Caramon suddenly began to suspect that she not had been out here to go the stream. She had no bucket and she certainly wasn’t going to bathe. She was going to the stream because she wanted to be with him, and while this warmed him like spiced wine, the knowledge only added to his confusion.
They walked together in silence. Tika kept glancing at him, waiting for him to speak. He couldn’t think of anything to say, and then, of course, she said the worst thing possible.
“I hear your brother wanted to go off to some terrible fortress called Skullcap, but Tanis wouldn’t let him.” Tika shivered and pressed even closer to him. “I’m glad you’re not going.” Caramon mumbled something unintelligible and kept walking. His face burned. He probably had guilt written on his forehead in letters so large a gully dwarf could read them. He saw her glance at the water skin and saw her green eyes narrow. Caramon groaned inwardly.
Tika dropped his arm. She stepped back away from him to smite him with the full force of her red-haired fury.
“You’re going, aren’t you?!” she cried. “You’re going to that dreadful place that everyone knows is haunted!”
Caramon made a feeble protest. “It’s not haunted.”
He realized a split second later that he should have denied going at all, but he couldn’t think around her.
“Ah ha! You admit it! Flint says Skullcap’s haunted!” Tika returned. “He should know. He was born and raised around these parts. Does Tanis know you’re leaving?” She answered her own question. “Of course not. So you were going to go off and get yourself killed and never even say goodbye to me!”
Caramon had no idea where to begin to refute all these charges Finally, he said lamely, “I’m not going to get myself killed. Raist says—”
“Raist says!” Tika mimicked him. “Why is Raistlin going? Because it has something to do with that wizard, Fistanpoopus or whatever his name is. The one you told me about. The evil wizard who wore the Black Robes and whose wicked book Raistlin is carrying around with him. Laurana told me what Flint said about Skullcap. Only she didn’t know what I know and what you know—that Raistlin has some sort of strange connection to this dead wizard.”
“You didn’t tell her, did you?” Caramon asked fearfully. “You didn’t tell anyone?”
“No, I didn’t, but maybe I should.”
Tika faced him, head flung back, green eyes flaring. “If you love me, Caramon, you won’t go. You’ll tell that brother of yours that he can find someone else to risk his life for him and do his fetching and carrying and make his stupid tea!”
“I do love you, Tika,” said Caramon desperately, “but Raist is my brother. We’re all each of us has, and he says this is important. That the lives of all these people depend on it.”
“And you believe him!” Tika scoffed.
“Yes,” said Caramon with simple dignity. “I do.”
Tika’s eyes overflowed with tears, which spilled down her freckled cheeks. “I hope a ghost sucks your blood dry!” she sobbed angrily, and ran off.
“Tika!” Caramon called, heart-sick.
She did not look back but kept running, slipping and stumbling over the snow-slick rocks. Caramon wanted desperately to go after her, but he didn’t. For what could he say? He could not give her what she wanted. He could not give up his brother for her, no matter how much he adored her. Raistlin must always come first. Tika was strong. Raistlin was weak, fragile, feeble.
“He needs me,” Caramon said to himself. “He relies on me and depends on me. If I wasn’t there for him, he might die, just like when he was little. She doesn’t understand.” He continued heading for the stream in order to fill the water skin, even though now they wouldn’t be going. Tika would go straight to Tanis, then Tanis would go to Raistlin and forbid him to leave, and Raistlin would know Caramon had spilled the beans. If Caramon dawdled, perhaps his brother’s fury would have cooled by the time he got back.
Caramon doubted it, but there was always that chance.
Chapter 6
Sneaking Off. Eyes In The Sky. Laundry Day.
Caramon paused outside the cave to steel himself, then shoved aside the screen and went in.
“Raist, I’m sorry…” He halted. His twin was sound asleep, wrapped in his blanket, his hand resting on the staff that never left his side. The pack containing his spellbooks was by the entrance. Caramon’s pack was there, as well. All in readiness for an early departure. A wave of relief flooded through Caramon. Tika hadn’t told Tanis! Perhaps she did understand, after all! Moving as quietly as he could, Caramon deposited the full water skin on the floor, then stripped off his shirt, lay down, and his conscience clear, was almost immediately asleep.
His brother’s hand shaking him by the shoulder woke him. “Keep quiet!” Raistlin whispered.
“Make haste! I want to be away before anyone is stirring!”
“What about breakfast?” Caramon asked. Raistlin flashed him a disgusted glance.
“Well, I’m hungry,” Caramon said.
“We will eat on the road,” Raistlin returned.
Caramon sighed. Hefting the two packs and the water skin, he followed his brother out of the cave. The sky was black and glittering with stars. The air was cold and sharp, prickling the inside of the lungs. The snow had stopped during the night after dusting the ground. Clouds were massing over the mountains, however. There would be more snow before the day was out. Solinari, the silver moon, was a curved blade in the sky. Lunitari, the red moon, and Raistlin’s patron goddess of magic, was three-quarters full. Her red light cast eerie shadows on the snow. Raistlin looked up at the red moon and smiled.
“The goddess lights our way to dawn,” he said. “A good omen.” Caramon hoped his twin was right. Now that they were committed to this, Caramon wanted to get as far away from the others as fast as possible. Raistlin, fortunately, was having one of his good days. He hardly coughed at all. He moved nimbly and rapidly along the trail. They made good time, descending the mountainside to the valley floor and heading off to the southwest. Reaching a forested area, they walked among the trees and were soon out of sight of the encampment and any early risers.
Caramon was breathing easier when a rattle of armor and a clash of metal on metal caused him to drop the packs and reach for his sword. Raistlin’s hand went to his pouch of spell components. Sturm Brightblade stepped out from the red-tinged shadows of the tree branches. He stood in the path, blocking their way.
Raistlin shot Caramon a furious look.
“I didn’t tell him, Raist! Honest!” Caramon gabbled.
“Your brother said nothing to me, Raistlin,” Sturm confirmed, “so spare him your anger. As to how I found out, that was easy. I have known you for a good many years, long enough to realize that you will follow your own selfish pursuits without thought or care for others. I knew when you left the meeting last night that you intended to sneak off to Skullcap.”
“Then,” said Raistlin, glowering, “you should also know that you cannot stop me, so stand aside and permit me and my brother to pass.” He paused, then added, “For the sake of our friendship, I would not want to do you harm.”
Sturm’s hand went to his sword’s hilt, but he did not draw his weapon. His gaze flicked to Caramon, then back to his twin. “I have no quarrel with you risking your own life, Raistlin. Indeed, it is no secret that I think the world would be a better place if you were not in it, but there is no need for you to get your brother killed.”