Chapter Three
Camadrie

A few weeks later

Raistlin was as relieved as Tanin and Sturm when they finally caught sight of Crystalmir Lake and the huge vallenwoods. Sliding off the horse as they were a day out still, he said, "I think we could use a well-deserved rest."

Tanin slid off his horse. Just as he hit the ground an arrow buried itself right in front of Raistlin's foot. "Aye, and a good time for a rest, it be, wizard. Now, why don't you tell your other guard to get off his horse, too?"

Raistlin said to a reluctant Sturm, "Get off your horse."

"But Pal–"

"Now!" he tried to keep his voice from his usual sharpness, but didn't succeed.

Sturm clambered down from the horse and stood on the ground. "Better," came the voice again. "Now, throw down your weapons."

At this Raistlin hesitated, "You would deprive me of my support?"

"You can stand well enough on your own two feet, I saw you," said the voice of the bandit. "Or mayhaps you would prefer an arrow in your leg to make it a necessity?"

The two brothers moved it front of Raistlin, but Raistlin already had his right hand held up in preparation of a spell. Darts of purple flew towards the speaker, and with a grunt he stopped speaking. Arrows started to rain down, but Raistlin already was in the midst of another spell.

"Ast uli strol arol!" he yelled out as the protective spell took hold.

Repeating it twice more, the same glow surrounded the two brothers. Tanin looked at him with a curious expression, but was soon finding himself in the midst of a battle when the bandits realized that the arrows now had no effect. Allowing himself a quick smirk for thinking of using Protection from Normal Missiles, and then swung his staff in an arc to fend off the bandit.

Shortly after it began the battle was over. Raistlin stared down at the blank eyes of the dead bandit that had his skull cracked open when the Staff of Magius had arced down to strike a blow squarely on the top of his head. The face was of a young man barely into adulthood. Such a waste... Raistlin bent down and closed the boy's eyes with a small sigh as he ran his other hand down his own face.

"Are you all right, Palin?" asked Sturm.

"Yes," answered Raistlin as he grasped the Staff.

Raistlin mounted his horse and said, "Perhaps this isn't such a great place to camp after all. Come on, let's just go home."

Tanin watched him silently. Never before had he seen magic like that, especially from Palin. Now, while he knew that Palin had likely been holding back what he could do until after the Test, but even he knew that there was no way that Palin should have been able to cast the spells that he had.

Especially three times in a row.

Granted, that had saved them from a serious wounding, perhaps even death. He shook that thought off. If he wasn't Palin, then who in the Abyss was he truly? Stop that, he chided himself. You're being paranoid. Of course it's Palin. You're just being oversensitive!

One hard ride through pitch dark, lit only by the light of the Staff of Magius, and in the morning three utterly exhausted young men arrived in Solace. Dismounting and taking the horses into the stable, Tanin listened as Palin talked to their father. Sturm had already left, presumably to bed. "You're bleeding," said Caramon. "What happened?"

"A group of bandits attacked while we were setting up camp about a twelve hour ride from here," answered Palin, then, as if to placate their father, his voice timbre changed. "Don't worry. We are not hurt. In fact, I should think the bandits came out worse for wear."

"How many were there?"

"Only five," and was that a snort from Palin.

Only five, brother, thought Tanin, knowing full well that there had been many more. And if Palin was calling what they had 'only'... but he listened, whispering to the horses to be quiet so that he could hear. He closed his eyes. There was just something off about Palin. Tanin cursed. There could only be one explanation.

The man out there, the wizard, was not his younger brother Palin. He carried himself with too much experience, too much maturity. Too calm. Then there was the concern about the skills. He stilled himself as he listened. Now that he was listening for differences, there was a definite accent to the voice, it was a bit... cultured. A bit biting, too. It was extremely subtle but Palin had certainly never talked to Caramon like that; like he was equal or used to giving orders and having them followed.

Who in the Abyss are you? thought Tanin questioningly, curiously. If the man wore White Robes, it meant he followed the Gods of Good. He tried to place the accent. It sounded sort of like that Dalamar character, only without the elven accent like Tanis. Not to mention that Dalamar had been a bit deferential to him. Kind of like... Justarius. Palanthas! It had to be a Palanthian accent. But there were no White Robes in Palanthas...

Then little inconsquential things began to add together. First, there was the Staff. A gift from their Uncle, eh? Tanin didn't think so. He rather suspected that Palin had ordered Dalamar to bring him the Staff. That left only one person on Krynn...

Who in the Abyss indeed! Tanin sucked in a breath. No. He's dead. It couldn't be. But the more he listened the more his heartbeat began to race. If he was here then where was Palin? And why the charade?

The first instinct was to run to his mother and tell her. Then he realized, that like his father, she believed that he was Palin. They would never believe him, and then Raistlin would know. And somehow he had a feeling that getting on his Uncle's bad side would be a very, very bad thing indeed.

Tanin finished with the horses then came out to see his father and Uncle. Stopping he now could see the similiarities, but also the differences. Raistlin's hair was dark and, if you looked close, was more a deep, deep chestnut brown with golden highlights than Palin's lighter, but also dark brown and red hair. Raistlin also was paler where Palin had always had a light tan. Raistlin looked as if he hadn't seen sun in a while. He was also far thinner than Palin, with more graceful features. Tanin wondered how much of their Aunt Kitiara was in Raistlin.

But damn, they even moved the same. It was no wonder none of them had connected it. Palin and Raistlin, when nervous, did the same little figity twitch with toying with the hem of their sleeves with their arms crossed. They looked over at Tanin, and Caramon smiled, "Palin tells me you had quite the adventure."

"Um, yeah," said Tanin looking from his father to his Uncle. "It was certainly that. But if it weren't for Palin's spells we would have rather dead by now."

Caramon looked at Raistlin and poked him in the ribs. It was funny how Raistlin seemed a bit more... nicer than everyone told Tanin he would be. He followed them up the stairs and into the Inn of the Last Home's common room. Raistlin seemed to stop dead when the full force of the activity and the noise hit him like a wall.

He took a breath, and seeing that 'look' from his nephew, steeled himself and walked in. Tanin had been watching him ever since the last battle. He hoped it didn't mean what he thought it meant. "Palin?" said Tanin suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Yes," said Raistlin cautiously as he followed Tanin back out and down to the stables again.

Finally, when there, he watched Tanin pace as he tried to find the words, "You are not Palin."

"Oh?" Drat. It was what he suspected. "Then who am I?"

"I don't know how, and I only suspect when, but I think you're my Uncle Raistlin."

Raistlin was quick. Tanin had to give him that. In one quick motion, Raistlin had turned back to his gold skin and white hair in a twitch of one eye and Tanin found himself against a wall with Raistlin's golden skinned hand on his mouth. The look in the gold eyes were of a mix of anger and concern, "Don't ever speak that name aloud. Do I make myself clear?"

Tanin nodded and Raistlin turned back to the normal looking Palin look-a-like. Or, now that he had seen Raistlin, it was the other way around...? "Why?"

"I did it to protect you all," he answered.

Tanin blinked. "Okay, I'll bite that, for now. How about when?"

"During the Test. The Dark Queen interfered to lure me... ah... our Uncle out of hiding. Oh, it worked. But then he killed..." Raistlin stopped and let his head drop in regret. "I failed him as I failed my brother. I don't really remember how, but I woke up for a few minutes on the floor of my lab. I guess a few days later I woke here, and everyone thought me your brother. I saw the pride, and their love, and I couldn't tell them what truly happened."

Tanin could only stare in disbelief, "Palin... Palin died?"

Raistlin nodded, "She killed him, all to hurt me. Oh, and it worked. But I was so proud of him. You know he never once begged for his life? Or tried to bargain for it?"

Tanin sat down in the hay, and the soft voice of his Uncle said with surprising softness, "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Standing again Tanin embraced his Uncle in a tight hug, burying his head in the rough fabric of his White Robe before breaking into tears over his brother, and of relief in finding that his long thought dead Uncle was alive. For a long moment, Raistlin wasn't sure what to do. No one had ever sought consolation from him. He looked around, his arms up, but not touching his nephew. He felt for him, as his grief over his brother was to be expected. Raistlin put his hands around his nephew's shoulder's and said, "You'll see him again, someday. Perhaps he even watches over you." Okay, now what should I say? Something prodded him in the right direction. "He wouldn't want you to grieve, I think he would want you to be happy."

Finally Tanin moved out of his Uncle's arms and Raistlin looked at Tanin, his hands still on his shoulders. "Now, listen to me. You can't tell anyone about me. The minute you do, I'm dead. The Wizards of Wayreth will be on me within days, and trust me, they won't be above hamstringing me in the middle of town square, got it?"

Tanin nodded. "What about father?"

"Nor him," answered Raistlin. "He's too honest. Now, come on, all it would take is one person asking how his son the wizard is, and he would crack. You and I both know that."

Finally, he got a nod out of Tanin, "Now, I think I hear someone on the stairs, we should head back. Oh, and that stirrup on Sturm's horse could use mending, by the way."

"Um... where are we going after we rest up?" asked Tanin as Sturm came in.

Looking at Sturm and Tanin, he answered, "I'm not sure. I guess we could stay for awhile, unless there was somewhere you two want to see."

"Well, I just thought that wizards had to travel to get better at their art," said Tanin curiously.

Raistlin laughed, "No, that's the bards. Until I find a Master to tie myself down with, I'm free to go where I choose. But after I'll be tied down to what my Master does."

There was two very confused gazes. "Apprenticeship," he answered with a shrug. "Until I find a Master that will take me, I am pretty well left to my own devices."

They nodded in understanding. "Father says he would like to head to Haven for a small shopping trip," pointed out Sturm. "I would like to go with him. Any takers?"

Tanin and Raistlin looked at each other and it was Raistlin who answered, "I think I'll pass. It's almost summer I noticed I didn't plant a herb garden yet. If I want spell components and not have to buy them, I really should."

"Okay, any requests on seeds?" asked Sturm, and Raistlin suddenly realized that Sturm was likely who Palin sent for such things.

"Uh, yes. Marjoram, rosemary," Raistlin ticked them all off mentally. "Actually, give me a second to think on that one."

Sturm turned to Tanin, "So, what about you?"

"I'll pass too. Palin might need something in the way of brute strength, or a errand runner, or Mother will filet me... you know, the same old," Tanin said drily.

Raistlin caught himself before he might have said what he used to say to Caramon, and in so doing caught not only the tone that it was said, but also the last bit of Tanin's comment. For a moment, he simply sputtered, but a sly smile spread across his features. "Oh? That time of the month again?" he said, also drily.

The two elder brothers, especially Tanin, stared at him, then cracked up laughing. Raistlin couldn't help himself but snickered softly along with them. He had to admit that this second chance was significantly better than the last.

The bandit from the fight limped back to the hideout. When he limped in, the leader asked, "Where're the others?"

"Dead, Regnar," he answered. "All of them. I barely escaped with my life. I had to fake that I was dead when the wizard knifed me."

This brought murmurs, and Regnar silenced them all with a sharp sweep of his hand, "Wizard, you say? Did you catch his name?"

"Yeah, his name's Palin, and his two brothers or bodyguards are Sturm and Tanin," he answered.

Regnar leaned back, "You ran into the three sons of Caramon Majere?"

The surviving bandit's eyes went wide. "You're tellin' me that I had a run in with a Majere wizardling? He could have fooled me. Took out our half-orc with one spell. There was nothing left but his boots, and they were crispy!"

Regnar lifted a brow, "Well, duh. He's the nephew of Raistlin Majere. What in the Abyss do you expect. Well, he kilt me brother. We'll just have to kill him."

Raistlin spend the better part of the morning of the next day after Caramon and Sturm left just planning where things would go. Tika had graciously allowed him a sizable plot so long as he held to his usual deal; half of his edible herbs were used for cooking in the Inn. Half of said herbs, if dried properly, would last the Inn a year. The other half would last Raistlin, if he was frugal, far longer than that such was the size of his plot.

And so he planned. He decided to split the garden in half and clearly mark what was the edible side and what was not. Then he had to think of a 'wind wall' to prevent cross breeding, which, if mixed between a species poisonous and not would not only create a hybrid that wouldn't be predictable in magic, but could also be hazardous to one's health. Finally, with tablet in hand he walked back up the stairs of the Inn. Walking through the common room and greeting those who greeted him, he went into his bedroom and sighed in the quiet. Opening the shutters to let in some sunlight he sat down at his desk and opened one of Palin's spellbooks.

Oh, by all the Gods of Magic... he could only stare, then close the book and sigh. No wonder Tanin had figured him out. Palin had a collection of maybe four spells, and not one of them being Protection from Normal Missiles. Not only that but none of them were anywhere remotely close to what Raistlin knew. Raistlin cursed. At least he had one more memorized use of it. Taking a quill pen in his hand and some ink, he sat quietly for a second and began to write the words of magic in the book, speaking aloud the words of the spell as he did so.

Once finished he watched as the magic flames burnt the words into the thick paper, and knew that he had successfully copied the spell into his own spellbook. Granted, that meant that he now did not have that spell memorized any more, but at least he could do it again. Deciding to lock the door, he sat down and began at the lowest of his own spells to copy out. Once he had gone through the entirety of the book, he rubbed his eyes, and looked out into the now darkening sky.

Standing up, and grasping the table from the sudden dizziness, he slowly made it to the door and unlocked it. Afterwards he sat back down heavily. Tanin came in and ran over in concern, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, just tired," he answered, then smiled and pointed to the books on the table. "I just spent the day copying my spells that I have memorized into that book so that if I use them, I can memorize them again."

"Mother was concerned, but I'll just tell her you were studying," said Tanin. "I'll be right back."

About ten minutes later, Tanin came back with a concerned Tika who first sat down a full tray of food, then turned to him, "Palin, you know better than to overtax yourself. Young you may be, but a archmage you are not," at these words from Tika, Raistlin tried to ignore Tanin's roll of the eyes and his not so well hidden smirk. "Now, when Tanin brings these down, I hope to see that you ate every last bite."

With that she left the room. Tanin closed the door and Raistlin stared ruefully at the tray of food. "I have no idea how I'm going to eat all of that," he looked up at Tanin. "Unless you help me."

"No! She'll know I did when it ruins my own dinner and she'll flay both of us," said Tanin.

Raistlin sighed and began to at least try some of it. One bite turned into two, and slowly he picked his way through the tray. Drinking the wine he leaned back in his chair and said, "I've had enough."

Tanin smirked, "You couldn't eat it all, eh?"

"Okay, I can eat it all, but I don't think I'll be eating for next week. I am so full, I feel like a dragon after it gorged," said Raistlin with a yawn. "And just as sleepy. I guess she knew I would..."

"Yup, Palin does..." Tanin stopped, then finished more quietly. "...Used to do the same thing."

Tanin picked up the tray as Raistlin wobbled over to the bed and fairly collapsed into it, just having enough energy to peel of the robes and kick off his boots, belt and slide the Dagger of Magius under his pillow before sleep claimed him.

A/N

Miiro: I had to introduce the plot somewhere in here, lol.

Terrence: Raistlin is just beginning to see how hard it is to keep it a secret even as he falls into his role a bit more. The next question is - how will he hold his alignment?