Disclaimer: I don't own DragonLance, or any of the characters you
recognize from those books. I also don't own LOTR or any of those
characters, much to my constant sorrow. I still don't own my chapter
titles. Also, in this chapter, you may note a line taken... I mean found
(those careless people! ~_^) from Disney's Mulan. Please take the line in
a much less Eddy Murphy way, and a much more Dalamar way. Your constant
cooperation and reviews are much appreciated.
Up A Narrow Flight of Stairs, In A Narrow Little Room
Catherine woke up with an odd feeling. She's had her memory dream, and once again, she woke up before either of the odd adults said anything useful. She got out of bed slowly, and pulled on her clothes. For some reason, she was shaking with nervous energy. It was as though she knew something was going to happen; whether good or bad, she didn't know.
Reluctantly, Catherine went downstairs for breakfast. When going down the stairs, she realized most of her bruises were hurting much less. That was one good thing, at least. However, she thought smugly, they weren't healed enough to let her participate in gym. Or, at least that's what the gym teacher would hear.
Catherine walked to school quickly. Not for the first time this year, she sincerely wished she lived somewhere else, or was someone else. It would be nice to fit in somewhere, she mused.
Her depression was broken with Fie's yell over the school parking lot. "Hey, Kit! I have your book for you!" She slowly trotted over to him, careful not to hit her still bleeding chest.
She got to Fie, and he handed her the book. He then heaped several other things on top of it. They were colorfully wrapped, with a card. "What's all this?" Catherine was puzzled.
"Kit, you're such an idiot! It's your birthday. How do you forget your own birthday?" Fie grinned at her, and gave her a companionable punch on the arm. "Go on, open your presents!"
Catherine dutifully put the packages down and started to unwrap. When she saw what it was, Catherine's eyes lit up. "Fie! How'd you afford this! They're beautiful." She pulled out the three glossy, hardcover books. It was the Lord of The Rings Trilogy, one of Catherine's favorite book series. She'd only gotten them out of the library, however, because she'd never seen a set she'd either wanted or could afford.
"Thank you!" Catherine's eyes were tearing, though woe to the person who would dare say such a thing. "This is the best birthday I've ever had! See, at the orphanage, all they do is give out some sickly-sweet cake, and sometimes, new clothes. If you're lucky." Catherine's voice was sad, and slightly bitter.
"Well, in that case, I can understand how you can forget! Since you're not doing anything anyway, d'you want to come over to my house after school? Then, we can go trick-or-treating together!"
"Sure!" Catherine grinned. That was the only thing she ever liked about her birthday: it was on Halloween! This year, she was going as Arwen from Lord of the Rings. She'd wanted to go as Galadriel, but she couldn't afford a blond wig. Fie was dressing up as Gandalf.
'Maybe,' Catherine though, 'this day won't be bad after all!' She and Fie walked into the building. Throughout the day, Kit's new books found their way into her hands during class. She couldn't think of a time when she'd be happier. The depression of the morning was long gone and already forgotten.
When the school day ended, Catherine waited for Fie outside the door. "Are you sure you don't mind me coming over?" Catherine was nervous about going over to a friend's house, as it was her first time.
Fie smiled. "Nah. It's great that you're able to come." They walked on for a couple of blocks in companionable silence. Suddenly, Fie spoke. "I don't think I ever properly thanked you."
Catherine looked surprised. "For what?"
Fie grinned. "Don't you remember? When those idiots almost beat me to a pulp, and then you came in all kung-foo? You know, if you hadn't done that, we might not be friends. And you are the first true friend I've ever had. On top of which, you seemed pissed when I didn't thank you in the first place. So, here it is: thank you."
Catherine blushed. "It isn't necessary to dwell on that. But I accept your thanks."
Suddenly, a harsh voice made both Kit and Fie jump. "Oh, how sweet. The shorty and the weakling are about to kiss. Sorry to break it up, you two, but I'm afraid Shorty had passed out a bit before we'd planned the other day."
Before they could react, Catherine and Fie were herded into an alleyway. The leader of the gang, who had spoken before, started the fight with a swift punch for Catherine. She hissed in pain as it hit her in the chest, once more opening her burns.
Valiantly, Catherine fought back. Equally brave, Fie attempted to imitate her, but with little success. Soon, it was no longer even a fight. It seemed that this time, the gang was going to rape Catherine, and possibly Fie too. Both huddled at the end of the alley, as far away from the seniors as possible. Catherine had to bite her lip hard enough to draw blood to stop herself from crying.
All of a sudden, there was a puff of smoke between the seniors and the terrified freshmen. Catherine gaped, not believing her eyes. The jet- black smoke unfolded like a flower blooming to reveal a very oddly dressed man. For some reason, he reminded Catherine of the people in her dream.
The man was like nothing she'd ever seen. He was fairly tall, just shy of six foot. His long black hair blended in with his robes; the color of darkest night. His slender, pale fingers were raised in front of him, spread out.
Involuntarily, the senior gang took a step back. Catherine couldn't help but sneer. They were so tough while attacking smaller, younger people, but were afraid of one man.
The leader was the first to recover. "Who the hell are you?"
The odd man appeared to start when he saw the sadistic senior. However, he quickly gained his composure. When he spoke, his voice was soft and menacing, holding a promise of pain. "Your worst nightmare." His sibilant whisper made his words easy to believe.
The gang leader, though scared, put up a front, true to form. "Oh, and I'm supposed to be afraid of an old fag who dressed up for Halloween early? Right." He rushed the man, who calmly stood his ground and waved his hand slightly.
If she weren't still terrified, Catherine would have laughed aloud. The gang leader slammed headfirst into what seemed to be a wall of air, and fell on his butt. His cohorts, who were following close behind hadn't had time to stop, and so repeated the action quite comically.
With all of the gang members on the ground, the man turned around. Now that Catherine could see his features, she wasn't surprised the senior had said the man looked as though he was in a Halloween costume. He had pale skin and almond shaped eyes. His ears were pointed, and if she hadn't known better, Catherine would have said he was an elf! Though such a thought was preposterous, of course.
The man came closer, and Catherine curled up smaller. Had she been saved from one predator just to land in the hands of another? However, the man's face appeared kind. He picked Catherine up gently and effortlessly, and sensing her continuing terror, set her down on her feet.
Now that he wasn't menacing someone, Catherine noted that his voice was a melodious tenor. "Are you all right, Child?" Catherine nodded dumbly, her gaze sliding over to Fie. The man went to Fie, checking for his pulse. He nodded. "Your friend is fine; he passed out from the shock."
"Now," the man's voice took on a commanding tone. "We must leave here before I'm found out." Catherine stared, wondering if her savior was actually a criminal.
Suddenly, she found her voice. "Who are you? And I'm not leaving unless you take Fie as well."
The man smiled mysteriously. "My identity I shall disclose when we have more time. However, you have no need to fear me. I would never hurt you. As for your friend, I suppose if you insist, he shall come as well. Who knows, he may even have a part to play in this madness!" The last sentence seemed to be a thought spoken aloud, rather than a comment aimed at Catherine.
"Now, we go." The man scooped up Catherine, and settled her in the crook of his arm. Almost involuntarily, Kit found herself snuggling into the man's robes at the shoulder, enjoying the soft velvet and odd fragrance. The man also lifted Fie to his feet, and held him roughly by the arm.
Much to Catherine's surprise, the man calmly waved his arm again, and tossed something at the older boys. He had a satisfied smirk on his face as a couple of missiles of light sprang from his fingers, and multiplied as they neared their targets. He spoke words in a language that made Catherine feel as though spiders were walking on her, and the last thing she saw was the terrified looks on the faces of the older boys.
Dalamar gently dropped the teenagers on chairs in his study before hurrying back through the portal. Once across, he roughly grabbed the leader of the gang by his collar and dragged him through as well. He transported himself back to the tower and locked up the senior in a small, bare room.
When Catherine came to, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, lying on a plush couch. Across from her, draped over an equally plush chair was Fie. He seemed not to have recovered from their little 'adventure'. Suddenly, the odd man appeared directly in front of Catherine's seat.
"Please excuse our abrupt departure from your world. All shall be explained to you in due time." His musical voice had an accent that Catherine had never heard, and yet it seemed familiar. Whatever the origin was, she liked its gentle, lilting tone.
Curiosity suddenly overcame Catherine's wariness. "How'd you do that? The transporting thing, I mean. It seems like magic, though of course that's absurd!"
The man smiled a small, secretive smile that betrayed amusement. "Oh, so you no longer think I'm a murderer or rapist, or whatever you believed? That's nice." His tone held a mocking note, but it was not unkind. It seemed to Catherine that he wasn't mocking her, but rather the world. She wondered what kind of a past this man had to leave him so bitter.
Catherine suddenly seemed to remember that she was in a strange room with a strange man and had no idea how she'd gotten there. "Who are you, anyway? And why'd you bring me here? That's kidnapping where I come from."
The man smiled again. "Kidnapping? Is that what thanks I get? Well, you deserve to know more about me, Catherine Night." His eyes danced at Catherine's shock that he knew her name. "I am Dalamar Nightson, born Dalamar Argent of the Silvanesti Elves. Currently, I reside in the Tower of High Sorcery at Palanthas, where you find yourself now."
"I am a mage of the Order of the Black Robes, which got me kicked out of Silvanesti. For several years, I studied with Raistlin Majere, Master of the Past and Present, likely the most powerful mage to have ever lived. Oh I nearly forgot: I'm your father." Dalamar told all in a matter-of-fact voice.
For a moment, Catherine could do nothing but stare open-mouthed in mute amazement. Then, she snapped. "I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming." She pinched herself hard on the arm, wincing as she felt the pain. "This can't be. There's no such thing as magic, or elves, or Black Robes or Ritalin Maggot or whoever he was. And on top of it all, my father died, or deserted me before I was born!"
Dalamar stood watching her silently. How like her mother in that fit of temper! He put a gentle hand on Catherine's shoulder. "Calm down. I didn't ask you to believe any of it, now did I? However, it is true. My most sincere apologies about your confusion over my existence, but I didn't know about your existence until a couple of days ago. In the end, your mother and I were not on the best of terms, and she never deigned to tell me I had a child."
Catherine had just gone into a shocked stupor. "Broke up, did you?" she said sympathetically, not quite paying attention while her brain tried to take in all she'd been told.
Dalamar grinned. "Well, I suppose you could say that. Now, it is nearly night. I have some research to do, so you can just follow the spectre to your room. There you will find some food, and something to wear for the night. When your friend wakes up, he will find the same in his room."
Catherine was amazed to see, on cue, a disembodied hand float through the wall and beckon to her. So this was the spectre, she thought. Numb with shock, she followed it meekly out of the room.
And now is my time to thank all of my wonderful reviewers: Thank you!
Guan: Well, all shall be revealed in due time, though I think at least, that I gave a HUGE hint this chapter. If you didn't feel the same, no worries. Another two or so chapters.
Kenderling: Thank you! *Blushing* I know made Par-Salian slightly out of character, but I don't quite like him, and I'll probably explain his decision more in the future.
Pen D.: Thanks for your constant support and reviews!
To any others thinking of reviewing: Please do! I accept constructive criticism with dignity, and will accept flames, with bigger flamethrower in hand! ~_^ Thank you all for reading my story. ~Dalamar Nightson
Up A Narrow Flight of Stairs, In A Narrow Little Room
Catherine woke up with an odd feeling. She's had her memory dream, and once again, she woke up before either of the odd adults said anything useful. She got out of bed slowly, and pulled on her clothes. For some reason, she was shaking with nervous energy. It was as though she knew something was going to happen; whether good or bad, she didn't know.
Reluctantly, Catherine went downstairs for breakfast. When going down the stairs, she realized most of her bruises were hurting much less. That was one good thing, at least. However, she thought smugly, they weren't healed enough to let her participate in gym. Or, at least that's what the gym teacher would hear.
Catherine walked to school quickly. Not for the first time this year, she sincerely wished she lived somewhere else, or was someone else. It would be nice to fit in somewhere, she mused.
Her depression was broken with Fie's yell over the school parking lot. "Hey, Kit! I have your book for you!" She slowly trotted over to him, careful not to hit her still bleeding chest.
She got to Fie, and he handed her the book. He then heaped several other things on top of it. They were colorfully wrapped, with a card. "What's all this?" Catherine was puzzled.
"Kit, you're such an idiot! It's your birthday. How do you forget your own birthday?" Fie grinned at her, and gave her a companionable punch on the arm. "Go on, open your presents!"
Catherine dutifully put the packages down and started to unwrap. When she saw what it was, Catherine's eyes lit up. "Fie! How'd you afford this! They're beautiful." She pulled out the three glossy, hardcover books. It was the Lord of The Rings Trilogy, one of Catherine's favorite book series. She'd only gotten them out of the library, however, because she'd never seen a set she'd either wanted or could afford.
"Thank you!" Catherine's eyes were tearing, though woe to the person who would dare say such a thing. "This is the best birthday I've ever had! See, at the orphanage, all they do is give out some sickly-sweet cake, and sometimes, new clothes. If you're lucky." Catherine's voice was sad, and slightly bitter.
"Well, in that case, I can understand how you can forget! Since you're not doing anything anyway, d'you want to come over to my house after school? Then, we can go trick-or-treating together!"
"Sure!" Catherine grinned. That was the only thing she ever liked about her birthday: it was on Halloween! This year, she was going as Arwen from Lord of the Rings. She'd wanted to go as Galadriel, but she couldn't afford a blond wig. Fie was dressing up as Gandalf.
'Maybe,' Catherine though, 'this day won't be bad after all!' She and Fie walked into the building. Throughout the day, Kit's new books found their way into her hands during class. She couldn't think of a time when she'd be happier. The depression of the morning was long gone and already forgotten.
When the school day ended, Catherine waited for Fie outside the door. "Are you sure you don't mind me coming over?" Catherine was nervous about going over to a friend's house, as it was her first time.
Fie smiled. "Nah. It's great that you're able to come." They walked on for a couple of blocks in companionable silence. Suddenly, Fie spoke. "I don't think I ever properly thanked you."
Catherine looked surprised. "For what?"
Fie grinned. "Don't you remember? When those idiots almost beat me to a pulp, and then you came in all kung-foo? You know, if you hadn't done that, we might not be friends. And you are the first true friend I've ever had. On top of which, you seemed pissed when I didn't thank you in the first place. So, here it is: thank you."
Catherine blushed. "It isn't necessary to dwell on that. But I accept your thanks."
Suddenly, a harsh voice made both Kit and Fie jump. "Oh, how sweet. The shorty and the weakling are about to kiss. Sorry to break it up, you two, but I'm afraid Shorty had passed out a bit before we'd planned the other day."
Before they could react, Catherine and Fie were herded into an alleyway. The leader of the gang, who had spoken before, started the fight with a swift punch for Catherine. She hissed in pain as it hit her in the chest, once more opening her burns.
Valiantly, Catherine fought back. Equally brave, Fie attempted to imitate her, but with little success. Soon, it was no longer even a fight. It seemed that this time, the gang was going to rape Catherine, and possibly Fie too. Both huddled at the end of the alley, as far away from the seniors as possible. Catherine had to bite her lip hard enough to draw blood to stop herself from crying.
All of a sudden, there was a puff of smoke between the seniors and the terrified freshmen. Catherine gaped, not believing her eyes. The jet- black smoke unfolded like a flower blooming to reveal a very oddly dressed man. For some reason, he reminded Catherine of the people in her dream.
The man was like nothing she'd ever seen. He was fairly tall, just shy of six foot. His long black hair blended in with his robes; the color of darkest night. His slender, pale fingers were raised in front of him, spread out.
Involuntarily, the senior gang took a step back. Catherine couldn't help but sneer. They were so tough while attacking smaller, younger people, but were afraid of one man.
The leader was the first to recover. "Who the hell are you?"
The odd man appeared to start when he saw the sadistic senior. However, he quickly gained his composure. When he spoke, his voice was soft and menacing, holding a promise of pain. "Your worst nightmare." His sibilant whisper made his words easy to believe.
The gang leader, though scared, put up a front, true to form. "Oh, and I'm supposed to be afraid of an old fag who dressed up for Halloween early? Right." He rushed the man, who calmly stood his ground and waved his hand slightly.
If she weren't still terrified, Catherine would have laughed aloud. The gang leader slammed headfirst into what seemed to be a wall of air, and fell on his butt. His cohorts, who were following close behind hadn't had time to stop, and so repeated the action quite comically.
With all of the gang members on the ground, the man turned around. Now that Catherine could see his features, she wasn't surprised the senior had said the man looked as though he was in a Halloween costume. He had pale skin and almond shaped eyes. His ears were pointed, and if she hadn't known better, Catherine would have said he was an elf! Though such a thought was preposterous, of course.
The man came closer, and Catherine curled up smaller. Had she been saved from one predator just to land in the hands of another? However, the man's face appeared kind. He picked Catherine up gently and effortlessly, and sensing her continuing terror, set her down on her feet.
Now that he wasn't menacing someone, Catherine noted that his voice was a melodious tenor. "Are you all right, Child?" Catherine nodded dumbly, her gaze sliding over to Fie. The man went to Fie, checking for his pulse. He nodded. "Your friend is fine; he passed out from the shock."
"Now," the man's voice took on a commanding tone. "We must leave here before I'm found out." Catherine stared, wondering if her savior was actually a criminal.
Suddenly, she found her voice. "Who are you? And I'm not leaving unless you take Fie as well."
The man smiled mysteriously. "My identity I shall disclose when we have more time. However, you have no need to fear me. I would never hurt you. As for your friend, I suppose if you insist, he shall come as well. Who knows, he may even have a part to play in this madness!" The last sentence seemed to be a thought spoken aloud, rather than a comment aimed at Catherine.
"Now, we go." The man scooped up Catherine, and settled her in the crook of his arm. Almost involuntarily, Kit found herself snuggling into the man's robes at the shoulder, enjoying the soft velvet and odd fragrance. The man also lifted Fie to his feet, and held him roughly by the arm.
Much to Catherine's surprise, the man calmly waved his arm again, and tossed something at the older boys. He had a satisfied smirk on his face as a couple of missiles of light sprang from his fingers, and multiplied as they neared their targets. He spoke words in a language that made Catherine feel as though spiders were walking on her, and the last thing she saw was the terrified looks on the faces of the older boys.
Dalamar gently dropped the teenagers on chairs in his study before hurrying back through the portal. Once across, he roughly grabbed the leader of the gang by his collar and dragged him through as well. He transported himself back to the tower and locked up the senior in a small, bare room.
When Catherine came to, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, lying on a plush couch. Across from her, draped over an equally plush chair was Fie. He seemed not to have recovered from their little 'adventure'. Suddenly, the odd man appeared directly in front of Catherine's seat.
"Please excuse our abrupt departure from your world. All shall be explained to you in due time." His musical voice had an accent that Catherine had never heard, and yet it seemed familiar. Whatever the origin was, she liked its gentle, lilting tone.
Curiosity suddenly overcame Catherine's wariness. "How'd you do that? The transporting thing, I mean. It seems like magic, though of course that's absurd!"
The man smiled a small, secretive smile that betrayed amusement. "Oh, so you no longer think I'm a murderer or rapist, or whatever you believed? That's nice." His tone held a mocking note, but it was not unkind. It seemed to Catherine that he wasn't mocking her, but rather the world. She wondered what kind of a past this man had to leave him so bitter.
Catherine suddenly seemed to remember that she was in a strange room with a strange man and had no idea how she'd gotten there. "Who are you, anyway? And why'd you bring me here? That's kidnapping where I come from."
The man smiled again. "Kidnapping? Is that what thanks I get? Well, you deserve to know more about me, Catherine Night." His eyes danced at Catherine's shock that he knew her name. "I am Dalamar Nightson, born Dalamar Argent of the Silvanesti Elves. Currently, I reside in the Tower of High Sorcery at Palanthas, where you find yourself now."
"I am a mage of the Order of the Black Robes, which got me kicked out of Silvanesti. For several years, I studied with Raistlin Majere, Master of the Past and Present, likely the most powerful mage to have ever lived. Oh I nearly forgot: I'm your father." Dalamar told all in a matter-of-fact voice.
For a moment, Catherine could do nothing but stare open-mouthed in mute amazement. Then, she snapped. "I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming." She pinched herself hard on the arm, wincing as she felt the pain. "This can't be. There's no such thing as magic, or elves, or Black Robes or Ritalin Maggot or whoever he was. And on top of it all, my father died, or deserted me before I was born!"
Dalamar stood watching her silently. How like her mother in that fit of temper! He put a gentle hand on Catherine's shoulder. "Calm down. I didn't ask you to believe any of it, now did I? However, it is true. My most sincere apologies about your confusion over my existence, but I didn't know about your existence until a couple of days ago. In the end, your mother and I were not on the best of terms, and she never deigned to tell me I had a child."
Catherine had just gone into a shocked stupor. "Broke up, did you?" she said sympathetically, not quite paying attention while her brain tried to take in all she'd been told.
Dalamar grinned. "Well, I suppose you could say that. Now, it is nearly night. I have some research to do, so you can just follow the spectre to your room. There you will find some food, and something to wear for the night. When your friend wakes up, he will find the same in his room."
Catherine was amazed to see, on cue, a disembodied hand float through the wall and beckon to her. So this was the spectre, she thought. Numb with shock, she followed it meekly out of the room.
And now is my time to thank all of my wonderful reviewers: Thank you!
Guan: Well, all shall be revealed in due time, though I think at least, that I gave a HUGE hint this chapter. If you didn't feel the same, no worries. Another two or so chapters.
Kenderling: Thank you! *Blushing* I know made Par-Salian slightly out of character, but I don't quite like him, and I'll probably explain his decision more in the future.
Pen D.: Thanks for your constant support and reviews!
To any others thinking of reviewing: Please do! I accept constructive criticism with dignity, and will accept flames, with bigger flamethrower in hand! ~_^ Thank you all for reading my story. ~Dalamar Nightson