[NRPG: Susan, something at the end of this post that Christalla will be 
made aware of, I'm sure.]

As soon as the two men left, she exitted the cave quickly, heading for 
Dan'yar's apartment, but there was something going on.  She stopped to 
watch in concern.

"What's happening?" she asked a man as he ran past.

"We've got word that something's wrong with Lenna.  Something about rogues 
or nomads, I think."

She stood watching helplessly.  She wanted to be able to help, but could 
not, with Tymor a queen, and sitting on eggs.  She saw Dan'yar heading 
toward the green as well, his face strained.  She threw her arms around him 
and kissed him, suddenly conscious that it was the first time they had ever 
kissed in public.

"Be careful," she said worriedly.

He nodded, but she could see that something about the incident in his 
apartment was on his mind, his eyes darting back to his apartment.  She 
could see the twins with the Aunt Thina, heading for the classroom.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"I'll talk to you, love.  I'm sorry."

She nodded, and waved as he mounted Shinner and took to the air.  She 
fought back tears as he blinked out.

She ran back to the hatching cave, seeking the comfort of Tymor.  There was 
too much going on at once-- her pregnancy, this measuring business, Lenna 
missing, Dan'yar's apartment.

"Oh, Tymor," she said aloud.  "I'm not ready for this.  I'm only fifteen."

<I am here for you,> Tymor said.

Brisse curled against her dragon's side, allowing herself to cry.  It 
wasn't long before her exhaustion took over, and she was asleep.

******

She was awakened to Tymor's hiss.  She sat up and saw two men and a girl 
standing at the entrance to the cave.

"M'lady Brisse?" one of the men asked.

She blinked, taking in the sight of them.  Both men stood perhaps two inches 
taller than Dan'yar, with blue eyes and blond hair.  The one who had spoken 
was thin.  The other man was built like a sword guild member.  But the one 
who drew her attention was the girl.  She looked to be Brisse's age, though 
she was considerably taller.  Her hair was an odd blue-grey colour that 
Brisse had never seen before.

"M'lady Brisse?" the thin man repeated.

"Oh.  I'm sorry.  Yes, that's me."

"I'm Sirak and this is my brother Lorak and our little sister Loreanna.  
We're transferring here.  We were told Cynthia was away, so we should see you."

She blinked, still half asleep.  Why would they be sent to her?  Oh, yes, 
of course, she was the junior queenrider.  What was she supposed to do?  
Oh, yes, apartments, the tour of the warren, sending them to J'errid.  "Oh. 
Okay.  Well, let me give you the tour then."  She stood, brushing sand off 
her clothes and led the two out.

She pointed out the Medical Center, the training green, the dining hall, 
the pens where they kept the cattle for the dragons, and the apartments 
that were finished and open for occupation.  "You can pick your own 
apartment from among them.  We haven't got furnishings in all of them, so 
you'll need to go to the warren stores and pick out the furnishings for 
your apartments.  Ummm...  As usual, the standard stuff is free to all who 
live here.  The fancier stuff you'll have to barter for.  You can get food 
from the kitchen stores, if you like to cook for yourself. Ummm...  I guess 
that's about it for the tour.

"You should report to our wingleader-- we only have one wing right now-- 
but he's away right now.  You can see him when the wing gets back, I 
guess."

"Thank you, m'lady.  You've been quite helpful.  I think we may go to the 
Dining Hall and refresh ourselves.  Would you like to join us?"

"It's just Brisse," she said quietly, then remembered she was supposed to 
meet the two men from Keldarra in the Dining Hall.  "I need to go there anyway."

******

She excused herself to go and speak to the two men surrounded by their papers.

"Well," she asked, "is she bigger than Beryth?"  The question she had 
wanted to ask all along was whether Tymor was bigger than Kaeryth, but the 
thought of it frightened her so that she couldn't even ask it.

"She is indeed," the one answered.

"In fact," the other added, "gauging that she isn't full-grown yet, I could 
see her outstripping Kaeryth in a few months."

Brisse stood there, wobbling a second, then the floor rushed up at her, and 
she knew no more.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Brisse and Tymor

---
|   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                   |