Again, I want to thank everyone for taking their time to read and review!
IceBlade.please don't start worshiping me for I would hate to have Takhisis
knocking on my door again.last time it was quite a mess.but that may be
material for a brand new and completely crazy and bad fanfic.okay, I'm in a
weird mood as I write this chapter. But seriously: THANKS.
OKAY! Fine, I don't own Dragonlance, etc. etc.but Alira's mine and Mischief is someone else's.so HANDS OFF!
Chapter 21:
The rain didn't stop. It was nearly driving all three of them mad. Alira had deeply disturbed Raistlin with the broth-stunt. He sat, currently, in a corner, desperately trying to keep his mind on his studies. Caramon, however, was feeling absolutely miserable about the ordeal two nights ago. He still didn't understand how his - advances-didn't work. Meanwhile, Alira sat with Mischief, completely oblivious to the two tormented men, and completely engrossed in her own world.
Caramon finally couldn't take it. Silence, complete lack of laughter or speech. It was aggravating. He scuttled over to where Raistlin agonized over a spell, and sat next to him, rather awkward.
With the two of them sitting next to each other, you could almost see a vague resemblance between the twins. Normally, the differences would blind any person to their similarities. While they had virtually the same features, Caramon's face was more prone to breaking out in a face-splitting grin. Raistlin was better suited for a vicious snarl or a perturbing stare. Obviously, Caramon was the big one, the one who managed to charm everyone. You could see it even in that moment, that single moment when both of them sat next to each other. You could see the years of complete mental distortion and emotional insecurity that wracked Raistlin's frame. You could see his troubles, you could tell from a glance those many things that made him the cynical, bitter, aggravating young man he was. Likewise, all of the things that made Caramon himself.all of the laughter, love, and generosity he possessed. Of course, the fact that Caramon wore his heart on his sleeve helped the effect.but it was just so palpable. Alira simply had to glance up, the strangest electrical feeling of.it.
But she glanced back down, toying with Mischief's ears and tail, making the little fox growl in play. He snarled and yapped at her, and she grinned as she gently avoided the golden hoops that she had never dared to take from his ears.
The brothers ignored Alira. Caramon made a wild grasp at conversation, "Raistlin?"
His voice, surprisingly, was small. Raistlin looked up, irritated. "What do you want now!"
As usual, he snapped. Caramon winced.
"Remember.that one night. Not the other night! The, um, one.when I asked you if you had.well.you know what I mean.if you." he floundered, having absolutely no idea how to communicate with his brother. He made a few more stuttering attempts.
"I know what you mean." Raistlin finally said, stepping in and saving a tiny portion of what his brother could call "dignity".
"Well.you didn't really answer. Have.you?" he asked, turning a bit ruddier than normal. He could hear Raistlin literally gritting his teeth, a nerve-wracking sound. He almost wanted to reach out and clamp his brother's jaws shut to stop the noise.
"No."
Caramon's reaction was instant. He barely suppressed a titter, and did a strange gasp-sigh. "You haven't ever?!"
"What about 'no' do you not understand? I thought even a fool like you knew what that word meant." he whispered, his voice taking on its deadly, silky tone. Caramon laughed outright.
"Seriously?"
Raistlin glanced over at Alira, making sure she wasn't listening. Lowering his voice until he was barely audible, he spoke, "I have never had sexual relations."
Caramon bellowed in laughter. Alira's head snapped up. "What?"
Raistlin's eyes were daggers on Caramon, and he stopped laughing suddenly. Instead, he developed a very loud case of the hiccups.
Finally, the rain was light enough that they could travel. It was muddy, and miserable, and Mischief at first didn't even want to leave the little shack. But, of course, he followed Alira.
She had the strangest feeling that something had happened. But she couldn't put her finger on it. Finally, she found herself walking next to Caramon, in an attempt to find out what was wrong. Alira thought it was a bit ridiculous, but she was incurably interested.
"What were you and Raistlin talking about?" she asked, knowing that subtlety was wasted on him. Caramon grinned like a town gossip with the best gossip ever tucked away.
"Ah! I know you know something! Tell me." She demanded, stroking Mischief absently as he nuzzled nearer to her through the pouch she carried him in.
"Its really not something I should tell you.what with you being a girl and all." he said. Alira couldn't believe it. Caramon was as bad as any gossip! Maybe worse.most of them just hawked it right up.
"Glad you noticed. Now, you know you want to tell me or you wouldn't be wheedling this way! I'm not going to beg you."
He burst like an overfull dam. "Well.it's about Raistlin."
The large man chuckled, a preposterous noise coming from such a huge person.
"And?"
"He's still.well, lets just put it this way: he's pure as when he was born!" he whispered conspiratorially. Raistlin ignored them. Alira's mouth dropped.
"You mean.?"
"Yes!"
"What's so strange about that?" she asked.
"Do you know how old he is?"
"He's about my age." she replied.
"Wait! You, too?!" he replied, aghast.
"Well."
Caramon was silent until they reached a small cave. There was no way they were going to risk getting caught with no where to stay the night while the rain still poured. They decided to stop early and just wait until morning to travel onwards. It didn't take much time to get a fire started, and the small beds set up.
Alira felt like smacking Caramon. But first, herself. Why hadn't she covered for herself? It was completely unlike her to leave herself like that.
Raistlin was feeling angst-y. He knew his brother well, and had no doubt that he had told Alira. At the moment, Raistlin contented himself with sitting just so the fire could illuminate his metallic skin and set his eyes dancing with flame. He wanted the effect. Even though by now his brother was used to it, and Alira seemed too pre-occupied with some sort of angst of her own that, at random moments, disappeared and reappeared.
She bothered him. Most people didn't. But she did. Raistlin hated it, hated her. He hated the whole ordeal. The fact that she bothered him, the fact that she breathed. He hated her more than he could think about. That was it.
That was the answer to his problem. He knew exactly how to feel about Alira:
Hate her.
Mishakal was on her knees, with her husband by her side. The two of them watched intently the beings below them, able to see through them as easily as they could see their exterior. Tears, again, ran down the goddess's cheek, and Paladine wiped them away with a tender hand.
"It will work, love, don't worry. We've planted the seeds, now we watch them grow.in the end, it will work." he murmured, still gazing down as he enfolded his love in his arms.
OKAY! Fine, I don't own Dragonlance, etc. etc.but Alira's mine and Mischief is someone else's.so HANDS OFF!
Chapter 21:
The rain didn't stop. It was nearly driving all three of them mad. Alira had deeply disturbed Raistlin with the broth-stunt. He sat, currently, in a corner, desperately trying to keep his mind on his studies. Caramon, however, was feeling absolutely miserable about the ordeal two nights ago. He still didn't understand how his - advances-didn't work. Meanwhile, Alira sat with Mischief, completely oblivious to the two tormented men, and completely engrossed in her own world.
Caramon finally couldn't take it. Silence, complete lack of laughter or speech. It was aggravating. He scuttled over to where Raistlin agonized over a spell, and sat next to him, rather awkward.
With the two of them sitting next to each other, you could almost see a vague resemblance between the twins. Normally, the differences would blind any person to their similarities. While they had virtually the same features, Caramon's face was more prone to breaking out in a face-splitting grin. Raistlin was better suited for a vicious snarl or a perturbing stare. Obviously, Caramon was the big one, the one who managed to charm everyone. You could see it even in that moment, that single moment when both of them sat next to each other. You could see the years of complete mental distortion and emotional insecurity that wracked Raistlin's frame. You could see his troubles, you could tell from a glance those many things that made him the cynical, bitter, aggravating young man he was. Likewise, all of the things that made Caramon himself.all of the laughter, love, and generosity he possessed. Of course, the fact that Caramon wore his heart on his sleeve helped the effect.but it was just so palpable. Alira simply had to glance up, the strangest electrical feeling of.it.
But she glanced back down, toying with Mischief's ears and tail, making the little fox growl in play. He snarled and yapped at her, and she grinned as she gently avoided the golden hoops that she had never dared to take from his ears.
The brothers ignored Alira. Caramon made a wild grasp at conversation, "Raistlin?"
His voice, surprisingly, was small. Raistlin looked up, irritated. "What do you want now!"
As usual, he snapped. Caramon winced.
"Remember.that one night. Not the other night! The, um, one.when I asked you if you had.well.you know what I mean.if you." he floundered, having absolutely no idea how to communicate with his brother. He made a few more stuttering attempts.
"I know what you mean." Raistlin finally said, stepping in and saving a tiny portion of what his brother could call "dignity".
"Well.you didn't really answer. Have.you?" he asked, turning a bit ruddier than normal. He could hear Raistlin literally gritting his teeth, a nerve-wracking sound. He almost wanted to reach out and clamp his brother's jaws shut to stop the noise.
"No."
Caramon's reaction was instant. He barely suppressed a titter, and did a strange gasp-sigh. "You haven't ever?!"
"What about 'no' do you not understand? I thought even a fool like you knew what that word meant." he whispered, his voice taking on its deadly, silky tone. Caramon laughed outright.
"Seriously?"
Raistlin glanced over at Alira, making sure she wasn't listening. Lowering his voice until he was barely audible, he spoke, "I have never had sexual relations."
Caramon bellowed in laughter. Alira's head snapped up. "What?"
Raistlin's eyes were daggers on Caramon, and he stopped laughing suddenly. Instead, he developed a very loud case of the hiccups.
Finally, the rain was light enough that they could travel. It was muddy, and miserable, and Mischief at first didn't even want to leave the little shack. But, of course, he followed Alira.
She had the strangest feeling that something had happened. But she couldn't put her finger on it. Finally, she found herself walking next to Caramon, in an attempt to find out what was wrong. Alira thought it was a bit ridiculous, but she was incurably interested.
"What were you and Raistlin talking about?" she asked, knowing that subtlety was wasted on him. Caramon grinned like a town gossip with the best gossip ever tucked away.
"Ah! I know you know something! Tell me." She demanded, stroking Mischief absently as he nuzzled nearer to her through the pouch she carried him in.
"Its really not something I should tell you.what with you being a girl and all." he said. Alira couldn't believe it. Caramon was as bad as any gossip! Maybe worse.most of them just hawked it right up.
"Glad you noticed. Now, you know you want to tell me or you wouldn't be wheedling this way! I'm not going to beg you."
He burst like an overfull dam. "Well.it's about Raistlin."
The large man chuckled, a preposterous noise coming from such a huge person.
"And?"
"He's still.well, lets just put it this way: he's pure as when he was born!" he whispered conspiratorially. Raistlin ignored them. Alira's mouth dropped.
"You mean.?"
"Yes!"
"What's so strange about that?" she asked.
"Do you know how old he is?"
"He's about my age." she replied.
"Wait! You, too?!" he replied, aghast.
"Well."
Caramon was silent until they reached a small cave. There was no way they were going to risk getting caught with no where to stay the night while the rain still poured. They decided to stop early and just wait until morning to travel onwards. It didn't take much time to get a fire started, and the small beds set up.
Alira felt like smacking Caramon. But first, herself. Why hadn't she covered for herself? It was completely unlike her to leave herself like that.
Raistlin was feeling angst-y. He knew his brother well, and had no doubt that he had told Alira. At the moment, Raistlin contented himself with sitting just so the fire could illuminate his metallic skin and set his eyes dancing with flame. He wanted the effect. Even though by now his brother was used to it, and Alira seemed too pre-occupied with some sort of angst of her own that, at random moments, disappeared and reappeared.
She bothered him. Most people didn't. But she did. Raistlin hated it, hated her. He hated the whole ordeal. The fact that she bothered him, the fact that she breathed. He hated her more than he could think about. That was it.
That was the answer to his problem. He knew exactly how to feel about Alira:
Hate her.
Mishakal was on her knees, with her husband by her side. The two of them watched intently the beings below them, able to see through them as easily as they could see their exterior. Tears, again, ran down the goddess's cheek, and Paladine wiped them away with a tender hand.
"It will work, love, don't worry. We've planted the seeds, now we watch them grow.in the end, it will work." he murmured, still gazing down as he enfolded his love in his arms.