Childlike Empress: The "j" in Naranja is a hard, rasping sound in he back of the throat. The sound is called "jota", I think, and in the international phonetic alphabet it's transcribed as "x". (Hey, the stupid, boring course on phonetics I had to take once was not totally useless. Yeah!) Well, I could tell you the couples now or why I favor some over others but where would be the fun if everything was clear from the beginning? Just wait a little bit longer ;)
Sadie Elfgirl: Don't feel too sorry for Raistlin. ;) Most of his problems are caused by himself...
Dally: ROFL Did anybody really wonder...
Ahn-Li: Gee, I guess it's not the first time that he listens to a dark prophesy. But he is at least irritated and a bit worried. In fact when I re-read the chapter, I noticed that both the card reading and the prophesy would also work well for the original plot of Legends. I was mildly astonished... LOL
To Guan: Thanks. ;) I hope this chapter is not too boring since it consists mostly of dialogue and contains no action.
Hilary: I guess, you haven't got my mail from 11/13? It was mainly about my last review to LoD. Its supposed to be "fanfiction readers", not only "readers". The system devoured that word somewhere on the data highway... When will your computer work again?
Juonetar: I'm not too fond of slash but I'm not against it either. However, I fear in this story everybody is boringly straight. But I love to toy a bit with the funny sexual implications of the exchange AND the possible and impossible pairings. But I can assure you, no Tas/Raistlin. (Does there even exist a story about those two as a couple? Well.. thinking closely... I better don't wanna know...)
singvogel: Ah, yes computer trouble. What a boring and stress free place the world could be without that. I hope you killed all the bugs. But I'm glad you enjoy the book. And, I personally think that Dalamar deserves more pity. But that's only me...
Ok, sorry that was a long Author's note...
Enjoy.
Part 32 - More Than Meets the Eye
She lay between her cushions unmoving. Raistlin leaned forward and touched her neck, searching for a pulse. Naranja had pressed her hands on her lips and only uttered suppressed sobs. She was probably shocked. However, he didn't find a pulse. Raistlin's hands didn't tremble but he felt himself growing pale. Had the shock of the trance been to much for the seer? Hopefully the girl would get a hold on herself, he maybe would have to tell her that her mother had just-
No. Finally there was a faint pulse. Only later he realized that he had held his breath for a moment. And only after Raistlin was sure that the woman's pulse became stronger again with each passing second, did he turn around to Naranja.
She stared at him, deeply shaken and white-lipped.
"Will she, will she-?"
"She will." he said calmly. "She will be better soon. She just fainted but she will be with us in a moment." he reassured the girl. She calmed visibly at his words.
"What happened?" Naranja murmured and carefully rested her mothers head on a cushion.
"Your mother had a seer's trance."
Naranja only stared at him, unbelieving.
"Did something like that ever happen before?"
She shook her head.
"No. She sometimes gets a little dizzy, but she says this comes with the gift. She always says looking into people's hearts can be draining sometimes. The more depth there is, the more weary she becomes, but it usually wears off soon."
Raistlin bent over the unconscious fortuneteller again, waiting for her eyes to flutter open. He perceived the slight scent of roses encompassing her. A perfume? Possibly. The moment she began to stir, he noticed a copper brooch in her hair. It had the form of a beetle of some sort. While she was turning her head, something strange occurred. For a second Raistlin had the impression that the beetle had become alive and had just moved its legs. He looked closer, but the incident didn't repeat itself. He had been mistaken, his own eyes and excitement likely playing a trick on him in the smoky atmosphere of the clairvoyant's compartment. The beetle showed no signs of oddness anymore, again only a simple copper brooch.
With the aid of her daughter, the fortuneteller sat up slowly, exhaustion plainly written on her face.
"What happened, mama?" Naranja asked anxiously.
The fortuneteller opened her mouth to respond when her gaze fell on Raistlin. Her expression hardened for an instant until she got a hold on herself and stroked her daughter's head, smiling reassuringly.
"Nothing happened dear." she explained to her unbelieving offspring. "Nothing grave. I think I was mistaken this time, with what the cards told. I overexerted my gift during these last few days, child. So I suppose, I just couldn't get in tune with the divine powers while laying the cards for your little friend. I must have gone into an uncontrolled trance and collapsed."
Though she smiled at Raistlin while saying this, the smile didn't reach her eyes. However, Naranja was oblivious to the silent communication between her mother and their visitor. She was obviously happy at that explanation and embraced her mother in relief.
"Mama, promise me never to do that again."
The fortuneteller smiled and kissed the girl's forehead.
"For once I misjudged my own abilities causing the cards to confuse everything. What else should it be? You know the old saying that 'The world will come to an end 'ere a kender ever draws a sword.' Right?"
"Naranja nodded.
"I'm so relieved. And surely Nima is too." She winked at Raistlin. "I was really afraid when all the swords came forth from the stock. They would have meant great worries and sorrow for you. I'm so relieved."
The fortunetellers smile didn't waver, though Raistlin watched her eyes narrow for a moment.
"Lovely, Why don't you go over to Hrongar and ask him for a refreshing tea?" she asked her daughter. "In the meantime Nima will stay with me and help me."
Raistlin nodded, what else could he do?
As soon as they were alone, the fortuneteller sat up erect and glared at Raistlin coldly and distrustful. He had expected that and began to prepare a spell of stunning in case the woman tried something stupid. Lady Toronja stayed calm.
"Who are you?" she asked instead.
"What do you mean?" The mage answered cautiously while he tried to determine if she probably knew of the failed experiment or if she had just tried a shot into the blue.
"Regardless of what I just told my daughter, the cards never lie to me, and I know even this time they spoke the truth. As I said, swords never appear for kender. Their minds go contrary to what these cards symbolize. So there is only one logical conclusion. I don't know who you are. But I know what I saw. You are not a kender. I can't tell if you are here for good or for evil and I demand to know who you are and what you want from us."
He had several choices now. He could try to lie to this woman, or threaten her or he could even tell her the truth. What if she was in fact the mage he was looking for and not Hrongar? Could he risk to inaugurate a stranger into his secrets or should he try to play the innocent once more? He deplored not having his components at hand, otherwise he would have just manipulated her mind easily. Toronja noticed his hesitation.
"You usually don't trust anybody but yourself, don't you?" she asked him. "But maybe the time has come you should trust others a bit. If you have no baleful intent, I don't mean to harm you."
Their glances met. To his surprise he saw a stern wisdom in her gaze and a tranquil reassuring calmness he had not expected to find in the eyes of a simple juggler. Her knowing look seemed to gaze into the depths of his mind, scrutinizing his motives. Suddenly he felt tired of the charade. He had been performing the kender badly at any case. If this women was his enemy then she already knew what she needed too, if she wasn't, he could probably make her his ally. Maybe she was right and it was time to make some allies before everything was too late.
"My name is Raistlin Majere."
"Majere..."
She spoke his lastname carefully as if the syllables held some kind of enchantment.
"What an interesting name. How did you come here?"
"I don't know." he answered honestly. "You could say that I am stranded in this girl's body, I suppose. At the moment, I'm trying to figure out the possible causes for this accident with what little means I have in this camp."
"I assume you deal in magic then." the fortuneteller stated.
"You could say so. I'm a mage."
"A mage, of course." Toronja nodded in assent. "Where is the real Nima?"
"I suspect that she is caught in my body in turn." he answered, purposefully avoiding to mention the crystals or the dreams. Let the women only know what she needed to know.
"This is mess." Toronja finally summed up the situation. "But you will find a solution."
That was it? Nothing more? No further questioning? No impulsive request to bring he kender back? No offer to aid him? Not even accusations or plain mistrust? Just 'this is a mess' and 'you will find a solution'? He was slightly baffled.
"Forgive me, but shouldn't that be the part where you start to scream in panic and accuse me of foul wizardry before you cry for the mob to tie me to a stake and burn me?" he asked casually, his sarcasm obvious.
The women's sole reaction was a mysterious, resigned smile.
"No, for now I will not try to hinder you, nor will I spread your secret. That's why I sent my daughter away. She doesn't need to hear this. It is enough for me to know what you told me. You may not have told me everything but I sensed no lie in your words. Fate sent you on this quest. Although I do not claim to know much about the powers that rule our lives, I know better then to meddle with the strands of fate. Nothing happens by chance. Maybe you are here for a higher reason. I have the feeling that you don't know the reason yourself. But you will find out the answer before all of this is over. That, I know."
He shook his head.
"What if I don't believe in fate?"
Her smile got an amused quality at this response.
"Like the gods, fate doesn't stop existing only because we mortals choose to deny it." she said. "The gods blessed me with the gift of seeing, it is my task to see into the souls of others and give them advice but it is their prerogative to take it to their hearts or not. The gods always allow us this decision."
He raised an eyebrow. The woman sounded like a religious follower or a cleric. As an ally she would be of no use, although he somehow sensed that she would do as she had said and keep his secret.
"I pay respect to the three Masters of Magic, but I don't care for the schemes of this happy little pantheon up in the heavens as long as they don't help me to get out of here." Raistlin finally answered, rising to his feet. "All I care for is to get my life back. This camp, the gods, enigmatic transcendent forces of fate, your cards, they don't matter to me at all. As long as you can't aid me in restoring my former existence, I guess this discussion won't lead to any useful results. And as long as you don't try to thwart my actions, I have no further reason to speak to you. Good day to you, fortuneteller."
She also stood up exerting herself. He was already at the door when she spoke again her voice was deadly calm now.
"One last piece of advice that I recommend you to heed to, mage."
"Yes?"
"My daughter likes you and thinks you her friend. Right now I don't see a reason to take her that illusion, since her happiness means all to me. She doesn't need to be involved in your arcane dealings, though. If you lay one hand on her, if you harm her in body, mind or soul, I promise you will not live to see the end of the day."
He turned around, a cold, polite smile on his lips.
"I congratulate you to so much trust in your abilities that you think yourself a challenge for me. But you can be at ease, your daughter's body, mind or soul hold no interest for me in the least. Keep her out of my way and we won't have any disagreements, my Lady."
The fortuneteller's eyes blazed in anger and her voice gained a strict authority when she spoke.
"This camp has survived the terrible years of war, it has survived prosecution by landlords and their guards as well as it survived the Dragonlords and their armies. We were confronted with the people's hate and distrust for our kind innumerable times and we even had to face Draconian troops occasionally. We overcame it all. Scarred, maybe, but we are still alive. You can trust that there are higher forces protecting us and guarding our way. You do not want to meddle with these higher forces, Mage. Here is more than meets the eye. And though your sorcery may be powerful, you are not the only one in this world who knows the secrets of the ancient. Don't forget that in your arrogance."
"Do you threaten me, Lady Toronja?"
"I gave you a fair warning, Magus Majere."
"Warn me, you may. But you can not make a good archpriest out of a rogue." He shrugged casually and opened the door. "I will act as I think necessary."
He left.
The woman stood motionless for a while, then nodded once and whispered something at the door which the mage had closed behind him.
"I know. And personally I think you are dangerous. But the higher forces you dismiss so easily decided to give you a guiding prophesy and I accept that you must find your own path. I may not like you, but I wish you luck on your quest. And if its only for the sake of this camp and its people."
TBC