>     Shortly, Farr'in and Andahar returned, and the unconscious form of the
>blaster was cradled in Farr'in's arms.  He revived after Andahar had spent a
>few minutes tending his injuries, and then listened as the others brought him
>up to date on what had happened with the black dragon.

     It was like being kicked by a mule . . . all over.  His leathers had
absorbed some of the impact but his ribs and chest hhurt enough to make
breathing a painfull task.  But considering the alternatives Nikol was
willing to live with the pain.  He tried not to think too much about the
evenings events.  He had faced not one, but two dragons.  Both had tried to
flame him and by sheer luck he was still alive.  He resolved not to push
his luck too much further.

     Farr'in soon took his leave of the camp and Nikol considered getting a
ride back with him but, as he sat up, his ribs decided the issue for him.
He stayed.  Soon it was just Trevor, Andahar and himself (plus the two
dragons).  Breaking the silence Nikol made a comment about the big black
that lead to the revelation of what had actually been going on out there.
As Trever ran from the camp to see to his dragon Andahar gave Nikol a
cryptic look and then followed.

     "When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut?  But then he had to
know."  Nikol spoke softly to the fire.  He watched the flames and slowly
ran his hand through his hair breaking off a few charred ends.  "Yech.  I
hate burnt hair.  Well, it was getting long anyways."  He thought back to
when his hair was always short, not from choice but from accidents that
would burn it back from his head.  The other two returned, interupting
Nikols narcissistic musings.
 
>     Trevor sat down in front of the fire again, not knowing what to think.
>Andahar draped an arm across his shoulders, an action that Trevor assumed was
>intended to comfort him.  "Nikol," he said, looking up at the blaster.
"Other
>than Triss, you got the closest look at that monster.  What else can you tell
>me about him?"
>
>     Nikol shrugged.  "I didn't stay around long enough to give him a really
>good lookover," he admitted.  "I was too busy running for my life.  After I
>gave him that little burn on his privates, all I could think of was running.
>But now that I think of it, I did notice something...he looked at me for just
>a second, and I saw those eyes...they were red, like coals in a forge."

     He would remember those eyes for a long time.  He only hoped those
eyes did not have as distinct a memory of him.  That would be all he
needed, a demon dragon with a vengeance motivation coming after him.

>     Farr'in returned shortly afterwards, and as soon as Tergath had settled
>himself down on Trissana's other side, his rider walked slowly over to join
>them by the fire.

     Nikol listened as they chatted some more but sleep was pulling him
down and he was glad when the conversation ground to an end.  By silent
agreement Andahar and Nikol flanked Trevor ar Farr'in took the first watch.
 The man would need reminders that he had allies, friends.  (At least, that
is what Nikol was thinking)

     It felt like he had barely fallen asleep when the nomads hand was on
his shoulder, shaking him gently.  He rolled over, and regretted the
movement.  Slowly he stood and considered stretching but set the idea aside
as a very bad one.  Andahar returned to Trevors side and was soon asleep.
Nikol walked stiffly out to see that the Dragons were also asleep.
Andahars Bohoc slowly lifted a wing and covered Trissana protectively as he
watched.  He found it funny that, when he returned to the camp, Andahars
arm was now across Trevor.  Finding a way to sit that didn't hurt too much
he poked the fire a little, tossed another branch on it and stared up at
the embers that wafted up to join the stars above.

     It was early morning when the camp awoke.  They spent little time
getting ready.  Nikol changed dragons and rode behind Farr'in.  This time
the teleport was not as bad.  They arrived high over the compound and soon
swooped in for a landing.

     Nikol had to hop back up on Trissana for just a moment to grab his
bedroll that had been quickly packed there when they had broken camp.  He
slid down and looked about wondering if anyone would notice if he took the
day off to sleep and recuperate.  He decided against it.  He didn't want to
make a bad impression on the warren on only his third day on the job.  But
looking around he saw that something was wrong.  All of those who were
waiting were watching Trevor as though afraid of what he might say or do.

     When Trevor headed down to the hatching cave a small group followed.
In spite of his ribs Nikol tagged along too.  The scene was self
explanatory.  The queen looked very ill and there were eggs smashed and
others missing.


>     Trevor looked at Brisse and Dan'yar, who now served as warrenlady and
>wingleader.  "We attack?" he demanded.
>
>     "Yes," Brisse said simply.  "Once you find Jhezrael.  Can you do it?"
>
>     "Yes, he said, and then turned to the blaster.  "Nikol...that explosive
>charge the dragon set off just before we found you...can you make more like
>that, portable ones that can blast rock like what you did in here?  And
one or
>two that make smoke as well?"
>
>     "I think so,"  Nikol replied.

     He ran through what he had stored upstairs.  Yes, he could make a few.
 But he would need time and it didn't look like he was going to get any.
He turned from the cavern and shuddered as he walked up to the main halls.
Someone was going to pay for all of this.  For C'aranth, the nomad girl,
for Trissana, for the eggs.  He saw that the other nomad woman, the one who
had healed C'aranth was laying out food for the riders and talking quickly
to Andahar.  He smiled as he passed and grabbed some bread and cheese and
continued, not stopping to eat but continuing on to his quarters where he
had a lot to do.  He didn't see the woman stare after him for a long moment
before continuing her argument with Andahar.

     When he got back to his rooms he slolwy took a piece of paper and made
his list.  Smokes, dragons tongues, blasting charges.  After a moment he
added fuses and slowmatches.  Nodding, he took stock of what he had
premixed from the day before.  (Was it only a day?  It seemed like weeks
since he had ridden out with C'aranth)

     Smokes first as they were the easiest and the fastest.  It was mainly
a matter of loose pack and some extra chemicals mixed in and it was done.
He didn't even need to make it a starshell this time as he knew it would be
a handset or a tossed charge.  He made three.

     Blasting charges.  He went to the larger of the two chests and took
out five stock charges and set the fuses into them.  The standards would
have to do as he did not have time to make any custom charges.  

     Lances.  He made the fireworks but this time he tightened down the
aperature so the flame would be more focussed.  If he had to take a second
shot at the Black he wanted it to more than just a warming, this time.  But
he would still need shafts.  He looked about his room and found nothing
that would serve so he went out into the halls and wandered back down to
the main meeting area.  All around was the bustle of the riders getting
ready to attack.  Weapons were being sharpened and saddles checked.

	Weapons!  He found the armourer of the warren and begged a bundle of
spears from him.  Struggling under the ungainly load he slowly headed back
to his rooms.  "Blaster!"  Trevor called from the hall.  "Are you ready?"

     "Will be in a few minutes.  I'll need help bringing things down."

     Trevor nodded and returned to talking to the others.  As he arrived at
his rooms he heard someone running up from behind and thin hands took the
spears from him.  The nomad woman . . . Andorra stood there holding the
spears and looking at him sideways.  He sighed relief, he had been holding
the spears against his chest and each step had been pain.  Leading the way
in he showed her where to set the spears and then grabbed some twine and
started lashing the first dragons tongue to the spear.  She saw what he was
doing and followed suit with the second, her nimble fingers doing a swifter
better job than his blunt ones could.  He checked each of his own knots and
then hers.  Hers were better, but he still checked every piece.

     It didn't take long to find that neither could understand the others
language.  Nikol wished his brother was here.  He had gone on trading trips
into the nomads lands and could speak the language.  But with gestures and
patience he managed to convey the simple requests he had.  As they were
packing them into oilskin pouches and bundling the six spears she said
something swiftly that Nikol could not even guess the meaning of.

     "What?"  he said, opening his hands to show his lack of meaning.

     "She said that she is sorry you didn't stay for the meal she prepared
this morning."  Andahar stood in the doorway.  "Trevor wants to know if you
are ready."

     Nikol took a last look around and then nodded.  "I am.  We just carry
these down to the commons and distribute them and we're off."

     "You will ride with me.  Bohoc can easily carry the two of us."
Andahr took the bundle of Dragons tongue spears and turned to leave.

     "Wait."  Nikol grabbed his papers and wrote a quick note which he
sealed and carried.

     "What is that?"  Andahar asked as the three of them went down the hall
towards the commons.

     "A note for my father.  C'aranths horses were killed and I am
arranging their replacement if C'aranth returns and I do not.

     This stopped Andahar and he looked closely at the blaster.  "Your
family.  They have many horses?"

     "If you include my brothers and my fathers holdings?  Yes, a few
hundred head.  More, if you include my brother-in-law.  They will honour my
request.  I owe C'aranth for the horses.  I failed to spot the ambush."

     Andahar spoke quickly in the nomads language to Andorra who then
looked at Nikol with wide eyes.  Nikol blinked back at her curiously for a
moment before continuing on down the hall.  The rock beneath his feet was
only slightly more dense than he was.

     "+Really?  His family is wealthy?+"  she asked again in nomadic.

     "+He could pay the brideprice of any woman in the tribe.+"  confirmed
Andahar as they followed Nikol.  "+He is a craftsman and rich.  He has
fought the dragon who claims to be Shamir and lived.+"

     She looked closer at the back of the man they were discussing.  The
smell of burnt hair and the charred edges of his shirt and pants spoke of
the closeness to battle this man had been but he carried only a small belt
knife and a hammer.  The warrior C'aranth had taken this one as his only
companion into combat.  She was about to ask for more information when they
arrived at the commons and they started to distribute the spears.

     Nikol spoke carefully and slowly to the riders who had spears.  It
went against his grain to hand such devices out to untrained hands.  "Light
the fuse, keep your hands back from the main tube.  It will burn out and
then you can cast it aside or use the spear.  I'll carry the blasting
charges and the smokes as well as one spear."  He handed out the slow
matches and advised them to keep them dry and out of the direct wind.
Having done his duty he returned to where Bohoc stood and waited.

<<<nrpg>>>
Locked and loaded.

Man, we just don't do small 'me too' posts around here, do we?

mike---me too me too!
Vice Admiral Azariah Nicholas CINCSILVER
Captain Christof Fife USS REGENT
Lt James Cardiff FCO DEFENDER
Lt. Surssta Plysskinne CMO USS VALIANT
http://wwp.mirabilis.com/17187238 
mdawe@islandnet.com