Tina Daniell: The Companions

This late afternoon, as suppertime approached, Flint saw Tas and Sturm arguing together vehemently. Unexpectedly the dwarf doubled over, clutching his sides with laughter. Sturm demanded to know what Flint found so funny.

"Ken-ken-kender without a topknot!" sputtered the dwarf. "Solamnic with only half a mustache!"

Everybody joined in the laughter-all except Sturm, who didn't see what was so darned funny.

Tas laughed the longest. When he finally regained control of himself, he turned serious. "You believe me, don't you, Raistlin?"

"Yes, I do," said Raistlin simply.

"See! Raistlin believes me!" cried the kender, beaming.

"My brother is very wise," said Kitiara as she built a fire to cook the evening meal, "but he has a soft spot for kender."

"What do you think, Kitiara?" demanded Sturm, hoping for an ally.

"I've told you," answered Kit. "He was evil, until Dogz substituted my vial of leucrotta saliva for his evil potion. If it wasn't for Dogz, Tas would still be evil-and maybe we'd all be dead."

Tas listened respectfully. He liked this version of what happened because it made Dogz out to be a hero, and Dogz had been his friend.

"Leucrotta's saliva?" Sturm repeated, confused.

"It acts as an antidote to love potions," cut in Tanis, "and Kitiara figured that if it acted as an antidote to love potions, it might have the same effect on an evil potion. I guess it did, because Tas is here and he's not evil anymore."

"The big expert on love potions," muttered Flint, rolling his eyes. He handed a big pot to Kit and indicated that she should go for water.

Tas wore a big grin to prove to everybody he wasn't evil anymore.

"Well, maybe," said Sturm doubtfully.

"Is that possible?" asked Caramon of Raistlin.

"Possible," said his brother noncommittally.

"I keep meaning to ask," said Tanis, "if you were hunting a leucrotta with Uncle Nellthis, Kit, how'd you get to Karthay so fast?"

The others looked up to hear the answer. But Kitiara had left to get the pot filled for cooking.

When she returned, they were already discussing a new topic-the familiar debate of the last week: Where should they go and what should they do next?

For eight days, they had camped on the ridge, burying the dead, seeing friends head for home, and delaying their own agenda.

"I'll tell you what I'd like to do," said Caramon boldly. "I'd like to return to Mithas and help Cloudreaver and the kyrie go to war against the minotaurs. I'd like to avenge the death of Morning Sky!"

"I'd like to go back to Mithas, too," agreed Sturm. "I'd like to have another crack at that gladiator, Tossak, now that I'm feeling fit."

"Is there much treasure in those minotaur cities?" asked Kit.

"Sure!" exclaimed Tas.

"I don't know," said Tanis thoughtfully. "I miss Solace, but now that we're this far away-on the other side of the world, really-it seems to me that we should take advantage of it and explore the land and meet the people. What do you think, Raistlin?"

The wind had picked up. Night was coming on, with its attendant chill. Lunitari and Solinari were beginning their ascent.

The young mage smiled thinly. "We can't stay here forever. And there's no easy way home. So I say let's vote in the morning. Whatever the vote, let's act on it and leave here."

They were interrupted by the sounds of some sort of ruckus. The companions looked over to where Flint stood by the fire. An appetizing smell wafted from the big pot. The grizzled dwarf glared at them while clanging the side of the pot with a big wooden spoon.

"Talk, talk, talk!" fumed the dwarf. "Let's eat!"