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Ice and Steel	By : Skullbearer Category: A through F > Dragonlance Views: 3083 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the book(s) that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Dealing with the ramifications of the past two chapters and exploring the sheer capacity for idiocy inherent in the human race (and half-elven races too).
As usual, I own nothing, they all belong to a mysterious force known as Margaretweisandtracyhickman who's books are receiving a slash transfusion courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Skull Bearer. Ergo I do not own these characters or their world, so please don't send me you lawyers, I don't have enough money to feed them.
Fools and Hypocrites
And I want to make him regret
Life since the day he met you
Yes I do.
And I want to make him take back
All that he took from you
Yes I do.
-Nickelback, Just For.
It was nearly dawn when the two mages pushed open the door to their house. Raistlin could feel himself sliding into the kind of mental and physical exhaustion he hadn't felt since Haven. Judging by Dalamar's expression he wasn't alone in this; the Dark elf looked worn and weary, eyes reddened by tears.
What they both really needed, Raistlin thought, was a really long, quiet rest, one undisturbed by a certain suspicious, brainless brother and his merry band of idiots.
Raistlin walked past the kitchen and stifled a groan. Said brainless brother was sitting up waiting for him. The young mage took no small amount of pleasure at the sight of Caramon's burnt face, singed hair and ruined shirt.
"Raist!"
Raistlin grimaced, the childhood nickname scraping on his already frayed nerves.
He did know, even if his brother did not, that the situation between them had moved beyond simple discussion. Raistlin brought his hand down in an abrupt cutting-off motion to stop any further words.
"Save your breath and let me explain something to you, Caramon." He hissed, "I'll keep it simple, so that even one so lacking in brains as you can understand. I will not forgive you." Each word was drawn out, there were razor blades in every syllable.
"If I had my way, /brother/-" Raistlin spat the word- "Our paths would never cross again. Unfortunately this isn't the case yet, but believe me, when that happy time comes, I will be delighted to be rid of your company once and for all."
Caramon's expression would have been comical if the situation wasn't so serious, it was as if Raistlin was announcing his execution.
"Raist...please..."
Raistlin made another impatient cutting motion with his hand, "Get out of my way."
Caramon couldn't say anything more, and retreated back into the kitchen.
-------------------------------Next morning--------------------------------------
The rest of last night's aftermath met the two mages later the coming morning when Tanis and Flint came in; Raistlin suspected that Sturm was too humiliated to meet him face to face until his mustaches had grown back.
There wasn't much said. Caramon moped quietly in the background, Flint scowled darkly at Raistlin and Tanis looked as he wanted to be anywhere but here .
"I..." Tanis was clearly struggling to find the right words under the combined glares one icy blue, the other iron gray. "I...we...wanted to apologize for last night."
"Speak for yourself." Flint muttered all too audibly, hand going up to his blackened beard, now several inches shorter.
Tanis ignored the irate dwarf, "I had the wrong idea about you," he addressed Dalamar, "I thought, well, we thought..."
"You-" Raistlin started, but Dalamar lay a hand on his shoulder and he stopped.
Dalamar inclined his head, "Very nicely spoken;" Raistlin could hear the quiet scorn in those words, though he'd bet Tanis couldn't. "I appreciate you coming up here to make amends for your actions, Tanis Half-elven -or should I say Half-human?- Quite brave to admit one's own hypocrisy."
Tanis, none too pleased but the 'Half-human' comment, bit back his irritation and continued, "I am sorry of being biased against you because of-"
Dalamar interrupted, "I wasn't talking about that, Half-human, I was talking about the hypocrisy in naming me a whore when your own lover is going behind your back to Gods only know how many other men."
Raistlin lifted his hand to cover his smile. Very nicely done. A double blow catching not only Tanis, but also Kitiara. It would be hard to guess who'd most deserved it.
Tanis's face flashed shock, then anger. "Who are you to-"
"Merely someone she propositioned for the night." Dalamar said, unconcernedly. "I turned her down of course-" Dalamar glanced over at Raistlin, eyes glinting "-Why do you think she disliked me from the beginning? Because I chose Raistlin over her."
Tanis stood, agape. Then he turned and left the house, an equally shocked Flint in tow.
Caramon looked at the two mages, and hurried out too.
Raistlin and Dalamar were left standing in the kitchen, both now smirking.
"He won't believe you." Raistlin said, leaning against a chair.
"It doesn't matter." Dalamar answered, "He doesn't need to believe me. He just needs to suspect and the rest will show itself, true or not. Suspicion is a wonderful thing," Dalamar smiled, lifting an eyebrow at Raistlin, obviously thinking of when the young mage had believed that Dalamar had agreed to spending the night with his sister.
Raistlin suspected that the Dark elf knew he's asked the Inn serving staff for confirmation that nothing had happened.
--------------------------------Later that day-------------------------------------
There was one last bit of trouble. They had been overheard last night and the rumor mill in Solace was no less active than in any other town.
They had been walking from Raistlin's school, it had been the last day yesterday and they'd gone to collect his things.
Truth be told, Raistlin didn't know whether the idiot was either brave enough or stupid enough to walk up to Dalamar and ask him what the going fare was for a night of sex.
Raistlin had slapped a hand over his eyes, his opinion of humanity's general intelligence going down several notches.
The idiot's questions was answered when Dalamar lashed out hard enough to break his jaw.
The fool crumpled to the ground, mewling, curling up against repeated the kicks from the Dark elf's hard leather boots.
By now quite a crowd had gathered; Dalamar stopped beating the whimpering man and span around to face them, a horrible rictus grin on his face.
"If anyone here has anything else to add then please, speak up."
No one did; unsurprising really, Raistlin thought. Dalamar's hands were clenched and he could see the lightly glowing energy wreathing them, sense the magic the Dark elf was calling up.
No one, no matter how stupid, would speak up.
"Nobody? Good." Dalamar looked down at the trembling wretch at his feet and loosed his spell, magical bolts slamming into the fool's body and sending him howling.
Dalamar threw the burnt and bleeding man one final glower of hatred, grabbed Raistlin's arm and stormed away, dragging the younger mage behind him.
Raistlin waited until they were safely into the shadows of the sprawling trees before stopping, dragging on Dalamar's robes to hold him still.
Silver eyes stormed anger for a moment, then calmed.
Raistlin rubbed one hand over his eyes, this day was just been going from bad to worse.
"Dalamar, I know as you do that what happened then was not wise. Yes, I agree that the idiot deserved every blow you sent him, but I doubt that the guards will think the same way. I do not want you to be thrown out of Solace and that is exactly what that man will try to convince the guards to do."
Dalamar sighed; he looked tired. He had barely slept the previous night, tossing and turning throughtout most of it.
After the disaster last evening, a bad night and Tanis's pompous 'apology' this morning, it wasn't surprising he'd lashed out at the first plausible target.
Raistlin was rather glad it hadn't been him; if nothing else, Tarsis had taught Dalamar more than a few things about fighting. He could still hear the sickening 'crack' as the man's jaw split under the blow.
"I know." Dalamar spoke at length. There was no apology or explanation, the Dark elf trusted that Raistlin could work those out for himself, no need to waste words.
"I know."
There wasn't much more to say, really.
Raistlin glanced around, they weren't very far from Crystalmir lake. It would be quiet there and what he wanted say was best not overheard. He beckoned to Dalamar to follow him to the same spot where they had sat the previous night.
It was, as expected, quiet. Nobody was around save them. Raistlin sat down on the bank of the lake, Dalamar dropping down beside him.
"Truth be told Dalamar, I'm sick of staying here. Caramon has always been irritating but this time I want to be rid of him, and I'm sure you'd be in agreement."
Dalamar nodded pensively, "What do you propose, to get a place of our own?"
Raistlin blinked, the idea hadn't occurred to him. It was attractive in it's own way, certainly, but...
"Do you remember what we discussed last year? About traveling north and hiring out as mercenaries?"
It was Dalamar's turn to blink, then to smile, "You think it's time then?"
Raistlin nodded, "We've learnt more than enough from the books we bought from Lemuel. We need the steel and we need the experience, besides..."
He trailed off and sighed, "After last night, it would be a mistake to remain here. While Caramon and Tanis won't do anything, Sturm is another matter, a knight's injured honor is a dangerous thing. And after this morning's little revelation to Tanis, I don't think Kitiara will take your actions too kindly. Not to mention that neither of us will be able to stand the sight of any of them for a very long time."
Dalamar's smile broadened, "Yes, you are right." He paused and sighed. "We shouldn't leave yet though, as much as I would want to; Spring is high time for banditry and we should wait few months before setting off, at least after midsummer's night."
"We'd be traveling in autumn then," Raistlin argued.
Dalamar shrugged, "As we'll be going north the weather will be milder, if wetter, so it shouldn't be so much of a problem."
Raistlin agreed, then "There's one last thing, Kitiara's leaving soon too."
One eyebrow lifted, "Really?"
"War murmurs in the North."
"All the more call for war mages then."
"Exactly."
Dalamar tapped his chin thoughtfully, "You two could end up on opposing sides of the same battlefield, you know that?"
Raistlin looked out over the shining water, over the last few months his innate dislike of his half sister had bloomed into fully fledged hate. He wouldn't care about leaving her to her death, as she had so clearly hadn't cared about leaving Raistlin to his.
Dalamar's emotions were obvious, he'd detested and been detested by Kitiara from the beginning. In Haven the Dark elf would have been happy to lay everything bare in front of the High Sheriff and let them hang her.
It was with complete honesty that Raistlin nodded and smiled slightly, "Yes, I know."
Dalamar grinned back, then stood, brushed down his black robes and offered Raistlin a hand up. Time to be getting back.
The walk home was a quiet one, there was no sign of the guards and no one disturbed them.
They had just rounded a large vallenwood on the last walkway home when the saw a decidedly odd sight.
Master Theobald, Raistlin's largely ineffective teacher, was standing outside their door, tapping his foot irritably and shifting a scrollcase from hand to hand, grumbling to himself.
Yes, the time has come...
Skull Bearer.
- 13
- 14
- 15
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Ice and Steel