Ranger, Druid, and Pegasus
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tales_of_faerunRanger, Druid, and Pegasus (2044 words) by somariel
Chapters: 1/1
Other Fandoms: Wheel of Time
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Characters: Drizzt Do'Urden, Aronna Plainswind, Alustriel Silverhand, Andelver Aerasumé
Additional Tags: Fusion, not a lot of Wheel of Time stuff in this one, but it's very much part of a fusion universe
Series: Part 1 of A Crossing of the Realms, Part 1 of Ranger & Pegasus in the Wheel
Summary:
Inspired bysenmut and ilyena_sylph's fics Ranger and Pegasus and Never a Blade, Ever a Ranger.
If you are confused by this fic, please go read those fics, as this fic very much assumes familiarity with them.
1332 DR, early fall
Since spring, when she and her student had ended up with the care of a pegasus foal, Aronna Plainswind had been giving careful consideration to their plans for the winter. And now, most of two seasons later, it was time to talk to her student about their options.
“Drizzt,” she called, causing her student to halt the game of tag he’d been playing with the filly he’d taken to calling Bright Eyes, “we need to discuss our wintering plans.”
A look of confusion crossed Drizzt’s face, but he came over and sat down beside her, the filly following him. “We’re not just going to spend the winter in your grove?” he asked.
“That’s one option,” Aronna said, “but even with the gathering you’ve been doing, I’m a bit concerned that we might not have enough food to get Bright Eyes through the winter.
“So the other option I’ve been considering is spending the winter at Mielikki’s Glade in Silverymoon. Which does have some added benefits beyond simply not having to worry about that.”
“I assume that other teachers for me is one of them,” Drizzt said, “but are there any others?”
“I’ve heard that the sons of the city’s ruler ride pegasi,” Aronna said, “so if we spend the winter there, we might be able to get advice on caring for Bright Eyes from an expert.”
“Then yes, let’s do that!”
Late in the morning, two weeks later, the guards at the Sundabar Gate saw a most unusual group approaching. The woman in brown and green, walking with a staff, would have been unremarkable, even with the wolverine at her heels—as such was surely an indication that she was a druid or ranger—if not for her companion. Companions, really. Which were a drow and a very young pegasus.
When the group reached the gates, the squire on duty had to remind herself not to gape, as now that they were closer, the drow proved to be even more unusual than he had seemed from a distance, given that he had Ogier symbols on his faceguard and wore a Dreadbane sigil on his cloak.
After a pause to collect herself that she hoped had not been noticeable, the squire asked their names and business in Silverymoon, and the woman replied, “Druid Aronna Plainswind, with her student, Ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, of Stedding Corwal, and Drizzt’s friend Bright Eyes, come to spend the winter at the Glade.”
“Of course,” the squire said. “Do you need directions to the Glade?”
“No, I’ve been there before. But thank you.” And with that, the group passed through the gates and into the city.
With a concerted effort, the squire turned her attention to the next person seeking to enter the city, making a mental note to be sure to attend evenfeast that night, as the conversation was sure to be interesting.
Late that afternoon, after her appointments had finished for the day, Alustriel was taking the time to read through the notes and missives about the city’s doings that had come in that day, when she found herself having to stop and reread one from the squire who had been on duty at the Sundabar Gate that morning.
Yes, it really did say ‘A drow Dreadbane ranger of Mielikki wearing Ogier symbols and claiming a stedding, who has a very young pegasus friend, has entered the city with his teacher, to spend the winter at the Glade.’
“Well,” Alustriel murmured to herself, “this is bound to prove interesting.” And before she moved on to the next missive, she took the time to write a note to be sent to the Ladyservant, asking if the ranger would like an experienced pegasus rider to come teach him how to properly care for his friend.
Alustriel’s note had gone out the next morning, and that evening, a reply arrived, saying that the ranger would be very grateful to receive such teaching, so Alustriel reached out to her sons.
~Can any of you come spend the winter in Silverymoon?~
Most of her sons only offered regrets, but Andy said ~I might be able to. Why are you asking?~
~A ranger of Mielikki with a very young pegasus friend has come to the city with his teacher, to spend the winter at the Glade,~ Alustriel replied, ~and would be grateful for lessons from an experienced pegasus rider.~
~For that, I can definitely come,~ Andy said. ~I’ll need some time to wrap things up here, but I should arrive within a month.~
Andy arrived in late morning a bit less than three weeks later, and meeting with the ranger and his teacher was arranged for the next morning.
Alustriel made sure to warn him of how unusual the ranger was, but even with that warning, he returned looking surprised and a bit disturbed. But as she had only been taking a moment for herself between appointments, there was nothing she could do right then.
That night, however, once she had returned from the parties she had attended after evenfeast, she invited him to come to her rooms for a talk. He arrived quickly enough that she knew it had been the right thing to do, and once he had settled on the other end of the divan, she asked, “How did the meeting with the ranger and his teacher go?”
“It went quite well,” Andy replied. “The ranger’s name, by the way, is Drizzt Do’Urden, his teacher is Aronna Plainswind—a druid, oddly enough—and the pegasus is Bright Eyes.
“We agreed on lessons two mornings a week—one day for Drizzt to practice riding with Kairthon, and one day to work on everything else with Bright Eyes. But… you haven’t actually met Drizzt and Bright Eyes, have you?”
“No, I haven’t. I’ve only heard about them from others. Why?”
“Because if you had met them,” Andy said, “I would have had some sharp words for you regarding the lack of warning about how extremely young both of them are.”
“What do you mean?” Alustriel asked, her curiosity now piqued. She had assumed that the pegasus—Bright Eyes—being called ‘very young’ meant that they were still visibly immature, but of an appropriate age to have left their parents’ care for that of a future rider. And no one had mentioned anything about the ranger—Drizzt—being young.
“Bright Eyes hatched this spring,” Andy replied. “As for Drizzt…” He sighed and ran a hand over his hair before continuing, “If he’s even reached fifty, I will eat Kairthon’s tack raw.”
“Well then,” Alustriel said. “I think I had best talk to Qilué about him, since if he’s that young, something strange is going on.”
“You haven’t done so already?”
“No,” Alustriel admitted. “I’ve been assuming he was an established follower of Eilistraee who recently discovered a calling as a ranger, and therefore she’d already know about him.”
“How would that work with him claiming a stedding, though?”
“It would be an unusual use of the sanctuary that steddings offer,” Alustriel said, “but I could see a follower of Eilistraee who was concerned about their family seeking for them choosing to live in a stedding for a while.
“And if they did so for long enough to become an established member of the community, they might well have earned a permanent home there.”
“Mmm.” Andy looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “That second part might not even be too far off from how Drizzt ended up claiming a stedding.”
The conversation wound down from there, and once Andy had left, Alustriel reached out to her youngest sister. ~Qilué, dear, I’ve something of a mystery for you.~
~Oh?~ Qilué said. ~Presumably about a drow, if you’re contacting me, but what is it?~
~Three weeks ago, I received a note informing me that ‘A drow Dreadbane ranger of Mielikki wearing Ogier symbols and claiming a stedding, who has a very young pegasus friend, has entered the city with his teacher, to spend the winter at the Glade.’~
Alustriel had to pause there, to wait for her anklet to finish recharging, but once it had, she continued. ~I admit that I assumed the ranger was one of your people, even with the mention of him claiming a stedding, but I sent a note offering him lessons from an experienced pegasus rider, and he accepted, so Andy agreed to come spend the winter teaching him.~
~I am unaware of anyone who has been called as a ranger, and am certain that no one has earned the right to claim a stedding,~ Qilué said, ~—and I do want you to explain how you thought that was possible—but somehow, I don’t think that’s what you meant by a mystery.~
~No, it’s not,~ Alustriel agreed. ~Andy met with the ranger—Drizzt Do’Urden—and his teacher this morning, and he says that Drizzt is extremely young.
~To be specific, he’s sworn to eat Kairthon’s tack raw if Drizzt is even fifty.~
~Oh. My,~ Qilué said. ~I see what you mean by a mystery. That is far too young for one of us to be away from their family.
~Which means that somehow, my Lady is unaware of this very obviously good drow. I will inform Her and let you know what, if anything, She is able to find out.~
~And I’ll keep you updated on anything Andy learns about him.~
Eilistraee had proved to be completely unable to see Drizzt on her own, and even with Andy acting as a anchor for her during one of his lessons with Drizzt, She was still only barely able to perceive the young ranger.
And so, it was decided that Andy would approach Aronna while Drizzt was off having lessons with another ranger who was wintering in the city.
A week after they had first met him, Aronna came up from her meditation in the Glade to find Drizzt’s teacher in pegasus care and riding sitting quietly beside her. “Are you looking for Drizzt?” she asked.
“Actually, I came to talk to you,” Andy said.
Aronna tilted her head curiously. “About what?”
“An offer of lessons of a different kind for Drizzt.”
“And you’re coming to me with this offer because…?”
“Because the subject is a potentially touchy one, and you’re the one who knows him well enough to say if I should even bring it up with him.”
“I have to admit, I’m having trouble thinking of what such a subject might be,” Aronna said, “so please, do tell me what it is.”
“Eilistraee and Her followers,” Andy said.
“While that name does sound vaguely familiar, I’m unable to place it,” Aronna admitted, “though the emphasis makes it clear that you’re talking about a goddess.”
“Eilistraee, also known as the Dark Maiden, is the goddess followed by all the other good drow that I know of,” Andy said.
“Ah,” Aronna said. “That’s why it was only vaguely familiar. I’ve only heard mention of Her from Drizzt, after a moon elf we had shared a fight with told him a little of Her.
“Well, I certainly can’t see any harm in asking him if he wants to learn more of Her, and I even think it might do him some good to truly know that he is not so utterly alone among the people he was born to.”
A conversation with Drizzt after the next pegasus care lesson resulted in an eager acceptance of the offer, so Andy added an extra morning to their lessons.
Drizzt eagerly drank in the knowledge imparted during the new lessons, and as the season progressed, Andy saw that Aronna had been entirely correct in thinking that it would do Drizzt good to know that he was truly not the only good drow in existence.
By the time that spring came around, Andy and Drizzt had developed a true friendship, spending time together even outside of lessons.
And when Aronna declared their intention to leave the city in a week, Andy not only gave Drizzt a full set of the special tack that his family used for riding on their friends, he told the ranger, “The Promenade of the Dark Maiden is near Waterdeep, should you ever wish to meet the other drow like you.”
somarielChapters: 1/1
Other Fandoms: Wheel of Time
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Characters: Drizzt Do'Urden, Aronna Plainswind, Alustriel Silverhand, Andelver Aerasumé
Additional Tags: Fusion, not a lot of Wheel of Time stuff in this one, but it's very much part of a fusion universe
Series: Part 1 of A Crossing of the Realms, Part 1 of Ranger & Pegasus in the Wheel
Summary:
What if Drizzt and Aronna had saved Bright Eyes's egg a few years before Drizzt struck out on his own?
Beginning notes
Inspired by
senmut and ilyena_sylph's fics Ranger and Pegasus and Never a Blade, Ever a Ranger.If you are confused by this fic, please go read those fics, as this fic very much assumes familiarity with them.
Ranger, Druid, and Pegasus
1332 DR, early fall
Since spring, when she and her student had ended up with the care of a pegasus foal, Aronna Plainswind had been giving careful consideration to their plans for the winter. And now, most of two seasons later, it was time to talk to her student about their options.
“Drizzt,” she called, causing her student to halt the game of tag he’d been playing with the filly he’d taken to calling Bright Eyes, “we need to discuss our wintering plans.”
A look of confusion crossed Drizzt’s face, but he came over and sat down beside her, the filly following him. “We’re not just going to spend the winter in your grove?” he asked.
“That’s one option,” Aronna said, “but even with the gathering you’ve been doing, I’m a bit concerned that we might not have enough food to get Bright Eyes through the winter.
“So the other option I’ve been considering is spending the winter at Mielikki’s Glade in Silverymoon. Which does have some added benefits beyond simply not having to worry about that.”
“I assume that other teachers for me is one of them,” Drizzt said, “but are there any others?”
“I’ve heard that the sons of the city’s ruler ride pegasi,” Aronna said, “so if we spend the winter there, we might be able to get advice on caring for Bright Eyes from an expert.”
“Then yes, let’s do that!”
Late in the morning, two weeks later, the guards at the Sundabar Gate saw a most unusual group approaching. The woman in brown and green, walking with a staff, would have been unremarkable, even with the wolverine at her heels—as such was surely an indication that she was a druid or ranger—if not for her companion. Companions, really. Which were a drow and a very young pegasus.
When the group reached the gates, the squire on duty had to remind herself not to gape, as now that they were closer, the drow proved to be even more unusual than he had seemed from a distance, given that he had Ogier symbols on his faceguard and wore a Dreadbane sigil on his cloak.
After a pause to collect herself that she hoped had not been noticeable, the squire asked their names and business in Silverymoon, and the woman replied, “Druid Aronna Plainswind, with her student, Ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, of Stedding Corwal, and Drizzt’s friend Bright Eyes, come to spend the winter at the Glade.”
“Of course,” the squire said. “Do you need directions to the Glade?”
“No, I’ve been there before. But thank you.” And with that, the group passed through the gates and into the city.
With a concerted effort, the squire turned her attention to the next person seeking to enter the city, making a mental note to be sure to attend evenfeast that night, as the conversation was sure to be interesting.
Late that afternoon, after her appointments had finished for the day, Alustriel was taking the time to read through the notes and missives about the city’s doings that had come in that day, when she found herself having to stop and reread one from the squire who had been on duty at the Sundabar Gate that morning.
Yes, it really did say ‘A drow Dreadbane ranger of Mielikki wearing Ogier symbols and claiming a stedding, who has a very young pegasus friend, has entered the city with his teacher, to spend the winter at the Glade.’
“Well,” Alustriel murmured to herself, “this is bound to prove interesting.” And before she moved on to the next missive, she took the time to write a note to be sent to the Ladyservant, asking if the ranger would like an experienced pegasus rider to come teach him how to properly care for his friend.
Alustriel’s note had gone out the next morning, and that evening, a reply arrived, saying that the ranger would be very grateful to receive such teaching, so Alustriel reached out to her sons.
~Can any of you come spend the winter in Silverymoon?~
Most of her sons only offered regrets, but Andy said ~I might be able to. Why are you asking?~
~A ranger of Mielikki with a very young pegasus friend has come to the city with his teacher, to spend the winter at the Glade,~ Alustriel replied, ~and would be grateful for lessons from an experienced pegasus rider.~
~For that, I can definitely come,~ Andy said. ~I’ll need some time to wrap things up here, but I should arrive within a month.~
Andy arrived in late morning a bit less than three weeks later, and meeting with the ranger and his teacher was arranged for the next morning.
Alustriel made sure to warn him of how unusual the ranger was, but even with that warning, he returned looking surprised and a bit disturbed. But as she had only been taking a moment for herself between appointments, there was nothing she could do right then.
That night, however, once she had returned from the parties she had attended after evenfeast, she invited him to come to her rooms for a talk. He arrived quickly enough that she knew it had been the right thing to do, and once he had settled on the other end of the divan, she asked, “How did the meeting with the ranger and his teacher go?”
“It went quite well,” Andy replied. “The ranger’s name, by the way, is Drizzt Do’Urden, his teacher is Aronna Plainswind—a druid, oddly enough—and the pegasus is Bright Eyes.
“We agreed on lessons two mornings a week—one day for Drizzt to practice riding with Kairthon, and one day to work on everything else with Bright Eyes. But… you haven’t actually met Drizzt and Bright Eyes, have you?”
“No, I haven’t. I’ve only heard about them from others. Why?”
“Because if you had met them,” Andy said, “I would have had some sharp words for you regarding the lack of warning about how extremely young both of them are.”
“What do you mean?” Alustriel asked, her curiosity now piqued. She had assumed that the pegasus—Bright Eyes—being called ‘very young’ meant that they were still visibly immature, but of an appropriate age to have left their parents’ care for that of a future rider. And no one had mentioned anything about the ranger—Drizzt—being young.
“Bright Eyes hatched this spring,” Andy replied. “As for Drizzt…” He sighed and ran a hand over his hair before continuing, “If he’s even reached fifty, I will eat Kairthon’s tack raw.”
“Well then,” Alustriel said. “I think I had best talk to Qilué about him, since if he’s that young, something strange is going on.”
“You haven’t done so already?”
“No,” Alustriel admitted. “I’ve been assuming he was an established follower of Eilistraee who recently discovered a calling as a ranger, and therefore she’d already know about him.”
“How would that work with him claiming a stedding, though?”
“It would be an unusual use of the sanctuary that steddings offer,” Alustriel said, “but I could see a follower of Eilistraee who was concerned about their family seeking for them choosing to live in a stedding for a while.
“And if they did so for long enough to become an established member of the community, they might well have earned a permanent home there.”
“Mmm.” Andy looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “That second part might not even be too far off from how Drizzt ended up claiming a stedding.”
The conversation wound down from there, and once Andy had left, Alustriel reached out to her youngest sister. ~Qilué, dear, I’ve something of a mystery for you.~
~Oh?~ Qilué said. ~Presumably about a drow, if you’re contacting me, but what is it?~
~Three weeks ago, I received a note informing me that ‘A drow Dreadbane ranger of Mielikki wearing Ogier symbols and claiming a stedding, who has a very young pegasus friend, has entered the city with his teacher, to spend the winter at the Glade.’~
Alustriel had to pause there, to wait for her anklet to finish recharging, but once it had, she continued. ~I admit that I assumed the ranger was one of your people, even with the mention of him claiming a stedding, but I sent a note offering him lessons from an experienced pegasus rider, and he accepted, so Andy agreed to come spend the winter teaching him.~
~I am unaware of anyone who has been called as a ranger, and am certain that no one has earned the right to claim a stedding,~ Qilué said, ~—and I do want you to explain how you thought that was possible—but somehow, I don’t think that’s what you meant by a mystery.~
~No, it’s not,~ Alustriel agreed. ~Andy met with the ranger—Drizzt Do’Urden—and his teacher this morning, and he says that Drizzt is extremely young.
~To be specific, he’s sworn to eat Kairthon’s tack raw if Drizzt is even fifty.~
~Oh. My,~ Qilué said. ~I see what you mean by a mystery. That is far too young for one of us to be away from their family.
~Which means that somehow, my Lady is unaware of this very obviously good drow. I will inform Her and let you know what, if anything, She is able to find out.~
~And I’ll keep you updated on anything Andy learns about him.~
Eilistraee had proved to be completely unable to see Drizzt on her own, and even with Andy acting as a anchor for her during one of his lessons with Drizzt, She was still only barely able to perceive the young ranger.
And so, it was decided that Andy would approach Aronna while Drizzt was off having lessons with another ranger who was wintering in the city.
A week after they had first met him, Aronna came up from her meditation in the Glade to find Drizzt’s teacher in pegasus care and riding sitting quietly beside her. “Are you looking for Drizzt?” she asked.
“Actually, I came to talk to you,” Andy said.
Aronna tilted her head curiously. “About what?”
“An offer of lessons of a different kind for Drizzt.”
“And you’re coming to me with this offer because…?”
“Because the subject is a potentially touchy one, and you’re the one who knows him well enough to say if I should even bring it up with him.”
“I have to admit, I’m having trouble thinking of what such a subject might be,” Aronna said, “so please, do tell me what it is.”
“Eilistraee and Her followers,” Andy said.
“While that name does sound vaguely familiar, I’m unable to place it,” Aronna admitted, “though the emphasis makes it clear that you’re talking about a goddess.”
“Eilistraee, also known as the Dark Maiden, is the goddess followed by all the other good drow that I know of,” Andy said.
“Ah,” Aronna said. “That’s why it was only vaguely familiar. I’ve only heard mention of Her from Drizzt, after a moon elf we had shared a fight with told him a little of Her.
“Well, I certainly can’t see any harm in asking him if he wants to learn more of Her, and I even think it might do him some good to truly know that he is not so utterly alone among the people he was born to.”
A conversation with Drizzt after the next pegasus care lesson resulted in an eager acceptance of the offer, so Andy added an extra morning to their lessons.
Drizzt eagerly drank in the knowledge imparted during the new lessons, and as the season progressed, Andy saw that Aronna had been entirely correct in thinking that it would do Drizzt good to know that he was truly not the only good drow in existence.
By the time that spring came around, Andy and Drizzt had developed a true friendship, spending time together even outside of lessons.
And when Aronna declared their intention to leave the city in a week, Andy not only gave Drizzt a full set of the special tack that his family used for riding on their friends, he told the ranger, “The Promenade of the Dark Maiden is near Waterdeep, should you ever wish to meet the other drow like you.”
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