Cynthia sat in bed looking out the window at the setting sun.  Her 
room was getting darker and sinister things lurked in the shadowy 
corners of the room.

"Now you're being silly," Cynthia said aloud.  There was some small 
comfort in hearing the sound of her own voice.  In truth, she feared 
the shadowy corners of the room much less than she feared the shadows 
that lurked in the corners of her mind.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Cynthia started at the sound. 
 She took a moment to slow her suddenly racing heart before calling 
for the person to enter.

*** walked softly into the room, "I thought you might be awake still. 
 I brought you something that will help you sleep."

Cynthia too the cup that *** offered her.  She swirled it around and 
watched the orange liquid move.  "Will it help?"

"It will put you to sleep, and probably keep the dreams away."

Cynthia shrugged and drained the cup.  She lay back in bed and tried 
to get comfortable.  A few minutes later, as the pinks faded from the 
sky, she drifted off to sleep.
***
> Matteen's eyes followed his movements, then back to his eyes.
> B'rand lifted the as'en ibefore him, and looked back. "What do you
> think, horse-boy?" he mumbled. "Care to play a game?"

Matteen continued to look at B'rand, his expression unchanged.  B'rand
shrugged and tossed one of the As'en back on the table between them. 
Before it hit the surface, Matteen's hand shot out and caught it. 
B'rand smiled and tossed him the other one.

The knives moved between the men at a steady pace.  Matteen would
quicken the pace slightly every few tosses.  He was amazed that the
barbarous dragonraidah could learn the control and tempo so quickly. 
Prehaps Quedhar was right, maybe there was some hope for these people.

The knives were moving quickly between the two men.  The light filtering
in through the cell door glinted off the blades as they spun.  Both men
were locked in concentration on the flying blades.

Suddenly there was a clunk as the lock on the door opened.  B'rand's
concentration faltered as he caught the as'en and one blade nicked his
palm.

He hissed in pain and turned to see who was at the door.

Sarina entered carrying a bucket of steaming water and a bundle of
clothing.  She nodded at B'rand and set the bucket and the clothes on
the table.  {Have you shown him what a great warrior you are?} she asked
Matteen.

{I have,} he replied, {and he seems to be a skilled warrior as well. 
Never have I seen anyone master as'en so quickly.}

{Then it's a pity that you will soon be dead and wasting away and not
able to enjoy his company any longer.}

{Perhaps.  We must find out if the child chunor carries is of the Hannan
tribe.}

"What about Brisse?  Chunor?" B'rand asked.

Sarina began to speak and then stopped, "Matteen needs know if chunor
child is Hannan."

"And how will he find that out?" B'rand asked.

NRPG:
I stepped in for Lyn since I needed to post anyway (sorry Lyn).  I'm
thinking that the Hannan have some ritual they can perform to determine
the parentage of Brisse's child.  Reading entrails or something equally
mistical.  What do you think?

Tom: Cynthia will want to talk to D'ren about Frog in the morning.

Respectfully submitted,
Warrenlady Cynthia - Cleft Warren
Alton Reich
-- 
			Alton & Elizabeth Reich
			  alton.reich@snet.net
"Ani l'dodi, v'dodi li - I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine"
--The Song of Songs