If I owned anything, why wouldI be writing for your amusement?

Hey . . . I'm back with another chapter!

The song is 'Hey Hey Baby', which is not mine, and the artist isKayaki. Personally, I don't really like it, but it seemed appropriate for Tas to sing.

Hope you really like. hehe manipulating characters . . . always wanted to do so to Sturm . . . now there's an idea . . .

Now, read.

Chapter Four

The Capture of Flint

Tas stood poised by the stables of the Inn. Glancing around, he nodded, grinning and fairly jumping with excitement. Looking upward, he spotted Raistlin, in position, and gave him a thumbs-up and a wink. Raistlin scowled and shook his head. Then, pulling out the piece of paper that Raistlin had written down the strange lyrics that Flint had been singing, the kender studied them for about two seconds, then took a deep breath and looked hopefully up at Raistlin.

Raistlin looked inward the Inn. Sturm, Kitiara, and Tanis, holding the ropes, made one final check and signaled back. Nodding, he turned to Caramon, who was positioned at a center table with a mug of ale–bait. Seeing his twin's slight frown, Caramon grinned. "Don't worry, Raist, I know my lines!"

"Hush!" Raistlin admonished sternly, hoping devoutly that Caramon did not forget. "Everyone ready?"

"You bet." Kitiara secured the last knot, picking up the pegs.

"Yes." Sturm nodded at the net positioned above the door, gave his rope a firm tug.

"Aye." Tanis cast a look down at the kender, bobbing with excitement. "Go."

Raistlin turned and signaled Tas the OK.

"Oh, boy!" Tas fairly squealed. "That's the Go sign. Here I go!" Jumping onto the last step of the Inn, he sucked in a gigantic breath–nearly strangling himself in the process–and began to sing:

"Boy, you got me goin'

This song you got tonin'

C'mon, dance with me, in the melee!

Aw, dance with me, aw, pretty baby!

(awirlllll)

Aw, hey hey hey baby

C'mon now, pretty pretty baby

Sing to me, pretty pretty baby!

Aw, hey hey hey baby!"

Flint, a while off, heard the song like fire in his blood. Finally, someone with some cool music sense! Spinning around in a dance of perfume, the old, flashily-dresseddwarf skipped off toward the Inn . . .

"Here he comes!" Tas called breathlessly to Raistlin, who death-glared back to the elated kenderand signaled Tanis with a crook of a finger.

Flint found Tas singing the chorus loudly, skip-jumping on and off the bottom stair of the Inn in excitement, hair mussed. Tas waited - like Raistlin told him to - until Flint was in hoopak range, then stopped. "Hi, Flint! Fancy seeing you here!"

Without waiting for a response, Tas leaped headlong into his lines. "You see, Flint, Raistlin wants to tell you something. He's up at the top of all those stairs, ya wanna go see him? Boy, that song's fast!"

"Want's ta tell me sumthin', does 'e?" Flint slurred, the powder taking full affect. Turning, wavering, the dwarf saw Raistlin. "Hey, Raishlin!"

"St!" Raistlin hissed under his breath, beckoning the dwarf up the stairs. Shaking his head, he watched Flint and Tas skip up the many winding stairs, Tas yapping all the way. He gave Tanis one last signal, then turned his full attention to the bobbing dwarf and kender, hoping devoutly that Tas didn't give away the plan. Slipping one hand into his pouch, he located the rose petals easily, his fingers closing around a few.

"So, wattaya wanna talk ta me 'bout?" Flint swaggered, coming up to Raistlin, Tas bouncing at his side.

"Caramon, not me, you idiot of a kender!" snarled Raistlin, staring fixedly at Tas, who winked. This was all part of the Plan, Tas reminded himself. Stifling a giggle, he spoke: "Oh, sorr-ry, Flint, you know h-how I get them-them mix . . . x . . . up!" he failed to keep the laughter from his voice, and errupted in silent giggles.

Flint, ignoring the kender, turned to look inside the Inn. The dwarf's eyes beheld the table, Caramon, and the ale mug.

Espeically the ale mug.

"Hey Flint!" Caramon cried, winking at Raistlin. "Look! Otik's giving away freeale,and it's the newestbatch!"

"Youdon't say!" Flint cried out in a breathy, girlish voice. "Gimme!"He skipped into the Inn . . .

"Now!" Called out Kit, and she, Tanis, and Sturm dropped the net, and the heavyfishing net fell on Flint, entangling him, and Raistlin moved forward quickly, murmering the magical words-"ast tasarak sinuralin krynawi"-and Flint stopped wiggling and began snoring, and Kit pounced forward with the pegs and the ties and bagged the dwarf easily.

"Whew!" Tas, who had been watching all this going on, was impressed at the speed that his friends had moved at. "Gee, you guys are fast!"

"Uh-huh." Kit shot Tas an annoyed look. "OK, help me."

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Tas surveyed the scene before him. Flint, snoring loudly, had been tied at the hands and feet, wrapped in a thick blanket, gagged, blindfolded, and tied securely to a bench. The remaining companions sat nearby, regarding Flint with pity in their eyes.

Tas tried to stifle his giggles, but the meer thought of what Flint looked like returned full-force, so that he was helpless once again with mirth.

"Some one shut up the kender, preferably permanetly." muttered Kit. Tanis shook his head.

"Now, my dear friends," Raistlin's voice hissed in sarcasm. "we have a difficult situation facing us. Number one, what to do about the becrazed dwarf-" his eyes, against his will, flicked with a wry, scornful, cold humor to Flint's wrapped body "and Number two, what do we do about the kender, whom, I will bet, is involved in this somehow."

"Raist's right." Caramon said trustingly. Raistlin turned his head a little ways from his brother.

"I agree." Kit said crisply. Glaring at Tas, she said in dire tones "Kender are usually involved."

"Oh, no, you don't mean-" Tas looked shocked and indignant. "Well, I admit, Tawny has a good bit of immagination, yeah, but she's not crazy, and she didn't do this to Flint! Maybe of she was a wizard, now, maybe. Did I ever tell you about the time I got trapped by an evil wizard and me and a whooly mammoth-" the rest was cut off but Kit's hand firmly pressedagainst his mouth.

"Both kender are crazy and imoral." Sturm said self-righteously, gazing at Tas with cool blue eyes. "But I agree with Tasslehoff. There is definately evil wizardy about." the blue eyes stared accusingly at Raistlin, who returned the stare with one of his own, brown eyes glinting. Besides Raistlin, Caramon slowly rose to his feet, face flushing.

"Bah!" Kit glared at Sturm. "Siddown, Caramon. Sturm, shut up."

Tanis glared sternly at Sturm, who fiddled with his moustache.

Flint kicked a little. Tas stared from one friend to another. "This whole day is weird." he whispered loudly to Caramon.

"You bet." Caramon answered back, reluctantly sitting down again.

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Tawny skipped through the homes of Solace, staying on the swaying bridges. Turning, she found a home that looked interesting. She hopped in.

Inside, a family crest wasengraved on the door.The words My Honor Is My Lifewere embrodiered on a cushion. Dancing happily through the home, Tawny ignored all but one door. Skipping through, she looked at the bed. smiling, she took out a pinch of pink-purple powder, sprinkled it on the pillow. Dancing out again, she walked away.

XVXVXXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

"What a day this is turning out to be." Kit said, she and Tanis having retreated to a corner of the Inn. Raistlin and Caramon were out searching for Tawny, Tas was with Sturm on the way to Sturm's house to pick up some things, and she and Tanis were alone to watch Flint snore.

"Aye." Breathed Tanis, shaking his head.

"Hello, you both! Here's your ale, right from the newest cask, third barrel." Otik, placing the flagons in front of Kit and Tanis, nodded and moved away.

Kit sighed. Running one hand through her hair, with the other she raised the flagon to her lips, taking a deep sip. Tanis, opposite her, did the same.

Both were so absorbed in the moning's adventures that they did not notice the pinky-purple powder swirling around in their drinks, touching their lips, and sliding down their throats . . .

Cliffhanger!

Thank you for all the reviews, and thank you in advance for the review that I hope you now are going to write. C'mon, people!

Danke. Next chapter, (hopefully) soon.