Disclaimer:

I do not own Darker than Black or DragonLance.

Previously:

"The Seeker demand right of entry!" croaked a voice. There was a pause, then the same voice said, "No one home, do we kick the door in?"

"Naw," said another voice. "We'd better just report to the Theocrat, let him kick the door down. Now if it was unlocked, that'd be different, we're allowed to enter then."

Hei glanced at the door opposite Tanis and was again amazed at the irrationality of the group he had ended up with. Not only had the knight tried to fight a loosing battle, but now they had left the door open slightly. Hei knew for a fact that it had not been he, who had left the door open and so concluded that one of the others had, most likely the kender, the contractor rationalized. None of the others except the mage's brother seemed like the type to make such an elementary mistake. Hei wasn't truly worried about what would happen, he could take care of himself and if worst came to worst, he could always kill the night patrol and slip out of Solace unnoticed by anyone.

After some mental debating, Hei decided to stay with the group instead of heading off before the small group was detected. After all, he was quite curious as to what the others would come up with as a plan, deciding it was a tactically sound way to gauge his temporary traveling companions' mental capacity to function under pressure and limited time to formulate tactical plans.

Chapter 3

Flight into darkness part 2

"The door!" Tanis whispered. "Caramon ––"

But the warrior had already moved over to stand behind the door, his back to the wall, his giant hands flexing.

The footsteps flapped to a stop outside.

"The Seekers demand right of entry." The goblin began to bang on the door; then stopped in surprise as it swung open.

"This place is empty," said one. "Let's move on."

"You got no imagination, Grum," said the other. "Here's our chance to pick up a few pieces of silver."

A goblin head appeared around the open door. Its eyes focused on Raistlin, sitting calmly, his staff on his shoulder. The goblin grunted in alarm, then began to laugh.

"Oh, ho!" Look what we've found! A staff!" The goblin's eyes gleamed. It took a step toward Raistlin, its partner crowding close behind. "Hand me that staff!"

A cruel smile hidden by the shadows cast in the light of the fire twitched on thin lips. "Certainly," the mage whispered. He held his own staff forth. "Shirak," he said. The crystal ball flared into light. The goblins shrieked and shut their eyes, fumbling for their swards. At the at moment Caramon jumped from behind the door, grabbed the goblins around their necks, and swept their heads together with a sickening thud. The goblin bodies crumpled into a stinking heap.

Hei was actually impressed that the rag-tag band of misfits was able to come together and make up a workable solution to the problem. The red robed mage's staff intrigued Hei as did the man himself. Was he a contractor as well? However, it wasn't until Hei examined the bodies with a critical eye that he realized the one flaw in the calculation. The large warrior's strength had been too great and the bodies that looked to be unconscious were in fact, dead. Hei listened to the conversation around him and had to stop himself from making a comment about how illogical the humans where being about the whole situation.

"–– we've got to get out of here! And you three" –– Tanis turned to the barbarians and Hei –– "had better come with us."

Hei blinked. "Wherever are we going?"

"We were headed to Haven," the barbarian answered reluctantly. "I have no idea where they" –– Riverwind made a vague gesture in Tanis's direction –– "where going."

"There are wise men there," Goldmoon added. "We hoped they could tell us about this staff. You see, the song I sang – it was true: the staff saved our lives ––"

"You'll have to tell us later," Tanis interrupted. "When these guards don't report back, every goblin in Solace will be swarming up the trees. Raistlin, put out that light."

The mage spoke another word, "Dumak." The crystal glimmered then, the light died.

Hei, didn't bother to listen to the plan Tanis was constructing and had moved towards the kitchen. The contractor honestly didn't really care what the rest of the party did to cover their tracts. While the concept was not new to him, Hei was used to not making a mess in the first place and thus, a clean up was very seldom needed. Once in the kitchen, Hei let his eyes wander to the set of knives that Tika had. It would do him no good to use the dead wizard's daggers or his own, rather unusual weapons of choice is this unknown land. Taking a well-balanced meat knife, Hei added it to his magic purse. It irked him to know that the kinder had tried to pilfer from him but a jolt of electricity had stopped any further attempt.

He slipped back to the rest of the group was the kinder scuttled off to raid Tika's kitchen for any food. He watched with thinly veiled amusement as the small creature tossed Flint a full skin of wine and the knight and warrior overturned furniture and arranged the bodies. For people who were no masters at the art covering up a murder scene.

"You are doing incorrectly," Hei stated simply after Caramon had finished arranging the bodies. Everyone froze as Hei's quiet remark.

"Like you could do much better!" Sturm snarled. It appeared as if he was still miffed about the contractor making it to the house before them all.

Not bothering with a reply, Hei tossed a few pieces of silver on the floor between the two bodies and slightly moved one of the goblin's hand's to clamp around one of the pieces of silver before dropping the hand with a thump. With the other guard, he placed the hilt of the sword in the dead things hand before extending the limp appendage outward and dropping it.

Blinking rapidly as if coming out of a trance, Hei looked around him and gave a nervous laugh, "sumi masen, but this seemed like a more ideal situation. I mean, the goblins were talking about finding silver so I…I…thought I could help out before we head off to where ever we are going."

Tanis seemed to have been trying to find a solution to their destination. "We will travel north," he said finally. "We will escort these two until we come to the crossroads, and Li as well. Then we can decide what to do from there. They can go on southwest to Haven, if they wish. I, however, plan on traveling farther north and see if the rumors about armies gathering are true."

"And perhaps run into Kitiara," Raistlin whispered slyly.

Tanis flushed. "Is that plan all right?" he asked, looking around.

Hei briefly considered his options. On one hand he could go with the two barbarians and create a new life in Haven or travel north with the rest –– as there was no doubt in his mind that they would travel with the half elf –– and have a better chance of finding a way home. The other option for him was to travel alone. The assassin almost immediately discarded the notion with a sneer. He did not know the land, he had no knowledge of what lay out there and the dangers were too high. His mind mad up Hei wondered if he would come to regret this decision.

"Though not the eldest among us, Tanis, you are the wisest," Sturm said. "We follow you –– as always."

Caramon nodded. Raistlin was already heading for the door. The dwarf shouldered the wine skin, grumbling.

"We are grateful," Goldmoon said slowly, as if unused to expressing appreciation. "You risk your lives for us, and we are strangers."

Tanis smiled and clasped her hand. "I am Tanis. The brothers are Caramon and Raistlin. The knight is Sturm Brightblade. Flint Fireforge carries the wine and Tasslehoff Burrfoot is our clever locksmith."

Stepping up to Goldmoon, Hei gave a convincing smile, his dark blue eyes warm for once. "And I am Li Shensheng. A friend of Tika and an informant to my clan."

The woman's clear blue eyes, so different to Hei's own widened in reorganization. "You were the young man who stopped that drunk man from attacking me! You have my thanks."

Hei nodded shyly before ambling out the door to find the others of this odd group he had through his lot with.

Soon everyone had gone, Tas leading the way. Tanis stood alone in fro a moment in the wrecked living room, staring at the bodies of the goblins. He couldn't help but feel resentment towards everything that had happened. This was supposed to have been a peaceful homecoming after bitter years of solitary travel. He though of his comfortable house. He though of all the things he had planned to do – things he had planned to do together with Kitiara. He thought of long winter nights, with storytelling around the fire at the Inn, then returning home, laughing together beneath the fur blankets, sleeping through the snow-covered mornings. Tanis couldn't help but also feel a twinge of guilt when thinking of the innocent if somewhat awkward young man who had been forced to join them in their flight from Solace.

Tanis kicked at the smoldering coals with a boot-clad foot, scattering them. There was no use in dwelling in the 'what ifs'. The reality was that Kitiara had not come and goblins had invaded the quiet town. He and his friends were fleeing into the night to escape a bunch of religious fanatics and zealots, with every likelihood he could not return. He heaved a sigh as the weariness of the world seemed to press down on him. He sensed change coming, felt the disquieting restlessness men feel before a thunderstorm.

He sighed and shook his head. Then he slipped out through the shattered door, leaving it to swinging crazily on one hinge. Never once did he notice the faint outline of a dark shadowed figure watching him with cold, emotionless midnight blue eyes.