Dreams Beneath a Starfilled Sky

AN: BOOOOO! *Pretends to be the ghost of Christmas Past* Merry Christmas, Hanukka, or whatever you might celebrate. I prefer Yuletide however, so happy Yuletide, too. Oh, and Happy New Year as well....


Chapter 32: Changes brewing

Carefully pushing the door open, Drizzt peeked into the bedroom. As he had expected, Catti-brie was still asleep, hugging the pillow he had shoved into her arms to keep her from waking up by the feeling of him moving out of her embrace. A smile crossed his face as he spotted the growing stomach of his wife – though they had only been married for two weeks now, it felt as if they had belonged together for eternity.

Moving into the room, pushing the door closed with a foot, he placed the tray with breakfast on the small table next to the large bed, before sitting down on the mattress. Leaning over the sleeping woman, Drizzt gently pressed a few kissed to her cheek, just enough to pull her from what dreams she might be having.

“Good morning, mrs. Do’Urden,” he chuckled, happily allowing her arms to slip around his neck and pull him down for a true kiss.

“Ye just never grow tired o’ sayin’ that, do ye?” Catti-brie asked with a wry smile when they broke apart again.

“Never. Not even if I grow to be as old as Elminster,” the drow elf replied, kicking off his slippers and pulling his legs onto the mattress as well.

Pushing up on her arms, Catti-brie glanced past him to the floor.

“Ye’re still wearin’ those horrid things?” she asked with a laugh. “Ye know how stupid ye look with them on!”

“I like them,” Drizzt said with a light snort, though his smile told he had taken no offence.

One of the gifts that had been given to them on their wedding had been a mysterious package, addressed to Drizzt, and had, when opened, proved to contain a pair of large, furry slippers of yeti-fur that had been dyed to a lovely pink colour. It had been meant as a humorous present from the dwarven tailor, but the drow elf had quickly taken a liking to the slippers, and had since that day been seen trotting around the mines, wearing his newest piece of clothing.

However, after Catti-brie had threatened to sew on a pair of bunny-ears and eyes onto them as well, the elf had agreed to only wear them inside their bedroom, and on very short trips through the mines.

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked, reaching out with a hand to brush it over her stomach.

“Like a bird’s had an accident in me mouth,” Catti-brie replied with a grimace, accepting the cup of tea she was offered and took a large gulp. “Should’ae stayed off the mead yesterday…”

“Well, Stumpet HAD just finished the latest batch of Holy Water..,” Drizzt snickered, all too clearly remembering the taste himself – Bruenor had insisted the couple to try the brew…

* * * * *

Most of the day passed calmly, right until the point where Wulfgar burst into the room where Catti-brie, Drizzt and Bruenor were sitting, and excited told that a small flock of goblins had been seen trying to sabotage one of the veins in the mines. However, they had to hurry to avoid any others catching news about the goblins, and killing them before the Companions would manage to get to them.

Yet, before following the other two as they happily ran towards the mine in question, Drizzt turned, casting a questioning glance at his wife.

“Ye just be off,” Catti-brie said with a smile, dropping a hand to her lightly swollen belly. “I be fine.”

With a light smile, the drow elf nodded, then took off, running down the hallway.


* * * * *

Catti-brie smiled, watching her husband run after their friends and family, and rose from her chair, thinking to go find something to eat – having the babe growing within her had brought her appetite to a level that rivalled Regis’…

It was a sudden pain that shot though her body that alarmed her. Gasping, taken aback by the unexpected sting, Catti-brie leaned against the wall, both arms wrapping around her sudden aching belly, and fearfully waited for the first tremor to pass, fearing she would be unable to walk if she moved now.

Panic rose within her, as she felt something wet and warm on her thighs, and, terrified, she called out for aid, immediately hearing, to her relief, the sound of dwarven boots rushing to the room.