NOTE: I don't mean the Shadarii from "Whisper Of Wings", I mean me. The author. I! Myself!
And DL isn't mine. I just looove it! Most of these characters are (c) TSR!
This is... uh... I don't know what time period in the saga this is. I don't think it actually exists. Tika and Caramon are married as are Laurana and Tanis, Caramon still gets along with Raistlin, Flint is dead (sniffle) as is Sturm, and Riverwind and Goldmoon are on the plains. Did I leave anyone out? OH, Kitiara is somewhere else. There. Now read on, if I haven't totally confused you.
Shadarii sighed as she typed away on the month-old
(now considered obsolete) computer. No inspiration was hitting her. Usually,
new ideas hit her like lightning to metal. But not today. "Grrr!" Shadarii
growled as she erased all she had previously written. "Now, maybe I can..hey!"
Air answered her reaching hand as she felt around for the mouse that was
not there.
"I say, hi there!" It was a small voice from the
doorway. Shadarii jumped. She whirled to face the owner of the voice.
"Whaat?", she whispered in wonder. A kender! Here!
In her very own doorway, grinning from ear to ear!
"Hi! I'm Tasslehoff Burrfoot." He reached his little
hand out to Shadarii. Now, Shadarii had always hated how no one ever shook
hands with Tas, so now she shook it with vigor. "Hi! I'm Shadarii. Uhmm..
if you don't mind me asking... how come you're here?"
"Raistlin sent me. He trusts me!" The kender puffed
his chest out with pride.
I'm sure, thought Shadarii wryly. "Well,
what did he need?"
"He wanted to see you. C'mon!" Tas beckoned to the
girl, who hesitated.
"Waaaiit. I know Krynn a little. And I know there
are more fun things to be than human!" Shadarii said slowly.
"Wanna be a dragon?" Tas asked, hoping fervently
that she did.
"No... actually.... I want to be a...."
"Kender! Kender, everywhere I go! Out with ye, thieves!"
An angry innkeeper swept the two suprised kender out with a broom, like
they were dust.
"Sorry, Shadarii. Guess I missed our target." Tasslehoff
shuffled his feet in the dirt.
"It's OK but... are they always like that to kender?"
Shadarii felt odd saying that. Since becoming a kender, everything felt
so free and light, like nothing was worth worrying about, not when the
sun was so bright! She bounced the small leather puch at her belt lightly
on her hand as they walked on, looking for....for...
"Tas? Where are we going? Where are we?"
"Solace!" Tas seemed mildy suprised by the question.
What
a worry-wort! I guess just because she looks like a kender doesn't
mean she doesn't have that human mind! he thought as they turned a
corner.
"Ah-ha! I know this place!" Shadarii said excitedly.
It was an immense tree, burned in places but still strong enough to hold
the building. The Inn of the Last Home.
"Tas!" A strong voice yelled. A large man came strolling
up to them, a huge smile on his face. "Glad you're back. And this is...wait,
can't be!" Caramon looked perplexed. (he usually does) "This isn't the
writer?"
"Yes she is! Caramon, this is Shadarii. She used
to be a human but, " here the kender grinned, "She said she would rather
be a kender."
"Oh wonderful! We need another kender!" Caramon
said sarcastically, beaming at Shadarii to let her know he was kidding.
"Pleased to meet you," said Shadarii, feeling like
she was in a dream. Wasn't she? (I dunno! I'm the author and I don't know!!!)
Oh, OK.
"Likewise! Well, c'mon in!" Caramon beckoned to
her and she followed him up the stairs.
"Hey, how come this isn't a ladder? These
had to have been hard to make!" Shadarii exclaimed, as they wound their
way up the huge stairway.
"Well, this is a bar. How many drunken men
would be able to find their way down a ladder?" Caramon explained, as they
entered a large, well-lit room. A tall redhead was busily wiping tables.
"Tika! Meet Shadarii!" Tika waved to the kender
and called, "Welcome to Solace! Can I get you a drink?"
"No thanks! I'm underage." Shadarii shrugged.
"Under....age?" Tika was confused, but she shook
it off. After what Raistlin had said about this girl, she had to be
at least a little weird! And certainly, there was no drinking age
in Ansalon!
"Have you heard from Tanis?" Shadarii asked brightly,
glad for her knowledge of this world.
"No, not for a while." Tika looked up, suprised
again at this visitor. How did she know about..?
"Ah. Well I'm sure he and Laurana are enjoying themselves!"
Shadarii sat back placed her small hands in her pockets. "Hey!" She pulled
out a silver coin, a coaster, half a cracker and a couple inches of string.
"Where did this come from?" she wondered aloud.
"Kender." Tasslehoff smiled. "That happens. See,
we're very good at finding things, we kender."
"Finding? You mean stea--" Caramon started to say,
but was interrupted.
"Don't say that to a kender, friend." Shadarii intoned,
tossing him the coin. "You should be more grateful. Lucky I found this!
Not many would have returned such a beautiful coin."
Tas watched her and grinned again. Silly, silly
girl. She was becoming more and more kenderlike each minute. Minute. That
reminded him. "Hey, isn't Raistlin supposed to be here soon?"
"Soon now. I wonder what he wants?" Caramon said.
"Something to do with her." Tika nodded to
Shadarii.
"Me? What's wrong?" Shadarii was suddenly worried.
Raistlin, though he was her favorite character besides Tas in the book,
ran cold chills up her spine now that she was in Krynn. He was so powerful....what
if he was displeased? What could she have done to annoy a powerful, fictional
mage?
"Shadaarrrriiiii?" Tas nudged her. "I think he's
coming. Better sit up." Even Tasslehoff looked worried. Shadarii began
to fear for her life! She was a kender! A kender! Why hadn't she
chosen a more powerful thing like the dragon? Or a magess! Yes! A white-robed
magess! The white magic could overcome Raistlin's black magic!
"I should have been a mage." Shadarii whispered.
Caramon heard and smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. He won't do anything to you. I hope."
The last two words were quieted as the soft footsteps coming up the stairs
got louder. Finally, a huddled shape stood in the doorway. Shadarii gulped.
To look at him was nothing. She saw a broken man, a pitiful form coughing
up suffering. What could he do to her? But the eyes of her heart saw differently.
They saw power, raw power, and raw evil power at that. It was mirrored
in his cold eyes, his cold hourglass eyes. They looked up to meet the frightened
kender's, and Shadarii felt...
Totally calm. She even smiled as she watched him
make his way to a chair in front of her. He seemed about to speak, but
his body became racked with hacking coughs. "Brother...." he whispered
through parched lips. Caramon stood and knelt at his brother's side, opening
pouches and spilling the contents into his hand. He mixed these with a
small cup of water, brought to him by Tika. Giving it to Raistlin, the
faithful twin backed away and sat down once more.
"Now..." Raistlin said after he was recovered, "Now
we will see about this... Shadarii." His voice wasn't that cold, it held
a certain amount of something Shadarii couldn't identify. "A visitor from
another realm. Tell me. Why the change in form?" Raistlin's hourglass eyes
held hers.
"I wanted to be a kender, sir." Shadarii said softly.
"Why have you called me?" she felt totally at home, as the others gaped
at her and Tasslehoff continued to be a little concerned for her.
"I mean, how did you know you would become one?"
"What?" Shadarii blinked, Raistlin was leaning forward
in his chair.
"A kender. How did you know you had to be one? How
did you know what I alone was told?" Raistlin's slithery voice was quiet.
"I just.... I just wanted to be a kender. They are
so interesting to me, so playful but so wise. Take Tas. He seems so innocent
and childish but then he smashes a dragon orb." Shadarii smiled at Tas,
but he looked totally lost. So did everyone else around the table. Everyone
except for Raistlin.
"You know....about....No! No, it's not supposed
to happen like this." Raistlin's breath came quickly in alarm.
"Why? What's wrong? " Shadarii gulped as Raistlin's
eyes became fevered and then quietly shifted back to their mirrored forms.
"Nothing, never mind." Raistlin sighed. "Leave,
everyone, leave. She stays. The rest of you...get out. Get OUT!"
the floor creaked as the people fled. Tasslehoff stayed behind to wink
at Shadarii and then he was gone.
"Now then." Raistlin layed a hand on Shadarii's,
forcing her to jerk in shock. "Now you will hear."
Shadarii's heart beat fast in fear and an old affection
for Raistlin that never quite left her. He spoke levelly. "They do not
know about the dragon orbs. As far as they know, it never happened."
"The whole War of the Lance? Then how did Tanis
and..and Caramon and Tika... huhh? You've lost me, mage." Shadarii said
quickly.
"Forget about it."
"Why have you brought me here?" Shadarii let the
kender instinct take over - pure fearlessness.
"You wanted to be here, did you not?"
"Well....yes...." The kender had never heard of
Raistlin doing favors for anyone!
"And you've read the Chronicals." The dark mage's
voice was quiet. Shadarii noticed the robes he wore were red.
"Yes...Raistlin, didn't you take up the blackrobes?"
"It's irrelevent, kender!" Raistlin snapped irritably.
"What's important is the fact that you are here. Here to stay."
"But...." Shadarii's words were cut off a Raistlin
abruptly stood and strode out of the room, his red robe swirling behind
him