A/N Well, here it is, Chapter 3. I'd like to say thank you to all the
people who reviewed; your comments really boosted my confidence, as I was
not entirely sure about posting this story.
To HockeyDog32, who contacted me via e-mail: Thanks for taking an interest in my story. Raistlin isn't officially gay in the books, but he tends to have "one of those relationships" with his apprentice in l8er books. I fixed my settings now, so you can review! ;)
To Aric: Thanks for reading, my first reviewer on the site! I hope you keep reading.
To kyuri: You're right; Raist/Dal is VERY yummy! There's not enough of this slash out there.
To Nightmare: Thanks for your advice, I'll take it on board. And you're definitely NOT the only one the only one who thought Dalamar was gay.
Thanks to you all, and I hope you keep READING AND REVIEWING!!
Chapter 3 Dalamar put the last ingredient into the mug of hot water, ready to take it back to his Shalafi. He was worried about Raistlin, it seemed he had something important on his mind that he refused to share with the Dark Elf. This annoyed Dalamar. In the light of their new relationship, not much had been kept secret between the two. Until now. Dalamar was intent on finding out what information Raistlin was keeping from him. He picked up the mug of tea and transported himself outside his Shalafi's study, lest he spill the tea walking up the stairs.
Raistlin was still staring at the fire when Dalamar knocked and went in. He placed the mug on Raistlin's desk and bowed, as if awaiting further orders. Raistlin moved his gaze from the fire to stare at his Dark Elf.
"Dalamar," Raistlin said, his voice husky. "I've got something I want to tell you."
"You can tell me anything, Shalafi," Dalamar replied. "You know that."
"I do know, yes." He began to cough, grasping the tea on his desk and grimacing when he had taken a sip. He sighed and looked back into Dalamar's eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too," Dalamar smiled. Raistlin couldn't help but smile back at him, at the pink tint on his cheeks. But the smile didn't last long. This was important.
"Sit down," he ordered. Dalamar did so, sitting opposite Raistlin, just in front of his desk. He sharp green eyes wandered over the unfamiliar books strewn across the desk, before returning to the eerie gold eyes of his master.
Raistlin leaned across and took Dalamar's hands, holding them on the desk while he spoke. "I have to leave you."
Dalamar was taken aback. He felt sick, an unpleasant tingling in his stomach. "I don't understand," he said, eyes fixed on the wooden surface in front of him.
"I know you don't," said Raistlin, looking desperately at his apprentice, hoping that he would look back at him, but he did not.
"Why?"
Raistlin didn't know how to answer. "I just do," he said after a moment of silence.
"That's not an answer," Dalamar said, frowning at the desk. "Why?"
"I don't want to," Raistlin said quickly. "But I have to."
"You're not answering my question." Dalamar finally looked back to Raistlin, but the light in the green eyes the Archmage was expecting to see was diminished, gone. An emotion approaching anger was now there. "Why are you leaving me?"
"Because." Tell him, Raistlin thought. You've already lost him. Tell him. "Because I have done something stupid."
"Please, explain." Dalamar now looked as if he was about to cry, but his voice was kept steady.
"When I was in the Abyss, being tortured and tempted, I made a deal with Takhisis. She would grant me rest from the torment if I was to grant her access to this world." He stopped, watching Dalamar's reaction. There was none, but he was looking back at the desk. "With her help, I have researched a spell that will keep the Portal open for as long as Her Dark Majesty wishes. It was be in place when the incantation is read and I walk back through the Portal."
"So you are planning on giving Takhisis this world on a plate?" Dalamar made eye contact again, but showed no more emotion on his face. It was Raistlin's turn to look away. He didn't want to tell Dalamar that he might be in danger, that he suspected that Dalamar himself might be a target for Takhisis. She needed to get into Krynn and Raistlin was her best chance. If Dalamar were keeping him here, she would not hesitate to get rid of him.
"Yes," he answered. "I have no other choice."
"Of course you do!" Dalamar stood and looked down on Raistlin. "You always have a choice. Don't cast the spell. Stay here, stay with me."
"Hush!" Raistlin rose, his own anger fuelling him, making Dalamar shrink in on himself somewhat. "You don't know what you are saying!"
"Yes I do! Defy her. You are not her servant!"
"Do not try to stop me, Dalamar. Please! She will kill you if."
"I don't care what she will do to me! I want you to stay with me! You said you didn't want to go!"
"I don't."
"Then stop being such a coward! I never knew you were so weak-." Dalamar was cut off by a sharp blow across his face. It shouldn't have been strong enough to throw him to the ground, but it had caught him off guard. He hit his head on the floor, cutting his brow.
"Dalamar, I'm sorry." Raistlin, shocked, tried to get closer to help him up, but Dalamar scuttled away and brought himself back to his feet, holding his wounded forehead. Raistlin could feel his chest tightening, the cough ready to spring on him. "Dalamar."
"I am sorry for speaking out of line, Shalafi. It will not happen again." Dalamar had once again become the obedient apprentice, the indifferent student he had not been since Raistlin's return. It broke Raistlin's heart to hear his lover speak to him like that, to just take orders when Raistlin knew well enough that the strong willed Dark Elf wanted argue or question. But that was not the way of a submissive servant.
"You don't need to be sorry, Dalamar. I should be. I should not have struck you."
Dalamar bowed respectfully. "I am grateful for your apologies, Shalafi. If you will excuse me, I will send word to Par-Salian of my resignation from your services." He bowed again and turned to leave.
"Don't," Raistlin said when Dalamar was almost out of the room. Once again, Raistlin felt Dalamar's wish to question. However, all he did was nod and continue out of the door.
Raistlin was once again alone.
To HockeyDog32, who contacted me via e-mail: Thanks for taking an interest in my story. Raistlin isn't officially gay in the books, but he tends to have "one of those relationships" with his apprentice in l8er books. I fixed my settings now, so you can review! ;)
To Aric: Thanks for reading, my first reviewer on the site! I hope you keep reading.
To kyuri: You're right; Raist/Dal is VERY yummy! There's not enough of this slash out there.
To Nightmare: Thanks for your advice, I'll take it on board. And you're definitely NOT the only one the only one who thought Dalamar was gay.
Thanks to you all, and I hope you keep READING AND REVIEWING!!
Chapter 3 Dalamar put the last ingredient into the mug of hot water, ready to take it back to his Shalafi. He was worried about Raistlin, it seemed he had something important on his mind that he refused to share with the Dark Elf. This annoyed Dalamar. In the light of their new relationship, not much had been kept secret between the two. Until now. Dalamar was intent on finding out what information Raistlin was keeping from him. He picked up the mug of tea and transported himself outside his Shalafi's study, lest he spill the tea walking up the stairs.
Raistlin was still staring at the fire when Dalamar knocked and went in. He placed the mug on Raistlin's desk and bowed, as if awaiting further orders. Raistlin moved his gaze from the fire to stare at his Dark Elf.
"Dalamar," Raistlin said, his voice husky. "I've got something I want to tell you."
"You can tell me anything, Shalafi," Dalamar replied. "You know that."
"I do know, yes." He began to cough, grasping the tea on his desk and grimacing when he had taken a sip. He sighed and looked back into Dalamar's eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too," Dalamar smiled. Raistlin couldn't help but smile back at him, at the pink tint on his cheeks. But the smile didn't last long. This was important.
"Sit down," he ordered. Dalamar did so, sitting opposite Raistlin, just in front of his desk. He sharp green eyes wandered over the unfamiliar books strewn across the desk, before returning to the eerie gold eyes of his master.
Raistlin leaned across and took Dalamar's hands, holding them on the desk while he spoke. "I have to leave you."
Dalamar was taken aback. He felt sick, an unpleasant tingling in his stomach. "I don't understand," he said, eyes fixed on the wooden surface in front of him.
"I know you don't," said Raistlin, looking desperately at his apprentice, hoping that he would look back at him, but he did not.
"Why?"
Raistlin didn't know how to answer. "I just do," he said after a moment of silence.
"That's not an answer," Dalamar said, frowning at the desk. "Why?"
"I don't want to," Raistlin said quickly. "But I have to."
"You're not answering my question." Dalamar finally looked back to Raistlin, but the light in the green eyes the Archmage was expecting to see was diminished, gone. An emotion approaching anger was now there. "Why are you leaving me?"
"Because." Tell him, Raistlin thought. You've already lost him. Tell him. "Because I have done something stupid."
"Please, explain." Dalamar now looked as if he was about to cry, but his voice was kept steady.
"When I was in the Abyss, being tortured and tempted, I made a deal with Takhisis. She would grant me rest from the torment if I was to grant her access to this world." He stopped, watching Dalamar's reaction. There was none, but he was looking back at the desk. "With her help, I have researched a spell that will keep the Portal open for as long as Her Dark Majesty wishes. It was be in place when the incantation is read and I walk back through the Portal."
"So you are planning on giving Takhisis this world on a plate?" Dalamar made eye contact again, but showed no more emotion on his face. It was Raistlin's turn to look away. He didn't want to tell Dalamar that he might be in danger, that he suspected that Dalamar himself might be a target for Takhisis. She needed to get into Krynn and Raistlin was her best chance. If Dalamar were keeping him here, she would not hesitate to get rid of him.
"Yes," he answered. "I have no other choice."
"Of course you do!" Dalamar stood and looked down on Raistlin. "You always have a choice. Don't cast the spell. Stay here, stay with me."
"Hush!" Raistlin rose, his own anger fuelling him, making Dalamar shrink in on himself somewhat. "You don't know what you are saying!"
"Yes I do! Defy her. You are not her servant!"
"Do not try to stop me, Dalamar. Please! She will kill you if."
"I don't care what she will do to me! I want you to stay with me! You said you didn't want to go!"
"I don't."
"Then stop being such a coward! I never knew you were so weak-." Dalamar was cut off by a sharp blow across his face. It shouldn't have been strong enough to throw him to the ground, but it had caught him off guard. He hit his head on the floor, cutting his brow.
"Dalamar, I'm sorry." Raistlin, shocked, tried to get closer to help him up, but Dalamar scuttled away and brought himself back to his feet, holding his wounded forehead. Raistlin could feel his chest tightening, the cough ready to spring on him. "Dalamar."
"I am sorry for speaking out of line, Shalafi. It will not happen again." Dalamar had once again become the obedient apprentice, the indifferent student he had not been since Raistlin's return. It broke Raistlin's heart to hear his lover speak to him like that, to just take orders when Raistlin knew well enough that the strong willed Dark Elf wanted argue or question. But that was not the way of a submissive servant.
"You don't need to be sorry, Dalamar. I should be. I should not have struck you."
Dalamar bowed respectfully. "I am grateful for your apologies, Shalafi. If you will excuse me, I will send word to Par-Salian of my resignation from your services." He bowed again and turned to leave.
"Don't," Raistlin said when Dalamar was almost out of the room. Once again, Raistlin felt Dalamar's wish to question. However, all he did was nod and continue out of the door.
Raistlin was once again alone.