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A Book of Roses - Book 2	By : Moongirl Category: A through F > Dragonlance Views: 3932 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter 5 – Return of the Archmage

Shareene spent most of her days wandering around Palanthas. Either she took in a few clients to repair a few pieces of jewelry, enjoyed the faires and plays in the square, or spent time reading in the Great Library. The days ticked away before she knew it, and every night she checked the stars to see if there was any change. None came.
And every day that she traveled into the old city, she stopped somewhere to look at the tower. She asked herself what was it about the ancient structure that held her attention so much. Was it because the city fathers should have torn it down a long time ago? It was obviously crumbling and falling apart as there were pieces missing on the minarets and the central spire. A large set of black fingers clawing helplessly at the sky amidst the white buildings around it. Just looking at it and you knew there was something terribly wrong about the structure. Why did it still exist?
Every day she contemplated the abandoned tower, and every day she couldn’t come up with a good answer about why it held her attention so. She would even make a special trip to the library in the hopes she could find something to explain why she made it a priority. She found her answer.
As she explored a book about the history of Palanthas, she found a small chapter on the tower. It told that it held as much information as the tower found in Istar – which surprised her how old the structure truly was. She leaned in close to the pages when the author told the tale of the final years before the Cataclysm, how the Kingpriest ruled that all Towers of Sorcery be shut down and placed in his hands after a bloody war. She gasped as she read of the curse placed on it; a mage sacrificing himself after screaming “The Tower will remained cursed until the master of both the past and the present returns!” on the gates below. How, after that, no one has been able to approach this tower ever again. Not even fearless kender are immune to its effects.
Shareene sat there for a long time pondering over the curse on the tower. Why was she able to look upon it with curiosity instead of fear? She couldn’t deny that she felt some sort of chill viewing it, but she was more intrigued than repelled. And what was it that Cyan had said before he discouraged her to live there? Something about it won’t be empty for much longer? What could he mean?
A small flicker of an idea crossed her mind. What if it was Raistlin that would open it? She admitted that he was vastly powerful, but how powerful did he really become? Surely he’s not this master the mage talked about. But, what about his eyes, altered into the shape of hourglasses. A sign? Her mind swam with questions long into the day until one of the aesthetics had to show her out so they could lock up the library for the night.
After learning the history of the tower, there were times where she would dare herself to approach it. To look at the twisted trees up close, to feel the waves of terror it held. Instead she backed away from the idea, figuring the locals wouldn’t like a stranger poking around there. As much as she tried, she couldn’t turn her attention away from the tower for very long.
Otherwise she was already set into her routine. Shareene worked long into the night to repair a few broaches she was commissioned to do. She didn’t need the work but it kept her busy and feeling useful. She had taken to tarbean tea to get her through the night, even though it did cause her hands to shake from time to time. During the day she barely saw a cloud in the sky, and at night the skies were clear to view the stars and moons. Everything was rather peaceful on this side of the world, which suited her fine.
While Shareene was setting the last jewel into place one night, a rumble could be heard from the ground. Everything started to shake, like a volcano was coming to life. She ran for a doorway, and as soon as she braced herself a booming explosion could be heard from the east. She could hear her neighbors screaming at the commotion, watched as some of them fled from their homes. Once the floor was starting to settle down again did she dare try to walk outside.
Everyone was looking to the east, as if in preparation for something to rise out of the mountains that circled the city. A column of light shot into the sky from a great distance off. Something about that sight thrilled her to no end as she watched it arch into the sky. It was heading for the final gap in the constellations. The beam seemed to have hit the firmament and then slowly faded out. She nearly cried out for joy.
The Queen had returned to Her position in the sky.
The War was over.
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Shareene now had something to replace her thoughts about the tower with. She knew that soon, Raistlin would be traveling here to find her again. Then they would be able to live the life she had always dreamed they would have together. The days felt like they were dragging, her mind coming up with so many scenarios of how he would return. She jumped every time she heard a door slam open, only to find it was the neighbors nearby making the noise. She swore off her tea for a while, thinking it was distracting her from her routine. She learned that wasn’t it when her mind still strayed to thoughts of him.
Her distraction because a problem as she couldn’t cope with her day-to-day life. She would barely go out, thinking he would come for her while she was at home. If she wasn’t there, either he would wait another day or think she lied about waiting for him. Then she would think he might not know where to find her and maybe going out would help him find her. It was a big city after all. She couldn’t decide what to do. She would pick up a book and halfway down the page she would lose interest. She nibbled on food when she could remember that she needed to eat. The jewelry she was working on she either lost patience with it or lost all interest. Every day was a struggle to keep her mind focused. Shareene was his and his alone. He had entranced her, mesmerized her mind that she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
She dreaded the thought that he might have changed his mind. Or worse still, he was another casualty of the war like Sturm was. That was her biggest fear, which she would keep waiting for a man that would never come. No, she decided firmly, he did not change his mind, nor was he dead. If something happened to Raistlin, she would know about it. Something would have told her – a dream, a sign, a flicker of a ghost – if something wrong would have happened. She held onto that belief with an iron fist.
He must show up…he cannot help himself…he will return to me, was the thought she repeated time and time again.
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“Wait, Raistlin!” he heard his brother try to scream at him. He looked down at him from his perch on thegon.gon. “I’ll go with you!”
“Would you? Would you really go with me into the darkness?” He watched as Caramon hesitated, then nod even though his answer hurt the woman standing behind him. *What a fool you’d be*, he thought, *to give up on a chance for a life of your own. *
Instead of using the words he wanted to say, Raistlin spoke gently to him. Soft words usually helped him to understand the meaning most of the time. “No, my brother. Where I go you cannot follow. As strong as you are, it would only lead to your death. We are finally the people we were meant to be, Caramon – two whole people. And now our path separates. You must learn to walk yours alone,” and as he thought of the woman waiting for him in Palanthas, he smiled faintly, “or with those who might choose to walk with you….” *As I have found mine, * was his unspoken words. “Farewell, my brother.”
Before commanding the dragon to take off, he tossed a letter to his brother; a current of air guided it to his hand unerringly. As soon as Caramon’s fingers clamped onto it, then he was free to leave. With a leap and a beat of wings, Cyan took to the air, taking the same flight as before, delivering the mage’s mate.
Caramon didn’t read the letter until he was back in Solace. After he was sure he removed the thoughts of his brother out of his mind, they came back with terrible force as he slowly read these words over, letting them become burned in his mind and eat at his heart:
“Caramon, the gods have tricked the world in absences, in gifts, and all of us are housed within their cruelties. The wit that was our heritage, they lodged in me, enough to see all differences: the light in Tika’s eyes when she looks elsewhere, the tremble in Laurana’s voice when she speaks to Tanis, and the graceful sweep of Goldmoon’s hair at Riverwind’s approach. loo look at me, and even with your mind I could discern the difference. Here I sit, a body frail as bird bones.
“In return the gods teach us compassion, teach us mercy, that compensation. Sometimes they succeed, for I have felt the hot spit of injustice turn through those too weak to fight their brothers for sustenance or love, and in that feeling the pain lulled and diminished to a glow, I pitied as you pitied, and in that rose above the weakest of the litter.
“You, my brother, in your thoughtless grace, that special world in which the sword arm spins the wild arc of ambition and the eye gives flawless guidance to the flawless hand, you cannot follow me, cannot observe the landscape of cracked mirrors in the soul, the aching hollowness in sleight of hand.
“And yet you love me, simple as the rush and balance of our blindly mingled blood, or as a hot sword arching through the snow: It is the mutual need that puzzles you, the deep complexity lodged in the veins, wild in the dance of battle, when you stand, a shield before your brother, it is then you nourishment arises from the heart of all my weaknesses.
“When I am gone, where will you find the fullness of your blood? Backed in the heart’s loud tunnels?
“I have heard The Queen’s soft lullaby, Her serenade and call to battle mingling in the night; this music calls me to my quiet throne deep in Her senseless kingdom.
“Dragonlords thought to bring the darkness into light, corrupt it with the mornings and the moons – in balance is all purity destroyed, but in voluptuous darkness lies the truth, the final, graceful dance.
“But not for you: You cannot follow me into the night, into the maze of sweetness. For you stand cradled by the sun, in solid lands, expecting nothing, having lost your way before the road became unspeakable.
“It is beyond explaining, and the words will make you stumble. Tanis is your friend, my little orphan, and he will explain those things he glimpses in the shadow’s path, for he knew Kitiara and the shine of the dark moon upon her darkest hair, and yet he cannot threaten, for the night breathes in a moist wind on my waiting face.”
Caramon sighed, as he didn’t truly understand what his brother meant. But he also didn’t want to get the meaning from someone else. There might be a time where he would sit down and contemplate the words, but now wasn’t the time. Burying the note with his armor and sword in a chest, he tried to focus on helping the town of Solace heal after the war. There were, at least, these people that still needed him.
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Shareene dropped into bed with exhaustion. The commissioned pieces were done and ready for the customers. Before falling asleep, she whispered the words “Return to me,” and kissed the charm around her neck – a ritual she had done every night. As soon as she dropped her arm she was fast asleep.
Somewhere in the night, she was awakened by a strange sound, something terribly unearthly that it made her bolt upright. She went to her window and threw open the shutters. There was no sound on the streets but the ghostly howl winding through the streets of Palanthas. After a moment, she could almost feel the magic being drawn to a spot she was familiar with – the tower. With a gasp she bolted from the window, threw on some clothes and her boots, and tore out of her house, leaving the door wide open.
She ran as fast as she possibly could through the night, feeling the pull from the Old City, summoning her. There was no one to stop her. The guards were cowering on their minarets and posts, staring at her as if she was a banshee flying through the streets. She was quickly becoming winded, a painful stitch jabbing her in her side, and still she ran as if her feet never touched the ground. The charm bouncing around her neck started to glow brighter and became warmer the closer she came to her destination. In a matter of minutes Shareene entered the sector of abandoned buildings. The fear that was starting to build in her heart was being overwhelmed by the pure excitement the charm was emitting. In no time, she was standing in front of the cursed oaks – Shoikan Grove.
She gasped and coughed as she stood by the path that lead to the tower. She saw the undead, the ghosts, and the demons that call this area their home. Farther in, she could see the source of her charm’s powers. A black robed figure stood by the gates on the other end of the path; his staff alight like a beacon in the harbor. He turned around, and she could feel his golden gaze on her hit with such force that she felt pushed. Shareene’s heart nearly sang in joy, and gulping a deep breath she tore down the path to her destination.
Unseen hands started to grab her skirt and ankles, their death grip threatening to freeze her joints. She kicked and stamped on brittle bones, turning them to powder before she managed to advance a bit farther. Again, a new set came to clamp on her feet, the trees becoming animated and tearing at her hair and blouse. Screaming in impotent anger at her delays, she flailed wildly at the demons, snapping the limbs off the trees and crushing more hands under her heels. But they wouldn’t stop. Every time she made some progress, more of the unliving would try to capture her. Screaming like a wild cat and barely being able to move, she broke one hold and gripped the charm around her neck, now glowing like a star and warm as a fire. “Enough!” she screamed, her voice seemingly amplified.
The hands retreated as heat flooded the area. She fell as she was suddenly let go, the rest of the path was cleared for her. Shaking but undaunted, she stumbled to her feet and ran to him. She smiled in relief as she saw his arms reach out to her, like a dark golcomlcoming her into his kingdom. Shareene held her arms out and with her last bit of strength felt into his embrace. He felt back one step as her weight collided into him, and she went nearly limp in his arms.
Her eyes were heavy lidded as she looked up at him with a smile filled with peace. “I knew you’d come back,” she whispered, her voice gone. Exhausted, she passed out.
Before she fell into the darkness of sleep, she hear him say, “I am home.” Her dreams were filled with the feeling of being picked up by Raistlin’s arms, and carried through the gates to the decayed tower.
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Raistlin laid Shareene down carefully on a bed that was relatively still in one piece. The tower had fallen into such disrepair that it looked too daunting to try and repair. He couldn’t do it in one night, he knew that too well. The few he did cast that night cost him a lot of his strength, and traveling as fast as he could make Cyan go taxed the rest of him. Finding a simple chair, he slid it over to the side of the bed and collapsed into it. With a point of his hand and a whisper of will, the fireplace sprang to life to heat the long chilled room.
Exhausted, he rubbed his eyes to clear them. So much decay around them. The undead were mostly taken care of, moved to the empty spaces of the vast tower so they would leave him and his woman alone. Dropping his arms to the armrests, he looked over at her, still knocked unconscious. Her chest rose and fell slowly, which relieved him greatly. He didn’t expect her to come out of nowhere, to brave the terror of the woods so she could reach him. Did she even realize they could have killed her? Then he thought, would she care, as long as she could pass in my arms? He bit his lip in pain as the one nightmare came to his mind. She just proved she would do anything to be with him, even conquering her fear and facing the undead to reach him.
He covered his eyes with his hands, trying to will the tears back before he started crying. The emotions were too strong, weighing his heart down and he succumbed to the tears. He risked so much for this moment and achieved it. Then having her dash to him so she could be at his side at his greatest moment so far. The love he had for her multiplied, gone beyond his reasoning as she risked her own life to be with him. He was beyond proud of her, knowing no one else would have done the same for him. Not even Caramon. No, he would never have survived the terror of the grove. How she did, he had no idea.
After calming down and wiping his eyes dry with his handkerchief – the same one that was stained with blood – Raistlin rose from his chair and sat on the side of the bed, watching her as she slept. Her outfit was torn into rags now, cuts were visible through the rents, and even the boots were shredded. He could see some of her hair was ripped out but not badly, and there were a few remains of the twigs tangled in the brunette locks. She was starting to fill out a bit; not as emaciated as when he first saw her, but the dark circles were still deep under her eyes. He brushed away a few wisps from her forehead and shoulders, caressing the skin that was exposed. Parts of her skin were chilled blue from the hands that clawed her. Carefully he removed what was left of the boots, wincing as he felt how cold her feet and ankles were. He had no idea how she managed to run on when she clearly didn’t have any feeling left in her legs. He took as many blankets as he could find and covered her with them. They were thin and riddled with holes, so he went after the rug on the floor. Finding it just as bad as the blankets, he ripped down the heavy velvertairtains and placed them under the decayed blankets and rug. Hoping that would heat her back up, he collapsed into the bed next to her, not even removing his boots or belt. He was just too exhausted to care about a bag of sand in his side.
Leaving the staff standing next to the headboard still lit, Raistlin curled up against the still form of Shareene, lost in her dreams. After going through all that and still have peaceful dreams made him amazed and a little jealous, but it didn’t bother him much. “I have everything now,” he whispered out loud. “I have my own life, wondrous powers to explore, and my woman by my side. I can’t possibly want anything more…I am complete….” Slowly he slipped into sleep, his head resting on her shoulder.
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The Palanthians fell back to sleep as soon as the terror passed in the streets. Those that lived around Shareene noticed that she wasn’t around outside the next day, waving and greeting them a good morning as she went to the shops. An elderly lady wandered to her home and found the door left open, the finished jewels lying on her table. The bed was slept in, clothing tossed around her bedroom but nothing else was touched. A quick inspection found no money left in the house, but yet the jewelry remained. Assuming that she was taken during the strange eerie night, the old lady made a quick sign of warding off evil and locked the door shut. She wouldn’t pick up the valuables, they could be cursed as well. If the owners of the jewels knew what happened here, they wouldn’t want them either.
Shareene was marked off as dead, taken away by the evil that flooded the streets that night, and everyone continued on with their daily lives.
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*Too hot…what is pressing on me?…it’s too warm in here….*
Shareene was woken to the light shining on her face, threatening to burn her eyes if she didn’t move. She tried to move her arm and found it pressed down into a rather dusty sheet. Opening her eyes, she blinked weakly in the bright rays managing to get through the weather streaked window. She found sheets of…something…laid on her whshe she was unconscious. Taking a breath she tried to recall what happened.
*The night…something wrong with it…his call…run through the Grove…let go of me, damn you!…Oh Gods….*
“Raistlin!” she called out painfully, her voice not fully recovered from the primal scream of her magic. In a fit, she started to kick and shove the sheets off of her till she was free. She bolted out of the bed, her feet hitting the cold floor weakly. She just then realized her boots were taken off sometime during the night. Finding them, she though it useless to put them back on as they were shredded into scraps of suede and leather. Then the thought came to her that her feet were in them while they were being destroyed and dropped them in disgust. *Those cold, cold hands…what were they?* she thought, feeling a chill drive down her spine.
This wasn’t her room, she eventually realized. The walls were coated with dust and cobwebs, the furniture in a heavy state of disrepair. There was once a fire recently in the fireplace, but it was out now. She turned to the window that blinded her into wakefulness and walked slowly towards it. She gasped audibly and her knees nearly gave way as she saw the twisted ring of trees, the black fence that surrounded a barren field, and the rest of the city outside the grove.
She was now inside the tower. The cursed tower of Palanthas. *But how…no, Raistlin!* Turning she nearly walked outside the room until she noticed her clothes. There wasn’t much left to them now, barely decent and would hardly keep her warm. The shoes were useless too so she would have to walk carefully on the stone floor. Looking through the sheets that were tossed onto her, she found the remains of the curtains and slipped it around her shoulders like a cape. Once she felt she was ready to face whatever might be outside the room, she approached the door. With a trembling hand, she pulled it open and walked out into a small hallway.
Shareene stared in wonderment as she looked from her perch. She stood on one of the landings of the immense stair that wound it’s way up and down the tower. Looking up slowly, she could see the winding steps spiral to a point she couldn’t see. Turning her gaze downwards, she could see the main floor a few kilometers below her. It was so spacious and vast compared to looking at it from the outside it awed her.
Somewhere in this amazing tower was Raistlin, but she had no clue where to find him. He didn’t wait for her to wake up, but assuming the rest of the tower looked like the room she was just in he must be working to fix it up. Sighing she sat on one of the steps, not willing to move too much as her exertion caught up with her. She never ran that hard or fast before in her life. The pain was starting to catch up with her. She leaned her shoulder against the wall and closed her eyes. Clearing her throat a few times over till it felt like she could handle it, she called his name out as loudly as she could. She felt it bounce off the cold stone walls over and over as the sound traveled. Wherever he was, he was sure to hear it.
The mage was examining different rooms, taking stock in what needed repair and which ones needed it first. He turned in surprise when he heard his name echo through the main hall. With a whispered spell he was whisked away to where she was.
Shareene opened her eyes when she heard footsteps approaching. The pain was forgotten as excitement flooded her heart. The smile she gave him was so bright it rivaled the sun. He walked up to her, fell to his knees and quickly caught her up in his arms, holding her tight. He could feel her bury her face in the shoulder of his robes, her frame shaking as sobs came without holding them back. Her hands were knotted into the velvet on his back, her own slipping away from hers. The mage started rocking her back and forth slowly, stroking her hair and quietly shushing her as he smiled.
“I knew you were coming,” she said, muffled by his cloak. “I could feel you here…there was nothing that could keep me away from you….”
“I know, I know very well, darling,” he answered. “You braved the most terrifying place on Krynn to come to me. You don’t know how proud I am of you right now.”
Shareene looked up at him, her eyes wide. “You…you are?”
He looked down into her dark eyes and smiled sweetly. “No one else could have braved it better than you did. I could see what you did, and I was amazed.” He drew her close and kissed her on the forehead.
“There is nothing on this world that could keep me away from you,” she whispered, curling up close to him.
He gently took her chin in his fingers and guided her to look at him. “You proved that last night,” he whispered drawing her face closer to his, “and I love you beyond all measure.” His lips hesitantly brushed hers once, then gained confidence as he kissed her harder. He could feel her hand reach up to his hair, holding him so he couldn’t part from her if he tried. He sighed hard as he felt her react, her mouth moving on his, warming him inside. His long thin fingers brushed her face, run down her neck to hold her tight against him. He could easily stay like this forever, but for now they needed to make a home out of this abandoned tower.
Shareene could feel him slowing down, and she released her grip on him a bit, letting him back away. She could see the familiar blush on his face, the same that would appear when he was starting become excited. Taking a deep breath, she brushed her fingers into his hair and looked at him adoringly. “I…I guess we should…go do something about this place,” she said, breaking the silence.
Dropping one final kiss on her lips, he stood up and pulled her back to her feet. “First, we get you something else to wear.” Grabbing the discarded velvet, he led her back in the room. “Sit there, I think I can get you something nice. Now, hold still.” He draped the material over her head, making her giggle underneath. He laid a hand on her now covered head and she tried to control herself. Closing his eyes and imagining the final product, he whispered to the material, reshaping it around her. A neckline appeared, letting it drop over her shoulders. Other parts fell away while other joined together until she was wearing a black velvet robe like he had. Taking the remains of her boots, he willed them to be trimmed down into small slippers for fer feet. The scraps of the boots became a belt to secure the robes around her middle.
After she was done ripping the old outfit off and letting them drop to the floor she smoothed her hands over her new gown. Raistlin took the belt and secured it around her waist. She got a good look at it, there were roses and runes around it. He dropped to her feet and slipped on her new shoes. He looked up at her lovingly, “You look beautiful.”
Shyly she ran her hands through her hair, knocking the knots and twigs out of the snarls. “I look like a fright is more like it.”
He hushed her again as he stood up. “Never in my eyes.” He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her gently. “Come, let me show you this place.” With one arm around her waist, he led her back to the landing and transported them into another room of the tower.
They now stood in a large room with broken chairs and overturned tables. The shelves were still in tact but barren of its contents. “The original occupants left in a hurry, hoping to get every piece of magic out before it was taken over,” Raistlin explained. “Even the wood of the chairs would absorb all that was worked in here. So they shattered what they couldn’t take with them.” He wandered the room as if lost in a dream. “These shelves,” – he gestured to them with the staff – “were once filled with books of every description. Any kind of magic, enchantment, potion, stone, herb; it was all catalogued here in thick books bound in blue leather. These are now in the Great Library, which I have every intention of reclaiming.” He walked over to the window, pulling the rotted curtains open, some of it ripping in his hands. “This is all mine,” he whispered in excitement.
Shareene could almost picture it all when Raistlin spoke of it, staring at everything with wide eyes. “You almost sound like you were here before,” she said casually.
He turned around, almost surprised but it faded so quickly she thought she imagined it. “I…I read about it all.” He dropped the remnants to the floor and walked back to her. “I plan to make this our room.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Ours?”
“You are going to stay here with me, are you not? Or do you wish separate rooms to make it proper?” he teased her.
“Yes, of course!” she said. “Of course I’m staying with you. I just have to get used to it, that’s all.”
Raistlin smiled as he stroked her face. “You are mine now. No one can take you from me.”
“Not that anyone could.”
“I know. I’ve always known.”
She grinned and walked over to an adjacent door. “And what’s in here?” She opened the door and found another room in disarray, but not as badly. Stumbling in the darkness she found the window and yanked them open. Once the dust settled, she realized she was standing in a bedroom. He followed in, appraising everything over. “Guess I found something interesting,” she said with a blush.
At first he didn’t know what she meant. Once he figured it out he tried to hide his blush. “Um…yes…I believe you have.” Nervous, he turned his back to her as if to examine the shelves for sturdiness. The shoes were so soft he didn’t hear her approach until she was pressed firmly against his back, her hands snaking up his chest to brace him against her. She leaned her head against the back of his neck, could feel the softness on her crushed into him and he closed his eyes to bring some control back. One of her hands disappeared, feeling one of them brush his hair to the side, a warm kiss applied to the nape of his neck and he couldn’t contain his sigh. “Shareene,” he whispered, nearly choking on her name, “this room isn’t ready for such things.”
“The room,” she whispered near his ear, “or you?”
He swallowed hard. “Both, actually.” He wanted to curse out loud for his insecurities and inexperience. “I’m sorry….” He wanted to say something more, but couldn’t.
“No, don’t be sorry, I shouldn’t push.” Expecting her to let him go, he was surprised her arms just slid down to circle his waist. “I know this tower needs a lot of work before it crumbles around our ears. And then where would we go if that happened?”
“There is no where else for us, Shareene.” His arms folded around hers. “This is it. This is your home for the rest of your days, as it is mine. I will neverp fop foot outside this tower ever again.”
She could hear a touch of sadness in his voice, which made her hold him a little tighter. “Well, that’s fine. I can retrieve whatever we need….”
“No, you don’t understand,” he said as he turned in her embrace. “You cannot leave either. There is no going back now. This city has given you up for dead, the way you disappeared into the night. And the world would prefer me gone from it. This is it. Our sanctuary.”
Shareene looked at him in shock. “But, what will we survive on? The tower can’t provide everything.”
“But I can. Remember how I fed you? There is nothing you will ever want. Name it and it’s yours. But we’re all we have now.”
She tried to think of something, anything, that would make him think otherwise. But he was right. The world had rejected him, time and time again. She was the only one that took him in. “What happened to your brother?” she whispered.
“Oh,” he looked away then back at her. “He’s still alive. But I don’t need him coddling me anymore. I am my own person now. I don’t need my ‘other half’ trying to stifle me with his ‘caring’ anymore.” He sighed to remove the sarcasm in his voice. “I’m sure he won’t understand it, but then I would expect nothing else from him. And he should be making a life with the one he’s in love with, as I am.”
“He’s actually sticking to one woman now? He has grown up.”
“I wouldn’t be too confident in stating that. I was his reason for living up until now. I hope he learns quickly where his priority should lie now.”
She was silent for a moment. “I was always drawn to this tower but I could never figure out what it was. I did some reading about this place and I have to ask…how did you break the curse? I mean, are you the one this person foretold about before the Cataclysm?”
“Yes,” he whispered, “and no.” She looked at him questioningly. “It’s not something that I can explain readily, for I’m not even sure sometimes. It seems I have this ability to almost become someone else, recall events I was never at, and then never remember I did it at all.”
“Is that how you opened the gates?”
“I believe so. I can’t remember how. I can only recall you coming after me. A dream in the middle of a nightmare.”
She sighed gently. “I’m glad I don’t remember much of that time.”
“You don’t want to. Trust me, you don’t.”
Giving him a final squeeze she released him and wandered around the room with a meandering swivel to her hips. “So, how do we fix this place up?”
The mage grinned as he watched her move. “I do most of it. You should be relaxing and recovering.” Gesturing to one of the chairs, he commanded it to repair itself. In a matter of seconds it was standing back up whole again. “Sit down while I take care of the other room.” Once he saw her sit, he walked back into the main room and did the same with the rest of the furniture in there. Another command and every trace of dust and mold was removed from the carpets, the walls and floors. One more command to clean the window inside and out, restoring the curtain that still hung there.
He walked back into the bedroom and did likewise. She watched in delight as the room arranged itself back into its former glory, before it was ransacked and abandoned. The look on her face reminded him of when he did his sleight of hand tricks for her. He never had to impress her but it was fun for both of them. Once he was done he walked up to her and with a flick of his fingers a red rose appeared in his hand. Snapping the stem, he tucked it in her hair and let his fingertips slide down her face. “For my blushing rose,” he whispered. “Welcome to our home.”
*****************************************************************************
The day passed as they went from room to room, deciding if they would use it or not. As Raistlin busied himself with returning the books that were stored away, Shareene wandered around the tower looking for items for herself. Poking through a few rooms, she finally found one that once had a woman as a resident. Finding a mirror still in one piece, a silver vanity and a basin she took them back to their room along with a few robes still in good condition. He saw the items she brought back and couldn’t help but smile.
“Ever so feminine,” he whispered to her as she set up the items on one table.
“Your choice if you want me fixed up and lovely, or looking disheveled and wild,” she teased back.
He strode up to her and took her face in his hands. “Doesn’t matter what you look like, you silly woman. You always remain beautiful to me.” He smiled as he saw the familiar blush on her face, and turned his attention to the robes still in her arm. They were made of red velvet and still in good condition. “Feeling like red today?”
She shrugged. “I happened to find them and thought I should have a change of clothes if I need them.”
The familiar voice intoned in his head, *Make her find some white robes…she might be useful to us then….* Instead he shoved the thought away and took the ones she found. “There are still some runes on these, most are broken. Let me have them for a while, and I’ll have these ready for you for your own use.”
Shareene smiled brightly, and with a kiss of thanks she went off to see what else she could find.
Knowing he was alone, Raistlin snarled at the open air of the room. “What in the Abyss are you talking about? She is plenty enough useful to me.”
*You forget our bargain…and I will make you carry it out if I see you slip. Now, this girl you picked up…I sense a great power in her. I believe she’s not aware of it. She could be useful for our plans….*
“I will not use her in that!” he spat back. “She doesn’t deserve that, not after all she’s done for me.”
*Showing such passion when you’re known for not caring, how very odd this must be for you. And here I believed the magic was all you lived for? Has things changed?*
The mage started to pace the room, trying to organize his thoughts before the voice said them for him. “Many things change over time. At that time, I didn’t know if she was dead or alive, and if I had come across her if she would feel the same. Especially after this!” he snarled as he gestured to his form now. He caught his reflection in the mirror; saw the gold on his face, the white of his hair, and the eyes staring back at him. He quickly dashed to it and slammed it down, not wanting to see himself ever again.
*I see. Well, I can always forgive you of the pact. She can have you without the magic you so rely on. Or the endless coughing that leaves you as helpless as when you were born. Will she love dealing with the invalid you could be if I leave you? Or I can take away the help I gave you to let you live…remember that, mage? How you nearly died in the library? How horrid she would feel to find you dead on the floor, before she even got the chance to know you intimately? I think it would kill her in the process….*
“Enough!” he screamed. Tired, he collapsed into a nearby chair. “Enough. What is it that you wish me to consider?”
He could almost feel the voice smile in its evil way. *No, I will not tell you. You will find it soon enough. Just remember your bargain for time grows short. The Conclave will not like your silence after the end of the war. Beware of spies dressed as mages that idolize you. Keep reading on what I’ve shown you before. Maybe…if she is worthy enough…she can rule by your side instead of being your shield.*
Hearing that lightened his mind a bit. If Shareene was the woman that could conquer the undead here…she could easily rule by his side then. But, the voice was known for lying too. He vowed he woulnd tnd the way to keep her safe, despite the warnings he saw before.
Raistlin was snapped out of his thoughts when she reentered the room, this time with a cape around her shoulders and a few pairs of boots for the both of them. He tried to bury the worry that now penetrated his mind and soul as he said, “You are becoming rather resourceful. Where are you finding all this?”
She dropped the boots into the corner of the room. “Some of the rooms do not have the spooks in them, and there are quite a few of daily things we’re going to need.”
“So many shoes? Remember we’re not going to go traveling.”
“We’re here for the long haul right? Clothing does wear out no matter what. Best to have spares just in case. It’s not like the original owners will be wanting these back.”
He nodded as he agreed. “You are right.”
Shareene turned around and looked at him, noticing a slight change over him. “Are you all right? You don’t look very well.”
“No, I’m fine. I think I’ve taxed myself reclaiming the books and repairing a few things.’ He knew he was lying, but he hoped there would be one day where he could tell her everything. Maybe she would understand what he had done, why he did it, but not now. Now was not the time for such things. “It grows late, we should stop for the day.”
“I agree,” she sighed as she sat down on the bed. “I didn’t even realize the time. If you are tired, I can try to make us something, but we don’t have any food here. I don’t think there’s any water either.”
He waved a hand at her. “Do not worry. I can manage that much, but afterwards I am done for the day.” Standing up and offering his hand to her, they walked to the other room and sat down at the table they set up for dining. As he did before, a simple meal was laid out in front of them. Once the smell hit Shareene’s senses she realized how hungry she was. He ate as he usually did, very sparingly.
She decided that a little conversation was in order, being that they were living together now. “What made you decide to cut off all communications with the others?”
He looked at his plate with a sad look. “They wouldn’t understand the sacrifices I made to finish this war. At least, sealing the Dark Queen from reentering the world. If She did, this world would not survive. Nothing would ever be the same again. Only I knew how to seal Her off, and I made it happen. But they won’t understand. They were too wrapped up in their own personal squabbles to deal with the immediate threat. But they will be remembered as the heroes…not me. I couldn’t show my face around them after I…after I broke off from them. They would sooner kill me because I ‘hurt my brother’.” He sighed. “The other black robes that were there knew me for who I was. The one that closed the door, destroyer of her twisted temple. I’m sure word has reached the Conclave of how I betrayed the black order. Right now, they do not know where I am, but they will. Once they do, it’s only a matter of time before they make a decision against me.”
Shareene looked at him with fright in her eyes. “Then maybe we shouldn’t stay here. If we keep moving, they may not be able to catch up with us.”
He shook his head. “No, that will aid them. It is best that we lay still and not draw attention. I would certainly draw attention anywhere I go. You are not the one in danger. If they were to do anything to me – and that would be a foolish thing for them to do – they would leave you alone.” Unless they found something odd about her also like the voice did, he thought to himself.
She grabbed his hand and forced him to look at her. “I don’t care if I’m at risk. You are the only thing that matters to me. If you are in danger, I would do anything to take you out of it. If spooks can’t harm me, I doubt these macoulcould do much to me either.”
He didn’t speak it, but he knew that whatever he awoke in her would not be enough to hold them at bay. But he would not add on to her fears this way. Better she was the fearless girl he loved than worried when the next strike would come. He tossed the thoughts to the side and tried to smile reassuringly that she was right.
Afterwards, they sat at the table in an uncomfortable silence. She toyed with her fork on her plate, but clearly had finished eating a few minutes ago. It was so late, he kept reasoning in his head that they should go to bed. But every time his thoughts strayed to taking her into bed he would feel his blush creep back into his face. Raistlin knew he couldn’t delay it any longer. He promised when the war was over and he was free again, then they could be together the way they wanted to be. But something kept holding him back. He kept fighting it but it would appear again.
“Would you excuse me for a moment,” he whispered as he stood up from the table.
“Sure,” she answered back, slightly worried.
He walked into the bedroom and shut the door, leaning against it as he willed his panic to calm down. A clear mind was needed so he could figure it all out. Analyze his fears and get them out of his head. He knew what was the real outstanding reason. Here was the girl – now a woman – who treated him like a person, had a crush on him even when they were children. When it seemed like they would never be together again, she comes back and the old feelings never died all that time. Instead, they grew stronger. He couldn’t deny anymore that he also had a crush on her in his youth, was heartbroken in her absence, and then hope restored when they found each other again.
He loved her for the woman she turned out to be. She was strong, intelligent, and was able to get through any shield he erected around his heart. Shareene just had this unerring way to know exactly what he was feeling and heal his pain. She wasn’t afraid of his magic, instead she embraced it. He didn’t feel like Caramon’s “little brother” when she was around. There was no sickly man with a weak body in her eyes. He was not a freak to her with his tinted skin and white hair. Didn’t shrink away from his altered, cursed eyes. And she never aged…never ever aged…in his vision.
Shareene was beautiful to him, inside and out. Perfect in every way even though she never saw it herself. There weren’t any flaws on her. She couldn’t do anything wrong to him. He didn’t care about the scars on her body, didn’t care if she remained as thin as she was or filled out to the healthy size of a well-fed Palanthian woman. There was nothing that could make him change his mind of how perfect she was. He thought of her constantly when they met up again. Dreamed of being with her, inhaling the perfume in her hair before he claimed her, but always woke up before that. She haunted his spare moments, came to him in dreams to banish his nightmares, and he would wake up lonely and frustrated afterwards. And now, she was finally with him, came willing to him in the land of nightmares. They were alone with each other now, they were the only people that existed in this world of his anymore.
And that’s what held him back.
Raistlin had spent so much of his life rejected by others, wishing he could be a part of them, to have one girl flash him a smile, anything positive would have been appreciated. Instead he received pity from them, and then watched them admire Caramon for taking care of his “invalid” brother. Shareene was the only one that showed him interest, and if he pushed her away she would always come back. When she was gone, he gave up the notion that she would be back.
He had no experience in such things, only knew what happened when his brother had to talk about his night. And most of that he tuned out because he didn’t want to hear it. Raistlin was sick of how much his brother “got laid” that he wanted to shut him up permanently, or at the very least throw him out of the e ane and do something constructive, which he did many times. “Go cut some wood, Caramon.” “Check the traps and see if there’s anything to eat today.” “Go pick up these few ingredients…no, never mind I’ll do it myself.” His brother could never see that it bothered him to hear his stories, and if he told him he wouldn’t understand anyway. Couldn’t understand that maybe he wanted to be viewed and wanted like he was, because he was always studying or going to school.
How else would he bury the thought of how alone he was?
Raistlin didn’t know the first thing as to what to do. There was some idea, but not enough for him to feel confident. What if he messed up? What if he did the wrong thing? What if, in his nervousness, some things would fail on him? How would she feel that he couldn’t get the simplest thing right?
A part of him recoiled at the thought that she would laugh at him, or belittle him, or hate him because he couldn’t perform. She wasn’t the type. None of his tricks always went perfectly, and she would encourage him to try it again, and when it worked she would smile and cheer and clap her hands as if he never made the mistake. No, she wouldn’t be like other women. He would never be rejected by her.
And regardless of his reasoning, the question of doubt lingered in his mind.
He wanted it to be perfect for both of them. What if he failed in this task?
He was snapped out of his thoughts by a soft knock at the door. He turned to open it, and Shareene looked at him with a concerned look on her face. “Are you okay? You’re not feeling ill are you?”
“No, no, I was just…just…. Come in, please.” She padded her way in as he closed the door behind them. He ran his hand through his hair nervously, wishing he knew what to say to her.
Again, she was able to read his thoughts. “You’re nervous. About our first time?” All he could do was nod slightly. She took a deep breath and gestured him to a chair. “Please sit.” Raistlin only hesitated a second, then sat down. She walked over and gently sat in his lap, her legs dangling over the side and her arms wrapped around his shoulders. His arms immediately held her at the waist. “I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous at all.”
His face was expressionless. “You are?” She closed her eyes in affirmative. “You do understand…there has been no one.”
“I know. And, truthfully, there was no one for me either.” He was about to speak till she laid a finger on his lips. “He might have attacked me, but for what it’s worth, I do not consider that a ‘first time.’ You are my first…and my last. We’re both going into this without any idea of what we’re doing.”
He swallowed hard, feeling his face burn in embarrassment. “But how are you…how do you know…?”
“Oh, those other things I did? I heard it from the other women, asked aro Ma Made it sound like I was trying to learn something new for a client, but I never took on any. Girls can be curious too,” she said as a joke. “The rest…I just did what felt right at the time. It must be something we’ve got deep inside our minds…just knowing what would please someone else.”
“Are…are you sure you’re ready for this?”
She smiled down at him. “Raistlin, I’ve been ready for this since I knew what people do when they’re in love.”
His heart started to race at her words. “How long…?”
“How long doesn’t matter. That you know that I’ve always been in love with you, and wanted to be that close to you, is what matters.” Her hand brushed down his cheek and along his jaw. “I know you love me too. Don’t worry about anything, just do what feels right.” She leaned in and kissed his forehead gently, kissed under his eyes and felt the flutter of his lashes brush her face. She tilted her head and kissed him sweetly on his mouth, feeling him kiss her back with quivering lips. His hands slid to her back, holding her closer as he learned her lead. One of her hands went through his hair, alternating between holding him close and brushing the waves through her fingers. She opened her mouth to him, her tongue slowly lapping at his lips as if asking for him to open them. He did, and he inhaled sharply as he felt her enter his mouth. Their tongues meeting was like lightning, shocking both of them as a tightness formed in his stomach. He mimicked her actions, letting him enter her mouth and moaned when she let him. He held her tight as he explored and danced with her, losing his mind in the simplest of actions.
Shareene breathed hard as she reveled in her dream come true. He was so warm, his movements just right to excite her, just as she imagined it would be. He broke off the deepening dance to kiss her hard over and over, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His lips trailed to her jaw and down her neck. Hearing her gasp only drove something within him further as he gently nipped at her shoulder. Her hands knotted into his robes as he kissed across the exposed area of her chest, back up the other side of her neck and claimed her mouth again. She kissed him hard, nipping at his lips as she was slowly being driven wild.
The chair he was sitting in became too small for them. Breaking the kiss, Raistlin picked her up in his arms and set themselves on their feet. She grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him down to kiss him again. He leaned down and obliged her, not wanting to be far from her sweet mouth for very long, but managed to get her to move closer to the bed. They stood there for a long moment, kissing and looking into each other’s eyes as if to confirm it was actually happening. His hands found the belt, undoing hers in a swift motion and letting it drop to the floor. She had already removed her shoes as he rested his hands on the shoulders of the robes, gently pushing them off and letting it pool at her bare feet.
He backed up a bit to watch her stand in the light of the fireplace. She initially averted her eyes as she became shy suddenly, knowing she was being appraised, but knowing that it was her love that was staring at her sent a thrill through her so sharp she shivered and sighed. She opened her eyes when she felt his hands on her hips, sliding up her sides and brushing the sides of her breasts. Her knees nearly failed her when his hands cupped them from underneath, every little touch he made excited her more. He pressed up close to her to kiss her passionately, her already hardened nipples pressed into the soft velvet of his own robes, pressed against the solid form of his chest.
Shareene moved till he was backed against the bed, and gently guided him to sit down. She bent down to remove his boots before shked ked him to stand again. They resumed the hot kissing as her hands worked to remove the heavy belt around his waist, her hands reaching up to untie the closure of his robes. Pulling them as open as she could, she grabbed the velvet by the shoulders and slowly pulled it over his head. Dropping the material to the floor, he shyly smoothed his hair back into place. She reached up to kiss his neck, letting her lips trail down his chest. He looked down, watching her move about his frame, and then let his head fall back as he shut his eyes in pleasure. He smiled to himself, reveling in the adoration he so wanted in his life. His hands stroked her bare back as her own danced across his stomach, sending more bolts down his nerves to his own center. Her fingers dipped into the waistband of his trousers before she started to untie them. Swiftly, without knotting the string, she had them undone and started to slip them down. Of his own volition he stepped out of them as she reached his ankles.
For a moment she watched him standing straight in the glow of the fire, his skin glistening from the shine that was already embedded in it. She could see he would not have problems with failing, as he was already starting to show that he was reaching the point of no return. She slinked back up him, letting his hardening maleness slide down her body as she came back up to kiss him. He hissed in approval and as soon as their lips met he twisted her around and laid her down on the bed.
Raistlin was beyond the point of worrying if he was doing anything right. He wanted her badly, the aching he was denying for so long demanding satisfaction in one swift stroke. He didn’t want it to end in a flash of pleasure and that would be it. No, he wanted to know everything before he was consumed completely with need. He felt adored, worshipped; he was not going to let that end so quickly. He kneeled on the bed before her as she had already spread her legs to allow him some entry. It seemed she didn’t want it to end fast either. He wouldn’tow iow it. Gently did he cover her body with his, covering her mouth with his, letting his ue due dive into her mouth once again. She moaned into his, letting her tongue dance with his as her hands dragged down his back. He wanted to know what it would feel like to be buried inside of her, but not yet. There was still time before that. He broke off the kiss, letting his mouth and tongue explore the rest of her. Obviously she seemed to approve of every action he took as her hands stroked his arms or his shoulders or his hair, the tiny gasps or moans that escaped from her panting. He looked up at her and saw the frustrated pleasure on her face and smiled. She wafinifinitely not regretting her decision.
Raistlin’s hands once again cupped her breasts, amazed at how soft they were under his palms. He experimented, brushing his fingertips across them in different spots, gently squeezing them in a massaging pattern, just to see what did she like the most. It seemed anything he did was good. She was slowly starting to arch into his hands, hearing small words of encouragement when he seemed to stop or hesitate. With one firmly in one hand, he leaned down and lapped at the soft skin. She gasped aloud, arching atle tle higher off the bed. What was one of the things he heard was done? He remembered quickly, and slowly let his lips encircle the le, le, teasing it with suction. She cried out, her hands going into his hair and holding him into place. His own excitement was building the more he heard her, wanted more out of her, and let his tongue graze the tip between his teeth. She called out his name in a gasp. Yes, that’s what he wanted to hear. When the hee he gave attention to seeme be be losing it’s sensitivity, he moved to the other and gave it the same treatment. She did it again, and he moaned against her skin. His erection was growing painful now, but no, not yet. I’m not done yet, he told himself.
He kissed and lapped his way down her stomach, noticing that it didn’t excite her as the attention to her breasts, but her breathing became ragged the closer he came to her center. Since he was out of her reach her hands were now bunched in the covers on the bed. He could see her skin was flushed, could feel the sweat under his hands. It was so beautiful on her, shimmering as if she was sprinkled with diamond dust. He was about to touch her folds when one hand stopped him. “If you don’t want me to climax right now, don’t do that,” she gasped, a faint smile on her lips. He backed away, and then stretched over her again, kissing each other so hard they could have left bruises. Her hands slid over his skin, her hands teasing his nipples as he did to her and it made the throbbing worse.
Raistlin broke away, panting hard as he could feel himself brushing her folds lightly. “Shareene, are you sure?”
Looking deeply in his darkening eyes she whispered, “I want you. I want you now, Raistlin.” He felt her legs part farther, her knees rising as if to cradle him in place. “Take me now…please….”
He wanted to close his eyes as her words thrilled him again. Instead he kept them open as he slowly started to push in. She kept her eyes locked with his, her mouth opened in a sigh as she could feel him slowly enter her. He would get a part in, stop for a moment as he willed himself to calm down again, then move in a little farther, then stop again. He started to gasp as he felt the heat surround him, so soft and wet and hot. Finally, he slid the rest of the way in and they were both moaning hard. He had to wait a moment before he slowly pulled out again. No, not all the way, he reminded himself, just enough…. She arched into him hard when he slid all the way back in again. Her fingers were digging into his back, something he thought would cause him pain but instead it encouraged him. Once he was sure he knew how far to move each time did he pick up speed. Every time he was back inside, his hips pressed tight against hers, she gave a deep long moan, only making him continue. He kept up a steady rhythm, one that she started to keep, raising her hips to meet his. Now and again he would feel her squeeze him from the inside, making him gasp and moan as more sensations flooded him.
Soon the slow and steady pace was not good enough right now. Shareene’s hands glided down to his backside, and she pressed him down to her to show him the speed she wanted. A few pushes and soon she was stroking his skin as he stroked her faster on the inside. He leaned down to kiss her, his tongue matching the strokes of his hardness making her moan harder into his mouth. He wanted more, increasing the speed until he was mindless. He was starting to move so fast sou couldn’t keep up with him anymore, her mind already lost to the building climax he was drawing from her.
“Come, Shareene,” he breathed heavily. “I want to see you when it happens.” He coaxed her closer to the breaking point, let one one hand slip between them so he could touch the center that set her off the last time. Her eyes flew open, locking on his altered ones as she felt herself coming closer and closer. The look in Raistlin’s eyes, his hand teasing her, feeling him plunge into her over and over again, it all drove her over the edge. She screamed his name as she climaxed, her body seizing up and arching into him, the muscles surrounding him closing him in a death like grip, and it drove him into an explosion of release. She opened her eyes as she heard him gasp her name one last time as he clamped his teeth shut in a primal snarl, feg a g a hot rush of liquid inside of her, knowing he was spent after moments of shuddering above her.
Raistlin gasped and heaved in heavy breaths when his climax was over, his body running with sweat from the exertion. He blinked hard as he was now calming down, his member losing the stiffness and aching that was once there just a moment ago. He slowly slid out of her, hearing the soft hiss as he left her body. He dropped to tide ide of her, trying to regain his breath as he scooped her limp form into his arms. She was just as slicked as he was, and he hoped that the fire would keep them warm and not catch a chill. She curled up against him, her head tucked under his chin and her hands flat against his chest.
So this is what his brother was bragging about all this time, he thought to himself. *Now I finally know what it’s like, ands ris right. There isn’t anything that feels close to this.* He was tired, winded, the sweat starting to dry into an uncomfortable stickiness, but so relaxed and content was he that it didn’t matter. He felt her kiss the hollow at the base of his neck, amazed she was still awake.
“Raistlin, my love,” she whispered, “that was perfect.”
He closed his eyes in relief. If she was happy, and he felt this way, then everything went fine. “I’m very glad for that,” he whispered back as he kissed her hair. “Did you want to clean up?”
“No, that’s what tomorrow is for. Besides, why clean up when there’s still more fun to be had.”
He looked at her questioningly, and then realized she meant to do it again when they woke up. He almost became excited again, but he was too tired. She pulled up their blankets and wrapped both of them in it. Brushing his hair from his forehead, she kissed him sweetly on the lips. “I love you, Raistlin.”
How long did he wait for those words? He sighed happily as he replayed her words in his mind. “I love you, Shareene,” he whispered back, stroking herk hak hair. She curled back into his arms, and they fell asleep in each other’s embrace.

To be continued…
[Excerpts of this story were taken from “Dragons of Spring Dawning” from the final chapters. I know I messed up some of the conclusions of the battle, but still looked good. Raistlin’s farewell note appears hear unaltered from the original book.]
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A Book of Roses - Book 2