Standing outside the Inn of the Last home, Talashar sighed, thinking of the last time she was here. The events played out in her mind, and she wondered how she would be greeted, with smiles and cheers, or with the business end of a sword. She toyed with these thoughts as she climbed the stairs to the inn.

The door opened as easily as it had done before and the scent and sight of the common room filled her mind and blurred her senses. The tavern keeper offered her his usual smile that he would give any patron upon entry. She avoided his gaze and sat down at a table in the corner, next to the fireplace, hiding in the shadows. The tavern woman, or wench, as they were commonly referred to, brought her a jug of sweet wine. Talashar poured herself a glass and pulled her hood over her face. Slipping deeper into the shadows she wondered why she had returned, she had apologized to Raistlin in the letter she left him, she had tied up any loose ends in that letter as well. But, she just needed to come back here, come back and see him, if not speak with him.



A jarring woke her from her reverie as a big, and familiar man, pulled one of the chairs away from her table. He turned it towards the fire and sat down next to Raistlin, who was sitting in that familiar seat. They were speaking to each other as brothers would; about women and their evils, about battles they wished they could have fought, and about their late parents. Talashar sighed and closed her eyes listening to the rising and falling of their voices, the strange synchrony to the pitch and tone. It lulled her to truly restful sleep in that common room, comforted by their gentle voices.

A hand on her shoulder roused her, expecting it to be the inn keeper rousting her from a seemingly drunken stupor, she quickly claimed that she was going to pay for a room and so not to throw her out on the street. It was the laughter at her outburst that made her realize that it was not the inn keeper who had touched her shoulder. Opening her eyes she saw Raistlin's face, a look of genuine concern haunting his strangely beautiful features. He smiled, and with raised eyebrow asked if she was alright, if her test had caused her some harm.

She blushed redder than her robes as he asked, and he smiled at her slight discomfort, relishing the power he had over her emotions. She saw this and brushed his hand off of her shoulder, refusing his hold on her heart. She would not be controlled.As she stood she could feel his accursed eyes following her across the room as she went to pay for a room. Ignoring his interest in her she reached for her coin purse as the inn keeper explained the pricing on rooms. She soon realized though that disaster had struck, some one (most likely a kender) had stolen her purse in her sleep and she was without any means of renting a room for the night.



She turned to leave the inn, to find a quiet place to spend the night under the stars when Raistlin waylaid her. Again concern crossed his face as he asked if she was alright, if something was wrong. Regretfully she explained the situation. She bowed her head under the stress of finding herself without means to support herself, she felt a terrible guilt as he offered her a place to stay at the house he shared with his brother. He smiled and wrapped wiry arms around her and whispered that it was no weight on him to support her like this.

On the brink of tears she was lead to his house on the edge of town, where a small comfortable fire crackled in the hearth. He set her in a chair and stepped away to fix her a bed. Staring into the heart of the flame she had a darkly foreboding feeling, however dark it may have been it was cast away by Raistlin's return. He offered her a hand and lead her through his darkened house to a small but comfortably furnished room. Standing with her hand in his in the doorway, he bade her good night and gracefully kissed her cheek, as though it were a common gesture between them. He pulled the door shut with a smile and Talashar walked to her bed, a hand on her cheek listening to his tread on the floor as he walked back to his fire and studies.