A year ago, a preposition was held before my father and me. Either we would stay at Mithral Hall, which was becoming more crowded and not expanding enough to hold all of the dwarven inhabitants, or return to the Icewind Dale and opened the caves and heat up the furnaces once again. King Bruenor was going to stick with the 'durned elves' no matter what choice we would make, much to the dismay of his subjects.

We had decided to return to the Icewind Dale. A place where dangers still lurk around every snow covered bend. A place filled with adventure; the place where my mother had grown up.

It was the day we were to tell Bruenor of our plans to return. Drizzt and I entered Bruenor's chamber, who was mulling over a pile of papers, mumbling with his back to us, "Wish Rumblebelly was here."

Drizzt and I exchanged a smirk, listening to the dwarf complain. Rumblebelly was a halfling who had moved to the warmer climates along the Sword Coast and that was last they had heard from him. Regis was there to help Bruenor keep things in order for the most part.

Drizzt cleared his throat causing Bruenor to jump and whip about. "Ye durned elf!" Bruenor then shook his head causing his graying red bread to wag about. "Well, have yeh come to an decision?"

I smiled and answered, "Of course we have, 'Grandpa' Bruenor," I withheld my chuckle as Bruenor involuntarily grimace at that label of 'Grandpa'. "We've decided to head back to the Icewind Dale."

"A'ight, then. I better get me things then,"

"'Get your things', Grandpa? You surely don't think that you are coming with us, what about--" I was cut off before I could finish.

"Pwent will look o'er Mithral Hall. He'll take care o' things" Bruenor responded quickly.

Thibbledorf Pwent was probably the strangest dwarf I'd ever met, or ever will meet. Him and his rowdy group known as the 'Gutbusters' definitely lived up to their name. Their armor was their weapon, jagged edges on the armor and spikes upon the helm and gauntlets. In short, these dwarves were lethal.

I glanced over at my father, a grin still spread on my lips. He already knew what I was going say and was clearly enjoying watching Bruenor grimace under the title of 'Grandpa'. "Grandpa, it wasn't Mithral Hall I was referring to," That had caught his attention. "I'm talking about your age. I mean, aren't you getting a little too old to be running about the Spine of The World and the Icewind Dale."

That had struck a nerve.

Bruenor flustered, trying to find the rights words that just kept evading him. Drizzt and I started to laugh at the perturbed dwarf. After a moment he regain his composure and glared at Drizzt. "This was all yer idea!" He managed to spit out.

Drizzt ceased his laughter and shrugged. "Actually, Jahie was the one who decided to taunt you."

Bruenor turned to me, and I just mimicked my father's shrug. "I get it from my father. But enough of this, let's get ready to go. I can't wait to see what the Icewind Dale is like." I smiled at the thought.

I noted that Bruenor forgotten his anger, I could only figure that it was because of me, or should I say my smile, that made him remember his own daughter.

"Aye," Bruenor said. "Let's be on our way."

And so that is why we are now back at the Icewind Dale. I looked back on that day, one year ago, and I can't help but feel if I made the right choice in leaving Mithral Hall and coming here. This place, the Icewind Dale, holds many memories; first meetings, first battles, and even more firsts. As I watched my father leave to go back into the busy caves, the image of his face, lavender eyes brimmed with tears over my mother, is burned into my mind. Could it be because of me? Because I forced Father to come back here? Selfishness could be the word to use, but it doesn't seem to quite right.

Why did I want to come here, anyway? Maybe it was because I felt like I didn't belong, didn't belong at Mithral Hall with the dwarves. I didn't belong like my mother had belonged. Sure they accepted me and all, they even accepted my father long before I ever came into the world.

It's because I'm not a drow like Father, or a human like Mother. I am of two worlds, the only problem is, to which do I belong?

Shaking my head I turned my back to the sun and headed back to the caverns entrance. No doubt where many dwarves would be congregating, readying to ship out the supplies to Ten-Towns, I guess I'll might just ask to come along.