Kellie
(at Trevor's fish-fry)

    She and Turner spent some time mingling with the unexpectedly large crowd
that had showed up to sample the fish her son and the Warrenlady had brought
back, when he felt Turner's hand on her arm.  He was gently bur firmly drawing
her toward the edge of the crowd.

     "In a hurry to go somewhere?" she teased, as the smith guided them around
a small knot of people.  It looked as though he was trying to keep them out of
Lenna's view, for the the blonde rider had just arrived along with her mate
B'rand.  "Oh, there's Lenna!" she said, still teasing, and made a slight
movement in that direction just to see how Turner would react.  As she'd
expected, his response was a firm tug backwards.

     "Why Turner, one would think you don't much like your family, avoiding
them like you are..."  He cut her off with a firm kiss that left her
breathless by the time he was finished.  

     "You were saying something about a new card game?" he suggested.

     "Right!" she said.  *Varie, come get us...now!*

     She gently disengaged herself from Turner.  "Varie's on the way, but
it'll take her a moment to get here.  I'd better go and see Trevor and Cynthia
before we go."

     Turner nodded.  "All right...but don't be long!"

     She made her way through the crowd, until she had reached the firepit.
Trevor was just taking another of the seemingly endless supply of fish-steaks
off the fire, while his dragon sat proudly next to the blazing fire.
According to Varie, Triss was making sure that each and every dragon knew that
that fire was *her* handiwork!  Gods, but she was getting big, Kellie thought.
Trevor had boasted that he was an easy dragon to wash and oil because of her
small size, but Kellie suspected that by the time the hatchlings began flying
- probably within a couple of days from now - he'd suddenly realize that his
"little" Trissana had become one of the warren's larger dragons.  And *she*
had promised them a dragon-sized quilt for her bed...she'd be up many late
nights sewing and stitching, she now suspected.  She also remembered her other
idea...she made a mental note to speak to P'ker or M'yer about it when she had
a chance...

     "Trevor, the fish was wonderful!" she told him.  He looked over at her in
surprise.

     "Oh...thank you, mother," he said.  "Would you like another?"

     His words were polite enough, but...cool, she thought.  She could almost
feel the barriers clang down between them, the barriers that she hoped he'd
rid himself of forever.   But they still existed...for her, anyway.  She'd
wanted to talk to him, explain things to him, but not like this...not until -
or if - he was willing to drop his mask and be open with her.  She feared that
day would never come...she feared that while Cleft Warren had gained a
dragonrider, she had lost a son.

     "No, one is enough for me, thank you," she said, beginning to turn away
from him.  "Turner said to tell you that he really enjoyed it too."

     "That's nice," he said distractedly, putting more fish on the grill over
the firepit.  "Thanks for watching Triss today, by the way."

     She nodded, and made her way back through the crowd to where Turner
waited for her.

(later, Kellie's apartment)

     With a sigh, Turner laid the cards down onto the bed where the two of
them sat, cross-legged, facing each other.  "All right, out with it," he said.

     She blinked in surprise.  "Out with what?"

     "With whatever's bothering you," he told her.  "Ever since we came back
here, you've been in another world.  I wish you'd either tell me where it is
so I can come and join you, or else come back to this one."

     She sighed, laying her own cards down as well.  She shouldn't have been
surprised that Turner would have noticed...she'd been so distracted that she
couldn't concentrate on much of anything.  "Sorry.  It's just that...well, I
tried to talk to Trevor before we left, and he just..."

     "Treated you like a stranger, right?" he asked, laying a strong hand on
her shoulder.

     She nodded wordlessly.  Turner came over and put his arms around her.
"This isn't new, is it?" he asked.  "Maybe if you told me what was wrong, I
could help.  This isn't because of...of us, is it?"

     "No, it isn't," she reassured him.  "If it was that, it wouldn't bother
me so much...I'd just say it was his problem and let it go at that.  But this
is something else...and I don't know what you could do to help, Turner...not
unless you can give lessons on how to be a better mother."

     "Tell me and we'll find out," he suggested, squeezing her a bit tighter.

     And so, for the first time, she found herself talking about things that
she'd never spoken to anyone about...except for Varie, and her mate K'rald.
She told Turner about M'del, and what he had done to Trevor, and what she now
knew about how it had affected his life...up to and including what had
happened at the hatching just a few days ago.  When she was done, she felt
like a wrung-out dishrag just from the effort of forcing herself to tell that
shameful story.   She felt a tear run down her cheek, and turned her face away
from him, ashamed that he should see her acting like this.

     Turner took out his handkerchief and touched it to her cheek to catch the
tear, then handed it to her so that she could dry her brimming eyes with it.
"Thanks," she told him.

     "Feels better to get it out, doesn't it?" he asked softly.  "There's
nothing harder than carrying around something like that inside you, and not
being able to talk about it."   He put a finger under her chin and lifted it
so that she was looking at him again.  "With me, it was the fact that of all
the boys in our family, I was the only one that never joined.  When I was
younger, that really made me feel like I was...inadequate, you know?  Dani had
Shinner, Lonnie had Meritanth, and all I had was my dreams of being like
them."

     "What did you do?" he asked, fascinated by what he was saying.  She'd
never realized that not being a rider had bothered him so much.

     "I did talk about it," he said.  "My mother's very good at getting people
to do that.  She...well, let's just say that she made me see that different
people have different paths in life, different things they're called on to
accomplish.  Some of those things require a person to be joined, and others
don't."  He chuckled a bit as she handed him back his handkerchief.  "Besides,
that dragon-oil makes my nose itch!"

     Despite herself, Kellie chuckled.  "You have a real way with words, do
you know that?"

     "It's a gift," he told her, smiling.  "Now, let's talk about *your*
problem."  He leaned back against the headboard, drawing her back with him so
she was reclining in his arms.  "I'd figured, you know, that Trevor had some
kind of problem when I first met him.  I can sort of tell the difference
between people who avoid others because they're just shy or something, and
those who are holding themselves back deliberately.  I sort of had him pegged
as the second type. But I never dreamed it was anything like...like that!

     "Neither did I," she said softly.  "Gods, Turner, I never knew...was I
the only one at Cleft Warren who was too dumb to figure out that something was
wrong?  What kind of a mother does that make me?"

     "You said he never talked about it," he reminded her.  "How could you
have known?  Hell, when he ran out on Triss the other morning, I thought it
was just because he was scared stiff of joining and becoming a
dragonrider...especially after the way we had to escort him to the hatching
cavern the day before."

     "Cynthia figured it out quickly enough," she said.  "Even though she
didn't really know a thing about him or his past.  And here I was, with all
the answers laid out before me, and I never saw them because I was as blind as
a bat...!
     Turner reached over to her bed table and picked up a sheet of paper.  It
was a small map Trevor had given her.  He held it up so close to her face that
her nose was touching it.  "Read that," he told her.

     "Are you kidding?" she asked.  "All I can see is a dark blur!"

     "Sometimes a person can be too close to a problem," he pointed out.
"Like not being able to see the forest for the trees."  He drew the paper back
a bit, to where she could see the small, neat script marking the geographical
features more clearly.  "Cynthia probably saw the problem more like
this...because she hadn't been involved in it up until then.  And she *is* a
trained counselor, you know."

     Kellie thought it over, and realized that Turner's words actually did
make some sense to her.  "But that doesn't help me now, Turner!  I gave up on
him, long ago, and he knows it.  He's put his past behind him, and...I'm a
part of that past, I'm afraid!"

     "No!" Turner said, so firmly that it startled her.  "His brother is part
of the past, and his father is...they're both gone now.  "But *you* are part
of the present!"

     "Not to him," she said.

     Turner thought for a moment.  "Look, love...as much as I want to help,
I'm out of my league here.  Ask me how to put in a bathtub, or chisel out a
dragon bed, and I can tell you everything you ever wanted to know.   But on
something like this, I think you need to talk to a real expert - my mother!"

     "Danki?" Kellie asked, nervously.  "Turner, I don't know...she doesn't
even know about...about *us*...yet..."

     Turner laughed.  "I'll bet you anything she does!" he told her.  "There's
not much that goes on at this warren that slips by her, and next to nothing
when it involves any of her kids.  Relax, she's not going to bite your head
off...and I think she may be just the person that knows how to solve your
problem!"

     "You think so?" Kellie asked uncertainly.

     Turner shook his head.  "I *know* so.  I'll talk to her about it
tomorrow.  Now, we were going to play cards..."

     Kellie sighed, twisting herself around so that she was lying with her
head on his broad chest.  "We'll pick up with the cards tomorrow night," she
decided.  "I'll just concede tonight' game...and you can collect your winnings
right now!"

     She kissed him, and knew that he didn't have to ask what his winnings
included.

* * * * * * * *

Trevor
(back at the fish-fry)

     "So, I hear you didn't really catch this fish," said Lenna.  "Cynthia
caught it, then?"

     "A joint effort," he explained.  "I'd have to give most of the credit to
Syren, though."

     "You should try it," B'rand suggested to her.  "It's pretty good."

     Lenna grinned, and Trevor knew he was in for some of her teasing.  "What
*else* do you  have cooking there?" she asked.  "Those steaks look pretty
good.  Give me a small one, though."

     Trevor nodded, and handed her a plate with one of the steaks that Karen
had brought down from the dining hall.  Big as their fish was, it would never
have fed this crowd.  He watched as Lenna ate a small forkful.  "Interesting
taste," she remarked.  "Not like what we usually get in the dining hall."

     He knew that this was because the cook was experimenting with a new
spice, but decided not to say so.  "I believe that Quaryin donated these
particular steaks," he said, turning back to the fire so she wouldn't see the
smile on his face.  "Heh-heh...you're right, they don't taste much like beef,
do they?  Well, I heard that the Rushela were culling out their riding stock a
bit.  Say, this could even be..."

     Lenna's eyes had gone wide as she stared down at her plate.  "Don't say
it!" she warned.  "Don't even *think* it!"

     B'rand and Katrina, who were standing close enough to hear - and who knew
of the inside joke involving horses - both had their hands over their mouths
to cover broad smiles.  Cynthia, who was close by talking to Brisse and a
couple of other riders, smiled too but decided not to get involved.

     Karen, the cook, did though.  "Rider Trevor, are you suggesting that my
dining hall serves...well, what you're suggesting?" she asked, grinning
broadly and wagging a finger at him from across the firepit.

     At that point everyone broke down laughing, though Lenna managed to
direct one of those "I-won't-forget-this" looks at him before she and B'rand
headed back to their waiting dragons.  By now the crowd was starting to thin,
and it looked to be time to start thinking about the clean-up.

     As though she'd read his mind, Cynthia emerged out of the crowd and
walked over to the firepit.  "I think everyone's had a good time," she said.
"Maybe this would be a good time for us to make an exit."

     "Well...I suppose since we did all the work of catching that monster and
bringing him here, others can take care of cleaning things up, do you
suppose?"

     "I do suppose," she said.  "Why don't you get Trissana and bring her
along?  Assuming, that is, that she can still climb stairs after all the food
she's eaten this evening."

     "Be right back," he promised, and went to collect his dragon.  Triss was
busy licking a plate that someone had unwisely set down too close to her.  He
suspected that the plate had contained someone's intended meal, but that it's
owner hadn't been inclined to challenge the dragon for it once she'd decided
to appropriate it for herself.  *Well, ready for bed?* he asked her.

     <Bed?> she asked.  <With all this food just lying here, begging to be
eaten?>

     *You've been munching ever since we started cooking earlier,* he reminded
her.  *From the look of your belly, you'll barely be able to waddle up to
Syren's apartment as it is.*

     <Syren's apartment?> she asked, her eyes brightening.  <I've always
wanted to see that!  Let's go!>   The somewhat overstuffed dragon levered
herself up to her feet, and followed him.

     With some difficulty, they got her to Cynthia's apartment and settled her
next to the queen.  Trevor remembered his promise, and had saved a large slice
of fish for Syren.  <She likes it, but says it is rather small,> Trissana
commented after the queen had eaten it.  <She remembers that fish as being a
lot larger.>

     As they started to go back into Cynthia's quarters, the Warrenlady
touched Trevor on the shoulder and indicated that he should look behind him.
The queen had covered the smaller dragon with a wing, while Triss was looking
up at Syren with rapt attention.  "Syren' s telling her a story," Cynthia
whispered.

     Trevor chuckled.  "She loves stories," he agreed.  "That should keep her
occupied until she falls asleep.  Which shouldn't be long, after the way she
stuffed herself.  Tell Syren thanks."

     Cynthia smiled.  "Well, you know she'd have been lonely back at the
barracks by herself.  And Syren says that it's no trouble at all, for her
hatchling's hatchling."

     Trevor settled himself into a chair with a sigh, reflecting on what a
difficult job the cooks had to face on a daily basis.  He gratefully accepted
the glass of wine Cynthia handed him.

     "By the way," she said, sitting down also, "I never had a chance to tell
you much about our new arrival, did I?"

     "C'aranth?" he asked.  "No, just briefly.  I was busy cooking just then.
So you think he's a dragonrider? Or used to be, rather?"

     "Well, when I saw him in my office earlier, I really had that feeling
about him...and I mentioned that perhaps he could have a talk with R'bert.
>From the way he anwered me, I'm all but certain that I'm right.  He had a
dragon once, but lost him."

     Trevor nodded thoughtfully.  "But you said you're still thinking of
introducing him to R'bert?"

     "I think...it might help both of them," she told him.  "R'bert's loss is
a lot fresher, but I could tell that C'aranth carries his own pain as well.
And if he did lose his dragon, that would explain it.  But I'm not going to
push it.  That wouldn't help anyone.  We'll just wait and see what happens."

     "I'd like to meet him," Trevor said.  "Maybe tomorrow."

     Cynthia smiled.  "You know...he *does* remind me a bit of you...when you
first arrived.   Maybe he'd talk to you.  Well, if you do meet up with him,
let me know what you find out."

     "I will," he promised, taking a sip of his wine.  "Something
else...Brisse looks like she's going to have that baby any day now.  When she
does, she'll be down for awhile I'd imagine.  I'm effectively unemployed for
the moment, since even when Triss does start flying, J'errid says it'll be
awhile before she builds her wing strength up enough for long flights.  So if
you can use any extra help with things around here, I'm available."

     Cynthia smiled at him.  "I'll remember that.  I also notice that you're
available right now."

     He grinned at her.  "I am, at that," he agreed, and felt his excitement
build at her words.  "You did, ah, mention something about training? Night
classes, maybe?"

     "Maybe," she said, and the next thing he knew she was in his arms.  His
lips found hers, and they felt their desires building anew.  They made their
way into Cynthia's sleeping chamber, and were soon her bed together,
passionately exploring each other's bodies.

     "I wonder..." Trevor began, once their lips had parted for a moment.

     "What?" Cynthia asked.

     "...how I ever managed to live before I met you," he told her, and once
again he kissed her.


NRPG:

I, um, am obviously not quite caught up...but I had a lot of things to write
about, and decided to use this post to get me to the end of the current
day...I'll get another out in a day or so, that will bring me up to the
joining party.

Alton - I'd thought of taking this farther, but decided I'd better leave you
some room, if you want to pick up at this point.  Also, should I carry forward
to the joining party the following evening, or did you have any plans for
that?  If so, I'll hold off going that far.

Barb - I'll pick up with Kellie and Turner the next day...she's *still* got to
show Turner her new card game...I'll let you decide when would be the best
time for Kellie to talk to Danki, though.  And, of course, I just couldn't
resist the bit with Lenna...it's been too long since she and Trevor have
sparred...

All - I'd planned for the new dragons to take their first flights on the
morning after the joining party, in case anyone gets to that day before I do.


Submitted by:

John

Trevor & Trissana
Kellie & Varie
Cleft Warren