Entreri could not contain his anger any longer, so he decided to go out to look for Drizzt himself. Using rational thinking, Entreri deducted that Drizzt is probably making his way to the dungeon or he is in the general area.
Entreri stormed out of the room on his way he ran into Jarlaxle.
"Where is he?" Entreri said as he grabbed Jarlaxle by the collar of his colorful cloak. Jarlaxle looked back at Entreri with just as much intensity.
"Who is that you seek?" Jarlaxle asked with innocence. Entreri shook him in anger.
"You know perfectly well of whom I seek Jarlaxle!" Entreri hissed through his teeth at him.
"No dear Entreri, I know not who you seek." Jarlaxle replied with supreme confidence. Entreri's face flushed red at his statement. He threw Jarlaxle up against the nearest wall. Jarlaxle let out a whoosh of air as all the air in his lungs escaped.
"Tell me where Drizzt Do'Urden is you fool!" Entreri spat at Jarlaxle. Jarlaxle let out a slight sigh before he replied.
"Well why didn't you just say so to begin with! We are searching for Drizzt this very moment my friend." Jarlaxle said with the hope to calm Entreri. Entreri released his hold on Jarlaxle's collar allowing him to slip to the floor.
"Good, then we shall find him!" Entreri claimed triumphantly before walking away from Jarlaxle who was rubbing his sore shoulders.
# # # # # # # # #
Drizzt was trying to keep a quick steady pace to put as much distance between him and Entreri as possible. He turned around to see if Catti-brie was right behind him. She was coming but rather slowly, and she was breathing quiet heavily. He stopped and waited for her to catch up. She saw him stop and she quickly ran to his position. Before she could even say a word he spoke up.
"Do you need me to slow down?" Catti-brie looked at him with confusion. She tried to say something, but she found she had no breath to say it with. The room seemed to spin all about her; the dim colors seemed to swirl into one big dismal black hole.
"Catti?" Drizzt anxiously asked, as her eyes seemed to fall back into her head. He quickly grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling. She rolled back limply into his arms.
"Catti! Catti, wake up!" Drizzt whispered harshly. He shook her to try to make her stir but her head just lolled from side to side. Drizzt looked around desperately. He couldn't very well carry her for any great distance, no matter how light she was. What if he had to defend himself? Then what?
Drizzt gently laid her down against the wall next to the first doorway that he saw. He took the cloak that was on her back and he gently laid it on top of her to keep her from sticking out to any drow heat seeking eyes.
He then swiftly opened the door and walked inside. He glanced around quickly and he noted that the room was used for some kind of storage. He went back outside and picked Catti-brie up gently carrying her in his arms. He walked through the doorway and with his foot he closed the door quietly.
He gently put Catti-brie down on the floor. He laid two fingers lightly on her neck to check for a pulse. It was there strong and steady and she was still breathing, but her breath came in harsh ragged intervals. It had to be from the bruising of her broken rib, that the healing potion hadn't quite healed.
"Oh, Catti! You can't give up now. Please, please hang in there. It will be okay. I am right here. Bruenor, Wulfgar and Regis are missing you. They want you to come home. They need you Catti, and so do I." Drizzt pleaded with her.
"Please Catti, wake up." He whispered. He gently stroked her hair in a soothing manner just as much for himself as it was for her. "Please wake up." He whispered again under his breath. He gently lifted her up and sat her down in his lap. He cradled her to his chest while the tears ran down his cheeks.
"What did he do to you Catti-brie? What did he do?" He asked softly into the quiet room.
# # # # # # # # #
Regis led the way as he boldly flew through the opening. The dwarf and barbarian were in hot pursuit trying to keep up with the surprisingly quick halfling.
They ran through a maze of twisted tunnels and winding caves. Regis allowed his eyes switch to the heat spectrum as he plowed on through the tunnels. The rest of his friends were following closely behind so they wouldn't lose the halfling in the pitch-black tunnels.
Regis turned around momentarily to check and see if his friends were keeping up with him.
"Are you alright back there, Bruenor?" Regis asked the hardened dwarf. Bruenor grumbled something in response.
"What did you say?" Regis asked as he turned his head around as he was running forward. Bruenor was just about ready to shout a word of warning when Regis ran smack dab into a wall at the end of the tunnel.
"Ye okay Rumblebelly?" Bruenor asked as he reached the wall that Regis had hit. Regis groaned but nodded his head.
"I hope that nobody heard ye, ye stumbling oaf!" Bruenor whispered harshly as he helped Regis to his feet.
# # # # # # # # #
Somebody did here it though. Drizzt looked up from the unconscious Catti-brie and around the room to the direction of the sound he heard. Catti-brie stirred in his arms as he slowly got up.
"Drizzt?" She muttered after her eyes fluttered open. He rushed back over to her side and wrapped an arm securely around her waist. She leaned back drawing on the support of his arm. He smiled at her as he brushed the hair back from her face.
"Drizz..." Catti-brie started but was stopped by his finger gently touching her lips. He shook his head to signify to her to be quiet. He gently moved his arm from her waist and he leaned her back against the wall.
He stealthfuly crept away over to where he heard the disturbance.
# # # # # # # # #
"What de hell was dat?" Bruenor whispered harshly to his companions. Each had there turn to shrug accordingly. Regis boldly walked forward first. He drew out his little mace that Bruenor had crafted especially for him.
Regis walked back up to the wall he hit and he ran his fingers along the length of the wall until he found the edge. He had been right, there was an opening. He motioned for his comrades to follow as he walked around the edge.
# # # # # # # # #
Drizzt decided to stand guard over Catti-brie instead of rush headlong into battle. Catti-brie looked up questioningly at Drizzt. He knew he couldn't give up their position so he flashed her one of the few drow hand signals that she knew well, attack.
Catti-brie's eyes went wide as the message sank in. She struggled to her feet but Drizzt's strong and lithe hands guided her back down to the ground. She looked up at him with an angry expression painted on her face but when she saw his expression it melted away quickly. All she saw in his face was concern and worry. She smiled quickly in reassurance and he grinned back.
Drizzt's attention was quickly turned back to the corner of the room when he heard something fall to the floor. Drizzt readied his scimitars as he waited for the exact moment of the attack. He heard some feet shuffling on the ground and he gripped his scimitars tighter.
He saw the silhouette of the attacker, someone short that carried a mace. Out of the shadows the attacker came. Drizzt's scimitars almost fell to the floor.
"Regis?" Drizzt whispered in disbelief. Regis was just as surprised. He quickly put his mace away and he motioned for the others to come see. Drizzt put his scimitars away and he reached down to help Catti-brie to her feet. She looked at him curiously and he smiled warmly at her.
"It is only Regis. It's alright now." He said calmly. She sighed deeply and wrapped her arms around his neck. Drizzt gladly returned the hug. Drizzt pulled back from the hug and wrapped his arm around her waist to support her as she stood up.
Bruenor was the last to emerge from behind the wall. If he still would have had his axe in his hand it would have fallen to the floor but instead his mouth dropped. He rushed over to Catti-brie and grabbed her right out of Drizzt's grasp.
"Me girl. Me girl." He muttered over and over again as he clung tightly to her, almost as if he was afraid he'd lose her again. After a moment he regained his composure and turned to Drizzt with an angry expression on his face.
"Ye durned fool elf! Runnin' off on yer own!" Bruenor whispered harshly. Drizzt just shrugged. Catti-brie came to his rescue by leaning on him supportively, which drew no further complaints from Bruenor.
Drizzt winked at Catti-brie who smiled in return. Bruenor just stood looking at his daughter and his best friend without saying a word.
"Come we should get out of here before we wear out our welcome." Drizzt whispered to his friends who stood staring at him and Catti-brie. Drizzt turned back to Catti-brie and found that she was blushing profusely. He quickly let go over her waist and grabbed her arm instead guiding her to the exit where the rest of their friends had come in.
"I am sorry." Drizzt whispered directly into Catti-brie's ear as soon as they were out of earshot from the rest of the group. She moved closer to him and she put an arm around his waist. She gently laid her head on his shoulder before she replied.
"Tis alright. Just Bruenor's stare... Have to get used to it." She chuckled softly after the last statement drawing a smile from Drizzt. The group continued on with Bruenor gaping at the sight of his adopted daughter so close to the dark elf.
I hope this hasn't become to tedious for you all... Please read and review!