everybody: Thank you so much for your appreciation. I would have never expected so many kind reactions.
kinryuu: ggg Sorry dude, but... that's a secret. ;) (Which will be revealed of course...)
Dally: She has her good sides. Really! I'm working on it, I'm working on it...
Part 14 - Its My Party and I Cry if I Want To (WARNING! Chapter includes Raistlin-torture of the worst kind!)
Somehow Raistlin had survived the night and the following day. The kender had come back to the wagon later in the evening. He had pretended to be asleep. Which had not been that difficult because he had truly felt tired. Nevertheless he had not slept very well. In his dreams he had for some strange reason heard a female voice laughing and giggling - joyful and happy. It had disturbed him.
The next morning had been even more tricky. Interaction with the kender had not been easy. Raistlin had decided not to tell anybody of his true identity as long as it was not necessary. Without any allies and without access to his scrolls he would not take any risks. At first he had thought about just teleporting back to the tower. But he couldn't. His spell had been designed to transport a human Raistlin, not a kenderlike Raistlin. Besides, he still missed his spell components. Without the necessary ingredients, even the greatest knowledge was useless.
So he had worked out another plan. He had to analyze the stone and find out what had happened to it in order to contain such power now. He had also to find a way how to use this to his advantage. Right now the crystal part was his only hint. Furthermore, he had to get information about the mysterious Hrongar the gypsy girl had told him about, and he had to occupy himself with the ridiculous grimoire. At least it contained a halfway decent detect magic spell, which could be of some use with the stone and he had found some other spells of lesser power which he would be able to memorize.
However, his plan had developed some difficulties which he hadn't thought of at first. The main problem was this unnerving family he had on his heels. Pretending to be one of them had brought obligations. They hadn't given him a minute of rest or free time. "Nima, bring that to blabla", "Nima help me with the box.", "Nima we have to erect that tent."
Until know he hadn't cared for precautions or a cover-story. The kender and their friends were so gullible, they would be easily deceived. Compared to situations of the past wich had forced him to pretend being somebody else, it was relatively simple to avoid being caught with "missing memories". Just a little bit of eloquence and the jugglers were no match for his restless mind trained in manipulating his environment into following the subtle patterns of his schemes.
Quickly he had found out more about his new acquaintances. He had been right. He was in a gypsy's camp. There were at least 20 persons and 8 wagons. Most of them were artists, artisans and charlatans. Some of them were able to use little illusion tricks. Especially the gnomes. Several people from other races had affiliated to the gypsies, who were all human. There was, for example, a gnome family naming themselves the Snugglepucks. Raistlin had already met their infamous son, Knoblar. They were oddballs among their race. Their sentences actually contained distinguishable words and phrases. The mage suspected this to be the result of living among humans. The kender were four people, father and mother Teketoll, a cub named Runino and... he himself. The only other Non-human left was the Tiomar, the half-orc. He didn't seem to have any relations and most of the time he stayed with the Teketolls who treated him as part of the family.
All together the gypsies had made up a portable fair. When they came to a city or a larger village, they held shows which included "wizardry", meaning some simple illusions spells performed by the gnomes, ropewalking acts, done by the kender, fortunetelling, tricks with animals, dancing, selling sweets and faked protection amulets and so on They called themselves the "Travelling Carnival Show"
At the moment they had just newly arrived in a town and the preparations for the next show event had to be made.
Raistlin had limited himself to keeping out of the way as far as possible and grabbing as much information he could from the conversations in his environment. He hadn't been able to spy on the mysterious Hrongar since the Alchemist had already gone to town to make propaganda for the 'spectacular experiences' one could gain at the Travelling Carnival Show.
In the afternoon everything was ready. Tomorrow the townsfolk would come, they had one evening before the fair began.
Raistlin had made it into the wagon of the Teketolls and was about to cast an analysing spell on the milky stone he had carried around all day hoping to get a chance on it, when somebody knocked at the door. Raistlin cursed mentally. He should have expected this by now. Naranja, the gypsy girl peeked her head around the corner.
"Nima, come out. Your dad is looking for you."
Raistlin snorted. His dad? Surely not! Suddenly it occurred to him that Naranja grinned in a way which could only mean mischief. The kender. Of course. However, he decided he would play their game a little longer. If they tried something stupid he would teach them to do better.
He stepped out of the wagon and stopped. Right in front of him stood the whole Teketoll family with big grinning faces. Behind them were several gypsies. Some had brought instruments. The gnomes were also there with Knoblar standing next to Father Teketoll. Mrs. Teketoll carried a huge pie. Suddenly everybody cried "Surprise!" and the musicians started playing. The kender and Knoblar stepped forward and surrounded Raistlin. He backed away, but behind him stood Naranja. He was apparently trapped. What kind of ritual was that supposed to be?
"We decided to throw you a party, honey!" Mrs. Teketoll handed the pie to her husband and cuddled a dumbfounded Raistlin. He tried to push her away but they were equal in strength and he could not prevent getting a hearty hug and a loud motherly kiss on the cheek.
"We thought this would make you cheer up, you have been so moody all day."
He had just one conscious thought left. Getting out of here! Eventually the kender let him go. Disgusting, that was it.
In the meantime the musicians played another tune.
"Oh, they play El Pato" said the kenderchild happily. He started to sing a stupid nursery rhyme and began with an equally stupid, corresponding dance.
"El pato, el pato con una pata..." he began and stepped on he ground with his right foot. "El pato con las dos patas..." Now he stepped with both feet. "El pato con un alita..." He had drawn his right arm to himself and teeted his elbow as if to imitate a bird. "El pato con las dos alas..." Now both elbows had come into action. Raistlin could only watch in silent horror. In the end the kid turned around his own center once. "Y ahora te toca a ti..."
He pointed at the others. They laughed and the verse started a new. By now, everybody was singing. The gnomes, the kenders, even Naranja. They danced around Raistlin who still stood in their middle. Motionless.
Everybody giggled and grinned at him. They started it over again obviously expecting him to fall in.
"EL pato, el pato con una pata..."
While they were having fun stomping around and looking like brainwashed goblins trying to imitate a chicken, he stood there, his mind trying to deal with a shocked sudden numbness.
'I thought I had faced pure evil before. But this is much, much worse...'
At the end of the verse, everybody turned to him.
"Dance, Nima." said the red haired gnome. "It's your party!"
They saw their beloved daughter and friend growing pale, her face hardening. She didn't respond. She just turned around and went back into the wagon slamming the door behind her. Without uttering a single word.
Everybody stared dumbfounded at the closed door. Until Mrs. Teketoll turned to the rest of them with a beaming face.
"This reaction can only mean... SHE LIKED IT! I'm sure she liked it!"
The kender-mom exclaimed excitedly. The rest of the Teketoll family fell in with her laughter.
"She is just a little weird because of the end of puberty and gaining adulthood and so. Now, lets party!"
Narajna looked a little sceptical at the kender and the gnome, who by now had begun to eat the pie and throw themselves into the party. Nima hadn't looked very happy. She had rather looked as if they had nailed her feet to the ground. Since when had Nima lost interest in parties? Something had happened with her friend. Something very weird. For a second, Naranja contemplated following Nima into the caravan. But then they started to play her favourite song. Well, Nima would surely tell her if something serious had happened.
Naranja went dancing while Raistlin sat in the wagon with Orsany's wish in his hands, trying to concentrate on making magical structures visible. But for once, it was not easy to block the surrounding sounds of joy and happiness from his mind. He missed the quietness of his tower and even Dalamar's unobtrusive presence. Adding to Raistlin's irritation, he had heard Momma Teketoll's exclamation about him liking it. For a second, the mage had to suppress the spontaneous urge of hitting his head against the kitchen table. Hopefully the overall insanity was not contagious. He had to get out of here soon or he would go mad.
tbc
(Tiny translation for those who really want to know what the song says: As far as I know, it is a Spanish nursery rhyme and it goes: "The duck, the duck with one leg, the duck with two legs, the duck with one wing, the duck with two wings and now I pass on to you." The dance was not invented by me but goes along with the song.)