Disclaimer - Nope, don't own any characters from the Forgotten Realms
A/N - Reincarnation n.- The belief that once the soul leaves the body, it will return once more as another creature. Once part of religion, now a popular belief among society. It is said that most people forget the past life before they pass the age of nine.
The harsh arctic winds buffeted in an endless fight, uncaring of the strange bird that had been captured within. Blasting torments circled around the bird, a lone falcon. It screeched as the winds toppled the bird off course, its wing bumping the side of a mountain. Powerful wings carried it to higher altitudes, but the aches of long use without rest had weakened the bird, and he was no match for the mountain winds.
Mercy.
The tiny falcon chirped incessantly, shivering from the cold of the morning. Stumps of wings, yet to grow feathers, flapped in an attempt to return to the nest it had fallen from. It knew naught of the predators that circled above. Near the fledgling, the body of another falcon, a female, lay, her eyes empty in death. Blood bled slowly from a mortal wound, trickling to mix with dew of the sunrise.
The fledgling closed its eyes, hoping that in sleep, no more of the disturbing events would come, and stopped its attempts to fly. In exhaustion, it didn't hear the warning cry of a returning falcon, piercing the air with shock and pain as the bird saw his mate on the ground, and his young helpless. The fledgling felt nothing but darkness, but was abruptly awakened as gentle fingers curled around its body, preventing movement of his wings. A rush of air, like what he would imagine of soaring and the tiny falcon looked up to see the dark eyes of a human in worry.
Mercy.
The young falcon, now near the stage of adulthood, watched in curiosity as multiple pigeons cooed of the approach of another. Many fidgeted in nervousness of a hunter near them, but the box that was their home let no door for escape. Suddenly, the entrance opened, and the human smiled as the birds thrust into the sky.
"Look, that's what you need to do," the human spoke to the falcon, "Fly!"
But the flock thought otherwise. The birds suddenly returned and dived, attacking the inferior, territorially driven to protect their home. Though they were not built as a predator, the domesticated flock forced the falcon to flee. Screeching, the falcon found itself unable to defend, as pain surrounded it on all sides. In frenzy, instinct kicked in, and speckled wings rose finally to meet the breeze.
Mercy.
The winds had only been the scouts of a larger being. A dark storm, black like an army, marched in, and released iced stone upon the frozen land. Hail hit with enough force the bruise the bird, and left numbness that soaked straight into the skin, as if the feathers were nothing at all. Another screech left the falcon, this time one knowing that death awaited, that it was no match for the elements.
Even the burning of its muscles, demanding rest from the flight, held no warmth. Ice was everywhere, ice and frozen rock. And a coldness of eternal winter. Coldness of death. It was bittersweet, the coldness, but the falcon gave in. With a muffled thump, the bird hit the snow, shivering powerlessly to prevent the merciless attack of the storm. Darkness replaced the white of the land, and for a time, it was all there was.
And slender fingers wrapped around the bird's body, and the falcon was the fledgling once more. It relaxed in the hold, but glanced up in curiosity. Lavender eyes returned the look, set into a face of darkness, like that the bird had came from. The blanket of fatigue fell over the small figure, and tender sleep came for the weary creature.
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"It is a boy." Colson declared in importance.
Near her, Cattie-brie grinned in amusement. "Ya know this, how?
"Because," The girl said simply. She bent down to stroke the rescued falcon, now in a crude box stuffed with straw, rescues, as well, from the eager flames of Wulgar's furnace.
"Careful," Drizzt whispered as he passed by, shedding his winter cloak and hanging up his scimitars.
Bruenor followed, glaring at the creature. "Bah! It is an animal, and that is all it will ever be."
The drow, finishing his task, bent down to study the bird. "It is a male," he confirmed. Colson puffed in pride. "A falcon, at that."
Cattie-brie looked at the creature in interest. "I've never seen this type of bird around here before."
"The animal was lost," the ranger explained. "Possibly from the hailstorm."
"So we can keep him?" Colson piped up.
"For the night. We'll leave him here, and see if he makes it to the morning."
"Yay!"
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That night, the falcon woke, chirping like a fledgling. Coming back to reality, the bird realized he was venerable. Instinct demanded him to escape, but he was exhausted. Though panic gave him power, it was only enough to keep him alert. He closed his eyes, and remembrance came.
The violet eyes of the human-like creature nagged at him, as if he had seen them before. Slowly, the memories came, broken and blurred like pieces of a hidden puzzle. It came with a tide, floating upon deep waters. He, the one desperately trying to gather as many as possible before the waters sank beyond his reach. Like a dragon, he browsed through his treasure, waiting until the next tide was summoned, holding more memories, more treasures.
The waters brought in a life before, of life as drow. He had been Zaknafein, weapon master. The memories brought back horrors he would never have wanted to see again, of Lloth and the spiders he would have traded nearly anything to forget. Of the blood on his hands, the blood on his blades. One memory stood high against the rest. Of him, as a spirit-wraith, battling his son. Lavender eyes clouded with confusion.
And the falcon echoed the expression. Part of him denied it. He was a bird, of soring heights, of the sky. The falcon searched desperately through his memories as a bird, trying to convince himself the other life was nothing.
He tried to deny it, but it was there, and he knew it was true. The falcon clacked his beak together softly in the darkness in joy. Drizzt, my son, you have escaped! But realization dawned. Though he was drow, he is now bird. Could Drizzt seen beyond his physical appearance? No, the falcon chirped, he would not. How could he?