Ka-tet Tangle

Roland the Younger

Strange.

According to my elder brother, the last time around, it was I who lost myself in love. I must admit that I could have easily become.....moony.....when I first laid eyes upon my elder brother's wife (who's "analog" sister I know my destiny lay).

But one glance at my father, who had been with me, had kept me focused and still does on this perilous quest. That is, it will until perhaps when I do meet "my" Susan.....

Gods know what will happen then.....

Plan on going right up to her house and sweep her off her feet! Know that I can do such, but I shall need to....

Hell, who am I fooling? This could all so easily fall apart and Susan never even look my way if I do this upcoming business wrong.

Will do what I can as I can. I can do no less nor more, I fear.

But that said, I remember that Cuthbert had, according to my elder brother, become very jealous of me due in part that Susan had chosen me over him. That and that I had succeeded in becoming a Gunslinger so early while he was still just an apprentice. ....er.... By my father's face, you know what I am speaking of!

This "time travel" business may be the cause of a terrible headache I feel coming on every time I contemplate it.

But I now see that instead of Susan, his affections have attached themselves to Joan D'Honaire!

Indeed.

My heart is "my" Susan to have but if I step back and look at Joan I can see how her exotic beauty has inadvertantly come to snare Cuthbert's affections.

.....

For the life of me I know not how to help in this situation. Or perhaps I do?

Yes, I guess I do.

This affair is between Cuthbert and Joan and I know enough, despite only being in this world for over fourteen years, any interference or such will only be taken the wrong way.

In other words, they will work this affair out for themselves.

Joan, I have been told, has a love interest back on Terra Prime so I rather doubt this affair will....

Wait! I remember something I had overlooked!

This particular Joan (Joan 2) is a duplicate of the "original" Joan...and as such has had that love interest anulled by the fact that....well....

Joan D'Honaire was here before Joan 2 and as such means that the current boyfriends she is dating are her's....and not Joan 2's.

And.....

The way she is looking speculatively at Cuthbert......

Despite age differences, such is acceptable here on Midworld as well as Terra Prime.

Meaning that this odd, embryonic possible affair could actually blossom into something serious. Mayhaps. Let it to them though, Roland. 'Tis not your affair beyond trying to make sure he and she do not get so distracted that they overlook a danger or....

Ah, I see. She has gone quietly over to him and said something.

Seems that while she's interested, she's not been driven to distraction. By the flush on my friends face I gather Joan has said something to the effects of getting his act together or this affair will go nowhere. Too dangerous otherwise on Midworld, even if the Dark Tower has been put to right. 'Tis still a dangerous place, you see.

Cuthbert

"No, you may not ask," I say simply to Alain.

From his looks, though, I know he knows.

From the looks of him, he's fighting down a snicker that he know's will get his nose flattened by me!

But what beauty Joan has!....

Right.

Stay "focused", Cuthbert!

After that, I soon find myself and the others down at he bawdy part of town where the rather wild rumors have begun to fly. Part of me remains scoffing that such things are possible.

Doorways to other worlds!

The Dark Tower actually existing and not a metaphor for the world at large. A metaphor for life in general!

Dragons! Or rather, dragons who walk upright as men do!

Part of me remains scoffing up until the time that very moment the one known as Jarlath actually opens the Door in the middle of the street (out of thin air) and I and Alain....

Walk through into the world known as Krynn!

See, we two had been sent instead of Roland....er...."our" Roland and such because something about us being not being.....

....er.....

Now, as bright as I have been credited at being I just could not follow Jarlath's explanation. Oh, he tried migthily to explain, but.....I and Alain just couldn't grasp the explanation. That the mage actually tried speaks volumes of good things of him, mind you! Most magic weavers I have heard of on Midworld are a secretive...sneaky lot that is NOT to be trusted. The few times I'd seen the now dead (good riddance!) Marten Broadbloak, I had given more credence to those tales....

Just say that if Jarlath group should go through this Door now where it had been opened up on this side, it would automatically slam shut. Opening it again would connect with another point on the Midworld map....well away from Gilead....

I'll just trust him on that and be done! Trying to follow that explanation of his made my head ache!

Idea here was to just be an envoy of sorts for setting up some kind of trade between these Draconians and Gilead. That and to request aid by having a draconian or to come over so Jarlath's group (my ka-tet included) would be able to get a quick lift.

Why us and not a more seasoned diplomatic team? Well, was told that the Draconians were a warrior race and appreciated warriors. Us being something like that (I guess), we fit the bill better than anything else available. Steven had his other full fledge Gunslingers about, going about to stamp out some brushfires that he told us would otherwise lead to Gilead's collapse!

Uh, right. Just a bunch of teens for a very serious business, eh?

No pressure!

We step through the Door and all Hell breaks loose!

.....

See, I and the others did not know it at the time but there is more to this ka-tet affair than even I knew of. I and Alain are ka-tet with "our" Rolan. It is something special and mystical, shall we say. But the "other" Rolands (there are others out there now on Midworld), also have a ka-tet with the one's known as Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, and Jake Chambers! Will learn later that whoever gave this group a Key to the Doorway had warned them to be careful on just who steps through. Guess that warning was meant for Roland's ka-tets!

See, instead of just me and Alain showing up on Krynn.....we had company follow us!

In fact, we land right in the middle (right out of thin air) in the middle of a Draconian camp.....but these are not quiet the chaps we were after. Close, but not quiet!

Our company?

Oh, 'tis nothing at all. Everything sunshine and daisies. Nothing to worry about. Just all the other (!) Rolands and there ka-tets....some folks that will prove to be much more than mere friends for the Rolands ....along with some that I can safely say are NOT friends!

1. ....along with some that I can safely say are NOT friends!

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