I am a seventeen-year-old girl. I lived in New York. But all that had
changed so suddenly. Bombs erupted everywhere. Buildings blew apart. Fire
caught onto everything. Smoke suffocated people. Ashes lay everywhere. And
there was me. I was one of the only people to live through it. I can't tell
you how horrible it was. All around, people were screaming in pain and
horror, in fear and anger. And I was there, watching in horror as buildings
crashed down about my ears. And then a beam of the house I was in fell on
me, and I knew no more.
Through the darkness, I heard voices.
"Well? She will die, if we leave her."
"Bring her. She will be happy. And maybe even invaluable."
"So, it's settled? We shall bring her through the Darkness?"
"Yes."
That's when the journey began. I remember something trying to hold me back, latching onto my leg and arm. But holders of the voices I heard drew me with them. I felt as if I were being torn apart. Finally, just as I felt as if I would be ripped into shreds, the side holding me back gave way. I soared through the darkness, pulled by the strange beings.
When I awoke, I could not move. My limbs felt as heavy as tree trunks. Groaning, I did my best to roll over. My head ached horribly, so I decided against moving again. I don't know how long I lay there. It felt like hours. But, eventually, someone found me. And the man I saw nearly shocked me into unconsciousness. Before me stood three young men. One of them was very broad. He carried a sword at his side, and looked extremely strong. The other man also wore a sword at his side. But the last man…He was frail, thin, and didn't look exceptionally strong. He wore little bags around his waist. And he looked remarkably like Raistlin Majere. I was in shock. I barley heard when the others started questioning me.
"My lady?" asked the smaller sword-bearer. "Are you all right?"
"Sturm, she doesn't look to good. And look at her clothes!" The larger man pointed at my shirt. I could have done the same thing to them.
"My Lady," came a whispery voice. I turned to Raistlin. "What is your name?" I thought I was insane. I couldn't be on Krynn. It was just impossible! But there they were. I had guessed that the larger man was Caramon, and the smaller was obviously Sturm. I didn't want to give them my real name, so I decided to give them my nickname.
"I'm Blackwolf." I said thickly. My head really hurt. "Who are you?"
"I am Raistlin Majere. This is my twin, Caramon, and that's our friend Sturm Brightblade."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Sturm made a sweeping bow. Caramon hastily did the same. Raistlin nodded his head. I tried to smile, but it must have come out as a grimace, because right away Caramon asked: "Do you need some help, uh, Blackwolf?"
I nodded my head, and right away Caramon was lifting me to me feet.
"Thank you," I muttered. "Where am I?"
"Why, you're in Solace!"
"S-Solace?" I squeaked. Automatically, I looked up. And there were the houses. All in the trees. And the winding stairwells that lead up to them. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, then opened them again. I wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I tried to take a step forward, but I stumbled. I grabbed hold of someone's arm to keep myself from falling. When I looked up, I saw it was Raistlin. I blushed, and muttered "sorry," but Raistlin was already holding my arm, helping me along. There was a strange look on his face, as if he were trying not to look smug. I realized instantly that it must have felt good to him to be able to lead someone else. All his life he had been the weaker one, and now he was the stronger. I smiled slightly, leaning on him. Caramon and Sturm had come to stand on the other side of me, ready to help if Raistlin grew to tired. I could feel Caramon eyeing me, from my toes to me head.
"Are you of the Plains?" Raistlin asked. "Your name implies it, but you don't look as if you spend many days out on the Plains of Dust." I glanced at my skin. I had always prided myself on the whiteness of it. It seemed to emphasize my raven hair.
"No, I don't live on the Plains. I…I'm not from around here." We walked in silence for a moment.
"Why do you wear all black?" Caramon asked. I laughed.
"Because I have good taste in clothing."
"Oh." He scratched his head, then asked: "Where'd you get 'em? I've never seem clothes like that before."
I snorted. "Why, you interested in them? Wanna try on a pair of Breezees?" Caramon flushed.
"I only wanted to know why they looked so weird…" I smiled wryly, and looked down at my clothes. I wore a black pair of Breezees. They were really thin, and flared out near my shoes. I also wore a black belly shirt, and a black Slice jacket over it. I had the collar pulled up high on my neck, and the sleeves stopped just above my elbow. The sides flowed out and down, looking almost like a robe. I also wore Biker gloves; you know, the kind that has all the fingers gone at the top. My hair was pinned back with a black clip. All right, so I was a little Gothic. Okay, very Gothic.
"Where, I come from my friend, these are not strange. I rather pride myself on them." I looked at Raistlin closely. He wasn't looking at me, but he wore a slight smile. We soon came to the first flight of stairs. We walked up and headed left.
"Where are we going?"
"I'm going to take you to Otik's. We can talk there. I'd like to know more about where you come from." Raistlin said. I felt a slight feeling of panic; surely if I told them that I hailed from New York, they would think me insane! Perhaps I should feign amnesia. I thought. We arrived at Otik's soon enough. We took a table near the fire pit. Immediately, I moved to the half of the table bathed in darkness. I noticed people were staring at me. Holding my head high, I tried not to flush. Raistlin sat closest to me. I think that if I had not occupied the seat I was now in, he would have taken it. Caramon and Sturm were full in the light, but still close enough to talk.
"So." Raistlin began. "Where do you come from?"
I was about to tell him I didn't know when I decided to drop it.
"I don't have a home."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm…a Nomad."
Caramon looked dumbfounded. "A Nom…what?"
"A Nomad, my brother!" Raistlin said exasperatedly. "They travel. So, in truth, they don't have a home. Understand?" I smiled wryly. It was just as I imagined it. Raistlin turned to me just in time to see it. He smirked, then said: "Don't Nomads usually live in tribes? Or at least travel together?" He had me there.
"You're right, they do," I said slowly. Damn, this guy was hard to fool! "But I got separated from my tribe at one point long ago. I…I never found them." I did my best to make my voice sound pained, but even to me I sounded cold and unfeeling. Raistlin raised a delicate eyebrow but said nothing, nodding. Caramon looked compassionate, while Sturm looked…Well, it looked as if a dark cloud covered his face. He must have felt something towards my story. After all, he was separated from his father when he was very young.
"What was your tribe called?" Raistlin asked suddenly.
Looking at him, I said: "We were called The Wolf Pack; that's why my…name is Blackwolf."
"I see." Apparently, it was normal for the nomads of Krynn to name their children after their tribal name.
My stomach growled. I blushed slightly; I hadn't had anything to eat that day. Caramon grinned; his stomach roared. Sturm smiled slightly. Raistlin glanced at me and smirked. I looked him in the eyes. He seemed surprised, as if he expected me to turn away, or ignore him. Finally, he said: "Would you like some food?" I smiled slightly.
"I would, but I've no money with me-"
"Aw, forget it! I'll pay for it." Caramon said. He called over a waitress. Making his order, they turned to me.
"Ah…What do you have?" I asked. The waitress laughed. My eyes narrowed. I didn't like to be laughed at.
"Well, of course there's Otik's famous spiced potatoes!"
"Oh. I'll have those then."
"And to drink?"
Before I could think, I said, "Coke." The waitress (As well as Raistlin, Caramon, and Sturm) looked at me strangely, as if I were crazy. Finally, the waitress broke the silence.
"Um…We don't have that, miss. In fact, I've never heard of it. Would you like wine, or ale instead?" I thought. I'd never had ale before, although I was sure it wasn't much different than wine. Nevertheless, I decided to go with wine.
"I'll have a red wine then. Chilled, if you please." The waitress nodded and walked off to the kitchen. Raistlin turned to me.
"What is 'Coke'?" he asked. I blushed slightly.
"It's a drink. It's good. I…I drink it on the road." Raistlin nodded.
After the meal, Caramon turned to me. "So, Blackwolf, do you have a place to stay for the night?"
Startled, I said: "No, as a matter of fact, I don't."
"We would be happy to put you up for the night," Raistlin said quietly. I smiled slightly.
"I wouldn't want to impose…"
"Nonsense!" Caramon said loudly. "We have an extra bed. You could stay with us. It wouldn't be a problem."
"Thank you." I smiled at them. "That is very kind." I looked at them both for a moment. "You don't even know me," I said suddenly. "How do you know you can trust me?" I looked at Raistlin as I asked this. Our eyes connected; it seemed like the rest of the world faded, and it was just we two.
"I don't," he said. "But I do know you won't steal from me. From us," he corrected, glancing at Caramon. The world came back with a flash, and I was very aware of Sturm and Raistlin's larger twin. I nodded, and we stood to leave. Outside the inn, the twins bade Strum farewell. I expected him to go then, but he turned to me and took my hand. Bowing, he brought my knuckles to his lips, laying a gentle kiss on them. I was startled; my eyebrows were raised as he stood. He smiled a little, and ducked his head. Then he left. I watched him go, then shook my head. Things were different here than from Earth; that meant nothing. I thought.
When we reached the Majere home, I waited as Raistlin entered, expecting Caramon to go after him. But Raistlin was holding open the door, and Caramon was smiling stupidly at me; I could feel his eyes on me. Awkwardly, I walked into the house, trying not to expose anything. It didn't help much though. Glancing out the window, I saw the sun was just beginning to set. I didn't feel in the least bit tired. Turning to Raistlin I asked, "Would it be all right if I went out to look around?" Caramon started.
"Alone? No, I-"
"I will take you to see Solace. Caramon, you may stay here. I don't think your sword will be needed on a tour of Solace." Sarcasm lay heavy in his voice: It was all I could do to stifle a laugh. But Caramon nodded anyway.
"All right Raist. Just – just don't go to far out of Solace, okay?"
"We are not leaving Solace, my brother. You need not worry about us. There will be no goblins outside." Caramon blushed, and walked into the bedroom the twins shared. Raistlin waited until the door closed before turning back to me. Smiling slightly, he offered me his arm. "Shall we?" I let out the laugh I had been holding in and took his arm smiling. I used to dream about this. I was living a fantasy. We stepped out to Solace.
Through the darkness, I heard voices.
"Well? She will die, if we leave her."
"Bring her. She will be happy. And maybe even invaluable."
"So, it's settled? We shall bring her through the Darkness?"
"Yes."
That's when the journey began. I remember something trying to hold me back, latching onto my leg and arm. But holders of the voices I heard drew me with them. I felt as if I were being torn apart. Finally, just as I felt as if I would be ripped into shreds, the side holding me back gave way. I soared through the darkness, pulled by the strange beings.
When I awoke, I could not move. My limbs felt as heavy as tree trunks. Groaning, I did my best to roll over. My head ached horribly, so I decided against moving again. I don't know how long I lay there. It felt like hours. But, eventually, someone found me. And the man I saw nearly shocked me into unconsciousness. Before me stood three young men. One of them was very broad. He carried a sword at his side, and looked extremely strong. The other man also wore a sword at his side. But the last man…He was frail, thin, and didn't look exceptionally strong. He wore little bags around his waist. And he looked remarkably like Raistlin Majere. I was in shock. I barley heard when the others started questioning me.
"My lady?" asked the smaller sword-bearer. "Are you all right?"
"Sturm, she doesn't look to good. And look at her clothes!" The larger man pointed at my shirt. I could have done the same thing to them.
"My Lady," came a whispery voice. I turned to Raistlin. "What is your name?" I thought I was insane. I couldn't be on Krynn. It was just impossible! But there they were. I had guessed that the larger man was Caramon, and the smaller was obviously Sturm. I didn't want to give them my real name, so I decided to give them my nickname.
"I'm Blackwolf." I said thickly. My head really hurt. "Who are you?"
"I am Raistlin Majere. This is my twin, Caramon, and that's our friend Sturm Brightblade."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Sturm made a sweeping bow. Caramon hastily did the same. Raistlin nodded his head. I tried to smile, but it must have come out as a grimace, because right away Caramon asked: "Do you need some help, uh, Blackwolf?"
I nodded my head, and right away Caramon was lifting me to me feet.
"Thank you," I muttered. "Where am I?"
"Why, you're in Solace!"
"S-Solace?" I squeaked. Automatically, I looked up. And there were the houses. All in the trees. And the winding stairwells that lead up to them. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, then opened them again. I wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I tried to take a step forward, but I stumbled. I grabbed hold of someone's arm to keep myself from falling. When I looked up, I saw it was Raistlin. I blushed, and muttered "sorry," but Raistlin was already holding my arm, helping me along. There was a strange look on his face, as if he were trying not to look smug. I realized instantly that it must have felt good to him to be able to lead someone else. All his life he had been the weaker one, and now he was the stronger. I smiled slightly, leaning on him. Caramon and Sturm had come to stand on the other side of me, ready to help if Raistlin grew to tired. I could feel Caramon eyeing me, from my toes to me head.
"Are you of the Plains?" Raistlin asked. "Your name implies it, but you don't look as if you spend many days out on the Plains of Dust." I glanced at my skin. I had always prided myself on the whiteness of it. It seemed to emphasize my raven hair.
"No, I don't live on the Plains. I…I'm not from around here." We walked in silence for a moment.
"Why do you wear all black?" Caramon asked. I laughed.
"Because I have good taste in clothing."
"Oh." He scratched his head, then asked: "Where'd you get 'em? I've never seem clothes like that before."
I snorted. "Why, you interested in them? Wanna try on a pair of Breezees?" Caramon flushed.
"I only wanted to know why they looked so weird…" I smiled wryly, and looked down at my clothes. I wore a black pair of Breezees. They were really thin, and flared out near my shoes. I also wore a black belly shirt, and a black Slice jacket over it. I had the collar pulled up high on my neck, and the sleeves stopped just above my elbow. The sides flowed out and down, looking almost like a robe. I also wore Biker gloves; you know, the kind that has all the fingers gone at the top. My hair was pinned back with a black clip. All right, so I was a little Gothic. Okay, very Gothic.
"Where, I come from my friend, these are not strange. I rather pride myself on them." I looked at Raistlin closely. He wasn't looking at me, but he wore a slight smile. We soon came to the first flight of stairs. We walked up and headed left.
"Where are we going?"
"I'm going to take you to Otik's. We can talk there. I'd like to know more about where you come from." Raistlin said. I felt a slight feeling of panic; surely if I told them that I hailed from New York, they would think me insane! Perhaps I should feign amnesia. I thought. We arrived at Otik's soon enough. We took a table near the fire pit. Immediately, I moved to the half of the table bathed in darkness. I noticed people were staring at me. Holding my head high, I tried not to flush. Raistlin sat closest to me. I think that if I had not occupied the seat I was now in, he would have taken it. Caramon and Sturm were full in the light, but still close enough to talk.
"So." Raistlin began. "Where do you come from?"
I was about to tell him I didn't know when I decided to drop it.
"I don't have a home."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm…a Nomad."
Caramon looked dumbfounded. "A Nom…what?"
"A Nomad, my brother!" Raistlin said exasperatedly. "They travel. So, in truth, they don't have a home. Understand?" I smiled wryly. It was just as I imagined it. Raistlin turned to me just in time to see it. He smirked, then said: "Don't Nomads usually live in tribes? Or at least travel together?" He had me there.
"You're right, they do," I said slowly. Damn, this guy was hard to fool! "But I got separated from my tribe at one point long ago. I…I never found them." I did my best to make my voice sound pained, but even to me I sounded cold and unfeeling. Raistlin raised a delicate eyebrow but said nothing, nodding. Caramon looked compassionate, while Sturm looked…Well, it looked as if a dark cloud covered his face. He must have felt something towards my story. After all, he was separated from his father when he was very young.
"What was your tribe called?" Raistlin asked suddenly.
Looking at him, I said: "We were called The Wolf Pack; that's why my…name is Blackwolf."
"I see." Apparently, it was normal for the nomads of Krynn to name their children after their tribal name.
My stomach growled. I blushed slightly; I hadn't had anything to eat that day. Caramon grinned; his stomach roared. Sturm smiled slightly. Raistlin glanced at me and smirked. I looked him in the eyes. He seemed surprised, as if he expected me to turn away, or ignore him. Finally, he said: "Would you like some food?" I smiled slightly.
"I would, but I've no money with me-"
"Aw, forget it! I'll pay for it." Caramon said. He called over a waitress. Making his order, they turned to me.
"Ah…What do you have?" I asked. The waitress laughed. My eyes narrowed. I didn't like to be laughed at.
"Well, of course there's Otik's famous spiced potatoes!"
"Oh. I'll have those then."
"And to drink?"
Before I could think, I said, "Coke." The waitress (As well as Raistlin, Caramon, and Sturm) looked at me strangely, as if I were crazy. Finally, the waitress broke the silence.
"Um…We don't have that, miss. In fact, I've never heard of it. Would you like wine, or ale instead?" I thought. I'd never had ale before, although I was sure it wasn't much different than wine. Nevertheless, I decided to go with wine.
"I'll have a red wine then. Chilled, if you please." The waitress nodded and walked off to the kitchen. Raistlin turned to me.
"What is 'Coke'?" he asked. I blushed slightly.
"It's a drink. It's good. I…I drink it on the road." Raistlin nodded.
After the meal, Caramon turned to me. "So, Blackwolf, do you have a place to stay for the night?"
Startled, I said: "No, as a matter of fact, I don't."
"We would be happy to put you up for the night," Raistlin said quietly. I smiled slightly.
"I wouldn't want to impose…"
"Nonsense!" Caramon said loudly. "We have an extra bed. You could stay with us. It wouldn't be a problem."
"Thank you." I smiled at them. "That is very kind." I looked at them both for a moment. "You don't even know me," I said suddenly. "How do you know you can trust me?" I looked at Raistlin as I asked this. Our eyes connected; it seemed like the rest of the world faded, and it was just we two.
"I don't," he said. "But I do know you won't steal from me. From us," he corrected, glancing at Caramon. The world came back with a flash, and I was very aware of Sturm and Raistlin's larger twin. I nodded, and we stood to leave. Outside the inn, the twins bade Strum farewell. I expected him to go then, but he turned to me and took my hand. Bowing, he brought my knuckles to his lips, laying a gentle kiss on them. I was startled; my eyebrows were raised as he stood. He smiled a little, and ducked his head. Then he left. I watched him go, then shook my head. Things were different here than from Earth; that meant nothing. I thought.
When we reached the Majere home, I waited as Raistlin entered, expecting Caramon to go after him. But Raistlin was holding open the door, and Caramon was smiling stupidly at me; I could feel his eyes on me. Awkwardly, I walked into the house, trying not to expose anything. It didn't help much though. Glancing out the window, I saw the sun was just beginning to set. I didn't feel in the least bit tired. Turning to Raistlin I asked, "Would it be all right if I went out to look around?" Caramon started.
"Alone? No, I-"
"I will take you to see Solace. Caramon, you may stay here. I don't think your sword will be needed on a tour of Solace." Sarcasm lay heavy in his voice: It was all I could do to stifle a laugh. But Caramon nodded anyway.
"All right Raist. Just – just don't go to far out of Solace, okay?"
"We are not leaving Solace, my brother. You need not worry about us. There will be no goblins outside." Caramon blushed, and walked into the bedroom the twins shared. Raistlin waited until the door closed before turning back to me. Smiling slightly, he offered me his arm. "Shall we?" I let out the laugh I had been holding in and took his arm smiling. I used to dream about this. I was living a fantasy. We stepped out to Solace.