AN: Sorry again. My internet got discontected by my dad so I could 'study' for SAT testing. :P Yeaaah. Riiight.

Images: Take a peek at my bio. I got three new pictures up. One of Palin (who has nothing to do with the story) and two Dalamar pics. The first features (SD) chibi-him with The Toaster. Tee-hee. The second one is sorta um… different…? x3 Just take a look and hopefully you'll know what I mean. ;-;

Petalwing: -Wide eyed- Information about the Toaster is currently off limits. xX; As for it being magical... I can safely say no. Not yet, anyway. ;D

Chapter Five "The Color of Red"

Raistlin looked at himself in the mirror. He ran a comb through his white hair and then eyed it critically. The mage grabbed a strap of leather to tie up his hair. What was taking Dalamar so long? He needed to ask him something. In the middle of wrapping the loop to tie it off, he stopped, horrified.

What was he doing?

A part of him said that he was being stupid, the other one said, 'hurry up, you cad, she's waiting.' After a long and memorable (if not completely understandable) conversation with Bupu, he had left her in the dinning room. Using his magic, he prepared a meal that was waiting to be eaten. The mage had kindly excused himself to change and freshen up in his room. That's the problem with people these days. They worry too much about how they look. On the other hand, Bupu saves her time and energy by just doing whatever. And now they were making her wait. How rude.

Woah… wait. 'Freshen up'?

Raistlin was so overcome with confusion, he sat down on his bed. His hand went to his head and he rubbed it. He should be wondering how and why Bupu was here. She couldn't have gotten through the cursed grove by herself. And how did she know where to find him in the first place? It was over a year since he last saw her.

…

But when he found her, sitting on Dalamar's bed, he had felt something. Then she ran up to him… and clung on his robes. He was happy. Why? Perhaps it was because he hadn't been in contact with any other of his old 'companions' for such a long time… Did he miss them? Was that why he had been happy to see Bupu? There was something unnatural happening. Like some sort of spell. Something wasn't right, he didn't feel like himself.

Your in looooove, baaaby!

Raistlin sat up, alarmed.

"Shalafi? Are you in there?"

There was tap on his door. Raistlin opened it and jerked the startled Dalamar in. The elf regained his balanced quickly as Raistlin shut the door behind him.

"How do I look?"

Dalamar blinked, distracted. That odd presence of powerful magic was there again.

"Red," he said.

Raistlin frowned, "And?"

"You're wearing it." Dalamar tried to explain.

Raistlin stared at Dalamar, "Well obviously, I am."

Dalamar tried again, "I was thinking that you would wear the usual… black."

The Archmage gestured impatiently, "Just for tonight. Nuitari isn't going to throw a fit."

A large jet black rock suddenly crashed through the window of Raistlin's room. Glass flew everywhere, but bounced off the magical shields that both mages had spontaneously cast out. On the rock was a word in giant capital letters. The strange feeling Dalamar felt disappeared.

Hefting the heavy moon rock in the air, he gave Raistlin a sardonic smile. The word 'FIT' could be clearly seen.

"Well… he threw it."

Dalamar decided to play along with whatever the heck was happening. He had a feeling that there was nothing he could do about it anyway. It was bad enough that he was going to have to eat his dinner with a gully dwarf. After assisting and giving out advice to his Shalafi about what he should wear, Raistlin had told Dalamar curtly to change into something suitable.

And here was Dalamar now, wearing a spiffy high collared silk vest with a pretty leaf/vine pattern. It was black but shimmered a pleasing blue in the light. Ditto with the pants (yes, pants). The shimmery lavender sash he wore casually around his waist contrasted with the suit nicely. As if the hottie dark elf wasn't spiffy enough himself.

Raistlin sat side by side with Bupu at the other end of the table. The short gully dwarf was sitting on top of three puffy cushions and was cheerfully swinging her dangling legs. She wore the same thing Dalamar last saw her in, a dirty potato sack skirt and a grayish, oversized blouse. Raistlin was dressed in a stunningly plain red robe that was well worn and patched. Dalamar thought it looked like a traveling tunic. It, in fact, was.

"So… you're Bupu," Dalamar began the conversation lamely, "Shalafi has told me a lot about you." Which of course, wasn't true. The first time he had heard of such a name was back in the Prologue, if I remember correctly. You would think of the first impression he had received from a creature with a name that sounded like a sneeze.

Bupu's brow furrowed.

"Who is Shalafi?"

Dalamar rolled his eyes, but a glance from Raistlin told him that he should be on his best behavior.

"Shalafi is a term I use for Raistlin. It means 'master' in elven."

"Shalafi is Raist?"

"Yes."

"No."

Dalamar was taken aback. His face hinted a bit of crimson. Here was this gully dwarf… defying him. It was annoying. Like having an insect order you to stop moving so it can bite you. No doubt Raistlin found this amusing. Dalamar went back to eating. He would ignore the gully dwarf for now. Just let it slide…

"What have you been doing since I last saw you, Bupu?" Raistlin asked when the elf refused to take part in any more conversation.

Bupu paused in her eating. The food was… great. Raistlin probably made it. It was nothing like what she was eating back at home.

"Me learn new spells and have these…" Bupu reached into her bag drew out some very disgusting objects from her bag. However, the dark elf caught a glimpse of flashing jewels. He stared. Raistlin's eyes were also gleaming, but not for the same reason. He bent over Bupu and whispered something to her ear. Bupu looked confused. Raistlin drew out an emerald gem. Bupu beamed.

Apparently Dalamar was missing something. How did Bupu end up with so many precious gems? What was her connection with Raistlin? The dark elf shrugged off these thoughts. He wanted to get dinner over with. He ate fast without appearing to do so. However, when Raistlin and Bupu started discussing about 'old times' and the 'remember whens', he slowed down, listening.

oOo

Bupu laughed. She was happy. He looked happy. She was with Raistlin. Raistlin was with her. He had kept her pretty rock after all this time. In his pocket, within reach. At first, she had been mildly concerned why he was wearing black. In her dreams, he was always wearing red. She had remembered him that way. The pretty man in red robes. Seeing him dressed in black shattered that. But being the practical thing that she was, she didn't really care.

But he was wearing red now. She didn't expect that. He was wearing red.

Wearing red, just for her.

oOo

Raistlin smiled at Bupu. She looked so… delighted and cheerful. She was practically ecstatic when she found out that he had kept her gem after all this time. It was so easy to please her. What more could he do? She had helped him. Help him in so many ways, so many times without expecting anything in return. Just him. She gave him not only a priceless gem, but one of the earliest spell books by the great mage, Fistandantilus. Raistlin still had that book. It was in his library.

What else could he do for her though? What would a gully dwarf want? They were content with life as it is. He had found the answer while thinking in his room. When she first clung on to his robes, he saw a mixture of delight…

Just by seeing him.

… a mixture of delight and… slight puzzlement? The way she held on to his robes was not like before. She held the material in her hands as if it was a foreign object. It was soft velvet and black, he realized, not the coarse red cotton that he had worn during his adventures. Nevertheless, she didn't make a fuss about it. She didn't question him. She was just happy to see him. Just him.

No one… has ever...

Red, he had thought, digging through his drawers. And then he found it. He thanked Nuitari that he had kept the worn out, red robe. Why? He never knew.

He also didn't know if Bupu would notice. Dalamar did though. That elf. Raistlin felt a moment of pity of his apprentice. He was probably confused, but he was handling it quite well.

Bupu suddenly tugged on the sleeve of his robe as politely as she could. Raistlin came out of his musings. That tug… it brought back memories. No longer hesitant about touching the garment, Bupu rubbed the rough material together, grinning.

Raistlin returned the grin with a small smile of his own.

"How long do you plan to stay here, Bupu? I can have a room prepared for you."

It was Dalamar. Raistlin looked at the elf with a cool gaze. The question had been phrased politely, but was spoken in a tone that was not warm or considerate. The elf's white skin was lightly shaded red. Jealous, are we? Or maybe embarrassed. Raistlin had to admit that he was being a bit too friendly with Bupu. A gully dwarf. It always came to that. If Bupu had been a human… or elf, would Dalamar still be acting this way?

"Bupu plans to stay for as long as she wants, apprentice," Raistlin watched with amusement as he saw the dark elf's face harden.

And how long would that be?

Raistlin's brows slightly rose. A telepathy mind link…? He was not aware that the dark elf was capable of it. Curious. It wasn't a hard spell to learn, but it wasted time and it was tedious to cast and recast. Why would he have such a spell stored in his head? Raistlin's eyes narrowed. Of course, the dark elf had other people to contact with it besides himself.

That would be up to her. Raistlin replied, taking a sip of water.

She goes, Shalafi. She can't stay here, not with me. Dalamar poked at his plate.

Why, pray tell? Raistlin couldn't hide the nasty emotion that surrounded his comment. That was the problem with telepathy. You couldn't lie as easily.

Sh- she's…well… smelly.

Raistlin sputtered in his drink. He stared at the dark elf. Dalamar ducked his head bashfully. Bupu, all the while, was being content with herself by seasoning her food with god-knows-what from her mysterious bag. She was talking and eating at the same time, retelling the tale of how Raistlin and she faced the dragon.

She really needs to take a bath and clean herself. I can't stand her smell. It's like she's been in some kind of swamp. I may be a cast out, but I am still an elf. I can only tolerate so much.

You are being incredibly spoiled and ill-mannered, Dalamar.

I'm sure a lot of people would be too if Bupu was near them.

What was that?

Um. Sorry. Inner personal thought… It slipped. Dalamar abruptly cut off the mind link.

"The gully dwarf takes a bath." He said out loud.

"Or what?" Raistlin sneered. Bupu edged away, uneasy at the sound of his voice. She was bewildered. One moment they were talking about dragons and then all of a sudden the elf announced that a gully dwarf should take a bath.

Bath. Bupu had no definition for the new word. She didn't think heavily on it though. Staying silent, she listened to what Raistlin and Dalamar had to say to each other.

"She leaves." Dalamar said, crossing his arms.

Raistlin laughed shortly. It wasn't a nice sound. "What makes you think you can decide that, apprentice?"

"I- Erm. I won't make your tea anymore. I'll stop." Dalamar desperately lashed out with words.

Raistlin's jaw dropped. "You wouldn't."

Ah, so there was a soft spot… Dalamar drove his knife deeper in. "Oh yes, I would."

Raistlin silently cursed the dark elf. How could he have known? That was the only reason Raistlin allowed himself an apprentice in the first place. Once Caramon was gone, the Archmage needed someone willing to make his tea. Raistlin had tried to teach the tower guardians, but since their touch could only bring death, well, you could imagine what they did to tea leaves. Getting a slave seemed so… déclassé and a personal butler was too common among the rich.

What he needed was an apprentice. Yeah. And so Raistlin had posted up 'Apprentice Wanted' signs all over Palanthas. Young eager mages from all over Kyrnn came to get an interview with the infamous Raistlin. Needless to say, most of them were shocked to hear Raistlin's first question be, 'Can any of you make a decent cup of tea?'.

Dalamar had filled in all the necessary requirements for the job. Not only could he make a damn good pot of tea, but he had enough courage to put a little something extra in Raistlin's drink every now and then. Raistlin was pleased to find that the little habit kept him on his toes. Dalamar was better than Caramon in so many ways.

"Do you know that you're risking your apprenticeship with me?" Raistlin struck.

It was a deadly blow, but Dalamar was prepared.

"Honestly, Shalafi," he said smoothly, "How many people do you know can make better tea than me?"

No one. No one in this world could have made better tea than Dalamar. Dalamar was the Tea Master. Raistlin gave in.

"Alright fine."

"Fine what?" Dalamar asked.

"Bupu… can… take a bath." Raistlin said in disbelief.

And then it suddenly seemed stupid. They had been arguing over something idiotic. A gully dwarf taking a bath. Between them, they could've saved the world from all forms of gully dwarf abuse. But that would be another story. Dalamar's head shook and Raistlin shrugged.

"What's bath?" Bupu asked, glad that whatever they had been bickering about was over.

"It involves a lot of water," Dalamar said emotionlessly. There was a horrid glint in his eyes. The elf stood up.

Bupu dropped from her seat and took off.

End Chapter 5

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