AU cross fic
Nov. 23rd, 2023 08:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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tales_of_faerunSoul 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:
If you are confused by this fic, please go read the linked inspirations, as this fic very much assumes familiarity with them.
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."
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.
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.
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.
Tags:
- au: canon divergence,
- au: soul bonds,
- author: somariel,
- category: f/m,
- character: alustriel silverhand,
- character: drizzt do'urden,
- character: ensemble cast,
- character: korvallen senahye,
- character: sharrevaliir,
- pairing: alustriel/drizzt,
- pairing: alustriel/sharrevaliir,
- rating: general audiences,
- series: a crossing of the realms,
- warning: no warnings apply
