A/N - This is a sequel to my other story Worse Than They Think

Moving On

Tebryn glared at the piece of paper in front of him, scrunching it up and throwing it away. He couldn't believe it! There was absolutely no way that Jarlaxle, the leader of the band Bregan D'aerthe would just decide to go for a trip to the surface.

Somehow, he felt like this little trip was because of him...his grief for the loss of his friend Malzorn. He had been talking regularly to the mercenary leader and knew that the much older drow still missed his friend Zaknafein.

The sound in his leader's voice was enough to give away the emotion. It was the only time his guard was dropped. Tebryn didn't feel privileged at hearing that tone of voice. It made him think too much of his own loss.

Sighing, he picked the letter up and did his best to smooth it out. Stating to the band that he was leaving for a few weeks for 'business reasons' on the surface, there was a hidden message for him in there with the sentence "You will do fine without me."

He didn't want to be alone. He wanted to talk and listen to the mercenary. It was the only time he felt good nowadays, the only time he could truly let his grief show.

Jarlaxle was the only one to truly understand what he felt...and now he had left.

A male behind him cleared his throat and Tebryn jumped. Looking over his shoulder he saw the triumphant grin of a drow who had successfully snuck up on another. Velsarn was his name...and he wasn't a scout like himself, he was a fighter.

Tebryn himself knew how to wield his two swords though, like any male drow that wasn't a wizard, but he was better with stealth than actual fighting.

He scowled angrily at the older male who had interrupted his musings. "Berg'inyon wants to talk to you. Meet him in the practice room." At his message having been delivered, the fighter then went off to do his own thing.

Wondering what the youngest son of the Baenre house wanted, he made his way to the fighting area, nicknamed the practice room. He hoped he wasn't one of the few fatalities of one of those 'practices'.

Spotting the drow he was summoned to see, he slowly made his way towards Berg'inyon, making sure by moving his foot slightly that the dagger he kept in his boot was still there. It was.

"You wanted to see me?" Tebryn asked, the confusion he was feeling showing in his voice, but not his face.

Berg'inyon nodded and handed him a piece of paper, once again written in Jarlaxle's handwriting - long, flowing and obviously done with flourish, just like everything else his leader did - this one being a private message for him. Predictably, it had been opened and read.

Tebryn quickly read through the note, his white eyebrows rising. He looked to Berg'inyon. "He asked you to train me how to ride a lizard? But I have never needed to before..."

Berg'inyon scowled at him. "I don't care. You will learn to ride the lizards, or make both Jarlaxle and myself angry." A hand went to the handle of one of the long swords at his side and he grinned when Tebryn swallowed heavily.

The youngest member of Bregan D'aerthe, the only member younger than Berg'inyon and only by three years, made him the most eligible to tease, taunt and threaten. "Alright." He squeaked out, before rushing away from the volatile drow.

He made his way to his private room, the only place where he had privacy in the complex. He was nervous to begin with after his meeting with the ex lizard-rider captain of the first House.

The last person he wanted to bump into now was Kimmuriel, but somehow he managed to find the Psionicist waiting outside his room, a secretive smile gracing his mouth.

"Is the baby going to have his first ride tomorrow?" Kimmuriel stated more than asked, before chuckling. "Don't worry, child, I am sure you will pick it up quite easily."

Tebryn felt the intrusion of his mind being read and tried to blank his thoughts. Unfortunately, he didn't know how it was done. A curious look crept up on the Oblodran then.

"You have similar thoughts in your head to Jarlaxle when his mind isn't blocked to me. Who is this Malzorn?"

Tebryn winced at the mention of that name. That was all the hint that the Psionicist needed. A wicked grin cut across Kimmuriel's face. "That, boy, is why you don't go around making friends."

Tebryn scowled. "I can if I want. I don't take orders from you!"

"No, you take them from someone else. One day though, and you might find me more than the second in command."

"Is that a threat?" The younger of the two asked, anger and suspicion in his voice. He rather liked Jarlaxle. For a drow, the mercenary was nice...to him at least.

Kimmuriel shrugged before leaving the doorway open so Tebryn could enter his room. "What would you like more...the emotional pain of the grief that is eating at you, or a sword in the belly?"

"The grief." Tebryn stated out loud, though for a second his thoughts betrayed him. He saw that wicked gleam of triumph rise in the Psionicist eyes as his thoughts were read.

"Watch your back, boy." Kimmuriel stated before wandering off to order around the next patrol meaning to set out.

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The red dragon had long been dead, but a shiver still made its way down Jarlaxle's spine as he thought of how alive it had been last time he had seen it...before he had managed to defeat it with a little help from Zak.

This had been the place where their friendship had grown into an unbreakable thing. Before that, while they had classed each other as friends, neither truly knew the meaning of the word.

He had come here specifically for the tangible memory and wasn't surprised to find that tears would easily spring to his eyes, of which he stubbornly wouldn't let fall. He had grieved enough, should have stopped years ago, but it still hurt to think about his dearest friend.

It was time for this foolish feeling to just go away! It was making him feel weak and he couldn't let that continue. Not now that the last member of the strange Oblodran House was a part of his band. That one he would have to be on full alert around, him and the wizard/cleric Rai-guy from Ched-Nasad.

Them two have aligned. Abbils, comrades-in-arms rather than friends. If one of them two was killed, the other would walk away unhurt. He had seen that kind of alliance hundreds of times.

This one, though the same kind of relationship, was a little more complicated than any other.

He was sure that, when his guard dropped, Kimmuriel had been getting into his head. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't wear his eyepatch that stopped such intrusions all the time. Only when he was in the company of a potential client, or when out in public. He had it on now, but that was more because he didn't want it stolen. His hat on the other hand...he liked his hat.

He walked up to the dead dragon he had slain with some help, and ran his hand along the maw of the beast, grimacing at the slightly hot creature. Even after all these long years, it was still in perfect shape, the decomposition not starting until the body had completely cooled it seemed.

Lifting up the gum of the dragon, he reached up and grabbed a loose tooth and twisted and pulled until he was holding it, a solid reminder of this past memory.

Staring at the treasure hoard, he looked about for anything interesting he would like to keep, his eyes falling instantly to a drow-made dagger that was beautifully carved.

Swallowing around the lump that was suddenly lodged in the back of his throat, he picked it up and examined it closer. He almost dropped it again as he recognised it as one of the weapons that Zak had lost during the fierce battle with the red.

The suddenness of this discovery left him breathless. He needed to get a hold of himself before venturing back to Menzoberranzan.

He wrapped his colorful displacing cloak tighter around himself, found a bit of ground to lie on and went about doing what his treacherous heart told him to do.

For the first time since that day he found out about Zak's sacrifice, he cried himself to sleep.

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Tebryn scowled at Berg'inyon even as the lizard he was on went about moving around the training field for lizard-riding warriors.

It was stranger than he thought it would be and it was easy, giving him a lot of time to think. He barely noticed the world around him anymore, his mind straying to good times he had spent sparring with Malzorn, times he had spent talking to Malzorn, any other thing Malzorn and he did together would spring to his mind.

Malzorn's affection towards him was like a father to a son, one that he hadn't truly known until Jarlaxle had told him the day he found out about his friends death.

Having an innate ability to sometimes feel what others are feeling, or hiding, Tebryn was unique amongst the drow of Bregan D'aerthe and because of that he was shunned by most.

The lizard shifted under him, stopping suddenly, throwing him from the saddle. "Ow!" He cried out not so much from the pain in his rump, but from the suddenness of the fall.

Laughter greeted his ears. Looking over to where the annoying sound was coming from, he spotted a scowling Berg'inyon and a very happy Velsarn.

Getting to his feet, he made sure that the lizard was alright, finding a loose bit of rock stuck between the toes on one of its back legs.

The animal grunted its thanks as he removed the rock. Tebryn smiled and petted the scaly head. He was actually quite fond of the reptile mounts, but would never admit that out loud.

He sighed, noting that his fall was part due to the saddle not being on tight enough. He scowled over at Berg'inyon again as he tightened it. This made the older drow walk up to him.

"Do not dare tighten it too much. The lizard is full enough with a clutch as it is."

Tebryn's white eyebrows rose at that. "Why have her ridden then?" He asked, clearly not happy with what might happen to the eggs.

"She is fierce in her maternal instincts. I was hoping she wouldn't let you ride her."

Tebryn groaned. "And just in case she did, you made the saddle loose enough for me to fall off if she so much as jerked at her reign."

Berg'inyon nodded, frowning. Shaking his head, the lizard-rider's captain took the saddle off, before grabbing at the reigns and began to move her back in to her stable. She refused to budge an inch.

"Come on you stupid animal. Move!" Berg'inyon then used the whip at his side to hit the lizard on the rump. She still refused to move.

Tebryn couldn't stand to see the animal, close to laying her clutch, being beaten. "Let me take her." He said, grabbing the reigns that the other drow dropped in disgust.

Without a word, Berg'inyon walked away, leaving Tebryn to the seemingly hard task.

"Come on. I've got to put you in your stall now." He stated, rubbing the lizard's head gently, watching what looked to be a pleased expression come into the red-glowing eyes of the lizard.

He began walking, surprised yet glad when the reptile began to walk beside him. He had just gotten to the stable when Velsarn walked in front of him, tripping him to the ground, before walking off.

Tebryn was nudged slightly by the lizard, the reptile urging him to his feet. Smiling and taking her to her stall, he took the bit out of her mouth and sat down on some clean patch of floor.

"Here you are." He said, petting the leg that was closest to him. A little feed later and all was well in the lizard's world.

"Do you have a name?" He asked it, not surprised when she didn't answer. He looked to the stable door, where sometimes a plaque would be if the animal inside had been named. She didn't have one.

Frowning, Tebryn walked in front of her, once again gently rubbing her scaly face. "Well, in that case I will name you....Khalessa. You seem to be the only one in the whole complex I can trust."

He spent the rest of the day in the stall talking to the newly-named Khalessa.

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Jarlaxle had soon decided that this was the only way to shed the grief that still filled him. That was the main reason for his leaving. The second was his young 'charge' Tebryn.

He had sent him to lizard-riding for a few reasons, good reasons, and nobody but him knew why, just the way he liked it.

Walking down the road he was on, the tooth from the dead dragon showing proudly from a chain he had managed to buy in a small town, once he convinced the people there that he was alone and 'not looking for a fight'.

He was going to stay in said small town, a little place called Listala, for another few days before going back to his band.

Every night he would watch the stars, some part of him stirred by the scene. He remembered the deep-set awe he had felt the first time he had seen them twinkling like a thousand tiny diamonds in the sky.

Shaking his head to bring himself back to the ground, he smiled. The sun hurt, no mistake in that, but it wasn't as terrible as his people made it out to be. Still, he managed to see the terrible dawn, and the magnificent sunset.

The dusky afternoon was his favourite time of day. The sky blazing red as the sun sank below the horizon, the stars coming into existence one at a time, lighting up the darkening night sky even as the moon rose to send its comforting rays down upon the earth.

Blinking, he looked at the thing in front of him, confused as to what to do. He was well-learned in using the lizards of the Underdark. Carriages and carts were also lizard based, though the cart animals were larger four-legged creatures, rather than the smaller, more nimble two-legged variety that the lizard-riders used.

Horses on the other hand were strange creatures to him. In order to stay in the town, he had been set as a guard on a wagon to the next town not too far away. He had been asked to water the brown and white creatures and had had the reigns handed to him.

Sighing, he decided to act like as if they were hairy, warm-blooded lizards. Tugging gently at the reigns, he led the two animals to the nearby river and watched as they dipped their heads to drink.

Relief at having done the right thing was felt slightly, and he petted the brown horse slightly on the neck. Expecting some reaction like the animal to turn around and bite his hand off, he was slightly amazed at how docile the animals were.

Smiling slightly, he led the horses back to the humans he was 'guarding' and was merely handed a curry brush.

"Brush them down." The man stated, getting a blank look from the drow.

"I don't know how...I don't know horses." Jarlaxle stated, beginning to feel annoyed, but only showing a polite face.

"How do you get around then? Walk everywhere?!"

Jarlaxle smiled, then answered, "By magic."

The male backed off then, obviously -and for good reason! - not trusting the drow.

With a sudden shrug, the curry brush was taken from his hands and given to a small lad that obviously was who usually looked after the animals.

The boy scampered off, the two horses following him wilingly, he didn't even need to hold the reigns. Jarlaxle smiled as he watched, hoping a similar situation would happen to his young drow leutenant and the lizards.

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Tebryn watched as the eggs began to move. He watched as Khalessa loomed over them, ready to become a mother.

He was amazed that so close to the hatching of her eggs, she would let him near her or the eggs. Usually very nervous and fiercely protective, this was a first for any drow in the whole Underdark, he would bet.

One egg broke open and a small scaly head poked out, squealing out loud as it was helped fully from the egg with a kick of its powerful back legs.

This one was a male he knew, having the males and females on separate sides of the stall. Helping it completely out of the egg, Tebryn handed it to Khalessa.

The small baby looked up at its mother and opened its tiny mouth squeaking out in its first hunger.

For some odd reason, tears sprang into Tebryn's eyes as other eggs began hatching, each of the new hatchlings crying out to their mother for food, each tiny lizard looking much like the other, but each individually different.

Seven there were altogether, four males and three females. Khalessa looked at each of them, nudging them with her snout and feeding them some dead insects that had been specially caught for the hatchlings.

Drow didn't care much for anything, but they always looked after newborn clutches, making sure that as many as possible lived to adulthood and then being broken in to the saddle.

Tebryn openly cried, but these tears were not in sadness. For the first time in his life true joy filled him at the sight before him. Without much thought, he picked up the last hatched and handed him to his mother.

To his shock, she turned her nose up at him. Tebryn tried again and was beginning to get worried. Khalessa was rejecting the smallest of her clutch.

"Khalessa...don't you want him?" Tebryn asked but knew she didn't. She looked at him with her red eyes and shook her head in answer. She nudged the hatchling towards him.

Tebryn stared at the small, hungry creature in front of him. "You want me to take care of him?" He asked, seeing his confirmation to his question in the sudden shine in the new mother's eyes.

Carefully, he picked it up, grabbed some of the insects and began to feed it. After an amazing amount of food, the lizard calmed down and fell asleep.

Shifting slightly, making sure that Khalessa was fine with him taking her baby, he slowly got to his feet and walked away. She turned her back on him, her tail curling obssessively over the rest of her clutch.

Reaching up, he was able to slip out without any hassles, keeping the baby safely tucked in his arms. He couldn't latch the door behind him though. To his astonishment, he heard the latch fall into place as he was about to go looking for someone to do so. Turning around, he saw Jarlaxle standing there, leaning against the door like he was supposed to be there.

"A couple of weeks, Jarlaxle? More a couple of months." Tebryn stated, but a grin on his face gave away that he had missed the mercenary leader.

Jarlaxle smirked, before walking towards the young drow. "I was delayed." He stated, before looking at the small lizard. "My, you have been busy. How many did you help bring into the world?"

Tebryn's grin widened into a smile. "Seven, all alive, all healthy. This one was rejected by Khalessa and I have offered to take him."

"Khalessa?"

Tebryn managed to look sheepish. "It was the name I gave her. It suited her then, it does now as well."

Jarlaxle smiled. "So, you like the lizards then? That's good. I have spent all this time with horses ... strange beasts, though most are nice in temperament."

Tebryn just nodded, not knowing what a horse was...

They walked back through the Bregan D'aerthe complex, until they reached Tebryn's room. Entering, Tebryn soon had made a nest of sorts for the baby, before putting it down carefully and turning around to face his leader.

"I didn't want you to leave." He stated.

"I knew that."

"Why did you leave?"

Jarlaxle shrugged, then smiled. "I left for the same reasons that I made you learn to ride."

Tebryn looked confused. "You wanted to learn about horses?"

Jarlaxle laughed. "I never so much as climbed onto the back of one. No. I went to get this." He showed the dragon's tooth, before then sliding the dagger out from where he had kept it at his side. "And this."

Tebryn looked at the dagger's hilt, how it shined with inlaid jewels, in the shape of spiders. "Where did you find that?" He asked.

"I found it when I left to go get the tooth. It was Zak's, he dropped it a long time ago. We both thought it lost."

Tebryn nodded. "I don't see how that has anything to do with me..."

"It doesn't have anything to do with you. It was to do with me, my feelings and a certain someone else."

Tebryn thought for a second before it clicked. "Kimmuriel."

Jarlaxle nodded. "One thing I cannot abide is having my thoughts read, and if they are, I would much rather have my emotions in check. While here before...I could not do that."

Tebryn nodded, he had been able to tell without being told that. "So you went away..."

Jarlaxle laughed at that. "Feeling bitter? Don't. I needed closure. You needed someone to talk to that wouldn't talk back. I gave us both what we needed."

Tebryn frowned. "You could have at least told me you were leaving."

"Do you have feelings for me that you are not supposed to be having?!" Jarlaxle asked, not too sure about that last comment.

"No. You were the only one that understood." Tebryn stuttered, amazed at what his leader had thought. A grimace crossed his features. "My affections lie with that of the opposite sex."

Jarlaxle grinned. "Of a humanoid race I hope. You have gotten pretty close to Khalessa if she would let you watch her eggs hatch."

Tebryn blanched. "Ai! If you truly think that, I would leave and never come back!"

Jarlaxle laughed. "I was joking, Tebryn."

The younger drow was not calmed immediately. It took some long minutes to get the lieutenant to see reason after that comment.

"That hurt, Jarlaxle!" Tebryn stated, but didn't say another word about it.

"You care about her. It is natural to feel that way." Jarlaxle walked over to the little lizard. "Have you named him yet?"

"No..."

Jarlaxle grinned, looked back at the young drow. "'Have you thought to name him Malzorn?"

Tebryn froze at that. A thoughtful mood overcome him then. Maybe he should. Slowly, he nodded. "Maybe I will."

Jarlaxle smiled, nodded, before he left Tebryn to think. For a long time, he just sat on the lounge in his room with his own thoughts. After he had decided that he would indeed name the lizard after his friend, a slight smile came to his face.

He was moving on he realised. While he had been left alone with Khalessa, he had been doing exactly what Jarlaxle wanted. He had been letting go. He chuckled slightly. If he had learnt one thing about Jarlaxle, it was that he could manipulate anyone to do almost anything.

As little Malzorn squealed a little as he woke, he knew that he was glad of what his leader had done.

A/N - This one is dedicated to She-cat and the recent loss of her friend. Okay, so not as good as the original story, but I liked my character Tebryn so much, I couldn't help but make a sequel. Has been written for a while, but couldn't get it on my computer with they keyboard I was using. She-cat, hope you like it, girl. Please r/r.

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