Inside My Mind

Soul Gems and Soul Bonds (9957 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 3/3
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Alustriel Silverhand/Original Character(s), Drizzt Do'Urden/Alustriel Silverhand
Characters: Alustriel Silverhand, Drizzt Do'Urden, Original Elf Character(s)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ensemble Cast
Series: Part 19 of A Crossing of the Realms
Summary:

What if the canon divergence of the series SharrSapphire happened in the universe of Helplessly Bound?

---

Beginning notes

This fic contains a certain amount of borrowing from the second fic in the series "SharrSapphire", since some scenes from that fic are covered in this one.

If you are confused by this fic, please go read the linked inspirations, as this fic very much assumes familiarity with them.

---

Chapter 1: Reactions

For all that no one knew what had caused Sharr to just disappear from the battlefield, Alustriel did know that he was still alive, because if she focused on their soulbond, she received a sort of floaty peaceful feeling.

And she wasn't just imagining it, either, because Kor got the same results from focusing on his soulbond with Sharr.

But even so, it was something that required action on her part to sense. So she was quite surprised the first time she received a distinct feeling of unease—though oddly enough, no sense of direction—over the bond with Sharr, as she had not been focusing on it.

The feeling didn't last all that long, but talking to Kor revealed that he had felt it too, and as the years passed with no sign of Sharr, she grew to welcome the intermittent moments of unease coming over the bond.

And when, thirty years after Sharr's disappearance, she felt growing wonder turn to visceral horror, and then determination still tinged by the horror, somewhere nearby to the north, it was something of a disappointment to learn that Kor had not felt it. But as the years passed without any further connection, it seemed that whoever her new soulbond was had vanished even more completely than Sharr.

Seven years after the new soulbond had been forged, however, the intermittent sense of unease from Sharr became a constant feeling that never went away. Kor was at just as much of a loss for any explanation as she was, and soon enough, she learned to mostly tune it out.

Three years after that, the sense of wonder from her second soulbond returned, accompanied by determination, and it soon became clear that whoever it was had returned from wherever they had vanished to after the first contact.

And that was how things continued for several years—constant unease from Sharr, and normal contact with her second soulbond.

---

The sense of unease coming over her bond with Sharr had been a constant presence for so long that Alustriel was actually surprised when, ten years after it had started—and seven since her other soulbond had returned—it abruptly ceased.

Interestingly enough, the cessation occurred shortly before the end of the 'elation' part of the 'danger, plan, elation' sequence that had started coming over her second soulbond maybe half an hour earlier.

But she would have thought it no more than an odd coincidence if not for the fact that the next time she felt anything from either of them, Sharr's unease started and ended almost simultaneously with the 'threat/wrong' she intermittently sensed from her second soulbond.

And after the third such incidence of synchronization between Sharr and her other soulbond, she decided it was time to talk to Korvallen about it.

---

Of all the things Korvallen thought Alustriel might have wanted to talk with him about, an unexpected synchronicity between Sharr's unease and a specific feeling from her other soulbond was not one of them.

And once he had taken some time to mull over what she had told him, he asked, "Is there any way Sharr could have been trapped in some magical object that your other soulbond picked up and has continued to carry?"

Alustriel hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe. I'll need to do a bit of research to be sure, since I wouldn't have thought that what I'm thinking of would allow for any awareness on the part of the trapped person."

"Then please do."

---

A few days later, Alustriel settled into the divan in Kor's outer room, and smiled at him. "It seems like your idea may well be correct," she said. "As there is a particular awful spell that traps a person, body and soul, inside a gem.

"But what I had not previously known is that once the person is within the soul trap, it is common for it glow when in the presence of the alignment that is in opposition to that of the trapped soul."

"And that would even explain why your other soulbond kept the gem," Kor said. "Given that you said the feeling you get from them is 'threat/wrong'.

"Whoever it is probably has some ability to sense evil, noticed the synchronicity themself, and decided to keep the gem as an extra source of warning."

"That... would make sense," Alustriel agreed. "Which makes me inclined to think they are likely a ranger or druid.

"As one of those or a paladin seem the most likely to have such a sense, and I think a paladin would be far less likely to experience rejection as often as my other soulbond does."

"Honestly," Kor began, "I'd guess ranger. Since druids are less likely to seek the company of others."

"Good point."

---

The synchronicity of unease from Sharr and 'threat/wrong' from Alustriel's other soulbond continued, eventually becoming a pattern she was quite used to.

And then, eleven years after the synchronicity had started, she felt actual fear from Sharr at the same time her other soulbond was experiencing the great horror of their very first connection.

She couldn't do anything about it herself, of course, but since Mystra did not express disapproval of doing so, she did ask for any of her sisters or sons who were available to go to Icewind Dale.

Which turned out to have been the best thing she could have done, given what the cause of those feelings had been.

Nor was she at all surprised to find Kor waiting for her after evenfeast, as she had known he would want to know at least what her other soulbond had been feeling.

So she welcomed him into her rooms, and after changing into more casual clothing, she settled on the divan beside him, then—before he even asked—said, "Cryshal-Tirith was raised in Icewind Dale."

"What?!"

"That's what caused Sharr's fear, and the great horror I felt from my other soulbond."

"'Great horror'?" Kor repeated. "Like you felt the very first time you connected?"

"Yes. Which is why I felt it was warranted to ask anyone who could to go up there."

"And it's all taken care of now?"

"It is," Alustriel agreed. "Sharr's fear dropping to unease and then vanishing occurred simultaneously with a bone weary but vindicated elation from my other soulbond, and that came right before Elminster announced the crystal was under their control."

"Good."

---

For all that Alustriel would have preferred it if Del had not been one of the three boys who went to deal with Crenshinibon, Korvallen was privately glad for it, as between that, and the fact that Elminster, Syluné, and the boys had gone straight from that to dealing with the Cult of the Dragon taking advantage of Elminster and Syluné's absence to attack Shadowdale, Del had been convinced to come to Silverymoon for a while, so Alustriel could reassure herself as to his wellbeing.

Which meant that Korvallen now had an opportunity to ask him about possibilities for Alustriel's second soulbond.

He gave Del a few days to actually relax first, and then, on a night that neither of them had gone to evenfeast, he headed over to Del's rooms.

Del wasn't sure who might be knocking on his door at this hour, but opening it to find Korvallen definitely wasn't anything he had expected. So after they had both settled onto the divan, he said, "Not that it's not good to see you, Uncle, but what brings you to seek me out this late, and while Mom's busy elsewhere?"

"Have some questions for you related to dealing with that damned crystal," Kor replied. "Specifically, about the people you met up there."

"Can I ask why?" Del said.

"In short," Kor began, "I want to know who might be Elué's other soulbond.

"Since it was the feeling of great horror from them that let her know something had gone seriously wrong up there."

"Ah," Del said. "Did she tell you anything else that could help narrow it down?"

In answer, Kor explained Alustriel's suspicions that her other soulbond had been involved in Crenshinibon's defeat, and the reason for them, and when he finished, Del sighed.

"Great. Just great," he muttered under his breath. Because that made it abundantly clear who Mom's other soulbond was, but Kor wasn't going to like it at all.

"Well?" Kor said, choosing to ignore Del's mutter for now.

"It has to be the ranger of Mielikki who helped us," Del said.

"So what else can you tell me about them?"

"His name is Drizzt Do'Urden." Then Del sighed, and decided to just plunge ahead. "And... he's a drow."

"What?!" Kor could not possibly have heard that correctly.

"He's a drow ranger of Mielikki."

Well. He apparently had heard Del correctly, no matter how much he might wish otherwise. But that was also the second time Del had said the man was a ranger of Mielikki, so...

"You're certain he's a ranger of Mielikki?"

"Even if he hadn't introduced himself as 'Drizzt Do'Urden, ranger of Mielikki'," Del said, "he wears a unicorn head pendant that all but actually radiates goodness.

"So yes, I'm certain."

Kor sighed. "I... need some time to think about this."

Getting up, he thanked Del for his time, and headed back to his own rooms.

---

When, four days after he had started feeling unease from Sharr multiple times a day, Korvallen heard both rumors of a drow approaching the city and that Alustriel had turned her duties over to Taern indefinitely after ordering that the drow be denied entry, it was easy to guess that the drow had to be her other soulbond, so as soon as he had some free time, he sought her out to offer a sympathetic ear.

It took somewhat longer than he had expected, but eventually he found her in a corner of the Palace library, surrounded by books and scrolls.

"Elué?" he said softly, and she raised her head from the scroll she was reading to look at him.

"Yes, Kor?" she replied.

"Thought I'd see if you wanted a sympathetic ear or a shoulder to cry on," he said.

"For Nesmé's bigotry having forced me to keep a drow out of the city?"

Kor could feel his cheeks heat, but his voice was steady when he replied. "I asked Del about who might be your other soulbond, when he was here after the crystal."

Alustriel set the scroll aside and sat up straighter. "You seem... surprisingly accepting... of the idea that he's a drow."

"I've had months to get used to the idea."

"And...?"

Briefly wishing she couldn't read him so well, Kor sighed, then continued. "And Del was very firm about the drow being a ranger of Mielikki, so I went and asked Tathshandra what She thought of him."

"What is Mielikki's opinion of him, then? For that matter, do you have a name for him?"

"He's apparently one of Her favorites. And his name is Drizzt Do'Urden."

Alustriel sighed, then let her shoulders slump. "A shoulder to cry on would be nice, especially since this is going to be hitting him, as best as I can tell, just after the Riders turned him and his companions into the Evermoors."

Kor winced, even as he moved to sit down beside her and wrap an arm around her. That would certainly explain why Sharr's unease had been so frequent for the last few days, but it would definitely make Silverymoon's rejection hit harder.

Alustriel leaned her head against Kor's shoulder once his arm was wrapped around her, and let loose the tears she had been holding back.

Some time later, when Alustriel's sniffles had stopped, Kor gave her back one last rub, then said, "So what else can I do to help you right now?"

"A research assistant would be of the most use right at this moment," Alustriel said, lifting her head from his shoulder and turning to look at him.

Kor cocked an eyebrow at her, and she elaborated. "The Riders mentioned that the dwarf in the party was seeking his ancestral Hall-"

"-so you're doing advance research for them," Kor finished. "Alright, I can help with that."

---

Given his desire to not leave Alustriel alone to handle the emotional storm of Drizzt being turned away from the city, Korvallen was glad that a quiet word in Besnell's ear had been all that was needed for him to be assigned to stay at Alustriel's side until she resumed her duties.

So when she suddenly started weeping, six days after she had given the order, he was right there to hold her, and make soothing noises until the tears abated.

Soon after, the message was delivered that all of Drizzt's companions had also turned away, rather than enter without him, and Kor could see that news firming Alustriel's resolve to go to them and offer her apologies and personal aid.

Which was something that he still wasn't entirely comfortable with, but he wasn't going to even attempt to gainsay her in this.

So when the night had grown deep enough for her visit to them, he simply walked her to the nearest teleport point, hugged her, and said, "Good luck."

Alustriel returned Kor's hug fiercely, having greatly appreciated his steadfast presence over the last week, and once he had wished her luck, she pulled back and looked at him.

"You're really okay with me doing this alone?" she asked him.

"No," Kor admitted. "But the- the ranger is already hurting, so my presence could easily harm your reasons for going."

Alustriel hugged him again for that. "Thank you."

Then she let go, and vanished from his sight.

---

When Alustriel returned, Korvallen could tell that she was far more at peace with the decision she had been forced to make. But since he knew she wanted to keep the soulbond private, at least for now, he simply fell in beside her as she headed back to her rooms.

And once they were both settled on the divan in the outer room, he spoke.

"Well, I can already tell the visit went well, but I'd still like to hear the details."

"Of course," Alustriel replied. "Drizzt was... amazingly forgiving, once I had explained why I had felt it necessary to bar him from the city.

"However, something that I probably should have anticipated, but did not, is that no one had ever spoken of soulbonds to him."

"I... can see how that would be true," Kor said, "but it does leave me wondering what he believed your emotions were."

"He thought them to be a facet of Mielikki's interest in him."

"Huh. That... actually makes sense, if he's aware that She favors him."

"It does," Alustriel agreed. "I didn't feel I had the time to explain the connection to him now, but I did promise to do so—and do it here, once I have cleared out the rumors.

"And I have to admit that I am very pleased by how loyal his friends are. As the barbarian is injured, he believes the dwarf is as well, and the halfling is just as exhausted as he is, and they all still chose to turn away rather than enter without him."

"That really is impressive loyalty," Kor agreed. "As for clearing out the rumors, I bet the Mielikkians will help with that if you ask them. Given Her favoring of him.

"And on another note, did you see anything that might be the soul trap?"

"Oh, that's a very good idea," Alustriel said. "Thank you, Kor.

"As for the soul trap, it's probably the stone in a basket pendant that he was wearing as a necklace, given that I did sense some sort of magic to it."

---

Alustriel had not been concerned by the 'surprise, concern, worry' she felt from Drizzt, in the morning of the fifth day since she had met him, even when it was followed by a period of total focus during which there were a few moments of unease from Sharr, which then shifted to a sense of 'satisfaction/job well done', nor even by the unease from Sharr and 'threat/wrong' from Drizzt that started not long after the satisfaction ended, but when the unease and the 'threat/wrong' had not ended after several hours, she began to worry.

She and Kor spent a sleepless night discussing just what might be in Mithral Hall to generate such an omnipresent miasma of evil that Drizzt and Sharr were always sensing it, and in the morning, she arranged for Taern to again take her duties for the day.

Which proved to have been a very wise idea, as it was only late morning when what she was getting from Drizzt started to slowly shift from just 'threat/wrong' into 'threat/wrong/ache'.

As the hours passed, 'threat/wrong/ache' changed to 'threat/wrong/pain', and then in the early afternoon, she sensed a spike of fear that was quickly brought under strict control.

The 'threat/wrong/pain' then slowly shifted to 'threat/wrong/ache/fatigue', and perhaps an hour before sunset, she breathed a sigh of relief as both the 'threat/wrong' and Sharr's unease vanished, leaving only the 'ache/fatigue' from Drizzt.

"Well," she said to Korvallen, who had again arranged with Besnell to spend the day by her side, "I'm glad they're out of the Hall, but whatever the true threat is within it is not only severe enough to produce a spike of fear in Drizzt, getting close enough to identify it caused him actual pain."

"Odd," Kor said. "I would have thought something that bad would have caused an increase in Sharr's unease."

"If it weren't for the fact that the soul trap glows in the presence of evil, I'd agree with you," Alustriel said. "But since it does glow, I strongly suspect Drizzt left it with one of the others while he scouted the true threat."

"Good point," Kor replied. Then he sighed. "The waiting to find out what it is isn't going to be easy."

"No," Alustriel agreed, "it won't be."

---

Chapter 2: Revelations

Two days after the Companions had exited Mithral Hall, Alustriel received word from Old Night that they had returned to Herald's Holdfast, and that the clan chieftain wished to meet with her, but would prefer it if she came to the Holdfast for said meeting.

So she arranged matters for her absence of a day or two, and teleported to the Holdfast the next morning.

Drizzt was waiting for her in the clearing before the doors, accompanied by the largest panther she had ever seen, and after he had introduced her to the panther—Guenhwyvar by name—he led her into the Holdfast once Guenhwyvar had dissipated into black mist.

And as he guided her to where the others were, he said, "I offer warning that Bruenor's pride is still up, but I did manage to make him see events as a leader would.

"Though the lack of actual apology to me was a high hurdle to overcome."

"Thank you for the warning," she told him softly, "and I am glad you have such a friend and ally.

"Furthermore, I am sorry. And I have already set things in motion to counter the fear the Riders created, so I am hopeful you will be able to enter Silverymoon soon."

That last had taken her into the room, and she briefly saw a softening of the expression on the halfling's face before Old Night stepped in and smoothly began the introductions.

"Alustriel Silverhand, High Lady of Silverymoon, allow me to make you known to Bruenor Battlehammer, Chieftain of Clan Battlehammer and Eighth King of Mithral Hall; Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, former chieftain of the Tribes of the Reghedmen, Princess Catti-brie Battlehammer, and Regis, former Spokesman of Lonelywood."

"Greetings, Lady," Wulfgar said in a clear, firm voice. "We are pleased you could join us privately for this meeting, as the news must be shared, but your city is not a place we choose to be."

She could feel Drizzt's exasperation with the man for that clear dig at her decision, but it was truly no more than she had expected.

"Lady," Bruenor said gruffly, nodding to the vacant chair opposite his own place.

Drizzt unobtrusively drew it out for Alustriel, setting the dwarf to scowling beneath his beard, while the human girl—princess of dwarves?—studied them. That Drizzt chose to sit beside her only added to the contemplation.

"Lady, would you like a plate? We still have plenty," Regis offered. "Old Night is a gracious host."

Which, though still somewhat needling, was clearly less so than it might have been if he had not heard her apology.

And when Drizzt touched her arm under the table, she looked to him with a small smile, then looked to both the barbarian and the halfling in turn. "I am glad to see that you are such staunch defenders of your friend, Wulfgar, Regis. I can understand why you would not want to enter Silverymoon so long as I must ask Drizzt Do'Urden not to enter her gates. I dearly hope that that state of affairs can be ended very soon, and that I will be able to welcome all of you within.

"And yes, please. I had not yet eaten, as Old Night's hospitality is always more than generous, and welcome."

Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, was a very unusual barbarian, Alustriel thought, given the way he spoke to her respectfully, rather than as an inferior, and seemed to listen without qualm to both the dwarven king and the halfling.

But while her response to the needling had visibly soothed ruffled feathers even more than her apology, the girl's first words made it clear she was not yet fully forgiven.

"Seems a bit more than unkind, as tae bar a ranger as good as me elf," Catti-brie said, "and never catch on to an assassin and wizard of ill-intent held me there as hostage."

Alustriel went very still, and then looked to the young woman with her full attention. "What happened to you?" she asked, her blue eyes sharp with a quickly building anger, "Within my walls? Please. Tell me everything."

That was clearly not the response Catti-brie had expected, but it was only a moment before she mustered herself and answered in an even voice, Bruenor patting her shoulder as she spoke.

"An assassin named Artemis Entreri had come seeking me friend Regis. After seeing him kill two of me friends, leaders inside the clan, I made tae warn me Da and the others," Catti said. "He figured it out, and took me captive.

"In Luskan, he joined forces with the wizard, who had a guard and a construct, which lies buried near our Hall now, but me ranger says ye need tae know of it as well." Catti-brie met the woman's eyes fully. "They came tae yer city, held me there, until they had reason tae know me Da had not come within.

"And then it was back on the road, tae catch up tae me Da and party."

"Catti-brie freed herself when we were in sight," Drizzt said. "Brought us warning."

Alustriel knew her eyes were just shy of blazing silver, rather than blue. Setting aside her surprise at feeling deep love from Sharr at that moment, she took a deep and careful breath, her hands resting lightly in her lap rather than fisted—but only by dint of will. A report from a few days before, that she had paid only an exasperated, frustrated corner of her attention to, suddenly flashed back into her mind in full, as she wrenched her power under control. And as she did so, the sense of love from Sharr faded.

"You should never have been prisoner within my walls, and I think I may have some guards to speak to very sternly. And certainly I have a wizard of my Spellguard to chastise. This wizard’s—the foreigner’s—name was Sydney? I have some small knowledge of her, she could not have crafted a full construct unless she improved very rapidly in her Art.

"Did some other of the Hosttower know that she was working in concert with an assassin? More, did any other know that a destination of that assassin might be my city?"

"A wizard the name o' Dendybar ordered Sydney and Jierdan tae work with Entreri, and knew Entreri for a killing man," Catti-brie answered. "And aye, was the wizards as knew me Da had passed through somewhere called Longsaddle, headed for the city of Silverymoon," she added. "We took rides on magical not-horses and came quickly there."

"Only, our misadventure delayed us, and then you, Lady, accidentally delayed their plans further," Drizzt said.

Dendybar.

Alustriel had loathed that particular mage for a very, very long time, but she had not thought that he was stupid enough to send a construct that would assault her city. Nor had she thought that he would be foolish enough to send an assassin inside her walls, along with one of his own people.

"I know him," she said, her voice barely restrained from dripping with ice, "and the price we intended to take from the Hosttower for my broken city wall, my wounded men, and the disturbance of my peace has just risen substantially. King Bruenor," she added, turning to look at the dwarven leader, "would you like to add any demands of your own, for the harm done to your daughter, to the bill I mean to send?"

"The cost o' what yer wizards need, if'n ye mean tae help rid the Frost Hills o' the threat slumbering beneath them, then," Bruenor said. "As it will take me clan time, even once we purge the Hall, tae make goods worth the cost of such aid."

"That is the meat of what we needed to discuss, Lady," Wulfgar said. "I can entice many warriors to come, but we have as little need of magic as my friend Bruenor. And my teacher has confirmed the nature of the enemy that drove out Clan Battlehammer."

There was that calm respect for her position again, despite that he obviously still spoke for many of his people, and was—in several ways—the epitome of a Reghed barbarian. He called King Bruenor his friend, and Drizzt (a drow!) his teacher, when the barbarian disrespect for elves, mages, and all other peoples was a well-founded byword in the northlands. His story must be truly fascinating, and Alustriel hoped she got to hear it, some day soon.

For just a moment, she felt an echo of the pain Drizzt had felt while scouting the true threat, and then he took a deep breath and it faded back to just the ache and fatigue.

"The name the duergar used translates closely to Shimmergloom, and I do not recognize that name, but the dragon they worship is of the Shadowfell, Lady," Drizzt said. "With a swarm of shades and at least two shadow hounds I could make out."

Alustriel had lifted one brow slightly at the phrasing from the dwarven king—it was an interesting choice, to demand the value (or the components themselves) of spellwork for the insult to his daughter—but then Drizzt named the threat they faced, and cold slid down her spine, even as she suddenly understood the spike of fear she had felt from him.

"That," she said, "is not a neighbor I am at all pleased to have. Yes, Silverymoon will send you wizards and clerics to help reclaim your Hall." One corner of her mouth turned up, just a little, as some of her rage thawed at the thought of what would need to be done. "One of my sons might never speak to me again if I did not tell him there was a dragon--even one he must fight, rather than attempt to befriend--so near, after all. And that will bring at least two of his brothers to keep an eye on him."

"Any aid, on that front, is deeply valued," Regis said. "Because just scouting it turned Drizzt gray for most of the day."

Well. That certainly explained both the pain and the 'ache/fatigue' she had felt.

"My friend exaggerates," Drizzt demurred. "It was unnerving, though, to feel that ancient an evil when I have been dealing with Surface evils of far lesser varieties."

"It was worse than the crystal?" Wulfgar asked.

"Yes, but by the time I had to get close to the crystal, I was expecting it. There is no expecting something of the Shadowfell," Drizzt said.

Which was disturbing to hear, that the shadow dragon had been worse for Drizzt than Crenshinibon itself.

"Ye mean to aid us, and that is good," Bruenor said. "For that, once it is done, I'll negotiate a first-rights trade deal with yer people, or me girl will."

"It will be good," she said with a smile, "to have trade with Mithral Hall again. You look very much like your grandfather, did you know?"

That obviously startled him, and his beard wagged a bit as he visibly worked through the emotion. "Nae, Lady. We didnae carry much beyond the babes when we were chased away," he told her.

She reached across the table, offering him her hand in comfort for a moment. "He came to Silverymoon once, to discuss a trade matter with me, a few decades after he had taken kingship of the Hall. Your hair is a bit more coppery than his, but very similar.

"On the topic of being chased away... there are some of your kin in Felbarr, Adbar, and Sundabar, rescued by elves of the wood to our north from their confused flight. I do not remember exactly how many there were, but I have asked the Rockcrusher clan of scholar-dwarves to see about compiling a census for you."

That was far too much for the dwarf, and he squeezed at her hand once before he shifted… and Catti-brie tucked in along his side, arm around his shoulders.

"More clan, Lady, truly?" she asked, taking up the conversation. "Good, and we'll need any that will come home tae us. The last six years have seen us lose more than a handful of our fighting ones." She visibly swallowed, then continued. "Thank ye, Lady, for the news. It helps."

Drizzt paused in his eating, and looked at her, then Regis. "Would you accept Regis as our emissary, while we arrange what is needed? Catti-brie or her choice of messenger once our people have come, can bring him updates, and share what you need to with him."

Regis's eyes went big, and his expression was such that Alustriel could tell it was as much from relief as surprise. "I don't much like parting from you, but one of us should be the middle link, and that way I can help share tales of just why it's stupid to keep Drizzt out," he said for that idea.

"I am sorry for your losses," Alustriel told Catti-brie, transferring discussion to the young woman without a pause. Of course the news of more of his kin would be overwhelming... but she had needed to share it. "And yes. They were the very old and the very young, and very confused, but they were taken in by the other citadels, and dwarves are resilient folk. You are very welcome, both of you.

"As to an emissary, I have no no objections at all, if Regis is an acceptable choice to King Bruenor—and I will be very glad of someone to help me turn the tide against unreasoning and foolish prejudice, Regis, especially with your first-hand knowledge of him. I will be glad indeed."

---

The discussion wound up fairly quickly after that, and Drizzt led her to the room Old Night had set aside for him to read in.

The room, a sitting room in the way it was arranged, was a secluded space, with faint mage lights to provide a warm glow around the edge of the room. Drizzt indicated one chair, and dropped into the other, before he eyed the books in a way that made Alustriel sure he had neglected sleep last night in favor of reading them.

"I am grateful for the offers made, and apologize for the early rudeness on display," he began.

She shook her head, smiling again. "No, Drizzt. I am glad you have such loyal friends and defenders. I took no offense, I promise you. And they are offers anyone with my resources should make, against such a danger."

He inclined his head a little, but she saw the warmth of his eyes at those last words. "I find myself hopeful that you are correct, that some day I will walk freely into your city. As I would love to see if your people reflect the generosity and goodly duty of their leader so well."

Then he leaned back in his chair, looking quite comfortable to her. "I know we both have questions, but I feel I should offer you the chance to satisfy yours first."

"Actually," Alustriel said, "I was thinking that I should start with the explanation of the connection between us that I promised."

"That would be most welcome," Drizzt replied. "Bruenor told me it was called a soulbond, when I mentioned that I had been able to feel your grief over the decision to bar me from the city, but it really wasn't the right time for an explanation."

"Then I will be very glad to do so." And Alustriel began explaining.

Some time later, with all of the basics covered well enough that Drizzt clearly understood them, she moved on to the part that was less well known. "Sometimes, among the long-lived species, people will end up with more than one soulbond at the same time."

Drizzt tilted his head and looked at her like he didn't quite understand why she was bringing this up, but she had expected that, and simply continued. "And although I am human, the longevity granted to me through my service to Mystra has proved to be similar enough that my bond with you is the second one I have at this time."

"Interesting," Drizzt said. "Will you tell me about your other soulbonded?"

"Actually, I was hoping that you could help me with a mystery surrounding him."

"Oh?"

"You see," Alustriel began, "he just... disappeared, right off a battlefield, about sixty years ago.

"His other soulbonded and I both know he's still alive, partly because if we focus on our bonds with him, we get a floaty peaceful feeling, but also because we intermittently receive from him a feeling of unease without any sense of direction."

"I'm afraid I can't see how you think I can help with finding him," Drizzt said. But thankfully, he sounded curious more than upset or annoyed.

"Well, twelve years ago, that sense of unease from him became synchronized with when I sensed 'threat/wrong' from you.

"Additionally, last year I felt fear from him at the same time as your horror that had me ask any of my sisters and sons who were available to go to Icewind Dale.

"And just a little while ago, I sensed a deep love from him, when my temper broke free enough that the silverfire started sparking in my eyes."

"That's what surprised you while it was sparking?"

"Yes."

Drizzt raised a hand to touch the basket pendant, and his face took on an expression of deep thought for a moment before he spoke again.

"This sapphire has always glowed whenever I sense something evil nearby—sometimes it even starts glowing before I notice anything—and it grew warm without glowing when the silverfire was sparking, but I have no idea how he could be tied to it."

Alustriel reached out to take his free hand, smiled gently at Drizzt, and repeated the explanation she had given to Korvallen twelve years ago.

Drizzt looked horrified, and when he spoke, there was a slight waver to his voice. "I had no idea. How do we free him?"

"All that is necessary to free the trapped person is breaking the gem," Alustriel said. "But since I think it would be best to confirm that it is a soul trap before breaking it, I would like to ask my sister Laeral to come analyze it.

"She is something of an expert on magical items, and as a crafter herself, she has the tools needed to break it."

"That... sounds reasonable," Drizzt said. "Which leaves the question of where and when."

"I am certain that Old Night will give us a room to work in if I ask it of him," Alustriel said, "and if I contact Laeral tonight, she can teleport here tomorrow."

"Good. Because I don't want your other soulbonded to continue to be trapped for any longer than absolutely necessary."

Alustriel squeezed Drizzt's hand in reassurance, but before she could say anything, Bruenor stuck his head in the door and asked for Drizzt to come help the others with their planning.

---

Chapter 3: Reunions

The next morning, Laeral arrived as Bruenor, Catti-brie, and Wulfgar were readying to go back to Dwarvendarrow and start making it more habitable.

After introductions all around, Alustriel led her and Drizzt to the room Old Night had designated for their investigation. And once they were all seated around the room's table, it was Laeral who kicked things off.

"Alustriel told me exactly why she needed me to come," she said, her gaze fixed on Drizzt, "so if you'll give me the gem, I can get started."

"Of course," Drizzt replied. Then he unfastened the chain around his neck, slid the basket pendant off, and passed it to her.

Laeral carefully removed the gem from the basket, and once they were fully separated, the gem in front of her and the basket to the side, she began casting. And it wasn't very long before she sat back with a satisfied smiled. "That is a soul trap. So if you'll both come stand behind me, I'll break it."

"Of course," Alustriel said, even as she rose from her seat.

Very soon, she and Drizzt were each standing behind and to one side of Laeral, and her sister had the chisel positioned against the stone, and a small hammer raised in her other hand. "Ready?" Laeral asked.

Drizzt said "Yes", and Alustriel took a deep breath. "As much as I ever will be," she said.

Laeral brought the hammer down on the end of the chisel, but instead of splitting the stone, the blow caused a strong magical backlash, and left the stone intact.

"A spell shattering?" Alustriel asked her sister, who had set down the tools and begun to wring out her arms.

"Yes," Laeral replied. And after squeezing her hands down opposite forearms again, she picked up her tools and once again set the chisel against the stone. "Second time lucky, hopefully," she said, and swung the hammer back, then down.

This time, the stone broke, and a blue light flashed brightly, bringing the smell of a spring day in the forest. And when Alustriel's eyes cleared from the flash, Sharr was standing there in the armor he’d disappeared from that battlefield in, the proper ceremonial armor for a Lorekeeper in a ritual hunt.

Then, after a moment in which they just stared at each other, Alustriel wrestled down the flood of emotions, and all but threw herself at him.

"I… stars, you… you’re here, you…” Alustriel knew she was not really coherent as she wrapped her arms around her beloved tightly, but she couldn’t find it in her to care at the moment.

“I am, my heart's star, I am,” Sharr murmured, returning the embrace just as tightly.

Alustriel wasn't quite sure how long they had been wrapped in that embrace before a quiet cough behind her drew them out of it.

Feeling her cheeks heat faintly, she let go, and turned back to face Drizzt and Laeral.

"Drizzt," she said, "this is Sharrevaliir, my first soulbonded."

Then she turned to look at Sharr, and said, "Sharr, this is Drizzt Do'Urden, my second soulbonded."

"I am glad to finally see the warrior that has done such good in my time of imprisonment," Sharr said. "When the feeling of evil grew, it brought me something like awareness of what went on around me, but not enough to say I know you, yet. I hope to change that soon, given our shared bond with Alustriel."

"I will look forward to that," Drizzt said, "though it may not be as soon as you hope, as I have obligations to my friends to fulfill, and there is currently a bit of a problem with me coming to Silverymoon."

Sharr raised an eyebrow at her, and Alustriel sighed. "An encounter with the Riders of Nesmé resulted in them their usual bigoted selves about a drow, and they stirred the people up against him.

"I've already recruited the Mielikkians to help with calming the rumors, and we'll be returning to Silverymoon with one of his friends, but right now, it would be a political mess for him to enter the city."

At the mention of having recruited the Mielikkians, Drizzt took on an expression that made her suspect his cheeks would be flushed if his skin was light enough to show such, but she politely ignored that and waited for Sharr's response.

"Then I will be pleased to do so whenever the opportunity occurs," he said.

---

The fact that they were bringing Regis with them meant that they could not use the family teleport point, but even so, it was not long before Alustriel and Sharr were approaching her rooms—Laeral having taken charge of Regis and the arrangements that needed to be made for him.

As they walked, Alustriel had explained to Sharr how she had known Drizzt had his soul trap, and when she finished, Sharr had been silent for a long while.

In fact, it was not until they were entering her rooms that he spoke.

"That's... quite a lot to take in," he said. "Though I am definitely quite glad of it." Then a mischievous smile lit up his face, and he asked, "So how long do you think we'll have before word starts spreading of my return?"

"Not long enough to start anything," Alustriel replied, as she settled herself on the divan. "I was half-expecting Kor to be waiting for us, since he knows about the synchronicity between you and Drizzt, the likely reason, and that I was going to meet with the Companions."

Sharr sat down much more heavily than Alustriel was sure he had intended, wide-eyed relief taking over his face. "Kor's here?!?"

"Yes," Alustriel said, wrapping an arm around Sharr's shoulder to pull him closer. "He came to me, after his initial reaction, several years ago. He's Besnell's right hand, a full Knight-Captain for me."

Sharr nodded, clearly overwhelmed by the knowledge that his oldest love still lived, then nestled his head against Alustriel's shoulder.

Alustriel spent a few minutes just rubbing her hand up and down his side while he wrestled his emotions under control, and when he finally raised his head again, she smiled at him. "Feeling better now?"

"Yes," Sharr said. But before he could say anything else, there was a knock on the door.

After a brief exchange of looks with Sharr, Alustriel called, "Come in," and the door opened to reveal both Kor and Methri.

Sharr immediately stood up on seeing Kor, and the other elf all but launched himself across the room to embrace him.

Neatly avoiding the embracing pair, Methri came and sat down on Alustriel's other side, and smiled at her.

"Kor filled me in on things on the way over," he said, "so I don't need to ask how you found Dad. Nor do I blame you for not telling any of us boys about it.

"But Laeral shared her vision with all of us while the two of you were embracing, so you can expect the rest of us to show up within the next few days."

Alustriel returned the smile, then let out a sigh. "Let's hope that Del feels the same way."

"If he doesn't, I'm sure Dad and Uncle will be happy to thump him in the practice yard for it."

---

As much as Alustriel would have liked to take some time off to celebrate Sharr's return, it was the height of trading season, and she had already taken several days off very recently, so she truly didn't think it would be possible to have more than the rest of the day of his return—which was only possible due to her having already arranged for her duties to be covered that day.

Which meant she was quite surprised the next morning, to look at her schedule for the day and see that the only appointments in the afternoon were a handful of foreigners in the first few hours after her lunch break.

And when she asked Danella about it, her secretary of the day smiled brightly. "As soon as word started spreading that your Lord Consort was back with you, the people of Silverymoon started coming and asking if their appointments could be moved to later.

"So Dessa and I rearranged things for minimal afternoon appointments for the rest of the week, and have blocked off your afternoons for next week."

"Oh." Alustriel blushed for a moment at the display of just how much her people loved her, then returned the smile. "Thank you. And please pass my thanks on to Dessa as well."

"You're welcome. And of course I will."

---

Alustriel was quite pleased with the extra personal time, and would have been entirely satisfied with just that, but her people continued to surprise her further.

As on the afternoon before her rest day, all the shopkeepers closed up early, and a festival developed with such speed that Alustriel was certain people had spent the entire time since Sharr's return planning it.

But for all that she was quite touched by the further display of love from her people, she didn't fail to notice that the conversation at evenfeast both that night, and the next, indicated that Regis and Sharr, and even Dove and the Mielikkians, had taken advantage of the festival to speak to as many people as they could about Drizzt and his goodly nature.

And over the next week, as evenfeast conversations continued to feature Drizzt heavily, she noticed that there was starting to be a shift in how people spoke of him and his deeds.

That shift continued over subsequent weeks, slowly at first, then gaining speed after Catti-brie's first visit as her father's representative, and by the time fall had solidly begun, people were having open debates over whether or not it had been right for him to be barred from entering.

And by the time spring came, opinion had shifted enough for her to publicly rescind the ban.

---

For all that most of what she was feeling from Drizzt was the intense focus of fighting and the 'threat/wrong' of his sense of evil, there were enough moments of other feelings that Alustriel was really quite glad that Taern had insisted she take off the day set for reclaiming Mithral Hall, since they were distracting enough while she was just playing coroniir with Sharr that she knew it would have been difficult to remain fully focused on her duties.

After a while, the focus had gotten deeper, the 'threat/wrong' had gotten stronger, and the other emotions grew more frequent, and then, shortly after a surge of 'protect, danger, excitement, elation', she swayed in her seat as the world greyed out and it felt like she was experiencing mana drain while at the center of an explosion.

And when she could see and think again, she was on the floor beside the chair she had been sitting in, with Sharr's arms supporting her, and her head nestled against his shoulder.

She shifted, moving to sit up on her own, and Sharr gave a relieved-sounding sigh. "What happened, Elué?"

"I'm... not sure," Alustriel replied.

Then she described what she had experienced, and Sharr frowned.

"How is Drizzt?" he asked.

"He's... unconscious," she replied with a sigh. "That must have been backlash from something that happened to him."

"If whatever happened was severe enough to affect you through the bond," Sharr said, "I imagine we'll be getting a report fairly soon."

"I agree," Alustriel said. "Especially since I suspect he was fighting the dragon."

Mystery solved for now, she carefully stood up, and after a moment to make sure her balance was steady, she moved over to the divan and took a seat there.

Sharr followed her, and after he had settled with an arm around her shoulders, she sighed. "Now we just have to wait."

---

The sending from the triplets, and the details Nae had shared, had only increased Alustriel's worry about Drizzt, but the feeling of her own drained energy returning after Tathshandra cast the restoration on him reassured her even before the ashen pallor to his skin began to lift and the luster of his hair began to return.

And with the knowledge that Tathshandra was going to be arranging a pavilion for him in the Glade itself, and setting up a roster of clerics to keep an eye on him, she felt confident enough to leave.

Drizzt had still not awakened by the next morning, but Alustriel had rather expected that, and insisted on resuming her duties anyway.

So it was during her third appointment of the afternoon that she felt the sequence of 'startlement, wariness, relief' that told her he had woken up.

Which, for all that she had been reassured after the restoration took hold, was still a relief in that he had only needed a bit more than a full day to recover that far.

The confused delight she felt some time later was a further relief, and when she received the note on his status from Mielikki's clerics, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders at the knowledge that he had been convinced to take the time he needed to recover properly.

---

Once Drizzt had fully recovered, he left Silverymoon to return to the Hall, and although Alustriel had known that he would do so, given the need for his aid in ensuring every tunnel had been fully explored, she couldn't help but wish that he had been willing to stay longer.

The months seemed to drag on in his absence, but finally, in late summer, she sensed him heading towards Silverymoon.

Three days passed without her sensing any trouble from him, but on the fourth morning, before the sun had even fully risen, she was hit by a large splash of 'threat/wrong' at the same time she sensed a planar breach, which—if she was placing it correctly—was very close to him.

Even without the breach being so close to Drizzt, it would have been something that needed investigation, so she put out a call to her sons for whoever was closest to come to Silverymoon immediately, then headed for the Spell Tower to consult with Taern.

The flash of 'rage/anger/destroy' that hit her shortly after she left her rooms only increased her concern for Drizzt, especially when it then segued into an almost unthinking focus, but she managed to push it aside when she saw Taern heading towards her.

He proved to have been coming to see her for the same reason she had been going to see him, so she reversed course and accompanied him back to her rooms, where they found Rae waiting for her.

She had already summoned a phantom steed for him when she felt Drizzt's unthinking focus be replaced by satisfaction, but it didn't change her need to know what had happened, so she still sent Rae off to investigate.

And it wasn't all that long before he sent to her. ~Spider Queen sent a cambion after Drizzt. We're going to go warn Bruenor about the possibility of drow in the nearby Underdark, then Drizzt is joining my teleport back to the city.~

~What?! ...well, at least he dealt with it. And thank you for convincing him to let you do that.~

Then she let the sending go, and started to fill in Taern.

---

Once Rae and Drizzt arrived in Silverymoon, Alustriel managed to convince Drizzt to stay a while, in the name of getting to know each other better, and when Sharr heard that, he came up to the city with Korvallen, so that they could also get to know him better.

Between the lunches together—with or without Sharr and Kor—attending evenfeast and various festivities afterwards with Drizzt as her escort, and just spending some evenings in her rooms simply talking, Alustriel slowly grew to know the drow ranger better.

But one of the most significant moments in his stay in the city was when, after seeing how swiftly Drizzt managed to disarm Kolarven, Korvallen agreed to spar with him.

Even more than his sheer skill, it was Drizzt's humility when Kor defeated him that truly won over the elf, and Alustriel was quite pleased when Kor not only agreed to help Drizzt improve his single blade skills that winter, but also asked him to bring Catti-brie, so Kor could correct any bad habits she had been developing due to Drizzt's own lack of experience with single blade forms.

And although Alustriel would have liked it if Drizzt had stayed for Highharvestide, she was not truly surprised when he slipped out of the city the day before the festival, especially given that in addition to the fact that he was still acclimating to being as freely welcomed as the people were towards him, he did need to arrange for Catti-brie to come stay for a week or so before the snows came.

---

For all that she had been able to tell that Drizzt was on his way to Silverymoon, when the first true snowfall of the season arrived, Alustriel was greatly relieved when Ellorie informed her that he had arrived with it.

And as winter set in, and then continued on, she was very pleased by how much he was opening up to her and Sharr, and even Kor.

But one thing that all of them had noticed was that Drizzt's feelings about physical intimacy were rather tangled—which, she had to admit, was rather understandable, given that his only experience with it among thinking beings was what Lolthite drow had made of it.

So, between that, and the cutting insult that had been tossed at him when he intervened in a fight between restless adventurers wintering in the city, she could not truly blame him for his decision to visit the Promenade in the spring, after Catti-brie and Wulfgar were married.

---

Knowing rangers, Alustriel initially did not think much of how long it was taking Drizzt to reach the Promenade, especially as she could sense when he got detoured by something to deal with, but as it started coming up on long enough for him to have made it there twice over on a fairly uninterrupted journey, she began to grow a bit concerned.

And then, the day before she would have asked her sons to start keeping an eye out for him, she sensed a very brief moment of surprise before the silence of unconsciousness took over.

She wasn't entirely sure what to think of that, but not quite an hour and a half later, she sensed, in quick succession, 'wariness/concern, shock, suspicion, surprise, intense focus, wary hope, grief/hint of anger, humor, calm happiness'.

The happiness then faded to just a background hum, but it wasn't all that long before a flash of 'pleased shock, affection' came over the bond.

Which was when she decided that, given the overall combination of emotions, and that the sense of location was right for the Promenade, it was worth reaching out to ask Qilué if she knew what had just happened to Drizzt.

Said conversation, however, only left her more concerned, as Qilué was certain that Drizzt had not yet arrived.

But her youngest sister had pointed out that it was entirely possible that Drizzt had chosen to reach the Promenade via Undermountain, and had had something happen to him in Skullport, so Alustriel had asked Laeral to see what she could learn, and made a request of her sons for a few of them to go to Waterdeep in order to assist Bo with whatever was necessary to bring Drizzt to safety.

Four days later, she felt a massive wash of chagrin coming over the bond, though it was laced with both humor and affection.

Which was followed by Andy reaching out to her during her afternoon leisure time.

~Drizzt is at the Temple of Vhaeraun in Skullport, ~ her eldest told her. ~It seems that his sister converted, and someone else at the Temple decided to arrange a family reunion.~

~Well,~ Alustriel said, ~that's... unexpected, but it does quite nicely explain what I sensed.~ Then, switching to her own sending, she asked, ~Have you come to an agreement with him on a time for him to leave the Temple?~

~We're returning tomorrow at sundown,~ Andy replied, ~and have informed him that we're staying at the Dimmed Lantern if he needs to leave sooner.~

Since Andy had not started a new sending of his own, Alustriel had to wait for her anklet to recharge before she could reply.

But once it had, she sent, ~Thank you. Are you going to escort him to the Promenade afterwards?~

~Of course,~ Andy replied. ~And I'll even see if I can convince him to let us take him through the portal instead of traveling through Undermountain.~

Then the link dropped, and Alustriel let out a sigh of relief.

---

Andy did, in fact, manage to convince Drizzt to let them bring him to the Promenade via the portal instead of through Undermountain, so that was one less worry for Alustriel.

And as the months passed, she was very pleased to sense just how much he was enjoying his time at the Promenade.

The only actual agreement about how long Drizzt's visit would be had been that he would spend the winter in Silverymoon again, but even so, it was later in the fall than Alustriel had expected when she sensed Drizzt beginning to move north.

He still had enough time to make it back to Silverymoon before the heavy snows began, however, so she was not actually concerned... until the first one blew in while he was still a few days away from Silverymoon.

The sensible thing for him to do would have been for him to find someplace to wait out the storm, but Alustriel found she could only sigh with exasperation when she realized that he was continuing to trek towards the city through the snowstorm.

So when she had a few moments to spare, she sent to Taern, asking him to send a Spellguard to go fetch Drizzt.

The surprise and exasperated resignation she felt over the bond not long after was sufficient to let her know Drizzt was now safely within the city even before a page brought her the news, and she was pleased to hear that he had settled into his rooms with a hot bath and a hot meal.

And once her appointments were done for the day, she went to visit him.

---

Quests (2395 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: Drizzt Do'Urden, Catti-brie (Dungeons & Dragons), Bruenor Battlehammer
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ensemble Cast
Series: Part 5 of Have Your Cake, Part 17 of A Crossing of the Realms
Summary:

While Drizzt is undertaking a ranger's quest, paths converge in such a way as to result in him providing the catalyst for an entirely different quest.

---

Beginning notes

There are no specific fics that inspired this one, but Drizzt's first meeting with Catti-brie does borrow heavily from senmut's fic "Walking His Former Path".

And this fic does assume familiarity with the previous fics in the "Have Your Cake" series

---

Quests

Given the ranging opportunities the Frost Hills offered, Drizzt had remained at Spirit Sanctuary for a few more years after the curse broke, until Zanna was a little older, sturdier, and more able to be separated from either of her parents.

But once Zanna had turned three, Drizzt had found himself becoming restless over remaining there, so a month and a half after her third birthday, the two of them had taken up residence in Silverymoon, with Drizzt contracting with the city as a weapons instructor for the Knights in Silver, and a ranger on call for them as needed.

Initially, arrangements for Zanna's care when Drizzt was out of the city, and Samiar could not take her, had been made with a married pair of Spellguards who had children of their own.

But when Niska Bentleaf had approached Drizzt about working with her to create a lexicon for Drow, she had had her heart stolen by Zanna, and soon enough, her schedule and Drizzt's were arranged to allow Zanna to stay with her whenever possible.

And that was how things continued, until Zanna was five and a half.

---

1351 DR, mid-spring

A ranger's dreams were never something to ignore, so when Drizzt had started dreaming of snow-covered mountains and cliffs of ice, accompanied by a pull to the northwest, he had made arrangements to suspend his teaching duties and on-call status with the Knights in Silver, brought Zanna to Samiar with an explanation of what was going on, and headed up to Icewind Dale.

Rather than try and find a place in the towns, he had chosen to search for a cave on Kelvin's Cairn, and soon enough, he had found one large enough to make a living space for both him and Lothalninil.

---

A few days after he had found the cave, Drizzt was brushing out Lothalninil's coat when an adolescent human girl crested the ridge near where the cave sat.

"Please don't be alarmed," he called to her, and he knew she'd only seen Lothalninil at first, from the tension that shot through her. "I am a ranger, shocking as that may seem to you, and this is my friend Lothalninil. My name is Drizzt Do'Urden."

The girl didn't run, but she didn't come any closer, either. Lothalninil snorted, tossing her head, making her forelock flip in the air.

"What be ye, and the not-horse?"

Lothalninil whickered with dismay at being named anything close to a horse, and Drizzt soothed her down before he put the currying tools aside and came to the other side of his friend to be seen more fully.

"I am a drow, a dark elf, but one who has forsaken the evils of most of that people. Lothalninil is a pegasus, and she is as intelligent, more at times, as any speaking being."

The noise said 'decidedly so' from his friend, and the girl wound up grinning, able to sense that much from the sound and posture.

"Why are ye here, then? Ne'er been a ranger that stayed, and the hunters said they been seein' light up here a few days now."

"My Lady Mielikki has drawn me up here to find something that is a threat to the wilds and their natural ways."

The girl tilted her head thoughtfully. "How'd ye know this was where She wanted ye tae come?"

"I was having dreams of snow-covered mountains and cliffs of ice, and the pull of a threat in need of dealing with that my Lady guides me with led me in this direction."

The girl frowned for a moment after he answered, then shook her head. "If'n that's good enow fer ye, I'm nae goin' tae argue."

Then a bright smile crossed her face, and she asked, "C'n I come and visit ye an' yer friend sometimes?"

"If your family has no objections to you spending time with a stranger, young one, then yes, you may."

The girl flushed, as she realized she'd had his name, but not given hers. "Catti-brie, and I'll ask me da. He'll prob'ly want tae meet ye afore he says aye or nay."

"Then I will look forward to meeting him."

---

The meeting with Catti-brie's father—a dwarf, which Drizzt had not expected despite recognizing her accent as being the same as that of Spirit Sanctuary's dwarves—had happened the next day, and it had gone well enough, largely thanks to Lothalninil's presence, that Drizzt's promise to treat Catti-brie as he would Zanna had been sufficient for Bruenor to agree that the girl could come visit him and Lothalninil as she felt like it.

With that matter settled, Drizzt had returned to the task of outfitting the cave as an actual residence, and just a week and a half later, he had it to the point where he was ready to use his sending stone to ask Samiar to bring Zanna up for a visit and a discussion of—now that Drizzt had a proper home set up—whether she would remain with Sam, or stay in Icewind Dale with him.

---

Catti-brie hurried up the Cairn towards the ranger's cave, eager to see him and Lothalninil again, and not wanting to risk missing them like she had that morning.

She was so eager, in fact, that it was not until after she had greeted Lothalninil that she noticed that there was someone other than Drizzt in the cave.

But before she could do more than shuffle her feet nervously, a young voice spoke up from the other side of the golden-skinned elf sitting on the couch Drizzt had made.

"Papa, who's this?" And then a child of about five, with skin not quite as dark as Drizzt's, hair not quite as light, and the same pointed ears as Drizzt and the strange elf, stuck her head out where Catti could see it.

"Zanna, this is Catti-brie," Drizzt said, looking straight at the little girl. "Her father is the leader of the dwarves that live in the cleft below this mountain."

Then he turned towards Catti, and said, "Catti-brie, this is my daughter, Zanna Do'Urden, and her other parent, Samiar Ravarel."

"Hi," Zanna chirped. "Lothalninil likes you, so I do too. Friends?"

"Pleased tae meet ye, Zanna," Catti-brie replied. "And if'n yer Papas are okay wi' it, I'd love tae be yer friend."

Samiar threw a look at Drizzt, and after a silent conversation held in facial movements and tilts of the head, Drizzt smiled. "It's fine with both of us."

Turning his attention back to Zanna, he continued, "However, Daddy and I do need to finish our conversation. Would you like to show Catti-brie how to groom Lothalninil?"

"Yes!" Zanna hopped off the couch, and hurried over to Catti-brie.

And as she pulled the older girl towards where Drizzt stored the currying tools, chattering away about Papa and Daddy and Cousin Ellie and Auntie Vehna and Grampa and Nana, Samiar looked after her with a soft smile.

"I think our daughter just answered our question for us," he said.

"Agreed," Drizzt replied.

---

When Bruenor had decided to offer Drizzt assistance from some of his people to improve the path up to the ranger's cave, he hadn't expected anything else to come of it other than the ranger getting a chance to prove himself to those of the clan who were still doubtful of him.

Which was why he couldn't keep his jaw from dropping when, upon being introduced to Grollo as the lead for the project, Drizzt had studied his face carefully, then asked, "Would you happen to be related to a Micken Hamur?"

Snapping his jaw shut with an effort of will, Bruenor looked at Grollo, who was staring at Drizzt in shock, and said, "Go find Auntie Eldeth, me kinsman, an' bring her tae me office. We need her knowledge o' the bloodlines."

Grollo shook himself out of his stupor at that, and nodded. "Aye, Chief, I will." And then he hurried off to do as bidden.

It didn't take long for Bruenor to bring Drizzt to his office, and Grollo arrived with Auntie Eldeth shortly thereafter, so once they were all seated, Bruenor told his aunt what Drizzt had asked Grollo.

"Was there a Micken Hamur, Auntie?"

"Aye," Auntie said, after a long moment of startled silence. "Naught but a babe of a few months, but aye, there was."

Bruenor let out a gusty sigh, then turned to Drizzt. "Sae how'd ye come tae know Micken?"

"He's one of several dwarves living in the settlement in the Frost Hills that my sister leads.

"Though only two others are survivors of whatever drove injured, elderly, and young out of their home so close to winter, with the remaining five being the survivors' spouses and children."

Bruenor could see both Auntie and Grollo shifting uncomfortably at the idea that a drow settlement might be so close to their lost Hall, and chose to preempt any hasty words from them.

"This sister o' yers is the Auntie Vehna yer lass talks about, then?"

"She is," Drizzt replied. "My sister Vierna, who has been a priestess of Eilistraee for almost two and a half centuries, and First Sister of Spirit Sanctuary for nearly as long."

"D'ye know if'n they c'n remember any more about where the Hall actually is than we can?" Auntie asked.

"They can't, but other information indicates that it is most likely somewhere in the Frost Hills."

"Aye?" Bruenor couldn't help the hopeful tone of his voice as he spoke.

"Spirit Sanctuary's scouts found the survivors between the Frost Hills and the River Surbrin to their east," Drizzt said, "and the ruins of Settlestone are not far west of Fourth Peak."

"Aye, that'd've been the trading point," Auntie agreed. "An' ye said the survivors yer sister's people found included injured and elderly, sae it's nae very likely they'd gotten far from whate'er exit they used."

Bruenor had been thinking carefully as Drizzt outlined why he believed the Hall was in the Frost Hills, and when Auntie had finished what she had to add, he spoke again.

"C'n ye get someone else tae come up here wi' a map showin' these places? Preferably someone who can back ye up on all this?"

Seeing a hint of hurt in Drizzt's expression, Bruenor explained, "It's nae that I donnae believe ye, but we've been wi'out any hope o' findin' the Hall again fer sae long, the more people who c'n repeat it, the better."

"Ah," Drizzt said. "I can understand that.

"And I can use my sending stone to ask Samiar to pass along your request to his cousin's sons—one of whom is a semi-regular visitor at Spirit Sanctuary."

"Aye, that'd do nicely."

---

In addition to a map with the relevant locations marked, Thyl had also brought both Micken himself, and news of further survivors, who had been taken to Felbarr and Adbar by his older brothers.

And when he returned south with Micken, he carried the news that Bruenor's portion of the clan would be returning to the Silver Marches the following year.

---

Given the close friendship that had sprung up between Zanna and Catti-brie, Bruenor's decision to return south had generated a strong desire in Drizzt to find whatever had drawn him up to Icewind Dale in time for him and Zanna to join the clan's migration.

But while he had mentioned that desire to Thyl, he had still not expected two other Tall Ones to arrive just a few days later, well equipped to help him conduct a concentrated search.

Despite his surprise, however, he was quite pleased to accept their help, and after settling Zanna under Catti-brie's care, the three of them headed for the Spine, Drizzt on Lothalninil and the Tall Ones on phantom steeds.

That began a regular rotation of Tall Ones coming up to assist with his search, and a bit more than two months later, just a week after the Midsummer festival, the artifact was located.

And once it had been delivered to Elminster for safekeeping until a method of destruction could be determined, Drizzt turned his efforts towards gathering and preserving food for the coming migration, both hunting and fishing for the clan's benefit, and harvesting and drying grasses to supplement whatever grazing Lothalninil might manage on the journey.

---

1352 DR

The Icewind Dale contingent of Clan Battlehammer, accompanied by Drizzt, Zanna, and Lothalninil, began their trek south as soon as they were certain that the passes in the Throat were clear enough to handle their caravan.

A stop in Mirabar to pick up a guide with knowledge of the lands between the Lurkwood and the Surbrin Hills saw them joined by one Foveni Drakebow, and by the time summer began, they had reached Settlestone, and joined in on the work of restoring it to habitability that had been begun the previous year by the clan members in the Silver Marches.

---

Bruenor had met with Vierna fairly soon after his portion of the clan had arrived, but for the most part, his initial focus was on fixing up Settlestone.

Once he was satisfied that the work was coming along well enough that it would be fully habitable by the time winter set in, however, he arranged for a meeting with Drizzt and the survivors from Spirit Sanctuary, to work on narrowing down the exact location of the Hall and probable entrances.

Keeper's Dale, and the hidden door within it, was found less than a month later, and after Bruenor had made Drizzt known as an ally to his father and grandfather's dying curse, the ranger scouted the Hall for him, to learn exactly what it was that had driven the clan from their home.

Drizzt's return, with his skin near ashen in color, bearing word of the shadow dragon and its duergar minions, set off a significant hubbub, and while he recovered in the Sacred Glade in Silverymoon, Bruenor negotiated with Alustriel for wizards to deal with the dragon, and put out a call to the Citadels for fighters to aid in defeating the duergar.

However, it was well into fall by the time all arrangements had been made, so the decision was made to postpone the campaign until the following year.

And in the spring of 1353 DR, Mithral Hall was reclaimed, and Bruenor Battlehammer was crowned as its eighth king.

---

Part I|Part II|Part III|Part IV|Part V|Part VI
*Links will work as fics are revealed

Feathered Friendship (3006 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: Drizzt Do'Urden, Original Elf Character(s), Uoundeld Aerasumé
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ensemble Cast
Series: Part 3 of Have Your Cake, Part 15 of A Crossing of the Realms
Summary:

The pegasi choose to help a lost drow, with consequences.

---

Beginning notes

This fic was inspired by my fics Nestling: The Other Side and Fledgling.

It assumes familiarity with them, and with the previous fics in the Have Your Cake series.

---

Feathered Friendship

1338 DR

By the time he started to see the local pegasi, Sharr had already come to the conclusion that Norvor was, in all likelihood, bringing him to aid Drizzt Do'Urden.

So he was not surprised when Norvor began to descend towards a young drow. What was a surprise, however, was the massive panther standing protectively beside the drow.

But given the clear greetings Norvor exchanged with it as he dismounted—and the fact that he had no intention of harming the drow—he was unconcerned by the panther's presence.

Keeping in mind Zaknafein's advice regarding language, Sharr focused his attention on the drow, and greeted him in Goblin.

The drow's face lit up with pleasure, and he returned the greeting in the same language, then continued with "Name Drizzt Do'Urden. What elf name?"

"Name Sharrevaliir," Sharr replied. "Small name Sharr." Then, resting a hand on Norvor's neck to ensure his meaning was clear, he added, "Friend name Norvor," and finished with "What Drizzt friend name?"

"Friend name Guen," Drizzt replied.

---

That evening, as he watched Drizzt prepare a fire for cooking the rabbits Guen had caught for them earlier, Sharr reached out to his family over Alustriel's anklets. ~I've found Drizzt Do'Urden.~

There was a moment of excited clamor, and then Qilué's voice cut through it clearly. ~That is very good news.~

~It is,~ Dol agreed. Then he kicked off a new round with ~And while I do need a few days to wrap up my current business, I should to be ready to teleport to you in less than a week.~

~Speaking of people coming to you, Dad,~ Thyl said, ~where exactly are you and Drizzt?

~Because Vierna will want to know.~

~The Rauvin Mountains, near Maldobar,~ Sharr replied. ~And when you get to Spirit Sanctuary, would you please ask Zaknafein what, if anything, he knows about an astral panther tied to a figure of wondrous power?~

There was an overlapping chorus of surprised questions in reply, before Laeral started another round of sending. ~Please explain, Sharr.~

~When I arrived, Drizzt was accompanied by a panther twice the normal size,~ Sharr said. ~She displayed intelligence at least equal to a pegasus, but some hours later, she started acting a bit listless.

~Upon which Drizzt told her to go home, and she vanished in a cloud of black mist after circling him three times.~

~I see,~ Alustriel said. ~Oversized plus intelligent and gendered suggests astral origin, but the appearance of some sort of time limit implies a figure.~

~And Zaknafein never mentioned her, so you want to know if that was an oversight, or if Drizzt acquired her figure after escaping,~ Thyl said. ~Very well.~

---

Two weeks after Dol had joined him and Drizzt, Sharr and his son broached the subject of Eilistraee and her followers with the young drow.

That explanation went quite well, but when they then moved on to telling him about Zaknafein's return to life, and the circumstances that had brought it about, Drizzt's very obvious skepticism made Sharr very glad that they had chosen to wait on telling him until they had earned his trust.

But even with that trust, it was was very clear that Drizzt had not truly believed them until after Thyl had brought Zaknafein to join them, and the elder drow had—quite obviously correctly—answered the question Drizzt asked him in Drow.

---

Even with Zaknafein's only moderate command of Common, the arrival of someone with whom Drizzt shared a language other than Goblin saw the young drow's fluency in Common progressing in leaps and bounds, and soon enough, lessons in reading and writing Common—which Zaknafein also joined—were added to the lessons in speaking it.

And though neither Sharr nor Dol had expected it, Zaknafein's arrival also brought about a form of lessons for them, as the elder drow had brought a pair of Surface-made scimitars for Drizzt, and the sheer skill both drow displayed in sparring each other had impressed Sharr and his son enough that trading fighting tricks and techniques rapidly became the preferred way for the four of them to unwind after language lessons.

Weeks passed in this way, and then, as the summer started to wane towards fall, Zaknafein broached the idea of Drizzt coming to Spirit Sanctuary with him.

That discussion ended up proving more fraught than any of the four had expected, due to Drizzt's pent up emotions regarding the child he had spared, and their sudden release when Zaknafein informed him of her presence at Spirit Sanctuary, but in the end, Drizzt did agree to go there with his father once fall truly set in.

---

As the temperature outside steadily continued to drop, making it less and less comfortable to be outside for any significant amount of time, Drizzt was finding himself becoming more and more restless.

He didn't know why, though, until Sarilanthe said—on a day when he had been unable to go outside at all due to how cold it was, and then found himself having trouble staying focused on his lessons in Common—"The outdoors really calls to you, doesn't it?"

"I... guess so?" he replied. "I certainly like being outside much better than being under all this rock.

"Though I have no idea why I feel that way."

"Given how well you understand Guen," Sarilanthe said, "and what Thyl has said about how much the pegasi like you, you're likely a wild-called ranger.

"And rangers just don't do well with being cooped up away from nature."

"Wild-called ranger?" Drizzt repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"A ranger is someone who is drawn to guard the wilds from that which would despoil them, and to protect the innocents traveling through the wilds from any evils that might threaten them," Sarilanthe answered.

"As for what it means to be wild-called, while most rangers need to call upon the favor of one of the nature deities for the gifts they use in following their calling, a wild-called ranger receives those same gifts from the wilds, and can use them instinctively, though training and the favor of a nature deity will sharpen and enhance them."

Drizzt hummed thoughtfully. "The- the very first time I was ever on the Surface, it felt... right. Like this was where I was supposed to be.

"And when- when the priestess commanded us to watch the sunrise before we went back below, I thought it was beautiful.

"I've made sure to watch it every day since I came to the Surface for good... until today."

As soon as Drizzt faltered for words, Sarilanthe had known that whatever he was about to say was connected to when he had come up for the raid, and had bitten her lip to keep from interrupting him.

But by the time he finished speaking, she was gaping at him in surprise.

"You connected to the wilds that strongly when you'd never been on the Surface before?" she said.

"And you've deliberately watched the sunrise every day you've been up here?!?" She was unable to keep her bewilderment out of her voice as she continued. "Even Eilistraee's drow followers don't do that!"

Taking a few deep breaths while Drizzt looked at her with surprise of his own, Sarilanthe regained her equilibrium, then spoke again.

"You are definitely a wild-called ranger. There's just no other reasonable explanation for you holding daily sunrise vigils."

Drizzt tilted his head in curiosity. "That is something that rangers commonly do, then?"

"Yes. Though it's partially because that's one of the most common times for nature deities to accept their followers' daily prayers for spells."

"Rangers are able to cast divine spells?"

"Not as many as druids are able to," Sarilanthe said, "but yes, they can."

Drizzt was silent for a while, carefully considering everything Sarilanthe had just told him, and then he gave a single sharp nod.

"So what would you recommend as a starting point, if I want to learn how to be a ranger?"

"Well, given that Thyl will be bringing me to Silverymoon soon, so I can spend the winter continuing my own ranger studies, it would make the most sense for you to tell Vierna that you want come with me, so she can arrange things with him."

---

While the adolescent moon elf who had just entered the Cloister accompanied by Thyl Aerasumé was no surprise to Horim, the drow walking between them had him rubbing his eyes to clear them.

The drow was still there after he had done so, so he gave in to his curiosity and approached the trio to find out more.

"...want to be accepted for myself, not because your family favors me," the drow was saying as Horim came within speaking distance of them.

Thyl furrowed his brow, but did not reply, so Horim took advantage of the break in their conversation to say "Hello."

Sarilanthe's "Hi" overlapped with Thyl's "Good to see you, Horim" and the drow's cautious "Hello?"

Thyl then continued with "I take you're wintering here this year?"

"I am," Horim replied. "Who's your new friend?"

"This is Drizzt Do'Urden," Thyl said. Then he turned his head towards the drow and said, "Drizzt, this is Horim Half-orc, a ranger of Mielikki."

"Pleased to meet you, Horim," Drizzt said.

"Likewise," Horim replied. "I take it you're interested in becoming a ranger?"

Drizzt shrugged. "I've been told I already am one. But it will be helpful to receive the lessons anyway."

Horim turned a puzzled look on Thyl at Drizzt's claim to already be a ranger. Not only could he see that Drizzt was even younger than Sarilanthe—really, too young to be learning a profession, by elven standards, though he knew from Vierna that the Eilistraeean drow were more flexible about such things—but he couldn't see how Drizzt could be a ranger without having been taught the ways of being one.

'Wild-called,' Thyl mouthed in reply to his look, and Horim had to keep his jaw from dropping.

Well. It would be interesting to see how Drizzt's lessons went. And on that note, he needed to reply to the boy.

"Mielikki's folk are good ones to learn from," he said. "And if you're interested, I'd be happy to show you around the city whenever you have time for it."

Drizzt turned to look at Sarilanthe, and it was only after she had given him a pleased smile and a nod that he turned back to Horim.

"I think I'd like that," he said.

---

Several weeks later, as Drizzt and Sarilanthe were leaving the archery range used by the Knights in Silver, they were approached by an unfamiliar half-elf who shared Thyl's height and silver hair.

"Hi," the half-elf said, holding out a hand to shake. "I'm Uoundeld Aerasumé. Please call me Del, though."

Giving the offered hand a brisk shake, Sarilanthe said, "You're Thyl's youngest brother, right?"

"Yes. And you must be Sarilanthe.

"Though I was actually seeking Drizzt."

"Why?" Drizzt asked, a note of both caution and surprise in his tone.

"Dad said you might be interested in a traveling companion in the spring," Del replied. "Something about protective family, and solving that problem for both of us."

Knowing what she did about Thyl's family, Sarilanthe could guess what Del was talking about, but the puzzled look on Drizzt's face made it clear he had no idea.

"I had mentioned to him that my father and sister are... not entirely happy with my desire to explore this region once spring comes," Drizzt said.

"But he never said anything about having reached out to anyone regarding the matter."

"Not sure why he didn't say anything after I agreed to come meet you, but before then, he probably didn't want to give you false hope."

"That... makes sense," Drizzt said slowly. "But what did you mean by saying that traveling together would 'solve that problem for both of us'?"

A very brief look of surprise crossed Del's face, so fast Sarilanthe almost missed it, before it was replaced with understanding. And then Del replied.

"Well, I also have overprotective family that aren't best pleased by me traveling alone.

"Even though I've been of age for a half-elf for most of a decade." Del made an annoyed face at that before continuing.

"And being of age, I'd much prefer to not travel with any of my brothers, who have a tendency to still think of me as their baby brother."

"Oh," Drizzt said. "So if we travel together, you have a traveling companion who'll see you as an equal, and our families' concerns about each of us traveling alone are solved."

"Exactly!" Del said. "Anyway, I thought it might be best if we used the winter to get to know each other, so we're not starting out as strangers in the spring."

"That's a good idea," Drizzt agreed. "Though it will have to be worked in around my lessons."

"Of course," Del said. "Maybe we could start by sparring with each other? Dad's full of praise for your blade skills."

"That sounds good to me," Drizzt replied.

"Then I'll see you in the practice yard tomorrow." Del gave a jaunty smile, clasped wrists with Drizzt, then turned and sauntered away.

And as he left, Sarilanthe stared after him wistfully, trying to think of how she could arrange to meet him again.

---

When spring came, Drizzt returned to Spirit Sanctuary for a week, to let Zak and Vierna reassure themselves that he was well after several months away.

Del even came with him, so they could meet the man he would be traveling with, and resolve any lingering concerns about his plans to explore.

And when the two of them departed, Del easily agreed to the idea of going and checking on Drizzt's nest-mate and her herd before they took up their actual travels.

---

Del had enjoyed the week with Drizzt's pegasus herd—and he knew Sairena had, too—but as he put the riding straps on Sairena, he was willing to admit—at least to himself—that he was very pleased that they were finally going to begin the exploration that was his primary reason for joining Drizzt.

After a last round of pats and scratches for his nest-mate and her parents, Drizzt headed over to Del and Sairena with a wide smile on his face.

"Ready to go?" Del asked.

"Yes."

"Then let's mount up and do so." And even as he spoke, Del put his words into action, swinging himself up onto Sairena's back.

Drizzt quickly got up behind him, and as soon as they were both settled, Sairena trotted up into the air to start their flight.

They were barely past Maldobar, however, when an annoyed whicker-snort sounded from behind them.

Sairena turned at the noise without Del even needing to signal her, and once they were facing back in the direction they had come from, Del found himself staring in surprise.

"Drizzt," he said, "am I seeing things, or is that actually your nest-mate flying as hard as she can to catch up with us?"

Drizzt shifted to look over Del's shoulder, and sighed in exasperation. "If you're seeing things, so am I, because yes, that is my nest-mate. And I have no idea why she's following us."

Del thought he might have a guess, though it was unheard of for such a thing to happen this early, but rather than saying anything about it, he patted Sairena's shoulder and said, "Take us down so we can actually talk with her, would you, lovely?"

Sairena gave a snort and a toss of her head, and then complied with his request.

Soon enough, she had landed in a clearing, and Drizzt's nest-mate landed in front of her with a defiant toss of her own head.

Drizzt had begun to dismount as soon as Sairena's feet were solidly on the ground, and turned his attention away from the mare just in time to see his nest-mate's defiant head toss.

Walking over to the filly, he began to scratch behind her ears and asked, "Why are you following us, my friend?"

Reaching out with the same sense that let him understand animals, he listened carefully for her answer.

The snort and bump of her nose against his chest that she gave in response were accompanied by a sense of belonging: she was his and he was hers, so of course she was following him.

Drizzt couldn't help but gape at her as her meaning slowly sunk in for him. "You... want to bond with me? You're so young, though."

The filly gave another snort and tossed her head again. So? He was her nest-mate. Her parents knew exactly how well he could protect her.

Del suppressed a grin as the filly responded to Drizzt's surprise, and reached out over the anklets. ~So is there anyone who wasn't expecting Drizzt to end up with his own pegasus friend?~

A wash of laughter in several voices came of the link, and then Sharr said, ~I don't think so. Though it being this early is a surprise.~

Dol started a new round with ~Is his nest-mate even fledged yet?~

~While we were visiting,~ Del said. ~And I probably ought to reassure him now that I've shared my amusement with someone other than him.~

~Of course,~ Andy said. ~But do keep us updated.~

Del let the link drop, and returned his attention to Drizzt and the filly. "What are you going to call her?"

Drizzt startled out of the near trance petting his nest-mate had drawn him into and turned his head to look at Del. "You don't mind?"

"I know better than to try and argue with a pegasus who has decided on the person they're going to bond with," Del said.

Drizzt tilted his head thoughtfully. "Then... I think I'll call her Lothalninil.

"Do you like that, little sister?"

The filly nickered happily in response, and reached out to lip at Drizzt's hair.

"I think that's a 'yes'," Del said.

---

Part I|Part II|Part III|Part IV|Part V|Part VI
*Links will work as fics are revealed

Another Survivor (2271 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: Vierna Do'Urden, Original Elf Character(s), Original Dwarf Character(s), Inthylyn Aerasumé
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Series: Part 1 of Have Your Cake, Part 13 of A Crossing of the Realms
Summary:

A slightly shallower wound, at a different angle, and a different search pattern leads to the people of Spirit Sanctuary bringing home two survivors of the drow raid.

---

Beginning notes

Inspired by senmut's fic Moonstruck.

This fic assumes familiarity with the series Sisters in Spirit up through the linked inspiring fic.

---

Another Survivor

1327 DR

Vierna had not gotten very far in cleaning the blood off the child when there was an urgent call for her from one of those searching for other survivors.

Turning the cleaning over to Dhaeln, she hurried over to where Chalirnya was kneeling beside an adolescent female.

“She’s breathing, she has a pulse,” Chalirnya said, “but both are very faint.”

Dropping down beside Chalirnya, Vierna didn’t bother to respond, and simply threw herself into healing the girl, praying it was not too late to save her.

Some time later, feeling woozy from the effort, but confident that the girl would live, she sat back and looked around. Rafi was standing guard beside her, Dhaeln was sitting on the other side of the girl, holding the cleaned-up—and surprisingly uninjured—child, and the others who had come with them were carefully ranged around the clearing.

“We need to make a stretcher,” Vierna said. “There was spinal damage that I want to give time for the healing to truly settle, and healing it took enough effort that I wasn’t able to close all of the wounds.”

“First Sister, you need to rest,” Rafi said. “We will handle that.”

Vierna sighed gratefully. “Thank you.”

---

Sarilanthe shifted, and gasped at the pain that caused in her lower back. She was alive?

Which was a very significant surprise, as she had been sure she was dying when she was last aware of anything.

“Ye awake, lass?” a quiet voice asked from near her head.

Opening her eyes and turning her head towards the voice, Sarilanthe was surprised to see a dwarf sitting in a chair positioned between the bed she was in, and one on the dwarf’s far side that held a child. “How am I alive?” she asked.

“Yer Lady Eilistraee called on Her folk here for any help that could be given tae your village, and the moon-bridge She gave the First Sister got us there afore the bodies had finished coolin’.

“But even so, ye and this little girl were the only ones we could save, and the First Sister says it was a near thing for ye.”

Sarilanthe closed her eyes in grief for her family, and as she started crying, the dwarf began humming a soft tune that slowly soothed her back to sleep.

---

The next time Sarilanthe woke, the dwarf in the chair had changed to one who only had some fuzz on their cheeks, not a full beard, and they were engrossed in a book.

Aborting her attempt to actually sit up due to the flash of pain in her lower back, she sighed, and said, "Can you help me sit up?"

The dwarf looked up from the book and flushed. "Sorry," they said. "I should've been paying more attention.

"Ma said yer not s'pposed tae sit up on yer own yet."

"Did she say why?" Sarilanthe asked.

"Ye had spinal damage before the First Sister healed ye," the dwarf said, even as they put down the book and stood up.

"And apparently, even with th' healin', it needs time an' proper care tae recover."

Diesa had been moving towards the bed even as she spoke, and now picked up a pillow from the pile that had been left beside the bed.

"If'n ye're ready, we c'n start gettin' ye more upright," she said. "I'm Diesa, by the way."

"Sarilanthe," the elf replied. "And yes, I'm ready."

Carefully, Diesa slid her free hand under Sarilanthe's shoulders and lifted her just enough to slip the pillow in under them.

"Any pain?" she asked.

"Nothing new," Sarilanthe replied. "Just the ache from trying to sit up myself."

"Good," Diesa said. "Tell me if'n that changes." Then she reached down for another pillow.

Soon enough, the pile of pillows had been transferred to the bed, and Sarilanthe was propped up against them, leaning back at a bit of an angle.

"Are ye hungry?" Diesa asked.

Sarilanthe's stomach growled, and they both laughed.

"That's a yes, then," Diesa said. "Let me go get the tray our clerics prepared."

As the dwarf slipped out of the room, Sarilanthe took the opportunity to actually look around and take in the room.

It was very obviously carved out of the stone that made its walls—which made sense for dwarves, but not for the followers of Eilistraee the first dwarf had mentioned—and was simply furnished, with two beds—the other of which was now empty, she noticed—a chair and small table between them, three chairs and a larger table in a corner, and two lanterns, one hanging beside the door, and the other hanging from the wall between the beds.

Diesa returned fairly quickly, and once the legged tray had been settled on her lap and she'd eased the emptiness in her stomach, Sarilanthe asked, "Where's the little girl?"

"Ma took her tae our quarters when she started havin' nightmares," Diesa answered. "Didnae want her disturbin' ye if'n she changed from whimperin' tae screamin'."

"Ah." Sarilanthe rather suspected she'd have some nightmares of her own, and it made sense that a child's would be worse.

After that, Sarilanthe and Diesa sat in companionable silence as Sarilanthe ate and Diesa read her book, and eventually, Sarilanthe put down the fork beside the empty plate.

"Can you help me relieve myself?" she asked, feeling her cheeks heat for making the request.

But if she wasn't even supposed to sit up on her own, there was no way she should be standing up without aid, either, so the request was necessary.

"Of course," Diesa said, putting down the book.

She got up and pulled a chamberpot out from under Sarilanthe's bed, then helped the elf to take care of her business.

Once Sarilanthe was in bed again, settled back against the pile of pillows, she sighed, and said, "How long am I going to need assistance like this?"

"Only 'til Aunt Bardryn and Aunt Joylin finish the brace tae support yer back properly while yer spine recovers," Diesa said. "Ought tae be ready in a few more days."

---

Finishing the brace had turned out to first require being measured both sitting and standing, followed by two fittings after the measurements had been used to construct the brace, but just four days later, Sarilanthe found herself standing by the bed entirely on her own, though Diesa and her mother, Dhaeln, were standing nearby, ready to provide support if she needed it.

After taking a few moments to make sure her balance was steady, Sarilanthe slowly started walking towards the door, paying close attention to how her lower back felt.

She was able to walk from the head of the bed to the door and back three times before her back started to twinge with mild pain.

And although she would have liked to keep going, Dhaeln had been very clear that she needed to stop at the first hint of pain, so she reluctantly sat back down on the bed.

"That's a good start, lass," Dhaeln said. "An' once the pain goes away, I c'n show ye some stretches tae help condition the muscles."

"Thank you," Sarilanthe said. Then, deciding to take the plunge, she asked about something that had been puzzling her since she first woke up.

"You told me, the very first time I woke here, that there are followers of Eilistraee living here.

"So why have none of them been tending to me and Ellifain?"

"Because though they're elf-kin, none o' them are elves," Dhaeln replied.

Sarilanthe scrunched her face up in confusion. "Why would half-elves be avoiding us?"

"They're nae half-elves, lass," Dhaeln said.

Tilting her head thoughtfully, Sarilanthe considered that. What other elf-kin might there be, especially ones who would feel a need to avoid... the survivors of a drow raid?

"They're drow?!" she gasped.

"Aye," Dhaeln said. "All goodly people and devout followers of the Dark Maiden, but I'm sure ye c'n understand why we've been th' ones carin' for the two o' ye."

"Yes," Sarilanthe said. "I can." Then she carefully lay down and turned to face the wall.

The idea of goodly drow went against all she had ever been taught. Could Dhaeln really be telling the truth about that?

---

Sarilanthe hadn't been able to bring herself to ask further questions of Dhaeln, or the other adult dwarves, about the supposedly goodly drow, but a few tentative questions to Diesa had left her feeling very off balance.

Because even if it might be true that these drow weren't actually evil, she was still finding hard to believe that they could truly be good.

And yet, Diesa claimed that a pegasus rider visited on a semi-regular basis, and the pegasus would accept treats from the lead priestess of Eilistraee here, and even allow her to pet and scratch it.

But a bit less than a week later, she received hard proof that it was all true.

Sarilanthe was carefully doing the warming-up exercises Dhaeln had shown her—with Ellifain doing her best to copy them—and wondering which of the dwarves would be accompanying them on their daily walk around the area closest to the dwarves' quarters, when there was a knock on the door.

Which she wouldn't have considered odd at all, given the dwarves' careful respect for ensuring that she and Ellifain could truly consider this room to be theirs, except for the fact that the knock was lighter than usual.

So instead of the "Come in" that was her usual response, she called, "Who is it?"

"Thorik an' Wulgar, lass," came the response. "We've got a visitor for the two o' ye."

Sarilanthe had no idea who the visitor might be, when Ellifain had not yet been told that the dwarves were acting as proxies for drow, but since she trusted the dwarves to not spring that on the girl with a meeting, she gave permission to come in.

The first person through the door, however, was neither Thorik nor Wulgar, but a tall, silver haired half-elf, in wizard robes.

Something about that struck a chord in her memories, but before she could chase it down, the dwarves had entered, and Thorik introduced him.

"Sarilanthe, Ellifain, this is Inthylyn Aerasumé, a friend of the First Sister."

The given name was unfamiliar to Sarilanthe, but the family name was one she recognized.

"You're a Tall One," she blurted out.

"I am," the half-elf agreed. "And please, call me Thyl."

That confirmation left Sarilanthe's mind so busy making connections that she barely noticed Thyl crouch down to speak to Ellifain, but when he stood up again, she was ready with more questions.

Deliberately catching his attention, she said, "So you're the pegasus rider that Diesa told me comes to visit?"

"Yes," Thyl replied.

"An' on that note," Thorik said, "today's walk is goin' tae go outside, so the two o' ye can meet his friend."

"I'm told the walk is somewhat longer than you've been doing," Thyl said, "but Steelheart can't exactly come inside.

"And I have a couple floating disks memorized in case either of you needs to rest."

Given the rest of what Diesa had said about his visits, Sarilanthe could easily guess why they were going out to meet his pegasus, but since no one else was saying it, she wouldn't either.

And it wasn't long before the five of them were heading down the corridor, Wulgar and Ellifain in the lead, with Sarilanthe following them, flanked by Thorik and Thyl.

When the light from outside started to show ahead, Thyl moved up to take the lead, and very soon, all five of them emerged onto a broad ledge.

And after a few moments of blinking while her eyes adjusted to the brighter light, Sarilanthe looked around in amazement.

The view was incredible, stretching across a wide valley to a peak on the far side, but before she could get too lost in admiration, a nicker sounded from off to her right.

Turning, she saw a pegasus standing on the ledge, and beside the pegasus was a female drow—who was wearing robes patterned with moons and swords, and had one hand resting on the pegasus's neck.

"Sarilanthe, Ellifain, I am very pleased to finally meet both of you properly," the drow said. "My name is Vierna, and I am the First Sister of Spirit Sanctuary."

"You're... good?" Ellifain said tremulously.

Looking to her side, Sarilanthe saw that Thorik and Wulgar were standing on either side of the girl, each with an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"I am," Vierna said, "and so are all the other residents of Spirit Sanctuary."

Turning her attention back to the cleric, Sarilanthe saw that she was now sitting cross-legged on the ledge, and the pegasus was snuffling her hair, while Thyl stroked the pegasus's neck.

Ellifain seemed to be too shocked to say anything else, so Sarilanthe took it upon herself to break the slightly awkward silence that had fallen.

"I guess I should say thank you," she said. "Because if you're the First Sister, then you're the one who healed me."

"It was the right thing to do," Vierna said, "so no thanks are necessary.

"Though now that we've actually met, I would like to check how your spine is recovering, once you return to your room."

Sarilanthe took a moment to think about it, then said, "I... think I'm okay with that."

"If you want Dhaeln or another dwarf present while I do so, that's perfectly fine with me."

"Then yes, as long as one of them is present, you can check whatever you need to."

---

Part I|Part II|Part III|Part IV|Part V|Part VI
*Links will work as fics are revealed

A Multiplicity of Crossings (10378 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 3/3
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore, Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Alustriel Silverhand/Original Character(s), Drizzt Do'Urden/Alustriel Silverhand
Characters: Alustriel Silverhand, Drizzt Do'Urden, Laeral Silverhand, Bruenor Battlehammer, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Developing Relationship, Implied/Referenced Canon-Typical Violence
Series: Part 11 of A Crossing of the Realms
Summary:

My brain dropped on me the idea of merging the fics "Impossible Connections" and "Ranger and Pegasus" and the fic series "SharrSapphire" and "The Ranger and the Wheel". This is the result.

---

Beginning notes

As this fic is a merging of multiple AUs, I highly recommend making sure you are familiar with the following fics and series before reading it: senmut’s solo fic Impossible Connections, senmut and ilyena_sylph’s fic Ranger and Pegasus, the entirety of their series The Ranger and the Wheel, their series SharrSapphire through “The Sapphire’s Secret”, my fics SharrSapphire in the Wheel and Soulmarks in the Wheel, and my series Ranger and Pegasus in the Wheel.

Additionally, this fic contains a small amount of borrowing from “The Sapphire’s Secret” and my fic “Becoming with a Pegasus”, and somewhat more borrowing from some of the fics in the series “The Ranger and the Wheel”, as well as from my fic “Soulmarks in the Wheel” (which in and of itself contains borrowing from some of the fics in “The Ranger and the Wheel).

---

Chapter One: Beginnings

1324 DR, spring

Waking one day, some twenty-six years since Sharr had gone missing, to find she now had a second soulmark was not a welcome shock for Alustriel. Her mark for Sharr was still as clear as it had always been, so she at least did not have to worry about that, but it was hard for her to imagine any new relationship going well when Sharr’s uncertain status would almost certainly cast a shadow over it.

And she was also somewhat concerned about how Del and Korvallen would react to such a relationship—Del because of how young he had been when Sharr went missing, and Korvallen because of how strong his feelings for Sharr were.

Nevertheless, that night, she told her sisters and her sons about the new mark, sharing her vision so they could see what it looked like, and asking them to keep an eye out for anyone who might be her second soulmate.

---

1333 DR, early spring

Andy had been thinking hard about how to bring up with his mother what he had glimpsed during his lesson with Drizzt earlier in the day, and had come to the conclusion that it would be best to be fairly straightforward about it.

So that night, when their conversation came around to Drizzt, as it usually did on the days that the ranger had had lessons with him, Andy said, “I saw something rather interesting during today’s lesson.”

“Another sign of how much Mielikki favors Drizzt?” Alustriel asked. “Or was it something else?”

“Something else,” Andy replied. “His sleeve fell back while he was reaching to stroke Bright Eyes’s head, and I caught a glimpse of a silver mark on the inside of his wrist.”

“Well, drow do scar silver, but I’m guessing you don’t think it is one.”

“Can’t be one. It’s positioned right on the tendons, and is big enough that such an injury would have impaired his use of that hand. Add that to the fact that he uses twin scimitars…”

“You think he might be my second soulmate,” Alustriel said.

“I do.”

---

1335 DR, summer

It had been nine long weeks since Laeral had informed her that Drizzt Do’Urden was indeed her second soulmate, but her sister and the ranger were finally done with their journey into the elan-lands and Laeral had teleported the two of them, and Bright Eyes, to Silverymoon this morning.

And now, having changed out of her evenfeast gown into something more casual, Alustriel was heading to Laeral’s rooms—as those were more neutral ground than her own—to properly meet Drizzt.

A knock on the door when she arrived at them got her permission to enter, and when she stepped into the outer room, she was quite pleased to see that Laeral had set things up so that Drizzt could choose which of them he wanted to sit with, while still allowing for easy conversation—the divans had been arranged so they were facing each other, and Laeral and Drizzt were currently seated on one, close to, but not directly beside, each other.

Taking a seat on the other divan, Alustriel looked to Laeral to see if her sister was going to start things off, or if she should.

Laeral smiled at her, then said, “Drizzt, this is my sister, Alustriel Silverhand. Alustriel, this is Drizzt Do’Urden, rider of Bright Eyes.”

“I am very pleased to finally meet you, Drizzt,” Alustriel said, “and for more reasons than just that you are my soulmate, as Andy told me much of you while you were taking lessons with him three years ago.”

“It’s good to meet you too,” Drizzt replied. “And Laeral mentioned that your entire family has been intrigued by me since then, so I’m not surprised by that.

“Though I will readily admit that I’m still uncertain how I feel about you being my soulmate.”

“Because I am Andy’s mother, and he is your friend, or is it because I am a woman with power?”

“The second.”

Alustriel did not sigh, though she very much wanted to. Thankfully, she had anticipated that this might be an issue, and taken steps to mitigate it. “I suspected that might be the case, and have had some long talks with Qilué since Laeral told me that you are my soulmate. And I will say, right now, that if anything I do or say makes you uncomfortable, please tell me. I can’t stop doing whatever it is if I don’t know it’s making you feel like that.”

The conversation rambled somewhat from there, as the two of them got to know each other, with Laeral contributing anecdotes and tales that hopefully helped make Drizzt’s image of her more grounded and approachable. And eventually, when Drizzt mentioned that his Ogier sister had been the one to explain to him what soulmarks were, Alustriel found the opportunity to bring up the matter of Drizzt not being her only soulmate.

“Did Lindsar ever say anything to you about the possibility of multiple soulmarks?”

Drizzt blinked twice, then looked at her quizzically. “No, she didn’t. That’s actually something that can happen?”

“Only among long-lived peoples, but yes,” Alustriel answered. “And I’m bringing it up now because I have two soulmarks.”

“I… can I see?” Drizzt asked.

“Of course.” Alustriel pulled back her sleeve and showed the inside of her wrist to him.

Drizzt looked at the marks for a bit, then nodded. “The scimitar-like one is clearly for me, but what is the other one, and who does it represent?”

“It’s the ancient elven glyph for ‘knowledge’. Sharr—Sharrevaliir, in full—was the Lorekeeper for the elves of the High Forest.”

“Was?” Drizzt tilted his head thoughtfully. “That makes it sound like he’s dead, but Lindsar said that soulmarks fade once the person they represent has died, and there wouldn’t have been any reason for you to bring up multiple soulmarks if that was the case.

“So what happened to him?”

“We still don’t know for certain,” Alustriel said, “but he’s been missing for nearly four decades.” She went on to explain the events that had led to such a situation, ending with, “…and the only reasons we’re sure he’s still alive are because my soulmark hasn’t faded and the Warder bond is still intact.”

“I hope he is found soon,” Drizzt said. “I would very much like to meet him myself.”

---

The next evening, Drizzt was somewhat more comfortable with Alustriel, enough so that she was willing to risk asking about what his life had been like before he came to the surface. Thankfully, he did not have a problem with telling her about it, though she frequently found herself horrified by what he was saying and had to expend a good bit of effort to not let that horror affect her reactions to him.

And then he mentioned that he had not yet finished his schooling when he was dumped on the surface, which, combined with Andy’s previous estimate of his age, left her curious.

“Your pardon, Drizzt,” she said, “but Andy was quite certain, when he met you three years ago, that you weren’t even fifty then. So I find myself wishing to know exactly how old you are.”

Drizzt blinked twice, wondering why it mattered—and surprised that neither Laeral nor Qilué had told her—but he answered the question readily. “Thirty-eight.”

Swiftly back-calculating his age at the time of the Blight push, Alustriel was not pleased by the result. “So you would have been twenty-eight or twenty-nine when the Blight push occurred?”

“Twenty-nine, yes.”

“You weren’t even of age by Lolthite standards, and your teacher took you to that?!” Alustriel knew that silverfire was sparking in her eyes as she spoke, but she couldn’t quite manage to care. The forced maturity of Lolthite society was upsetting enough, but that goodly people had allowed Drizzt to participate in an event as harrowing as she had heard the Blight push had been, when he hadn’t even been an adult in the eyes of the people he was born to, was infuriating!

Drizzt was fascinated by the manifestation of the silverfire he was seeing now, not having realized that it could happen outside of deliberate use, but then he was distracted by a warm spot developing on his chest. Reaching up to touch the magical sapphire he wore around his neck, he confirmed that that was the source of the warmth, and a quick look down confirmed that the stone wasn’t glowing, making this the second time it had reacted to silverfireby growing warm, but not glowing. That was something that would have to be investigated, but first, he needed to defend Aronna's decision—and probably Lindsar’s as well.

“Neither Aronna nor Lindsar were pleased that I insisted on leaving the stedding so young,” he said, “but they could both see how strong my need to explore and actually use my skills to defend others was.”

Alustriel sighed. If that need had been anything like the chafing Del had felt over the village’s smothering before Samiar took him as an apprentice, she could understand why the women hadn’t protested his leaving more strongly. But still… “Was it really necessary for your first true actions as a ranger to be at the Blight push, though?”

“Perhaps not. Lindsar was certainly not happy when she found out Aronna had brought me to it. But Aronna had wanted to go, even when she thought that she would have to miss it due to teaching me, and if we had not gone, I would not have become a Dreadbane. And bearing that title has eased my way just as much as—if not more than—the Ogier motifs on my faceguard and scimitars.”

“That… is a reasonable point,” Alustriel reluctantly agreed.

Turning his attention to Laeral, and cradling the sapphire in his hand, Drizzt said, “To change the subject entirely, I think you need to take a look at this gem, my friend.”

“Oh?” Laeral said. “What makes you say that?”

“This was the second time it reacted to silverfire by growing warm, without glowing—the first was when you and Qilué removed the shroud from me. And maybe I’m being overly suspicious because of what my soulmark is, but while I was willing to ignore such once, that it has now happened twice makes me wish to have it investigated.”

“I don’t think you’re being overly suspicious at all,” Laeral said. “That is definitely worth investigating. Unfortunately, I don’t have any of the necessary spells memorized today, so it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

---

Analysis of the sapphire had proved it to be a soul trap, but between needing to find someone with gemstone tools to break the stone, arranging a room in the Spellguard Tower to use for the breaking, Laeral and Taern's caution regarding the alignment of the trapped soul, and Alustriel’s desire to be present for the breaking, it was not until lunchtime the following day that they were actually ready to break it.

The first blow only shattered a spell that had been on the stone, but the second one broke the stone. A bright flash of blue light brought the smell of a spring day in the forest, and when the light faded, a full-blooded elf in hunting armor with ornate patterns was there.

“Sharr?!” The cry came from three voices simultaneously, Laeral, Alustriel, and Taern all not believing their eyes at first, though Alustriel could feel that the Warder bond was fully open again, as she was buffeted by a wash of emotions not her own.

“A little less loud, please,” the elf said, his own senses trying to take in everything now that he had eyes and ears and a nose, not just moments of consciousness and detection.

“Sorry,” Taern said.

Laeral and Alustriel, however, just continued to stare. He… that was Sharr, in the armor he’d disappeared from that battlefield in, the proper ceremonial armor for a Lorekeeper in a ritual hunt. And then, having wrestled down the flood of both her emotions and his, Alustriel all but threw herself at him.

“I… stars, you… you’re here, you…” Alustriel knew she was not really coherent as she wrapped her arms around her beloved tightly, but she couldn’t find it in her to care at the moment.

“I am, my star, I am,” Sharr murmured, returning the embrace just as tightly.

---

Laeral had sent to her nephews and shared her vision with them while Alustriel and Sharr were still embracing tightly in the first rush of emotional reaction to their reunion, but once both of them were willing to break the embrace, she and Taern had corralled the two of them—and Drizzt, too—back to Alustriel’s rooms.

Taern had then gone to speak to Alustriel’s secretary about rescheduling everything for the next few days, and while Laeral had stayed a bit longer—mostly to make sure Drizzt didn’t feel like he wanted her support—she was now on her way to the Knights’ wing of the Palace to find Korvallen.

Asking the squire on duty had gotten her directed to Korvallen’s quarters, and the door opened soon after she gave a brisk knock.

“Laeral?” Korvallen said, feeling a bit puzzled. “Is something wrong?” He hoped not, but he was not sure what else might have caused her to seek him out.

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Laeral answered. “It would even be fair to say that something has gone very, very right, but Alustriel does need you.”

“Alright.” Korvallen stepped out of his rooms, then closed and locked the door before moving to follow Laeral.

Quickly recognizing that Laeral was leading him to Alustriel’s rooms, that left him free to wonder what Laeral had meant by ‘something has gone very, very right’ and why Alustriel would need him if that was true.

He hadn’t managed to reach any reasonable conclusions by the time they reached Alustriel’s rooms, so he set his puzzling aside, knowing that he would soon find out anyway.

A knock on the door got a response of “Come in”, so he opened it and stepped into the outer room of the suite. And then, as soon as the door was no longer obstructing his sight of the room, he stopped dead. That was… Sharr? In the armor he had been wearing on the hunt where he disappeared? And a drow? Sitting on the other side of Alustriel from Sharr? He reached up to rub his eyes, but the bewildering sight remained. “Sharr? Drow? What in the Abyss?”

Alustriel sighed. “No, you’re not imagining things, Kor. Sharr is here, and there is a drow sitting beside me.” Giving her sister a mildly annoyed look, she added, “Though Laeral really should have warned you.”

“I thought it was only fair for him to be as surprised as we were,” Laeral said, amusement in her voice.

“And yet you didn’t mention Drizzt, either.”

“Sisterly wrangling later,” Sharr said, placing a hand on Alustriel’s shoulder. “Right now, Kor needs an explanation.

“Alright,” Alustriel said. “Do come sit down, Kor.”

Kor came over and sat down on the unoccupied divan—Laeral taking a seat beside him—before saying “So explain.”

The explanation given—Alustriel having multiple soulmarks, the drow being her second soulmate, a magical sapphire that reacted to silverfire and turned out to be a soul trap, Sharr having been the one inside the soul trap—did not do much to reduce Korvallen’s bewilderment, but he knew that once he’d gotten over the multiple shocks he’d had, it would be easier to absorb and work through everything.

---

The city had reacted to learning of Sharr’s return by throwing a spontaneous festival, and between that and reunions with his loved ones, it was nearly two weeks later before Sharr truly had any quiet time to himself, but once things settled down, he made a point of seeking Drizzt out during the times Alustriel was occupied by her duties as a ruler, in order to get to know the ranger beyond the impressions he had gotten while still trapped within the sapphire, and so the ranger could get to know him.

He had only had to spar with Drizzt once to confirm that the ranger was indeed as highly skilled as his impressions had suggested, and after Drizzt had beaten Kolarven as well, Sharr was able to convince Korvallen to spar with the ranger. That match had left everyone quite impressed with Drizzt’s skill, and Korvallen had taken it on himself to improve the ranger’s single-blade techniques.

Sharr had also fairly quickly realized that Drizzt was much younger than his skill would suggest, and after learning the ranger’s actual age, was quite relieved that Drizzt and Alustriel had agreed to take things slowly.

---

As time passed, Sharr and Korvallen settled into a routine of spending spring and summer in the village, and fall and winter in Silverymoon. (Officially, Korvallen had been given a permanent assignment to protect Sharr when Sharr wasn’t in the city, but everyone knew that it was just an acknowledgment of what he’d be doing anyway.)

But even with that routine, Sharr still made a point of coming up to Silverymoon for at least a few days every time Drizzt visited the city, to continue the progress of him and Drizzt getting to know each other better.

Korvallen usually came with him, to spar with Drizzt and continue the ranger’s training in single-blade techniques, and Sharr eventually noticed that Drizzt seemed to find those spars and lessons to be almost exhilarating.

Asking the young drow about it one evening produced a surprising answer. “Korvallen reminds me of the House’s Weapon Master, back in Menzoberranzan,” Drizzt said. “He is the only person on the surface that I have ever met who would be able to give the Weapon Master a true challenge. And the joy of facing the Weapon Master and being pushed is literally the only thing I have ever missed of that city.

“To be able to know something like that again, and with one who shares many of my values? It is a true delight.”

---

Chapter Two: Moving Forward

1347 DR

Sharr and Andy abruptly stopping their conversation and getting the distant look that Korvallen knew meant they were talking over Alustriel’s anklets was not a good sign. So when both of them lost the distant look and refocused on him, he was ready for whatever the bad news was.

Or at least, he had thought he was. But Andy’s report of “Drizzt has a large Shadowspawn army incoming, up at the Reghed Glacier, and needs all the clerics we can get up there by dawn, as well as as many of our family as can come, for magical assistance” was significantly more trouble than Kor had been expecting.

And a single look at Sharr showed that he was going to need to head off some more. “You are not going,” Kor told his brother of the heart.

“But-”

“No. You’re bonded to Alustriel; Drizzt isn’t. And taking the risk of her losing both of you up there isn’t worth it.”

Sharr sighed heavily. “You have a point,” he agreed reluctantly.

Turning his attention to Andy, Kor said, “You teleporting up?”

“I am.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

---

Once the battle was finally over and he’d done at least a basic check of his people, Bruenor set Lespur and Fender to doing a more thorough check and making sure someone got some stew started, then went looking for Drizzt.

He’d been wandering the battlefield, calling for his friend, for long enough that he was starting to get a bit concerned, when he noticed a pegasus following a pair of people off the battlefield. One of them had dark hair, and looked like they were wearing plate armor, but the other had Drizzt’s pale hair and green cloak.

Bruenor hurried to catch up to the group, wondering which of the southerners the other person was.

He didn’t manage to do so before they left the battlefield, but he had at least gotten close enough to see that Drizzt was leaning on the dark-haired person.

The group’s pace had picked up slightly once they were out of the battlefield, so even once Bruenor had made his way out, he still didn’t manage to catch up to them until after they had reached the southerners’ camp.

“…any idea how risky that was?!” the dark-haired person—an elf, by the ears—was saying as Bruenor got within earshot of them. “It could very easily have ended with you being impaled by both of them, instead of the Fades impaling each other! I know better than to assume you weren’t thinking at all, but I’d love to know what you were thinking!”

The strange elf was scolding Drizzt like he was a child?! And his friend was just sitting there and taking it?! Bruenor’s temper roused and he stomped up to the southerner already bristling with anger.

“Where'd ye get off with scoldin’ me friend like that?!” he snapped. “Weren’t fer him, the entire Dale would’ve been overrun by that army!”

The elf turned to face Bruenor, his own face twisting up into a scowl, but before he could actually say anything, Bright Eyes stepped between them and gave an annoyed snort.

The look on the elf’s face shifted from a scowl to consideration, and then he opened his mouth anyway, but a shove from Bright Eyes made him snap it shut without saying anything. But before Bruenor could feel too pleased with things, the pegasus shoved him, too.

“Thank you, Bright Eyes,” Drizzt said. Turning to look at the elf, he said, “Korvallen, would you mind going to get me something to eat while I reassure my friend here?”

The elf—Korvallen, apparently—gave Drizzt a long look, cast another at Bruenor, then turned a considering one on Bright Eyes, who had started preening her wings, before sighing and saying, “Alright. But we will be resuming this conversation later.”

A sharp look from Drizzt and Bright Eyes both kept Bruenor from saying anything while the elf walked away, but once he was fairly certain the elf was out of earshot, he turned to Drizzt and said, “Why were ye just lettin’ him scold ye like that?! Ye’re no’ a child tae be scolded and sent tae bed wi'out supper!”

“Peace, my friend,” Drizzt replied. “Korvallen truly meant me no harm.”

“Harm or no’, he had nae right tae be scoldin’ ye like a child!”

“Actually, he does.”

Bruenor gave a disbelieving snort at that, but Drizzt was already continuing. “As not only is he close kin of a sort, he is keenly aware that had I been born in any goodly elven community, I would be barely more than halfway to being considered an adult, and he has many nephews—all older than I am—who have honed his protective instincts. Perhaps overly so, I will admit, but I find that preferable to the opposite.”

Bruenor considered his friend’s words carefully. Alright, if all that was true, then maybe the elf did have that right. “How’d a surface elf come tae be kin of any sort tae ye, beyond the most general?” That was the one thing in all of that that made no sense to him.

Drizzt pulled back his sleeve and showed Bruenor the inside of his wrist, where there was a mark of a silver flame sitting right on the tendons. “Through this.”

Well, that was surely a soulmark, no matter that Bruenor had never seen one before. But… “Nae way he’s yer soulmate, so ye’d better give the full explanation, me elf.”

“You’re right, he’s not; the Lady Alustriel is my soulmate. But Korvallen is brother-of-the-heart to her other soulmate.”

---

Knowing Drizzt’s tendency to downplay his fatigue when there were still threats to be dealt with, Korvallen insisted on staying with Bo and Laeral to find whatever it was that the ranger had been drawn up to Icewind Dale to deal with.

And while actually finding the damned thing had been easy enough, that it had tried to ensnare both Drizzt and Bo had been worrying enough before Laeral identified it as Crenshinibon.

Once that was known, Korvallen flatly refused to leave Drizzt’s side until it had been dealt with. Or at least, that had been his intent.

But between seeing that Drizzt really was taking it easy during the few days they spent in Shadowdale while Elminster, Syluné, and Laeral worked to figure out how to destroy the crystal, and knowing that Drizzt and Laeral would have to wait for an entire week for Valamaradace to get to where they were going to do the destruction, he decided that since they had already had to come to the Silver Marches just to ask Valamaradace for her assistance, there was no point in him actually continuing on to see the destruction, and chose to go back to the village once Vala's help had been secured.

---

1349 DR

Like he had with the Shadowspawn army, Korvallen had participated in the battle to reclaim Mithral Hall so that Sharr would be less displeased about not doing so himself, which meant he was present when Laeral decreed that Drizzt should be taken home to his stedding to recover from facing the shadow dragon. And since Drizzt was in no shape to keep himself on Bright Eyes’s back—the pegasus had, quite unsurprisingly, insisted on being the one to carry her person—Korvallen volunteered to be the one who rode behind him.

Bright Eyes gave several loud neighs once they had landed near the stedding, and fairly soon, the undergrowth moved slightly and a tall Ogier stepped out. Obviously male, by the long eyebrows, mustaches, and full beard, and wearing the camouflage clothing of a Protector. Korvallen was quite impressed by the man’s woodcraft, as he had not realized that there was anyone near until just before he had appeared. The Ogier's eyes did not quite brush past him to focus on Drizzt, but Korvallen had the feeling that if he had not still been behind Drizzt on Bright Eyes, the Ogier barely would have noticed him.

“Drizzt?” a deep bass voice said worriedly. “What has happened to you? What do you need, kinsman?”

Korvallen was prepared to answer if Drizzt was too out of it to do so, but the ranger was at least aware enough to say, “I want to go home, but do not trust my feet to carry me, Voran. Bright Eyes and my friend Korvallen got me this far.”

“Then we will go,” Voran said, and came over to stand beside Bright Eyes. “Do you wish me to carry you, or will you remain on Bright Eyes?”

“With Korvallen’s support, I can stay on Bright Eyes,” Drizzt said.

Voran then turned his attention to the elf behind Drizzt, bowing slightly. “My greetings to you, Korvallen, and my apologies for hastiness. We may be properly introduced later, but my kinsman needs to be within the stedding.”

“No apologies needed,” Korvallen said, even as the Ogier—Voran, apparently—turned and began to move through the thick undergrowth at a speed that had Bright Eyes trotting to keep up.

While there was no obvious marker of the stedding’s boundary, Korvallen could tell when they had entered it by the shift of Drizzt’s weight against him—the ranger sitting up a bit more, supporting a little more of his own weight—though Voran stepping to the side and turning to wait for them would have been a large clue anyway.

“Shall we bring you to the healers, Drizzt, or only to Lindsar?” Voran asked, once Bright Eyes had come up alongside him.

“Lindsar, please. I just want to rest.”

If Korvallen had not felt the instant improvement in Drizzt’s state simply from crossing the boundary into the stedding's magic-null zone, he would have spoken up to suggest Drizzt be taken to the healers anyway, but since there had been that improvement, he was willing to let the matter lie for now.

Drizzt drew in a deep breath of good air, that smelled like it ought to. “I have missed you all.”

“Of course,” Voran agreed, and resumed his trek, though at a slower pace this time, Bright Eyes staying beside him. “She is weaving today, not on the borders, so she will see to you. Truly, kinsman, what happened to you? Or is it too much to speak of?”

“Had to help my friends take back their home,” Drizzt said. “A shadow dragon… from a different plane, not Leafblighter’s forces… had taken their Hall. I was most useful at keeping the dragon distracted while wizards dealt with it.”

Korvallen snorted. “You certainly did distract it, but it could have been managed with less risk to yourself.”

Voran looked from Drizzt to Korvallen, then back. “Did the risks he took play a role in the dragon harming him so?”

“No,” Korvallen said. “The risks he took were physical ones, the harm the dragon did was magical. Which is why Laeral insisted he be brought here.”

“What did it do, then?” Voran asked, unsettled and uncertain. “Did it… breathe upon you with some fume only the Elders who study such things would know?”

“Dragons exude dragon fear. Shadow dragons more so. And… they are more unnatural than a native dragon, making it worse for me.” Drizzt shuddered a little. “It is… the world trying to turn itself inside out to be near one, for me. And it is evil, with no chance of redemption.”

“Terrible,” Voran said, and then he sped up just a little, so he could open the door of Lindsar’s home before Bright Eyes got there.

---

As the door opened, Lindsar settled her loom so that her progress was not in danger, and then turned to see who it was.

Voran was the one who had opened the door, but behind him, one he had stepped inside and was holding it open, was Bright Eyes, carrying Drizzt and an unknown elf.

“Hello,” Drizzt said, opening his eyes to see one of the most welcome faces in all of existence, having known when they entered the house by the change in the sound of Bright Eyes’s hooves.

“He wished to come home, to recover from a dragon battle,” Voran said, to spare Drizzt the immediate explanation.

“You are always welcome home, my brother,” Lindsar told him. “And it is very good to see you… but I do not like how unwell you appear. Voran, will you do me the favor of going to Jinana’s and asking for two bottles of her restoratives?”

“Of course, Lindsar,” Voran agreed, waiting until Bright Eyes was out of the way before turning to go. “I will be back with them as swiftly as decency allows.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Drizzt said. Then he leaned forward against Bright Eyes’s neck at a tap and a shift from Korvallen, and his friend carefully dismounted.

“Do you need help getting down?” Korvallen asked his young friend, once he was firmly on the ground again.

Drizzt took a moment to assess his condition, then answered, “I think that would be wise.”

Before Korvallen could move to start helping him, though, Bright Eyes gave a snort, and carefully lowered herself to lay on the floor. That made it much easier to get off, though Drizzt was still glad for Korvallen’s support. As soon as he was off of her, Bright Eyes stood back up, and Drizzt leaned against her.

Returning his attention to Lindsar, he said, “Lindsar, my friend here is Korvallen Senahye, Knight-Captain in Silverymoon’s Knights in Silver, and brother-of-the-heart to Alustriel’s other soulmate.” Shifting to look at Korvallen, he continued, “Korvallen, this is Lindsar daughter of Malana daughter of Coera, Protector of Stedding Corwal, and my sister.”

“Greetings, Korvallen Senahye,” Lindsar said, bowing to the elf. “Your name sings in my ears. And if you will forgive my abruptness, I think I should get my brother settled on the couch.”

“Of course,” Korvallen replied, returning the bow, but perfectly willing to skimp on the polite courtesies for the sake of getting Drizzt settled down to rest faster. “And I return your greetings, Lindsar.”

Suiting actions to words as soon as Korvallen had agreed, Lindsar scooped her brother up in her arms and carried him over to the couch, laying him down gently, then began to work upon the laces of his boots.

“Would you like for me to take Bright Eyes out to her shelter and get her settled?” Korvallen asked.

Lindsar paused in removing Drizzt’s boots and looked over at Korvallen. “That would be quite helpful, thank you.”

Bright Eyes gave an annoyed snort at that, and stomped one hoof on the floor, but Korvallen was well used to dealing with opinionated pegasi worried about their riders. “You can keep an eye on Drizzt through that window,” and he pointed at the one that had the best view of the couch, “just as well as if you were inside. And you do need a grooming, plus food and water.”

---

Korvallen was getting on quite well with Lindsar, but Drizzt was also rapidly improving, so since he had not intended to stay longer than was necessary to make sure Drizzt really was taking it easy, when Lindsar spoke of going to Silverymoon with Drizzt, several days after their arrival in the stedding, Korvallen took the opportunity to bring up the subject of his own return to the city.

Drizzt had agreed that he was feeling well enough to not need assistance to stay on Bright Eyes’s back, though he still didn’t think he was fully recovered, so plans were made for the two of them to leave on Bright Eyes early the next morning.

As the flight from the stedding to Silverymoon took most of the day, Drizzt and Bright Eyes stayed the night in the city, and the morning after they had arrived, Korvallen saw them off again, with a promise from Drizzt that he would go straight back to the stedding.

---

Though Kor had assured him that Drizzt truly was recovering well from his prolonged exposure to the shadow dragon, Sharr still started to grow somewhat concerned when it had reached the middle of the third month of spring—Mithral Hall having been reclaimed early in the second month—and there was still no word from Alustriel about so much as an estimate from Drizzt on when he might return to Silverymoon.

When he mentioned those concerns to Kor, however, his brother of the heart was quite firm that they were unfounded.

“It’s been five years since Drizzt last visited the stedding,” Kor reminded him. “He has a lot of catching up to do.”

But even with that reminder, he was still quite relieved to hear from Alustriel, most of two weeks later, that Drizzt had finally returned. He was even more pleased to hear that the ranger had brought his Ogier sister with him.

And when Sharr came down to the clearing below the village to call for his current pegasus friend, Korvallen was waiting for him.

“I hadn’t realized that you were planning on going up with me, this time,” Sharr said. “After all, you’ve already met Lindsar.”

“I may have met her,” Kor said, “but I didn’t truly get a chance to know her, as we were both a bit preoccupied by making sure Drizzt actually took it easy and keeping Bright Eyes mollified about not being allowed in the house.

“And I did promise her that she’d get a chance to see me and Drizzt spar, since she’s never had the opportunity to see him in a friendly match, and one certainly wasn’t going to happen while Drizzt was still recovering.”

---

For all that it had been early spring when Drizzt and Alustriel decided that they were going to go ahead and make their relationship official, everything else that Drizzt had committed to doing meant that it was late fall by the time they actually got a chance to do so.

Sharr and Kor both attended evenfeast on the chosen night, and though they had had to explain the concept of multiple soulmarks to pretty much all of the non-elves who had chosen to approach them with questions about Drizzt, they were quite pleased with the results of their friendly greetings to the ranger and the many conversations they had had about him.

---

Chapter Three: Continuing On

1349 DR, late fall

Settled beside Kor on the divan facing the one Drizzt and Alustriel were sitting on, Sharr was about to ask if either Drizzt or Kor had had a chance to visit the Tuatha’an caravan that had been the talk of evenfeast that night, when Drizzt preempted him by saying “I’m going to need to leave a few weeks earlier than I had intended to.”

“That it is not much sooner than you planned means it cannot be a pull,” Alustriel said, “and it seems unlikely to be trouble at the stedding that needs your skills, either, so… the Tuatha’an brought word of some trouble in the elan-lands?” She reached out and took one of Drizzt’s hands in hers. “If it is something you can share, will you?”

Drizzt did not remove his hand from Alustriel’s, but the other reached up to run through his own hair, and then he took a deep breath. “I noted corrupted Aes Sedai. Laeral relayed this to her friend Terava Sedai.”

Sharr instantly sat up straighter, and he knew that Kor had done the same beside him. For all that the Aes Sedai claimed to be incorruptible, he’d always had his doubts, ones that he knew Kor and the Chosen of Mystra shared. But this was the first time those doubts had been confirmed as justified.

“Terava Sedai followed through, but their leads into the full conspiracy were cut when the ones they made out died.” Drizzt half-shrugged a shoulder. “They need me to find new leads, to expose the rot. I can go—I have a standing invitation—and teach more of the Underdark as I recall it for my excuse to be present.”

“The only time you’ve been in the elan-lands with Laeral—or at all, as far as I’m aware—was that trip just before Laeral brought you to meet Alustriel,” Sharr said, “and that was nearly fifteen years ago. It’s taken them that long to run out of leads, and they still haven’t uncovered the full conspiracy? Just how big is it?”

“I have no idea,” Drizzt said, “but from what Terava Sedai wrote, each of the corrupted Aes Sedai can only reveal three others, and some of the ones revealed were long absent from the Tower, so it makes sense that it would take quite a while to get even as far as they did.”

“Are you sure this isn’t an attempt to lure you into the hands of the corrupted ones, so they can get rid of you?” Kor asked. “Given that no one else has ever been able to tell if an Aes Sedai is corrupted, you are a distinct threat to them.”

“Not completely. But given that Terava Sedai was uncorrupted, and Laeral and I gave her the names of all the others we had met that day who were clear, the only person involved who I don’t know for certain is uncorrupted is the Amyrlin Seat.”

“And finding out if she is corrupted is a priority.” Alustriel sighed. “Even with how much faster Bright Eyes makes it, there’s still no point in flying all the way from here to Tar Valon unless you simply wish the journey. We left ourselves a teleportation-marker on the slopes of Dragonmount centuries ago, so I can have you and Bright Eyes there within a few hours whenever you choose to go. A day at most, if I am lacking teleport spells that day and must wait to reacquire it.”

---

1350 DR

While Sharr and Kor did need to leave for the village soon after Alustriel had teleported Drizzt and Bright Eyes to Tar Valon, they chose to at least wait until after the first of the weekly check-ins Drizzt and Alustriel had agreed on.

That check-in, though a bit earlier than a full week, had brought the confirmation that the Amyrlin Seat was indeed uncorrupted—and quite grateful for the ring of detect evil that Alustriel and Qilué had spent much of the winter making—as well as news of the plans that had been made to maximize Drizzt’s exposure to the Aes Sedai.

The news that the process of ferreting out all of the Black Ajah would be a long and difficult one—and that apprehension would need to be swift and as total as possible—due to two of them being on the Aes Sedai’s ruling council was less welcome, but was counterbalanced by both the protective amulet that the Amyrlin Seat had loaned Drizzt and Drizzt’s own idea to obtain the drow sleep potion for use in the apprehension, if possible.

Even after they returned to the village, Alustriel continued to keep Sharr updated on what Drizzt had shared with her during the check-ins, including her assessment of how heavily it was all weighing on the ranger.

And then, early in the second month of summer, Alustriel began the update by grumping ~Drizzt went and changed plans without telling me.~

~Oh?~ Sharr said. ~How did he do so?~

~He decided to take the long way back to Silverymoon instead of letting me know that they were done so I could teleport him and Bright Eyes back,~ Alustriel said. ~Which, alright, given how much everything has been weighing on him, I can understand him needing the time on the road to settle himself.

~I just wish he had actually told me that. Because he didn’t even bother to mention it during the check-in. If I hadn’t gone and scried for him because I had a feeling that something was off, I wouldn’t even know that he had left Tar Valon.~

---

Given that the Highharvestide festival had not only been Drizzt’s first as an official consort of Alustriel’s, it had also been his first in Silverymoon, Sharr had taken it on himself to show the ranger around.

Watching Drizzt’s delight in trying all the various foods on offer, especially the ones that were seasonal to the harvest and slaughtering time, had been quite enjoyable for Sharr, and so had watching Drizzt watch everyone else enjoying the festival.

---

Sharr was as intrigued as Alustriel when, several days after she had brought Drizzt back from his winter visit to the stedding, the ranger had asked her to please see if Laeral could come visit. A time had been arranged, and now, a bit more than a week since Drizzt’s return, Sharr, Kor, Alustriel, and Laeral were settled on the divans in the outer room of Alustriel’s suite, waiting for Drizzt to arrive.

A brief knock preceded his entrance, and he was carrying a pair of cloth-and-ribbon wrapped bundles of equal size—one in each hand—when he came in.

“Hello, my Lady. Sharr, Kor. Glad you could come, Laeral!”

“As though I would refuse you wanting to see me, dearheart?” Laeral asked. From his seat on the other divan, Sharr had seen her brows raise at the sight of the packages—quite large ones, too—Drizzt was carrying, so he was not surprised when she then added, “And what are you up to?”

“Gifts, for both you and Alustriel, as Lindsar declined to keep one.” Drizzt smiled brightly, handing one to Laeral, then the other to Alustriel… and Sharr was amused to see him steal a kiss on her cheek before letting go of hers.

Then Alustriel and Laeral set to opening the packages, and Sharr could not help but let out an impressed whistle when he saw the thickly plush, pure white fur each contained. And that was before Laeral stood up to let hers unroll and it proved to be longer than she was tall and wider than her spread arms, even without counting the width of the legs.

“Drizzt, what is this?” Laeral asked. “Other than impossiblybeautiful?”

Sharr had been wondering that as well, so he was quite eager to hear the answer.

“Giant weasels, gone kill-mad, so I could not just move them on,” Drizzt said. “Lindsar, Bright Eyes, and I tracked them after the Protector that found them told Lindsar and I of one of their kills. Lindsar offered me both pelts, so I would have one for each of you.”

“Amazing,” Alustriel murmured. Then she murmured a few strange words, and her pelt was taken by invisible hands and spread out to display its full size.

Kor had tensed a little beside him as the invisible hands took the pelt, but Sharr had recognized the strange words as being arcane ones, so he laid a calming hand on Kor’s shoulder and whispered, “Unseen servants, no need to worry.”

“The tanning is… so perfect,” Alustriel continued, “they’re as supple as anything I’ve ever felt, for as thick as the skin must have been. She’s sure she didn’t want one?”

“She saw what they had done,” Drizzt explained, “and the pelts would be a reminder, bringing that image back.”

“Your sister, like so many of your people, is a gentle soul,” Laeral replied, before wrapping herself in the full fur. “Oh, it is wonderful! I don’t even know what I want it to be, but it is so very soft!”

Alustriel laughed softly, before sitting forward so the unseen servants could wrap hers behind her shoulders. “Mmm… so soft. And surely warm as anything. I am glad to have it not be an ill memory for her, then, and very thankful.”

Beside Sharr, Kor gave a laugh of his own. “You’re going to have to improve the gifts you give her now, my friend. Drizzt has just set a high bar to match.”

---

1351 DR, spring

Less than a week after Drizzt had set out for Mithral Hall to begin the year’s ranging, Sharr was lounging beside Alustriel on one of the divans in her rooms when she suddenly tensed, then sat up straight and cried, “What?!”

Recognizing the signs of talking over the anklets in her gaze, he waited until her eyes focused on him again, then asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Drizzt sent to me and Laeral. ‘Black Ajah sister and her wizard-Warder tried to kill me, should probably be relayed to Terava Sedai.’” The exasperation was strong in Alustriel’s voice as she spoke, and it got stronger when she added, “Said in an entirely commonplace tone, of course, as though he faced murder attempts every day!”

Sharr shook his head and sighed. “Usually, I’d simply say ‘Rangers!’, but that’s excessive even for most of them.

“And if you’re feeling a need to go to him, to reassure yourself that he’s okay, I’ll go with you.”

“Thank you,” Alustriel said. “I didn’t give Drizzt a chance to argue with me about that, but I could tell that he was not happy with the decision, and Taern isn’t likely to be any more pleased than Drizzt was. But between your presence and Laeral’s, that should reassure both of them.”

And with that, she rose from the divan and headed for the door, and Sharr followed her.

After a brief stop at Sharr’s rooms, so he could get his sword, they headed for the nearest teleport point, and soon enough, the two of them arrived in a clearing, where Drizzt was stroking Bright Eyes’s neck, and Laeral was looking at him with a displeased expression.

“Alustriel’s here,” Laeral said. “So explain.”

Well, that probably explained the displeasure, though Sharr wasn’t going to discount the possibility that something else had contributed to it.

Drizzt stopped stroking Bright Eyes’s neck, and looked at the three of them, before pointing to a pair of bodies at the far edge of the clearing. “When I took my spells, the wilds were whispering of danger. And my Lady granted me that which I needed for the danger, though I did not know what it would be.

“The Warder cast multiple spells, before finding his death, and the corrupted one attempted… I think it is called balefire?… when I dropped the darkness I had thrown her way.”

Beside him, Sharr could see the color drain from Alustriel’s face at the mention of balefire, and he wasn’t sure he hadn’t had the same happen. He wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into the offered comfort.

Drizzt half-shrugged. “I didn’t mean for either of you to come. I just don’t have a way to quickly tell an Aes Sedai that some escaped, and knew I needed to be the one to tell Alustriel.” Looking directly at Sharr, the ranger added, “Thank you for coming with her.”

“You’re quite welcome,” Sharr replied.

“I know you didn’t intend us to come,” Laeral said, and oh, Sharr could tell from her voice that she wasn’t handling the mention of balefire any better than Alustriel was, “you never do. That doesn’t mean there was any chance we weren’t going to, when you sent a message like that.”

Alustriel shifted in a way that indicated she was ready to stop leaning on him, and Sharr dropped the arm he had wrapped around her. She then took a step towards Drizzt, and asked, “Are you certain it was balefire the Black sister used?”

Though most of his attention was on Alustriel and Drizzt, Sharr still noticed when Laeral moved towards the corpses, a glowing mote held where her body could shield Drizzt from it.

“It blinded me in the fashion of what I have read up on, not that I noticed,” Drizzt replied, even as he put on his spectacles and started following Laeral. Alustriel moved to join him, and Sharr and Bright Eyes followed behind them. “Thankfully, I’d begun my throw as the weave was building in my direction, so my blade landed true.”

The four of them had reached Laeral by then, and Drizzt added, “Thank you both, again, for the spellwork on my blades. They served me well.”

The head sitting near, but not connected, to the male body was certainly proof of that, and Sharr quite approved of Drizzt’s choice to handle the Darkfriend in the same manner as required for a Fade.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Laeral said.

And then Alustriel pulled Drizzt in to her, his back to her chest, and her chin tucked over his hair. Laeral took that as a signal to come over and take one of Drizzt’s hands, and Sharr started to stroke Bright Eyes’s neck when she shifted like she wanted to protest the manhandling of her person.

“It’s alright, Alustriel,” Drizzt soothed. “It’s alright, Laeral. You and your sisters protected me! The amulet worked, making it just… vanish away.”

While Drizzt’s attempt to soothe the Sisters was definitely understandable, Sharr also knew exactly why it wasn’t going to help the way the ranger hoped it would. But it would be better for them to explain it.

“So they did,” Alustriel agreed, “so they did. But it’s not only the threat to you that has frightened us, love. We would grieve you, but we could also call you back… if you would agree to return.” Which was something that Sharr knew Drizzt still had some reluctance to consider.

Laeral then picked up the explanation. “If the Black Ajah have rediscovered the weave for balefire, there is danger to the Weave itself, to the Pattern.

“There is a reason that all of those who can use elan made a compact against it long ago. Even before the end of the Breaking. This must be brought to the attention of our Mother.”

“Ahh. That I understand better.” Drizzt then started to describe what he had seen in more depth.

Sharr wasn’t as well-versed in what balefire actually looked and acted like as the Sisters were, but he could tell from the looks on their faces, as Drizzt continued to speak, that they truly were becoming certain that the ranger was correct.

“Everything you say sounds like that weave, yes,” Laeral said, when Drizzt had finished. “Damn and damn. Light scorch them all.”

Then she looked over to the bodies, which had been stripped to their smallclothes. “Let them feed the carrion-eaters, and do some good for once in their miserable, accursed lives. Where were you planning to rest for the day, dear one?”

Sharr quite agreed with that decision about the bodies, but Laeral’s question about a place to rest was definitely a sign that it was almost time for him and Alustriel to leave. And Alustriel seemed to have realized that as well, releasing her hold on Drizzt, which Laeral took as a cue to let go of his hand.

“Hadn’t chosen yet. All of their things are in the haversack Thyl and Lin gifted me with, though, so I can call the carrion feeders now, and we can find a place… if you’re staying with me for a time?”

“I’m sure Alustriel would like to,” Sharr said, “but I rather think she and I had best go back to Silverymoon.”

“You are entirely correct,” Alustriel said with a sigh. “Before we go, however, did the Warder get lucky enough that you need a potion?”

“He’s not hurt at all,” Laeral answered, her tone exasperated, “though he hadn’t even bothered to check until I asked him if he was, despite the fact that the very first thing he said when I arrived was ‘Bright Eyes needs a potion. Do you have one?’”

“Of course it was,” Alustriel sighed, and Sharr winced at the exasperation in her tone. He strongly suspected that Drizzt was going to be in for a talk about taking care of himself as well as others, once the ranger returned to Silverymoon. “Of course it was.

“But since that is the case, Sharr and I really do need to leave now.” She leaned down to give Drizzt a kiss. When she pulled back, Sharr reached out and took her hand, and a moment later, they were in her bedchamber.

“Well,” Alustriel said, “I think we should both get some rest now, but do try to help me remember tomorrow that it’s brought up something I need to talk to you about.”

“Of course, my star.” Sharr moved in to kiss her, then turned to leave for his own rooms.

---

The following night, once Alustriel had returned from the post-evenfeast festivities she had chosen to attend, Sharr asked, “So what is it that you need to talk to me about, that was brought up by the attack on Drizzt?”

“Taking the Warder bond with him,” Alustriel answered, shifting on the divan to look more directly at Sharr. “I’ve been wanting to for a while, but felt it would be better to let him bring it up, because of his history with it.”

“The attack has changed your willingness to wait for that, then?” Sharr asked.

“It has,” Alustriel replied. “Between the fact that I could have lost him, without even knowing that he was in danger, and how close it strikes to what happened to you, I’m no longer comfortable with waiting, though I do plan to ask Laeral for advice on how to broach the subject with him.”

“I have no problems whatsoever with you taking the bond with Drizzt,” Sharr said. “I’ve actually been expecting this conversation since the two of you made your relationship official.”

---

Sharr and Kor had left for the village before Laeral got back from telling her Aes Sedai friend about the attack on Drizzt, but the conversation with her had gone quite well, as Laeral had actually been thinking about the matter for some time. And now, a month later, Drizzt had returned to Silverymoon, and Alustriel was preparing to start the conversation.

Shifting on the divan to face him fully, she took a deep breath and said, “Drizzt, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Hearing the serious tone in her voice, Drizzt also shifted to look straight at Alustriel. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Alustriel said, “but the attack by the Black Ajah and her Warder has changed my feelings on an aspect of our relationship that I had previously felt that you should be the one to bring up.”

“And what is that aspect?”

Alustriel took another deep breath. “I want to take the Warder bond with you.”

“How does Sharr feel about us doing so?” Drizzt asked. He knew that it was possible for someone to have two Warders, but he also knew that a second Warder was a choice that had to be agreed to by the first Warder.

“Sharr is fine with it,” Alustriel said.

“Is it just because of the attack, though?”

“No. I’ve wanted to take the bond with you for a while, but given your history with it, I felt it would be better to let you come to me about it when—or if—you felt ready to take it.

“But with the attack… you could have been killed, because I didn’t know you needed help.”

“Even if we had been bonded,” Drizzt said, “it’s not like I would have been able to share my vision with you before the attack was over.”

“I’m working on solving that problem,” Alustriel replied. “Teleportation-markers and the staves of Silverymoon are both things that allow one to teleport to them, so if I can figure out how to adapt the magic, I can make something for you to wear that I will be able to teleport to without error, and without needing your eyes to know where.”

Drizzt gave a wry smile. “I want to take it, too. But knowing the effect a broken bond has, I could not see why you would wish to do so with me, given that it’s a ranger’s duty to risk their life for others. Especially since what happened to Sharr proved that your enemies are perfectly willing to target those you are close to.”

Alustriel laughed softly, shaking her head as she drew him closer. “Aren’t we a pair? Though I will say that the fact that the attack on you reminding me of what happened to Sharr contributed to my decision to broach the matter of the bond with you.”

“A good pair, I think,” he said, leaning in to kiss her. “And I had not considered that perspective on things.”

“Tomorrow, then, after lunch? Since I’ll need to memorize the spell.”

“Tomorrow after lunch is fine with me.”

---

Late fall

Kor and Sharr were playing a game in Kor’s rooms, having chosen not to attend evenfeast that night, when Sharr suddenly took on the distant look of talking over the anklets. Kor patiently waited for Sharr to come back to himself, and when the other man did, Kor asked, “What’s going on?”

“Alustriel asked me to meet her and Drizzt at Taern’s office,” Sharr said, getting up as he did so. “And your presence would also be useful.”

“Then let’s go,” Kor said, getting up himself.

Not bothering to put away the game, the two of them left Kor’s rooms and headed for the Spellguard Tower at a brisk pace.

Alustriel and Drizzt had not yet arrived when Kor and Sharr got to Taern’s office, but they didn’t have to wait long before Alustriel walked in without even knocking, followed by Drizzt.

“Taern, Syluné needs my help,” she said. “They’re about to be attacked and the others are unavailable. You’re going to have to stay to watch the city, and organize getting as many of the Knights and Spellguards to me as you can.

“My next stops are the magical items vault and the dispensary for weapons to share out and potions for the injured.”

Taern nodded. “I will get that support to you swiftly, Lady. And the city will be guarded well.” He looked at each of the men, catching their eyes and getting brief nods in return, then focused fully. “I do not suppose she said which of her problems?”

“No,” Alustriel replied, shaking her head. “It may not be obvious. Thank you, Taern. Mystra be with you.” She turned and left the office then, followed by Drizzt, and—after he exchanged a look with Kor—Sharr as well.

“So,” Kor said, once the door had shut again, “do you just want me to handle informing Besnell and getting things started for the Knights?”

“Probably better for me to handle formally notifying him,” Taern replied, “but I see no reason you shouldn’t come with me for that, given that I’m sure you’re planning on being one of the Knights who goes. And if Besnell doesn’t ask you to lead them, I’ll be surprised.”

“Fair enough.”

---

Kor was familiar enough with magic to know that the effort the Sisters had expended in the last push would have knocked them both out, so once the battle was actually over, he went looking for either Drizzt or Sharr.

He found Drizzt first, as the ranger had actually been coming to find him. Drawing him over to a quiet spot to talk, Kor said, “With Alustriel unconscious, that leaves you and Sharr as the ones our people are going to look to for guidance. What do you want us to do?”

Despite his clear surprise at Kor's question, Drizzt gave sensible enough directions, and once all of the uninjured Knights and Spellguards had been set to tasks, Kor turned his attention to the ranger himself. “While we were organizing the cleanup, Aumry told me that Sharr accompanied Alustriel and Syluné off the battlefield, and stayed with them,” he said. “Since that means Sharr has already had a chance to get some rest, you should swap places with him now.”

It wasn’t that simple to convince Drizzt, of course, but soon enough, the ranger had agreed and headed for Chauntea's Temple, and not long after that, Sharr came and joined Kor where he was participating in checking for further traps.

---

SharrSapphire in the Wheel (1857 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore, Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Alustriel Silverhand/Original Character(s)
Characters: Alustriel Silverhand, Drizzt Do'Urden, Laeral Silverhand, Bruenor Battlehammer, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Canon-Typical Violence
Series: Part 9 of A Crossing of the Realms
Summary:

What if the canon divergence of the series "SharrSapphire" happened in the series "The Ranger and the Wheel"?

---

Beginning notes

Inspired by senmut and ilyena_sylph's series SharrSapphire and The Ranger and the Wheel.

This fic contains a certain amount of borrowing from the first two fics in the series "SharrSapphire", since some scenes from those fics are covered in this one, with alterations based on the changes caused by them happening in the fusion universe of the series "The Ranger and the Wheel".

If you are confused by this fic, please go read the series "The Ranger and the Wheel" through "Champion of Mielikki, Champion of the Light" and the series "SharrSapphire" through "The Sapphire's Secret", as this fic very much assumes familiarity with both series to those points.

---

SharrSapphire in the Wheel

1298 DR

A flare of surprise over the Warder bond, suddenly cut off as the bond was masked to the point that she could only tell it was still there by the absence of the gaping wound in her psyche its breaking would cause was concerning enough.

But Andy sending to her barely half an hour later, saying that she needed to come to the village because there had been an attack, and now they had a mystery on their hands, was enough to trip Alustriel over into full-blown worry.

Arriving at the usual teleport point in the village to find both Andy and Korvallen waiting for her did not help, not did their insistence on waiting to explain until they were inside and she was sitting down.

The explanation given—a ritual hunt, a large band of orcs wearing enough spells against detection to buy a small kingdom, Sharr just… vanishing… right after the fight started—at least justified their caution, because that would have been an unpleasant shock if she had not already been aware that something had to have happened to Sharr.

“Well,” she said, once they were finished, “I can at least assure you that Sharr is not dead, because the Warder bond is intact. But it’s so muted that that’s all I can sense about it, and it’s more the absence of the wound to my psyche a broken bond would create that I’m sensing, rather than the presence of the bond itself.”

“It’s good to know that he’s still alive,” Korvallen said, “but that still leaves the question of what happened to him for the bond to be masked so completely.”

“Would an anti-magic field affect the bond like that?” Andy asked.

Alustriel took a moment to consider the idea. “Possibly, though that still doesn’t explain why he vanished. Especially since planar travel can be ruled out.

“That masks the bond to the point that only the strongest emotions come through, and in a muted form, at that. Which does not match what I sensed not too long before you sent to me.”

---

1333 DR, early summer

The pull that Drizzt and Aronna had followed into the eastern Lurkwood turned out to have been guiding them to deal with a very young green dragon. Once the dragon was dead, they had gathered up the small hoard it had managed to accumulate, and set up a camp not far from the small cavern that had been its lair.

While helping gather up the hoard, Drizzt had felt something tingle, so now that he and his teacher were settled down for the night, he started sorting through the portion he had gathered to find the tingling item. Most of it was coins of various sorts, but there were a few gemstones as well… and then one sapphire, more blue than most anything he had seen in nature so far, caught his attention.

He drew it up, knowing it felt like the weapons he had used and the gear he had worn before he was dumped on the surface. Six rays radiating from the center of one side of the rectangular gem made a star.

“What’s that, Drizzt?” Aronna asked.

“I felt something magical while gathering the hoard,” he replied. “This seems to be what I felt.”

“It’s a lovely gem. I wonder what spell it holds?”

As if in answer, the sapphire gleamed brightly, just before Drizzt’s own sense of evil warned of something approaching and Gnasher gave a low growl. Hastily, Drizzt stowed the stone in his belt pouch, then drew his blades—

—just in time to face the first of the arriving worgs.

---

As soon as he had dealt a fatal injury to the last worg, Drizzt backed away, hastily dropped his blades, and dug the sapphire back out of his belt pouch. As he had suspected, the stone’s glow had dimmed significantly, and as that final worg died, so did the glow.

“This is a very useful gem,” he said.

“The glow was a warning about the worgs, then?” Aronna asked.

“It seems so. And it was just a bit faster to detect them than my own senses were.”

“In that case, you should use some rawhide to make a wrapping for it, so you can wear it as a pendant.”

---

1344 DR

As the weather got even colder heading into the tundra winter, Drizzt noticed that the rawhide wrapping for the sapphire was starting to become cracked and brittle. So before it failed entirely, he approached Bruenor to see if the dwarf had any suggestions for a holder more suited to the weather in Icewind Dale.

After taking a look at the gem and listening to Drizzt’s explanation of what it did, Bruenor had suggested what he called a ‘basket-wrap’. Drizzt had needed the term explained, but once Bruenor had, he agreed that it sounded like a reasonable solution. Thankfully for Drizzt’s desire to learn, Bruenor was willing to take the time to show him how to make the wrap himself, and so, before winter had fully set in, the sapphire was safely cradled in a basket woven of silver wire.

---

1349 DR

While Drizzt had not intended to have the ruler of Silverymoon play messenger for him, he had not yet written a letter for the Harpers to deliver to Laeral when he and Lindsar had met Lady Alustriel outside of Deneir’s Library.

And so, knowing that the sending anklets the sisters used to stay in touch with each other would be a much faster means of passing on the message, before they parted ways, he asked the Lady if she would do him the favor of letting Laeral know that he had a magical item that he wanted her to take a look at.

Lady Alustriel had readily agreed, and Laeral had arrived that evening.

Introducing Laeral to Lindsar had resulted in some sharing of tales, but after a bit, Laeral wound down the one she was telling, then turned to Drizzt. “So what’s the magical item you want me to look at?” she asked.

Removing the chain he wore the basket pendant on, Drizzt handed it over to her. “This sapphire.”

“That’s the one that you said glows to warn of nearby evil, yes?”

“It is,” Drizzt agreed.

“So what’s happened that you now want me to take a look at it?” Laeral asked.

“Something I first noticed when you and Qilué removed the shroud from me, but which has been consistent over the years since then, is that in addition to glowing to warn of evil, it also grows warm—without any glow—when silverfire is manifesting.

“And while I didn’t think much of it originally, the fact that it became almost burning hot during the battle at the glacier when all four of you there used silverfire simultaneously was odd enough for me to decide it’s worth having you investigate.”

“That is definitely worth investigating,” Laeral agreed. “Do you mind if I start now?”

“Not at all.”

With that settled, Laeral put the stone down on the table in front of her and set to work. Detect magic was first, just to make sure there weren’t any traps laid for someone trying to analyze the magic on the stone, but when that only returned a single aura of strong conjuration magic, she moved on to identify.

The result of that spell was decidedly unexpected, so Laeral chose to double-check it with analyze dweomer. But when that produced the same result, she sat back and shook her head in bafflement.

“Well,” she said, after taking a moment to think over how to phrase things, “the sensitivity to silverfire isn’t the result of any spell on the sapphire that I can detect. However, the sapphire is a soul trap, so I suppose it’s possible that the sensitivity is somehow tied to whoever is trapped inside it.”

“There’s a person in there?” Drizzt looked at the pendant with a frown on his face, then looked back to Laeral with intense worry. “I… I had no idea. How do I fix this?”

“Thankfully, it’s quite simple, at least for someone who knows as many dwarves as you do,” Laeral said. “All you have to do is break the gem.”

“I’d best go find Bruenor, then,” Drizzt said. “Because no one as good as that person must be deserves to be imprisoned.”

“Tell him tonight, yes,” Laeral agreed, “but I think it would be safer to wait on the actual breaking until after I refresh my spells tomorrow, just in case you’re wrong, and the soul responds to evil so strongly because it is evil in itself.”

And if she was saying that as much to beat down her faint suspicion—or maybe hope—of who that person might be as because she truly believed it, well, she certainly wasn’t going to admit it to anyone.

---

The next day, after Laeral had memorized her spells, she, Drizzt, and Bruenor gathered in one of the small rooms off of the main chamber that had been set aside for use as workshops if needed, with Lindsar watching through the open door.

Drizzt set the stone down on the table serving as a work surface, then backed up so Bruenor could stand in front of it.

“Shame tae break such a lovely stone,” Bruenor said, shaking his head, “but we cannae leave some'un trapped like this.” He paused for a moment, then lifted a broad chisel to the stone’s surface, hammer in his other hand. He took a deep breath, then brought the hammer down on the end of the chisel.

But instead of splitting the stone, the blow caused a strong magical backlash, and left the stone intact.

“That was a spell shattering,” Laeral told Bruenor, who had to set his tools down and to wring his arms out a bit. She was a bit surprised by the fact that there had been another spell on the stone, but she knew that one of the weaknesses of detect magic was that stronger auras were capable of concealing weaker ones.

“Good tae know,” Bruenor said, squeezing his hands down opposite forearms again, working out the jolt of magic. Once he could safely grip chisel and hammer again, he cast the sapphire an aggrieved look and set the chisel to it. “Here we go again,” he muttered, and swung the hammer back, then down.

This time, the stone broke, and a blue light flashed brightly, bringing the smell of a spring day in the forest. Laeral held her breath waiting for her eyes to clear from the flash… and when they did, a full-blooded elf in hunting armor with ornate patterns was there.

“Oh, yes!” she cried, feeling incredibly euphoric that her faint suspicion had proved correct. ~Alustriel,~ she sent, ~you need to come to the Battlehammer warehouses immediately.~

~What? Why? Can it wait? The Warder bond just opened fully again.~

~I know! Look!~ Laeral shared her vision with her sister.

~Sharr?!~ Alustriel cried. ~How…?~

~The thing Drizzt wanted me to look at turned out to be a soul trap. Sharr was inside.~

---

Champion and Pegasus (2898 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore, Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Drizzt Do'Urden, Laeral Silverhand, Bruenor Battlehammer, Ysolde Veladorn, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Implied/Referenced Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff
Series: Part 7 of A Crossing of the Realms, Part 3 of Ranger and Pegasus in the Wheel
Summary:

The events of "Champion of Mielikki, Champion of the Light", in a universe where Drizzt and his teacher saved Bright Eyes's egg a few years before Drizzt met Laeral.

---

Beginning notes

Inspired by senmut and ilyena_sylph's fics Ranger and Pegasus and Champion of Mielikki, Champion of the Light.

This fic contains some minor borrowing from "Champion of Mielikki, Champion of the Light".

If you are confused by this fic, please go read "Champion of Mielikki, Champion of the Light" and the previous fics in my series Ranger and Pegasus in the Wheel, as this fic very much assumes familiarity with all of them.

---

Champion and Pegasus

1347 DR

Drizzt was not pleased that the warning from Mielikki and Gwaeron drew him to the east when whatever it was that he had come up here seeking was pulsing so clearly just a bit to the west, but that it had been so clear, and from both of them, meant he could not afford to ignore it even for just long enough to deal with the thing, so he got on Bright Eyes and directed her to the east.

Three Darkhounds, two Trollocs, and a Fade, however, certainly justified the urgency of the warning, as they could only be a scouting party for a much larger force. The Tribe of the Wolf was the closest of the Reghedmen, and he would need allies to deal with the larger force, so he signaled Bright Eyes to turn about and head for their camp.

The meeting with King Beorg had gone just as he hoped it would, and when he left their camp, he deliberately did so on foot, so that the three warriors the king was sending immediately would be able to catch up with him, as dealing with the scouting party would be much easier if it was not just him and Bright Eyes.

Only two of the promised three actually did catch up—which, on second thought, made sense, as the king was also sending a woman to tend the camp they would make, so one warrior would have to wait and come with her—and with them focusing on the Darkhounds, Bright Eyes focusing on the Trollocs, and Drizzt himself handling the Fade, the scouting party was easily dealt with.

---

Moonrise had reminded Drizzt that Mielikki was not the only deity that he could appeal to for aid, and his appeal to Eilistraee had, in quick succession, generated contact with both Qilué and Laeral, and then Laeral’s arrival, with the promise of clerics being brought before the fight against the approaching army began.

Bright Eyes had been as pleased as Drizzt to see their friend again, and when Laeral and Drizzt had left the camp so that Drizzt could show Laeral the terrain, she had come with them. And now, on top of the glacier, Laeral was acting as eyes for two of her nephews to teleport up.

The air around Laeral shimmered in an uncanny synchronization and two half-elves, as silver-haired as their aunt and every bit as tall, stood a few steps away from her, quickly turning to her. One blinked, startled, and then stepped towards Drizzt with his hand extended to clasp or shake. “Good to see you again, Drizzt,” he said.

Recognizing the half-elf as the one who had taught him how to ride and properly care for Bright Eyes during her first winter, Drizzt gave the extended hand a friendly clasp and said, “It’s good to see you too, Andelver.”

“Just Andy, remember? And this is Naerond, Nae. Damn, it’s cold!”

“There are spells for that,” Laeral sing-songed at him, even as Bright Eyes came over and bumped her head against Andy’s chest.

“Yes, yes, I’m pleased to see you too, Bright Eyes,” Andy said with a laugh, digging a piece of dried fruit out and offering it to her.

---

When Drizzt woke from the rest that Laeral had sent him to get, it was obvious that the sun had not yet risen, but the slowly lightening sky also made it clear that first light was past and sunrise was on its way.

Uncurling himself from against Bright Eyes’s side—to which her only reaction was a sleepy snort—he got up and went to find Laeral.

A few questions to some of the Reghedmen who had arrived pointed him in the right direction, but before he reached her, Bruenor joined him. “Quite a to-do ye’ve got goin’ on here, elf,” his friend said. “Wasnae expectin’ tae find even one of the Chosen of Mystra runnin’ things for ye when we got here, ne’er mind four, but the clerics they brought are certainly welcome.”

“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting such to happen, either,” Drizzt said, even as he continued towards where he had been told Laeral was, “but an appeal to the other goddess one of them serves quickly led to Laeral arriving, followed by two of her nephews, with a promise that clerics were being recruited.”

Bruenor halted abruptly and stared at him. “The Laeral ye always be talkin’ of was the Laeral who is a Chosen, an’ ye never thought to say such?” the dwarf demanded.

“Didn’t seem worth mentioning.”

“Didn’t—” Bruenor cut himself off before his voice got too loud, then muttered, “S'pose I shoulda expected that, little as ye like talkin’ about yer own deeds.”

They soon reached place where Laeral was, and on seeing them, she broke off the conversation she was having with another silver-haired woman and a solemn, watchful man in a cloak embroidered in silver, with a sword at his belt.

“How are you feeling, Drizzt?” she asked as she came over to them.

“Well-rested,” Drizzt replied. “Have you met my friend here yet?”

“We spoke briefly when he arrived with his people, but I haven’t had a chance for a proper introduction.”

“Then allow me to make one. Laeral Silverhand, Chosen of Mystra, this is Bruenor Battlehammer, Chieftain of Clan Battlehammer.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Chief Battlehammer,” Laeral said. “Any friend of Drizzt’s is a friend of mine, so please call me Laeral.”

“Same,” Bruenor rumbled. “An’ ye can call me Bruenor.”

“Thank you. And before I forget, I or one of my sisters needs to have a talk with you sometime after the battle is over.”

“Mighty curious as to why, but since ye think it’s best left fer later, I won’t ask now.”

“It’s nothing bad, if that’s a concern,” Laeral said, “it’s just something that you should know, as the chieftain of Clan Battlehammer.” Turning her attention back to Drizzt then, she asked, “Did you have a particular reason for seeking me out, or did you just want to check in with me?”

“I wanted to check in on how the preparations are going, really” Drizzt said.

“Of course! Why don’t I start by showing you the area we’ve screened for the healers, and how to enter it?”

---

The tour Laeral had given him had been quite thorough, including meetings with the leaders of the various groups of clerics that had come, and with Elkantar, who was leading the fighter escort Qilué had sent for her clerics—though he had been surprised to hear that Ysolde was one of the ones who had come, given her age—and once it was finished, Drizzt settled in to helping where he could.

Shortly after sunrise, though, he stopped what he was doing, feeling the pull of someone firmly connected to the wilds. Knowing that such a person was most likely the Wolfbrother—and his pack—Drizzt made his way toward them.

When those greetings were over—and oh, he had been surprised to hear the Wolfbrother call him Chain-breaker—Drizzt went and found Bright Eyes, who had been socializing with the three pegasi who had come with some of the Tall Ones, and started looking for the best place for her to hover while he addressed the assembled forces about the dangers of fighting Shadowspawn.

A spell from Storm aided him in making sure as many of them as possible heard his warnings, and once that was done, all that was left was to continue working on the preparations while they waited.

---

After the battle

Bright Eyes knew what it was like when her person was making an effort to not fuss, and she could tell he was doing so when he spoke with the elf who smelled like the friend he had brought to meet her a few times, even if the elf didn’t look right.

So once he had settled down to sleep, she went off to find the friend again.

The friend was pouring water out of the air when Bright Eyes found her, flanked by two of the silver-haired male friends, so the pegasus waited until the pouring stopped, then gave a snort.

Ysolde looked around at the sound of an equine snort and was surprised to see a pegasus standing nearby, especially when the pegasus, having gotten her attention, walked right up to her and bumped its nose into her chest. “Bright Eyes?” she asked, feeling sure that this had to be Drizzt’s friend, since one of her cousins’ pegasi would surely have sought the attention of Rae or Nae beside her instead.

The pegasus backed up a bit and nodded.

“Were you looking for me?”

Another nod.

“Did Drizzt send you to find me?”

Bright Eyes made a movement that approximated a shake of her head, and gave a snort as well. That had to be a ‘no’, then.

“Does he need a healer?”

Another ‘no’.

“You just… wanted to be with me?”

Another nod, and Bright Eyes bumped her nose into Ysolde’s chest again.

“Alright then.” Ysolde gave her cousins a warning look, and then started to stroke Bright Eyes’s neck.

---

Four days later

Obtaining the vile artifact that Drizzt had been pulled up to Icewind Dale to deal with ended up proving to be simple enough—Laeral had used a flaming sphere to melt the snow covering it until Drizzt had told her to stop, then Drizzt had taken Bright Eyes down to retrieve it, dropping darkness on the crystal before touching it and wrapping it in his tunic before dismissing the darkness because his instincts said it needed light.

Once Bright Eyes had brought him back up to the ledge where Laeral, Bo, and Melaryn were waiting, Laeral had put up a mansion against the cliff-face and they had all gone in to warm up—and in the case of Drizzt and Bright Eyes, to dry off as well. Bo had taken care of drying off Bright Eyes, since Drizzt was busy with doing the same for himself, and Laeral had easily identified what the crystal was after Drizzt described it to her.

What it was, however, had made actually destroying into a thorny problem, as spells were not an option, and it would only draw strength from even the hottest fire. Laeral had reached out to consult with Elminster, Khelben, and Syluné, and now she was looking at Drizzt and Bo with a serious expression on her face.

“Elminster wants at least you and me, Drizzt, to teleport to Shadowdale with Crenshinibon, both so that he can get it into something a bit more secure, and so that we’ll be easily available for answering any questions he and Syluné have while they work on figuring out a way to destroy it.”

“Does he have any idea of how long we’ll need to be there?” Drizzt asked.

“Not yet,” Laeral replied. “He has a few thoughts on possibilities for the crystal’s destruction, but they all require some research to determine the actual feasibility, and we might well have to go elsewhere before the destruction can actually happen.”

“Hmm. It doesn’t really make sense to bring Bright Eyes along if we’re going to be teleporting around-” Bright Eyes gave an annoyed snort at that, and Drizzt got up and went to stroke her neck. “It really doesn’t, my lovely one,” he said. “It’s extra effort for the mage casting the spell, and I’m just going to be coming back here once the crystal has been dealt with.”

Bright Eyes gave what was very obviously a sigh, and lipped at the pouch Drizzt kept her treats in. Drizzt got one out and gave it to her, then continued with his original line of thought. “Anyway, I don’t really want to leave her without any company for an undetermined period of time.”

“Melaryn and I could stay up here with her, if she’d like,” Bo offered.

“Actually, I was thinking of having her stay in the cavern the dwarves have outfitted for her,” Drizzt said, “but let’s ask her.

“Which do you want, my lovely one? Bo and Melaryn,” and here, Drizzt pointed at the other pegasus, “or the dwarves and Catti-brie?” And as he said the second option, Drizzt patted his pack.

Bright Eyes responded by gently tapping one of her front hooves on the pack.

“The dwarves and Catti-brie it is, then,” Drizzt said. Turning to Bo, he continued, “Bright Eyes knows how to find the right door to the dwarf caverns, but I’d appreciate it if you and Melaryn accompanied her to them.”

“Of course,” Bo said, “we’d be happy to. Is there a special knock I’ll need to give for her, or can she do that herself?”

“She has her own signal,” Drizzt replied. “And thank you.”

---

1348 DR

Once Drizzt had returned from destroying Crenshinibon, he and Bright Eyes had started contributing to the dwarves’ preparations for the coming journey by gathering food to be preserved—not just fish and meat, either, but harvesting extra fodder for Bright Eyes, as she and Drizzt were going to be acting as forward scouts for much of the journey.

And when the passes to the lands below the Spine finally opened in the spring, Clan Battlehammer moved out, with Drizzt and Bright Eyes ranging ahead of the caravan.

A stop in Luskan to pick up some treats for the dwarves had gained Drizzt and Bright Eyes some companions in scouting—a halfling by the name of Regis, and his pony Socks. Socks and Bright Eyes got on well enough, and though Regis was, as he had said, not used to the wilds, he picked things up quickly enough.

Mirabar had brought more companions, in the form of Foveni Drakebow, a dwarf who was considered the foremost authority on the lands that skirted the Lurkwood—as Bruenor saw no point in following the road the entire way when months could be eliminated by leaving it just south of the Lurkwood and cutting cross-country to where the Surbrin met the Rauvin—and her war pig.

One of the Tall Ones—Dolthauvin, Andy’s twin—had stopped to speak with the caravan while they doing that skirting of the Lurkwood, and as a result, the clan could now expect to have basic billets waiting for them when they arrived in Silverymoon, as Dol had promised to arrange the rental of some empty warehouses for them. That meeting had also provided some amusement for everyone when Bright Eyes had reacted to Dol's pegasus friend Vaska demanding scratches and pats from Drizzt by going and demanding the same from Dol.

Once the Surbrin had been forded and the caravan had turned off to go to Silverymoon, it was back down to just Drizzt, Bright Eyes, Regis, and Socks. As they had managed to find one trace of a road heading up into the Frost Hills before the Surbrin was forded, Regis suggested that Drizzt might be able to find other traces, from a high enough vantage point, so just after dark, Drizzt went up on Bright Eyes, and sure enough, he did notice at least one other.

---

1349 DR

When Laeral had decreed that Drizzt should be taken home to the stedding to recover from facing the shadow dragon, Bright Eyes had, quite unsurprisingly, insisted on being the one to carry him. But since Drizzt was in no shape to keep himself on her back, Bo rode on her behind him and teleported back to the Hall once Voran had taken over the task of keeping Drizzt on Bright Eyes’s back.

The short trip from the border of the stedding to Lindsar’s home was a bit of a blur for Drizzt, though he knew that had answered some questions from Voran, but once Lindsar had helped him off of Bright Eyes’s back and into her home—their home, he knew she would say—things were less blurred. And so he got to watch the most amusing sight of Lindsar negotiating with Bright Eyes.

“I know you’re concerned about him,” his sister was telling his friend, “but you really can’t stay in here.”

Bright Eyes gave an exasperated-sounding snort, and Drizzt could almost hear the “Why not?” she had to be expressing.

“You have a perfectly fine shelter outside,” Lindsar said, “one that’s already set up for your needs. Drizzt doesn’t need the disturbance of me setting up a place in here for you to settle and figuring out how to manage your food and water needs in here.

“Nor can I be interrupting my work every time you need to go out, and I’m certainly not going to leave the door open.”

Bright Eyes made a motion that Drizzt would have called a considering head tilt in a two-leg, and after a moment, she trotted over to the window that had the best view of the couch that Drizzt was laying on, and bumped her nose against it.

“The window?” Lindsar said, sounding puzzled. “What about it?”

Drizzt, however, had a better idea of how Bright Eyes thought, and said, “I think she wants to know if you’re willing to leave the window open.”

Bright Eyes nodded eagerly, and nickered excitedly as well.

“If I do that, will you agree to stay outside?” Lindsar asked.

Bright Eyes nodded again, and Lindsar sighed. “Very well, then.”

---

Soulmarks in the Wheel (7094 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore, Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Drizzt Do'Urden/Alustriel Silverhand
Characters: Drizzt Do'Urden, Alustriel Silverhand, Laeral Silverhand, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Ensemble Cast, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Implied/Referenced Canon-Typical Violence
Series: Part 5 of A Crossing of the Realms
Summary:

The events of the series "The Ranger and the Wheel", if Drizzt and Alustriel were soulmates.

---

Beginning notes

Inspired by senmut’s fic Impossible Connections and senmut and ilyena_sylph's series The Ranger and the Wheel.

This fic contains a certain amount of borrowing from several of the fics in the series "The Ranger and the Wheel", since some scenes from those fics are covered in this one, with alterations based on the changes caused by Drizzt and Alustriel being soulmates.

If you are confused by this fic, please go read, at a minimum, the linked series, as this fic very much assumes familiarity with all of it.

---

Chapter One: Going Slowly

1335 DR, late spring

The silver fire that had manifested while Laeral and Qilué removed the shroud that the Spider Queen had placed on him reminded Drizzt of the mark that had shown up on his wrist the day before he met Lindsar, and he remembered what she had told him about soulmarks.

“A person’s soulmark is representative, in some way, of their soulmate. It might be an item that is very important to the soulmate, an indication of their profession, some magic that is commonly used by them, something relating to their name, or even some combination of those, but it always is something that is strongly associated with the soulmate.”

So once the four of them had settled down to eating the food that Qilué had called, Drizzt asked, “The silver fire that appeared while you were removing the shroud—is that unique to the two of you, or are there others who can manifest it as well?”

Based on what they had said before starting the work, he suspected that it was connected to Mystra somehow—and he remembered what Aronna had said about ‘the Chosen of Mystra’, as well as Laeral’s comment about ‘If I am summoned to help’ when Hellgate Keep was finally ready to be permanently dealt with—but such a question made for a good starting point.

Laeral and Qilué exchanged a look, and then Laeral said, “Can I ask why you want to know about the silverfire?”

In answer, Drizzt pulled back his sleeve and showed them his wrist.

“Well,” Laeral said, “that is a rather good reason to be curious.”

“And to answer your question,” Qilué said, “the silverfire is unique to the Chosen of Mystra. Counting me and Laeral, there are nine of us, but I know that I am not your soulmate.”

“It’s not me, either,” Laeral added, “and while Dove and Syluné cannot be completely ruled out just for having soulmates already, it seems… less likely. Nor do I think it likely to be Khelben or Elminster.”

“And the Simbul is… ill-suited to be the soulmate of a male who escaped from a Lolthite city. Which leaves Storm or Alustriel.”

“When did your soulmark appear?” Laeral asked.

“Shortly after I was dumped on the Surface,” Drizzt replied. “So, eleven years ago.”

Laeral looked at Qilué again, and Qilué nodded once. ~Alustriel,~ Laeral sent, including Qilué in the conversation, ~have you gotten a new soulmark in the last… sixteen years or so?~ Knowing what she did of the oddities of soulmarks when drow were involved, she doubted Drizzt’s soulmate would have gotten their mark before he reached the Surface, but five years seemed a reasonable extension for the sake of being sure.

~Why do you ask?~ Alustriel replied.

~Because she just introduced me to an Ogier-adopted drow Dreadbane ranger of Mielikki who turns out to have a silver flame soulmark,~ Qilué said.

There was a long pause before Alustriel finally replied, ~…eleven years ago. The mark brings to mind the curve of a scimitar.~

~Then I do believe we’ve found him,~ Laeral said, ~as he wields twin scimitars, and his own mark appeared eleven years ago.~

~Bring him to meet me when you get a chance, then?~

~Of course, sister-mine.~ Letting the sending drop, Laeral focused on Drizzt, and said, “Alustriel is a match in the timing of her mark’s appearance and what her mark represents.”

---

For all that Alustriel knew that a ranger—especially one so favored as Laeral had said this one was—would always go where he felt he was needed, having to wait to meet her soulmate until he had dealt with whatever was causing the pull he felt was annoying, even if she still felt like she wasn’t truly ready for a new one. She was, however, very grateful that Laeral had chosen to go with him, as at least that meant that she was able to know how the quest was progressing, and getting to Silverymoon afterward would be a simple matter of a teleport.

Laeral having to go help the Simbul deal with an incursion from Thay was a further delay, and so it ended up being mid-fall before she was actually able to meet Drizzt Do’Urden. The youth he had displayed in that first meeting had been surprising, and a conversation with Laeral that night had left her appalled at how fast he had been forced to mature. And yet, his youth was also reassuring in a way, as it provided a very good reason to take things slowly with him.

---

While Korvallen habitually kept track of new people who were regularly seen with Alustriel, he rarely felt a need to actually say anything to her about them. But when she was seen in company with a drow—yes, the drow had been able to enter the city, and yes, he’d been brought by Laeral, and yes, he was said to be a Dreadbane, but still, a drow!—for the fifth day in a row, he couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

Given that Alustriel had been spending so much time with the drow, Korvallen took the unusual—for him, at least—step of sending her a note saying that he wanted to talk with her. A reply came just before evening court, inviting him to visit her after evenfeast.

He was waiting for her when she returned from it, and once she had changed from her evenfeast gown into something simpler, and they were settled on the divan in the outer room of her suite, he started the conversation.

He came out of it deeply off-kilter, not sure how to feel about Sharr having been replaced by a drow—which he knew was not actually true, but he needed time to untangle his feelings before he could be objective about Alustriel having a new soulmate—and somehow having agreed to spar with the man the following afternoon.

---

When Korvallen stalked into his rooms with a bottle of wine in hand, just after evenfeast, Besnell knew he had been correct in his instinct to send an invitation when he heard his friend had been being more snappish than usual.

“What’s bothering you?” he asked, once both of them were settled in the conversation area, glasses of wine in hand, and the bottle on the low table between their chairs.

Korvallen downed half his glass in one go. “Alustriel’s new soulmate.”

“I wasn’t aware she had even gotten a new mark,” Besnell said.

“Showed up eleven years ago, apparently. She hasn’t mentioned it because she didn’t feel like she’s recovered enough from losing Sharr to be ready for a new one.”

“But now he’s—it is a male, yes?—been found?”

“Laeral found him,” Korvallen agreed, “and brought him here to meet her.”

“The drow?” Besnell made sure to keep on top of the gossip about unusual visitors to the city, and the drow Dreadbane Laeral had brought had been much talked of for the last week.

“Ogier-adopted drow Dreadbane ranger of Mielikki. But it’s not his race that’s bothering me.”

Besnell took a sip of his own wine. “What is it, then?”

Korvallen knocked back the rest of his glass and poured himself another. “He’s thirty-eight!”

“Thirty-eight?” Besnell frowned and took a large swig from his own glass. That wasn’t even of age for a half-elf! And all reports indicated that this drow was full-blooded.

“Thirty-eight, and he nearly managed to force me to a draw!

“And he’s been a Dreadbane for nine years!”

Besnell had been in the middle of a sip, and only just managed not to spray it all over in surprise. “He became a Dreadbane at twenty-nine?!”

“That’s not even of age by Lolthite standards, and his teacher still took him to the Blight push!” Korvallen frowned at his glass and took an actual sip this time. “Admittedly, he says that no one in the stedding was happy about him leaving so young, but they weren’t willing make him stay when he was feeling a need to be out doing things so strongly. But still!

“At least they’ve agreed to take things slowly, between his youth, and her still not feeling ready.”

---

1344 DR

While some time in the stedding had been soothing after the visit to Aronna where it was so obvious that the swift mortality of humanity was creeping in, Drizzt had a feeling that Alustriel would be a better source of advice on how to cope with such, given her goddess-granted immortality and the human children and lovers he knew she had outlived.

So he said his farewells and headed off to Silverymoon.

---

“I’m starting to feel a pull, west and somewhat north,” Drizzt said during breakfast, two months after his arrival in the city.

Alustriel carefully hid her disappointment—this was the longest Drizzt had ever stayed, and she was very much enjoying his company—and asked, “Do you have any sense of where you are needed, other than that, or why?”

“Something to find, I think, for the why,” Drizzt said. “As for where, I’m having dreams of cold and a lot of bright whiteness.”

“Combined with the direction, that would suggest the Sea of Moving Ice or the Reghed Glacier, but given the inexact nature of such dreams, the actual need could easily be anywhere in the Icewind Dale or the portion of the Spine that forms its southern border.” Alustriel considered the time that would be needed to search such a large area, and made a decision. “I have something I can give you that would allow you to keep in touch while you are up there, and to ask for help if it is needed.”

“What is it?” Drizzt asked.

“A sending anklet.”

“Like the one that Laeral uses to talk to you and the rest of your sisters?”

“Exactly like it. I made it several years ago, in hopes for the future, and have been waiting for the right time to offer it to you.”

“Would it be okay to use it to send messages to be passed on to Lindsar?”

“Of course it would.” Even after knowing him for nine years, Alustriel was still surprised sometimes by how little consideration Drizzt gave to his own wants. “And if you’re reluctant to disturb me, Andy and Methri are the two of my sons most likely to be nearby, instead of halfway across the planet. Since the anklet connects to all of my sons’, as well as mine and all of my sisters’.”

“Then I will gladly accept it.”

---

1347 DR

After sunset, once he had prayed for his spells and sent the eagle that had come to his call off with his message for the dwarves, Drizzt moved on to the next step in preparing for the coming army—obtaining clerics.

Reaching out over the anklet that Alustriel had given him, he sent, ~I have allies coming, but we face a large Shadowspawn army within a day now, and have no clerics. At the glacier, above the Spine.~

The initial response was just a startled clamoring, but then Alustriel’s voice cut through the hubbub clearly. ~So you need as many clerics as we can get to you by… dawn, I would think? And I imagine that magical aid would be useful, too.~

~Dawn is a good deadline,~ Drizzt agreed, ~and any of you who can come yourselves would be most welcome.~

~Rae and I are near Mirabar,~ came from one of the Tall Ones—Drizzt thought it might be Tar—, ~and can fly up in time.~

~And I’m in the Luskan area,~ Bo added, ~so I can, too.~

~I’m not close enough to fly up,~ Andy said, ~but I’m able to teleport.~

~Same here,~ and if Tar was the one flying up with Rae, then that was Nae.

~Qi, I know your people will need things to disguise them in order to come,~ Syluné said, ~so I’ll start searching my trinket collection, and will handle the mass teleport for them, too.~

~I’ll set the Harpers to recruiting clerics here, then search my own collection,~ Alustriel said.

~Thank you both,~ Qilué said. ~I’ll save the handful of rings of illusion we have for a fighter escort, then.~

~Since Alustriel’s setting the Harpers to the task in Silverymoon, I’ll go recruit in Everlund,~ Storm said.

~Florin and I have some things to take care of first, but we can teleport up fairly soon,~ Dove said.

~And I can teleport up as soon as I set Khelben to recruiting clerics here,~ Laeral said.

~Thank you all, so much.~ Drizzt knew his relief was showing in his voice, but right now, he didn’t really care.

---

Finding out that Ysolde had been one of the clerics who came had been quite a surprise, but Drizzt determinedly did not fuss about it, as he knew she would respond by pointing out that he was younger than her—that fact had made things awkward between them for a bit when she had learned that he was her aunt’s new soulmate.

Properly meeting Syluné and her husband—as opposed to the brief introductions that had been made while preparing for the battle—had been a pleasure, and Aumry's request to trade technique was a true delight, though Bruenor’s reaction to him referring to them as ‘more of Laeral and Alustriel’s family’ had been surprising until he had a chance to actually think about how he tended to talk about his friend and his soulmate—at which point he realized that he really didn’t talk about Alustriel nearly as much as he thought about her, and when he did, it was in a different way than how he talked about Laeral.

---

Waking from another nap to learn that Bruenor had headed off to the Silverhand camp with a determined stride was a bit concerning, as Drizzt truly did not wish for there to be any strife between his dwarven friend, and the family of his soulmate. But there was nothing he could do about it until Bruenor returned, and his stomach was demanding food again, so he settled down with another bowl of stew.

Drizzt was just finishing the bowl when Bruenor got back, and his friend proved he knew Drizzt well when the first thing he said was “Peace, me elf, all’s well,” accompanied by a wave of his hand to indicate that Drizzt should sit back down. “…better,” the dwarf added. “Better than well, even. I— Drizzt, there're more o’ me clan!”

Drizzt put the bowl down again, and reached for both of Bruenor’s arms in joy. “That is wonderful news, my friend! What will we do from here?”

Bruenor clasped on, and smiled up at him, and Drizzt knew that his instinct to include himself in the plans had been a good one, even if his reason for coming up here would soon be dealt with.

“Well, I’m nae goin’ tae leave ye up here wi’ only these fool humans, so ye’ve got tae find what ye’re lookin’ for. Got tae get this whole mess packed up an’ get home. Start workin’ out there how tae move the whole clan south tae around Silverymoon, as that’s where me other clan are. Likely no’ til next spring when the passes open, so we’ve the whole season tae get wagons an’ beasts, an’ preserve food enow tae keep us all healthy on th’ trip an’ while we search.

“One o’ them Tall Ones knows a dwarf a bit older'n me, lives in Sundabar. I thought he was dead with all the others, Drizzt…”

“Ahh, my friend!” Drizzt gripped back as strong as he could, smiling gently. “I am glad to know I will not be leaving my friends here behind when I return to Silverymoon, as my search is unlikely to take much longer. Laeral muttered at seeing which nephew might stay, help us search by air. She is concerned by anything that could elude me so long.”

“So'm I, me elf,” Bruenor said, not for the first time. “But that— that’s good. Lady Syluné said there were moon elves in the Moonwood as found dwarrows in their forest, took ‘em tae the Citadels there—she didnae know how many, but every one is…”

“Another member of the clan to protect and care for, a part of the future we will make for them all,” Drizzt promised him. “And I think I must apologize that you did not learn of them sooner. As I am sure that Alustriel would have told me of them if I had ever mentioned your clan name to her.”

“Not yer fault when ye didnae know there were any other survivors,” Bruenor said. “But that’s the second time today ye’ve mentioned the Lady Alustriel in a familiar manner when ye've never done such before, least not in a way that seemed more than her bein’ the ruler of the city ye tended to stay in—if ye even mentioned her at all, that is.

“Ye speak of yer friend Laeral readily enough, so what makes the Lady sae different?”

Drizzt’s cheeks heated, and he was glad that his skin was too dark to show it. “She’s my soulmate,” he said. “Though I had not realized until earlier today just how much more I thought of her, as compared to actually speaking of her.”

---

1349 DR, spring

The morning of the day after Bo had brought Drizzt to the stedding had been occupied by telling the Stump of the battle with the Shadowspawn two years earlier, and the just finished battle to reclaim Mithral Hall.

After a relaxing lunch, Drizzt had spent the early afternoon answering Lindsar’s questions about everything else he had done in his years up in Icewind Dale, and now, her curiosity having been satisfied, he prepared to share some very significant news.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Alustriel and I are ready to make our relationship official, once everything is settled with the Hall.”

“Well, I can’t say you’ve moved too fast, when it’s been nearly fifteen years since the two of you met,” Lindsar said, “but are you sure? You’re still so young.”

“We are,” Drizzt replied. “Even with the sending anklet, I still found myself missing her quite a lot while I was up in Icewind Dale.

“And we were able to steal enough time together earlier this spring for her to demonstrate that she no longer feels unready for a new soulmate.”

“Then I suppose it’s time for me to make you that blue tunic I’ve been saving the fabric for.

“And when you return to Silverymoon, I will go with you, to meet both her, and the dwarven kin you have claimed for us.”

---

Alustriel had been quite pleased to hear from Drizzt, during her lunch, that he had returned to the city, especially when he mentioned that his sister had come with him. She could not make the time to come meet Lindsar that day, but Drizzt had gladly agreed to make sure it happened the next morning, as it was not a season when she was inundated with morning appointments.

Knowing that Laeral had also been wishing to meet Lindsar for quite some time, Alustriel then reached out to her sister to let her know, and was promised an arrival that evening, as Laeral had some things she had to finish or delegate before she could come.

Her return from evenfeast—where she had heard that Drizzt and Lindsar were touring the Ogier-works and appraising their states—found both Laeral and a note from Drizzt waiting for her.

The note proved to have Drizzt and Lindsar's planned itinerary for the next day, which made it quite easy to plan a route that would intersect with theirs.

That done, she settled down to talk with her sister.

---

As they neared Deneir's Library, Laeral looked over at her sister and saw the soft smile she had expected to, given the tall, tufted-eared form of an Ogier walking outside the building with the current Full Scrivener, head bent down towards him, and Drizzt’s much smaller form beside the Ogier.

Built to appear as a stack of mingled scrolls and books, the building was lovely and intricate and a joy to see, but Laeral could tell that it was also in need of some work.

Alustriel called out a greeting to the Full Scrivener as they approached, along with an apology for interrupting.

“Ahh, Lady Silverhand,” the Full Scrivener said in a tone of surprised delight, “and Lady Laeral, too.

“We were studying the edifice for needs to improve it, as Lindsar daughter of Malana daughter of Coera has been kind enough to come learn what might need repairs.”

“Lindsar, this is the Arch Mage of Silverymoon, Alustriel Silverhand,” Drizzt said, his intent focus on Alustriel obvious to Laeral, “and her sister, my friend Laeral.”

“My greetings, Alustriel Silverhand, Arch Mage of Silverymoon, and Laeral Silverhand,” Lindsar said, bowing to them. “Your names sing in my ears, and your city, Lady Alustriel, is a joy to behold.”

“Your name sings in my ears, Lindsar daughter of Malana daughter of Coera,” Laeral replied, returning the bow in the Ogier fashion.

Beside her, Alustriel repeated the greeting and bow, then added, “and I thank you for your compliments. I love my city dearly, and am grateful for the aid your folk have given in making it what it is. I am very pleased to finally be able to meet you.”

“As am I,” Laeral said.

“The pleasure is mutual,” Lindsar said, “as my brother has spoken much of both of you.”

“Would you like to join us on our tour?” Drizzt asked. “Lindsar and I are very much enjoying it, even if that means, no doubt, that you may have a request soon for accommodations from our stedding, so that they can come and work on the buildings that were crafted by out people.”

“Kodome calichniye ga ni Wansho hei,” Alustriel said with a smile, using what Laeral knew was the old language common to the elan-lands and the Ogier alike, ‘the Builders are always welcome here’. “There are two floors of a wing of the Palace built for the comfortable use of your people, and they will be opened and ready when any of the masons choose to grace us with their presence.

“And if you are both sure that it would not be a disturbance to the purpose of the tour, we would be pleased to join it.”

“It would not be a disturbance at all,” Lindsar said.

---

Chapter Two: From Relationship to Warder Bond

1349 DR, late fall

For all that Korvallen strongly disliked the noise and hubbub of evenfeast, he was making a point of attending it tonight. Drizzt had returned from Mithral Hall about a week ago, and tonight was the night that he and Alustriel had chosen to make it plain to much of the city that they were in a relationship.

And since Korvallen was well known to be very protective of Alustriel, he knew that people seeing him interacting with Drizzt in a friendly manner would do much to reassure those who as of yet knew little to nothing of the ranger.

So when Alustriel arrived in the High Hall, on Drizzt’s arm, he was already there, and headed for the high table as soon as he saw them. He could feel the eyes on him as he moved, and his elven hearing picked up a rash of new whispers after his friendly wrist clasp with Drizzt. That he chose to sit beside Drizzt rather than Alustriel added more, and when he left the high table to join a group of elven merchants he was somewhat familiar with—at the same time that Alustriel and Drizzt moved to the Ogier table—that seemed to be a signal for people to start approaching him with questions about Drizzt.

By the time evenfeast was over, it felt rather like he had spoken to half the people in attendance, and he was quite glad that he had asked Alustriel and Drizzt if they were going to be open about being soulmates, as that fact had frequently been the one that made the most difference in people’s opinions.

---

Since Terava Sedai’s request was going to change his plans significantly, Drizzt brought the matter up with Alustriel that night, after she had returned from the evening festivities she had chosen to attend.

“I’m going to need to leave rather sooner than I had intended to,” he said, once they had settled on her divan.

“Trouble at the stedding?” Alustriel asked. “Or are you feeling pulled somewhere?”

“Not a pull, but the trouble’s not at the stedding, either,” Drizzt replied. “The Tuatha'an brought a request from Laeral’s friend Terava Sedai, asking me to come assist in dealing with a matter we had brought to her attention during our previous visit.”

“So you need to go to Tar Valon, then?” Alustriel reached out and took one of Drizzt’s hands in hers, unhappy at the prospect of an impending separation so soon after they had made their relationship official. “If it is something you can share, will you?”

“To Tar Valon, yes, but the letter specified spring, so I won’t need to leave for a few more weeks yet, even with a visit to the stedding before I head into the elan-lands.” Drizzt returned the clasp with the hand she had taken, but the other reached up to run through his own hair as he considered. He then took a deep breath. “I noted corrupted Aes Sedai. Laeral relayed this to her friend.

“She followed through, but their leads into the full conspiracy were cut when the ones they made out died.” He half-shrugged a shoulder. “They need me to find new leads, to expose the rot. I can go—I have a standing invitation—and teach more of the Underdark as I recall it for my excuse to be present.”

Alustriel nodded her understanding, then sighed softly. “Unless you simply wish the journey, there is no sense in walking—or riding—all the way from here to Tar Valon. We left ourselves a teleportation-marker on the slopes of Dragonmount centuries ago. Once you are done with your visit to the stedding, send to me, and I can have you there within a few hours. A day at most, if I am lacking in teleport spells that day and must wait to re-acquire it.”

Drizzt was staring at her as she continued speaking, the wonder in his eyes evident. “I… thank you, Alustriel. I truly did not want to have to leave so soon, but I could see no way around it. I knew I could not ask Laeral as the seasons would mean what we saw would be too different, but if you have a marker… that makes sense

“And that would let me arrive in spring, but not late spring, which might give me an edge of surprise if Terava Sedai’s plans have been discovered in the time since she sent me the message.”

Alustriel allowed herself to chuckle softly, a wry smile on her lips. “You are most welcome, my ranger. And I freely admit that I have an entirely selfish motive. The sooner you are able to help the Aes Sedai purge their Tower of its rot, the sooner you can return to Silverymoon.”

---

1350 DR

While it was a bit sooner than the weekly timing they had agreed on, the fact that Drizzt needed to reach out to Qilué now meant that it made no sense for him wait to check in with Alustriel. So once he had finished his sunrise vigil, the day after the first progress meeting, he reached out over the anklet.

~Drizzt?~ Alustriel said in response to his inquiry of her availability. ~Is everything okay? You weren’t due to check in for another day or two.~

~Everything’s fine,~ Drizzt replied, ~but since the planning we did last night now requires me to contact Qilué, I thought I might as well check in now. First of all, while I’m sure you must have guessed as much, the Amyrlin Seat is indeed uncorrupted, and is quite grateful for the ring.

~Which was a significant relief for Terava Sedai, as while she had put in place contingencies before bringing the matter to her, the possibility that the Amyrlin Seat might be Black Ajah and have reacted as she did in order to quietly deal with a problem in their security had not occurred to her until I mentioned that condition for giving the Amyrlin Seat the ring.~

~I did, yes, but it is good to hear you confirm it. And given that I think I recall Laeral mentioning at one point that her friend is a Brown, I can understand why such a possibility would not have naturally occurred to her.

~But what plans have been made that require you to contact Qilué?~

~I’ll get there,~ Drizzt said in a teasing tone. ~Continuing on the subject of relief and gratefulness for magical objects, the Amyrlin Seat has loaned me a pendant that will prevent any weave from directly touching me, unless the caster is someone of incredible power, and even then, it will blunt the effects.

~So while I still need to be wary of things created by a weave, like called lightning or a fireball, it has significantly reduced my own worries about what might happen if the corrupted ones try to use their power against me.~

~That is a relief,~ Alustriel agreed. ~And you, love, are being a tease.~

~And you love me anyway,~ Drizzt said. ~But back on topic, as one of the things they discovered before loosing their leads is that when an Aes Sedai is Shadow-sworn, so is her Warder, I have been given quarters in the Warders’ section of the Tower, and spend a fair amount of time sparring with them.

~Given that Red Ajah rarely, if ever, have Warders, that is only a partial solution, however, and as the Amyrlin Seat learned that two of the Sitters for the Hall are Black Ajah—one of the ones for the Red, and more surprisingly, one of the ones for the Blue—she cannot use the Hall to help with the process, which means that it is going to be a long and difficult one.~

~Much as I would like for this to happen swiftly, I do understand why it cannot,~ Alustriel said with a sigh. ~Removing the corrupted Sitters could easily send the rest of the Black Ajah fleeing, and she cannot use the Hall without doing that.

~But your tone has mischief in it, my ranger, so what clever solution to discerning more of the Black Ajah have you come up with?~

~I’m going to be giving classes in basic demonology, with the Reds and the Greens being strongly encouraged to attend. As they are the ones most likely to stumble over such threats, but it doesn’t single out the Reds for their lack of Warders.

~And to finally get around to why I need to contact Qilué, since the corrupted Sitters mean that when we do move against the Black Ajah, we will need to do so swiftly and take as many at once as possible, I am hoping that she, or at least one of her people, knows how to make the drow sleep potion.~

~I can’t say I like the idea of you deliberately spending large amounts of time in the presence of those who might be Black Ajah, but it is a good plan, given the Aes Sedai's demonstrated lack of knowledge about how to deal with demons.

~And thinking of the drow sleep potion to aid in capturing the Black Ajah was an excellent suggestion, even if it doesn’t prove possible.~

~I’m not exactly enthused about it myself,~ Drizzt said, ~but it’s only going to be fifteen or twenty at a time, for an hour.~

---

Further check-ins from Drizzt showed a slow but steady progress in identifying the Aes Sedai and Warders who were corrupted, but Alustriel could tell that it was all weighing heavily on him, even though he downplayed it much of the time—and she was certain that he was not showing it to those he was working with at all.

So when something set off her instincts during a check-in early in the second month of summer—and she truly could not say what it was, just that something had—she went and scried for him.

Finding that he was on the road instead of in Tar Valon at least explained why she had had a feeling that something was off, but it did not make her any happier, since the plan had been that he would send to her once things were finished, and she would come and get him.

However, given how much everything had been weighing on him, she could not quite find fault with his decision, as she knew that he would find more solace on the road than in any city, even Silverymoon. But since she also did not think that it was actually a good idea for him to be alone after having to deal with such intrigue, she reached out to Laeral.

After a brief explanation over the anklets, and a longer and more detailed one in person, Laeral was entirely willing to go join Drizzt on the road for as long as he needed in order to settle and regain his equilibrium.

---

1351 DR, spring

Drizzt reaching out to her over the anklets at some point during the night was not all that unusual, especially with his habit of traveling by night, but he tended to speak to Laeral separately, so her inclusion was enough to make Alustriel concerned even before he said, ~Black Ajah sister and her wizard-Warder tried to kill me, should probably be relayed to Terava Sedai.~

Alustriel’s cry of shock overlapped with Laeral’s spluttering and cursing, and Drizzt’s entirely commonplace tone—as though he faced murder attempts every day!—had not helped.

~Let me see through your eyes, dear one,~ Laeral said, once she ceased cursing. ~I’m coming to join you.~

~And I am too,~ Alustriel said, ~once I’ve informed Taern and gotten to a teleport point. Do not argue with me on this.~

~…alright,~ Drizzt said.

Alustriel dropped out of the link then, and sent to Taern even as she left her rooms. Taern was no happier than Drizzt had sounded, but that Laeral would also be there reassured him, and shortly after, she arrived where Drizzt and Laeral were.

“Alustriel’s here,” Laeral said. “So explain.”

Drizzt stopped brushing Thesaly, and looked at the two of them before pointing to a pair of bodies at the far edge of the clearing. “When I took my spells, the wilds were whispering of danger. And my Lady granted me that which I needed for the danger, though I did not know what it would be.

“The Warder cast multiple spells, before finding his death, and the corrupted one attempted… I think it is called balefire?… when I dropped the darkness I had thrown her way.”

Alustriel’s heart lodged in her throat at the mention of balefire, and she blessed Laeral for taking the time to figure out how to copy the anti-weave pendant, and Syluné and the Simbul for helping her with doing so.

Drizzt half-shrugged. “I didn’t mean for either of you to come. I just don’t have a way to quickly tell an Aes Sedai that some escaped, and knew I needed to be the one to tell Alustriel.”

“I know you didn’t intend us to come,” Laeral said, and Alustriel could hear hints of the same terrified rage she was feeling in her sister’s voice, “you never do. That doesn’t mean there was any chance we weren’t going to, when you sent a message like that.”

Somehow managing to find her voice again, Alustriel asked, “Are you certain it was balefire the Black sister used?”

Laeral had drawn a small diamond out of a purse as Alustriel was speaking, and cast light on it before moving to look at the corpses.

“It blinded me in the fashion of what I have read up on, not that I noticed,” Drizzt replied, even as he put on his spectacles and started following Laeral, Alustriel staying beside him. “Thankfully, I’d begun my throw as the weave was building in my direction, so my blade landed true.”

They had reached Laeral by then, and Drizzt added, “Thank you both, again, for the spellwork on my blades. They served me well.”

The head sitting near, but not connected, to the male body showed the proof of that, and Laeral said, “I’m glad to hear it,” even as Alustriel worked to control the pounding of her heart, the fear and dread—and then she gave up and reached to pull Drizzt in front of her, his back to her chest, to hold him tight, her chin tucked over his hair. The look on Laeral’s face said that if Alustriel hadn’t done that, she would have, and she did come over and take one of Drizzt’s hands.

“It’s alright, Alustriel,” he soothed. “It’s alright, Laeral. You and your sisters protected me! The amulet worked, making it just… vanish away.”

Alustriel spread her hand over his chest, keeping him close. “So they did,” she agreed, “so they did. But it’s not only the threat to you that has frightened me, love. I would grieve you, but we could also call you back… if you would agree to return.”

Her throat closed up at that, because Sharr hadn’t. Thankfully, Laeral picked up the explanation. “If the Black Ajah have rediscovered the weave for balefire, there is danger to the Weave itself, to the Pattern.

“There is a reason that all of those who can use elan made a compact against it long ago. Even before the end of the Breaking. This must be brought to the attention of our Mother.”

“Ahh. That I understand better.” Drizzt then started to describe what he had seen in more depth.

Alustriel continued cuddling him, listening intently, but the more he spoke… the more certain she was that he was correct. And from the look on Laeral’s face, she felt the same way.

“Everything you say sounds like that weave, yes,” Laeral said when Drizzt had finished. “Damn and damn. Light scorch them all.”

Then she looked over to the bodies, which had been stripped to their smallclothes. “Let them feed the carrion-eaters, and do some good for once in their miserable, accursed lives. Where were you planning to rest for the day, dear one?”

Alustriel was in complete agreement with that decision about the bodies, but at Laeral’s question about a place to rest, she shifted to release Drizzt, and Laeral took that as her cue to let go of his hand.

“Hadn’t chosen yet. All of their things are in the haversack Thyl and Lin gifted me with, though, so I can call the carrion feeders now, and we can find a place… if you’re staying with me for a time?”

“I would like to stay with you,” Alustriel said with a sigh, “but I did tell Taern that I would not be gone for long.

“Before I go, however, did the Warder get lucky enough that you need a potion?”

Drizzt glanced down at his hands, then his legs, shifted in his armor a little, and shook his head. “Doesn’t seem like it,” he answered her cheerfully after making that appraisal. “He was decently skilled, but the first blow that landed between us was mine, and it only took one more after.”

“Oh? That’s impressive even for you, dear,” Laeral pointed out.

“Hard to concentrate or fight when thorny vines ensnare you,” Drizzt said, and Alustriel could hear the satisfaction in his voice.

“In that case, I really do need to leave now,” Alustriel said. She leaned down to give Drizzt a kiss, then reached for the staff of Silverymoon in her bedchamber and used its power to pull herself to it.

---

When Laeral had returned from telling her Aes Sedai friend about the attack on Drizzt, Alustriel had approached her for advice on how to broach the subject of taking the Warder bond with Drizzt. That conversation had gone quite well, as Laeral had actually been thinking about the matter for some time. And now, a month later, Drizzt had returned to Silverymoon, and she was preparing to start the conversation.

Shifting on the divan to face him fully, Alustriel took a deep breath and said, “Drizzt, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Hearing the serious tone in her voice, Drizzt also shifted to look straight at Alustriel. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Alustriel said, “but the attack by the Black Ajah and her Warder has changed my feelings on an aspect of our relationship that I had previously felt that you should be the one to bring up.”

“And what is that aspect?”

Alustriel took another deep breath. “I want to take the Warder bond with you.”

“Is it just because of the attack?” Drizzt asked.

“No. I’ve wanted to take the bond for a while, but given your history with it, I felt it would be better to let you come to me about it when—or if—you were ready to take it.

“But with the attack… you could have been killed, because I didn’t know you needed help.”

“Even if we had been bonded,” Drizzt said, “it’s not like I would have been able to share my vision with you before the attack was over.”

“I’m working on solving that problem,” Alustriel replied. “Teleportation-markers and the staves of Silverymoon are both things that allow one to teleport to them, so if I can figure out how to adapt the magic, I can make something for you to wear that I will be able to teleport to without error, and without needing your eyes to know where.”

Drizzt gave a wry smile. “I want to take it, too. But your previous loss had left me hesitant to broach the subject with you, because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Alustriel laughed softly, shaking her head as she drew him closer. “Aren’t we a pair? Tomorrow, then, after lunch? Since I’ll need to memorize the spell.”

“A good pair, I think,” he said, leaning in to kiss her. “And tomorrow after lunch is fine with me.”

---

To Go As Needed with a Pegasus (9216 words) by Somariel
Chapters: 3/3
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore, Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Laeral Silverhand, Drizzt Do'Urden, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Fusion
Series: Part 3 of A Crossing of the Realms, Part 2 of Ranger and Pegasus in the Wheel
Summary:

The events of "To Go As Needed", in a universe where Drizzt and his teacher saved Bright Eyes's egg a few years earlier.

---

Beginning notes

Inspired by senmut and ilyena_sylph's fics Ranger and Pegasus and To Go As Needed.

Many thanks to senmut and ilyena_sylph, for general idea bouncing and answering my questions about both Wheel of Time and their Fusion 'verse, and to ukia_dragon for making some useful suggestions.

This fic contains a certain amount of borrowing from "To Go As Needed", since some scenes from that fic are covered in this one, with alterations based on the changes caused by Bright Eyes's presence.

If you are confused by this fic, please go read "To Go As Needed" and the first fic in my series Ranger and Pegasus in the Wheel, as this fic very much assumes familiarity with both of them.

---

Chapter One: Meeting Laeral and Qilué

1335 DR, spring

When the plants all around the battlefield erupted into riotous, entangling growth that trapped many of the undead orcs she and Padraig were fighting—and only the undead orcs—just before a drow wielding twin scimitars joined the fight, Laeral wondered if this was the ranger that had been such a source of curiosity and bewilderment for her entire family the last few years. And when a pegasus came down out of the sky to join the fight, Laeral knew he had to be, even though the kestrel that accompanied the pegasus had not been mentioned before.

Once the fight was over, the pegasus—Bright Eyes, Laeral recalled—carefully made her way over to the drow—Drizzt—and bumped her nose against one of the pouches slung at his waist. “Yes, yes, my lovely one,” the drow laughed, “you can have a treat.” He then fished something out of the pouch the pegasus had nosed at, and held it out in the palm of his hand. The pegasus quickly snapped it up, and the drow petted her neck for a little before turning and starting over to Laeral and Padraig, with the pegasus soon following him.

“I’d apologize for barging into the fight,” he said, “but I’m sort of mandated to deal with these kinds of things.”

“We’re not complaining,” Laeral said, with a shake of her head and a cheerful smile, “though you’re certainly a bit startling.” Then, making the decision that it would be better to not act like she already knew anything about him, at least to start, she added, “I’ve never met a drow Dreadbane before, and few enough drow out in the middle of the day. Well met, stranger. I’m Laeral Silverhand, this is Padraig Farahar.”

“Well met, then. Drizzt Do’Urden, of Stedding Corwal, and my friend here is Bright Eyes,” he said with a smile of his own. “…Silverhand. Any relation to Lady Alustriel Silverhand, the High Mage of Silverymoon?”

“She’s my sister,” Laeral said.

“Then Andelver Aerasumé would be your nephew, yes?”

“Correct. And you must be the ranger that’s had our entire family so intrigued, and not a little bewildered, for the last few years.”

Drizzt ducked his head a little in what Laeral would swear was bashfulness, but when he looked up again, there was no sign of it. “Are undead like these common out this way?” he asked. “I was following the river down, and turned off into the hills. Meaning to make it to Waterdeep, though. I want to visit the sea, among other things.

“As my one visit to it so far was north, and winter, which made it less impressive than I’d been led to believe in.”

Padraig laughed at those words. “I find the ice-locked harbors terrifying, myself.”

Laeral shook her head. “No. Not common at all. There aren’t that many clerics of Shargaas—and they rarely act this openly. A young acolyte of Luthic managed to make it to Womford, mostly out of her mind and near death, raving about a male gone mad with the Night. I thought it might be a trap, as even that orcish goddess is an evil one, but… it seems not.”

“No, it wasn’t. Usually when I remove a head, the body stays down.” Drizzt sighed. “Thank you, for that assistance, again.

“Should I be worried there might be acolytes to hunt now?”

“Likely not; rare for one to get this much power, and unlikely to have shared it,” Padraig said. “Haven’t met many that go blindly into the lair of such.”

Drizzt half-shrugged. “My darkness was better than his,” he said with a grin, and Bright Eyes nickered in what Laeral was sure was amusement.

“So it was, it seems,” Laeral agreed, looking around at the undead sadly. “I have no great love for orcs, but this… he must have slaughtered the entire village to give them over to undeath. Poor creatures. And you are very welcome.

“Revenants—like that cleric became—are difficult foes to deal with. As long as there was still a body after death, they simply put themselves back together, and go hunting. Especially for those who first slew their body, because that being is always their primary target.”

“A good thing for me to learn then, Lady,” Drizzt said. “As it overcomes the usual method of dealing with undead that I use. Well, I have grown accustomed to fire, and will have to do better should I cross another’s path.”

“Or travel with someone that can do the destroying for you,” Padraig said, and by the amusement in his tone, Laeral knew he was referring to her.

“Ahh, but the farther I go from my former range at my teacher’s side, the less I know people to invite to such events,” Drizzt replied. “A ranger must be prepared to handle it all on their own.”

Laeral nodded then, and tilted her head slightly to the side. “I know I have more questions, and I’m sure you do, but I think further curiosity should wait until we’ve turned… mm. One of these caverns, I think, into a pyre for the dead.

“I’ll feel much better about leaving this place if we’ve burned them.”

“So will I,” Padraig said, “though this is going to be disgusting. Ugh.”

“I am accustomed to this part, and if you give me a moment,” Drizzt said, closing his eyes.

‘A moment for what?’ Laeral wanted to ask, but she knew better than to disturb a ranger who was concentrating, and soon enough it became obvious anyway, as a pair of bears and a mountain lion arrived, and started to drag the bodies to the largest cavern.

“Impressive,” Padraig said quietly to Laeral, as Drizzt moved to begin the dirty work, and Bright Eyes started making her way to the edge of the battlefield. “He’s quite unusual.”

“Very,” Laeral agreed quietly, and then decided that she was staying away from the big carnivores. She followed Bright Eyes out of the battlefield, but she wasn’t willing to not help. When the carnivores were at one end of the trek, she was willing to load corpses onto a floating disk and move them in a route that kept her away from the bears and mountain lion.

It took a little while, but eventually all the bodies were in the cavern, and the wood Padraig had been gathering was piled around and over the bodies along with tightly bundled grass and cloaks full of leaves. At that point, Laeral rubbed her hands together firmly, then cast burning hands, igniting straw, leaves, sticks, wood, and some of the bodies themselves with a cone of pure flame.

“A useful trick, that,” Drizzt said, even as movement at the edge of her vision caught Laeral’s attention, and she turned to see that Bright Eyes had come over to stand beside Drizzt, who had averted his eyes from the pyre, and the kestrel from earlier had settled onto Drizzt’s shoulder.

“Very much so,” Laeral agreed, finding herself a comfortable place out of the smoke to keep an eye on the pyre from, and noting as she did so that the animals Drizzt had called were leaving. “Barely more than a cantrip, but it increases in power with practice… which I have something of an excess of. Your kestrel is lovely. What’s her name?”

The kestrel preened a bit, proving that she had understood the compliment, and Drizzt smiled fondly. “Stela. My first companion. I rescued her as a fledgling two years past up in the Rauvin mountains. She decided I was hers, and that was all there was for it.

“My teacher’s wolverine was disappointed that I took a bird, instead of a sensible badger or such.”

Stela gave a terse chirp, clearly expressing her opinion on that, and Bright Eyes gave an exasperated sounding snort.

Laeral chuckled, smiling at the obviously loving relationship between the three of them, and tipped her neck left and right to pop the vertebrae there. “I see she and Bright Eyes both think she’s quite sensible,” she said wryly. “And given Bright Eyes, I rather think I agree with them.

“You likely gathered as much from my earlier comment about our entire family finding you intriguing, but I do already know a fair bit about you, so I don’t have to ask who your teacher was. Though I am curious about how you ended up with a druid for a teacher, instead of another ranger.”

“Aronna was the one that Mielikki brought to the stedding,” Drizzt said, “and despite offers over the years, she was the one I wanted to stay with. Many rangers, over the years, have shared lore with me, though, so I know more of that side.”

“You, Drizzt Do’Urden, are the most unusual person I may have met since meeting Laeral here,” Padraig said. “And that takes some doing, because she’s a handful in her own way.”

“Hmmph!” Laeral said, tipping her chin and nose up indignantly… before laughing and shrugging both shoulders. “Well, and so I am,” she agreed.

She was looking forward to the chance to travel with Drizzt, learn more about him—and she needed to make sure to let Qilué know that he was on his way to Waterdeep, too.

Padraig glanced at Laeral, then back to Drizzt. “Once the fire is done, and we make some distance, share a meal with us?”

“I would be glad to travel a bit, share a meal,” Drizzt said. “Any pointers on this region would be welcome, in regards to threats, or potential problems to deal with.”

Laeral smiled cheerfully, glad Padraig had invited him—she would have, but she was glad to have had him say it first, to know they were of the same mind. “Good, we’re agreed, then. Padraig’s a better cook than I am, but I can certainly put us up comfortably for the night once we’ve found somewhere comfortable. We know a fair bit about the region, and we were headed for Waterdeep ourselves. The ocean certainly won’t be frozen there. Not this time of year.”

“I’ve heard much of it, so had aimed to come to it as my wanderings allowed,” Drizzt said with a nod. “Heard much of Baldur's Gate as well, but I have personal reasons for choosing Waterdeep.

“I parted from my teacher this past spring, promising to see as much of the world as I wished to, until I found the place that called me to protect.”

Stela made a few noises, and Drizzt grinned.

“What was her opinion?” Padraig asked.

“That I protect everywhere I go.”

Bright Eyes gave another snort, and Laeral could almost hear the “Obviously!” she was certain the mare was expressing. “You are a ranger,” she said, her mouth curving with deep amusement, “that seems to be part of their ways. As an adventuring wizard, mostly I wander seeking interesting magic… and dealing with dangerous problems along the way.”

She got up and went to check the cavern, wishing the burning would get on with itself, but she was out of fire spells now, and they were just going to have to wait.

“Good of you to do so. Pardon, but while I know you are not one, some of the elan workers I have met have not been far from being dangerous problems themselves,” Drizzt said.

“Sorry you’ve stumbled over that kind,” Padraig said. “But I know the type.”

“No,” Laeral said with a wry chuckle, “I’m definitely no Aes Sedai, just a wizard. I call one or two of them friends… but you’re not wrong. Far too many of those who can use the Art fall prey to believing that just because they can do something, there is no reason they shouldn’t do something, in defiance of all morality, justice, and good sense.

“They do not long continue to do so, if one of my sisters or I find them.”

“Or your nephews,” Drizzt said with a chuckle of his own. “Andy shared a few tales during the winter he spent teaching me.

“And I have no grudge with the Aes Sedai—even if the Brown ones hold more curiosity than even I do—or regular wizards. I just have not worked with any of either group much other than when we pushed back the Blight a decade ago.”

“You were part of that? No wonder you have the Dreadbane mark; we heard it was brutal, once word spread out,” Padraig told him.

Laeral managed not to actually stare at Drizzt for the second part of that statement, but it was a close-run thing, given Andy’s assessment of his age as of three years ago. And she was grateful for Padraig’s comment, as it kept her from actually saying anything about it, given that she definitely wanted to hear what Drizzt might say of that working. She had only heard of it well after it was over, and that had been true of all of her sisters. Some things, it seemed, were not for the Chosen to poke their noses at.

“Every single group that came to the initial gathering had been attacked along the way,” Drizzt said. “And we turned off two attacks before the main effort was made. They had sent for aid from temples, including Helm and Tempus, but a group of the Aes Sedai and their Warders arrived to lend aid before those could arrive.

“We needed the aid,” Drizzt said in a rueful tone. “We were fortunate that the Fades had been linking to the Trollocs, allowing us to deal great damage by hunting the Fades. And then… the druids and clerics did it. They pushed it well back, and life has taken hold in that pass once more, though it is scant even now.”

Padraig shook his head. “A very mighty undertaking,” he said approvingly.

“That would have been quite an advantage,” Laeral agreed, “but given how cowardly Trollocs are, I assume the Eyeless had to stay linked to keep them fighting. Were there more kinds of the Shadowspawn as well? I would think so, but…”

“Myrddraal, Draghkar, and Darkhounds alongside the Trollocs. They said there was an elan worker as well, but I never got near that, or… well. I would have had to try. And my teacher might have mourned, for I was not as skilled then.” Drizzt half-shrugged. “Always improving. So I can be the best at what is needed from me.”

Laeral nodded understanding, but that he would have hunted a Shadow-sworn elan worker—especially with as young as he would have been then—said quite a bit about his bravery and courage—qualities she greatly admired. “Definitely a goal to reach for. And quite an event to have been part of. The Blight is… so very… wrong.”

“Yes!”

Bright Eyes responded to the anguish in that one word by turning away from the pyre and bumping her nose into Drizzt’s chest. And he reacted to that by beginning to pet her with both hands.

“Very good work, then,” Padraig said.

Laeral nodded her agreement, then cocked her head. “That was several years ago, though… anything particularly interesting since? Obviously, there’s Bright Eyes’s story, but what about other ones?”

Drizzt laughed. “There are a few,” and he started spinning stories of things he had done with his teacher—and sometimes with Bright Eyes.

Laeral listened with deep interest, filing away where they had been… and she did not miss that he spoke so much more of his teacher, and even Bright Eyes, than himself. A very odd thing in an adventurer, especially one with Dreadbane status.

---

Laeral had been quite certain of what inn Padraig would have chosen, so she had cheerfully teleported herself and Qilué-as-the-Simbul to a convenient alley near the inn and headed inside to speak to the innkeeper. Also to her lack of surprise, Padraig had left a key for her, and she headed up the stairs to see if they’d made it back in, or if she and Qilué would be waiting when they did.

The rooms were empty, but it was just starting to get toward mid-evening, and Laeral had seen how curious, and chatty, Drizzt could get.

“Not in, yet?” Qilué asked, joining her in looking the room over.

“No, but that doesn’t surprise me,” Laeral answered, shrugging her shoulders. “Even with him having spent the one winter in Silverymoon, I don’t think he’s seen much of cities, and Waterdeep is, well… Waterdeep. City of Splendors, in truth.” She settled into a couch of the front room, one foot tucked up onto her other knee. “They surely won’t be too hungry when they get back, we can wait to order a meal until then,”

“Or I can summon one, dear,” Qilué replied. “I do keep that spell on hand, and Drizzt might appreciate my fare, mm? …though, he might not, I suppose. I’ll ask, and then we can figure out which way to go.”

Laeral blinked, then smiled brightly at her sister. “You’re so thoughtful, sister-mine. He does seem to prefer finding mushrooms to add to our meals, so I think he will. We’ll see.”

It wasn’t much later before they heard two male voices—Drizzt had a particular accent to his words from where he learned Common—before the door opened. Padraig smiled brightly to see the Simbul present, while Drizzt looked from one silver-haired woman to the other.

“Very similar,” he decided. “Hello!”

“You get to see, if not quite meet, two of my sisters today, Drizzt, Padraig,” Laeral said cheerfully, since she was certain Qilué was not going to continue to wear their sister’s face. “This appearance is my sister the Witch-Queen of Aglarond, who calls herself only the Simbul. We draw notice, of course, but not as much as her true face.”

Qilué let the illusion slip away, staying seated because towering over a drow male who had not become used to her was never a good idea, and smiled welcomingly. “But my name is Qilué Veladorn, priestess of Eilistraee, Drizzt Do’Urden.”

His eyes went wide at seeing her, the first drow he had seen in over a decade. And she was a cleric, but his skin wasn’t itching! For all that he had believed what Andy had taught him of other good drow during that winter in Silverymoon, it was still so strange to him.

“I should have guessed. It is good to see you, Lady Veladorn,” Padraig said, to give Drizzt a moment to get himself under control.

“I am pleased to meet another drow that does not make me wish to escape,” Drizzt finally said.

“Oh,” Qilué murmured softly, watching his face and eyes, “I am so sorry that has been all of your experience with us, young ranger, though I sympathize. When Laeral told me that she had met you and you had come to Waterdeep with her, I had to come meet you.”

“Thank you for the honor, even if it was unnecessary,” Drizzt said, as he removed his cloak so he could actually sit and visit. Padraig took it to put on the hook since he needed to take his half-cloak off too. “As I was coming to Waterdeep in the first place in large part to visit the Promenade.”

“And I will be pleased to bring you there later,” Qilué said. “But there is a mystery surrounding you that must be unraveled first.”

“A mystery?” Drizzt echoed.

“Yes,” Qilué replied. “Because with as obviously good as you are, Eilistraee should have known of—and been able to call to—you from your first night on the Surface, at the very latest, and yet She was wholly unaware of you until I passed the knowledge on to Her after Alustriel reached out to me during the winter you spent in Silverymoon.”

“Is it because I have my goddess?” Drizzt asked, feeling truly puzzled. “Those who serve Her say She is… extravagant in my direction.” He half-shrugged. “I try not to ask much, though.”

“No,” Qilué shook her head, “Mielikki and Eilistraee have no enmity—indeed, Mielikki’s folk are one of the most likely to accept us—and for you to be so thoroughly hidden from my Lady that she is completely unable to see you on her own, and even with Andy anchoring for Her during one of your lessons with him, was only barely able to perceive you, you would have had to have been hidden almost at your birth.”

Drizzt tipped his head, considering. “I learned,” he began slowly, “that I am third son, but the second died before my birth. At school, they implied it was because he was refusing to be as skilled as he could be, to avoid the life of a Blade.

“I was never told that was my path. I was not beaten as severely as some males were. Matron Malice even rebuked Briza for failing to apply salve after. And if I am right about my father, I know that I would have been considered valuable, if I could reach near what he was capable of. But I don’t know what else she might have done to be certain I was fit to match my sister when I graduated.”

Qilué ached for the young drow before, for the senseless, useless waste of lives, for the way the abuse was simply unremarkable fact, but that was… interesting. “That… I loathe everything about what our people do to warp the Warder bond, but that makes… some sense. But if That One has found a way to block my Lady’s call from goodly drow, I am… worried.”

“We’ll figure it out, sister-mine,” Laeral said, squeezing Qilué’s hand gently. “Even if I do think that we’re going to need Mother’s assistance to do so.”

“Pardon, but… mother?” Drizzt asked, shifting uncomfortably at the idea of a third—completely unknown, and clearly powerful!—woman being involved in this.

Laeral caught Drizzt’s shifting out of the corner of her eye, realized what must have caused it, and turned to face him fully. “This is normally only known by family and very trusted, long time friends, but you do have a pegasus friend, so while you don’t quite meet the second criteria yet, I think you’re safe enough to share it with.” And while she wasn’t going to actually say it, they needed him to trust them fully to figure out what was hiding him from Eilistraee. “Qilué and I, and our other sisters, are, in a very real way, as much daughters of Mystra as we are of the women who gave birth to us.”

“Oh.” Drizzt took a moment to consider that, then nodded and said, “Very well, then. Shall we proceed?”

---

Chapter Two: Information and Traveling Companions

Even with the need to go through the Dawn Pass slowly enough to not get altitude sickness, it only took Laeral and Drizzt two weeks to reach Tar Valon, though Drizzt was clear that it was only on the way to wherever he was being pulled to. But with it so very directly on the way, there was no good reason to not stop over there, and the famous information networks of the Aes Sedai were a very good reason for such a stop, even if Bright Eyes had earned them some curious looks from the guards at the gates before Drizzt sent her off.

And now, the morning after their arrival in the city, she and Drizzt were walking towards the northern gate in the wall around the grounds of the White Tower.

“Light illumine you, Lady, but you and your… companion… are unknown to us,” the lead guard at the gate said. “Your names and the nature of your business, please.”

“Laeral Silverhand, archmage of Waterdeep, and Drizzt Do’Urden of Stedding Corwal,” Laeral answered, pleased at the entirely appropriate response to their presence. “We wish to speak with Terava Sedai, if she is present, or any of her sisters who might be willing to speak with us.” Terava was a traveling Brown Laeral had spent time with a century or so ago, and she devoutly hoped she was here.

“Of a stedding?” the guard repeated, obviously confused, peering at Drizzt for a long moment before the decorations of face-guard and scabbards seemed to convince him and he nodded, if a little uncertainly. “I’m not sure if Terava Sedai is here, mage, but you may both enter the White Tower grounds in peace and under the Light.

“It is the business of the Aes Sedai, not the guard, if you are permitted within the Tower.”

“The courtesy is most appreciated,” Drizzt answered for them, inclining his head to the guard. “Our business is merely of information, and we can afford the rest, as our journey started farther from the Dawn Pass than the Dawn Pass is from here.” The mention of distance was calculated, as surely no travelers would journey so far on a fool’s errand.

“A very long way,” the guard said, shaking his head, “longer than I would want to travel! Be welcome, Dreadbane, Lady.”

“My thanks. Light illumine you, gentlemen,” Laeral replied, as they walked onto the Tower grounds. The path from the gate was not a straight line, as many humans would have designed it, but a thing of gentle curves, intersected by others, that wound through gardens of incredible beauty as they approached the White Tower itself. Inside the walls of the complex were other buildings. Stables, what she thought might be a smithy, possibly drying or curing sheds for the produce of the gardens, wings extending from either side of the mind-bewildering height of the White Tower itself. Probably more she could not see behind the height of those, in all truth.

The guards at the top of the stairs—each stair broad enough that it took two strides to reach the next—that rose to the White Tower were not liveried staff, but Warders, to Laeral’s interest. One was of Andoran origin, if she was judging right, and the other was a tall, dark-skinned man with slightly tilted dark eyes, wearing garb in the Saldaean style.

Even more interestingly, the one in Saldaean garb—who had the accents on his clothing that marked him as Warder to a Brown—seemed to have a look of recognition on his face. Which had to be for Drizzt, as she was quite certain that she’d never met him before—a supposition that was borne out by his words. “Greetings, Drizzt Do’Urden and stranger. Be welcome if you come in peace.”

“Greetings to you, Farouk Tailer,” Drizzt replied. “My companion is Laeral Silverhand, archmage of Waterdeep.”

“We come in peace and in search of knowledge,” Laeral added. “I would speak to Terava Sedai, if she is home, or any Brown sister willing to share information with one who has traveled from Waterdeep to Tar Valon.”

“I will go find my Aes Sedai, lady,” the Warder—Farouk—answered, “as I am sure she will be glad to share information with Drizzt and anyone he travels with.” Then he turned to go within.

Very soon, he returned, accompanied by a woman with pale blonde hair, dressed all in brown. “Welcome, Drizzt, and to you as well, Lady Laeral,” she said. “Please, come with me.”

“It is good to see you again, Bethena Sedai,” Drizzt replied as he and Laeral followed her into the Tower.

“Speaking of whatever has brought the two of you here together should undoubtedly wait until we are within the quarters of the Brown Ajah,” Bethena said, “but do you have any other interesting stories you might share as we walk?”

“I do, actually,” Drizzt said, then began to tell the tale of how he had come to have Bright Eyes as his friend.

They climbed for… a while, up stairs done in a slowly repeating pattern of the colors of the Ajahs. The stairwell often let off onto landings that encircled it, but Bethena kept climbing until suddenly she stepped off and moved onto one of the landings, circling towards a section of the outer wall that blended from white stone into brown of all hues, and a wooden door carved with books and scrolls in a deep, warm hue.

Laeral looked directly behind her and found a doorway surrounded by yellow stone and a door carved with all manner of leaves… herbs, she thought, and other healing plants.

Bethena opened the door carved with books and scrolls, and led them over flagstones carved with open books, apparently towards the outside edge of the Tower. They passed several doors, each with a delicately carved scroll on the door, before Bethena finally opened another one.

The chamber that they entered was one that wrapped partially around the outer curve of the Tower itself, from the long span of arched and curving windows. Some were draped by curtains of more hues of brown than Laeral had ever imagined, but some were open. At least the sun was currently behind some clou—

“Drizzt,” she said, her eyes transfixed as she stared out the window for a moment, “is— is that a Great Tree at the southern edge of the island?”

Drizzt took a look, and smiled. “A younger or small one, yes, Laeral,” he said, delighted to see another piece of home. Only two years among the Ogier, and yet… every little piece that connected back to them made him feel safe and comforted. He then turned to look at Bethena. “While I am sure that you and your sisters have more questions for me, that must wait for later, as this time, I am the one hoping to learn more.”

“Farouk said as much,” Bethena replied. “If you will tell me the shape of what you seek, I will find the sisters who would best know how to help you.

“Please, seat yourselves comfortably.”

Drizzt gave Laeral a hand in taking her seat, helping corral the dresses by steadying her as she whisked them into behaving. He then sat next to her, but before he could say anything, a door farther down the chamber opened, and a woman in a brown and cream gown entered.

She was broad, light-eyed, and pale, with traces of ink on her fingertips, and blazing red hair, and she came to an abrupt stop on seeing two strangers in the chamber. After a moment, however, she quickly moved towards Drizzt and Laeral, in a way that left Drizzt feeling like she had somehow managed to miss Bethena's presence entirely.

“Can it be that you are Drizzt Do’Urden?” she said. “I am Calinde Varant, and the book Bethena wrote left me with so many questions.”

“Calinde!” Bethena said sharply, even as the other woman drew in a breath to continue speaking.

Calinde startled at that, making it clear to Drizzt that he had been correct in thinking she had not noticed Bethena, and turned to look at the other woman. “Bethena, why didn’t you tell any of us that he had come here?”

“For one thing, I only just brought him in,” Bethena said. “And for another, he and the Archmage of the Sword Coast have come seeking information, not to answer our questions.”

Drizzt smiled at Calinde. “Greetings, Calinde Varant. I am pleased to meet you,” he said. “Perhaps, if it is possible at the end of my quest, I could return for a time, and exchange knowledge for knowledge?”

He had no idea if it would be, but it seemed unlikely that Mielikki would immediately pull him in another direction without allowing for a rest.

“That would be most welcome,” Calinde said. “Is your quest one you wish to keep private?”

Calinde had the control of her expression of any Aes Sedai, but Laeral was certain she would be bitterly disappointed if Drizzt asked for privacy.

“It is not,” Drizzt replied, “and I have not yet had the chance to tell Bethena Sedai what I am seeking, so I won’t even have to tell it twice.”

Calinde smiled at that, and took as seat in the chair beside Bethena’s. “So what is your quest?” she asked, causing Bethena to give an exasperated sigh.

“I have been guided this way by my goddess,” Drizzt said. “She has a task for me in this place so far from my usual range.

“I have an impression of the Blight, and know I need to travel further still, east and north if the sense is right. Have your people heard of anything against the wilds in that direction?”

The slightest frown formed at the corner of Bethena’s lips, at the corners of her eyes, but it seemed a thing of concentration, not displeasure. “East and north, near the Blight… Shienar, perhaps. Or far eastern Arafel. I have heard of nothing from Arafel, but… there are strange rumors coming from eastern Shienar, near the Dragonwall. I know there have been discussions about whether someone should be sent to investigate, but I do not know what conclusions have been reached.”

“The Amyrlin Seat just approved Halani's decision to send a Green and her Warders this morning,” Calinde said.

“Well then,” Bethena said. “Would the two of you have any objection to traveling companions?

“I do not think that it would be possible to convince Halani that the two of you investigating makes it unnecessary for her to send someone, but that you, Drizzt, are being guided to deal with it makes me think that the source is something more usually found outside the Enclosure Peaks, which means not only is an Aes Sedai unlikely to know how to deal with it, it is entirely possible one would not be able to do so.”

Laeral exchanged a quick look with Drizzt, then said, “Not at all, though I will need to borrow a horse for such a journey, as I was switching between riding double on Bright Eyes and using a phantom steed on our way here.”

“Then I should bring the two of you to speak with Halani.” Bethena got up and headed for the door they had entered by, and Laeral and Drizzt did the same, following her out of the room.

---

Halani, who turned out to be the Captain-General of the Green Ajah, had asked quite a few incisive questions of Laeral, Drizzt, and even Bethena, before finally agreeing that it did seem like a good idea for Laeral and Drizzt to accompany the trio she was sending to investigate the rumors.

Meeting Marinna Sedai and her Warders, Verad and Nikho, had gone quite well, and Laeral and Drizzt had been invited to join the briefings that Halani had arranged to give the trio all the information they might need for the investigation. Once those were done, Marinna had invited the pair to join her and her Warders for a meal, and then, after agreeing that Laeral and Drizzt would return to the Tower the next morning for their party’s departure, saw them out of the Tower.

The revelation that Drizzt had sensed corruption in at least one of a pair of Aes Sedai (one Yellow, one Blue) that they had passed on their way out of the Tower was a disturbing one, especially with how distressed Drizzt was over the possibility that a healer was corrupted, but it at least had the benefit of assuring them that none of the other people they had met that day were Leafblighter's. Which was no small thing, when they were going to be traveling with three of those others, and a fourth was the Head of the Green Ajah.

Thankfully, Terava had been in the city, and as she had also proved uncorrupted, they had been able to pass that problem on to her to be dealt with. And time in the Ogier grove and among some of the Ogier that lived in the city had fully restored Drizzt’s equilibrium.

---

Once they were well out of the village, their second day on the road, Laeral followed up on her promise of the night before and began explaining to Marinna and her Warders how magic and innate abilities were different from channeling and why that meant they didn’t have to be concerned about what Drizzt could do.

“Although Drizzt does not use arcane magic, that is what I am going to start with,” Laeral began. “The source of arcane magic is known as ‘the Weave’, or more formally, ‘the Weave of Mystra’.

“And while the similarity in name to the equivalent of spells for an elan user is, so far as I know, pure coincidence, it does provide for a comparison to help you understand the differences.”

“And what is that comparison?” Marinna asked, sounding intrigued.

“The Weave of Mystra could, with reasonable accuracy, be viewed as the equivalent of a planet-wide elan-weave that can be accessed and borrowed from by anyone who has the right training—or sometimes, simply the natural ability, though those who cast their first arcane spell through pure natural ability will still need training, or at least to study magical texts, in order to be able to cast more than the most basic of spells.”

Marinna tilted her head, a considering look on her face “That… is a useful comparison,” she agreed. “The similarity gives a basis for understanding, but it also highlights the differences from channeling.”

“Thank you,” Laeral said. “Moving on, divine magic—the type of magic that Drizzt uses—is literally a gift from the deity the spellcaster follows or serves, which can and will fail if the spellcaster has earned their deity’s displeasure, though the degree of failure often depends on the degree of displeasure.”

“Is there any way to regain divine spellcasting ability if it has been lost because of divine displeasure?” Verad asked.

“The spellcaster can regain their deity’s favor by completing a quest for atonement that is set for them by a cleric of their deity,” Laeral answered.

“Is Drizzt’s ability to understand and communicate with Stela and Bright Eyes due to divine magic?” Nikho asked.

“Partially,” Laeral said. “All pegasi are innately able to understand Common and Sylvan, so communicating with Bright Eyes doesn’t involve any magic on his part at all.

“As for him being able to understand her so clearly, and both understand and communicate with Stela, while most rangers and druids need to actively call on their deity to do so, Drizzt is one of a rare few who can do it naturally. Such rangers and druids are referred to as ‘wild-called’, due to that natural ability being seen as a gift of the wilds, making it akin to being a Wolfsib.”

“Does being a wild-called ranger mean Drizzt doesn’t have to worry about the taint that is known to be in magic?” Marinna asked. “Though my understanding is that it is not as severe as that in saidin.”

“Drizzt doesn’t have to worry about the taint,” Laeral said, “but it’s not because of being a wild-called ranger.”

“What is the reason, then?”

“The sacrifice of Mystra's predecessor as goddess of magic blunted the effect of the Dark One’s counterstrike on both arcane and divine magic,” Laeral said, “and the divine will of all the other deities, good, neutral, and evil alike, further blunted the effect on divine magic.

“So taking a Warder is sufficient to protect arcane magic users and clerics, while all rangers and druids are protected by the fact that the magic they use is too wild-touched to suffer from taint, and paladins are—to the best of my knowledge—protected by the fact that their actual spellcasting ability is limited, with most of their magic use being a more direct manifestation of their deity’s favor.”

“If taking a Warder protects arcane magic users, why don’t you have one, then?” Nikho asked.

By Marinna's exasperated-sounding sigh, Laeral could tell that the Aes Sedai felt her younger Warder was being too curious. And while Laeral actually felt much the same, it was an understandable question, at least, so she was willing to give a partial answer.

“I am one of the Chosen of Mystra,” she said, “and being a deity’s Chosen also protects against the taint.”

“I’ll explain what a Chosen is later,” Marinna said, pinning Nikho with a stern look. Turning back to Laeral, she said, “So that leaves innate abilities to be explained.”

“Innate abilities are things like a dragon’s breath weapon—magical abilities that a being is born with,” Laeral said. “Some innate abilities are known as spell-like abilities, due to the fact that they replicate the effect of a specific spell, without actually requiring any spellcasting.

“In regards to Drizzt, he is a drow, and all drow are born with four spell-like abilities—darkness, faerie fire, dancing lights, and levitate. However, drow who live on the Surface instead of in the Underdark always lose one of the abilities, and so Drizzt is now only able to use the first three.”

---

Chapter Three: Dealing with the Demon

As they traveled, Drizzt sparred with Verad and Nikho every day, once they had made camp for the night, and Laeral could easily see his delight in having such skilled opponents to practice with. Nor was he alone in his enjoyment, as both Warders were very clearly impressed with his skill, and the sparring often turned into lessons, either Verad teaching Drizzt better techniques for using a single blade, or Drizzt teaching Verad and Nikho how to better defend against twin blades.

However, the idyll ended when Drizzt’s sense of where he was needed pulled them off the Fal Moran road well before they were into the settled part of Shienar, off towards the painfully jagged peaks of the Dragonwall, and then directly into the uneven terrain at the edge of them.

The fourth day in that uneven terrain provided a very unsettling reminder of the dangers they would be facing, when they came across a spot where the plants and animals, and even the land itself, had been just… ripped apart. The sight had left Marinna and her Warders pale for some time, and Drizzt’s expression had become grim.

---

Three days later, Drizzt signaled Bright Eyes to stop, and once she had, he turned towards the others, who had followed his lead and stopped their mounts. Something was pulling hard on his instincts, something he was not yet able to quantify. “I can sense something now,” he said.

“Only ‘something’?” Verad asked. “Not whether it’s what we’re seeking?”

“My sense of evil only tells me that it is there,” Drizzt said, “not what sort of evil it is.”

“But if you can sense it, that must mean we’re close, yes?” Nikho said.

“Only for a loose definition of close,” Laeral said, “especially in terrain like this. His range on that sense is quite large.”

“So what do we do now?” Marinna asked.

Drizzt dismounted, then looked up, and Stela obediently flew ahead, scouting the land for them. “Dismount and follow me,” he said.

He then moved to follow the path Stela was laying out for him with her eyes. She was aware of his needs, and guided them to a defensible spot they would be able to guard from, without much chance of anything reaching them first.

Once they had reached the spot Stela had found for them, Drizzt found a comfortable place to settle, and the others turned their horses over to Bright Eyes’s supervision and found their own places to settle, Laeral and the Warders automatically choosing spots which would easily let them watch a wide area. To Laeral’s slight surprise, Stela came down to her, settling on her shoulder rather than Drizzt’s.

“She knows which of us will be mindful,” Drizzt said with a chuckle at her surprise, then unshouldered his pack and set it down. “Now I must ask you all to guard me,” he continued. “I need to fully feel the land… but be prevented from going toward the source of the evil here until I am out of the trance.”

As Drizzt prepared himself to do a ranger’s reaching out to the land, Marinna asked Laeral, “Why does he need to be prevented from going towards the evil? Dealing with it is what we came to do, after all.”

“It’s because he’s entering a trance state to find out more,” Laeral replied. “It leaves him with no true awareness of his surroundings, but if he senses evil while in such a state, he will nevertheless just start walking towards it.”

“That seems… inconvenient, to say the least,” Marinna said.

“Mmm, maybe so, but given that his sense of evil is always working, I’d call it an even trade-off for the fact that he never gets stunned by the evil being too strong. Which is how the spell to detect evil works.”

Laeral would have explained further, as Marinna looked curious, but then Drizzt shifted in a way that presaged true movement, and she prepared to stop him if needed.

Thankfully, something drew him out of the trance, and his eyes opened, glowing briefly with the darkvision that was their natural state before he blinked and they cleared to the normal hue of purple Laeral was more accustomed to.

Purple glowing eyes was a far different sight from the red of most of the drow Laeral knew.

“Someone has set a demon loose on the Surface,” he said softly. “One of the youngest kinds, if I remember Vierna’s lessons on demon hierarchies correctly.”

Laeral sucked in a hissing breath, her mouth tightening as her eyes took on a tinge of silver for a long moment. Before her was not her wry and sometimes capricious friend, but the Dreadbane who had defended those who forced back the Blight. A nearly impossibly capable warrior dedicated to the protection of the wild and intent upon that goal—and she was of the same mind with him.

Demons were not supposed to run free on the Material Plane. They were supposed to be confined to their depths of the Abyss, unless some idiot wizard called one to make a bargain with it. Even then, they should be confined to the summoning circle. A loose demon was a serious danger to everyone in its vicinity.

“There are a few young kinds, which one do you think it is?” Laeral asked, one hand on the edge of the pocket where her wands waited for use.

“From the breaking of all things around it? I would wager it is a loumara. They delight in needless cruelty against natural places,” Drizzt said.

“What do you mean by ‘the breaking of all things around it’?” Marinna asked.

“Remember that place we passed through three days ago, where everything had been ripped apart?” Drizzt said. “That is what a loumara does.”

Marinna’s face paled at the memory, and Laeral took the opportunity to say, “Which is why you and your Warders will not be assisting us in dealing with it.”

“But-”

“No,” Laeral said. “I can turn its rending back on itself twice, but since I only have two memorized, I cannot do more than that. Which means I will have to prioritize protecting myself and Drizzt, as the ones who actually know how to deal with it.”

Verad came over to them then, and placed a hand on Marinna’s shoulder. “This is exactly why Halani agreed that they should come with us, remember?”

Marinna sighed, and placed a hand on top of Verad's. “You’re right. I just don’t like feeling useless.” Turning her attention back to Drizzt and Laeral, she asked, “Would Bright Eyes be willing to carry me? I’ll feel better about reporting that the problem has been dealt with if I can see it happen myself.”

“It’s her decision,” Drizzt said, “but if she’s high enough to keep you from being noticed by the loumara, you’re not going to be able to see anything useful.”

“Most people wouldn’t be able to, but I know a weave that will grant me a hawk’s vision for a while.”

“In that case, let me and Laeral figure out how we’re going to handle this, and then we can ask her.”

---

As Bright Eyes took off and started climbing into the sky, following Stela, Marinna reached for Air and Spirit and deliberately crafted the hawk’s vision weave she had first used instinctively as a girl desperate to keep her family from losing any more chickens to what she now knew had been equally desperate hawks.

Closing her eyes to let the change in her vision settle—since trying to adjust to the new sight with her eyes open was a bad idea—she considered the plan that Drizzt and Laeral had come up with. She did not know enough about demons to truly have an opinion on if it was a good plan—which was something she intended to rectify once this one had been dealt with!—but that they both thought it would work reassured her.

And its reliance on the known relationship between demons and drow was intriguing, leading her to think that she should actually read Bethena’s book herself, rather than rely on the summary Nikho had given her when she thought the subject was merely an academic curiosity.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes again and looked around. Stela had started circling, and Marinna looked down to see what the kestrel had noticed—just in time to see trees and plants being ripped apart in a large circle, though there was no visible cause for it.

That Stela headed back towards where the others were as soon as she had finished her circle confirmed Marinna’s assumption that they had found the loumara, and she asked Bright Eyes to circle over the spot.

It did not take long before two drow crested a hill from the direction that Stela had left in, and since Marinna recognized the male’s face as Drizzt’s, that meant that the female had to be Laeral, under the illusion that she had mentioned.

The two of them stopped just outside the circle of destruction, and although Marinna could not hear anything, she assumed that they were playing out their roles. Then Laeral suddenly lunged forward and bolts of energy shot from the wand she was holding, into the center of the destruction.

Drizzt had leaped forward just after Laeral’s lunge, and was now in the middle of the destruction himself. And then, all of a sudden, Marinna could actually see something else there—a tangle of thorned vines, each ending in a fanged maw.

Every movement of Drizzt’s blades—not that Marinna could truly keep up with his speed—made contact with the tendrils, while Laeral sent bolts of energy at any that did not leave her at risk of hitting him, and shortly after an agonized screech that had to have come from the loumara, Drizzt drove one blade directly into the middle of the tangle.

Laeral ran forward then, and just as she reached Drizzt, the illusions cloaking both of them vanished—as did Marinna’s ability to see the loumara, making her realize that it must have also been the result of an illusion from Laeral—and the ground around Drizzt’s blade was torn in a way that looked similar to the damage Marinna had seen the loumara cause earlier.

A shudder ran down Marinna’s back as she realized that the loumara must have tried to inflict its rending on Drizzt in retaliation for the direct strike to its body, and Laeral had lost the illusions to the effort require to turn the rending back on it.

Even without the illusion of the loumara's body, however, Drizzt was still making strikes with confidence.

Then there was another screech that Marinna could actually hear, but it died away quickly, and Drizzt stopped moving even as Stela launched off his shoulder.

When Laeral reached down to clamp her hand around her calf, Marinna knew that the loumara had to be gone, and asked Bright Eyes to take her down to them.

She closed her eyes as Bright Eyes descended, dismissing the hawk’s vision weave, and when she opened them again at the sound of hooves thudding on dirt, her vision was back to normal.

“One human, to the northeast,” Drizzt was saying as Marinna dismounted and walked over to him and Laeral. “Seems to be dropped on the ground.”

“One of the puppets you mentioned the loumara might have?” Marinna asked.

“Presumably,” Laeral replied.

“If I get Stela to guide you to the person, would the two of you be willing to go ahead on Bright Eyes while I go get our packs and guide Verad, Nikho, and the horses?” Drizzt asked.

“If Laeral is, I am,” Marinna said.

“Of course,” Laeral agreed. “But first, Drizzt, you should take this, since I saw it bite you.” She fished a vial out of one of her pockets and held it out to Drizzt.

At that, Drizzt looked puzzled, then started laughing. “Just that fast, I had forgotten,” he said cheerfully, before he downed the contents of the vial and returned it to her.

---

The person that Stela had seen proved, once Laeral and Marinna reached them, to be the missing Shienaran scout—which left Laeral quite impressed with her sheer willpower and tenacity, to have survived for so long as the loumara’s puppet.

But even so, she was clearly only barely still alive, so Marinna cast a healing weave on her to make sure she didn’t die before she regained consciousness. And when the scout did do so, Laeral let Marinna take the lead in dealing with her, only asserting herself enough to insist the scout drink a potion.

By the time that Drizzt, Verad, and Nikho arrived with the horses, it was clear that the scout was in no shape to travel yet, so Laeral joined the three of them in setting up a camp that would be comfortable for a longer stay.

---

Three weeks of healing weaves, careful feeding, and good shelter got the scout into good enough condition that she could at least keep herself on a horse, at which point she started to insist on returning to her fort of origin.

Since that would be best handled by Marinna and her Warders, but Marinna did not wish to delay any further on getting at least some form of report to the Captain-General of the Green Ajah, Laeral and Drizzt agreed to carry a letter for her on their return. And since the scout had been given Drizzt’s spare set of clothing, it wasn’t even like they would have to go out of their way to deliver it, as they had agreed that it made the most sense to get more clothes for him from the Ogier community there.

---

A week after parting from Marinna, her Warders, and the scout, Laeral and Drizzt entered Tar Valon again.

As it was still early in the day, they went straight to the Tower to deliver Marinna’s report. One very intense meeting with Halani later, they left the Tower and went to find an inn.

And once they had obtained rooms in the same inn as before, they settled into the baths to relax from the journey before visiting the Ogier community.

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End notes

I couldn't find a way to fit it in, but Laeral does still recommend that anyone who desires to learn more about demons and how to defend against them go to Silverymoon. Marinna mentioned the need in her letter for Halani and that was one of the things Halani asked about during the meeting where the letter was delivered.

And because they got to Tar Valon so much faster, Drizzt and Laeral's encounter with Broken Chain and his pack happened on their way out of the elan-lands.

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