D'Ren carefully tapped the wedge into granite.  With even 
strikes, a large sheet of the heavy stone broke loose, perfectly cut.  
Two young men took the stone and lowered it to a platform where it was 
hauled off to be added to the strengthening south wall.  Even though it 
was only spring, working high on the cliff face was hot and exhausting 
work.  D'Ren wiped the sweat from his brow with a large dirty rag.  He 
then retrieved a canteen and uncorked the top.  Leaning against the warm 
rocks, he lifted the container to his mouth and took a long drink of cool 
water.  
Ahhh...that was refreshing, he thought as he looked out across the 
warren.  Things were really looking good.

The south wall was coming along, the leather shop and dinning hall were 
being renovated, and several new dragon rider apartments were being 
finished.  And it looked none too soon, as he saw several small dragons 
take to the sky from the green.  Excited workers pointed saying, 
"The hatchlings are flying!"  It didn't mean much to the young 
stoneworker, who saw another first flight as just another first flight 
that he didn't have a dragon.

"When am I going get over this," he thought as he sucked the canteen 
dry.  "My moping is not getting these rocks cut, and they are needed for 
the south wall as well as the walkways," he told himself as he turned 
back to work.

About the same time that the hatchlings were done with their first 
flying lessons, D'Ren finished with his work.  He passed on some 
instructions from the master stoneworker to the foreman and headed 
towards the warren proper.  It took several minutes to walk to there, 
and as he walked, he saw Brisse heading towards the Medical Center.

She must be going to have lunch with Dan'yar, D'Ren thought and waved to get 
her attention.  Once she saw him, she waved back, and he walked over towards 
her.

As he approached the junior dragonqueen, he realized what a mess he must be 
and wished that he didn't look like such a laborer.  

"Brisse, could you tell Dan'yar that I've got a couple of guys watching the 
twins, and that's he's got nothing to worry about," he said.  He felt 
strange talking to her and felt ashamed at the way he felt about her just 
then.  He told himself that he shouldn't think such things because Brisse 
was Dan'yar's lady...

The young queen smiled in reply to the news, unaware of D'Ren's thoughts. 
"Thanks, D'Ren.  I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that," she beamed, and then 
said, "we'll I've got to be going.  Bye."  She waved and then continued 
towards the medical center with her and Dan'yar's lunch in a basket.

D'Ren thought about his feelings, and then realized that Brisse was happy, 
very happy.  "That's strange," he thought, "that's really, really strange, 
and its the first time that I've seen her like that."  He just couldn't 
understand it, and shook he head again as He walked off towards his room 
"She must like Dan'yar a great deal," he told himself.  Little did he know 
that her elation was caused by her earlier flight with her dragon Tymor.  
Once in his small quarters, he cleaned up and headed to the dining hall for 
lunch.  

Later he joined several other of his friends at the training grounds for 
combat training.  During that training, everyone heard the loud well known 
mating challenge of a female dragon, but this was no ordinary dragon. The 
group watched in surprise as Tymor, the junior queen launched herself into 
the sky...

NRP: not much, but it brings D'Ren up to date...

Tom Oesterman
joesterm@neo.lrun.com

D'Ren Stonecutter
Milita Leader - Cleft Warren