If her husband-a gentle, caring man-had been at home, he would have persuaded her to leave off her "knitting"

and go to bed. Once in bed, she would continue to sing, would be up again in an hour.

Rosamun had her good days, her lucid periods, when she was cognizant of much of what was going on around

her, if not particularly interested in participating in it. The daughter of a wealthy merchant, she had always relied on

servants to do her bidding. Now they could not afford servants, and Rosamun was inept at running a household

herself. If she was hungry, she might cook something. There might be enough left over for the rest of the family,

provided she didn't forget about the food completely and leave it to burn in the kettle.

When she fancied she was doing the mending, she would sit in her chair with a basket of torn clothes in her

lap and stare out the window. Or she might put her worn cloak about her shoulders and go "visiting," wandering

the shaded walkways to call on one of their neighbors, who generally kept an eye out for her and managed to be

gone when Rosamun rang the bell. She had been known to forget where she was and would stay in someone's

house for hours until her sons found her and fetched her home.

Sometimes she would recall stories about her first husband, Gregor uth Matar, a rogue and a rake, of whom

she was stupidly proud and still loved, though he had abandoned her years before.

"Gregor was a Solamnic knight," she was saying, talking to her unseen listeners. "And he did so love me. He

was the most handsome man in Palanthas, and all the girls were mad about him. But he chose me. He brought me

roses, and he sang songs beneath my window and took me riding on his black horse. He is dead now. I know it.

He is dead now, or he would have come back to me. He died a hero, you know."

Gregor uth Matar had been declared dead, at any rate. No one had seen or heard from him in seven years, and

most believed that if he wasn't decently dead he should have been. His loss was not generally mourned. He might

well have been a knight of Solamnia, but if so he had been banished from that strict order years ago. It was

known that he, his new wife, and their baby daughter had left Palanthas by night and in a hurry. Rumor followed

him from Solamnia to Solace, whispering that he had committed murder and had escaped the hangman only by

means of money and a fast horse.

He was darkly handsome. Wit and charm made him a welcome companion in any tavern, as did his couragenot

even his enemies could fault him on that-and his willingness to drink, gamble, and fight. Rosamun spoke

truly about one of his traits. Women adored him.

An avowed fragile beauty, with auburn hair, eyes the color of a summer forest, and silken white skin,

Rosamun had been the one to conquer him. He had fallen in love with her with all of his passionate nature, had

remained in love with her longer than might have been expected. But when love died, it could never, for him, be

rekindled.

They had lived well in Solace. Gregor made periodic journeys back to Solamnia, whenever money was

running low. His highly placed family apparently paid him well to keep out

of their lives. Then came the year he returned empty-handed. Rumor held it that Gregor's family had finally cut him

off. His creditors pressing him hard, he traveled north to Sanction to sell his sword to whoever would have him. He

continued to do so, coming back home at intervals but never staying long. Rosamun was wildly jealous, accused him

of leaving her for other women. Their quarrels could be heard throughout most of Solace.

And then one day Gregor left and never returned. Rumor agreed that he was probably dead, either from a sword

thrust in front or, more likely, a knife in the back.

One person did not believe him to be dead. Kitiara lived for the day when she would be able to leave Solace and set

out in search of her father.

She talked of this as she did what she could, in her impatient way, to ready her little brother for his journey to his

new school. Raistlin's few clothes-a couple of shirts, some trousers, and some oft-mended stockings-were done up in

a bundle, along with a thick cloak for the winter.

"I'll be gone by spring," Kit was saying. "This place is too stupid for words." She lined her brothers up for

inspection. "What do you think you're doing? You can't go to school dressed like that!"

Grabbing Raistlin, she pointed at his bare and dusty feet. "You have to wear shoes."

"In the summer?" Caramon was stunned.

"Mine don't fit me," Raistlin said. He'd had a small growth spurt that spring. He was now as tall as his twin, if only

about half his weight and a quarter of his girth.