[Day after Brisse's rescue]

Nelar stepped into the Wingleader's office.  "Nelar, rider of Novara, 
reporting."

J'errid nodded and motioned her to a chair.  "Welcome to Cleft.  I'm 
J'errid, the wingleader.  We have wing drills every other day at first 
light.  Today's an off-day, so tomorrow you'll need to report for practice. 
Some time soon, we're going to need to split into two wings, but for now 
there's just the one.

"I'll assign you a patrol partner tomorrow after I see how you operate at 
wing practice.  Until then, you won't have any patrol, obviously.

"Now," he said, leaning back in his chair, "tell me a little about 
yourself.  I'm especially interested in how much experience fighting 
wraiths and wild dragons you have had."

******

[Brisse joins the other newly-joined in their training.  They've already had
  two days' training, which she must make up for.  My'kle is rather cold to
  Brisse.

[B'rand and Lonnie go on patrol

Isolinde took a seat by herself and poked at her food absently, not really 
hungry.  Even after a day of training, she still couldn't get Aniki's bleak 
look out of her mind, and nothing would chase it away.

"Isolinde!" a feminine voice behind her called, and she turned to see 
Raissa beckoning her over to a nearby table. Smiling slightly, and not 
wanting to be rude, she picked up her half-eaten tray and sat down at an 
empty seat near Raissa.  Raissa introduced the others next to her, who 
included Kendra and Kehan, as well as a few of the boys nearby. Isolinde 
just smiled and said hello, somewhat self-conscious around so many people 
she didn't know, and just listened in on the conversation, speaking only 
when spoken to.

Somewhat embarrassed, she looked around the hall, trying to spot a familiar 
face.  Maybe they would bring Aniki here, she wondered. She did have to 
eat, after all....

"Are you looking for someone?" Brisse asked.

"Well... sort of..."  Isolinde felt a little more at ease talking, and 
said, "I don't know if she's out of the Medical Center yet.  She's not joined."

"Oh, was she hurt?"

The girl considered her for a moment, seeming hesitant.  "She... she was 
the other girl the Nomads took.  Aniki."

"Oh."

Brisse fell silent, and Raissa reached over and gently squeezed her arm. 
"Are you going to be okay, Brisse?"

"Yeah... I'm fine..."  She forced herself to smile.  "I'm fine.  So, tell 
me about yourselves."

The others looked at each other, as if determining who should go first.  
Raissa started to speak when someone stepped up behind Isolinde.

"Isolinde?  You're okay?  I thought you'd still be in the Medical Center?"

Isolinde turned and smiled as she recognized the new visitor.  "Oh, hi!  
No, there wasn't anything wrong, so they let me go this morning."

"Oh, that's good."  The man turned to the woman who had walked in with him. 
"Oh, this is Nelar.  She's a new transfer.  Arrived here yesterday.  And... 
well, these are some of Cleft's newly-joined.  I'm afraid I don't know any 
names but Isolinde."

"Silly!" Isolinde said, "You should know Raissa-- you met her only 
yesterday-- and Brisse, the new queenrider."

Brisse blushed.  She would never get used to this.

"Oh, yes, I guess I do know a couple of other names," he admitted 
sheepishly.  "I'm R'bert."

"This is K'han and Kendra."

The new arrivals sat down.

"Do you play?" Raissa asked, indicating the small harp that Nelar had with her.

"Yes, I do."

Raissa's eyes lit up.  "We'll have to be sure and play together some time.  
Can we hear you play?"

Nelar smiled.  "After I eat."

They chatted for a bit while Nelar ate.  Brisse noticed that Nelar kept 
glancing at her.

After she had eaten, Nelar unslung her harp and began to play.

******

D'Ren walked into the dining hall which was slowly emptying as many finished 
lunch and were returning to their jobs.  He looked around the hall, and it 
didn't take him long to find Isolinde as the people that she was sitting 
with were singing and a familiar song on the harp was being played.  It was 
a pleasant melody - it made D'Ren thank the makers that the girl that had 
stumbled into the warren's only construction accident was okay.  As he 
approached the gathering of dragonriders, he thought how much work needed 
to be done and how much the dragons would help, and then sorrowfully he 
cursed his own dragonless life.  A few of the gathering noticed his approach 
and looked at him expectantly.

"Well I'm glad that you're all right, Isolinde," he said.

The young girl felt surprised by D'Ren's concern then suddenly felt 
uncomfortable wondering if R'bert would get the wrong idea. All through 
this, she managed only to utter a timid thanks.  Her companion stood and 
extended his hand in greeting.

"I want to thank you, miner, for rescuing my friend.", R'bert smiled as he 
clenched D'Ren's hand.

The stonecutter took up the challenge crushing with even greater force and 
responding, "It was my pleasure, dragon rider."  It didn't take long for 
R'bert to release his grip, though D'Ren had to admit that R'bert was strong.

He smiled, thinking that he almost liked the guy, then he turned to the 
table and said, "Good afternoon riders.  I've been given permission by the 
Warren Lady to ask some of the junior riders to aid me in building a gate 
for south entrance, and I would like your help."

"Well," K'han commented, "most of our dragons can't fly yet."

"I understand.  It won't be finished before you are flying, though.  How 
about those of you whose dragons can fly?"

[At the same lunch]

Qedhar leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "You... wish to... buy 
that girl as wife... mate?"

My'kel frowned and drew his eyes away from the girl to take in the man 
beside him. "Is that what your people do-- buy your women?"

Qedhar considered.  He didn't think 'buy' was quite the right word, but it 
was the closest word in this accursed tongue that he knew.  Qedhar smiled 
slightly, before answering.  "Nomad gives many horse, sheep, and cattle for 
wife to her father.  Good wife will take many animal.  He also can by woman 
slave to take to his bed, of course.  Deal sometime good... sometime 
bad...bad..."

He looked as if he was having a hard time trying to come up with the right 
word to use.  "Mistake?" My'kel supplied with a wiry grin.

"Mistake," the dark man nodded. "Talk much... long time... man no rest."

"You've obviously met my Aunt Lenna," My'kel chuckled, and then waved it 
off when Qedhar didn't understand his answer. "Even if I wanted the girl... 
and I'm not saying that I do...But if I did, it wouldn't do me any good 
now, anyway. She... belongs to my Uncle." he said, trying to explain it to 
the man in a way he hoped he would understand.

"Girl... Uncle's... wife... or... his 'mahnar'?"

[Barb: Qedhar knows Brisse can't be a 'chunor'-- only slaves are 'chunor'.  
'Mahnar' is a lover, with some implications of impropriety.]

"His what?"  The boy laughed, but beginning to understand, and quickly he 
decided that he liked this man beside him. Maybe the man could use a 
friend.

His good humor didn't last too long, when he felt a hand on his shoulder 
and turned to see Brisse standing there. "My'kel would you like to join 
Dan'yar, the twins and I for dinner tonight?"

"You've got to be kidding," he said in disbelief and then stood up and 
strolled away from the table. And Brisse.

Brisse stood and stared after the boy in shock.  What had gotten into him?  
She turned and took in the face of the man who had been sitting next to 
My'kel.  Her stomach tightened at the typical Nomad appearance.  "Ummmm...  
You're Qedhar, right, Tehshah's rider?"

"Yes.  I am."

"Do... do you know what's the matter with My'kel?"

The Nomad shrugged.  "I think... he is... he is... wanting... he is 
angry..."  The Nomad sighed in exasperation.

<Tehshah says that his rider thinks My'kel is angry at his uncle because of 
you.>

Brisse's frowned in confusion.  "Why would My'kel be angry about me?"

Qedhar shrugged.  "I did not... talk long... at him."

She nodded.  "Well, thank you, anyway."

She left, watching the other newly-joined return to the green and training, 
while she went to see Cynthia, to learn of her duties at the warren.

******

As B'rand and rook veered off towards their apartment, Lonnie had Meritanth 
head towards the dinning hall, he was hungry after the patrol and felt like 
getting something to eat before heading up to his lonely apartment.

Several of his friends were already there so he joined them and soon 
everyone was laughing and carrying on. When his older brother Farr'in 
showed up with his patrol partner Ta'kar and joined them, Lonnie asked the 
man if he could talk to him privately for a moment.

Curious about his younger brother's request and the fact that Lonnie looked 
about to brake out laughing at any moment, made Farr'in agree.

"You're Kidding me right? "the shorter of the two said trying his best not 
to laugh. "Tell me you're playing a joke on me?"

Lonnie just shook his head, still trying to contain his mirth. 

"That boy crazy or in love?" Farr'in asked.

At that Lonnie let go. Just like earlier he had to grab on to something to 
keep himself from sliding to the floor as his laughter took control.

"Oh Gods...He's in love," the older brother grimaced. "And with our little 
sister."

"Well, think you want to help the poor guy?"

"The sooner the better," Farr'in volunteered. "Anything to help keep the 
guy from getting humiliated by our dear sister. Tell him to come see me 
tomorrow."

******

[At the same time]

Brisse looked across at Dan'yar, considering how to ask the question she 
wanted to ask.

"You've been looking distracted all meal, love.  What's wrong?" Dan'yar asked.

"Do... do you know of any reason for My'kel to be angry at us?"

"No, why?"

"I... I asked him to dinner, like you mentioned, and he said 'You've got to 
be kidding!' and walked away.  His companion... thought he was angry at 
us."

Dan'yar frowned.  "Odd.  Well, I'll talk to him tomorrow."

******

They spent a lot of time over dinner, talking, Brisse telling them about 
her day, then she had him take her to see Tymor.  Though he wanted to stay, 
she asked to be alone with Tymor for a while.

The sunlight was finally dimming over the west ridge of the warren, and 
Brisse was feeding Tymor on the green, watching the sunset.  Despite being 
told about her dragon's rapid growth, she never believed that the young 
dragon would grow *this* fast.  As Tymor finally slurped the last of the 
meat down, she heard a voice call to her, and she and Tymor turned to see 
D'ren walking up to them.  His brown over-tunic and wool pants were covered 
in dust apparently from work, and his tanned skin was glistening with 
sweat.

[NRPG: Newly-hatched dragons are fed MEAT, not taken to an animal pen to 
hunt-- they are too uncoordinated for that.  When they can fly, they can 
then hunt.]

"M'Lady Brisse," he said as he approached, "I'm sorry if I'm bothering 
you."

"What can I do for you, D'ren?" she asked.  She almost felt afraid by his 
rushing up to her, but pushed the feeling aside.

"M'Lady," he said again trying to regain his breath, and Brisse realized 
just how much she didn't like being called 'M'Lady'.  It made her feel so 
old or overly important.

D'ren then continued, "I'm sorry for my haggard appearance, but I felt it 
may be taken wrong by the others if I would have told you at lunch, but I 
just wanted to let you know that I and the other workers have pledged that 
no one else is going to be abducted from the warren.  We are being trained 
by the weapon masters and are forming a guard.  Some of us have even 
pledged, like myself, to be armed at all times."  And he knelt on one knee 
in front of the junior Warren Lady and looked deeply into her eyes.

Brisse was unsure how to respond to this, but before she could, the 
stoneworker pledged,  "We are all sorry about what happened to you, Brisse, 
and I make an oath to you and your dragon and to the gods that no harm 
shall befall you ever again as long as there is breath in my lungs and 
strength in my heart."

She stood stunned for a moment, before Tymor broke the mood by nudging her 
with her already-huge head, knocking Brisse off-balance.  The stoneworker 
quickly caught her in his strong arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes.  Thank you," she answered.

"Brisse?  Oh!"

She turned to see Dan'yar looking at the two of them in surprise.  D'ren 
quickly released her, realising how they must look.

"Dan'yar, D'ren and I were just... talking..." she said.

Dan'yar nodded.

Brisse looked helplessly at D'ren.  He started to speak when there was a cry.

They turned as one.  There was movement toward the south end of the warren.

"Stay here," both men instructed her at once, heading in that direction.

******

When they got there, the guard pointed south.  They could see a column of 
smoke and fire on the horizon.

"Isn't that where the Nomad encampment was?" someone asked.

******

[In the Nomad encampment]

The girl held her burned arm and watched the tents burn, the people dying, 
beyond comprehension. The dragonraidah had come, and Chaban had refused 
them.  Now Chaban and his sons lay dead, burned.  They weren't the only 
dead or dying. Cries and wails of pain and grief filled the air.

"Sitra?"

She looked up into her father's eyes.  "Where is mama?  Do you know?"

Her father, Jinam, knelt beside her, taking in the burns on her arms and 
legs.  "Your mama is... gone."

"Where did she go?  Did dragonraidah take her?"

Jinam gathered her into his arms.  "No, Benna Sitra.  Rushela has taken her."

Rushela, the goddess of the dead, had been busy that evening.  Jinam hoped 
soon she would be reaping among the dragonraidah who had done this.  Till 
then, there was only mourning.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Brisse and Tymor
   (and others)

---
|   Lynette R. F. Cowper  *  Official INWO Rules NetRep & Goddess    |
| http://www.io.com/~lcowper  *  lcowper@io.com  *  lcowper@indy.net |
|  "If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever |
|                   get done."  -- L. Wittgenstein                   |