Artemis Entreri the ... Nanny? CH 9

“What is your name and why are you on the surface?”
“My name is Drizzt Do’Urden and this has been my home for years-“
“Wrong.”
“What-?”
There was a searing pain on his abdomen, almost making him cry out.
“Who are you?”
“I-I’m Drizzt-“  More pain, this time on his arms.  This pattern continued for what felt like years to Drizzt, until every inch of his body was in pain.  He refused to cry out, but he kept hoping that someone, anyone, would take him away from this horrid interrogator.
Drizzt woke up from his nightmare, looking around frantically but forcing himself to stay quiet.  He spotted Artemis at the end of his bed and crawled over to him as quickly as he could.  He felt Artemis pick him up and set him on his lap.  Not being able to take it anymore, Drizzt finally let the childish, needy side of his brain take over for now and let go of everything he had been holding in.  He sobbed into Artemis’ shoulder, holding tightly to him, hoping he wouldn’t push him away as he was sure he would.  Artemis stiffened up but let Drizzt stay on his lap, ignoring him as he continued his task of sorting through their supplies.  After a few minutes, which was a few minutes too long for Artemis, Drizzt calmed down enough to regain his composure.
“Are you done sniveling now?”  Artemis asked him in an apathetic tone.  Drizzt didn’t answer but climbed off his lap and rubbed his eyes.  “If you are, it’s already evening and time to eat.”


Catti-brie followed her father Bruenor, Wulfgar and Regis into the Seven Sails Inn.  She remembered multiple fond evenings spent with Drizzt here when they had worked with Captain Deudermont hunting pirates.  But the fact that her beloved Drizzt wasn’t with her now was the reason they were now in Luskan.  Drizzt had said he would be back within about two week, but he had yet to come back and Catti-brie felt that something was wrong.  So here they were in Luskan, just stopping for the night until they could continue the next day.  As they sat at a table in the corner of the tavern, Bruenor grumbled for the millionth time about Drizt always going off on his own and having all the fun.  Catti-brie smiled slightly but still felt uneasy.  That was when she noticed that the locket with Drizzt’s picture in it was feeling extremely warm, almost as if he was in the same room.  She looked around, expecting to see his green cloak at anyone of the tables.  What see saw instead was Artemis Entreri, at a table across the room with what seemed to be a halfling.  Before she could look away and alert the others, he noticed her gaze, then spoke to the other small figure at the table.  The figure immediately climbed down from his seat and ran towards her, dodging Entreri’s grabbing hands.  Catti-brie stood up and placed her hand on her sword at hip, the others following suit unquestioningly.  The figure, which she could now tell was actually a child, faltered and looked up at them with lavender eyes.
Lavender eyes?  Catti-brie thought.  I’ve only seen one person with eyes like that and…  Catti-brie’s eyes widened and she knelt down in front the child warily.  She removed the hat that was on his head to reveal what was quite obviously, a child version of Drizzt, her friend since her own childhood.
“Drizzt?”  She asked breathlessly.  Drizzt nodded and smiled a little sadly before hugging her with all his strength.
“What do ye mean ‘Drizzt’?”  Bruenor asked in confusion.  “But that can’t be,”  Regis said.  Wulfgar stood by, looking at Drizzt with a puzzled look trying to figure out how it could have possibly happened.  Catti-brie hugged Drizzt back, then noticed all the bruises and cuts he had all over his exposed skin.  “What happened to you?”  She asked worriedly.  But before Drizzt could even think of an answer, Artemis came up to them, causing them all to pull out their weapons.  Luckily the tavern was nearly empty so if a fight did happen they wouldn’t have to worry about bystanders joining in.
“Relax, if I had wanted to kill him while he’s pitifully weak like this, I would have already done so.”  Artemis said, not even drawing his dagger.
“What in the nine hells was he doing with ye!?”  Bruenor asked holding up his axe threateningly.
Artemis rolled his eyes, “It will take a while to explain so I suggest you sit.  Unless of course you like standing around.”  He sat down at a large table nearby and waited for them to sit.  Catti-brie looked to the others and nodded slightly that they should.  Regis sat as far away from Artemis as possible while Wulfgar and Bruenor sat on either side of Artemis in case he tried anything.  Catti-brie picked Drizzt up and sat down next to Regis with Drizzt on her lap.


“And that’s when you showed up.”  Artemis finished.  The others sat there, shocked beyond words, except Drizzt who had fallen asleep and was peacefully sucking his thumb.  “But why would you take him in the first place?”  Wulfgar asked after several moments of awkward silence.  “We were in the middle of a duel,”  He replied simply.  “We have to finish what we started.  Bruenor scowled, “As if we would let the two of ye!”  Artemis looked at him coldly.  “You’re all indebted to me for the very fact that he’s still alive.  It was not easy looking after the brat.”  Catti-brie glared at him.  “You didn’t do a very good job, he’s covered head to toe with injuries!”
“Not my fault he wandered off.”  Artemis received three glares for his statement to which he returned a disinterested glance at each person.  Catti-brie looked down at Drizzt, realizing that while he was moderately injured, he was clean and was wearing clean clothes and didn’t seem to have been malnourished.  But one thing was nagging at her mind.  Tuning back in to the conversation, Wulfgar and Bruenor were asking some slightly harassing questions and were almost to the point of an argument with the dangerous assassin.
“How much of his mind is intact?”  She interrupted them.  Wulfgar and Bruenor went silent, glancing at Catti-brie before looking back at Artemis expectantly.
“He remembers everything, but I once found him playing with a couple sticks pretending to be, as he put it, a mighty warrior as he swung them around.  And he has almost no control over his body.  Basically, he’s still your friend except he’s in the body and mindset of a completely dependent infant.”  Artemis’ words became very slightly sarcastic towards the end.  Just as I have always seen him as, he thought.  A contemplative look came over the three at his words, but they didn’t have much time to think about them as Drizzt began to wake up.  Catti-brie immediately moved to soothe him, stroking his hair and rocking him.  He mumbled something and sat up, looking around tiredly at his friends before his eyes finally rested on Artemis.
“What’s going on…?”  Drizzt asked, his words slurred a bit.  Catti-brie started to say something but Artemis answered faster.
“We’re just talking.  Go back to sleep and you can eat when I wake you up.”  Drizzt nodded sleepily and laid his head back down on Catti-brie’s chest, his eyes closing quickly.  Artemis leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, daring them to ask any more questions.  After a long silence, Regis spoke up for the first time the entire night.
“What are we going to do now?”  He asked in general.  Catti-brie, Bruenor and Wulfgar all looked down, deep in thought.  Artemis rolled his eyes, “As I told you we have to take him to that accursed priest Cadderly.”  More glares in his direction.
“I’m thinkin’ me friend meant what are we goin’ to do about yerself,”  said Bruenor harshly.  Drizzt then mumbled something, in his half asleep half awake state.  Catti-brie looked slightly shocked, being the only one who could hear him.  “What did you say Drizzt?”  She asked.
“’Treri come…”  He was then lost to the world of dreams completely.