Margaret Weis - Dragons of The Dwarven Depths

He had the feeling this wasn’t right, her going off by herself like this. He should wake up someone, but then he thought of all the wonderful things he had in his pouches changing into roaches and skittering off, and he didn’t know what to do. He sat back down beside Sturm and tried to come up with some way around the promise. The light Tika carried grew smaller and smaller in the distance until he couldn’t see it anymore, and he still hadn’t thought of any way out of his predicament.

He continued to think, and he thought so hard that hours passed without him noticing.

As it turns out, Raistlin was wrong when he stated that the draconians did not know about the tunnel. A baaz draconian, wandering into the library in search of loot, had discovered the secret tunnel. He was inside it when he heard the humans returning. They were on him before he realized it, and he was trapped. The baaz considered attacking them, for there were only five of them, and one was a sniveling runt of a kender and the other a female.

Seeing the female, the baaz had a better idea. He would kill the others, capture her alive, have his fun with her, then drag her back to his comrades and trade her for dwarf spirits. The baaz retreated a safe distance down the dark tunnel and spied on the group.

Two of them were warriors who wore their swords with assurance. One was a loathsome wizard carrying a staff with a light that hurt the baaz’s eyes. The baaz hated and distrusted all magicusers, and disappointed, he decided to leave the group alone, at least for the time being. Maybe one would fall asleep on watch, then he could sneak up on them and butcher them in their sleep. The baaz was doomed to disappointment, it seemed, for the big warrior took first watch and he remained alert the entire time. The draconian was afraid to shift a claw for fear he’d hear him. The big man then woke up the kender and the draconian’s hopes rose, for even a draconian new to Krynn had come to know that kender, while delicious, are not to be trusted. He also knew that kender had sharp ears and sharper eyes, and this one appeared more alert than usual. The kender was also wide awake.

The draconian had settled himself for a long night of boredom when his luck took a sudden change. The human female lit a torch, had a short talk with the kender, then walked off down the tunnel by herself. She passed right in front of the draconian, who lurked in the shadows, doing his utmost to keep quiet. If she had turned her head, she would have seen the torch light gleam in his brass scales and his lust-filled eyes. She walked with her head down, her gaze fixed on her feet. She did not notice him.

The baaz waited tensely for the kender or someone to come after her, but no one did. Moving slowly and quietly to keep his claws from clicking on the stone floor, the baaz crept down the tunnel after the female.

He would have to let her get far enough away from the others before accosting her, so that no one would hear her scream.

“She did what?” Caramon towered over Tasslehoff. The big man’s face was red, his eyes flashed. The kender had never seen him so angry. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“She made me promise!” Tas wailed.

“Since when in your life have you ever kept a promise?” Caramon roared. “Light that torch for me, and be quick about it!”

“She said that if I told you, everything in my pouch would change into roaches,” Tas returned. Light flared. Raistlin sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“What is the matter with you two? Stop bellowing, Caramon. You’re making noise enough to wake the dead!”

“Tika’s gone,” said Caramon, buckling on his sword belt. “She left in the middle of the night. She went back to warn the others.”

“Well… good for her,” Raistlin said. He watched his brother for a few moments in silence, then said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“After her.”

“Don’t be a fool,” Raistlin said coldly. “She’s been gone for hours. You’ll never catch up with her.”

“She might have stopped to rest.” Caramon grabbed hold of the torch. “You wait here. Go back to sleep. I won’t be gone long…” He paused then said in altered tones, “Where’s Sturm?”

“Oh for the love of—” Raistlin scrambled to his feet. “ Shirak !” he said, and the staff’s light began to glow. “This is what comes of leaving a kender on watch!”

“He went in there.” Tas pointed at the library. “I thought he was going to go pee.”

“Did he say anything?” Raistlin’s eyes glittered feverishly.

“I asked him if I could wear the helm and he said ‘no’,” Tas reported sulkily. Raistlin began to gather up his things. “We have to go after Sturm. He has no idea what he is doing. He could walk straight into the draconian army!”

“It isn’t fair,” Tasslehoff said, gathering up his pouches. “Sturm got to wear the helm all night. I told him it was my turn.”

“What about Tika?” Caramon demanded. “She’s by herself.”

“She is going back to camp. She is not in any danger. Sturm is.”

Caramon agonized. “I don’t know…”

Raistlin picked up his pack. “You do what you want. I am going after Sturm.” He stalked off.

“Me too,” Tas said. “Maybe it will be my turn to wear the helm tonight. I gave Tika Rabbitslayer, Caramon,” he added, feeling sorry for his friend. “She left her sword in the corridor. Oh, and she gave me a message for you! I almost forgot. She said to tell you she understands.” Caramon groaned softly and shook his head.

“I’d stay and talk some more, but I’ve got to be going,” said Tas. “Raistlin might need me.” Tas waited a moment to see if Caramon would come, but the big man did not stir. Fearful that the other two would leave him behind, Tas turned and ran off. Caramon heard the kender’s voice coming from the library.

“I can carry your pack for you, Raistlin!”

He heard his brother’s voice in answer, “Touch it, and I will slice off your hand.” Caramon made up his mind. Tika understood. She’d said so.

He caught up with his twin at the door leading into the fortress.

“Let me carry that. It’s too heavy for you,” Caramon said, and he shouldered Raistlin’s pack.

Tika walked for hours, anger and frustration and love blazing like embers inside her. First love would flare up, then die down, only to have anger burst into flame. The fire fed her energy, and she made good time, or thought she did. It was hard to tell how far she’d come; the tunnel seemed unending. She talked to herself as she walked, holding imaginary conversations with Caramon and telling Raistlin exactly what she thought of him.

Once she thought she heard something behind her and she stopped, her heart pounding—not with fear, but with hope.

“Caramon!” she called eagerly. “You came after me! I’m so glad…” She waited, but there was no answer. She didn’t hear the sound anymore and decided she must have imagined it.

“Wishful thinking,” she muttered to herself and kicked angrily at a loose rock, sending it rolling across the floor. “He’s not coming.”

In that moment, she faced up to the truth. All the fires in her died.

Caramon was not coming. She’d given him an ultimatum: her or his brother. He had chosen Raistlin.

“He will always choose Raistlin,” Tika said to herself. “I know he loves me, but he will always choose Raistlin.”

She had no idea why this was so. She only knew it would be so until something happened to separate the two, and maybe not even then.

There was the sound again. This time Tika knew she hadn’t imagined it.