Pain.

His head hurt. His ribs hurt when he tried to breathe. His mind 
was in a kind of foggy haze. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten 
this way. 

A fist in the dark. Then pain as a foot connected with his middle 
as he doubled over. He struggled to roll away but he couldn't 
move. And then pain exploded in his mind and that was all he 
remembered.

"Dan'yar?"

"Where?  What?" he asked, fear and confusion in his eyes.

She took his hands and he seemed to calm. "It's okay. I'm here, 
Dan'yar.  I'm here."

"Brisse?"

"I'm here," she sobbed in relief as she clenched his hand tighter 
now in her's. "You're going to be all right. You're in the medical 
center."

He remembered one of his assailants saying something about 'paying 
him back for what he had done to her'. Yet she was here. With him. 
Could that mean she still cared? There were tears in her eyes and 
he could hear her concern in the tone of her voice. 

"You shouldn't be here," he got out. His own concerns were for her 
safety. If who ever did this to him saw her here, would they go 
after her next for coming to him and thinking she turned on them? 
Did she know anything about his attack. Set it up?

No...not Brisse. Not her. Someone else had done this to him. But 
who?

"Well if you don't ...want me here... I'll go," her voice sounded 
shaky. Sad. "If my being here upsets you...."

He caught hand in his, stopping her before she could turn away.

"Gods woman!!" he sighed. "I love you. It means everything to me 
that you are here... after what I did to you."

"Then why... did you say I shouldn't be here," she asked. "and I 
don't understand...you haven't done anything to me. You've always 
been there for me."

"The other night...."

"....Was a misunderstanding," she shushed with a hand over his 
lips. "I ...I wanted to go with you...but.."

"But the memories came back to frighten you..." he paused and 
watch her lower her head, hiding her eyes from him. "I'm sorry 
Bri. Gods I'm so sorry. I didn't think. I knew you weren't ready, 
but I just didn't think. I never meant to hurt you by bring it all 
back. You got to believe me."

"I do!!" her head came up at the sound of the pain in his voice. 
"I was just so afraid that you didn't want me anymore after I 
couldn't..."

"Ah love," he squeezed her hand. "I don't think a time will come 
that I will ever 'not' want you. But I shouldn't have pressed you 
the way I did that night. I promised to wait until you were ready 
and I broke my promise to you by asking you to stay with me. I just 
needed to hold you so badly. But that's no excuse and I promise it 
won't happen again if you give me a second chance. I'd do anything 
for you."

(The Twins, Arly & Leyean)
************************

The twins were up and dressed long before their Aunt Thina knocked 
on their door. They were both wanting to go to the med center to 
see their Papa, but Thina said they were to go get something from 
the dining hall first.

"He may not even be awake yet," Their aunt told them. "But it's 
much to early and the healers might not even let us in yet."

They hurried through their meals and then asked to be excused. When 
Thina told them they needed to wait for her, Lonnie broke in and 
told her it was okay to let them go.

"Meri has been keeping in contact with Shinner and he says his 
rider is awake now and wanting to see the girls."

"Well if you're sure...." Thina hesitated unsure.

"Let them go," Jonash told his mate. "If the dragon's say it's 
all right, who are we to argue?"

"Well okay," she agreed. "But don't stay to long. You both still 
have school today. And you can't miss it."

<<Meri tell Uncle Lonnie thank you for us please,>> both girls 
sent the short message to the man's dragon. 

<He says you are welcome,> the dragon replied. <But he too says 
you mustn't stay long.>

<<We promise.>>

With smiles now on their little faces, the girls turned and walked 
slowly away from the family's table. When the reached the rocky 
trail outside they were both off and running as fast as their 
little legs could carry them.

They slowed down to catch their breaths as they caught sight of 
the hall and Arly turned to her sister.

"Why do you think someone tried to hurt Papa?" she asked.

"I don't know," her twin answered. "But Uncle B'rand promised that 
he would find out who did it."

"You think he can?"

"Sure! He's pretty smart, or Aunt Lenna wouldn't like him so 
much," Ley replied. "And he doesn't treat us like babies like 
that other guy who liked her did. So I like him too. Think he 
likes us?"

"Maybe we should try to talk to his dragon, Rook," Arly giggled. 
"That why we'll know... If he talks back to us."

"We can try!"

They were at the med center now and walked inside. Soon they were 
both entering the door to their Papa's room and were happy to see 
Brisse sitting there beside his bed. A smile on her face and her 
hand in his.

Arly moved to her quickly and hugged her, while Leyean went to 
stand next to their Papa on the bed. Gently so as not to hurt 
him, she placed her tiny hand in the one held out towards her.

"I was so scared last night Papa when we found you," she told him.

"I'm sure you were," he said, his eyes meeting Brisse's over the 
top of her head. "But your Grandma said you two acted really brave 
and didn't panic. I'm very proud of the two of you."

"We didn't really know what to do so we told Shinner to call the 
others," Arly told him from where she stood with the older girl. 
"Just like you taught us to do."

As they talked, both Dan'yar and Brisse worked at setting their 
young minds at ease. By the time he reminded them that they needed 
to be heading off to school, the twins were feeling a lot better.

Their Papa was going to be all right and Brisse was with him. 
Everything was going to be all right.........

Or so they though.......

-----------------------------------------------
(nrpg: Tom...I'll get to that other part I told you about a 
little late...So have D'ren be expecting a call from Dan'yar.

*****Submitted by: ********

Barbara (a.k.a.

Dan'yar & Shinner
The twins: Arly & Leyean
Cleft Warren