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senmutAO3 Link | Divining Destiny (7067 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Characters: Vierna Do'Urden, Zaknafein Do'Urden, Drizzt Do'Urden, Ensemble
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Typical Violence, Fratricide, Murder, flashfic, Cross-Posted from Archive Of Our Own (AO3), Time Travel
Summary:
The Dark Maiden was unsurprised by the newcomer being wary. She hated that She knew he did not draw blades solely because She was female. Winning his trust would be difficult, especially as She could not perceive his spirit, only his material self. Her Twin's words came back to Her, and She realized that She was going to need to involve someone of the greater pantheon.
"Peace, young one," she said softly. "I will provide you with teaching, words that can aid your future. In exchange, I ask only that you harm none while you remain in my realm. There is food to find; one of my servitors will show you.
"In time, you will go to people more like yourself, so that you may live free."
"I will hold you to that," the young man said, utterly fearless in his demeanor, spine straight and jaw firm. There was something so sincere in his bearing and words that Eilistraee felt a moment of wonder, for a male out of Her Mother's city that could be so forthright.
"Please do." She smiled, then gestured for a cath shee to come from the nearby trees. The faerie cat sized up the male, then looked at Her expectantly. "Young one, may I know your name? This is Szann, and he will be your guide to food and water, as well as places to rest as you explore when I am away."
"Szann," the male said, eyes locking on the cath shee… and Eilistraee felt the contact extend deeply, giving the male a better awareness of the mood and mindset of the faerie cat.
What was this?! She almost could not wait to visit the others, and have one come help Her puzzle out the oddities.
"I am Drizzt Do'Urden, secondboy of the Eighth House of Menzoberranzan… may I never see that place again. Though I wish my sister luck in her goals to change what she can." He paused, then tipped his head in Her direction a bit. "I have no name for you."
No name? She felt a moment of temper that Her Mother had erased her so firmly in that city. "Eilistraee."
She did not tack on any of her titles or honoraries, not wanting to overawe this drow male that had met Her so unprepared.
"Then, if I may have leave to explore with Szann?"
"You may indeed."
She had not wanted to go straight to Her Father. The young man was traumatized enough by being from that city, but when She had gone, Corellon had been the first one She saw.
"Mother is manipulating things again," She said with a heavy sigh when He asked Her why She had come.
Corellon frowned. "Explain."
"I have a young man — boy by elven standards — in My realm, brought to Me in a deal with My Twin. No, hold Your peace! The boy cannot be perceived on a spiritual level by My Brother or Myself. Yet he was able to make a wild connection with one of the cath shee. And … he is good. I cannot fully verify that, but his actions so far in My realm are those of one of My Dancers."
"Show him to Me, Daughter," Corellon invited, using a warmer tone than usual — which meant He was already plotting and scheming, She supposed. However, the boy could be observed without his awareness, She thought.
Observing Drizzt Do'Urden in a wild space proved harder than either deity would have thought possible. Eventually Eilistraee resorted to touching Szann's mind… and they found that the young man had absconded into the taller trees to explore, keeping the cath shee quite amused.
"I believe he is proving to be unusual in more ways than one," She said to Her Father.
"Curiosity is… not a trait I associate with Your people, for mere exploration."
"He could be looking for a more defensible situation, but Szann thinks he is just enjoying the freedom," Eilistraee said, before smiling at watching Drizzt leap across a gap and land so sure-footed on a branch in a new tree. "I think he is meant to be one of Mine."
"Then I will need to determine what hex Your Mother has placed," Corellon agreed, having been impressed at the landing. He had some elves less at home in the trees.
His focus, though, proved to be too much, as Drizzt peered all around and spotted the pair. The swiftness with which he shifted his position to a more defensible one made Eilistraee mutter a curse in the direction of Her Mother for all the lies, and she moved forward openly.
"Drizzt. Do not be afraid of the Elf with Me," she called. "He is here to determine what curse the Spider has laid upon you."
"He's not here to claim vengeance?" The young drow dropped to the ground, so he could face the accounting on his own two feet, it seemed to Her.
"Vengeance?" she asked.
"For the faerie I failed to save when I tried to protect the child."
"I promise He will do no such… but perhaps you can tell us all, so that we can find and aid the child?" Eilistraee entreated.
Drizzt hesitated, but he looked at Corellon, and the impossibly tall Faerie had actually conjured a chair to sit in, with two others awaiting them.
"If it can help the child… I will."
That Drizzt doubted the deal made went without saying. Corellon (who was apparently a Faerie god, and so was Eilistraee, except She was a drow…) had removed some form of evil magic from him, in exchange for making certain the faerie child both lived and healed from her trauma.
If — and this was the part Drizzt doubted so much — Corellon could show Drizzt the child was well and safe by the time Drizzt mastered the elven language, Drizzt would be required to perform one small task for Corellon.
Eilistraee had side-eyed Her father at the deal, but agreed to make certain Drizzt learned all he could while Corellon actually involved Himself in elven matters to find the child.
Corellon had not walked the Material Plane in a long while, but He was piqued by the drow's refusal to see Him — or His Daughter — as a being of honor. The sheer skepticism had been palpable, and for once Corellon was willing to rise to the bait. He could have just canvassed the others of His pantheon, to find the child swiftly, but instead He took His Sun Elf guise, a bit taller than most, and maybe a little too perfectly beautiful.
The imagery from the drow's mind — once Drizzt had consented to the looking as Eilistraee had made the point of giving the young man choice in all things — had depicted these woods. Where, exactly, was the question, but it had not even been a full change of seasons since the raid, apparently.
Tracking from dryad to dryad led Him to the ones that mourned, for not enough of the village had remained to stay in the tree homes above. Corellon let them show Him where nature was reclaiming the battle site, extending his will to sanctify the clearing, pushing away the brutally chaotic evil of the deeds done here. He made note of just where the village had been… and called upon a unicorn to take Him to the ally He wished for this task.
Eilistraee had duties to all of Her followers, but She carved time for Drizzt daily, by the way She counted Her days. Mostly, they had language lessons, but this time She'd come to find the young man overwhelmed by realizing he'd been safe for a full change of the moon's face in this endless night.
"Instead of words, would you prefer to dance with weapons, to work it out?" She offered, hand flicking to the pair of swords he carried, despite the peace of this realm.
"None of the ones who share my time carry blades," he said with a sigh.
She had to laugh softly, before She called Her Moonsword to Her hand. "I meant with Myself, Drizzt."
He eyed the sword, a longer blade than either of his, and then met Her eyes fearlessly.
"If I may have the joy of a spar, I think it would suit my body and mind more, yes," he told Her.
She found Herself hoping he never lost that even approach to dealing with gods, as Her sense of destiny said he would be near them often. She moved toward the center of the clearing, working Her way toward capping Her ability and speed to that which a mortal could contend with.
From the first pass to test one another, She almost wondered if that had been a mistake. Drizzt moved as if the swords were a true part of him, without malice, only love of the skill itself. Eilistraee found Herself eagerly matching to him, pleasure suffusing from Her to Her followers in the other planes, as Drizzt reminded Her of joy.
Elin watched the 'elf' warily, working on placing just what about the tall man was twigging his nerves. Merenth gave a snort, stamping a foot for Elin to pay more attention to the currying.
"Sorry, my friend," he told the stud, half-grinning for their long partnership letting Merenth know him so well. He focused again, but then Merenth made a noise, ears flicking as he sidled a bit, and Elin looked up to find the stranger right there, evidently seeking him.
It wasn't dragon presence that was setting the man apart on Elin's senses, but something else, something dangerous and somehow familiar.
"Peace, Aerasumé," the man said. "You may call me Laran."
Oh well that was the height of arrogance to match the full-blooded sun elf, to just use 'liege' as a name, Elin considered.
Wait… was that otherworldliness that he was feeling?
"And why do you speak to a rounded-ear?" Elin asked with all the diplomacy of a boar.
Yes, as he focused it felt something like when Mother was possessed by the silver-fire, but — older. More dangerous.
Which of the Seldarine was slumming on the Material Plane, and how bad was this about to get?
"You ride a pegasus, and might have heard whispers from other riders here, about a village that ceased to be. I wish to learn where the survivors went, as one of them was very young, and has… potential to solving a small matter."
Elin frowned. "Not fond of putting destiny on a child's shoulders."
"No, I just need to make certain she is well, has been succored from the pain of her losses, and that she will thrive." Laran shrugged a bit. "It matters to a fighter that has the skills I wish to use, and those are the conditions of our deal."
Right, Elin needed to manage this in such a way that he never, ever got tangled in a proper 'deal' with whichever Named One this was.
"I'll go talk to the ones I know, ask Merenth here to spread the word. Give me… ten days?"
Laran frowned, and Elin wondered just what the hell was happening among the Seldarine that ten days might be too much.
"Try for six," Laran said. "But if you are not back here by that, I will return again on the tenth day."
"Agreed," Elin said, wanting away from this Named One, up in the air, and far from whatever fighter had gotten embroiled in a god's plan.
The einheriar that had been Drizzt's teacher this day, a drow that had died selflessly to save others in Her service, fell in step with the Dark Maiden as She walked along a stream reflecting the moon and stars so clearly in its slow-moving surface.
"The mortal is meant for the wilds," Mesrah told Her, certain of it. "He has managed to learn the way every animal, every bird moves. He takes to the trees like a wild elf. He asks for names of the most subtle variations of plants, wishes to know what use they have as food or medicine.
"The cath shee are all enamored of him now, through Szann. And his Astral Companion only nods knowingly to us, as if she knew this all along."
Eilistraee considered that. What passed as rangers in the Underdark were mostly spider-warped, and as dangerous to the wilds there as the dark rangers above could be in mastering the lands to serve their base desires.
"I have moon elf worshippers who are rangers, but they call on My kin among the Seldarine, rather than Me, for those gifts." She smiled. "Of course, he may never come to see Me as worth bothering with outside of lessons and spars. So fiercely independent, and leaning toward the agnostic way of life."
Mesrah shook his head. "I do not know about that. His drive for all things good — we've had talks that have convinced me his soul is that of a protector — will bring him to take up Your goals, Lady."
"Perhaps. If I, and more, My Father, meet his standards," She said with a laugh.
It was the sixth day, but it was not Elin who met Laran in the village. Elin's elder brother, Andy, was waiting there for the sun elf.
"My brother found the child. She was in need of healing, of the mind and soul, so he took her to our elven mother."
Laran let an eyebrow rise at that bold, almost defiant proclamation, tasting the truth in the words, and sensing this Aerasumé was just as wary as the younger one had been.
"Then my business with your brother is complete," Laran said formally, relinquishing the deal struck here as finished. Andy didn't truly relax, but his shoulders came down somewhat. Laran nodded once, and walked back out into the woods, aware Andy was watching.
Laran smiled to Himself, before disappearing in the next true sunbeam that was lancing between trees. He could check with Sehanine, see what prayers had been answered, and gather the proof He needed for the young drow. All the while, He remained amused that the Aerasumé band were as they were, but then… Corellon's chosen people had forged a crucible around those born between the races.
Drizzt felt a prickle of different magic and pulled away from trying to catch a fish, turning in time to see the faerie god appearing, the endless night giving way to an embodiment of the sun, before Corellon reined His presence in.
"Have you mastered the language?" Corellon asked without preamble, in His chosen people's words.
"Can make needs known. Not best yet," Drizzt said, jaw tipped up as he waded out of the stream to put his boots back on.
"I have found the child. She is being aided as we speak, in the care of a priestess with strong healing. And she has acquired a protective half-human who wishes to see her grow strong."
"Half-human?"
"Half-elf," Corellon clarified. "Now, by the deal made, you owe Me a single favor." He gestured and the tools the drow would need shimmered into view. A proper mithral shirt, a pair of surface-forged scimitars, a pack, and a protective cloak were in the pile of gear, with clothing of surface elven styles and new boots in the pack, alongside food. Potions, elixirs, and an aid kit also were inside the pack, just in case. "Your belongings have survived in this place, but you must now give them up, and take those of the surface.
"As I would as no one, even a drow, to face battle without the proper tools."
"While battle is often a small thing for me," Drizzt said, not arrogantly but certain of his skill, "how can I trust the battle is a just one?"
Corellon threw His head back and laughed. "You cannot, can you? I know you would have been learning of surface species, and know that orcs tend to follow ways not so dissimilar to the drow below. Yet, how can you trust what you have been told, when your entire life's education was founded in lies as well?"
Drizzt considered those words, appraising Corellon with all of his being, and moved towards the gear, inspecting it.
"Tell me of the battle you mean, and let me have a fuller picture," he invited, as the feel of those sword hilts tingled with magic, much as the cloak and armor shirt did. "And, with this gear, am I further making myself indebted to You or Her?"
"My Daughter feels that you will be a force of protection within the realms," Corellon said, actually bringing His tone to a less bombastic note. "I am curious to see what shape that takes, Drizzt Daermon N'a'shezbaernon." At the use of the ancient name for his House, Drizzt's attention jerked back to Corellon, away from the tantalizing blades and armor. "Save My Lorekeeper from the band of orcs that mean to ambush him, and I make no further claim on you.
"What comes to lie between you and My Daughter is none of My business."
Drizzt considered, curious, but his hands itched to raise the weapons in a just cause. "What is a Lorekeeper? The words imply someone who holds knowledge."
"That he does. And teaches it to those who wish to learn. As well as holding alliances among various elven peoples, leading in time of war, and generally being My voice among the people without being a cleric.
"This one in particular has led capably for centuries, still seeks new knowledge, and is a stabilizing force. If that curse which was upon you is the first blow in a new war of our people, I wish him to remain in the lands of the living, to be available to rally the elves swiftly."
"You are certain the orcs will attempt to ambush him?"
"It's as if the deed is already done," Corellon said sincerely.
"Then… I will change, and bundle this gear for Eilistraee to send to one of Her enclaves she speaks of."
"A good plan."
Agreeing to a battle, even knowing the enemy were going to be laying an ambush, had not prepared Drizzt for the sheer level of what it would take. He'd been placed on the surface, among trees, at night, but there was no moon in the sky with its reassuring pale glow. On the one hand, he thought Guen could probably find these supposed orcs; she was a better tracker than he was. On the other, though, if that took too long, he would not have her for the fight itself.
If it was to be an ambush, maybe he could find the elf in question first?
That thought was discarded swiftly. Faerie hated drow, feared them, much as drow hated and feared the faerie. He almost wished he had invited Szann to come hunt with him, but if anything happened to the faerie cat, Drizzt would be beside himself.
Thinking of Szann, however, was the tip to thinking his way through this. He settled in place in one of the trees, and turned his hearing outward. Mesrah had said that Drizzt's ability to learn from the animals in their posturing was a unique gift, and also said that in the wilds, listening to the noise around him — or the silence — could well help him protect others.
Was that section of the woods quieter than the rest?
Possibly.
For lack of any better clues, Drizzt began running the limbs of the trees, jumping form one to the next, until he reached the place where the trees were not rustling with the predator and prey of the night. He knew the moment he crossed some magical line before his ears told him that no sound was audible at all. He shimmied down cautiously, finding an orc encampment, and set to studying them from his concealment.
The warriors were fierce, shoving each other with irritable tempers over the smallest things. He took in the differences in garb and weapons, saw the signs of the direction they had come from… and which two were probably the most important. They were set apart, and of course not close together, but if that was how they marched, then he could take one, while Guen went for the other.
Now… sighting along the trail and turning the opposite way, Drizzt went back to exploring, trying to find out where the Lorekeeper was.
Thirteen elves in relatively light armor and carrying weapons of the hunt versus a full orc warband.
No wonder Corellon had been certain of the intent. Drizzt felt the skin itch he associated with his own people when he was near the orcs, but nothing like that near the elven hunters. Knowing where both parties were, how fast they were moving, meant he could plan for where the two groups would most likely encounter one another.
He had no intention of letting the orc band get to the pinch point that would let them pick off the elves from favorable ground. While he might only be a fighter, he was smart, and he knew that the biggest advantage the orcs had was their magical silence.
He would have to break that for the elves to survive, and then be certain not to be seen in the chaos after, at least not by the elves. After all, they were faerie, and he was a drow by birth, if not by nature. Or, at least, not like the majority he'd known so far.
The woods were full of materials to use, to rig simple traps ahead of the orc band, designed to slow them… and make the magic around them shatter. Drizzt was grinning as he readied for this, pleased to be able to use his mind as much as he would need his skills after with the fighting.
Andy scratched his head, even as he took stock of the rest of their Hunt. Father seemed to have that well in hand, so he gestured, and his three brothers joined him in the investigation of the orc dead. Not an elf among them was without a minor injury, but… they had not accounted for the bulk of the fallen orcs.
"Very sharp blades," Elin said, pointing out the mortal wounds on a pair of orcs that had fallen against one another.
"Claw and bite wounds, something of a dire size," Ghael called from one he was inspecting.
"I think the shaman may have been first killed by your dire," Dol said, well back in the bodies now, pointing. He shaded his eyes, and then trotted forward a little. "Blades to the chieftain, though, multiple cuts before the one that killed him — an evisceration."
"I told you I saw a cloaked figure leaving the battle," Elin said firmly. "But not a dire."
"Druid and ranger pair?" Andy surmised. "Doesn't answer how this band got so deep into the High Forest."
"No, that's the magic reeking on the shaman and the chieftain alike," Dol said, jogging back to his brother. "Much as I hate to do it, we need Dove and maybe Aunt Syluné to come investigate before we bury everything."
"Agreed. Go ahead and fill them in, while I go see what Dad means to do," Andy said, but he scanned the tree-line, hoping to catch a glimpse of their saviors. If they had already been in the defile along the brook… Andy shuddered, putting it far from his mind. Dad was fine, so were his brothers, and the other elders.
Eilistraee glared at Her Father, while Mesrah was using the moment to teach Drizzt about more self-aid.
"You used a time spell on him, you put him against ridiculously dangerous odds, all for what?"
"Any fighter who can give You pleasure by sparring at such a young age was up to the task of disrupting them," Corellon soothed. "I knew that. I also banked on him doing exactly as he did, acting in a way that warned My Lorekeeper.
"Now, if Your Mother is planning a new foray against Us, We will have a capable leader. As none of the sons can rally so many as he can. And Your new ranger came through with but minor injuries… I suppose I should have told him to drink the potions…"
Despite Herself and Her anger, Eilistraee had to laugh at that. "He comes from a place where salves are more common, and they have always caused him pain. Yes, You should have explained those."
"Keep him here while Time sorts itself off, Daughter. I do admit, I find Myself curious what else he will do once You set him loose upon the Material Realm."
Eilistraee looked over to see Szann being petted, Drizzt listening raptly to Mesrah. "As do I."
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Characters: Vierna Do'Urden, Zaknafein Do'Urden, Drizzt Do'Urden, Ensemble
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Typical Violence, Fratricide, Murder, flashfic, Cross-Posted from Archive Of Our Own (AO3), Time Travel
Summary:
Thwarted in escaping with the two males she cares for at Graduation, Vierna sets her goals differently.
Only, Drizzt sets things in motion the wrong way.
Divining Destiny: Testing Them
The Dark Maiden was unsurprised by the newcomer being wary. She hated that She knew he did not draw blades solely because She was female. Winning his trust would be difficult, especially as She could not perceive his spirit, only his material self. Her Twin's words came back to Her, and She realized that She was going to need to involve someone of the greater pantheon.
"Peace, young one," she said softly. "I will provide you with teaching, words that can aid your future. In exchange, I ask only that you harm none while you remain in my realm. There is food to find; one of my servitors will show you.
"In time, you will go to people more like yourself, so that you may live free."
"I will hold you to that," the young man said, utterly fearless in his demeanor, spine straight and jaw firm. There was something so sincere in his bearing and words that Eilistraee felt a moment of wonder, for a male out of Her Mother's city that could be so forthright.
"Please do." She smiled, then gestured for a cath shee to come from the nearby trees. The faerie cat sized up the male, then looked at Her expectantly. "Young one, may I know your name? This is Szann, and he will be your guide to food and water, as well as places to rest as you explore when I am away."
"Szann," the male said, eyes locking on the cath shee… and Eilistraee felt the contact extend deeply, giving the male a better awareness of the mood and mindset of the faerie cat.
What was this?! She almost could not wait to visit the others, and have one come help Her puzzle out the oddities.
"I am Drizzt Do'Urden, secondboy of the Eighth House of Menzoberranzan… may I never see that place again. Though I wish my sister luck in her goals to change what she can." He paused, then tipped his head in Her direction a bit. "I have no name for you."
No name? She felt a moment of temper that Her Mother had erased her so firmly in that city. "Eilistraee."
She did not tack on any of her titles or honoraries, not wanting to overawe this drow male that had met Her so unprepared.
"Then, if I may have leave to explore with Szann?"
"You may indeed."
She had not wanted to go straight to Her Father. The young man was traumatized enough by being from that city, but when She had gone, Corellon had been the first one She saw.
"Mother is manipulating things again," She said with a heavy sigh when He asked Her why She had come.
Corellon frowned. "Explain."
"I have a young man — boy by elven standards — in My realm, brought to Me in a deal with My Twin. No, hold Your peace! The boy cannot be perceived on a spiritual level by My Brother or Myself. Yet he was able to make a wild connection with one of the cath shee. And … he is good. I cannot fully verify that, but his actions so far in My realm are those of one of My Dancers."
"Show him to Me, Daughter," Corellon invited, using a warmer tone than usual — which meant He was already plotting and scheming, She supposed. However, the boy could be observed without his awareness, She thought.
Observing Drizzt Do'Urden in a wild space proved harder than either deity would have thought possible. Eventually Eilistraee resorted to touching Szann's mind… and they found that the young man had absconded into the taller trees to explore, keeping the cath shee quite amused.
"I believe he is proving to be unusual in more ways than one," She said to Her Father.
"Curiosity is… not a trait I associate with Your people, for mere exploration."
"He could be looking for a more defensible situation, but Szann thinks he is just enjoying the freedom," Eilistraee said, before smiling at watching Drizzt leap across a gap and land so sure-footed on a branch in a new tree. "I think he is meant to be one of Mine."
"Then I will need to determine what hex Your Mother has placed," Corellon agreed, having been impressed at the landing. He had some elves less at home in the trees.
His focus, though, proved to be too much, as Drizzt peered all around and spotted the pair. The swiftness with which he shifted his position to a more defensible one made Eilistraee mutter a curse in the direction of Her Mother for all the lies, and she moved forward openly.
"Drizzt. Do not be afraid of the Elf with Me," she called. "He is here to determine what curse the Spider has laid upon you."
"He's not here to claim vengeance?" The young drow dropped to the ground, so he could face the accounting on his own two feet, it seemed to Her.
"Vengeance?" she asked.
"For the faerie I failed to save when I tried to protect the child."
"I promise He will do no such… but perhaps you can tell us all, so that we can find and aid the child?" Eilistraee entreated.
Drizzt hesitated, but he looked at Corellon, and the impossibly tall Faerie had actually conjured a chair to sit in, with two others awaiting them.
"If it can help the child… I will."
That Drizzt doubted the deal made went without saying. Corellon (who was apparently a Faerie god, and so was Eilistraee, except She was a drow…) had removed some form of evil magic from him, in exchange for making certain the faerie child both lived and healed from her trauma.
If — and this was the part Drizzt doubted so much — Corellon could show Drizzt the child was well and safe by the time Drizzt mastered the elven language, Drizzt would be required to perform one small task for Corellon.
Eilistraee had side-eyed Her father at the deal, but agreed to make certain Drizzt learned all he could while Corellon actually involved Himself in elven matters to find the child.
Corellon had not walked the Material Plane in a long while, but He was piqued by the drow's refusal to see Him — or His Daughter — as a being of honor. The sheer skepticism had been palpable, and for once Corellon was willing to rise to the bait. He could have just canvassed the others of His pantheon, to find the child swiftly, but instead He took His Sun Elf guise, a bit taller than most, and maybe a little too perfectly beautiful.
The imagery from the drow's mind — once Drizzt had consented to the looking as Eilistraee had made the point of giving the young man choice in all things — had depicted these woods. Where, exactly, was the question, but it had not even been a full change of seasons since the raid, apparently.
Tracking from dryad to dryad led Him to the ones that mourned, for not enough of the village had remained to stay in the tree homes above. Corellon let them show Him where nature was reclaiming the battle site, extending his will to sanctify the clearing, pushing away the brutally chaotic evil of the deeds done here. He made note of just where the village had been… and called upon a unicorn to take Him to the ally He wished for this task.
Eilistraee had duties to all of Her followers, but She carved time for Drizzt daily, by the way She counted Her days. Mostly, they had language lessons, but this time She'd come to find the young man overwhelmed by realizing he'd been safe for a full change of the moon's face in this endless night.
"Instead of words, would you prefer to dance with weapons, to work it out?" She offered, hand flicking to the pair of swords he carried, despite the peace of this realm.
"None of the ones who share my time carry blades," he said with a sigh.
She had to laugh softly, before She called Her Moonsword to Her hand. "I meant with Myself, Drizzt."
He eyed the sword, a longer blade than either of his, and then met Her eyes fearlessly.
"If I may have the joy of a spar, I think it would suit my body and mind more, yes," he told Her.
She found Herself hoping he never lost that even approach to dealing with gods, as Her sense of destiny said he would be near them often. She moved toward the center of the clearing, working Her way toward capping Her ability and speed to that which a mortal could contend with.
From the first pass to test one another, She almost wondered if that had been a mistake. Drizzt moved as if the swords were a true part of him, without malice, only love of the skill itself. Eilistraee found Herself eagerly matching to him, pleasure suffusing from Her to Her followers in the other planes, as Drizzt reminded Her of joy.
Elin watched the 'elf' warily, working on placing just what about the tall man was twigging his nerves. Merenth gave a snort, stamping a foot for Elin to pay more attention to the currying.
"Sorry, my friend," he told the stud, half-grinning for their long partnership letting Merenth know him so well. He focused again, but then Merenth made a noise, ears flicking as he sidled a bit, and Elin looked up to find the stranger right there, evidently seeking him.
It wasn't dragon presence that was setting the man apart on Elin's senses, but something else, something dangerous and somehow familiar.
"Peace, Aerasumé," the man said. "You may call me Laran."
Oh well that was the height of arrogance to match the full-blooded sun elf, to just use 'liege' as a name, Elin considered.
Wait… was that otherworldliness that he was feeling?
"And why do you speak to a rounded-ear?" Elin asked with all the diplomacy of a boar.
Yes, as he focused it felt something like when Mother was possessed by the silver-fire, but — older. More dangerous.
Which of the Seldarine was slumming on the Material Plane, and how bad was this about to get?
"You ride a pegasus, and might have heard whispers from other riders here, about a village that ceased to be. I wish to learn where the survivors went, as one of them was very young, and has… potential to solving a small matter."
Elin frowned. "Not fond of putting destiny on a child's shoulders."
"No, I just need to make certain she is well, has been succored from the pain of her losses, and that she will thrive." Laran shrugged a bit. "It matters to a fighter that has the skills I wish to use, and those are the conditions of our deal."
Right, Elin needed to manage this in such a way that he never, ever got tangled in a proper 'deal' with whichever Named One this was.
"I'll go talk to the ones I know, ask Merenth here to spread the word. Give me… ten days?"
Laran frowned, and Elin wondered just what the hell was happening among the Seldarine that ten days might be too much.
"Try for six," Laran said. "But if you are not back here by that, I will return again on the tenth day."
"Agreed," Elin said, wanting away from this Named One, up in the air, and far from whatever fighter had gotten embroiled in a god's plan.
The einheriar that had been Drizzt's teacher this day, a drow that had died selflessly to save others in Her service, fell in step with the Dark Maiden as She walked along a stream reflecting the moon and stars so clearly in its slow-moving surface.
"The mortal is meant for the wilds," Mesrah told Her, certain of it. "He has managed to learn the way every animal, every bird moves. He takes to the trees like a wild elf. He asks for names of the most subtle variations of plants, wishes to know what use they have as food or medicine.
"The cath shee are all enamored of him now, through Szann. And his Astral Companion only nods knowingly to us, as if she knew this all along."
Eilistraee considered that. What passed as rangers in the Underdark were mostly spider-warped, and as dangerous to the wilds there as the dark rangers above could be in mastering the lands to serve their base desires.
"I have moon elf worshippers who are rangers, but they call on My kin among the Seldarine, rather than Me, for those gifts." She smiled. "Of course, he may never come to see Me as worth bothering with outside of lessons and spars. So fiercely independent, and leaning toward the agnostic way of life."
Mesrah shook his head. "I do not know about that. His drive for all things good — we've had talks that have convinced me his soul is that of a protector — will bring him to take up Your goals, Lady."
"Perhaps. If I, and more, My Father, meet his standards," She said with a laugh.
It was the sixth day, but it was not Elin who met Laran in the village. Elin's elder brother, Andy, was waiting there for the sun elf.
"My brother found the child. She was in need of healing, of the mind and soul, so he took her to our elven mother."
Laran let an eyebrow rise at that bold, almost defiant proclamation, tasting the truth in the words, and sensing this Aerasumé was just as wary as the younger one had been.
"Then my business with your brother is complete," Laran said formally, relinquishing the deal struck here as finished. Andy didn't truly relax, but his shoulders came down somewhat. Laran nodded once, and walked back out into the woods, aware Andy was watching.
Laran smiled to Himself, before disappearing in the next true sunbeam that was lancing between trees. He could check with Sehanine, see what prayers had been answered, and gather the proof He needed for the young drow. All the while, He remained amused that the Aerasumé band were as they were, but then… Corellon's chosen people had forged a crucible around those born between the races.
Drizzt felt a prickle of different magic and pulled away from trying to catch a fish, turning in time to see the faerie god appearing, the endless night giving way to an embodiment of the sun, before Corellon reined His presence in.
"Have you mastered the language?" Corellon asked without preamble, in His chosen people's words.
"Can make needs known. Not best yet," Drizzt said, jaw tipped up as he waded out of the stream to put his boots back on.
"I have found the child. She is being aided as we speak, in the care of a priestess with strong healing. And she has acquired a protective half-human who wishes to see her grow strong."
"Half-human?"
"Half-elf," Corellon clarified. "Now, by the deal made, you owe Me a single favor." He gestured and the tools the drow would need shimmered into view. A proper mithral shirt, a pair of surface-forged scimitars, a pack, and a protective cloak were in the pile of gear, with clothing of surface elven styles and new boots in the pack, alongside food. Potions, elixirs, and an aid kit also were inside the pack, just in case. "Your belongings have survived in this place, but you must now give them up, and take those of the surface.
"As I would as no one, even a drow, to face battle without the proper tools."
"While battle is often a small thing for me," Drizzt said, not arrogantly but certain of his skill, "how can I trust the battle is a just one?"
Corellon threw His head back and laughed. "You cannot, can you? I know you would have been learning of surface species, and know that orcs tend to follow ways not so dissimilar to the drow below. Yet, how can you trust what you have been told, when your entire life's education was founded in lies as well?"
Drizzt considered those words, appraising Corellon with all of his being, and moved towards the gear, inspecting it.
"Tell me of the battle you mean, and let me have a fuller picture," he invited, as the feel of those sword hilts tingled with magic, much as the cloak and armor shirt did. "And, with this gear, am I further making myself indebted to You or Her?"
"My Daughter feels that you will be a force of protection within the realms," Corellon said, actually bringing His tone to a less bombastic note. "I am curious to see what shape that takes, Drizzt Daermon N'a'shezbaernon." At the use of the ancient name for his House, Drizzt's attention jerked back to Corellon, away from the tantalizing blades and armor. "Save My Lorekeeper from the band of orcs that mean to ambush him, and I make no further claim on you.
"What comes to lie between you and My Daughter is none of My business."
Drizzt considered, curious, but his hands itched to raise the weapons in a just cause. "What is a Lorekeeper? The words imply someone who holds knowledge."
"That he does. And teaches it to those who wish to learn. As well as holding alliances among various elven peoples, leading in time of war, and generally being My voice among the people without being a cleric.
"This one in particular has led capably for centuries, still seeks new knowledge, and is a stabilizing force. If that curse which was upon you is the first blow in a new war of our people, I wish him to remain in the lands of the living, to be available to rally the elves swiftly."
"You are certain the orcs will attempt to ambush him?"
"It's as if the deed is already done," Corellon said sincerely.
"Then… I will change, and bundle this gear for Eilistraee to send to one of Her enclaves she speaks of."
"A good plan."
Agreeing to a battle, even knowing the enemy were going to be laying an ambush, had not prepared Drizzt for the sheer level of what it would take. He'd been placed on the surface, among trees, at night, but there was no moon in the sky with its reassuring pale glow. On the one hand, he thought Guen could probably find these supposed orcs; she was a better tracker than he was. On the other, though, if that took too long, he would not have her for the fight itself.
If it was to be an ambush, maybe he could find the elf in question first?
That thought was discarded swiftly. Faerie hated drow, feared them, much as drow hated and feared the faerie. He almost wished he had invited Szann to come hunt with him, but if anything happened to the faerie cat, Drizzt would be beside himself.
Thinking of Szann, however, was the tip to thinking his way through this. He settled in place in one of the trees, and turned his hearing outward. Mesrah had said that Drizzt's ability to learn from the animals in their posturing was a unique gift, and also said that in the wilds, listening to the noise around him — or the silence — could well help him protect others.
Was that section of the woods quieter than the rest?
Possibly.
For lack of any better clues, Drizzt began running the limbs of the trees, jumping form one to the next, until he reached the place where the trees were not rustling with the predator and prey of the night. He knew the moment he crossed some magical line before his ears told him that no sound was audible at all. He shimmied down cautiously, finding an orc encampment, and set to studying them from his concealment.
The warriors were fierce, shoving each other with irritable tempers over the smallest things. He took in the differences in garb and weapons, saw the signs of the direction they had come from… and which two were probably the most important. They were set apart, and of course not close together, but if that was how they marched, then he could take one, while Guen went for the other.
Now… sighting along the trail and turning the opposite way, Drizzt went back to exploring, trying to find out where the Lorekeeper was.
Thirteen elves in relatively light armor and carrying weapons of the hunt versus a full orc warband.
No wonder Corellon had been certain of the intent. Drizzt felt the skin itch he associated with his own people when he was near the orcs, but nothing like that near the elven hunters. Knowing where both parties were, how fast they were moving, meant he could plan for where the two groups would most likely encounter one another.
He had no intention of letting the orc band get to the pinch point that would let them pick off the elves from favorable ground. While he might only be a fighter, he was smart, and he knew that the biggest advantage the orcs had was their magical silence.
He would have to break that for the elves to survive, and then be certain not to be seen in the chaos after, at least not by the elves. After all, they were faerie, and he was a drow by birth, if not by nature. Or, at least, not like the majority he'd known so far.
The woods were full of materials to use, to rig simple traps ahead of the orc band, designed to slow them… and make the magic around them shatter. Drizzt was grinning as he readied for this, pleased to be able to use his mind as much as he would need his skills after with the fighting.
Andy scratched his head, even as he took stock of the rest of their Hunt. Father seemed to have that well in hand, so he gestured, and his three brothers joined him in the investigation of the orc dead. Not an elf among them was without a minor injury, but… they had not accounted for the bulk of the fallen orcs.
"Very sharp blades," Elin said, pointing out the mortal wounds on a pair of orcs that had fallen against one another.
"Claw and bite wounds, something of a dire size," Ghael called from one he was inspecting.
"I think the shaman may have been first killed by your dire," Dol said, well back in the bodies now, pointing. He shaded his eyes, and then trotted forward a little. "Blades to the chieftain, though, multiple cuts before the one that killed him — an evisceration."
"I told you I saw a cloaked figure leaving the battle," Elin said firmly. "But not a dire."
"Druid and ranger pair?" Andy surmised. "Doesn't answer how this band got so deep into the High Forest."
"No, that's the magic reeking on the shaman and the chieftain alike," Dol said, jogging back to his brother. "Much as I hate to do it, we need Dove and maybe Aunt Syluné to come investigate before we bury everything."
"Agreed. Go ahead and fill them in, while I go see what Dad means to do," Andy said, but he scanned the tree-line, hoping to catch a glimpse of their saviors. If they had already been in the defile along the brook… Andy shuddered, putting it far from his mind. Dad was fine, so were his brothers, and the other elders.
Eilistraee glared at Her Father, while Mesrah was using the moment to teach Drizzt about more self-aid.
"You used a time spell on him, you put him against ridiculously dangerous odds, all for what?"
"Any fighter who can give You pleasure by sparring at such a young age was up to the task of disrupting them," Corellon soothed. "I knew that. I also banked on him doing exactly as he did, acting in a way that warned My Lorekeeper.
"Now, if Your Mother is planning a new foray against Us, We will have a capable leader. As none of the sons can rally so many as he can. And Your new ranger came through with but minor injuries… I suppose I should have told him to drink the potions…"
Despite Herself and Her anger, Eilistraee had to laugh at that. "He comes from a place where salves are more common, and they have always caused him pain. Yes, You should have explained those."
"Keep him here while Time sorts itself off, Daughter. I do admit, I find Myself curious what else he will do once You set him loose upon the Material Realm."
Eilistraee looked over to see Szann being petted, Drizzt listening raptly to Mesrah. "As do I."
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