Siren's Cry

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of R.A. Salvatore/Wizards of the Coast ©. I don't own them; I'm just examining all their possibilities.

Author's Note: This story is not connected in any way with "The Lesser Evil," "Midsummer," and their respectively related stories. Instead this is yet another experiment that shall be a bit shorter and less complex than the previous.

"Siren's Cry" is rated M for graphic violence, some strong language, and subject matter that some may find disturbing, including brief references to sexual assault. This is story that leans to the Horror genre and is not going to be pretty in many places.

Part 1:

"I am going to need to get up sometime, you fool elf," Catti-brie said in the most annoyed tone she could muster, though a mass of giggles threatened to break forth.

She threw her nose in the air and eyed the rough hewn ceiling in her quarters, her wavy auburn hair bouncing off her shoulders as she managed a weak groan. It was hard to ignore the strong grip around her waist only becoming tighter the more she huffed.

At last she looked down at the pair of bare, ebony arms encircling her lower torso, their hue sticking out against her cream linen night shirt. She started to rise again, only to be pulled back down on the cot by the arms around her waist.

"What if I had to take a piss, then how happy would you be?" she huffed, looking behind her and only seeing a playful smile and a pair of twinkling, mischievous lavender eyes.

Drizzt's white mane was crushed against the green pillow as he looked up at Catti-brie, his only response an innocent gaze and an infectious, widening grin. Catti-brie flashed him an annoyed glare before being sucked into his mirth like a moth to a shiny flame.

Her scowl broke and she chuckled, though tried to keep it behind her clenched jaw as she strained her leg muscles again and started to rise. She managed to get an inch off the cot before being pulled back. By this time her laughter was threatening co completely burst forth. She looked back at the handsome, black skinned figure lying on the small cot and gave another mock glare. It only took one batting of white eyelashes for her to lose her composure in one burst of laughter.

Drizzt grabbed her tighter and pulled her onto him. She flailed her arms for a second in a last minute protest before being willingly pulled into the drow's arms; her blue eyes locked with those sparkling lavender orbs as he planted a wet kiss on the side of her mouth.

"Ye're a bastard, ye know that?" Catti-brie said between giggles.

"Absolutely," Drizzt said, pulling her into a light yet passionate kiss.

He ran a hand through those soft waves, savoring the smell of perspiration and seaweed that mingled with her usual scent. It was perfume to him; the perfume of his Catti-brie.

Moments like this were a treasure to both of them over the past month.

The now faded winter at Mithril Hall had seen both of them separated by an orc army after decades of separation at the cold hands of their own reluctance. Then they came together; two souls who had grown up together, knew everything about each other, and finally stopped denying the obvious.

Though two tendays of passionate, youthful romance they were separated again by their own adventures; Drizzt with his moon elf friend Innovindil to bring the body of Ellifain back home to Moonwood and Catti-brie with Wulfgar to look for his daughter Colson, who was fortunately found with an elderly woman just outside of Silverymoon. Despite their respective missions, they were still longing for each other and the moment of their reunion after three months of separation was bliss.

Even then, they were still distracted. Bruenor rallied all five Companions of the Hall plus the Bouldershoulder brothers and Guenwhyvar to find the long lost dwarven citadel of the Gauntlgrym. Drizzt and Catti-brie hoped the excursion would be the time they needed to savor each other's company at last, though such moments and the privacy they required were few and fleeting.

Every moment they got in the beginning of the journey to steal away to a secluded corner and make love, the alarm was raised for some threat or another. Then there was that one time when Drizzt and Catti had just unstrung each other's trousers only to hear a mass of giggles, looking back to see Regis running off though peering back for a quick second. The last, harrowing moments spent in the Underdark at the end of the journey allowed no room for distractions.

The party returned safely to Mithril Hall to a hero's welcome. After the celebration and the high from the adventure had waned, Drizzt and Catti-brie were desperate for their own vacation. Fortunately, their old friend Captain Deudermont had an open invitation for a couple of extra pirate hunters aboard the Sea Sprite. This was how they spent the past month; in the blissful embrace of adventure and each other.

They had their own small cabin; though in a previous life it had been a mid-sized closet for odds and ends that was rendered useless by a new set of wider cabinets that had been built in the ship a year ago. Deudermont set up a cot in that small space and offered it to the couple as their "honeymoon suite." It was a small token of appreciation for their help and his understanding that, with their relationship infinitely closer than the last time they were aboard his ship, they would want their own time together.

Drizzt and Catti-brie couldn't resist, though they often spent more of their respective rest times in the sailor's regular berth or any other appropriate place given the hunting. Occasionally they would steal away to rest together in this space; no other sailor questioned it or even seemed to care.

Regardless of what space they kept apart or together, everything aboard the Sea Sprite was perfect; the right amount of relaxation and adventure for what Drizzt and Catti-brie called their "honeymoon."

The word floated through Drizzt's brain as he opened his eyes and gently pulled back from the kiss; leaving him touching noses with the women he called his wife. There was never a formal ceremony nor was there any exchanged vows save for their unspoken love.

The concept of a formal marriage was still alien to Drizzt despite his decades on the Surface and away from the matriarchy if Menzoberranzan where the word "husband" and "bed slave" were the same. He needed no formalities, rituals, or legal arrangements (whatever those were) to declare he and Catti-brie united for as long as they could foresee. Many druids believed in the concept that love is the only vow that marries a couple and Drizzt could not agree more.

Besides, Catti-brie told him she would rather drink down a lake full of orc manure than be subjected to another round of formalities and preparations like those that accompanied her ill-fated engagement to Wulfgar.

Drizzt Do'Urden and Catti-brie Battlehammer were husband and wife: period, and they couldn't have been happier lying in each other's arms in this playful moment of bliss.

A short rapping at the rough hewn door froze them mid kiss. They gradually parted lips and waited for a word.

"Sorry to disturb you, but the captain wishes to see you both on deck," called the nervous voice of Renny, a 15-year-old deckhand who had been aboard the Sea Sprite for barely a year after his parents were executed in Luskan's Prisoner's Carnival for a series of burglaries. "He says bring your weapons."

"Many thanks for the message," Drizzt called back, "tell the captain we shall be on deck shortly."

"Yes, sir," Renny practically squeaked, followed by a set of hasty footsteps away from the door.

Drizzt smiled and gave a light chuckle.

"Poor boy," he said.

"He needs a lady," Catti-brie chuckled. "So skittish, that one."

---------------------------------

The calm seas of the Sword Coast were blood red as the sun made its nightly descent under the waves. The sky itself took brilliant hues of red, pink, and blue; a sight that Captain Deudermont smiled on.

The slender, yet strong man stood at the rail of his ship and allowed himself one small moment to enjoy the palette of colors that was the sky and clouds at that moment. A red sky at night was a sailor's delight, as the old saying went and Deudermont knew there would be smooth sailing that night.

The cool sea breeze of mid spring plus the beautiful sky gave the captain another reason to be happy. His other reason was floating in the water: a red flag marked with a laughing, fanged skull conformed to the surface of the sea and rippled with the waves. Deudermont had seen that flag draped across the smoldering bow of trade ships attacked by the Bloody Tess, the most violent crew of pirates to curse the Sword Coast in decades.

There were 300 sailors aboard that ship, Deudermont had heard; 300 hardened killers all of them, though he would learn that for sure when the fight came at last. All of them were lead, threatened, and enslaved by Captain Jonas Woodbury, or Captain Mangler as the legends told. Deudermont had seen his work first hand; about 30 burned out trade ships had been pulled into the ports of Luskan and Waterdeep with the charred remains of their men trapped below the shell of their decks.

Captain Deudermont had waited for this moment for months; the moment he and his crew would finally bring down The Bloody Tess. He had the manpower, the weapons, the magical prowess of his longtime wizard Robillard. The skilled bow of Catti-brie Battlehammer and the whirring blades of Drizzt Do'Urden were a perfectly welcome addition.

His welcome was not only for this reason of course. When Drizzt and Catti-brie first wrote to him asking if there was any more room aboard his ship, he welcomed them aboard with open arms. They were two old friends who had shown great prowess an honor when they first came aboard after the Battle of Mithril Hall nearly 20 years ago. It had been too long since he had seen them during their last run aboard the Sea Sprite and they were more than eager to join the hunt for the Sword Coast's most vile pirates, especially the Bloody Tess, a challenge and potential for danger that put smiles on both their faces the second Deudermont spoke of it.

Judging by this new sign, the Bloody Tess had been through here, perhaps ahead of them. He had been chasing this ghost for months and now it would be real. He took the spy glass out of his coat pocket and extended it, peering through it out at the horizon looking for any sign of the hulking ship. The horizon was clear; no shapes or silhouettes which were a bad sign for the moment.

Deudermont looked back down at the flag. The standard was still a shade of bright crimson as the corners and sides of the fabric were crisp and bore nary a stray thread. It couldn't have been dropped that long ago, which told Deudermont he was traveling in the right direction.

The captain yelled to the crew to raise the sails and steer in the direction of the flag floating in the water. They would make an immediate northern route and the clear sky and high, waxing moon, already peaking from the sky in the gloaming, would give them a view of the horizon for miles; just enough to make a huge pirate ship visible even only a speck.

He closed his glass and looked across deck to see Drizzt and Catti-brie walking in his direction. Both were casually dressed, Catti-brie in a flowing white shirt with a simple brown vest. Her new longsword was in her belt and the quiver bearing Taulmaril, her fantastic bow, was strapped to her back.

Drizzt was clad in his gray shirt that had armor properties. His scimitars were strapped to his waist, yet his feet were bare; a new habit he had taken in the past few years. Deudermont recalled hearing the drow had battled an army of orcs in ice and snow while his boots were in a snowbank somewhere. It was still an amusing sight; the captain didn't doubt his friend's judgment in the least, though the fact he could fight in bare feet just increased his stature as a confident, able, and perhaps crazy fighter. Deudermont smiled at the sight; he couldn't have asked for better.

"I hear our weapons are needed," Drizzt said to the captain with a smile. "I can only assume that means we're in for some peril?"

"Complete peril," Deudermont replied with his own smirk, motioning for them to come closer to the rail.

Catti-brie looked in the water; the red flag with the grinning skull was plain to see on the water as she looked up and saw the massive ship on the horizon.

"The Bloody Tess?" she said.

The smile that spread over Deudermont's face was one of pure joy that spread to Drizzt then Catti-brie.

"She's out here," Deudermont said. "I don't know how far away, but she's been in this direction. That flag is intact and not a color faded, so it could have only been dropped within the day if that. With the way this wind is blowing, we'll have our answer soon."

Drizzt peered out over the horizon, his keen elven eyes seeing nothing but a few seagulls, though he had no reason to doubt the captain. This was the first sign any of them had seen of the elusive Bloody Tess, a clear indication they were making some progress if only a little.

The drow pointed at Deudermont's glass and put his hand out with a nod. The captain extended it and handed it to him and Drizzt put it up to his eye and peered out at the northern horizon.

It was emptiness all around, though he saw a piece of darkened, weathered wood bobbing along the surface with the waves; likely a slat fallen off a passing ship. It was a promising sign, though could have it could have come from anywhere.

He examined the piece of planking, looking for any others in the vicinity. A few feet away was another piece, though the green sparkle of light underneath stole his attention. Drizzt blinked for a second; clearing his vision in case his eyes were straining too much. He put his eye to the glass again and looked back down to the planking.

"Seeing anything?" Catti-brie asked.

"A piece of wood planking down current from the flag," he said, looking away for a second before looking back down to the water and seeing the flash of green again; a dull, emerald light that twinkled like a small star was underneath the water.

It could have been a fish, he thought, or even a variety of coral. Maybe a group of mer-people or sea elves were lighting their version of a torch. He thought that until his keen ears heard a high cry that was a cross between the gibbers of a porpoise and the giggles of a young woman.

Drizzt lowered the glass and looked back at the deck. Catti-brie gave him a curious look and Deudermont looked at him in calm anticipation.

"Did anyone hear that?" Drizzt asked.

"Hear what?" Catti-brie replied. "Yer the elf, ye got longer ears than all of us."

"There's a lot of strange sounds in these waters," Deudermont said. "What did it sound like?"

"Like a…" Drizzt began before the sound rang through his ears again, this time louder.

He looked through the glass again and saw the green shine under the waves, though it slowly faded. Drizzt shrugged it off and scanned the rest of the horizon only to see nothing else.

He closed the glass and sighed, looking back at Deudermont.

"Just a gull. I see a ship's planks and that is all," he said, handing the glass back to the captain. "Weathered gray planks about a mile north by northeast from the flag."

"It's grabbing at straws, but it is something," the captain said before turning back to his crew. "Keep your course, we sail north by northeast."

Deudermont nodded at the two and walked to the wheel. Drizzt looked idly back at the water in the direction of the plank.

"Ye saw something else, didn't you," Catti-brie said.

Drizzt shrugged and looked at his wife. "Lights under the waves," he said, "could have been from anything."

For some reason he doubted that; his natural elven sense for magic was at the slightest alert. It was just a feeling he had in the pit of his stomach, not the strong dread of an obvious trap but the tingles that perhaps trouble was afoot. It was enough of a sense that made him walk swiftly in the direction of the wheel to at least tell the captain what he saw and sensed.

He idly looked at the deck hands raising the masts and tying them down. Occasionally his eyes did veer off to the water, though he saw nothing out of the ordinary. His gazed turned once again to the deck, then to the dockhands, then to one portly dockhand who vanished over the deck with a splash.

Drizzt's attention was caught in a second. He looked down to see the man, a surly dockhand named Smitty who always gave him an evil eye, floating on the surface before being clearly pulled deep down.

In a second, his instincts caught him. Smitty had never been a kind man to him, regularly giving him light taunts for his race. He was a member of the crew who had fallen overboard and the least the drow could do was try to bring him back to surface; Drizzt's personal principles would not let him hesitate if there was something he could do. He heard one cry of "Man overboard" before leaping on the railing, taking a deep breath, and diving into the cold water.

The initial chill shocked his senses for a second, though he shook it off quickly as he continued plunging under the sea following Smitty's red capped head all the way down. He continued down for a few hundred feet, though the water turned black and the red cap was lost in the gloom.

Drizzt slowed his momentum, though continued downward. If there was no hope, he would float back, though he had to at least try. The gloom was then broken by a slow burning green glow that settled into the water around him; the same, emerald green hue that caught his attention on the surface.

A mass of bubbles erupted from the source of the glow deep down and washed over Drizzt before he had a moment to comprehend what was happening. A thick burst of air crashed against him like a strong gust of wind. On reflex, he inhaled though before he could curse his mistake his lungs took in pure air. He gave one more gasping breath, his lungs thanking him yet his senses were kicking him.

Drizzt still floated as if in the water, yet his lungs were taking in air; a perfect time to either find Smitty and solve this mystery or float back up to safety. Safety was a relative term in a situation like this, he though with a smile. He floated down a little further, enough to gain a better view through the green light though far enough to keep a distance.

He peered through the thick growth of sea weed along a mass of rocks and finally saw Smitty's grizzled face; his lips were locked with what looked to be a woman with green skin and flowing sea weed hair. His curiosity piqued, Drizzt floated closer to the rocks and blended in with the branch-like blue weeds as he took a better look and gasped.

Smitty's portly form was entangled in the long tails of two creatures covered in blue-green scales with the lower body of an eel and the upper body of a busty female humanoid. Sharp spikes protruded from their backs and the sides of their tails as their stringy green hair floated in the water.

Both creatures were caressing the deck hand's clothed body, both taking turns kissing him as he smiled and said a few crude words to both of them who only giggled back. One of the creatures kissing Smitty turned only a bit to allow Drizzt a view of her face; a face with bulging yellow eyes like a fish with sunken, green scaled cheeks. Their claws were running over his shirt and tearing off the buttons while one ripped off his hat and rubbed claws over his bald head before caressing his thick, brown beard. The tip of one of the creatures' tails was far under the waist of his already ripped trousers and the motion underneath explained his blissful look.

The sight made Drizzt's stomach turn, though he reserved any judgments. He could not deny the aura of dread that came from these creatures. He thought they may have been a breed of mermaid with which he was unfamiliar, though his magical senses were far too active around them than they usually were in the presence of the largely friendly and benign mer-people.

His sense of dread strengthened just in time to feel the brush of a muscular tail against his leg. He stayed still, hearing a laugh that was akin to a porpoise call and a young woman's giggle; the laugh he had heard just a few minutes ago. Drizzt carefully looked to the side and saw one of the sea creatures next to him, her slimy lips in a playful smile as her tail continued wrapping around his leg. He returned the smile before swiftly kicking upward and slipping out of the grasp.

He reached for his scimitars, though was unable to get them from their scabbards as a tail pressed hard against his torso and started wrapping his legs. He flailed, elbowing the creature on one side and meeting the scaly flesh of another one to his other side. One tail wrapped around his hips while the other wrapped firmly around his legs.

He struggled violently, though every time he managed to push one inch of scales away, another two would take their place.

"Get the Hells off me!" he screamed mutely into the water, kicking away.

One of the creatures blew a bubble into his face and for a second the sunken scales became smooth, ebony flesh as her seaweed hair turned white and her yellow eyes took a lavender hue. A second later, the image faded back to the hideous creature. Internally, he applauded her trick; obviously employing a hypnotic spell or substance to make herself look desirable to him. The trick may have worked on Smitty, an average human who thought he was becoming intimate with a beautiful human woman, though Drizzt had a natural immunity to many of these tactics.

It did little to help his cause as he continued to flail. He looked down to see the spiked tip of the illusionist's tail caress his stomach before diving under his waistline. He flailed more, kicking his legs and trying to free his arms from his sides, though the second creature kept him pinned.

A set of rough scales rubbed down his lower abdomen and, to his horror, reached his most intimate being. Something snapped inside him as he growled and let the Hunter take charge. With a sudden burst of strength, he pulled his arms free with a searing ache, kicking his legs hard enough to free them from the tail around his waist. The scaly, sickening scratch over his being lasted for less than a second as the creature withdrew her tail from his trousers.

His scimitars appeared in his hands and thrust into the hard body of the second creature, black and green blood like sea slime bursting out as he hacked into her body and lopped off her head in a cross cut.

A searing pain erupted in his stomach strong enough to throw off his senses, though he regained them in time to feel himself shooting up through the water like a seal. He looked down to see his seducer's tail whipped up as if she had hit him like a ball, a pleasant smile was still across her green lips.

A sudden burst of wind hit him, drawing his attention and signaling that drawing breath would be a bad idea.

His momentum stalled as he regained his senses enough to see stars above. Drizzt kicked his legs hard to stop his movement and slow him down a bit more. Coming up too fast could cause his blood vessels to burst from the sudden pressure change, so he purposely slowed himself, but knew he had to take a breath soon.

Drizzt sheathed his scimitars and paddled his arms and hands in a flying motion. Gradually, the sky became clearer as did the cork life preserver and the rope attached to the rail of the Sea Sprite. At last, he broke the surface and took a long, gasping breath. On instinct, he grabbed the rope attached to the life preserver and grabbed hard, allowing himself to be pulled up by the mass of deckhands on the boat.

He could hear Catti-brie screaming his name as he walked himself up the side of the boat, weakly straddled the rail, and fell into a thick wool blanket in the skinny arms of one deckhand. Drizzt sat on the deck, grabbing the corners of the warm blanket as he gave a series of relieved gasps. He closed his eyes for a second, only to look up and meet the blue orbs and frightened face of his wife. Catti-brie threw her arms around him and Drizzt returned the favor with a laugh.

"You godsdamned fool," she shouted with a sob, smacking him on the back of the head. "You could've been drowned!"

"I could have," Drizzt said weakly, still trying to catch his breath. "But Smitty…"

"Came up 'afore you, Master Drizzt," said Langely, another dockhand. "Just floated to the surface."

"Is he alive?" Drizzt said, whipping his head back. His question was answered with the sight of the portly man standing up and throwing his own blanket and a mass of water at Deudermont. "Thank gods."

The captain rolled his eyes and walked swiftly to Drizzt with a look of grave concern.

"Drizzt, are you all right," he said, coming beside the drow.

Drizzt found a small burst of strength and came to his feet; he had to lest the deep feeling of dread took him over.

"I'm fine," he said. "A little wet that's all."

"By the gods, what happened," Catti-brie practically shouted. "You were under for five minutes, we thought that was it for you."

"We found some type of air pocket created by these…creatures," he said with an involuntary shudder. "They look like a breed of mermaid though favoring their more fish-like features."

"Were these creatures friendly?" Deudrmont asked.

"Fine ladies, they are," Smitty piped up, walking closer to the group. His plump hands wrung a mass of water from his beige tunic. "Saved me life when I went under. Though this inky bastard liked 'em more than he's sayin', ain't that right dog."

"Shut the Hells up," Drizzt said under his breath, praying he would say nothing further.

"That's enough, Smitty," Deudermont barked.

"Ye throwin yeself all over blacky here, but ye ain't givin a snuff 'bout me?" Smitty shouted back. "I's the one who fell in."

"And Drizzt is the one who jumped in after you," Deudermont responded.

"Bah, I ain't needin' some shit-skinned drow puttin' his hands all over me," the deckhand said. "Bastard would've probably drowned me and left me for the sharks if it weren't for those ladies."

"That's enough!" Deudermont shouted. Smitty responded with a growl as he walked back to the sailor's berth.

Drizzt watched him leave while rolling his eyes, seeing a young man with shaggy black hair clad in a ragged set of blue robes. It was Mikus Norey, a cleric of Shaundaukul who had been traveling aboard the Sea Sprite for the past year. Drizzt sighed in relief; Mikus was a trained healer who tended the medical needs of the crew. The drow knew he would need at least some clerical attention after this ordeal.

By this time a chill was setting into his small form as was the sinking feeling of violation that gradually crept in; the memory of that scaly tail rubbing against his being now making itself known. He wrapped his blanket tightly around himself, shielding himself from…the cold. That had to be it.

Catti-brie put an arm tight around his waist and gave a small gasp when Drizzt jerked from her grasp with a wince. His lavender eyes met hers and she gave him a concerned glare. He closed his eyes, a look of regret on his face though he pulled the blanket even tighter and shivered more.

Drizzt never reacted this way to her touch before. Something had happened down there and she was determined to find out what.

--------------

Catti-brie lay her head back down on the pillow, trying to let her body be absorbed by the soft, feather mattress. For the tenth time that hour, she closed her eyes and relaxed hoping sleep would take her at last.

All it took was one creak of the ship to send her blue eyes open and focusing idly at the ceiling. She gave another frustrated sigh and sat up, knowing the effort was futile under the circumstances.

It had been an hour since Drizzt went into Mikus Norey's small workspace after being pulled from the water.

He had been underwater for five minutes, long enough time for her to start to lose hope of him coming up; one of the most frightening sensations she had ever known. She remembered hearing two splashes as she watched for the appearance of the Bloody Tess that never came, only to be told that Drizzt had jumped in after a sailor who had fallen overboard. Five minutes tense, bordering on agonizing minutes later, he was at last pulled up. He was a bit chilled, though he seemed fine.

Though something had happened to him down there. Drizzt mentioned something about an encounter with mer-creatures. Smitty, the dumb bastard, called them "ladies." Then Drizzt flinched from her touch, as if it was a horrible thing to him.

Maybe he had been accosted by one of these creatures, though he usually walked away from the grimmest fight with a smile, unless it involved the injury or death of a friend or an innocent.

Catti-brie's speculations were ended by the creak of a door and a pair of ebony feet lightly stepping across thee floor. She put her feet on the floor and looked directly at Drizzt, though she did not stand up lest he was spooked by that too.

Save for his thick, white hair a wet mess against his head and neck, he was dry; his gray tunic had been replaced by a green cable sweater Deudermont usually wore during casual periods. His trousers were also a pair of loose cotton leggings that could have come from anywhere and his feet remained bare.

Drizzt looked down at Catti-brie, giving a weak smile before grabbing the back of her head and leaning down for a rough kiss. Catti was taken aback at first, though the suddenness melted into the blissful now. Her lips eagerly pressed against his as she savored his scent, her own hand reaching up and smoothing out his wet mane.

A few beautiful seconds later, he gently pulled back, ran his slender fingers through her wavy, windblown hair and plopped on the cot beside her with a heavy sigh.

"What are ye about?" Catti-brie said in a soft, yet firm tone.

Drizzt stared at the floor, closing his eyes before rubbing them with the back of his hand.

"I'm not sure myself," he replied.

Drizzt put his head in his hands, the pervading feeling of wrong still active in every way. Having Catti-brie beside him was comfort, yet the feeling of wanting to swim across the ocean itself or run a thousand miles still refused to leave. He just wanted to be alone, yet the thought of it scared him for whatever reason.

He should have been completely at ease with Catti, he told her everything and shared himself with her in every way, though he almost felt she was the last person who could make him feel any better…or was she?

"What happened to you Drizzt?" she asked, shifting an inch away from him. "I know it involves those creatures you and that jackass were talking about."

Drizzt gave a stiff chuckle. He wanted to open up to her, tell her every horrible feeling he had, though a wall was slowly forming between his brain and his mouth. He had to let it out, he had to tell her, though how would she react? Supportively was the most likely answer.

"They attacked you?" Catti said.

Drizzt nodded, mustering the comfort to say something at last.

"They were a little…amorous," he said, his gaze never leaving the floor. "I saw two of them with Smitty wrapped in their tails. One was…pleasuring him. Two more came after me, wrapped me in their tails, tried to make me think they were two beautiful drow women."

He stole a glance at Catti-brie's face. Her blue eyes were wide as her jaw was slightly open.

"They tried to lay you?" she said. Drizzt nodded. "How close did they get to you?"

Drizzt gradually stood up with a groan and stretched his muscles before leaning against the wall. Grave concern was still plastered over his wife's face. He sighed flexing his wrist before sweeping his hand down his trousers and bringing it back up to give her the general idea.

Catti-brie sighed, looking almost relieved for a second; the second before Drizzt shot her an angry glare. Her face abruptly straightened.

"That really did bother you," she said.

"I invite you to have a scaly tail rubbing your downward areas as a creature tied you up and tell me how you like it," he said with a stiff, unamused smile.

Catti-brie nodded. If the same had happened to her, she would be terrified and just as jumpy as him.

"What happened to the creature?" she asked.

"I managed to break free and killed one of them," he said. "The one who…accosted me smacked me in the stomach and shot me back to the surface."

"That tramp," Catti said idly, regretting her words, though Drizzt's smirk made her feel better about it. "Is that why you were in with Mikus so long? Clearin' the barnacle rot off your bits."

"Essentially," he said. "Mikus gave me a few potions to stave off anything that might have clung to me, but everything seems fine for the moment. One can never be too careful."

If this moment with Catti was awkward, bringing it to the attention of a relative stranger was even harder. He did need to at least be certain that he had not contracted some kind of disease or poison. One uneasy examination and a few potions later, he was sent away with a clean bill of health. Even the spot on his stomach where the mer-creature had snapped him with her tail merely left a bruise where he thought she tried to impale him.

"What about us?" Catti-brie asked. "I assume you want to…take it easy for a little while?"

Drizzt gave a clearing laugh. It wasn't a bad idea to play it safe for a while, though that didn't mean they had to be entirely apart.

He walked over and gave her another hard kiss, savoring her warmth and feeling a measure of comfort at last. She joined in with gusto, her hands coming to his shoulders and caressing his back. He gently guided her down to her back, caressing her body and savoring every sigh and laugh.

This was comfort for now. How long it would last was something Drizzt didn't care to think on now.