Catti-brie

Catti-brie (spelled in later publications as "Cattie-brie") is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms setting, based on the Dungeons & Dragons RPG. She is the creation of author R.A. Salvatore.

Overview
Catti-brie's mother died in childbirth, and her father moved with his daughter from Mirabar to Termalaine, one of the Ten Towns. For three years, he was quite successful -- but then a goblin ended the man's life. All of Termalaine might have fallen to a goblin onslaught but for the dwarves of clan Battlehammer rushing from their valley to turn back the horde. Bruenor himself saved the orphan girl from death. When the smoke cleared, he claimed the Catti-brie as his adopted daughter.

Catti-brie has no memories of the time before Bruenor took her in, but she had a pleasant childhood with the dwarves. During the five years Wulfgar spent in Bruenor's service, she helped him to break the bonds of his barbarian upbringing and bring out the compassion and intelligence that was inside him. The bond between them continued to grow stronger as they adventured together with Bruenor, Regis, and Drizzt. But then tragedy struck their relationship when drow seeking the death of Drizzt attacked Mithral Hall, and Wulfgar was lain low during one of the battles.

Catti-brie was the first person in the Icewind Dale to accept Drizzt Do'Urden, although she was very young when Drizzt came to know her. Catti-brie possesses a stubborn and tough dwarf personality due to her foster-father. Catti-brie was one of the Companions of the Hall, and had a tentative, on-off romance with Drizzt through many of the books. This tension finally culminated in The Two Swords, when Catti-brie and Drizzt finally become lovers.

For quite a while Catti-brie mourned the loss of her love, but as time passed she found herself falling in love with Drizzt. When Wulfgar returned from his apparent death, it caused a great deal of mixed emotions in Catti-brie. Wulfgar fled his friends, eventually finding his own way and accepting Catti-brie's burgeoning relationship with Drizzt (a matter that was finally settled in The Two Swords, the third book in the Hunters Blades trilogy).

When Regis was being chased by Artemis Entreri Catti-brie was held prisoner by the assassin. After the finding of Mithral Hall she discovered Taulmaril the Heartseeker, Gift of Anariel, Sister of Faerûn, in the destroyed Hall of Dumathoin. For several years she also carried the sentient blade Khazid'hea otherwise known as "Cutter", the sword that she took from the body of Dantrag Baenre, after defeat and death at the hands of Drizzt. Khazid'hea was stolen by an enthralled Delly Curtie, who was shortly after slain by orcs. Drizzt found the weapon, but lost it in a battle with the orc king Obould Many-Arrows. It was recovered by an exiled drow named Tos'un Del'Armgo, who was in league with the orcs.

Catti-brie is a beautiful auburn-haired and blue-eyed woman. She is kind, tolerant, and pragmatic. Moreover, Catti-brie has grown into the emotional compass for her adventuring companions, guiding both Drizzt and Wulfgar into wise action with her common sense and clear insight. While originally she grew to the age of late 30s to early 40s, in The Hunter's Blades trilogy R. A. Salvatore put both Catti-brie and Wulfgar in their late 20s. This is not unheard of, however, as even Drizzt Do'Urden was originally some 200 years old in Salvatore's first Drizzt books (The Icewind Dale Trilogy), and since changed to around 70 years old as he is now. Undoubtedly this is a result of the writer's attempt to keep the main characters alive and appealing to the book's target audience. However R. A. Salvatore explains this as rewriting The Icewind Dale Trilogy to fit with The Dark Elf Trilogy Eventually, Catti-brie becomes Drizzt Do'Urden's wife.

In combat, Catti-brie usually supported her friends with Taulmaril and her limitless supply of arrows. She was not hesitant about entering melee, however, and would charge into combat with Khazid'hea at the ready, generally confident in her ability to dominate the blade. However, she was recently wounded by a giant-thrown boulder during the defense of Mithril Hall from the legions of Obould Many-Arrows. This lasting injury has forced her to largely forgo the use of traditional melee weaponry, being physically unable to fight as she once did. To compensate, she has instead started learning magic under the tutelage of the illusionist Nanfoodle and Lady Alustriel.