"No problem." The kender grinned. His small face and sharply pointed ears made him look particularly impish in the eerie light. Tas is enjoying all of this immensely, Tanis realized. He felt like shaking the kender, lecturing him sternly on how much danger they were in. But the half-elf knew it was useless; kenders are totally immune to fear.
"The boat's a good idea," Tanis repeated, after a moment's thought. "You guide. And don't tell Flint," he added. "I'll take care of that."
"Right!" Tas giggled, then slipped back to the others. "Follow me," he called out softly, and he started off once more. Flint, grumbling into his beard, stumped after the kender. Goldmoon followed the dwarf. Riverwind cast a quick, penetrating glance around at everyone in the group, then fell into step behind her.
"I don't think he trusts us," Caramon observed.
"Would you?" Tanis asked, glancing at the big man. Caramon's dragon helm glinted in the flickering lights; his ring-mail armor was visible whenever the wind blew his cape back. A longsword clanked against his thick thighs, a short bow and a quiver of arrows were slung over his shoulder, a dagger protruded from his belt. His shield was battered and dented from many fights. The giant was ready for anything.
Tanis looked over at Stunn, who proudly wore the coat of arms of a knighthood that had fallen into disgrace three hundred years before. Although Sturm was only four years older than Caramon, the knight's strict, disciplined life, hardships brought on by poverty, and his melancholy search for his beloved father had aged the knight beyond his years. Only twenty-nine, he looked forty. Tanis thought, I don't think I'd trust us either.
"What's the plan?" Sturm asked.
"We're going by boat," Tanis answered.
"Oh, ho!" Caramon chuckled. "Told Flint yet?"
"No. Leave that to me."
"Where are we getting the boat?" Sturm asked suspiciously.
"You'll be happier not knowing," the half-elf said.
The knight frowned. His eyes followed the kender, who was far ahead of them, flitting from one shadow to another. "I don't like this, Tanis. First we're murderers, now we're about to become thieves."
"I don't consider myself a murderer." Caramon snorted. "Goblins don't count."
Tanis saw the knight glare at Caramon. "I don't like any of this, Sturm," he said hastily, hoping to avoid an argument. "But it's a matter of necessity. Look at the Plainsmen-pride's the only thing keeping them on their feet. Look at Raistlin…" Their eyes went to the mage, who was shuffling through the dry leaves, keeping always in the shadows. He leaned heavily upon his staff. Occasionally, a dry cough racked his frail body.
Caramon's face darkened. "Tanis is right," he said softly. "Raist can't take much more of this. I must go to him." Leaving the knight and the half-elf, he hurried forward to catch up with the robed, bent figure of his twin.
"Let me help you, Raist," they heard Caramon whisper.
Raistlin shook his hooded head and flinched away from his brother's touch. Caramon shrugged and dropped his arm. But the big warrior stayed close to his frail brother, ready to help him if necessary.
"Why does he put up with that?" Tanis asked softly.
"Family. Ties of blood." Sturm sounded wistful. He seemed about to say more, then his eyes went to Tanis's elven face with its growth of human hair and he fell silent. Tanis saw the look, knew what the knight was thinking. Family, ties of blood-they were things the orphaned half-elf wouldn't know about.
"Come on," Tanis said abruptly. "We're dropping behind."
They soon left the vallenwood trees of Solace and entered the pine forest surrounding Crystalmir Lake. Tanis could faintly hear muffled shouts far behind them. "They've found the bodies," he guessed. Sturm nodded gloomily. Suddenly Tasslehoff seemed to materialize out of the darkness right beneath the half-elf's nose.
"The trail runs a little over a mile to the lake," Tas said. "I'll meet you where it comes out." He gestured vaguely, then disappeared before Tanis could say a word. The half-elf looked back at Solace. There seemed to be more lights, and they were moving in this direction. The roads were probably already blocked.
"Where's the kender?" Flint grumbled as they plunged through the forest.
"Tas is meeting us at the lake," Tanis replied.
"Lake?" Flint's eyes grew wide in alarm. "What lake?"
"There's only one lake around here, Flint," Tanis said, trying hard not to smile at Sturm. "Come on. We better keep going."
His elvensight showed him the broad red outline of Caramon and the slighter red shape of his brother disappearing into the thick woods ahead.
"I thought we were just going to lie low in the woods for awhile." Flint shoved his way past Sturm to complain to Tanis.
"We're going by boat." Tanis moved forward.
"Nope!" Flint growled. "I'm not getting in any boat!"
"That accident happened ten years ago!" Tanis said, exasperated. "Look, I'll make Caramon sit still."
"Absolutely not!" the dwarf said flatly. "No boats. I took a vow."
"Tanis," Sturm's voice whispered behind him. "Lights."
"Blast!" The half-elf stopped and turned. He had to wait a moment before catching sight of lights glittering through the trees. The search had spread beyond Solace. He hurried to catch up with Caramon, Raistlin, and the Plainsmen.
"Lights!" he called out in a piercing whisper. Caramon looked back and swore. Riverwind raised his hand in acknowledgement. "I'm afraid we're going to have to move faster, Caramon-" Tanis began.
"We'll make it," the big man said, unperturbed. He was supporting his brother now, his arm around Raistlin's thin body, practically carrying him. Raistlin coughed softly, but he was moving. Sturm caught up with Tanis. As they forced their way through the brush, they could hear Flint, puffing along behind, muttering angrily to himself.
"He won't come, Tanis," Sturm said. "Flint's been in mortal fear of boats ever since Caramon almost accidentally drowned him that time. You weren't there. You didn't see him after we hauled him out."
"He'll come," Tanis said, breathing hard. "He can't let us youngsters go off into danger without him."
Sturm shook his head, unconvinced.
Tanis looked back again. He saw no lights, but he knew they were too deep in the forest now to see them. Fewmaster Toede may not have impressed anybody with his brains, but it wouldn't take much intelligence to figure out that the group might take to the water. Tanis stopped abruptly to keep from bumping into someone. "What is it?" he whispered.
"We're here," Caramon answered. Tanis breathed a sigh of relief as he stared out across the dark expanse of Crystalmir Lake. The wind whipped the water into frothy whitecaps.
"Where's Tas?" He kept his voice low.
"There, I think." Caramon pointed at a dark object floating close to shore. Tanis could barely make out the warm red outline of the kender sitting in a large boat.
The stars gleamed with icy brightness in the blue-black sky. The red moon, Lunitari, was rising like a bloody fingernail from the water. Its partner in the night sky, Solinari, had already risen, marking the lake with molten silver.
"What wonderful targets we're going to make!" Sturm said irritably.
Tanis could see Tasslehoff turning this way and that, searching for them. The half-elf reached down, fumbling for a rock in the darkness. Finding one, he lobbed it into the water. It splashed just a few yards ahead of the boat. Tas, reacting to Tanis's signal, propelled the boat to shore.
"You're going to put all of us in one boat!" Flint said in horror. "You're mad, half-elf!"
"It's a big boat," Tanis said.
"No! I won't go. If it were one of the legendary white-winged boats of Tarsis, I still wouldn't go! I'd rather take my chances with the Theocrat!"
Tanis ignored the fuming dwarf and motioned to Sturm. "Get everyone loaded up. We'll be along in a moment."