'd seen rarely and visited even more rarely, which meant that he lived somewhere else ... or he had lived somewhere else. A wave of confusion swept over him followed by one of panic. Who was he? How had he come to this place and how would he survive? He resisted the urge to cry out in despair, but just barely. He looked up to the sky again, and to the moon with it's silver light and felt very small and alone. A light breeze brushed by him and a noise that sounded something like a rattle started. He looked about frantically, then identified the noise as coming from the structures around him that reached up towards the sky and were covered at the top by what looked like green wings. Each one seemed to be struggling violently against the others in a violent attempt to fly and the drow drew back from them in fear.
/ Leaves. They grow on trees and the wind is making them move. Don't be afraid, the plant can't hurt you. /
"Tree." He repeated thoughtfully, rising to his feet in a graceful movement. He put his hand on the bottom of the tree, marveling at its roughness and the strength that he somehow knew it had.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked the voice as he stared at the tree bottom.
/ Trunk. / The voice replied. He knew immediately that the voice was referring to the tree bottom and not to him. He sighed, then looked up towards the moon again.
"Trunk." He repeated, resting his hand against the tree for a moment longer.
He left the tree and it's bark behind him and walked into the thing the voice called a forest as he put aside his worries for the moment and concentrated on learning the words that he was being presented with. For now he had a guide, and he was determined to learn all it had to teach him before it was gone.
He watched the sun rise with silent awe until it's light was too bright and then turned away from it and walked far enough into the cave so that the sunlight didn't irritate his eyes anymore. His guide had led him to this place, as well as to the stream he'd quenched his thirst in and to the berries that had ended the beginnings of his hunger before it had the chance to truly begin. Secure in his new resting spot, the drow who did not know his name closed his eyes and curled up on the vegetation he'd brought in as cushioning. Sleep overtook him as the sun rose in the sky.
As the sun rose in the sky, Iria Stormblossom awoke from her reverie. She watched the sun rise as she attempted to sort through the visions. She usually only half-remembered them but last night they came with a clarity that was startling. It had begun in a moonlit field where she'd found herself after wandering through the forest. The fields darkened as a cloud passed over the moon, then seemed to shine as brightly as day. In front of Iria appeared a unicorn and she gasped in awe. During her century and a half of life she'd heard stories about the wondrous creatures more than once but had never dreamed that she would actually see one, for the unicorn was a symbol of the highest favor of her goddess, Mielikki. She took a tentative step towards it, and then another, her hands loose at her side and weaponless. To her astonishment the unicorn did not run away. Rather, it remained where it was. Iria approached it and put one trembling hand to the unicorn's mane.
/ Iria Stormbossom. / A feminine voice said.
It was only because of her finely trained senses that Iria did not start, though the realization that she was conversing with a unicorn nearly made her faint.
"I am her." Iria replied after a long moment.
/ As a servant of Mielikki you have done your job well, and it is because of this that I am to ask a favor of you. /
"As her servant I will do whatever the Lady asks of me."
The unicorn made a sound of approval. / Mielikki asks you to guard and guide one who has recently returned to this world until he is ready to venture off on his own. You do not know him yet but you will meet him soon. /
"This I shall do gladly."
/ The Lady thanks you for your acceptance of this task. / The unicorn replied and then seemed to vanish.
"Wait!" Iria called out in alarm. "How will I recognize this person? How will I know who it is I am supposed to help?"
The fields flashed black again yet Iria found herself able to see. From behind her, she heard the sound of someone approaching and whirled around.
In front of her was a drow elf with long white hair and dark blue eyes. Iria reached for her weapons immediately and the drow moved back, his hands out before him indicating that he carried no weapons. Indeed, Iria saw no place for a weapon to be carried on him. He was dressed in a dark blue tunic and a set of pants, part of which had been torn off to form a makeshift bandage about his arm. Both pieces of clothing looked bedraggled and Iria wondered how long this drow had been in the wilderness. She took her hands away from her weapons then crossed them over her chest.
The drow smiled in what looked like relief and bowed his head to her.
"Who are you?" She said aloud.
The drow shook his head and then met her gaze one last time, this time his gaze looked sorrowful and lonely. Then he vanished and Iria was left in the middle of the field, alone.
That was when she had awoken from her reverie, thoroughly confused about the manner of her dream. Drow are evil by nature, every last one of them. She might have thought otherwise at one time or another but she had seen one too many raids in which the drow had caused massive amounts of havoc, with more glee than she'd believed was possible. She'd fought against them too many times and heard them curse her existence with their dying breaths. The dream had to be a lie, she knew that.
But the silvery-white hair she'd found in her hand when she awoke would not allow her to dismiss the dream as easily as that.
Mielikki walked through the land, as silent and unnoticed as a shadow until she found the one she desired to talk with. All was set in place now, she only hoped that it went as planned.
He sat on a rock in front of a vast lake. The land was black but peaceful and the quietness seemed like a balm for his troubled soul. Zaknafein had spent many years like this. As a spirit he'd gained the right to on occasion spy upon his mortal world, but it had been a long time since he'd done that. His house was gone and there was only one other on the realm that he still cared about, and that one was out of his reach. He'd learned long ago that to watch was both a blessing and a curse. He was relieved to know that his son, Drizzt was still alive and doing well but knowing that he was incapable of communicating with his son brought extreme agitation and frustration.
To be able to affect the world of the living again ... for that he would give almost anything.
"Almost anything?"
Zak spun around, his hands going to the places where his swords would have rested, then let them drop in awe. Before him stood a being of incredible beauty. She was lithe and graceful, with russet hair and brown eyes. She appeared to be human, but the feeling about her revealed what she truly was. Zaknafein bowed his head and dropped to his knees, then raised his gaze to meet that of the goddess.
"Does watching your son grow bring you that much sorrow?" She asked gently, an expression of kindness that seemed genuine.
"Only because I cannot be there for him. My apologies goddess, I do not know your name."
She laughed, a silvery sound full of merriment and benevolence. "I am Mielikki."
Zaknafein's jaw dropped. The goddess his son followed had come to visit /him/? One part of him was struck dumb by awe. The other part was frantically searching for a reason why the goddess could possibly wish to visit someone as unworthy of her presence as him.
"You are more worthy of seeing my face than many who claim to follow my ways." Mielikki said reassuringly.
"I am honored by your presence." Zaknafein at last managed to say. To his surprise his response brought another silvery laugh as Mielikki put a hand to her mouth as she shook with silent mirth.
"Goddess?" He questioned hesitantly.
/There is no need to be so reserved, Zaknafein Do'Urden. The two of us have met before./ She informed him. Zaknafein's eyes widened with sudden recognition and he dropped his head in reverence.
"Yes, I was the one who aided you in your fight against Malice in your final battle. I aided you then, without ever expecting to ask for a repayment, and yet now I find myself in need of your aid.
/Impossible!/ Zaknafein thought. He was only a fighter, the weapons master of his house, and a drow at that.
"Your son fares will in the mortal's world. However, before him is a great conflict which he is not capable of fighting alone."
Zaknafein felt a violent tug of emotions, concern, fear and protectiveness towards his son as Mielikki told him of the trials he would soon face.
"I need someone to go to him and to guide him along on his quest, and I know that he desires to see you again."
To see his son again! To once again be able to talk to Drizzt and to join on his ventures! His heart leapt for joy, and then he shook his head.
"I have no right to go. I gave my life so that he might live. Also, I was not a follower of your ways during life and I have committed far too many wrongs to deserve this." In despair, Zaknafein felt tears come to his eyes and let them flow.
"Dry your eyes." The Goddess said, cupping his chin with her hand and lifting his head so that his gaze met hers. "You shall go. Your son needs you and you have given your life twice for him. You have earned the right to travel back into his world. However, I cannot send you directly to him. You know nothing of the ways of the surface world and you would be more of a hindrance than a help to him at this point. Also ..." Mielikki's voice faltered as she thought of what she would be asking this drow to do.
"I will pay whatever price is needed." Zaknafein said solemnly.
"You will not remember who you were at first, nor will you remember this conversation until your quest is done. You will have your old body and your fighting skills. However, you will be weaponless. But worry not. You shall travel with my blessing and allies will soon make themselves known to you."
"I will do as you bid happily, and I thank you for the right of performing this task." Zaknafein said, happiness flowing through his whole being.
Mielikki motioned for him to rise again then put her hand on his left shoulder. Immediately it was bathed in light, and a sigil glowed there for a moment then faded.
"Rest now, and when you wake you will be in the land of the living." Mielikki promised and Zaknafein's eyes closed as he fell into sleep. He felt his body, solid again against the soft dirt and took his first lungful of surface air, then unconsciousness took him.
Mielikki took one final look at the drow sleeping within the forest clearing then cast a spell that brought her back to her home realm. Despite her proclamations, she felt a deem amount of concern for the drow who had found his way to her path and for his father who, given time, might well join her followers. The goddess made a silent vow to protect her children as she re-entered her realm and began her work, during which the calls of her followers came directly to her mind. She granted strength to those who needed it; a word of courage to her frightened ones and her blessing to those who gave their lives for her. She was incapable of doing everything at once, but that did not mean she would not try.
Moonlight filtered down into the glade and the drow stirred as it hit his closed eyelids, then opened them. His eyes widened in astonishment at the sight before him. Above him was a blue-black dome so high he couldn't imagine how it was hung. In the dome were tiny pinpricks of light and a silver crescent much larger than any of the other shapes.
/Stars,/ something in his head seemed to say. /And the crescent is the moon./
"That is well and good." He mumbled, "but where am I?" A second later he knew he was in the surface world, a place that he'd seen rarely and visited even more rarely, which meant that he lived somewhere else ... or he had lived somewhere else. A wave of confusion swept over him followed by one of panic. Who was he? How had he come to this place and how would he survive? He resisted the urge to cry out in despair, but just barely. He looked up to the sky again, and to the moon with it's silver light and felt very small and alone. A light breeze brushed by him and a noise that sounded something like a rattle started. He looked about frantically, then identified the noise as coming from the structures around him that reached up towards the sky and were covered at the top by what looked like green wings. Each one seemed to be struggling violently against the others in a violent attempt to fly and the drow drew back from them in fear.
/ Leaves. They grow on trees and the wind is making them move. Don't be afraid, the plant can't hurt you. /
"Tree." He repeated thoughtfully, rising to his feet in a graceful movement. He put his hand on the bottom of the tree, marveling at its roughness and the strength that he somehow knew it had.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked the voice as he stared at the tree bottom.
/ Trunk. / The voice replied. He knew immediately that the voice was referring to the tree bottom and not to him. He sighed, then looked up towards the moon again.
"Trunk." He repeated, resting his hand against the tree for a moment longer.
He left the tree and it's bark behind him and walked into the thing the voice called a forest as he put aside his worries for the moment and concentrated on learning the words that he was being presented with. For now he had a guide, and he was determined to learn all it had to teach him before it was gone.
He watched the sun rise with silent awe until it's light was too bright and then turned away from it and walked far enough into the cave so that the sunlight didn't irritate his eyes anymore. His guide had led him to this place, as well as to the stream he'd quenched his thirst in and to the berries that had ended the beginnings of his hunger before it had the chance to truly begin. Secure in his new resting spot, the drow who did not know his name closed his eyes and curled up on the vegetation he'd brought in as cushioning. Sleep overtook him as the sun rose in the sky.
As the sun rose in the sky, Iria Stormblossom awoke from her reverie. She watched the sun rise as she attempted to sort through the visions. She usually only half-remembered them but last night they came with a clarity that was startling. It had begun in a moonlit field where she'd found herself after wandering through the forest. The fields darkened as a cloud passed over the moon, then seemed to shine as brightly as day. In front of Iria appeared a unicorn and she gasped in awe. During her century and a half of life she'd heard stories about the wondrous creatures more than once but had never dreamed that she would actually see one, for the unicorn was a symbol of the highest favor of her goddess, Mielikki. She took a tentative step towards it, and then another, her hands loose at her side and weaponless. To her astonishment the unicorn did not run away. Rather, it remained where it was. Iria approached it and put one trembling hand to the unicorn's mane.
/ Iria Stormbossom. / A feminine voice said.
It was only because of her finely trained senses that Iria did not start, though the realization that she was conversing with a unicorn nearly made her faint.
"I am her." Iria replied after a long moment.
/ As a servant of Mielikki you have done your job well, and it is because of this that I am to ask a favor of you. /
"As her servant I will do whatever the Lady asks of me."
The unicorn made a sound of approval. / Mielikki asks you to guard and guide one who has recently returned to this world until he is ready to venture off on his own. You do not know him yet but you will meet him soon. /
"This I shall do gladly."
/ The Lady thanks you for your acceptance of this task. / The unicorn replied and then seemed to vanish.
"Wait!" Iria called out in alarm. "How will I recognize this person? How will I know who it is I am supposed to help?"
The fields flashed black again yet Iria found herself able to see. From behind her, she heard the sound of someone approaching and whirled around.
In front of her was a drow elf with long white hair and dark blue eyes. Iria reached for her weapons immediately and the drow moved back, his hands out before him indicating that he carried no weapons. Indeed, Iria saw no place for a weapon to be carried on him. He was dressed in a dark blue tunic and a set of pants, part of which had been torn off to form a makeshift bandage about his arm. Both pieces of clothing looked bedraggled and Iria wondered how long this drow had been in the wilderness. She took her hands away from her weapons then crossed them over her chest.
The drow smiled in what looked like relief and bowed his head to her.
"Who are you?" She said aloud.
The drow shook his head and then met her gaze one last time, this time his gaze looked sorrowful and lonely. Then he vanished and Iria was left in the middle of the field, alone.
That was when she had awoken from her reverie, thoroughly confused about the manner of her dream. Drow are evil by nature, every last one of them. She might have thought otherwise at one time or another but she had seen one too many raids in which the drow had caused massive amounts of havoc, with more glee than she'd believed was possible. She'd fought against them too many times and heard them curse her existence with their dying breaths. The dream had to be a lie, she knew that.
But the silvery-white hair she'd found in her hand when she awoke would not allow her to dismiss the dream as easily as that.