On Sat, 4 Oct 1997, Alton & Elizabeth Reich wrote:

>..."Tell him that I am Cynthia and I run the warren.  I have come to 
> talk with him."
> 
> Ani translated, and Cynthia looked around at the assembled members of
> the tribe.  She looked across quickly, and then looked back.  There she
> saw a young man, she guessed he was about 16 years old, with dragon
> affinity.  It was so strong that it surprised her.  Her sercher's
> instinct took over and she leaned close to Ani and whispered, "We have
> to get that man back to the warren for the hatching."
> 
> "This tribe intends to kill itself," Ani replied.
> 
> "Then we have to prevent that."

   Ani looked at the Warren Lady sceptically.  The Lady knew so much about
running a warren but next to nothing about these nomads.  These people who
were her people. And Ani knew they would neither understand or care about
this dragon affinity Cynthia mentioned.  Yes, she was linked to them as
irrevocably as the Dragon riders were to their dragons.  But she doubted
her ability to make a difference now or to stop the tribe's death spiral. 

   The silence drew out and while they waited for the leader to come out
of his tent, Ani observed the tribe.  The children, what few of them there
were, were gaunt and hungry looking.  Eyes too big for their sad faces
looked at her in fear and apprehension.  A young mother clutched a
tattered birthing blanket, all that was left of her dead child, to her
breast.  Warriors who should have been out on the plains drilling lounged
resignedly at the doors of their tents.

   Ani smelled the odor of Hashish in the air.  A young man grinned lazily
at her from a doorway in his mouth the pipe stem of a burning hookah. A
great ball of grief rose up in her chest at the tragedy and waste of it
all.  This was the direct result of the two cultures meeting.  They were
too different and they always would be.  Ani saw a tragic future for the
nomads as one by one they gave themselves up to the spirit world to escape
the world where there was no longer a place for them. 

   "Ani."  Cynthia indicated a middle aged man approaching them slowly
from the entrance of a highly decorated tent.

   "Bye the look of his robes he is Matteen's second-in-command.  We must
go slowly, My Lady.

    The man stopped a few feet from the two women. Ani almost gasped at
his lack of ceremony. To speak right like this was considered very bad
manners. Ani's heart sank when she realized it was a show of disrespect
toward her and the Warren Lady.

    "Where is Matteen?" He asked pointedly, ignoring Ani even as she
began to translate.

    "He is at our Cleft under guard."

    "He is not subject to your laws.  You will return him immediately,
woman."

    Ani spoke in a rush, terrified at his reaction to her speaking
directly to him.  

     "This is Cynthia, Dragon rider and Warren Lady of Cleft.  She is here
to help us find path to peace.  Will you at least look down that path. 
Look around you, your people are dying." 
     

     "SILENCE! You who are not fit to breath the same air as these people. 
You have made your choice, slut.  Whose bed are you warming in exchange
for your fine new life in the Warrens?" 
   
     Behind them, Syren flapped her wings in agitation.  An angry dragon
was a fearful thing to and several of the women ran for the cover of their
tents.

    Ani swallowed her pride and stood tall in defiance of the man's
accusations.

   "Syren is thinking she will eat you for dinner my father, if you insult
little Ani like that again."

    Cynthia, her attention drawn once again to the boy who's dragon
affinity she'd felt so strongly, walked slowly toward him.  At any moment
she could be struck down by one of the men and Syren could not be quick
enough to save her.

    It was unheard of.  No nomad had ever displayed dragon affinity. But
then, perhaps no one had ever bothered to find out.  Could this be the
link between the two people? If this were a true affinity perhaps the boy
could come to the Warren to learn. And perhaps some one from the Warren
could come here.  These people needed medical attention and they needed a
reason to live.

Respectfully Submitted by
Holly Huckeba
Ani dain Hehran
*************************

Alton:  Thank you very much for the kick start I needed it.  Also, I
didn't think it was very good manners to write mind talk between Cynthia
and Syren, so I left it out.  What are the rules about that? 

I'm stopping the story line here, mainly because I need to think about it
some more and also 'cause I'm pooped.