Forgotten Realms: New fic
May. 29th, 2024 06:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
somarielThe Skeptic and the Ranger (2653 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Drizzt Do'Urden, Original Elf Character(s), Original Human Character(s)
Additional Tags: Ensemble Cast, Canon Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary:
Drizzt had only just begun the trek back to his wintering cave, but when he saw a large force of goblinoids—three bugbears, six hobgoblins, and more than a hundred goblins—accompanied by a dire wolf and six worgs, come down out of the mountains on the southern side of the Silverymoon Pass and head towards Silverymoon's outlying farmsteads, he knew he had to follow them, no matter that it was well past when he should have headed back.
And several days later, sitting up in a tree with Guen as they watched the force assemble just inside the woods at the edge of a large farmstead, he was very glad he had.
Having seen that Silverymoon's protectors included the farmsteads in their protections, he had managed to convince a hawk to carry a warning to the sacred place of Mielikki's he was aware was in the city, but the goblinoids were clearly preparing to attack, and with no sign of the Knights in Silver, it was going to be up to him and Guen to do their best to protect the farmstead.
So when the force started to move out into the farm's cleared area, he gave a nod to Guen, who launched herself off the branch she had been resting on to land on the dire wolf's back.
And while even the bugbears stared in shock as Guen swiftly tore out its throat before racing to get between them and the farmstead, Drizzt used his bow to pick off some of the goblins.
Then, having managed to take out half a dozen before the bugbears began shouting orders, he slipped down from the tree, set the bow and quiver aside, drew his scimitars, and headed for the bugbear he had marked out as the leader.
The force of Knights and Spellguards Korvallen was leading was barely a mile from the farmstead that aerial scouting had identified as the goblinoids' target when they began to see goblins running towards them in a clear panic.
"What in-?" Kolarven's startled exclamation from off to the side broke off as some of the goblins saw the Knights, screamed, and then started fleeing to both the left and the right.
Signaling his horse to pick up speed, Korvallen looked at his nibling and gave a wry smile. "I think the fight must have already started."
The rest of the force quickly followed his lead in picking up the pace, and soon enough, they were all galloping towards the farmhouse.
At a few hundred yards away, the clash of metal on metal grew loud enough to be faintly heard over the thundering of the horses' hooves, and Korvallen signaled for the force to split and come around the farmhouse from both sides in order to catch the goblinoids in a pincer.
But when his half of the force rounded the back corner of the farmhouse, he couldn't help but rein in his horse and stare.
Closest to them, just a handful of yards out from the back of the farmhouse, an enormous panther stood guard, the bodies of four worgs and many goblins scattered the length of the house along a line that never got closer to it than the panther was.
A dozen yards or so beyond that, someone with long, unbound white hair and a green cloak was engaging a bugbear, dead goblins and eight larger humanoids, plus three canine bodies, strewn around the combatants. And all around the edges of the area, goblins were fleeing in every direction except towards the farmhouse.
A mrowl drew Korvallen's attention back to the panther, and it deliberately locked eyes with him for a moment before inclining its head towards him. And then it turned and raced towards the fighters, circling for the far side.
The bugbear stumbled as the panther passed behind it, and the other fighter took advantage of that to end the fight.
Then the other fighter turned towards them, and Korvallen felt himself waver in shock. The fighter who had been defending the farm was a drow!
But even as he tried to make sense of that, the drow swayed on his feet, and Korvallen noticed the numerous wounds he bore.
The panther had moved up right beside the drow when he swayed, and when he dropped his swords and collapsed, it caught him on its back before he could hit the ground.
Another mrowl from the panther shook Korvallen out of his frozen shock over the drow, and he began giving orders—including, somewhat grudgingly, for the drow to be given first aid.
By the time all the goblinoids and canines were buried and the farmers had been reassured, one of the Spellguards had put the drow in stasis, and when the force headed back to Silverymoon, they brought the drow with them.
With the hawk that had brought the message warning of the goblinoid force having come to the Glade, it was obvious that the sender must have been a member of Mielikki's church, but no one had given any more thought to the matter... until this morning, when She had been firm that Grevaine needed to be at the Sundabar Gate for the return of the force that had been sent to deal with the threat.
Her insistence had generated much speculation at the Cloister as to who might have so much of Her favor, but as the force came through the gate, Grevaine noticed the summoned mount led by a Spellguard, that was carrying a still form, and wondered if perhaps the insistence was because of injuries rather than favor.
Stepping forward, he caught the lead Knight's attention, and the elf signaled for the force to pause.
"Knight-Captain Korvallen," he called in greeting.
"Leaf Grevaine," Korvallen replied. "What brings you to greet our return?"
"Mielikki wishes for Her ranger to be brought to the Cloister." The words came out of Grevaine's mouth without any true thought, which was enough to tell him that regardless of any injuries, whoever this ranger was did indeed have Her favor, and quite strongly.
Korvallen's expression briefly looked like he'd bitten into a lemon, causing Grevaine to wonder why, but he turned and called out, "Kolarven, Talaris, you're to bring the ranger to the Cloister with Leaf Grevaine."
And even as Korvallen began to lead the rest of the force toward the Palace, a half-elf Knight and the Spellguard leading the summoned mount were moving towards Grevaine.
But the true surprise of the morning came when the pair got close enough for Grevaine to clearly see the still form on the summoned mount. Because the white hair and black skin made it clear that the ranger was a drow.
Which at least explained Korvallen's momentary sour expression, but also left Grevaine more curious than before as to how a drow had gained so much of Mielikki's favor.
"Saers," Grevaine said as the pair reached easy conversational distance. "Given his stillness, I'm assuming the ranger is injured, so if you could detail the injuries for me on the way to the Cloister, that would be of assistance in ensuring he receives the full healing necessary."
"Of course," the Knight said.
And as they turned onto the road leading back to the Cloister, the Knight began to explain.
Korvallen's skepticism of the drow ranger being anything other than neutral had been heavily shaken when his panther Companion proved to be an astral being, but it wasn't until they were met on their return by the third-ranked cleric of Mielikki in the city that he actually was willing to believe that the drow might truly be good.
Even so, however, he was still in a foul mood when he stalked into Besnell's office to give his report.
"Please don't tell me that you arrived too late," the other elf said as Kor settled into the chair in front of the desk.
"If not for the ranger who sent the warning and his Companion, we would have been," Kor answered, "but that's not what has me riled up."
"What is it, then?" Besnell asked.
"One ranger and an astral panther between them dealt with a dire wolf, six worgs, three bugbears, six hobgoblins, and more than ninety goblins," Kor said.
"Our force could have had half the number we actually sent and still been just as effective, since all we were needed for was the cleanup.
"And as if that wasn't enough annoyance, the ranger who is so frighteningly skilled is a gods-be-damned drow!"
Besnell blinked in surprise a few times before choosing his next words carefully. "At least we can be thankful he's not a typical drow, given his obvious skill?
"Since you wouldn't be so aggrieved if you'd had cause to kill him."
Kor sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Very much not a typical drow. Not only does he somehow have an astral panther for a Companion, he's apparently so favored by Khalreshaar that Leaf Grevaine was waiting for us at the Sundabar Gate to ensure that he was brought to the Cloister for healing."
"So his ability to deal with such a large force was not without consequence, then?"
Kor straightened up as Besnell's words cut through the fear that the drow's skill had generated in him. "No, it wasn't. Damn near killed him, in fact. We had to have one of the Spellguards put him in stasis just to keep him alive long enough to get back to the city."
Besnell nodded, then hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Given the demonstrated skill, it might be worth seeing if he could help any of our people improve their own skills.
"If, of course, he chooses to stay in the city once he is fully recovered."
"Huh." Kor sat back and turned that idea over for a bit before speaking again. "Think I'd want to test him myself before agreeing, but, well, a good sparring partner would help with that recovery, wouldn't it?"
"Should I send a message to the Cloister with that offer, then?"
"Yes."
When he had collapsed after taking down the last bugbear, Drizzt had not fully expected to wake up, so when he did, he took a moment to just take in his surroundings.
He was lying in a sturdy cot in just his underlayer of clothing, with a warm blanket over him. The cot was positioned in front a large window overlooking a tree-lined slope down to an old wall, with a river on the other side of the wall, while the angle of the shadows cast by the wall and the trees indicated that the sun was low in the sky, though he was not sure whether it was morning or evening. And off to his right, there was a low table that held both his belongings, Guen's figure prominent among them, and a tray with a light meal, a cup, and a decanter.
Past that was a stone wall, and to his left and behind him was a canvas curtain, beyond which he could hear quiet voices and the crackling of a fire.
And most importantly, someone had healed him while he was unconscious, though some of the lighter wounds were still present under bandages.
But before he could move on to figuring out exactly what had happened, his stomach growled, and he set about getting the meal into himself.
He was just finishing when an older human male came around the curtain and smiled at him.
"I am glad to see you are awake, ranger," the man said. "I am Grevaine, cleric of our shared Lady, and we are within Mielikki's Cloister in Silverymoon."
"In Silverymoon?" Drizzt knew he sounded addled as he repeated the cleric's last words, but the last he remembered, he had been defending the farmstead the goblinoids had chosen to attack.
"Yes," Grevaine said. "The force that was sent out thanks to your warning brought you with them when they returned."
Now that Grevaine had said that, Drizzt could hazily recall seeing riders coming around the farmhouse right before he lost consciousness, but he nevertheless remained wary, knowing that he had to have received healing while he was unconscious.
"And what will be asked of me as repayment for my healing?"
It was only the feeling of Mielikki's amusement that kept him from bristling at Grevaine's laugh, but the cleric's reply still came as a surprise. "Ranger, Silverymoon owes you a great deal. Your healing is the absolute least that can be done to repay that debt."
Drizzt was uncomfortable with the idea of being owed anything for simply doing what a ranger must, but between his practical side and Mielikki's soothing, he felt he could resign himself to it.
But Grevaine's address of him also reminded him that he had not yet introduced himself. "I am Drizzt Do'Urden," he said.
"And do you have any further questions for me, Ranger Do'Urden?"
"How long was I unconscious for?" Drizzt asked. "Most of a day," Grevaine replied, "as the force sent returned this morning, with you under stasis, and it is now approaching sunset."
Drizzt nodded acknowledgement of Grevaine's words, though he was still uncomfortable with how much magic had been expended for his sake, and then another question occurred to him. "Why am I on a cot in a public room?" he asked.
"Mielikki was quite clear on the fact that you heal best when close to nature.
"But since it is getting rather cold for camping in the Sacred Glade, this room overlooking the river was the best we could manage." Grevaine paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face, then continued. "And speaking of healing best, the Knights in Silver have issued an invitation for you find sparring partners among their number while you recover and, if you choose to remain in the city, after that as well.”
Though Alustriel had known that Kor's first sparring match with the drow ranger had been today, she was still surprised to find him waiting in her rooms after evenfeast, even knowing that he likely would have needed to vent to someone.
But she was careful not to show that as she said, "Is this a casual visit, Kor, or is there something on your mind?"
"You need to ask your youngest sister what in the Abyss she thought she was doing, letting someone as young as that ranger travel alone, even if he is able to give me a true challenge."
"I... what? What do you mean, Kor?" That was not even close to what she had thought he might say, and she knew her face had to be showing it.
Kor sighed, and when he spoke again, she could hear the very mixed emotions in his tone. "The drow ranger is, unless I'm greatly mistaken, younger than Del. And he's a full blood.
"So I want to know why he's traveling alone when your sister's people hold to the same age of majority as elves."
"Oh. My." That was... very young indeed to be traveling alone. "Well, give me a chance to change into something more casual, and then I'll reach out to her."
"Of course, Elué."
Qilué's bewildered surprise over Korvallen's inquiry had led to her consulting with Eilistraee about the ranger, and the results of that conversation had necessitated Alustriel meeting him, to allow Mystra to deal with whatever was preventing the Dark Maiden from perceiving him.
But once the shroud had been removed, Drizzt Do'Urden continued to settle into the city, learning from the other followers of Mielikki wintering at the Cloister, and regularly sparring with Kor—and sometimes other Knights as well.
As winter wore on, Drizzt eventually moved from simply sparring, to actually teaching, under a formal contract as an instructor, as well as signing on as a ranger-at-need.
And in the spring, he found a house in the city with assistance from the Glade.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Drizzt Do'Urden, Original Elf Character(s), Original Human Character(s)
Additional Tags: Ensemble Cast, Canon Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary:
No matter what he had seen, Korvallen didn’t want to believe it.
The Skeptic and the Ranger
Drizzt had only just begun the trek back to his wintering cave, but when he saw a large force of goblinoids—three bugbears, six hobgoblins, and more than a hundred goblins—accompanied by a dire wolf and six worgs, come down out of the mountains on the southern side of the Silverymoon Pass and head towards Silverymoon's outlying farmsteads, he knew he had to follow them, no matter that it was well past when he should have headed back.
And several days later, sitting up in a tree with Guen as they watched the force assemble just inside the woods at the edge of a large farmstead, he was very glad he had.
Having seen that Silverymoon's protectors included the farmsteads in their protections, he had managed to convince a hawk to carry a warning to the sacred place of Mielikki's he was aware was in the city, but the goblinoids were clearly preparing to attack, and with no sign of the Knights in Silver, it was going to be up to him and Guen to do their best to protect the farmstead.
So when the force started to move out into the farm's cleared area, he gave a nod to Guen, who launched herself off the branch she had been resting on to land on the dire wolf's back.
And while even the bugbears stared in shock as Guen swiftly tore out its throat before racing to get between them and the farmstead, Drizzt used his bow to pick off some of the goblins.
Then, having managed to take out half a dozen before the bugbears began shouting orders, he slipped down from the tree, set the bow and quiver aside, drew his scimitars, and headed for the bugbear he had marked out as the leader.
The force of Knights and Spellguards Korvallen was leading was barely a mile from the farmstead that aerial scouting had identified as the goblinoids' target when they began to see goblins running towards them in a clear panic.
"What in-?" Kolarven's startled exclamation from off to the side broke off as some of the goblins saw the Knights, screamed, and then started fleeing to both the left and the right.
Signaling his horse to pick up speed, Korvallen looked at his nibling and gave a wry smile. "I think the fight must have already started."
The rest of the force quickly followed his lead in picking up the pace, and soon enough, they were all galloping towards the farmhouse.
At a few hundred yards away, the clash of metal on metal grew loud enough to be faintly heard over the thundering of the horses' hooves, and Korvallen signaled for the force to split and come around the farmhouse from both sides in order to catch the goblinoids in a pincer.
But when his half of the force rounded the back corner of the farmhouse, he couldn't help but rein in his horse and stare.
Closest to them, just a handful of yards out from the back of the farmhouse, an enormous panther stood guard, the bodies of four worgs and many goblins scattered the length of the house along a line that never got closer to it than the panther was.
A dozen yards or so beyond that, someone with long, unbound white hair and a green cloak was engaging a bugbear, dead goblins and eight larger humanoids, plus three canine bodies, strewn around the combatants. And all around the edges of the area, goblins were fleeing in every direction except towards the farmhouse.
A mrowl drew Korvallen's attention back to the panther, and it deliberately locked eyes with him for a moment before inclining its head towards him. And then it turned and raced towards the fighters, circling for the far side.
The bugbear stumbled as the panther passed behind it, and the other fighter took advantage of that to end the fight.
Then the other fighter turned towards them, and Korvallen felt himself waver in shock. The fighter who had been defending the farm was a drow!
But even as he tried to make sense of that, the drow swayed on his feet, and Korvallen noticed the numerous wounds he bore.
The panther had moved up right beside the drow when he swayed, and when he dropped his swords and collapsed, it caught him on its back before he could hit the ground.
Another mrowl from the panther shook Korvallen out of his frozen shock over the drow, and he began giving orders—including, somewhat grudgingly, for the drow to be given first aid.
By the time all the goblinoids and canines were buried and the farmers had been reassured, one of the Spellguards had put the drow in stasis, and when the force headed back to Silverymoon, they brought the drow with them.
With the hawk that had brought the message warning of the goblinoid force having come to the Glade, it was obvious that the sender must have been a member of Mielikki's church, but no one had given any more thought to the matter... until this morning, when She had been firm that Grevaine needed to be at the Sundabar Gate for the return of the force that had been sent to deal with the threat.
Her insistence had generated much speculation at the Cloister as to who might have so much of Her favor, but as the force came through the gate, Grevaine noticed the summoned mount led by a Spellguard, that was carrying a still form, and wondered if perhaps the insistence was because of injuries rather than favor.
Stepping forward, he caught the lead Knight's attention, and the elf signaled for the force to pause.
"Knight-Captain Korvallen," he called in greeting.
"Leaf Grevaine," Korvallen replied. "What brings you to greet our return?"
"Mielikki wishes for Her ranger to be brought to the Cloister." The words came out of Grevaine's mouth without any true thought, which was enough to tell him that regardless of any injuries, whoever this ranger was did indeed have Her favor, and quite strongly.
Korvallen's expression briefly looked like he'd bitten into a lemon, causing Grevaine to wonder why, but he turned and called out, "Kolarven, Talaris, you're to bring the ranger to the Cloister with Leaf Grevaine."
And even as Korvallen began to lead the rest of the force toward the Palace, a half-elf Knight and the Spellguard leading the summoned mount were moving towards Grevaine.
But the true surprise of the morning came when the pair got close enough for Grevaine to clearly see the still form on the summoned mount. Because the white hair and black skin made it clear that the ranger was a drow.
Which at least explained Korvallen's momentary sour expression, but also left Grevaine more curious than before as to how a drow had gained so much of Mielikki's favor.
"Saers," Grevaine said as the pair reached easy conversational distance. "Given his stillness, I'm assuming the ranger is injured, so if you could detail the injuries for me on the way to the Cloister, that would be of assistance in ensuring he receives the full healing necessary."
"Of course," the Knight said.
And as they turned onto the road leading back to the Cloister, the Knight began to explain.
Korvallen's skepticism of the drow ranger being anything other than neutral had been heavily shaken when his panther Companion proved to be an astral being, but it wasn't until they were met on their return by the third-ranked cleric of Mielikki in the city that he actually was willing to believe that the drow might truly be good.
Even so, however, he was still in a foul mood when he stalked into Besnell's office to give his report.
"Please don't tell me that you arrived too late," the other elf said as Kor settled into the chair in front of the desk.
"If not for the ranger who sent the warning and his Companion, we would have been," Kor answered, "but that's not what has me riled up."
"What is it, then?" Besnell asked.
"One ranger and an astral panther between them dealt with a dire wolf, six worgs, three bugbears, six hobgoblins, and more than ninety goblins," Kor said.
"Our force could have had half the number we actually sent and still been just as effective, since all we were needed for was the cleanup.
"And as if that wasn't enough annoyance, the ranger who is so frighteningly skilled is a gods-be-damned drow!"
Besnell blinked in surprise a few times before choosing his next words carefully. "At least we can be thankful he's not a typical drow, given his obvious skill?
"Since you wouldn't be so aggrieved if you'd had cause to kill him."
Kor sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Very much not a typical drow. Not only does he somehow have an astral panther for a Companion, he's apparently so favored by Khalreshaar that Leaf Grevaine was waiting for us at the Sundabar Gate to ensure that he was brought to the Cloister for healing."
"So his ability to deal with such a large force was not without consequence, then?"
Kor straightened up as Besnell's words cut through the fear that the drow's skill had generated in him. "No, it wasn't. Damn near killed him, in fact. We had to have one of the Spellguards put him in stasis just to keep him alive long enough to get back to the city."
Besnell nodded, then hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Given the demonstrated skill, it might be worth seeing if he could help any of our people improve their own skills.
"If, of course, he chooses to stay in the city once he is fully recovered."
"Huh." Kor sat back and turned that idea over for a bit before speaking again. "Think I'd want to test him myself before agreeing, but, well, a good sparring partner would help with that recovery, wouldn't it?"
"Should I send a message to the Cloister with that offer, then?"
"Yes."
When he had collapsed after taking down the last bugbear, Drizzt had not fully expected to wake up, so when he did, he took a moment to just take in his surroundings.
He was lying in a sturdy cot in just his underlayer of clothing, with a warm blanket over him. The cot was positioned in front a large window overlooking a tree-lined slope down to an old wall, with a river on the other side of the wall, while the angle of the shadows cast by the wall and the trees indicated that the sun was low in the sky, though he was not sure whether it was morning or evening. And off to his right, there was a low table that held both his belongings, Guen's figure prominent among them, and a tray with a light meal, a cup, and a decanter.
Past that was a stone wall, and to his left and behind him was a canvas curtain, beyond which he could hear quiet voices and the crackling of a fire.
And most importantly, someone had healed him while he was unconscious, though some of the lighter wounds were still present under bandages.
But before he could move on to figuring out exactly what had happened, his stomach growled, and he set about getting the meal into himself.
He was just finishing when an older human male came around the curtain and smiled at him.
"I am glad to see you are awake, ranger," the man said. "I am Grevaine, cleric of our shared Lady, and we are within Mielikki's Cloister in Silverymoon."
"In Silverymoon?" Drizzt knew he sounded addled as he repeated the cleric's last words, but the last he remembered, he had been defending the farmstead the goblinoids had chosen to attack.
"Yes," Grevaine said. "The force that was sent out thanks to your warning brought you with them when they returned."
Now that Grevaine had said that, Drizzt could hazily recall seeing riders coming around the farmhouse right before he lost consciousness, but he nevertheless remained wary, knowing that he had to have received healing while he was unconscious.
"And what will be asked of me as repayment for my healing?"
It was only the feeling of Mielikki's amusement that kept him from bristling at Grevaine's laugh, but the cleric's reply still came as a surprise. "Ranger, Silverymoon owes you a great deal. Your healing is the absolute least that can be done to repay that debt."
Drizzt was uncomfortable with the idea of being owed anything for simply doing what a ranger must, but between his practical side and Mielikki's soothing, he felt he could resign himself to it.
But Grevaine's address of him also reminded him that he had not yet introduced himself. "I am Drizzt Do'Urden," he said.
"And do you have any further questions for me, Ranger Do'Urden?"
"How long was I unconscious for?" Drizzt asked. "Most of a day," Grevaine replied, "as the force sent returned this morning, with you under stasis, and it is now approaching sunset."
Drizzt nodded acknowledgement of Grevaine's words, though he was still uncomfortable with how much magic had been expended for his sake, and then another question occurred to him. "Why am I on a cot in a public room?" he asked.
"Mielikki was quite clear on the fact that you heal best when close to nature.
"But since it is getting rather cold for camping in the Sacred Glade, this room overlooking the river was the best we could manage." Grevaine paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face, then continued. "And speaking of healing best, the Knights in Silver have issued an invitation for you find sparring partners among their number while you recover and, if you choose to remain in the city, after that as well.”
Though Alustriel had known that Kor's first sparring match with the drow ranger had been today, she was still surprised to find him waiting in her rooms after evenfeast, even knowing that he likely would have needed to vent to someone.
But she was careful not to show that as she said, "Is this a casual visit, Kor, or is there something on your mind?"
"You need to ask your youngest sister what in the Abyss she thought she was doing, letting someone as young as that ranger travel alone, even if he is able to give me a true challenge."
"I... what? What do you mean, Kor?" That was not even close to what she had thought he might say, and she knew her face had to be showing it.
Kor sighed, and when he spoke again, she could hear the very mixed emotions in his tone. "The drow ranger is, unless I'm greatly mistaken, younger than Del. And he's a full blood.
"So I want to know why he's traveling alone when your sister's people hold to the same age of majority as elves."
"Oh. My." That was... very young indeed to be traveling alone. "Well, give me a chance to change into something more casual, and then I'll reach out to her."
"Of course, Elué."
Qilué's bewildered surprise over Korvallen's inquiry had led to her consulting with Eilistraee about the ranger, and the results of that conversation had necessitated Alustriel meeting him, to allow Mystra to deal with whatever was preventing the Dark Maiden from perceiving him.
But once the shroud had been removed, Drizzt Do'Urden continued to settle into the city, learning from the other followers of Mielikki wintering at the Cloister, and regularly sparring with Kor—and sometimes other Knights as well.
As winter wore on, Drizzt eventually moved from simply sparring, to actually teaching, under a formal contract as an instructor, as well as signing on as a ranger-at-need.
And in the spring, he found a house in the city with assistance from the Glade.
