Chapter 7
Raistlin quietly knocked on the door to Flint's workshop. He pulled his fall cloak tighter around his thin frame. He knocked louder when he didn't recieve any answer.
"Well, come in," came the gruff reply.
Raistlin swallowed his nervousness and pushed the door open. Flint was alone at the bench, putting the finishing touches on a bracelet for next summer's trip to Qualinesti. His surprise was apparent when he looked up and saw that his visitor was Raistlin. Raistlin had always kept his trips to visit the dwarf to a minimum, and he had no idea why Raistlin would be there.
"Caramon left an hour ago, lad. I thought he was on his way home, but he might have stopped at Sturm's for-"
"That's not why I'm here," said Raistlin, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'd like to buy a ring from you," he said quickly.
"Alright then, lad. If you'll look over here," said Flint, pulling out a box from under the table, "You can buy any of the rings in the top row for-" Flint stopped when he saw Raistlin shake his head.
Raistlin had shook his head when he saw that Flint had pulled out men's rings. "I'm not here to purchase a ring for myself. I want to buy an..." Raistlin paused, "An engagement ring."
If Raistlin had knocked Flint in the head with a mallet, it couldn't have shocked him more. Flint cleared his throat a few times before he spoke. "Oh, I see, lad. Is the girl-"
"Yes, I'm going to propose to Mora," said Raistlin quietly. "And yes, it's true, we have been seeing each other since summer."
Flint wiped his brow. He, as well as everyone else in Solace, had seen the two together, but mostly the women were the people who believed that Raistlin and Mora's relationship went beyond friendship. Now, here was Raistlin asking to buy a ring for the girl. Flint hurridly cleared his head of these thoughts when he saw that Raistlin was fixing an icy stare on the him.
"Do you have any rings for sale or not?" asked Raistlin sharply.
"Of course, here they are," said Flint, pulling out a different box. He watched as Raistlin slowly inspected every ring. Flint shook his head in disbelief of what he had just heard. He watched as Raistlin's face lit up when he gently removed a twisting band of gold, with an emerald, the same color as Mora's eyes, in the center, and two diamond chips on either side.
Raistlin smiled as he pictured Mora wearing the ring and nodded once to himself. He looked back to Flint. "How much is it?" he asked, afraid of the answer he would get. It didn't matter though, because Raistlin swore he would work every day of his life if he had to, to pay for the ring.
Flint smiled. "I knew that one day all of you boys would get married. Truthfully, I never thought you would be the first out of all of them," said Flint with a laugh, "But here you are." Flint paused to place the ring into Raistlin's hands. "Congradulations, lad. Take this ring as a wedding gift from me."
Raistlin didn't know how to respond. "Flint, I-"
Flint frowned. "You have to accept my gift. I don't have anything else to give."
Raistlin nodded and smiled slightly, knowing that his frown was just to cover up his kind act. "Thank you." Raistlin turned to leave.
"Good luck, lad," said Flint.
Raistlin nodded and left the workshop, the ring tucked securly in one of his pockets.
Mora sighed in relief as she put the last loaf of bread into the oven, and went to the back of the inn to wash her hands. Since she had lost her job as a seamstress, Otik had offered her a job in his kitchen. Although she tried hard, this wasn't a job suited for her. When her shift was over, she wasted no time in getting out of the kitchen. Taking off her apron, Mora ran out of the inn, shouting her farwells to Otik and the other barmaids.
The autumn air whipped Mora's curly hair around her as she walked along. Her face broke into a smile when she saw Raistlin. He came up to her, and she could immiediately see that something was troubling him. His hand was in one of his pockets, holding something.
"Hello, Mora," he said, embracing her.
"Hi, is something wrong?" she asked, watching him closely.
"No, why?"
"No reason, you just look like somethings bothering you."
Raistlin smiled. "I need to talk to you tonight. Meet me at our place," he said, referring to the clearing Mora had led him to the first night they had made love.
Mora nodded. "Okay, I'll be there at the same time."
Kissing her, Raistlin turned and walked away.
Raistlin sat deep in thought. He had come to their clearing early, and was considering what he was about to do. He didn't have to wait long, because a minute later, Mora entered.
"You're early," she said, grinning.
"So are you," he responded, making room for her to sit. Taking a deep breath, Raistlin spoke. "Mora, I love you."
Mora smiled. "I know. I love you too."
"That's not all. I want to marry you." he paused waiting to see what she said.
Mora didn't say anything, but a look of surprise and happiness was on her face.
"The key word being WANT. That's why I'm giving you this," he said, pulling the ring out of his pocket, and slipping it onto her finger. "I want to marry you, but not yet. I have no way to support a family; I haven't even taken my Test. But once I've gotten to where I need to be, I want you to be my wife."
Mora looked at the ring with tears in her eyes. "Raistlin..." she murmured, kissing him. "I'll wait for you, Raistlin." She reached into her pouch, and pulled out a box. "I have a ring for you too. That way, we can be engaged to each other." She took Raistlin's hand and slipped her father's magic ring onto his finger.
Raistlin's brow furrowed as he felt the magical energy radiating from it. "What?..."
"It was my father's," said Mora. "It'll cast energy lightening bolts three times, and then it had to recharge." Mora leaned in and whispered the words of magic into Raistlin's ear.
With shaking hands, Raistlin aimed for the fire in the middle of the clearing. "Kalith karan, tobanis-kar!" The bolts shot out of his fingertips, hitting the burning logs. Unlike when Mora had cast the spell, the bolts were a pure white.
Raistlin turned back to Mora. Holding her in his arms, the two consimated their love.
Raistlin quietly knocked on the door to Flint's workshop. He pulled his fall cloak tighter around his thin frame. He knocked louder when he didn't recieve any answer.
"Well, come in," came the gruff reply.
Raistlin swallowed his nervousness and pushed the door open. Flint was alone at the bench, putting the finishing touches on a bracelet for next summer's trip to Qualinesti. His surprise was apparent when he looked up and saw that his visitor was Raistlin. Raistlin had always kept his trips to visit the dwarf to a minimum, and he had no idea why Raistlin would be there.
"Caramon left an hour ago, lad. I thought he was on his way home, but he might have stopped at Sturm's for-"
"That's not why I'm here," said Raistlin, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'd like to buy a ring from you," he said quickly.
"Alright then, lad. If you'll look over here," said Flint, pulling out a box from under the table, "You can buy any of the rings in the top row for-" Flint stopped when he saw Raistlin shake his head.
Raistlin had shook his head when he saw that Flint had pulled out men's rings. "I'm not here to purchase a ring for myself. I want to buy an..." Raistlin paused, "An engagement ring."
If Raistlin had knocked Flint in the head with a mallet, it couldn't have shocked him more. Flint cleared his throat a few times before he spoke. "Oh, I see, lad. Is the girl-"
"Yes, I'm going to propose to Mora," said Raistlin quietly. "And yes, it's true, we have been seeing each other since summer."
Flint wiped his brow. He, as well as everyone else in Solace, had seen the two together, but mostly the women were the people who believed that Raistlin and Mora's relationship went beyond friendship. Now, here was Raistlin asking to buy a ring for the girl. Flint hurridly cleared his head of these thoughts when he saw that Raistlin was fixing an icy stare on the him.
"Do you have any rings for sale or not?" asked Raistlin sharply.
"Of course, here they are," said Flint, pulling out a different box. He watched as Raistlin slowly inspected every ring. Flint shook his head in disbelief of what he had just heard. He watched as Raistlin's face lit up when he gently removed a twisting band of gold, with an emerald, the same color as Mora's eyes, in the center, and two diamond chips on either side.
Raistlin smiled as he pictured Mora wearing the ring and nodded once to himself. He looked back to Flint. "How much is it?" he asked, afraid of the answer he would get. It didn't matter though, because Raistlin swore he would work every day of his life if he had to, to pay for the ring.
Flint smiled. "I knew that one day all of you boys would get married. Truthfully, I never thought you would be the first out of all of them," said Flint with a laugh, "But here you are." Flint paused to place the ring into Raistlin's hands. "Congradulations, lad. Take this ring as a wedding gift from me."
Raistlin didn't know how to respond. "Flint, I-"
Flint frowned. "You have to accept my gift. I don't have anything else to give."
Raistlin nodded and smiled slightly, knowing that his frown was just to cover up his kind act. "Thank you." Raistlin turned to leave.
"Good luck, lad," said Flint.
Raistlin nodded and left the workshop, the ring tucked securly in one of his pockets.
Mora sighed in relief as she put the last loaf of bread into the oven, and went to the back of the inn to wash her hands. Since she had lost her job as a seamstress, Otik had offered her a job in his kitchen. Although she tried hard, this wasn't a job suited for her. When her shift was over, she wasted no time in getting out of the kitchen. Taking off her apron, Mora ran out of the inn, shouting her farwells to Otik and the other barmaids.
The autumn air whipped Mora's curly hair around her as she walked along. Her face broke into a smile when she saw Raistlin. He came up to her, and she could immiediately see that something was troubling him. His hand was in one of his pockets, holding something.
"Hello, Mora," he said, embracing her.
"Hi, is something wrong?" she asked, watching him closely.
"No, why?"
"No reason, you just look like somethings bothering you."
Raistlin smiled. "I need to talk to you tonight. Meet me at our place," he said, referring to the clearing Mora had led him to the first night they had made love.
Mora nodded. "Okay, I'll be there at the same time."
Kissing her, Raistlin turned and walked away.
Raistlin sat deep in thought. He had come to their clearing early, and was considering what he was about to do. He didn't have to wait long, because a minute later, Mora entered.
"You're early," she said, grinning.
"So are you," he responded, making room for her to sit. Taking a deep breath, Raistlin spoke. "Mora, I love you."
Mora smiled. "I know. I love you too."
"That's not all. I want to marry you." he paused waiting to see what she said.
Mora didn't say anything, but a look of surprise and happiness was on her face.
"The key word being WANT. That's why I'm giving you this," he said, pulling the ring out of his pocket, and slipping it onto her finger. "I want to marry you, but not yet. I have no way to support a family; I haven't even taken my Test. But once I've gotten to where I need to be, I want you to be my wife."
Mora looked at the ring with tears in her eyes. "Raistlin..." she murmured, kissing him. "I'll wait for you, Raistlin." She reached into her pouch, and pulled out a box. "I have a ring for you too. That way, we can be engaged to each other." She took Raistlin's hand and slipped her father's magic ring onto his finger.
Raistlin's brow furrowed as he felt the magical energy radiating from it. "What?..."
"It was my father's," said Mora. "It'll cast energy lightening bolts three times, and then it had to recharge." Mora leaned in and whispered the words of magic into Raistlin's ear.
With shaking hands, Raistlin aimed for the fire in the middle of the clearing. "Kalith karan, tobanis-kar!" The bolts shot out of his fingertips, hitting the burning logs. Unlike when Mora had cast the spell, the bolts were a pure white.
Raistlin turned back to Mora. Holding her in his arms, the two consimated their love.
