"The meal is on the house, my friends-my very dear friends," Otik said. He wished them all a safe journey and

shook hands with every one of them, including Tasslehoff.

Tanis invited Otik to share a glass, which he did. Flint invited him to share another, and another after that. Otik

shared so many glasses that eventually, when his services were required in the kitchen, young Tika had to help him

stagger off.

Other Solace residents stopped by the inn, came to their table to say good-bye and offer their good wishes. Many

were Flint's customers, sorry to hear of his leaving, for he had sold out all his stock and let it be known that he

expected to be gone as long as a year. Many more came to say farewell to Raistlin, much to the secret astonishment

of the rest of the company, who had no idea that the caustic, sharp-tongued, and secretive young man had so many

friends.

These were not friends, however. They were his patients, come to express their gratitude for his care. Among these

was Miranda. No longer the town beauty, she was wan and pale in her black mourning clothes. Her baby had been

among the first to perish with the plague. She gave Raistlin a sweet kiss on his cheek and thanked him, in a choked

voice, for being so gentle with tier dying child. Her young husband also offered his thanks, then led away his grieving

wife.

Raistlin watched her depart, thankful in his heart that he had been warnedaway from following down that pretty,

rose-strewn path. He was uncommonly nice to his brother that night, much to the astonishment of Caramon, who

couldn't imagine what he had done to earn Raistlin's gratitude.

Strangers at the inn noticed the odd assortment of friends, mainly due to the fact that either Tanis or Flint

dropped by to return valuables that had been appropriated by the kender. The strangers shook their heads and

raised their eyebrows.

"It takes all kinds to make this world," they said, and by the disparaging tones in which they spoke, it was obvious

that they didn't believe the old homily in the slightest. In their view, it took their kind and no other.

The night deepened. Darkness gathered around the inn. The shadows crept into the inn itself, for the other

customers were gone to their beds, taking their lamps or candles with them to light their way. A pleasantly soused

Otik had long ago rolled into his bed, leaving the cleaning up to be done by Tika, the cook, and the barmaids.

They scrubbed the tabletops and swept the floor; the clatter of crockery could be heard coming from the kitchen.

Still the companions sat at their table, loath to part, for each felt, in his or her own heart, that this parting would be

a long one.

At length, Raistlin, who had been nodding where he sat for some time, said quietly, "It is time for us to go, my

brother. I need my rest. I have much studying to do tomorrow."

Caramon made some unintelligible response. He had drunk more than his share of ale. His nose was red, and

he was at that stage of drunkenness in which some men fight and others blubber. Caramon was blubbering.

"I, too, must take my leave," said Sturm. "We need to make an early start, put several miles behind us before

the heat of the day sets in."

"I wish you would change your mind and come with us," Kitiara said softly, her eyes on Tanis.

Kit had been the loudest, brashest, liveliest person in the group, except when her gaze would fall on Tanis, and

then her crooked smile would slip a little. Moments later, her smile would harden, and her laughter would blare

out harshly, the noisiest person at the table. But as the jollity waned and the inn grew quieter, the shadows

deepened around them, Kit's laughter died away, her stories began but never came to a close. She drew nearer

and nearer to Tanis, and now she clasped his hand tightly beneath the table.

"Please, Tanis," she said. "Come north. You will find glory in battle, wealth, and power. I swear it!"

Tanis hesitated. Her dark eyes were warm and soft. Her smile trembled with the intensity of her passion. He

had never seen her look more lovely. He was finding it more and more difficult to give her up.

"Yes, Tanis, come with us," Sturm urged warmly. "I cannot promise you wealth or power, but glory must

surely be ours."

Tanis opened his mouth. It seemed he would say "yes." Everyone expected him to say "yes," including

himself. When the "no" came out, he looked as startled as anyone at the table.

As Raistlin would say later to Caramon, on their way home that night, "The human side of Tanis would have

gone with her. It was the elven side of him that held him back."