Disclaimer: I never said I owned this shit, lawyers, so don't be suing my ass...

Chapter One

~People Are Strange, When You're a Stranger~

Screams and laughter filtered through the lazy summer heat of Solace, as children raced down to Crystalmir Lake to wash off the sweat and dirt of a hard morning spent at play, shedding clothes as they went. The townsfolk alternatively chuckled at this youthful display of naïve single-mindedness, or grimaced and scowled as the shrill voices pierced the tranquil atmosphere.

Towards the back of the group a single boy trudged unhurriedly, staring at the dust beneath his naked feet, long since having sent his brother to run ahead with his friends with the promise that he would catch up in his own time.

"You sure, Raist?" Caramon had asked anxiously, not able to control himself from glancing over longingly at his fast disappearing friends.

"Go," Raistlin said impatiently, then seeing Caramon's face crumple like a kicked dog at this sharp reprimand, added more softly, "I'll catch up."

"Well, if you're sure…" Caramon called, half over his shoulder as he raced off to catch up, unwilling to be left behind. It wasn't as if he had anything holding him back, unlike his invalid of a twin brother….

Raistlin sighed, and kicked at the dust under his toes, then straightened slightly, unwilling to be drawn into another bout of self-pity. He found it irritating - well, he found everything irritating, didn't he?

No he didn't. Did he?

Damn, he was too young to be picking his mind like this. He forced himself to walk quicker, eager to lie down in the cool shade of the trees on Crystalmir Lake's shores, where he could watch the others kick and splash themselves in the shallows until they had half-drowned themselves and everyone else. A few seconds later, he slowed down again, finding the increased pace too intense for his weak body.

He settled for enjoying the scenery as he went, admiring the rough, yet graceful curve of the vallenwood trees and the dappled patterns the leafy banners cast upon the dirt path. Above the sky was as clear and blue as the lake was no doubt going to be, not a cloud in sight, and NO, he did not find everything irritating, he liked Weird Meggin just fine, so THERE.

After all, Raistlin though, pleased to find that he was not in fact so cynical as he had first believed, Weird Meggin's the only one who treats me like I have any brain at all, not like the other adults. They just look at me, frowning with disapproval, or, even worse, with those pitying simpers…And the other children are complete idiots, not that they try to talk to me…Although it's good that they don't, I can barely tolerate Caramon's inane rambling and his clumsy blunders. How we could be twins…

And then there was also Kitiara. Well, Raistlin didn't necessarily find Kitiara irritating, he just…well, he just didn't like her very much. She was smart, that was true, and she didn't treat him like most other adults did. But perhaps that was because Kitiara wasn't really an adult, even if she did act like one all the time. Kitiara wasn't quite like anyone else Raistlin knew, although if he had to compare her to someone else it would be…well…probably himself. After all, Kitiara shared the same ambitious nature Raistlin, and she was as sharp-eyed and clear-minded as he.

In the back of his mind, Raistlin felt a disturbing niggling sensation, wondering why he should dislike Kitiara if he and she were one and the same….But Kitiara was too cold, too ruthless. She would sacrifice anyone to achieve her aims. That was where they differed, that was why he couldn't like her. He got the feeling she could just as well hug him and Caramon as slit their throats – and there were lines that Raistlin, couldn't, wouldn't cross.

Feeling much relieved at having solved another quandary (and quite validated too, at having achieved some semblance of mental harmony), Raistlin emerged from his thoughts to find that he was nearing the end of the path. The other boys had long since passed ahead of him, but he could hear their shrieks nearby, accompanied by much splashing and laughing.

Raistlin sighed, finding himself almost reluctant to enter this cacophony of noise, but he had promised his brother after all, and he was unwilling to break this promise after deciding that his own sense of moral rectitude and loyalty was the one thing standing in the way of making him as bad as Kitiara.

He continued walking.

From her perch in the tree, Saoirse observed the rough play of the boys in the lake, longing to join in, but knowing the consequences of such actions: boys did not appreciate it when a girl insinuated herself into their midst. It was rather a shame for the recklessly inclined six year old, who found the pursuits of the other Solace girls to be too frivolous for her liking. At least splashing people, a frivolous activity for sure, promised to be more fun than comparing clothes or slavering over Kiera, the leader of Solace's young feminine troupe, in an effort to gain community brownie points.

But, alas, the boys would have none of it. It would be several years yet before they began to take note of the opposite sex's developing assets, and of course, Saoirse neither knew of this, nor would have cared if she did. She just wanted a friend.

Out of the corner of her eye, as she continued to wistfully (and resentfully) watch the game, Saoirse noticed another boy, this one far more slight than the others, approaching from the same path from which the boys had raced out of quite some time before.

She turned to see if the others had noticed their fellow's arrival, but most of them seemed to ignore him, with the exception of one broadly built boy, who seemed to spot the stranger almost immediately. He waved his arms wildly in excitement, yelling something rendered inaudible by the others' raucous screams. His friends then took advantage of the big boy's distraction to dunk him under the water, holding him there for a few seconds before he bobbed up again, spluttering and indignant.

Saoirse stifled a chuckle at this treachery, then looked to the skinny boy (who had drawn closer to her leafy hideaway by this point) to see that he wore an expression of mild disgust, but also faint amusement. Saoirse rather suspected that this amusement was merely resultant of the boy's gullibility – this one did not seem to be the most affable of people.

Meanwhile, the big boy in the water was soon laughing with the boy, apparently finding his humiliation as funny as the others, then began fluidly cutting his way through the water back to shore, presumably to meet the other boy. Truly this one must be completely ignorant of the other's resentment.

Saoirse continued watching the bigger boy's course, finding this a welcome distraction from her bitter thoughts. The boy made his way to shore in short time, stumbling clumsily onto the pebbly beach and splattering the skinny boy in a shower of water droplets. "Raist!" he shouted deafeningly, a wide grin spreading across his face. "What took you so long? Come on, we're going to start playing Sea Dragon….Marcus is going to be the dragon, and you can help me find a way to beat him!"

'Raist' scowled and pointedly wiped a drop of water from his cheek. "Caramon, you oaf, you've completely drenched me – must you always act so recklessly?"

'Caramon' ducked his head like a shamed dog before his master. "Sorry, Raist, he mumbled. His contrition soon faded however (Saoirse was quickly learning that this boy's mind was far too shallow to allow for much lasting thought) and blue eyes brightened once more. "But that's okay, you'll get wet once you come in the water anyway…."

The skinny one sighed in exasperation. "I'm not going in the water, brother, I have no desire to take part in your petty games…"

Caramon's expression dropped again. "But you said-"

"I said I would follow, not that I would join in. I never had any intention of doing so. I shall watch – no more."

Caramon's face retained its disappointment, but he made no attempt to change his brother's mind. "Well, if that's what you want…" he shrugged, and shifted uncertainly."

"Go on, then," Raist snapped impatiently. "I'll be over there – just under that oak (Saoirse started at this statement and moved herself deeper into her hiding place – for the boy had just gestured towards her tree, and she was not certain that she wanted to reveal herself to this one) – "if I need you, I'll call."

Without waiting for a reply, the boy turned on his heel and set off for the aforementioned tree, leaving his brother, dripping and despondent, in his wake.

Author's Notes: Working on Chapter Two...I'll work on making chapters longer...they seem so much longer in Word, then this site just has to go and destroy my sense of accomplishment. Lol.