Scence: Cleft
Time: After lunch on the second day of the mapping expidition.

>"Now!" Lenna said as she leaned back and took in both women seated around
>the table with her. "How do we get them to let us ask the girl if she would
>like to come back to the Warren and join with the eggs when they hatch?
>Cause I'm as sure as anything that girl has what it takes to become a
>dragonrider... and I'd stake my reputation as a searcher on it."
>
>"Have you ever been wrong Lenna?" Kat asked grinning.
>
>"Only once....but I don't remember who he was."
>
>"I thought not."

 Katrina found herself thinking about what Lenna said about the three
of them convincing the Nomads to let them speak to the young girl, and
then in effect bringing her back to the Warren. Katrina was worried
about the whole thing, and her part in it. For she was not a diplomat,
nor was she very persuasive, and her knowledege of the Nomads was limited.
Katrina hoped that Lenna could provided that persuasive edge, while she
supplied the support, and Ani supplied the experience-from a Nomads point
of view, of the oppurtunities availible at Cleft. All in all, it seemed like
such a complex task-but yet Katrina knew it was a very worthwhile one.

 As the three women got up and headed for for the door, Katrina spotted
Trevor working on his maps in a far corner of the dining hall. Suddenly
for a moment, Katrina wished she and Lenna could be taking the cartographer
out for some more mapping instead of going to the Nomad village. Because,
eventhough Katrina thought the mapping was not a worthwhile cause, at least

it would have been a lot easier to do, then what they now had to do at the
Nomad village.

 Lenna and Katrina, with Ani between them approached the dragons. Azure
lowered head towards Ani and sniffed. Ani stepped back a bit startled by
the iridescent blue dragon's actions.

 <Cut it out Azure, she doesn't have anything>, sent Katrina.

 <Well it doesn't hurt to check>, came the replied from Azure.

 <I should never have let Trevor give you those sugar crystals. You are
getting spoiled just like I thought you would>.

 <Am not>, replied Azure.

 After a hush to her dragon Katrina turned to Ani, "It is all right, she
wont hurt you. It's just that ever since the cartographer Trevor gave her
a treat when they first met, Azure thinks everyone is going to bring her
something. I am hoping it is a phase and she will get over it."

 Katrina looked at Ani, and thought to herself, *Ani doesn't look
convinced.* The three mounted up with Ani riding with Lenna.

 <See you scared her away>, sent Katrina with a smile to her dragon.

 <Did not>, came the reply. Katrina just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

 It didn't take them long to reach the village. As the two riders prepared
to land they remebered what Ani said about an invite. The group landed
enough of a distance away that they could be seen by the Nomads, but not
to close to the villages entrance. They would wait for an invite, even
if it ended up being a long wait.

 Ani said,"Now if invited, remeber put down weapons as a show of good
faith." The worried look came over Katrina's face again. She touched
the strap of daggers about her, uncomfortable about parting with them,
but she nodded in understanding.

 Lenna then spoke to Katrina,"And I am sure Ani means all weapons."

 Katrina looked a bit startled for a moment but she saw Lenna looking at
her left boot. It took a second for Katrina to recall when she had told
Lenna about the dragon dagger, she could not recall when it had been. The
dagger in question was one that Katrina had crafted and always carried
strapped inside her left boot. To her in never seemed like a weapon,
but as a memento of her time amongst the craftsmen when she was unjoined,
and hopeful of someday becoming a dragonrider. Katrina was about to say
something to this affect, but Lenna and Ani were both looking at her, and
she knew it would be of no use.

 "Alright, but it will remain with Azure, I can't bring myself to leave it
with the other daggers when the time comes."

 Katrina rolled up the the leg of her pants and removed the sheath and
dagger from her boot. The hilt of the dagger was clearly visable above the
sheath-with the dragon head smooth and shiney in the afternoon sun. Katrina
placed it in Azure's saddlebag. As Katrina turned back to the others, she
heard Azure:

 <Why do you fret so much my rider over a piece of metal. I really don't
understand why you humans are so concerned about inanimate things>.

 Before Katrina could reply to her dragon, she heard Lenna say,"We seem
to have caught their attention."

 Katrina looked up, turned, and could see that there was indeed a flurry of
activity within the village. She recognized a Nomad man and woman who had
approached them before when they returned the young girl. The two were just
inside the villages entrance talking and looking at the riders and Ani.
Katrina thought to herself,*Now all we need to do is wait.*

----------------------------------
NRPG:
(tag to Barb if you want to add something. Holly you can fit something in
as well, and of course James-do we get that invite?). Well I hope I covered
everyone there.

All: Sorry for the quietness of late. It has been busy, and I still think
my writing muse is avoiding me. Well I better get started on my ASR post
while I'm here.

Alton: I did't know if Cynthia was suppose to go with the three. If
she was sorry.

Respectfully,
Kris Berg
Katrina/Azure
Cleft Warren