Forgotten Realms: Recursive fic
May. 14th, 2023 05:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
somarielUseful Interference (5261 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Andelver Aerasumé, Drizzt Do'Urden, Dove Falconhand
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary:
"That bad, huh?"
At the sound of his brother's voice, Tyresia lifted his head from where he'd been resting it on the desk he used for attending to any business required of him as the High Forest's Lore Keeper.
"Maybe?" he said to Andy, who was leaning against the wall beside the study's door. "Definitely a headache."
"Oh?" Andy had mostly come to see if Tyresia could use his assistance in dealing with whatever news had been in the message delivered by the falcon that was now being checked over by Charic and the village's best animal handler, but that statement actually made him curious about what the message had said.
"Take a look for yourself." Tyresia offered the message to Andy.
Taking it, Andy unrolled it and began to read.
'Single drow male seen making camp in the forest evening before last. Surface gear, twin curved blades, well-tended horse that clearly likes him. Watch kept through the night, followed him next morning. Reached northwest bank of Unicorn Run mid-afternoon, where it comes out of large southeast curve. Has since been circling area as if looking for something, seems to have some magical guide.'
"Well, I can see why you called it a headache. Want me to fly down on Kairthon and investigate?"
Tyresia's expression brightened with relief. "Yes, please. I'd very much like to avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings."
"Then I will gladly do so." Andy looked out the window, then continued. "With as late in the day as it is, it doesn't make much sense to leave now, so I'll check over my pack and components tonight and head out first thing in the morning."
Early the next evening, Kairthon dropped into the narrow gap in the tree cover over the Unicorn Run at the point mentioned in the message, then followed Andy's direction to land on the riverbank to their right.
Andy dismounted from Kairthon's back once she had all four hooves solidly on the ground, then made the combination of bird calls that was used by all the elves of the High Forest to signal for attention.
Shortly thereafter, an elf in typical scout's gear dropped down from one of the trees to his east.
"Greetings, Tall One," he said, dipping his head respectfully. "You have come because of the drow?"
"Greetings," Andy replied. "And yes, I have. I am Andelver. May I know your name?"
"I am Thamior," the scout said. "If you will follow me, I shall guide you to the drow's camp, though he has been gone from it for a couple of hours now."
And with that, he turned and began following the riverbank back to the east.
Andy and Kairthon followed him, and in only a little more time than it had taken Thamior to reach them, they came to a spot on the riverbank where a sturdy dun gelding—of Dalelands breeding, Andy thought—was grazing placidly.
No tack was immediately visible, but a quick look around revealed that it had been cleverly stored in the crook of a nearby tree.
A whistle from Thamior brought Andy's attention back to his guide, and then another scout—female this time—dropped down from a nearby tree.
"Andelver Aerasumé," Thamior said, "this is Keyleth, scout leader for the villages east of the Unicorn Run and south of the North Fork."
"Greetings, Andelver," Keyleth said. "I am glad to have a warrior of your reputation come in response to word of this drow."
Andy returned the greetings, then asked Keyleth to tell him of everything the drow had done since he was first seen.
When Keyleth's account of things was finished, Andy took some time to think, gently petting Kairthon's neck as he did so.
And once he felt that he had properly considered all the angles, he spoke.
"I certainly agree that it would be unwise to follow the drow into whatever underground space he has entered, but there is still the need to learn what his purpose in coming here is.
"So if you will show me where the entrance he used is, I will leave my friend here to keep an eye on the camp, and find a watch post for myself that provides a view of that entrance and, if possible, this camp."
"Will you require any further assistance from us after we have done that?" Keyleth asked.
"Since I intended to place an alarm spell on the entrance, I will not."
"Very well, then. Please follow me."
The entrance to the underground space proved to be close enough that Andy was easily able to find a spot that allowed him to watch both it and the camp, so once he had the alarm in place, he dismissed the scouts and set about making his own camp.
The drow had not emerged during the night, so once he had eaten breakfast and memorized his spells for the day, Andy used a sending to update Tyresia, then settled down to wait.
At a full day since his arrival, the drow had still not emerged, so Andy renewed the alarm spell before he prepared to sleep.
When the drow had still not emerged by the time he had finished memorizing his spells on the second morning of his watch, Andy found himself beginning to worry a little.
The gentle chime of the mental alarm sounded only a few hours later, however, so Andy took to the trees and headed back to where Kairthon was watching the drow's horse.
And when the drow returned to the horse, although he looked exhausted enough that Andy wanted to let him rest before speaking with him, it appeared that that would not be possible, as rather than making camp, the drow had retrieved the horse's tack and was now starting to ready it for travel.
A nicker from behind him as he was placing the saddle on his horse was startling enough that Drizzt immediately turned to see who had managed to sneak up on him.
But when he saw the source of the nicker, he found himself staring in awe. A pegasus was standing mere yards from him!
After a frozen moment that seemed to last forever, the pegasus began to move towards him, and Drizzt let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
And when it stopped right in front of him, then bumped its poll against his chest, Drizzt could hardly believe it.
"May I touch you, beautiful one?" he asked.
The pegasus gave a pleased-sounding nicker, then arched its neck so that the hand Drizzt raised ended up right behind its ears.
For all that Kairthon's peaceful approach to the drow had confirmed at least a neutral alignment, Andy couldn't help but stare for a moment when he rounded the tree he had just descended from to see that she was gladly accepting scratches from the drow—who himself had an expression of pure contentment on his face as he scratched behind her ears.
Reluctantly—for he was loath to disturb such a peaceful moment—Andy moved towards them with steps deliberately placed to make enough noise to alert the drow of his approach.
As much as Drizzt was enjoying the attention of such a pure being as the pegasus, he was not so lost in his enjoyment as to fail to notice footsteps approaching him.
Reluctantly ending the scratches he was giving, he turned to his right to see a very tall faerie, with oddly blunted eyes and ears, still some yards away. Odder than the eyes and ears, though, was the fact that there was a sword attached to his belt, even though he was wearing what looked like wizard robes, though they had clearly been modified substantially.
Then, almost as if it had been waiting for the faerie to approach—which, Drizzt ruefully acknowledged, might well be true—the pegasus trotted over to him and lipped at one of his belt pouches.
"Yes, yes, alright," the faerie laughed, "you can have a treat." Then he reached into the pouch and pulled out something that the pegasus quickly snapped up.
"This pegasus is yours, then?" Drizzt asked, unable to keep a hurt note out of his voice.
"Only by her own choice," Andy answered the drow. Then, to address the undoubted source of the hurt in the drow's voice, he added, "Her reaction to you was also her own choice."
The smile that bloomed on the drow's face at that addition made Andy very glad he had done so.
"And to answer the other question I'm sure you have, she and I were waiting for you because you were noticed by the elves of this part of the forest... four evenings ago, now, and there is a need to know what you were seeking, especially given the magical guide you had."
Drizzt sighed. He could not say it was an unreasonable thing for the elves to want to know, but he certainly wasn't going to explain while he was this exhausted.
"Then the two of you should join me, as I intend to sleep in the saddle while letting my horse follow the river out of the forest."
Andy blinked twice in surprise. Well, that at least explained why the drow was preparing to leave while so exhausted, though it also raised the question of why he felt there was such an urgent need to do so. And-
And he really should have introduced himself already. "Thank you.
"And I am afraid that I have been somewhat rude in my failure to introduce myself so far. I am Andelver Aerasumé, though I prefer to be called Andy."
"My name is Drizzt Do'Urden," the drow replied, before turning to finish saddling his horse.
Once they were out of the trees at the southern edge of the High Forest—but before they had left the trees' shade—Andy signaled Kairthon to halt.
And while he had been ready to stop Drizzt's horse if needed, it too halted once it was beside Kairthon, the change in its movement then drawing Drizzt out of his doze.
"Andy?" Drizzt asked, as he blinked his eyes several times against the brighter light. But before the other man could answer, his eyes adjusted. "Oh. We're out of the forest."
"I'm just tagging along with you, so our direction from here is your decision."
Andy watched with interest as a flash of indecision crossed Drizzt's face before the drow very deliberately turned his body away from Andy. And although that made it difficult to be certain of what Drizzt did next, Andy thought he had consulted something drawn out of one of his pouches, then returned the object to the pouch.
But whatever it was that he had done, it had clearly given him a direction, because he then turned to look at Andy and said, "We head west."
Andy allowed Drizzt to set the exact direction—which turned out to be more southwest than due west—before urging Kairthon up alongside the horse.
He remained silent for a while, but once he felt sure that Drizzt truly had gotten adequate rest from his horseback doze, he spoke.
"As I said earlier, there is a need to know what you were seeking for in the High Forest.
"You need not give me the details if they would expose secrets that are not yours to share, but I must have at least a general explanation."
Drizzt remained silent for some time, considering how to phrase things, then, when he felt he knew what to say, he began.
"There are some people who have given me a great deal of aid since I came to the Surface last year.
"When they realized how uncomfortable I was with having received so much aid without giving anything back to them, they offered me a quest to find a person they care about who none of them have either heard from directly or heard word of from others for several years."
Andy waited a few moments to see if Drizzt would say anything else, but when it proved nothing more was forthcoming, he sighed.
"What occurred underground to both leave you so exhausted and give you such a sense of urgency that you considered it necessary to sleep in the saddle rather than wait until you were rested to depart?"
"I found the person I was seeking, but the situation they are trapped in is not one I am capable of dealing with."
"Do you intend to bear word of the situation to those who gave you the quest, or are you now seeking to find people who can help you resolve it?"
Drizzt side-eyed Andy, then chose to answer with a question of his own. "What cause do you have to think I am doing the latter?"
"You're riding a Dalelands ranger's mount with Dalelands tack, but are now heading west rather than back towards the Dalelands."
Drizzt had not realized that either horses or tack could be so distinctive as to indicate their origin.
However, this line of questioning led to the artifact he had been entrusted with, so he attempted to deflect Andy once again.
"What makes you believe my horse and tack have that origin?"
"Some of my aunts live in the Dalelands. I've spent enough time with them to be quite familiar with the appearance."
Drizzt was silent for so long after that answer that Andy began to wonder if he had pushed too far.
But before it reached the point where he would have felt it necessary to rescind the original question, Drizzt spoke quietly.
"Those who gave me the quest were able to craft a magical guide for me.
"However, it was crafted in such a way that it responds to my current need. And when I checked it earlier, it indicated that the nearest person I should inform of the situation is to the west."
"Thank you for trusting me with that much," Andy said.
Drizzt nodded acknowledgement, and they rode on in silence.
For all that they had been riding in a blanket of awkward silence since the end of his questioning, Andy did not fail to notice that Drizzt was nevertheless sneaking frequent looks at him.
So after the third time the drow hastily looked away when he realized Andy had noticed his scrutiny, Andy decided to see if he could, at the very least, give Drizzt an open reason to be looking at him.
"Are there any questions you wish to ask of me?"
Drizzt didn't exactly startle, but it was still clear to Andy that the drow was surprised by his offer. Despite that surprise, however, he readily took Andy up on it.
"The people who have done the most to aid me since I came to the Surface made several mentions of half-elves.
"Is that why you are so tall and your eyes and ears look blunted compared to what I am used to?"
"It is," Andy replied. "While my father was an elf, my mother was a human.
"And although height among half-elves can vary quite a bit, depending on the height of the human parent, the rounder eyes and ears are universal."
"Your mother is very tall, then?"
Andy's answer to that question led to a discussion of the wide range of heights found among humans, especially when compared to the much narrower ranges of most other races.
That discussion then segued into discussing the typical height differences between men and women that was found in humans, which then slipped sideways into talking about Andy's family.
Eventually, however, Drizzt fell silent again, and the thoughtful look on his face would have discouraged further conversation even if Andy hadn't gained some thoughts to mull over himself.
After spending some time doing that mulling, Andy felt rather certain that his suspicions about the identities of the people who had aided Drizzt and given him the quest were correct.
Given Drizzt's extreme caginess earlier, however, Andy knew he wouldn't be able to get confirmation from that angle.
So he reached out over the anklets to Dove, Storm, and Syluné instead. ~Do any of you know a drow by the name of Drizzt Do'Urden?~
Dove's ~Yes! How did you meet him?~ was immediately followed by Syluné's ~How is he doing?~, and then Storm's ~What made you guess we know him?~ came on a new sending, so Andy was able to reply without having to wait for his anklet to recharge.
~He seems to be doing fine,~ he said, choosing to answer Syluné's question first. ~I met him because he was noticed by the elves in the southern part of the High Forest, a message was sent to Tyresia, and since I was visiting, I volunteered to take Kairthon and investigate.~
Switching to a new sending, he continued. ~As for how I guessed that you all might know him, that was a combination of factors, though the one that got me started was that he began looking at me like he was searching for hints of familiarity after I mentioned having aunts in the Dalelands.~
~That would certainly be a reason to start wondering,~ Dove said, ~especially when combined with the Dalelands horse and tack.~
~Agreed,~ Storm said, ~though I'm curious as to the reasoning for not simply asking Drizzt if he knows us.~
~Given the level of trust Drizzt is aware we've placed in him for his quest,~ Syluné said, ~I think it likely that he's given Andy reason to believe such a question would not be answered.~
~That's precisely why,~ Andy said. ~And speaking of his quest, would you mind telling me what it is? He was very cagey about it.~
~The Simbul offered him a quest to find Laeral,~ Syluné answered.
Andy was silent for a very long moment, as a number of things suddenly clicked into place... and then he started swearing.
Dove well understood that sometimes swearing was the best catharsis for certain emotions, but Andy reacting like that to hearing the nature of Drizzt's quest was not a good sign.
~Andy!~ she snapped. ~Calm down and tell us what's wrong!~
Andy let off a few more swears, then sighed. ~Well for one thing, I'm now pretty sure I know why he tried so hard to deflect the question that could not be answered without some explanation of the guide that you made for him, and then was silent for so long before he answered that I had started to consider rescinding the question.
~But more importantly, he was very exhausted when he emerged from what I now think is likely the Stronghold of the Nine, but was also feeling such a strong sense of urgency that he decided to sleep in the saddle while his horse followed the Unicorn Run out of the forest.~
~And the reason for that was...?~ Syluné prompted on a new sending, knowing that the cause of such urgency had to be the actual problem.
~His exact words, when I asked what had occurred to produce such a combination of exhaustion and urgency, were "I found the person I was seeking, but the situation they are trapped in is not one I am capable of dealing with."~
~Azuth's balls!~ Dove took a deep breath, then moved on to planning. ~Let me use your eyes, so I can join the two of you?~
~Don't think I'd be able to convince Drizzt to pause,~ Andy replied, ~even for as little time as it would take for you to join us, but I can do it when we make camp for the night.~
~He won't pause while it's light out, but he also won't run his horse into the ground?~ Dove chuckled. That was exactly the sort of thing Drizzt would do. ~Very well, then. I'll see you tonight.~
Tending his horse as Andy did the same for his pegasus, Drizzt once again found his thoughts going in circles.
He was, at this point, almost certain that Andy was closely related to Dove and her sisters. And if the half-elf truly was, then Drizzt really ought to tell him the full truth of the quest and what had been discovered.
But "almost" was not the same as "completely", and if Drizzt was wrong, telling Andy would be a violation of the trust the Sisters had placed in him.
The simplest solution would be to just ask Andy about the names of his aunts in the Dalelands, but even with the proof of Andy's goodly nature that his pegasus companion was, something in Drizzt was balking at the idea of relying solely on Andy's word.
Shaking his head to break up the circling thoughts, Drizzt looked up from his horse to see that Andy had stopped grooming his friend and was instead looking directly at a distinctive tumble of rocks near this location where they had chosen to make camp.
The shimmering of an incoming teleport, between Andy and the rocks, made Drizzt concerned, but before he could say anything, the shimmer became the silver stars that marked the Sisters' teleports, then faded to reveal...
"Dove?!"
"It's good to see you again, Drizzt, even with Laeral's situation having proved to be so dire."
The simple fact of Dove's arrival had already been solidifying Drizzt's feeling that Andy was closely related to her, especially now that he could see how close the physical resemblance was, but her words turned the feeling into a rock-hard certainty.
"So Andy is a close relative, then," he said.
"My nephew," Dove agreed. Then, seeing the incomprehension on Drizzt's face, she explained, "A nephew is the son of a sibling."
"So an 'aunt' would be the sibling of a parent?" Drizzt asked.
"Specifically, the sister of a parent," Dove said. "The brother of a parent is an uncle."
Andy waited until the brief vocabulary lesson was finished, then spoke himself.
"And I offer my sincere apologies for pushing so hard on that one question. Knowing what your quest was makes it obvious to me why you were so reluctant to answer."
Drizzt dipped his head in acknowledgement, then—for his own understanding—said, "Dove's words make it clear that you've shared what I told you about the results of my quest, but what led you to contact her?"
After Andy's quick summary of the things that had roused his suspicions as to the identities of Drizzt's benefactors, Dove brought the conversation back around to the reason she had come.
"Once you finish tending your horse, Drizzt, I'd like the full report on what you found."
Drizzt had known that had to be why she had come as soon as she had said "Laeral's situation", so he simply nodded, and turned his attention back to the horse.
It hadn't taken long for Drizzt to finish, and once the horse had been turned over to Kairthon's supervision, Andy, Dove, and Drizzt had all gotten out some trail rations, then settled down for Drizzt's report.
Now, as Drizzt wrapped up a very thorough report, Andy thanked him, then gave a huge sigh and turned to look at Dove.
"Just getting to Laeral is going to require multiple wizards, and I don't think I want any wizard who worked on clearing the way to also participate in freeing her from whatever that artifact is."
"If they're not going to cast any spells while getting to Laeral, they'd better have some other way to defend themselves," Dove replied. "And the rest of the wizards should as well, just to be safe."
"That's a good point," Andy agreed, "and rather confirms my thought that all of us Tall Ones should be in the rescue party."
"Older half to deal with the artifact, younger half to clear the way?"
"Might want to do a bit of shuffling with the middle third, but that's basically what I'm thinking. And given that it is going to be all of us, it makes the most sense to do the planning in Silverymoon."
"Agreed." Dove then turned her attention back to Drizzt. "Would you be willing to come to Silverymoon with us, in order to be available for further consultation?"
"It would not cause problems for a drow to enter the city?" Drizzt asked.
"The city wards keep out evil non-humans," Andy said, "so no, it won't cause any problems."
Then, seeing Drizzt's dubious expression, he explained, "Much to Mother's vexation, humans are too muddled in overall alignment for the wards to work on them unless the individual human is utterly vile."
"Ah," Drizzt said. "I will come, then. Though I would appreciate advice on what I could occupy myself with at times when I am not needed."
"At a minimum, I'm sure you'd enjoy spending time in both the Vault of the Sages and the Palace library," Dove said.
"And with that settled, we should all get some rest," Andy said. "I'd like for us to teleport up as early in the morning as possible, given that I'm about to put out the call to my brothers."
As early as possible ended up being quite early indeed, given Drizzt's habit of a sunrise vigil and Dove's own lack of need for any more rest than elven-style meditation.
And as a result, it was less than two hours after dawn in Silverymoon when the Palace's Seneschal gave Drizzt the key for the suite Dove had requested from Alustriel during their nighttime conversation.
Based on the discomfort she could see in Drizzt simply for being told that the rooms were his, until such a time as he chose otherwise, Dove was very glad that she had specified that they should not be on the family floor.
But he seemed to be settling in well enough despite that discomfort, so after making sure he didn't need anything else explained to him, she promised to return in an hour or so, and headed for her own rooms.
Once he had seen the bathing arrangements in the rooms he had been given, Drizzt had been quite eager to take advantage of them, and after he had washed thoroughly, he gave in to the temptation for a hot soak.
However, given that Dove had said she would return in about an hour, he still kept track of time well enough that he had dressed, and was working the last few tangles out of his hair when she knocked on his door.
"Come in," he called.
When Dove entered Drizzt's rooms, she was greeted with the familiar sight of the drow dealing with the post-washing management of his long hair, and couldn't help but smile.
"I see the bath held the same allure for you that the ones here have for me when I've been out in the wilds for a while."
"It was... very enjoyable," Drizzt said.
"I'm glad it was," Dove replied. "Alustriel would like to meet you, but her schedule for today is busy enough that it will have to wait until her midday break.
"So I thought you might enjoy visiting Mielikki's Glade in the meantime."
"Mielikki is Florin's patron, yes?" Drizzt said.
"She is," Dove agreed, "and is in general a common patron for rangers."
"Then if it would not be considered an intrusion, I think I would like that."
"For all that the Glade is one of Mielikki's most sacred places, anyone who is willing to respect Her is welcome there, regardless of who they follow, so no, it wouldn't be intruding."
Drizzt put down the comb, put on his face-guard, then stood up and reached for his swordbelt.
"Then let's go," he said, moving towards the door even as he buckled the belt.
Alustriel's decision to meet Drizzt over lunch with Dove and Andy, in Dove's rooms, was proving to be a truly inspired one, given how at ease with her Drizzt had become, though Dove was glad that Drizzt had had a few hours after visiting the Glade to settle from the surprise and unease of learning that Mielikki had taken an interest in him.
The conversation had been rambling all over, but then it trended in a way that led Drizzt to mention that he was from Menzoberranzan, and Alustriel's surprised response of "I don't believe anyone else among Qilué’s people escaped from there" caused Dove to wish that she had made the time to tell Drizzt about Eilistraee and Her followers after realizing just how total his ignorance of them was.
The ensuing discussion about Eilistraee, Her followers, and Qilué being the Seventh Sister went better than Dove had thought it might.
After some initial surprise, Drizzt had accepted the idea of other good drow fairly quickly, saying that the existence of the others explained a great deal about how readily Dove and her family had accepted that he was good.
And once she had explained her reasons for not having brought the subject up with Drizzt prior to this, both he and Alustriel acknowledged that they made sense—though Alustriel had still twitted her with a teasing comment about whether Qilué would say the same.
Andy had mostly let Mother and Dove handle explaining the Eilistraeeans to Drizzt, but once the subject starting wrapping up, he spoke up with an offer.
"If you'd like to meet some of the Promenade's residents without having to go there yourself, I can ask if my cousin and her father would come here for a visit."
Drizzt's face took on a thoughtful expression, and he was quiet for a while, but eventually, he said, "I think I would like that, thank you."
Since Andy and Dove had agreed that it made the most sense to not start any serious planning until all of Andy's brothers had arrived in Silverymoon, Drizzt ended up having more than a month in which there were no true calls on his time.
Some of that time was spent getting to know Andy's drow cousin and uncle, as Ysolde and Elkantar had been entirely willing to come visit. And Drizzt had even ended up actually meeting the Seventh Sister, as Qilué had made the time to come thank him in person for finding Laeral, who was the one of her sisters that she was closest to.
More time was spent in lessons at the Glade, and—after first a sparring match with Andy, then one against a half-elven Knight in Silver by the name of Kolarven, and finally a genuinely challenging one that he lost, against a full elven Knight whom both Andy and Kolarven called Uncle—teaching the Knights-in-training, and even some of the Knights themselves.
Once all of the Tall Ones—and Drizzt was very surprised to find out that there were a full dozen of them—had arrived, they settled down to serious planning for rescuing Laeral.
After a full month of planning, all those participating in the rescue—which included Dove and Storm—agreed that they'd planned things as well as they could, so after a few days to prepare, the fourteen of them left Silverymoon and headed south to the High Forest.
About a week after they had left, eleven tired Tall Ones returned. Thankfully, before Drizzt could start to worry about the twelfth, or about Dove and Storm, Andy explained that the missing Tall One had gone to bring his teacher—who was apparently another one of the Chosen of Mystra—half of the pieces of the artifact that Laeral had been in thrall to, and Dove and Storm were seeing to getting Laeral herself settled into Syluné's care for her recovery.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Andelver Aerasumé, Drizzt Do'Urden, Dove Falconhand
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary:
It's not just the Sisters that tend to be interfering. Granted, interfering with the Sisters' plans might lead to interesting results.
Branches off of Merfilly's fic Seven Sisters of Mystra during Chapter 5.
Useful Interference
"That bad, huh?"
At the sound of his brother's voice, Tyresia lifted his head from where he'd been resting it on the desk he used for attending to any business required of him as the High Forest's Lore Keeper.
"Maybe?" he said to Andy, who was leaning against the wall beside the study's door. "Definitely a headache."
"Oh?" Andy had mostly come to see if Tyresia could use his assistance in dealing with whatever news had been in the message delivered by the falcon that was now being checked over by Charic and the village's best animal handler, but that statement actually made him curious about what the message had said.
"Take a look for yourself." Tyresia offered the message to Andy.
Taking it, Andy unrolled it and began to read.
'Single drow male seen making camp in the forest evening before last. Surface gear, twin curved blades, well-tended horse that clearly likes him. Watch kept through the night, followed him next morning. Reached northwest bank of Unicorn Run mid-afternoon, where it comes out of large southeast curve. Has since been circling area as if looking for something, seems to have some magical guide.'
"Well, I can see why you called it a headache. Want me to fly down on Kairthon and investigate?"
Tyresia's expression brightened with relief. "Yes, please. I'd very much like to avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings."
"Then I will gladly do so." Andy looked out the window, then continued. "With as late in the day as it is, it doesn't make much sense to leave now, so I'll check over my pack and components tonight and head out first thing in the morning."
Early the next evening, Kairthon dropped into the narrow gap in the tree cover over the Unicorn Run at the point mentioned in the message, then followed Andy's direction to land on the riverbank to their right.
Andy dismounted from Kairthon's back once she had all four hooves solidly on the ground, then made the combination of bird calls that was used by all the elves of the High Forest to signal for attention.
Shortly thereafter, an elf in typical scout's gear dropped down from one of the trees to his east.
"Greetings, Tall One," he said, dipping his head respectfully. "You have come because of the drow?"
"Greetings," Andy replied. "And yes, I have. I am Andelver. May I know your name?"
"I am Thamior," the scout said. "If you will follow me, I shall guide you to the drow's camp, though he has been gone from it for a couple of hours now."
And with that, he turned and began following the riverbank back to the east.
Andy and Kairthon followed him, and in only a little more time than it had taken Thamior to reach them, they came to a spot on the riverbank where a sturdy dun gelding—of Dalelands breeding, Andy thought—was grazing placidly.
No tack was immediately visible, but a quick look around revealed that it had been cleverly stored in the crook of a nearby tree.
A whistle from Thamior brought Andy's attention back to his guide, and then another scout—female this time—dropped down from a nearby tree.
"Andelver Aerasumé," Thamior said, "this is Keyleth, scout leader for the villages east of the Unicorn Run and south of the North Fork."
"Greetings, Andelver," Keyleth said. "I am glad to have a warrior of your reputation come in response to word of this drow."
Andy returned the greetings, then asked Keyleth to tell him of everything the drow had done since he was first seen.
When Keyleth's account of things was finished, Andy took some time to think, gently petting Kairthon's neck as he did so.
And once he felt that he had properly considered all the angles, he spoke.
"I certainly agree that it would be unwise to follow the drow into whatever underground space he has entered, but there is still the need to learn what his purpose in coming here is.
"So if you will show me where the entrance he used is, I will leave my friend here to keep an eye on the camp, and find a watch post for myself that provides a view of that entrance and, if possible, this camp."
"Will you require any further assistance from us after we have done that?" Keyleth asked.
"Since I intended to place an alarm spell on the entrance, I will not."
"Very well, then. Please follow me."
The entrance to the underground space proved to be close enough that Andy was easily able to find a spot that allowed him to watch both it and the camp, so once he had the alarm in place, he dismissed the scouts and set about making his own camp.
The drow had not emerged during the night, so once he had eaten breakfast and memorized his spells for the day, Andy used a sending to update Tyresia, then settled down to wait.
At a full day since his arrival, the drow had still not emerged, so Andy renewed the alarm spell before he prepared to sleep.
When the drow had still not emerged by the time he had finished memorizing his spells on the second morning of his watch, Andy found himself beginning to worry a little.
The gentle chime of the mental alarm sounded only a few hours later, however, so Andy took to the trees and headed back to where Kairthon was watching the drow's horse.
And when the drow returned to the horse, although he looked exhausted enough that Andy wanted to let him rest before speaking with him, it appeared that that would not be possible, as rather than making camp, the drow had retrieved the horse's tack and was now starting to ready it for travel.
A nicker from behind him as he was placing the saddle on his horse was startling enough that Drizzt immediately turned to see who had managed to sneak up on him.
But when he saw the source of the nicker, he found himself staring in awe. A pegasus was standing mere yards from him!
After a frozen moment that seemed to last forever, the pegasus began to move towards him, and Drizzt let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
And when it stopped right in front of him, then bumped its poll against his chest, Drizzt could hardly believe it.
"May I touch you, beautiful one?" he asked.
The pegasus gave a pleased-sounding nicker, then arched its neck so that the hand Drizzt raised ended up right behind its ears.
For all that Kairthon's peaceful approach to the drow had confirmed at least a neutral alignment, Andy couldn't help but stare for a moment when he rounded the tree he had just descended from to see that she was gladly accepting scratches from the drow—who himself had an expression of pure contentment on his face as he scratched behind her ears.
Reluctantly—for he was loath to disturb such a peaceful moment—Andy moved towards them with steps deliberately placed to make enough noise to alert the drow of his approach.
As much as Drizzt was enjoying the attention of such a pure being as the pegasus, he was not so lost in his enjoyment as to fail to notice footsteps approaching him.
Reluctantly ending the scratches he was giving, he turned to his right to see a very tall faerie, with oddly blunted eyes and ears, still some yards away. Odder than the eyes and ears, though, was the fact that there was a sword attached to his belt, even though he was wearing what looked like wizard robes, though they had clearly been modified substantially.
Then, almost as if it had been waiting for the faerie to approach—which, Drizzt ruefully acknowledged, might well be true—the pegasus trotted over to him and lipped at one of his belt pouches.
"Yes, yes, alright," the faerie laughed, "you can have a treat." Then he reached into the pouch and pulled out something that the pegasus quickly snapped up.
"This pegasus is yours, then?" Drizzt asked, unable to keep a hurt note out of his voice.
"Only by her own choice," Andy answered the drow. Then, to address the undoubted source of the hurt in the drow's voice, he added, "Her reaction to you was also her own choice."
The smile that bloomed on the drow's face at that addition made Andy very glad he had done so.
"And to answer the other question I'm sure you have, she and I were waiting for you because you were noticed by the elves of this part of the forest... four evenings ago, now, and there is a need to know what you were seeking, especially given the magical guide you had."
Drizzt sighed. He could not say it was an unreasonable thing for the elves to want to know, but he certainly wasn't going to explain while he was this exhausted.
"Then the two of you should join me, as I intend to sleep in the saddle while letting my horse follow the river out of the forest."
Andy blinked twice in surprise. Well, that at least explained why the drow was preparing to leave while so exhausted, though it also raised the question of why he felt there was such an urgent need to do so. And-
And he really should have introduced himself already. "Thank you.
"And I am afraid that I have been somewhat rude in my failure to introduce myself so far. I am Andelver Aerasumé, though I prefer to be called Andy."
"My name is Drizzt Do'Urden," the drow replied, before turning to finish saddling his horse.
Once they were out of the trees at the southern edge of the High Forest—but before they had left the trees' shade—Andy signaled Kairthon to halt.
And while he had been ready to stop Drizzt's horse if needed, it too halted once it was beside Kairthon, the change in its movement then drawing Drizzt out of his doze.
"Andy?" Drizzt asked, as he blinked his eyes several times against the brighter light. But before the other man could answer, his eyes adjusted. "Oh. We're out of the forest."
"I'm just tagging along with you, so our direction from here is your decision."
Andy watched with interest as a flash of indecision crossed Drizzt's face before the drow very deliberately turned his body away from Andy. And although that made it difficult to be certain of what Drizzt did next, Andy thought he had consulted something drawn out of one of his pouches, then returned the object to the pouch.
But whatever it was that he had done, it had clearly given him a direction, because he then turned to look at Andy and said, "We head west."
Andy allowed Drizzt to set the exact direction—which turned out to be more southwest than due west—before urging Kairthon up alongside the horse.
He remained silent for a while, but once he felt sure that Drizzt truly had gotten adequate rest from his horseback doze, he spoke.
"As I said earlier, there is a need to know what you were seeking for in the High Forest.
"You need not give me the details if they would expose secrets that are not yours to share, but I must have at least a general explanation."
Drizzt remained silent for some time, considering how to phrase things, then, when he felt he knew what to say, he began.
"There are some people who have given me a great deal of aid since I came to the Surface last year.
"When they realized how uncomfortable I was with having received so much aid without giving anything back to them, they offered me a quest to find a person they care about who none of them have either heard from directly or heard word of from others for several years."
Andy waited a few moments to see if Drizzt would say anything else, but when it proved nothing more was forthcoming, he sighed.
"What occurred underground to both leave you so exhausted and give you such a sense of urgency that you considered it necessary to sleep in the saddle rather than wait until you were rested to depart?"
"I found the person I was seeking, but the situation they are trapped in is not one I am capable of dealing with."
"Do you intend to bear word of the situation to those who gave you the quest, or are you now seeking to find people who can help you resolve it?"
Drizzt side-eyed Andy, then chose to answer with a question of his own. "What cause do you have to think I am doing the latter?"
"You're riding a Dalelands ranger's mount with Dalelands tack, but are now heading west rather than back towards the Dalelands."
Drizzt had not realized that either horses or tack could be so distinctive as to indicate their origin.
However, this line of questioning led to the artifact he had been entrusted with, so he attempted to deflect Andy once again.
"What makes you believe my horse and tack have that origin?"
"Some of my aunts live in the Dalelands. I've spent enough time with them to be quite familiar with the appearance."
Drizzt was silent for so long after that answer that Andy began to wonder if he had pushed too far.
But before it reached the point where he would have felt it necessary to rescind the original question, Drizzt spoke quietly.
"Those who gave me the quest were able to craft a magical guide for me.
"However, it was crafted in such a way that it responds to my current need. And when I checked it earlier, it indicated that the nearest person I should inform of the situation is to the west."
"Thank you for trusting me with that much," Andy said.
Drizzt nodded acknowledgement, and they rode on in silence.
For all that they had been riding in a blanket of awkward silence since the end of his questioning, Andy did not fail to notice that Drizzt was nevertheless sneaking frequent looks at him.
So after the third time the drow hastily looked away when he realized Andy had noticed his scrutiny, Andy decided to see if he could, at the very least, give Drizzt an open reason to be looking at him.
"Are there any questions you wish to ask of me?"
Drizzt didn't exactly startle, but it was still clear to Andy that the drow was surprised by his offer. Despite that surprise, however, he readily took Andy up on it.
"The people who have done the most to aid me since I came to the Surface made several mentions of half-elves.
"Is that why you are so tall and your eyes and ears look blunted compared to what I am used to?"
"It is," Andy replied. "While my father was an elf, my mother was a human.
"And although height among half-elves can vary quite a bit, depending on the height of the human parent, the rounder eyes and ears are universal."
"Your mother is very tall, then?"
Andy's answer to that question led to a discussion of the wide range of heights found among humans, especially when compared to the much narrower ranges of most other races.
That discussion then segued into discussing the typical height differences between men and women that was found in humans, which then slipped sideways into talking about Andy's family.
Eventually, however, Drizzt fell silent again, and the thoughtful look on his face would have discouraged further conversation even if Andy hadn't gained some thoughts to mull over himself.
After spending some time doing that mulling, Andy felt rather certain that his suspicions about the identities of the people who had aided Drizzt and given him the quest were correct.
Given Drizzt's extreme caginess earlier, however, Andy knew he wouldn't be able to get confirmation from that angle.
So he reached out over the anklets to Dove, Storm, and Syluné instead. ~Do any of you know a drow by the name of Drizzt Do'Urden?~
Dove's ~Yes! How did you meet him?~ was immediately followed by Syluné's ~How is he doing?~, and then Storm's ~What made you guess we know him?~ came on a new sending, so Andy was able to reply without having to wait for his anklet to recharge.
~He seems to be doing fine,~ he said, choosing to answer Syluné's question first. ~I met him because he was noticed by the elves in the southern part of the High Forest, a message was sent to Tyresia, and since I was visiting, I volunteered to take Kairthon and investigate.~
Switching to a new sending, he continued. ~As for how I guessed that you all might know him, that was a combination of factors, though the one that got me started was that he began looking at me like he was searching for hints of familiarity after I mentioned having aunts in the Dalelands.~
~That would certainly be a reason to start wondering,~ Dove said, ~especially when combined with the Dalelands horse and tack.~
~Agreed,~ Storm said, ~though I'm curious as to the reasoning for not simply asking Drizzt if he knows us.~
~Given the level of trust Drizzt is aware we've placed in him for his quest,~ Syluné said, ~I think it likely that he's given Andy reason to believe such a question would not be answered.~
~That's precisely why,~ Andy said. ~And speaking of his quest, would you mind telling me what it is? He was very cagey about it.~
~The Simbul offered him a quest to find Laeral,~ Syluné answered.
Andy was silent for a very long moment, as a number of things suddenly clicked into place... and then he started swearing.
Dove well understood that sometimes swearing was the best catharsis for certain emotions, but Andy reacting like that to hearing the nature of Drizzt's quest was not a good sign.
~Andy!~ she snapped. ~Calm down and tell us what's wrong!~
Andy let off a few more swears, then sighed. ~Well for one thing, I'm now pretty sure I know why he tried so hard to deflect the question that could not be answered without some explanation of the guide that you made for him, and then was silent for so long before he answered that I had started to consider rescinding the question.
~But more importantly, he was very exhausted when he emerged from what I now think is likely the Stronghold of the Nine, but was also feeling such a strong sense of urgency that he decided to sleep in the saddle while his horse followed the Unicorn Run out of the forest.~
~And the reason for that was...?~ Syluné prompted on a new sending, knowing that the cause of such urgency had to be the actual problem.
~His exact words, when I asked what had occurred to produce such a combination of exhaustion and urgency, were "I found the person I was seeking, but the situation they are trapped in is not one I am capable of dealing with."~
~Azuth's balls!~ Dove took a deep breath, then moved on to planning. ~Let me use your eyes, so I can join the two of you?~
~Don't think I'd be able to convince Drizzt to pause,~ Andy replied, ~even for as little time as it would take for you to join us, but I can do it when we make camp for the night.~
~He won't pause while it's light out, but he also won't run his horse into the ground?~ Dove chuckled. That was exactly the sort of thing Drizzt would do. ~Very well, then. I'll see you tonight.~
Tending his horse as Andy did the same for his pegasus, Drizzt once again found his thoughts going in circles.
He was, at this point, almost certain that Andy was closely related to Dove and her sisters. And if the half-elf truly was, then Drizzt really ought to tell him the full truth of the quest and what had been discovered.
But "almost" was not the same as "completely", and if Drizzt was wrong, telling Andy would be a violation of the trust the Sisters had placed in him.
The simplest solution would be to just ask Andy about the names of his aunts in the Dalelands, but even with the proof of Andy's goodly nature that his pegasus companion was, something in Drizzt was balking at the idea of relying solely on Andy's word.
Shaking his head to break up the circling thoughts, Drizzt looked up from his horse to see that Andy had stopped grooming his friend and was instead looking directly at a distinctive tumble of rocks near this location where they had chosen to make camp.
The shimmering of an incoming teleport, between Andy and the rocks, made Drizzt concerned, but before he could say anything, the shimmer became the silver stars that marked the Sisters' teleports, then faded to reveal...
"Dove?!"
"It's good to see you again, Drizzt, even with Laeral's situation having proved to be so dire."
The simple fact of Dove's arrival had already been solidifying Drizzt's feeling that Andy was closely related to her, especially now that he could see how close the physical resemblance was, but her words turned the feeling into a rock-hard certainty.
"So Andy is a close relative, then," he said.
"My nephew," Dove agreed. Then, seeing the incomprehension on Drizzt's face, she explained, "A nephew is the son of a sibling."
"So an 'aunt' would be the sibling of a parent?" Drizzt asked.
"Specifically, the sister of a parent," Dove said. "The brother of a parent is an uncle."
Andy waited until the brief vocabulary lesson was finished, then spoke himself.
"And I offer my sincere apologies for pushing so hard on that one question. Knowing what your quest was makes it obvious to me why you were so reluctant to answer."
Drizzt dipped his head in acknowledgement, then—for his own understanding—said, "Dove's words make it clear that you've shared what I told you about the results of my quest, but what led you to contact her?"
After Andy's quick summary of the things that had roused his suspicions as to the identities of Drizzt's benefactors, Dove brought the conversation back around to the reason she had come.
"Once you finish tending your horse, Drizzt, I'd like the full report on what you found."
Drizzt had known that had to be why she had come as soon as she had said "Laeral's situation", so he simply nodded, and turned his attention back to the horse.
It hadn't taken long for Drizzt to finish, and once the horse had been turned over to Kairthon's supervision, Andy, Dove, and Drizzt had all gotten out some trail rations, then settled down for Drizzt's report.
Now, as Drizzt wrapped up a very thorough report, Andy thanked him, then gave a huge sigh and turned to look at Dove.
"Just getting to Laeral is going to require multiple wizards, and I don't think I want any wizard who worked on clearing the way to also participate in freeing her from whatever that artifact is."
"If they're not going to cast any spells while getting to Laeral, they'd better have some other way to defend themselves," Dove replied. "And the rest of the wizards should as well, just to be safe."
"That's a good point," Andy agreed, "and rather confirms my thought that all of us Tall Ones should be in the rescue party."
"Older half to deal with the artifact, younger half to clear the way?"
"Might want to do a bit of shuffling with the middle third, but that's basically what I'm thinking. And given that it is going to be all of us, it makes the most sense to do the planning in Silverymoon."
"Agreed." Dove then turned her attention back to Drizzt. "Would you be willing to come to Silverymoon with us, in order to be available for further consultation?"
"It would not cause problems for a drow to enter the city?" Drizzt asked.
"The city wards keep out evil non-humans," Andy said, "so no, it won't cause any problems."
Then, seeing Drizzt's dubious expression, he explained, "Much to Mother's vexation, humans are too muddled in overall alignment for the wards to work on them unless the individual human is utterly vile."
"Ah," Drizzt said. "I will come, then. Though I would appreciate advice on what I could occupy myself with at times when I am not needed."
"At a minimum, I'm sure you'd enjoy spending time in both the Vault of the Sages and the Palace library," Dove said.
"And with that settled, we should all get some rest," Andy said. "I'd like for us to teleport up as early in the morning as possible, given that I'm about to put out the call to my brothers."
As early as possible ended up being quite early indeed, given Drizzt's habit of a sunrise vigil and Dove's own lack of need for any more rest than elven-style meditation.
And as a result, it was less than two hours after dawn in Silverymoon when the Palace's Seneschal gave Drizzt the key for the suite Dove had requested from Alustriel during their nighttime conversation.
Based on the discomfort she could see in Drizzt simply for being told that the rooms were his, until such a time as he chose otherwise, Dove was very glad that she had specified that they should not be on the family floor.
But he seemed to be settling in well enough despite that discomfort, so after making sure he didn't need anything else explained to him, she promised to return in an hour or so, and headed for her own rooms.
Once he had seen the bathing arrangements in the rooms he had been given, Drizzt had been quite eager to take advantage of them, and after he had washed thoroughly, he gave in to the temptation for a hot soak.
However, given that Dove had said she would return in about an hour, he still kept track of time well enough that he had dressed, and was working the last few tangles out of his hair when she knocked on his door.
"Come in," he called.
When Dove entered Drizzt's rooms, she was greeted with the familiar sight of the drow dealing with the post-washing management of his long hair, and couldn't help but smile.
"I see the bath held the same allure for you that the ones here have for me when I've been out in the wilds for a while."
"It was... very enjoyable," Drizzt said.
"I'm glad it was," Dove replied. "Alustriel would like to meet you, but her schedule for today is busy enough that it will have to wait until her midday break.
"So I thought you might enjoy visiting Mielikki's Glade in the meantime."
"Mielikki is Florin's patron, yes?" Drizzt said.
"She is," Dove agreed, "and is in general a common patron for rangers."
"Then if it would not be considered an intrusion, I think I would like that."
"For all that the Glade is one of Mielikki's most sacred places, anyone who is willing to respect Her is welcome there, regardless of who they follow, so no, it wouldn't be intruding."
Drizzt put down the comb, put on his face-guard, then stood up and reached for his swordbelt.
"Then let's go," he said, moving towards the door even as he buckled the belt.
Alustriel's decision to meet Drizzt over lunch with Dove and Andy, in Dove's rooms, was proving to be a truly inspired one, given how at ease with her Drizzt had become, though Dove was glad that Drizzt had had a few hours after visiting the Glade to settle from the surprise and unease of learning that Mielikki had taken an interest in him.
The conversation had been rambling all over, but then it trended in a way that led Drizzt to mention that he was from Menzoberranzan, and Alustriel's surprised response of "I don't believe anyone else among Qilué’s people escaped from there" caused Dove to wish that she had made the time to tell Drizzt about Eilistraee and Her followers after realizing just how total his ignorance of them was.
The ensuing discussion about Eilistraee, Her followers, and Qilué being the Seventh Sister went better than Dove had thought it might.
After some initial surprise, Drizzt had accepted the idea of other good drow fairly quickly, saying that the existence of the others explained a great deal about how readily Dove and her family had accepted that he was good.
And once she had explained her reasons for not having brought the subject up with Drizzt prior to this, both he and Alustriel acknowledged that they made sense—though Alustriel had still twitted her with a teasing comment about whether Qilué would say the same.
Andy had mostly let Mother and Dove handle explaining the Eilistraeeans to Drizzt, but once the subject starting wrapping up, he spoke up with an offer.
"If you'd like to meet some of the Promenade's residents without having to go there yourself, I can ask if my cousin and her father would come here for a visit."
Drizzt's face took on a thoughtful expression, and he was quiet for a while, but eventually, he said, "I think I would like that, thank you."
Since Andy and Dove had agreed that it made the most sense to not start any serious planning until all of Andy's brothers had arrived in Silverymoon, Drizzt ended up having more than a month in which there were no true calls on his time.
Some of that time was spent getting to know Andy's drow cousin and uncle, as Ysolde and Elkantar had been entirely willing to come visit. And Drizzt had even ended up actually meeting the Seventh Sister, as Qilué had made the time to come thank him in person for finding Laeral, who was the one of her sisters that she was closest to.
More time was spent in lessons at the Glade, and—after first a sparring match with Andy, then one against a half-elven Knight in Silver by the name of Kolarven, and finally a genuinely challenging one that he lost, against a full elven Knight whom both Andy and Kolarven called Uncle—teaching the Knights-in-training, and even some of the Knights themselves.
Once all of the Tall Ones—and Drizzt was very surprised to find out that there were a full dozen of them—had arrived, they settled down to serious planning for rescuing Laeral.
After a full month of planning, all those participating in the rescue—which included Dove and Storm—agreed that they'd planned things as well as they could, so after a few days to prepare, the fourteen of them left Silverymoon and headed south to the High Forest.
About a week after they had left, eleven tired Tall Ones returned. Thankfully, before Drizzt could start to worry about the twelfth, or about Dove and Storm, Andy explained that the missing Tall One had gone to bring his teacher—who was apparently another one of the Chosen of Mystra—half of the pieces of the artifact that Laeral had been in thrall to, and Dove and Storm were seeing to getting Laeral herself settled into Syluné's care for her recovery.
