Disclaimer- none of the characters are mine, with the exception of Sliver,
who is completely my own. The rest belong to Margaret Weis and Tracy
Hickman.
Author's Note- ok, so I just wrote this cuz I really like to get in the stories, and I'm not sure if it's that good but please read and review so I can see wut u think. Thanx!
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Book 1
Chapters 8-9
Search for truth. Unexpected answers.
Flight! Sliver. The white stag.
Sliver's quick eyes darted back and forth watching the scene before her. 'Fools!' she thought. She watched in disgust as the hooded figures drew around the barbarian woman as she raised her staff towards the cart. She sensed clearly that these hooded figures were a source of great evil, as was the thing in the cart. Her eyes flickered to the woods on the other side of the road and her elvish sight caught four red outlines, which meant there were four living creatures still hidden in the undergrowth. Flicking her eyes back to the scene in the road, she saw a scaly hand reach up and grasp the barbarian's staff, which flashed blue as she pulled away. The figures threw back their hoods to reveal themselves to be a race Sliver had never seen before. It was as if some evil thing had transformed a group of men into giant lizards. Their face was twisted and reptilian, their hands and feet bore huge talons, while on their backs were huge, leathery wings. She saw the big warrior strike one over the head and it fell down, dead. But that was not all—the creature turned to stone at the large man's feet. As Sliver watched in fascination, a few minutes later it crumbled until it was no more than a pile of dust.
Sliver heard a horn call and realized the creature was calling for reinforcements. She drew her dagger and hurried onto the scene as the others who had been hiding in the bush also burst out. Sliver's quick eyes took in a dwarf, a kender, a mage wearing the red robes of neutrality and a strange man who somehow left the impression of an elf. But that couldn't be true, Sliver thought, for he had a beard. She had no time to ponder this now, though, for just then one of the lizardmen caught sight of her and sprang towards her with a scream. At the last moment she hopped nimbly out of its way and slashed at its head with her dagger. The sharp blade took the creature's head off as it turned to stone.
Sliver continued to fight alongside the companions, but they did not notice her. She then saw what she called in her mind the "bearded elf-man" shout to the others to follow him as he dove into the brush on the road. Sliver sent another lizard head rolling and followed. The entire group began crashing through the undergrowth, making Sliver grind her teeth as she thought about what an easy trail they were leaving. She followed silently, staying at the back of the line, not making any more noise than a shadow.
The companions stumbled through the thick woods as fast as they could and soon reached the game trail. Caramon took the lead, sword in hand, eyeing every shadow. His brother followed, one hand on Caramon's shoulder, his lips set in grim determination. The rest came after, their weapons drawn.
But they saw no more of the creatures.
"Why aren't they chasing us?" Flint asked after they had traveled about an hour.
Tanis scratched his beard—he had been wondering about the same thing. "They don't need to," he said finally. "We are trapped. They've undoubtedly blocked all the exits from this forest. With the exception of Darken Wood…"
"Darken Wood?" Goldmoon repeated softly. "Is it truly necessary to go that way?"
"It may not be," Tanis said. "We'll get a look around from Prayer's Eye Peak."
Suddenly they heard Caramon, walking ahead of them, shout. Running forward, Tanis found Raistlin had collapsed.
"I'll be all right," the mage whispered. "But I must rest."
"We can all use rest," Tanis said.
No one answered. All sank down wearily, catching their breath in quick, sharp gasps. It was only then that Tanis realized they had gained an extra member to their group. He turned in surprise to see a small elf-maiden cleaning her dagger carefully with a cloth. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up, her slanted, almond-shaped eyes piercing through him.
"But, but you're an elf!" the half-elf stuttered in amazement. All the eyes of the companions turned toward the small stranger except for Sturm, whose eyes were closed in pain. The elf's eyes flicked over all of them before returning to Tanis.
"And you," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Are not." Tanis's eyes widened as the little elf went back to cleaning her dagger.
"So who are you?" Caramon growled. Tanis looked at him, trying to warn him with his eyes to be careful. She was tricky, this elf was. He caught Raistlin out of the corner of his eye studying the girl intently.
"My name," the elf said, not looking up from her dagger, which she had finished cleaning and was sliding carefully back into it sheath. "Is Sliver. I am fifty-seven years old," she looked up as Caramon gasped. "Around fourteen in human years." Tanis was stunned. Fifty-seven? True, she was small, and her face was young, but her eyes were those of one beyond her years, and she was clearly a trained warrior.
"Where do you come from?" Tanis asked cautiously. Sliver turned her eyes on him.
"First," she said, looking at him. "I would like to know the names of those of which I am in the company of before I give any more information about myself." Tanis's eyebrows rose, but he obliged.
"This is Caramon, and the mage is his twin, Raistlin. Behind him are Riverwind and Goldmoon, and the knight is Sturm Brightblade. The dwarf is Flint Fireforge and the kender is Tasslehoff Burrfoot. And I am Tanis Half- Elven." He waited a moment and then Sliver said,
"I do not come from anywhere, half-elf. I am a wandering traveler and a swordswoman and I came upon your group fighting the lizardmen, so I decided to help. And now," she said, standing up. "I give you a choice. I can leave you all to your quest, whatever that may be, and I can go on my way. But if you wish, I will accompany you. I am a skilled and trained warrior and have been since a very young age. I can assist you in any fighting and I would come along with you, if you so wish. It is up to you." She leaned against the tree and looked all the companions in the eye and then back at Tanis. The only one who met her gaze was the mage, Raistlin.
All members of the company, including Sturm who had opened his eyes towards the end of the dialogue, looked at Tanis. The half-elf sighed wearily and said, "I must talk to my group." Sliver nodded and moved away to give the companions their privacy.
She watched intently as Tanis spoke to his group. Sliver had long before realized he was their leader, and she could see why. He used his head, as all leaders must, but not only that, he listened to his intuitions, which is a very useful trait. She hoped, for a moment, that Tanis would let her come along, because she thought she might enjoy it. As soon as she thought this, however, Sliver immediately scowled at the idea, telling herself that she did not need them or anyone and she was merely in this for whatever reward she might be able to get out of it in the end.
A wave and a shout from Tanis shook her out of her thoughts as he beckoned her over. Walking over quickly she eyed him coldly.
"Well? What have you decided?" she asked, leaning against another tree. Tanis took a deep breath.
"We decided that your services would be welcomed," he told her. "And we are pleased to have you." After these last words Raistlin coughed, and Tanis wasn't sure whether it was because of his words or not. Sliver dipped her head in agreement, sat down with her back to the tree, and closed her eyes. After gazing around at his group for a moment, Tanis did the same.
Author's Note- ok, so I just wrote this cuz I really like to get in the stories, and I'm not sure if it's that good but please read and review so I can see wut u think. Thanx!
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Book 1
Chapters 8-9
Search for truth. Unexpected answers.
Flight! Sliver. The white stag.
Sliver's quick eyes darted back and forth watching the scene before her. 'Fools!' she thought. She watched in disgust as the hooded figures drew around the barbarian woman as she raised her staff towards the cart. She sensed clearly that these hooded figures were a source of great evil, as was the thing in the cart. Her eyes flickered to the woods on the other side of the road and her elvish sight caught four red outlines, which meant there were four living creatures still hidden in the undergrowth. Flicking her eyes back to the scene in the road, she saw a scaly hand reach up and grasp the barbarian's staff, which flashed blue as she pulled away. The figures threw back their hoods to reveal themselves to be a race Sliver had never seen before. It was as if some evil thing had transformed a group of men into giant lizards. Their face was twisted and reptilian, their hands and feet bore huge talons, while on their backs were huge, leathery wings. She saw the big warrior strike one over the head and it fell down, dead. But that was not all—the creature turned to stone at the large man's feet. As Sliver watched in fascination, a few minutes later it crumbled until it was no more than a pile of dust.
Sliver heard a horn call and realized the creature was calling for reinforcements. She drew her dagger and hurried onto the scene as the others who had been hiding in the bush also burst out. Sliver's quick eyes took in a dwarf, a kender, a mage wearing the red robes of neutrality and a strange man who somehow left the impression of an elf. But that couldn't be true, Sliver thought, for he had a beard. She had no time to ponder this now, though, for just then one of the lizardmen caught sight of her and sprang towards her with a scream. At the last moment she hopped nimbly out of its way and slashed at its head with her dagger. The sharp blade took the creature's head off as it turned to stone.
Sliver continued to fight alongside the companions, but they did not notice her. She then saw what she called in her mind the "bearded elf-man" shout to the others to follow him as he dove into the brush on the road. Sliver sent another lizard head rolling and followed. The entire group began crashing through the undergrowth, making Sliver grind her teeth as she thought about what an easy trail they were leaving. She followed silently, staying at the back of the line, not making any more noise than a shadow.
The companions stumbled through the thick woods as fast as they could and soon reached the game trail. Caramon took the lead, sword in hand, eyeing every shadow. His brother followed, one hand on Caramon's shoulder, his lips set in grim determination. The rest came after, their weapons drawn.
But they saw no more of the creatures.
"Why aren't they chasing us?" Flint asked after they had traveled about an hour.
Tanis scratched his beard—he had been wondering about the same thing. "They don't need to," he said finally. "We are trapped. They've undoubtedly blocked all the exits from this forest. With the exception of Darken Wood…"
"Darken Wood?" Goldmoon repeated softly. "Is it truly necessary to go that way?"
"It may not be," Tanis said. "We'll get a look around from Prayer's Eye Peak."
Suddenly they heard Caramon, walking ahead of them, shout. Running forward, Tanis found Raistlin had collapsed.
"I'll be all right," the mage whispered. "But I must rest."
"We can all use rest," Tanis said.
No one answered. All sank down wearily, catching their breath in quick, sharp gasps. It was only then that Tanis realized they had gained an extra member to their group. He turned in surprise to see a small elf-maiden cleaning her dagger carefully with a cloth. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up, her slanted, almond-shaped eyes piercing through him.
"But, but you're an elf!" the half-elf stuttered in amazement. All the eyes of the companions turned toward the small stranger except for Sturm, whose eyes were closed in pain. The elf's eyes flicked over all of them before returning to Tanis.
"And you," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Are not." Tanis's eyes widened as the little elf went back to cleaning her dagger.
"So who are you?" Caramon growled. Tanis looked at him, trying to warn him with his eyes to be careful. She was tricky, this elf was. He caught Raistlin out of the corner of his eye studying the girl intently.
"My name," the elf said, not looking up from her dagger, which she had finished cleaning and was sliding carefully back into it sheath. "Is Sliver. I am fifty-seven years old," she looked up as Caramon gasped. "Around fourteen in human years." Tanis was stunned. Fifty-seven? True, she was small, and her face was young, but her eyes were those of one beyond her years, and she was clearly a trained warrior.
"Where do you come from?" Tanis asked cautiously. Sliver turned her eyes on him.
"First," she said, looking at him. "I would like to know the names of those of which I am in the company of before I give any more information about myself." Tanis's eyebrows rose, but he obliged.
"This is Caramon, and the mage is his twin, Raistlin. Behind him are Riverwind and Goldmoon, and the knight is Sturm Brightblade. The dwarf is Flint Fireforge and the kender is Tasslehoff Burrfoot. And I am Tanis Half- Elven." He waited a moment and then Sliver said,
"I do not come from anywhere, half-elf. I am a wandering traveler and a swordswoman and I came upon your group fighting the lizardmen, so I decided to help. And now," she said, standing up. "I give you a choice. I can leave you all to your quest, whatever that may be, and I can go on my way. But if you wish, I will accompany you. I am a skilled and trained warrior and have been since a very young age. I can assist you in any fighting and I would come along with you, if you so wish. It is up to you." She leaned against the tree and looked all the companions in the eye and then back at Tanis. The only one who met her gaze was the mage, Raistlin.
All members of the company, including Sturm who had opened his eyes towards the end of the dialogue, looked at Tanis. The half-elf sighed wearily and said, "I must talk to my group." Sliver nodded and moved away to give the companions their privacy.
She watched intently as Tanis spoke to his group. Sliver had long before realized he was their leader, and she could see why. He used his head, as all leaders must, but not only that, he listened to his intuitions, which is a very useful trait. She hoped, for a moment, that Tanis would let her come along, because she thought she might enjoy it. As soon as she thought this, however, Sliver immediately scowled at the idea, telling herself that she did not need them or anyone and she was merely in this for whatever reward she might be able to get out of it in the end.
A wave and a shout from Tanis shook her out of her thoughts as he beckoned her over. Walking over quickly she eyed him coldly.
"Well? What have you decided?" she asked, leaning against another tree. Tanis took a deep breath.
"We decided that your services would be welcomed," he told her. "And we are pleased to have you." After these last words Raistlin coughed, and Tanis wasn't sure whether it was because of his words or not. Sliver dipped her head in agreement, sat down with her back to the tree, and closed her eyes. After gazing around at his group for a moment, Tanis did the same.