Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer:  Y'all know the drill.  No new people (that aren't mine) yet.  Yada yada yada.

            When Nire started school, as she did every year, she got two new outfits and whatever school supplies her mother was willing to buy.  Kerry, on the other hand, got three or four new outfits, and whatever school supplies she wanted.  Nire just sighed and rolled her eyes at this.  She was beyond caring.

            At school, she was excited to be in middle school.  Now, she might learn something, not be retaught knowledge she had known since kindergarten.  Of course, she was mostly wrong.  Out of the five academic teachers, she only liked one of them, Miss V., the English teacher.  She was a little younger than Nire's older brother.  The rest of the academic teachers didn't really like Nire, and she didn't like them.  She didn't like the gym or health teachers, either.  Mrs. Sokol only liked the athletic kids, and Mr. Cullen was just an ass, period.

            Related arts went in five cycles.  Right now, she was in music.  So far, she liked Mr. D. okay enough.  As always, Nire was in both chorus and band as extracurricular activities.  She thought this would be a good year.  Especially since she was now changing classes, and wasn't in the same room with the same group of kids all day.  She didn't even mind that there was no recess.  What she didn't like was that there was a lot of homework, because they were 'preparing' the sixth graders for seventh grade.

            The one person in that building that Nire really liked was the school librarian, Mrs. Quinn.  Nire spent almost every day, after school, in the library until it closed.  By then, her mother would generally be ready to drive her home.  Her mother tended to stay late, doing paperwork.  As far as Nire was concerned, the whole arrangement was stupid.  Her property bordered the school's, which meant she could walk to school.  But her mother didn't want her home alone, so she was stuck.

            Gar and Alea were on another planet again -a lost colony.  As usual, they wouldn't let her come visit t hem.  The last planet they had been on had been relatively quick, but this one might take years.  Needless to say, Nire was pretty damn pissed.

            Raistlin, she saw pretty often.  Every afternoon, right before dark, she would go visit him, and do her homework there.  It was so much quieter than her house.  Nire needed noise to work, but she needed her kind of noise.  Either music, or her talking to someone.  Or, a TV, of course.  But, she could not work with her sister popping in on her, or her father doing the same.  Those two people just pissed the hell out of Nire.

            Of course, she saw the other guys on Krynn at least once a week.  She had to keep up her fighting skills, obviously.  She hadn't been to Waterdeep lately, so, of course, she hadn't seen any of the people associated with Blackstaff.  Although Nire had said that she wouldn't be able to 'wander' with Jander anymore, she still did, for one or two hours a night.  In fact, she had gone back the next day, immediately before the sun had set.

            As soon as she sat down, Jander came out to see her, even though there was still a little bit of sunlight.

            "You better have a really good story to tell him," he said, sitting down beside her, "or else I don't think I can do this."

            "Do you want to go inside?" Nire asked him, a bit concerned.

            Jander shook his head.  "I can handle the five minutes it will take for it to set.  Well?"

            She had already come up with something she found plausible.  "Okay.  You're a night owl just because you are.  Some people are naturally like that, so you don't have to worry about that.  You have to go off and  be alone for a while at some point during the night to perform some ritual.  You don't like prying questions about the aforementioned ritual - it's very secret and sacred, or something."

            She seemed done, so Jander asked, "What about why I don't eat?"

            Nire shrugged.  "Let 'im think what he wants to think."

            Jander cocked his head slightly.  "Well, he's waking up, so we can't discuss it anymore."

            Nire searched Jander's face.  "You didn't have to say yes, you know."

            He blinked at her.  "I know."  Jander was absolutely dying to find out what as with this sudden change in Nire.  First, an actually voluntary hug that she initiated.  Now, this.  He was mystified.  But, he couldn't come up with something suitable to ask that wouldn't piss her off.

            "Hey man, y'okay?"

            Jander realized that he had zoned again, and snapped himself back,  "What?  Oh, I'm fine.  Just thinking…"

*  *  *  *  *

            Azrael, of course, accepted their explanation and respected their privacy.  Or, he just didn't care.  Nire thought that was the more likely probability.  He was distant, apathetic, and ambiguous.

            "This is what you've been dealing with for the past two years?" she quietly asked Jander one night.  She had known that she wasn't easy to handle, but hadn't known just how wearying and exasperating someone like her was, until now.

            "What do you mean?" Jander asked quizzically.

            "I see myself in him.  How could you have handled me, put up with me?  How can you, now?"

            Jander detected an undertone in Nire's voice that he had never heard before, and couldn't place.  You have no idea how much I needed a friend just then, little one. "Plus, you didn't and don't shut people out completely - you at least pretend to listen and answer."  He dared to sling an arm around Nire's shoulder, knowing that she needed cheering up for some reason.  She did one of her 'tense-up-then-quickly-relax' things.  "You're Nire.  Who couldn't like you, even in you standoffishness?"

            "You'd be surprised," she muttered, concentrating on Azrael's back, a couple yards ahead of them.

            "What happened, little one?" he asked her softly.

            Nire's head snapped around to face him as they walked.  "Nothing.  Why?"

            "You just seem…I don't know…sorry I asked.  I didn't mean to pry."  With Nire, just asking that little was prying.

            "That's okay." She smiled up at him.  "Going back to school just made me realize what a town of assholes I live in."  As usual, the teachers didn't like her very much, even though she had done nothing to earn their animosity.  Over the summer, she managed to forget things like that.  In a quick subject change, she said, "How old are you?"

            "What?"

            "How old are you?"

            "Why?'  This was a touch subject for him.  In fact, anything having to do with his vampirism was a touchy subject.  Usually, Nire was pretty good about that.

            Perhaps she sensed that, because she grinned at him and teasingly said, "I'm trying to see if you have a good excuse for not being able to swordfight.  Like, maybe you were just-just brought across."  She was talking quietly enough so that only his ears could pick up what she was saying.

            Jander smiled at his young companion.  "It's not that I can't fight, I'm just not as good as you."

            "Which is sad," Nire interrupted.

            "Nit it's not.  Why would I need to know how to swordfight?  If I meet anyone I can't…deal with, then that would not help."

            "Because it's fun."

            "Fighting and killing is never fun, little one."

            "Killing…I don't know about that.  I've never killed anyone.  But fighting…" Nire grinned.  "When it's against a friend and you know you won't be killed, then it's fun.  When you're learning from a friend, it's fun.  When you're finally beating you master, it's fun.  I would have thought you would have understood that."

            Jander smiled at his young friend, glad to know she understood that.  "Yes, Id did, but I wanted to know if you did."

            "See?  I do have some morals.  But it's still a travesty that I could probably kick the shit out of you."

            "No you couldn't," he said, showing her a hint of fang as a reminder.  He was pretty sure by now that something like this wouldn't freak her out, that she thought it was kind of cool.

            "I bet I still could," she said stubbornly.  "You have no idea what the guys have been teaching me."

            "You're bluffing.'

            "Am not."  Of course, she was.  "Hey Azrael!  Who do you think would win in a fight?  Me or Jander?"

            "Jander," came the sullen reply.

            "Why?" she asked.  Although he hadn't seen her fight an actual person, she often spent a few moments while Jander was hunting practicing against invisible people.

            "Because," he told her nastily, "you're only eleven.  He's got at least a century of experience on you.  I bet even I could kick the shit out of you."  He unconsciously mirrored her phrase.

            Nire's eyes narrowed in anger, a dangerous sign.  "Nire…" Jander tried to warn her, but she ignored him.  As usual.

            "How much are you willing to bet on that?"

            Azrael shrugged indifferently.  "How much are you willing to lose."

            Nire actually paused to consider for a moment.  "Fuck the bet.  Just prove it.  Or is your mouth writing checks that your ass can't catch?"

            Azrael crinkled his brow and looked at Jander.  Jander just shrugged.  Not even he understood everything that came out of Nire's mouth.  "I think she means are you saying things that you can't prove.  Or maybe that are untrue."  He looked expectantly at Nire to confirm him.

            "Yeah.  Exactly.  Well?"

            Azrael glared at her.  "Fine."  He spread his arms.  "Let's go."

            Nire, what are you doing?  You're either going to embarrass him y beating him up or get hurt.

            Don't worry, man.  Can't you fell how mad he is at the world?  I'll let him beat me up for a couple minutes, then still figure out how to win without making him look stupid.

            Very diplomatic of you.

            Fuck off, it's common sense.   "Well?" she said aloud as the conversation in her head was going on.  "Weapons?  Hand to hand?  What do you prefer?"

            "Hand to hand," was the answer.  "I don't have any weapons."

            "That doesn't mean I couldn't get you some.  But bring it on, anyways.  G'outa the way, Jander."

            The elven vampire slightly backed off, trusting Nire's account of her own abilities.  He watched as they circled each other warily.  Azrael threw a couple punches at her, which she blocked easily.  Nire didn't return them, content to wait until she felt the time to be right.  She knew how to street-fight, and she knew that timing was always the key.

            "Hey, we forgot winning.  Who wins?  First one down?"

            "First one knocked out loses."

            Azrael suddenly rushed her, throwing a flurry of punches.  She blocked a few, but some weak ones still got past her defenses.  She winced in pain from one, one that got through by accident, that she didn't pick and choose.  She returned the barrage with a few half-hearted kicks of her own.  One got through, scoring a hit on his shin with her tow.  Jander could see that she wasn't trying.  To him, it was obvious, but he hoped that Azrael wouldn't see it.  He watched with interest as she let the angry teen throw her, starting to be impressed with both of them.  Nire knew how to take hits and falls so she didn't get hurt.  Azrael knew more fighting styles than just street-fighting.  Jander surmised that this was because he had to know how to beat people bigger than him, and when using street techniques, that was never a sure thing.  The bigger person usually won.

            Nire took fall after fall and hit upon hit, all in good humor.  She was getting tired, of course.  Yes, she could fight, but she still wasn't athletic.  Caramon and Tanis were working on that with her, trying to build up her endurance.  It was slow going.

            "Fuck!" she burst out as he kicked her in the shoulder.  "That actually hurt!"

            For Nire, the game was up.  She was done playing around, done letting Azrael beat on her to relieve his anger at the world.  She drew his attention to her hands, throwing punches as fast as she could.  He blocked some, deflected others, but wasn't able to return anything.  She completed the intent of her attack, sweeping his feet out from under him, causing him to drop.  When he stood up again, she was ready, and slammed a fist into his temple.  He dropped, dazed.

            "Do I win?" Nire asked, crouching next to him for an answer.

            Jander could sense Azrael beginning to think about getting up and continuing the fight.  In fact, the teen shook his head, telling Nire that there was no way in the Nine Hells she won.

            "Don't be a fool," the vampire snapped.  "She beat you fair and square, so let it go.  A fluke, maybe.  But she's still got you down, and in a real fight, you would be dead by now.  Quit while you're still conscious."

            Azrael grudgingly said, "Fine.  Whatever.  You're pretty good for a little kid."

            Jander drew in a breath, expecting Nire to be angry, but she just grinned and offered him a hand up. 
"Thanks.  You're pretty damn good yourself.  That's not just street-fighting you used."

            Jander wasn't sure whether Nire was being sincere, or trying to make Azrael feel better, or both.

            Azrael shrugged at Nire's comment.  "Had to be able to beat the bigger bullies somehow."

            "I bet we would make a kick-ass team," Nire said with approval.  She checked her watch, seeing that it was quarter after eleven.  "Anyways, I gotta go, guys.  Time for me to go beddy-bye."

            "Good night, Nire," Jander said, "and sweet dreams."

            "Talk to you later, peoples," she said before popping out of existence.

*  *  *  *  *

            It was nearing Nire's birthday, and thus Yuletide.  Nire was debating talking to Coryn about the other worlds, and bringing her to meet the guys.  This was appearing to be the first friendship Nire had that would last.  She and Coryn were tight.

            Jander had gated to Waterdeep one early evening, to the music shop.  Luckily, the flute Nire had loved so much was still there.  The shopkeeper didn't recognize him as the vampire that had fled months before, and sold him the instrument.  Jander even managed to haggle the price down to something reasonable.  During the daytime, instead of sleeping from dusk to dawn, he had been working industriously on carving a case for the flute.

            Nire, herself, had spent a goodly amount of time running around Waterdeep, trying to find gifts for everyone.  She was not good at selecting presents for people at all.  In fact, she down right sucked.  Her usual method was to go to a dollar store and buy generic items for everyone.  But she couldn't do that in these other worlds.  In the end, she decided she would buy candy from her world for everyone, but Jander, Raistlin, and Azrael.  For Azrael, she had found a stud for the piercing she had noticed was in his ear, a hole that was never filled.  As for Jander and Raistlin, she just didn't know yet.

            Wandering Waterdeep, searching for gifts for her two favorite people, she ran into various people she had been avoiding - namely, Khelben, Laeral, Danilo, and Arilyn.  They were all…interesting occurrences.  Her conversations with Khelben and Danilo were relatively okay, an exchange of pleasantries, and offers for dinner or tea some time soon, which Nire politely declined.

            The run-in with Laeral was a bit more disconcerting, because Jander happened to be with her at the time.  It was right before Halloween.  She had convinced him to come to Waterdeep with her and search for some final touches for her costume - a wizard.  She couldn't buy anything big - that would be suspicious - but she could buy accessories.

            She had convinced Jander that no one would manage to recognize him, and that he should come with her to help her find stuff.  They left Azrael at the inn he and Jander were staying at and gated to the streets of Waterdeep.

            Everything was going fine, they were having fun, and nobody was recognizing the elven vampire.  She was laughing hysterically at something he had just said, tears of mirth running down her face, as they stepped into a jewelry store to find a medallion she could wear.  Jander was smiling, something rare for him, about to say something else, as a woman came into view in front of one of the cases.

            "Hello, Nire," Laeral said when she noticed the two people who had entered the shop.

            Nire sobered up quickly and watched as the happiness quickly faded from Jander's face.  Almost automatically, he quickly fashioned a gate and disappeared.

            Sorry Nire, he apologized from the inn.

            Nire glared at Laeral.  "Thanks a lot," she said sarcastically.  "He was finally in a good mood for once."

            The lady mage did not apologize.  "How are you tonight?"

            "Fine," was the short answer.  Nire spied a medallion that would work and strode over to it.  She realized that the mage had been talking to her, but she had tuned her out as she often did to people.

            "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.  What did you say?"

            "I just asked if there was anything in particular you were looking for, but you appear to have found it."  Laeral smiled at the girl.

            "Yeah.  Need accessories for a costume."  She quickly paid for the cheap object.  "See ya later.'  She walked out of the store, then behind it, going back to Jander's room in the inn.

            "This is what I got," she said, tossing the gaudy item on the bed.  "Think it's gaudy enough?"

            Jander glanced up from the intricate carvings he was detailing on a jewelry box.  "Sure."

            "I figure, if we wait until tomorrow, we can go back and finish.  'Kay?"

            Jander put down the box and his knife.  "I don't know, Nire…I mean…"

            "Come on, man.  It was a fluke.  What are the odds that two days in a row…that someone will recognize you?  I hate to disappoint you, but you're not all that remarkable."

            Nire could detect a faint, faint smile on his face, not so much a smile as Jander's own personal version of a smile.  "All right.  Tomorrow night."

            "Yippy skippy!"

            "And that is just the strangest phrase I have ever heard."  Azrael wandered into Jander's room.  "Back all ready?"  He had been slowly allowing the barriers around himself to fall as he grew to know the two friends better.   He had begun to view Nire as a little sister, which was, surprisingly, fine with her.

            "Yes indeedily doo it is, and we are."  She grinned at him.

            "Where do you come up with these things?" the XP-er asked.  "Anyway, can I have some money?"

            "Why?" Jander asked.  "Don't you have your own?"

            Azrael shrugged.  "Cuz I'm hungry, and I did, but now I don't.  Even though you may somehow survive without food, we need to eat.  Aren't you hungry, Nire?"

            Nire, always eager to rag on Jander, said, "Starving, and broke."

            Jander shook his head.  "The two of you are awful."  He took out his money pouch and handed Nire a handful of coins.  "I want the change back."

            Nire grinned.  "Thanks man."

            Jander picked up the box and the knife again as the two kids walked out of the room.  He had made arrangements with the owner to let the three of them have whatever they wanted for food, and let them use the kitchens after everyone else was asleep.  These arrangements basically involved money and promises on Jander's part.

            In the tavern, Azrael and Nire sat down at a table, and one of the barmaids immediately came over.  They ordered their usual, making the young woman smile at the self-assured kids.

            "Hey Nire," Azrael said cautiously, "how long have you known Jander?"

            "I dunno.  A couple years I guess.  Why?"  To Jander, she said, Jander, he's asking questions.  What do you want me to say?

            She felt his surprise at the fact that she had asked.  Mortal.  Make me seem mortal.

            "Doesn't he seem a bit strange to you?"

            "Sure, Az, but that's just Jander.  He's strange down to the marrow of his bones."

            "Have you ever seen him eat?"

            Their food was done, and Nire waited to answer until their plates had been put in front of them and she had taken a bite of her cheeseburger.

            "Sure he eats, he just doesn't eat around you."  Or her, for that matter.  He was still extremely worried about exhibiting any vampiric behavior around her.

            "Yes, but…"

            "Trust me," Nire interrupted him.  "Jander is normal to the point of it being ridiculous.  He has his little oddities, but, my Gawd, he's boringly normal."

            Azrael nodded.  "Are you shitting me or giving my the straight up?"  That was a phrase he had picked up from Nire.

            "Straight as an arrow shot from an elven bow."  A moment of sadness passed invisibly over Nire when she realized just how easily lying came to her.

            Azrael nodded again and they fell to their meals, eating with the gusto that only the young could manage.

            So, that was one of the more interesting meetings with Laeral.  When she happened to bump into, literally, Arilyn, she was all alone.  She was walking backwards down the street, skillfully avoiding the people, when someone stepped out of a door, and Nire backed right into her.  The person fell down, and Nire stumbled back a couple steps, missing the person's hands by a few millimeters.

            "Sorry," Nire said automatically.  Then she realized whom she had run over.  "Hey Arilyn."

            She offered the half-elf a hand up, but was ignored.  "Watch where you're going, next time," came the hostile response.

            "Touché.  I suppose I shall.  Have a nice day."  Nire used the techniques she had been working on to disappear into the people on the street.  The next time she saw Arilyn was in a small-weapons shop.  She was looking at daggers out of boredom, sick of shopping, but not wanting to see people she knew again.

            "Nire."  It was a greeting of noticement, nothing else.

            Talking to Nire when she was in a semi-bad mood, as she was now, was never a good thing.  "Arilyn."  It was the same type of greeting, but Nire continued on.  "If you're talking to me just so you can make comments about my choice in friends, try to put me down, make snide remarks, or be cruel in any other way, don't bother.  Close your pretty little mouth right now and walk away."

            Nire watched the half-elf's blue eyes go steely and her face harden into an uncompromising mask.  "What do you expect?" Arilyn started.

            "No.  Don't even start.  This had been a really bad day.  Do not bullshit me right now."  She fixed Arilyn with a glare.  "I can read almost every single thought that goes across your face."  And this was true, having lots of practice with Jander and Azrael and Raistlin.  "Shall I address some of them right now?  Let's see…You're wondering if I'm still wandering the road with him, and the answer is, yes.  You want to know how I can stand to be around such evil, and I reply, because he's not.  Now you wonder if I'm one of them." Nire paused to laugh at that.  "That is the dumbest question I have ever seen.  You see, vampires don't grow.  No sane nosferatu would bring across a child, no matter what the circumstances.  Now you're wondering what sort of bug is up my ass, and if I'm using telepathy on you.  To the telepathy, the answer is no, I don't need to.

            "And as for the bug up my ass, I'll tell you what's happened.  I got three hours of sleep last night, the had to spend almost seven hours surrounded by people who hate me.  I get home, and my sister's being a complete and total bitch to me.  My parents are both on her side; as usual we get in a screaming match, and guess which kid gets sent to her room?  That's right, me.  I come here, and Jander is too busy to talk to me.  Everybody seems to be too damn busy, or in a bad mood, and no, I don't want to be taking any bullshit form you and your damn high-and-mighty attitude."

            Nire waited for a response, but there was none forthcoming.  "What?  Finally speechless?"

            Arilyn sighed.  "Look kid, let's call a truce, okay?  This is getting stupid."

            "Well, duh, but you didn't seem to see that before."

            "Fine.  I wave the white flag.  All insults stop now.  Deal?"

            "Deal," Nire said cautiously and shook the proffered hand.

            So now, four days before Nire's birthday, December 11th in her world, Arilyn and Nire were having a wary truce.  Nire dragged Azrael with her back to Waterdeep.

            "Az, you gotta come with me.  I suck at picking out presents for people.  C'mon.  Please?"

            Azrael sighed and shook his head.  "Fine.  Only for a little while, okay?  An hour at the most."

            "Fine.  Just help me find something.  I've only got a couple more days."

            And thus they wandered, searching futilely.  Azrael had to admit; it was difficult to find something for the distant elf.  They came up empty-handed two hours later.  Nothing seemed right to either of them, so they returned.  It wasn't that cold, and there was no snow, so they were on the road again.

            Jander wasn't there, and Azrael set about making his own supper.  Nire 'listened' for Jander, to see what he was doing.  She found that he wasn't hunting, he had already fed.  That showed as a feeling of full contentment.  He was standing somewhere, enjoying the landscape.

            "Hey Az, I'll be back in a little bit, okay?"

            'Yeah, sure, whatever."

            Nire slipped into the forest, following the 'feel' of Jander.  The easiest way to find something for the elven vampire was to ask him.  She walked as quiet as she could, which was silent to a human, slightly noisier to an elf, and obvious to a vampire.  So he knew that she was coming, and knew it was her.

            "Hi Nire," he said when she found him.  There was an aura of sadness around him, more noticeable than it usually was.  Nire was immediately glad she had come.

            "Hey," she said, moving forward to stand next to him.  "What are you looking at?"

            "Just…I don't know.  Nothing, I guess.'

            Nire nodded.  "Yeah, I understand."

            They stood silently for a little bit.  Nire was planning o springing her question on him, knowing that he would answer truthfully out of surprise.

            After waiting what she judged to be a suitable amount of time, she said, "What do you want more than anything else in the world for Yule?" (A/N: I don't know if that's the right term for the winter holiday in Faerûn, but I'm going to use it anyway.)

            Without thinking, he said quietly, sadly, "To be mortal again."  His eyes widened when he realized what he had said.  That was his deepest secret, his fondest wish.  To have said it out loud seemed to make it dirty, to sully it.

            "Let's concentrate on something I can get within the tenday."

            "Don't even jest about something like that," he said severely, to her intimation that it might be possible.

            "How do you know I'm not serious?" she said with a grin.

            "Nire," he growled warningly.

            "Okay, okay, I give.  I'm sorry." She wasn't about to get into a fight over something so stupid.  But she would definitely talk to Raistlin about this.  There had to be something…

            She took a gamble and asked a question.  "But is it really mortality you want, or to be rid of the…downsides of being a vampire?"

            Jander looked her up and down, trying to decide if she was being serious, and really wanted to know. Judging that she was, he responded, "Mortal."

            "Would you mind if I asked why?  I mean, you don't have to answer, but…" She looked up at him, showing clear interest, but no sympathy or pity.  That would have angered him.

            Jander studied her again.  Nire was slowly changing, becoming more friendly.  Each new little thing surprised him even more.  He decided to answer her, to encourage this new thing that was happening.

            "Because I'm sick of seeing my friends die.  I'll have to watch you grow old and die, the same with Azrael, and many more people to come."

            "Yeah but, you'd have to anyways.  I mean, you're an elf, and we're all human.  Most of your friends are human.  Oh, Jesus.'  Now Nire's eyes showed sadness.  "For once, I'm glad of being one of the short-lived races.'

            Jander twitched his lips in a wistful, quick half-smile.  He had never thought of that point.  Just that one comment made him rethink his whole view of immortality.  If he didn't have the vampiric downsides, as Nire termed it, immortality might be kind of fun.  Just imagine everything I could do, he thought briefly.  But then he was back in his deep blue funk.

            "I don't know, Nire.  I just don't know anymore.  Thank you for messing up my nice strong views."

            "Hey man," Nire said gently, surprisingly so for her.  "Whatever it is, it will be all right.'

            She gave him a one-armed hug.  Nire knew what people needed; she just never gave it to them, because nobody would give it to her.  That's what Jander needed right then, and Nire made an exception and hugged him.  Inside, Jander smiled at this.  Being around Nire was sort of like being around a dog that had been beaten, and teaching it to trust humanoids again.  And it gave him the most satisfied feeling every time she did something like that.

            "Yes, little one, I suppose it shall.  I suppose it shall."  He ruffled her hair a little, and she didn't pull away from under his hand.  She was one step closer to trusting people again.