Andahar...

As the other riders searched the caves for Lenna, Andahar and Bohoc had
volunteered to remained air borne through most of the search, acting as
sentinel, watching for "enemy" dragon.  The riders had searched high and low
for Lenna, but without success and Meena instructed Trevor and Andahar
(through their link to their dragons) to return with the news to Cleft.

They were met on the green by Cynthia, who was anxious to hear the news.
Andahar watched as Trevor and the Warren Lady walked towards a large tent
set up near the medical center.  He noted that Bohoc seemed rather concerned
over the condition of Trevor's dragon, Trissana.

>>
     As soon as her rider and Syren's rider were out of sight, Triss let out
a
long sigh and slowly lowered herself to the ground.  She'd been feeling
quite
dizzy since their return, and it was a relief to get the weight off her
shaking legs.  She hoped that a short rest would get her into shape for her
trip this evening.

      Bohoc leaned down and nuzzled the side of her neck.  <You do not look
well,> he told her, concern in his voice.  <Why do you not tell your rider
that you are too tired to fly again?>

     <I am needed,> she said.  <We must find that yellow dragon, and help
Blanchie...and I am the only one who can.  I will be all right in a while.
I
have not flown or teleported more than the other dragons.>

     <The others are all older than you are, and have been doing this
longer,>
Bohoc reminded her.  <That makes a real difference.  You are not up to this,
and should tell your rider so!>

     <I cannot,> she said, knowing that Bohoc was right...and yet knowing
that
she *had* to go!

     The green dragon sighed, seeing that he was not going to dent her
determination.  <Then rest here for awhile,> he said.  <At least let me hunt
for you...you cannot fly again without eating!>

     <Thank you, Bohoc,> Triss said, raising her head to touch her muzzle
against his.
<<

<*My rider?*>  Bohoc began, but Andahar already knew what his dragon wanted
to ask, as the concern for Trissana had clearly been felt by the young
dragon rider.

<Of course!>  Andahar patted his friend on the side of his neck.  He reached
up and removed from Bohoc the harness and the single strap -- that he
preferred over the bulky saddles that the Warren riders made their dragons
wear -- so that Bohoc would be free to hunt.

Bohoc winged away quickly, and Andahar turned his eyes on the tired
Trissana.  He reached into his pouch on his belt and removed a smaller
well-oiled bag.  He dabbed some of the liniment onto his hands, bowing to
Triss, he moved over to her wing, and slowly massaged the oil into the
joint.  Triss sighed deeply, and closed her eyes.  Andahar flashed a rare
smile -- any friend of Bohoc's was a friend of his!

****
Andahar was tired and hungry, and really only wanted to go back to his rooms
and rest, but when he returned he was slightly surprised to find Andorra
waiting for him.

She looked up expectantly, but quickly dropped her eyes as was appropriate
of
one of her status,  "How may I serve you?"

Andahar frowned.  He had grown used to doing for himself -- and it had been
a very, very long time since he had been that chieftain's son, and much had
transpired between then and now.  What should he say to Andorra?  He knew
her loyalty, he felt the same, yet... it was different now, here, at the
Warren.

"Andorra..."  He hesitated.  She would be hurt if he turned her out.  "I am
hungry."  He said lamely.

She smiled, and rushed away to get him some lunch.  Sighing, Andahar
stretched out on his bed, and amazingly drifted off, but his sleep was not
restful, as images of the gods raced through his dreams -- Khazeen and
Shamir -- fire and hot winds sweeping over the fields, the plains, his
home -- the Warren!....  He awoke with a start, to find Andorra's hand on
his brow.

****
Tag Darren -- do you want to write Andorra?  You did create her [g].
****

Andahar had just finished his lunch when he was summoned.  Bohoc's thoughts
were urgent.  <*Tergath's rider has need of you, he is going to tent where
Blanchie rests*>

Andahar scooped the remainder of his lunch into his mouth, mumbled an "I'll
be back when I can," to Andorra, and hurried out to meet his partner.  He
saw Farr'in crossing the green and walked a bit faster to intercept him.

They approached a man and woman, and the man was moving his arms in a
peculiar fashion...

"Have to be told what?" Farr'in asked as they came up behind them.  "What is
it that you're not telling us Abby?"

Andahar frowned, he had not said anything, and neither had the two they were
approaching.... The other man again made a motion to the woman, who then
responded to Farr'in's question.

>>
"I may not have enough of the antidote I need to help Blanchie," she finally
let it out. "I used most of what I had the time Sabbith was sick with the
gas poisoning and at the time I guess I just forgot to re supply it."

"So what does this mean?" Farr'in asked.

"That unless I get more, I've only got enough to get her through the night,"
Abby admitted.

"The we go and find more of what you need to have enough to see Blanchie
completely healed. Come on get your riding jacket on."

"I can't go!" Abby cried when he grabbed her arm and started leading her
towards Tergath. "I need to stay here with Blanchie."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

She turned to Marcus and they conversed in a quick round of signing. He
nodded his head and went to his dragon, coming back a few minutes later with
a book he'd retrieved from the dragons saddle pack, and Abby took the book
from him and leafed through it until she found the page she wanted.

Marcus nodded his head and signed something to her too quick for Farr'in to
follow. Then Abby pointed at something and when they agreed, Marcus reached
for his jacket.

"Marcus can take you where you need to go," she told Farr'in. "He knows
about herbs and plants and knows what to look for."

"Fine. you up for a little trip to gather what we need Andahar?" the stocky
man turned to his new patrol partner.

"Have gathered plants before," the man shrugged with a slight smile. "One
more time will not matter. If to save life of Dragon I will gather more
plants."

"Good man," Farr'in nodded in approval. "Then let's go."

<<
Andahar looked at the drawing on the page in the book.  He recognized the
plant that they needed, and knew of a place that was likely to have it.  A
bit south of the mountains.  He had Bohoc relay that information to Tergath.

Bohoc landed and Andahar quickly threw the harness and strap on, and was
mounted before the other two were even half way to Tergath.  Farr'in
chuckled -- the boy certainly was eager!

>>It didn't take them long to get to where they were going, and even less to
find the plant they needed to make up the antidote. Farr'in had Tergath
mark the spot in his memory in case they might need to come back for more.
Just a feeling he had, but it was always better to be prepared.
<<

As they gathered the plant, being careful to cut it just as Marcus directed,
Bohoc noted to Andahar that he sensed Trissana near by...

But the business at hand was pressing and they teleported with the plant
back to Cleft.

>>It took the combined efforts of Abby, Marcus and Andahar, once Abby
learned
he had some knowledge of mixing herbs, to make up enough of the drug to last
the for the next few days she figured it would take to see Blanchie well.
<<

But Bohoc was anxious.
<*My rider some dragons are saying that Trissana is lost -- that she missed
a
teleport!!*>

Andahar again could feel a deep concern coming from his dragon.  <Lost? But
you said you sensed her...>

<*Yes, but Syren has said that she is not where she should have been and has
not returned to Cleft*>

<and you want to go look for her?>  Andahar looked at the couple,  he knew
they could finish up the dispensing of the medication -- his work was done
here.  "I must go" was all he said to them, as he walked away into the
descending darkness.

Bohoc met him on the green.  But before he could mount, a hand landed on his
shoulder.  Andahar was quick, and ducked out from under the hand, turning
around in a half crouch -- looking much like a mountain lion ready to
spring.

"Whoa!  Easy!  It's only me!"  Laughed Farr'in.  "Where do you think you are
off to?  There are enough missing persons..."

Andahar eased up from his defensive posture.  Farr'in was struck by his
partner's eyes.  The boy's age and form were misleading -- for when one
looked into those golden eyes, one saw a wisdom, a hardness, that was far
older.

But the look was gone quickly, as the boy ducked his head, "Bohoc thinks...
knows where Trissana is."  Andahar replied, though hesitant with his words.

"What? Are you sure?  That's great!"  Farr'in reached as if to grab the
boy's shoulders, saw him flinch and held back.   But he called to his
dragon, who landed a second later beside the smaller Green.  "Let's go!"

<*I have told Tergath that I am not sure... but he thinks we should go, as
does Syren and her rider*>  Bohoc informed Andahar, and the riders mounted
up.

A minute of cold gray, and they were again over the area where they'd been
gathering the plants for Blanchie's medication.

<Do you sense her now?>  Tergath inquired, while himself sending out for
Trissana.

<*Yes... weak, faint.. she is in trouble!*>  Bohoc winged strongly towards
the ominous mountains.

>>
Trissana tried to twist away, but the black dragon's claws were already
hooked
into the straps of her saddle and he gave a furious yank to pull her back.
Triss
instinctively pulled away and the straps parted, ripping the saddle right
off
of her.  Her eyes widened as she stared at what was left of her prized
possession, and she was suddenly filled with anger...the big dragon would
pay
for what he'd done to her new saddle!

     She sprang at him, claws outstretched, and landed atop him.  But the
larger black dragon simply rolled with her, landing her onto her back with
himself atop her.  Again his teeth clamped onto her neck.  When she tried to
twist away again, he simply increased the pressure from his jaws until she
couldn't breathe.

     Her head began to swim from lack of air.  She was only dimly aware of
the
other dragon forcing her over onto her belly, and then feeling his massive
weight settling onto her.
<<

>> The flame sputtered
at first, burning past horse blood, then shot out a flare that lit the
clearing in a harsh light.  He played the flame across the side of the
dragon and then further back, and lower.  There he held it until the flame
sputtered out.  It probably did little damage, he would have been wiser to
try to flame a wing.  But it DID get the big Blacks attention.

        Dropping the lance, Nikol turned and ran.  He could hear the scream
of rage in every cell of his body and he tensed as he waited for the
retaliation that was sure to follow.  One does not allow attacks on your
privates to go unpunished.  The Black felt the same way.  Nikol dove
headlong into the hole he had been looking at earlier as flames swept across
the rocks above and around him.  Further back he could hear Triss take wing.
Then the bottom of the hole slammed up to meet him with a splash and a thud
and he lost all cares of what would happen next as the grey once again
claimed him for its own.
<<

Andahar saw a bright, unnatural light in the distance.  <*My rider!  She is
being hurt by another dragon!*> Bohoc winged faster, the heat in his belly
building, the fire boiling within.

Dragon fire burned across an area of the ground, silhouetting a huge black
dragon, who was roaring indignation.  <*That dragon is crazy!  I sense
nothing from him.  His mind is gone!*>  Bohoc's revulsion washed over
Andahar.

The Black dragon turned again, and Andahar could make out the pearlescent
sparkle of another dragon -- Trissana!  She was struggling to take to the
air!

Bohoc dove.  They had fought many wild dragons in the past for their food,
and the pair knew exactly how to attack a dragon on the ground.  Shamir was
suddenly raked by dragon fire, and sharp talons.  But he wasn't a wilder --
and the smaller Bohoc did little damage.

Tergath caught up to the faster, smaller dragon and also took in the scene
below.  Roaring a challenge, they also dove towards the large, silent Black
dragon.

Realizing his peril, and having the constant barrage to return coming from
his rider, Shamir, launched into the air, screaming his indignation and
unsatisfied lust, he teleported before Tergath's attack could be realized.

Bohoc and Tergath circled once before landing near the injured Trissana.  As
their riders slipped off their backs, Trevor appeared over the edge of the
hillside, running and sliding as quickly as he could over the uneven ground.

Bohoc nuzzled the injured Trissana, <*I came... I am here... I love you*>

Andahar was already putting salves on Trissana's wounds when Trevor reached
them.  Andahar looked up at Trevor, his eyes surprisingly ... gentle.

Panting, breathlessly, Trevor asked,  "Where's Nikol?  And how did you find
us?"

****
TAG Barb, Mike, John...
respectfully submitted by
Arlene
AKA Andahar and Bohoc of Cleft.