Kellie
* * * * * * * *
(early afternoon, day of the mating flight)

     Upon returning from her morning patrol, she directed Varie to set her
down in front of the dining hall.  *I won't be long, love,* she told the green
dragon.

     <That is what you always say, my rider,> Varie observed.  <Why is it that
I can eat an entire buck in less time than it takes you to finish the few
morsels that you eat?>

     *Because I'm dainty about it,* she replied, as she dismounted.  *But this
time, I mean it, dear.  I'm going in to meet somebody, not to eat.  And we'll
be right back out.*

     <Oho, now I *wonder* who that might be,> Varie said, putting on her most
innocent expression when her rider turned around to glare at her.

     *This is for you as much as for me,* she told the dragon.  *Don't forget,
you're the one who's been saying that the entrance to our apartment should be
widened to accomodate your CONSIDERABLE girth...*

     <Hmmph.  It seems to me that all the work is being done on your part of
the apartment, not mine...>

     Chuckling, Kellie left the dragon to her complaints and walked into the
dining hall.  As she'd hoped, Turner was already there.  The smith saw her
come in and waved her over to where he stood talking to a couple of the other
workers.

     "Starting to wonder about you," he said.  "Thought you'd forgotten to
stop by for me!"  She noticed, though, that he was grinning broadly.

     "Sorry," she said, smiling also.  "We're flying our patrols a bit long
today, to make sure no more wraiths are lurking around.  You ready?"

     Turner bowed theaterically - he was so much like Dan'yar or Lonnie in
some ways, she couldn't help but note - and picked up a heavily laden
toolbelt.  "Got everything right here," he told her.  "Of course you know,
this is going to delay the completion of one of the new dragonrider
apartments!"

     Kellie grinned at the smith.  "Delay Trevor's, then," she told him.  "He
owes his poor mother a favor or two!"  Turner bid his companions goodbye, and
the two of them exited the dining hall together.

     Even burdened by the heavy toolbelt, Turner sprang lightly up onto
Varie's saddle and extended his arm down to help Kellie up.  She made sure,
this time, that both of them had their riding straps fastened, though Turner
protested that they were unnecessary for the short ride up to her apartment.
She also checked to make sure that all of Turner's tools were properly
fastened before she told Varie to take off.

     "Hey, she's going the wrong way!" Turner called out, as Varie suddenly
veered away from the apartment entrance and soared up over the top of the
Cleft.

     "I know!" she called back, smiling broadly.  "Since you're going to be
spending the afternoon working, Varie and I thought we'd give you a little
joyride first.  You don't get airsick, do you?"

     "No, I doooooon't!" Turner shouted, extending the last word out in
surprise as Varie suddenly executed a barrel roll, turning both herself and
her passengers upside down momentarily.

     *You were a little slow on that one, dear,* Kellie said teasingly.  *I
think you've been spending too much time at the feeding grounds lately.*

     <Slow, am I?> Varie demanded.  <Hah! Watch this!>  The green dragon
quickly regained her former altitude, and then repeated the maneuver - but
this time doing a quick snap roll that pushed both riders hard against their
riding straps.

     Turner was laughing heartily, something Kellie had seldom heard him do.
"Can she do loops?" he called.

     "She's as loopy as they come, Turner!" Kellie told him.  *Hear that,
love? LOOPS!!*

     <Yippee!> cried Varie, making a short dive to gain speed and then pulling
herself through a tight aerial loop...and another...and another...until even
Kellie had had enough.  Turner, though, was enjoying all of this immensely.

     It was a shame, she thought, that Turner had never joined - not that she
thought any less of him for it, but simply that - like her son Trevor - he
genuinely liked the great beasts and would have made a good dragonrider.  But
she was old and experienced enough to know that sometimes the fates worked in
people's best interests, even when on the surface they might seem unkind - as
her son had learned when he joined to Trissana.  Even to her, his joining to
the pearly female hatchling had seemed a disaster in the making at first - but
she knew now that if Trevor hadn't cross-joined, he wouldn't have been forced
to confront and overcome the demons that had driven him all his life.

     Thinking of Trevor caused her high spirits to dampen a bit.  She still
had to have that talk with him.  She was certain that he'd found out the truth
about M'del from K'rald's old journal, but she couldn't rest until she was
sure he really understood what had happened.  She'd wanted to speak to him
last night, but hadn't wanted to interrupt him and Cynthia.  But she couldn't
put this off much longer.  Despite her reluctance to drag out old family
secrets, she wondered if Turner might be able to advise her on how to proceed.

     <I think perhaps he could,> Varie observed, stopping her wild aerobatics
and leveling out.  <I think it is good for you to have someone else to talk
to.  Ever since Faltz and his rider passed on, you have been too much alone
for your own good.  You DO recall that I have said this to you many times...?>

     Kellie blinked in surprise.  *Varie! What are you talking about?  Surely
you're not thinking...*

     <Oh, of course not, my rider,> the green said smugly.

     *He's just going to fix up the apartment for us!*

     <Oh yes, I quite agree.>

     *And that's all!*

     <Whatever you say, my rider.>

     Kellie frowned as she regarded her lifemate - who kept her eyes firmly on
the skies ahead of them, chuckling contentedly as if she knew something her
rider didn''t.  

     Kellie was about to say something when Varie pulled herself up into a
steep climb.  Gravity and centrifugal force combined to push Kellie back
against Turner.  She couldn't help but notice how hard and firm his muscles
were...

     <There is Trissana below us, and your hatchling!> Varie cried, pushing
herself over into a steep dive to buzz the green.  Both laughing, Kellie and
Turner waved excitedly at the young dragonrider and his hatchling who stood
next to the well.  Varie swept in low over them, then soared upward again.

     *All right, love, take us home,* said Kellie.  *We''ve got work to do.*

     Varie giggled silently, knowing that she too had work to do - work that
had nothing to do with their apartment...

(Tag Barb)

Trevor
* * * * * * * *
(dining hall, late afternoon)

     <You do not look so well, my rider,> Trissana observed.

     Rubbing his aching arms, Trevor nodded glumly as he looked over at the
little dragon.  Well, not that little anymore, really; when she sat up on her
haunches, as she was doing now, the top of his head came up only to her
shoulder.  It was truly amazing how quickly hatchlings grew!

     *You wouldn't either, if you'd had to survive an afternoon of sword-
practice with J'errid!* he informed her.  All he could say was that it was a
good thing they'd been using wooden practice swords instead of the real thing.
Otherwise, he'd have been the first armless dragonrider in Cleft's history.
Triss, who along with the other hatchlings had been on the sidelines observing
the practice sessions, had expressed her confusion more than once as to how
being hit with sticks taught one to be a dragonrider.  Trevor hadn't,
unfortunately, had any good answers to give her.

     <This place is very nice,> Triss observed, looking around her at the
interior of the dining hall; he'd wanted her to see it while she was still
small enough to do so, and had made it a point to come here when he knew it
would still be pretty much empty.  He'd even filched a plate of raw meat from
the kitchen, and was now tossing small chunks for her to catch.  Somewhat to
his surprise, she didn't miss a one; for a hatchling she was quite graceful,
and this portended well for what she would be like when fully grown.

     Triss had been speaking to Garoth again today, and the rogue dragon had
seemed to be in a better mood than on the day before; possibly this had to do
with the fact that Adrian had not yet been over to see him today.  Trevor had
no problem with doing his bit in D'arcon's good dragon-bad dragon plan, but
had stipulated that Trissana was not to come within striking range of Garoth
again.  She had, therefore, conducted her talk with him from the lower green
while the practice sessions were going on.  Garoth wouldn't cause any trouble,
he knew, with Shaithos there. 

     Just as he was preparing to toss the last chunk of meat to her, the door
opened and Lenna walked in.  The blonde rider looked tired, but her eyes
opened as wide as saucers when she saw Trevor and Trissana.

     "Trevor, what in blazes is your...your *dragon* doing in the diniing
hall?!"

    Trevor shrugged, tossing Triss the piece of meat he held in his hand, and
watched her deftly catch it.  "Well, she wanted to see what the inside of the
dining hall looked like.  Something wrong?"

     "Something wrong??" she demanded.  "This is where *we're* supposed to be
eating, not the dragons!  Look, you've been at Cleft for awhile now - how many
times have you seen Blanchie in here, eh?"

     "Well, I think the fact that Blanchie is too big to get through the door
may have something to do with that," he pointed out.  "Besides, it's only this
once...by tomorrow, she may be too big also. And anyway, you're a fine one to
talk!  First you give my horse away to the Rushela, and now you're complaining
about what I do with his replacement!"

     Lenna blinked, clearly taken aback.  "Wait a minute...are you saying that
if I hadn't gotten rid of that mangy hayburner, you'd be bringing *him* in
here at mealtimes??"

     Trevor grinned, but decided not to answer that question...better to let
her wonder about that! 

     Lenna just shook her head.  "Well, if Cynthia comes in here and sees that
you've turned this place into an indoor feeding ground, I wouldn't want to be
in your place!"

     "If Cynthia sees what?" the Warrenlady asked, as she entered the dining
hall.  She stopped and looked at Triss, and Trevor could see a knowing smirk
on Lenna's face.

     "Well hello there!" Cynthia said, walking over and giving Triss a pat on
the nose before turning to look at Trevor.  "Decided to show her where her
rider eats while she's still small enough, eh?"  She ruffled the pearly scales
at the back of Trissana's neck, and the dragon leaned down to rest her chin
lightly on the Warrenlady's shoulder.   

     "Oh, look, Lenna, isn't she sweet?" Cynthia asked, looking over at the
blonde rider, who was watching the scene in disbelief.  "They're so cute when
they're this size!"

     Lenna just shook her head and went to get some coffee.  Cynthia sat down
at the table, and Trevor leaned in close to whisper to her.  "You were
listening at the door, weren't you?"

     Cynthia nodded, smiling.  "Of course.  But...you *won't* be bringing her
here when she gets bigger, now, will you?"

     Trevor held up a hand.  "Mapmaker's honor!" he said.

     Lenna came back a moment later, and sat down at the table with them.
Cynthia looked over toward the door, then back at Lenna.  "Where's B'rand?"
she asked.

     Lenna shrugged.  "Poor dear said he was worn out, so I let him sleep,"
she explained.  "He was up a good part of the night because of Rook."  Trevor
wondered what she meant by that, but didn't ask her to explain.  "Anyway," she
continued, I decided to come by for some coffee before I go and check on
Garoth."

     Cynthia nodded thoughtfully.  "Well, be careful.  He was in a rather bad
mood yesterday after Adrian spoke to him."

     "I heard," Lenna said drily.  "In fact, I had some words with D'arcon on
that score this morning.  I told him if he ever pulled a stunt like that
again, he'd answer to *me!*"

     "I spoke to him also, and I'm hoping there won't be a repetition of
that," said the Warrenlady.  "Trevor, did you propose to D'arcon that we offer
H'rriol a place at Cleft in return for helping us?"

     "I proposed that he mention it to you," Trevor replied.  

     "Let a *rogue* stay at Cleft?" Lenna demanded, turning to Trevor.
"'That's nuts!"

     Trevor shrugged.  "Well, you stuck up for his dragon to D'arcon.  They're
a  package deal, you know."

      "Keeping an injured dragon from being mistreated is one thing," Lenna
said, scowling.  "Inviting rogues to live at Cleft is something else!"

     "Right now he's our only link to the other rogues," Trevor pointed out.
"And like I told D'arcon earlier, just threatening them won't help."

     Lenna's expression had gone livid, and Trevor feared that he and Cynthia
were about to be the recipients of her well-known temper.

     "Maybe you'd think differently if *you'd* been the one they kidnapped!"
she said.  "Maybe if you'd been held captive in some dark, cold cave..." she
shuddered involuntarily, but quickly controlled herself.  Trevor knew that her
experience in those caves had affected her deeply, but until now he hadn't
realized just how much.

     "Then we go back to my plan," he said.  "Finish treating them, and -
assuming H'rriol survives - let them go on their way.  And as soon as she's
flying Triss can track them right back to Shakar."

     Lenna's eyes widened.  "What do you mean...track them?"  she asked.

     "We think that Trissana has the ability to locate other dragons," said
Cynthia.  "It hasn't been tested yet, and we don't know what kind of range it
has...but if it *does* work, it would give us another option."     

     Lenna leaned back in her chair to consider what she'd heard. "What is it
you plan to ask these rogues to do for us, then?" Lenna asked.  "Lead us to
Shakar so we can kill or capture their friends?  I don't think they'd do it,
no matter what they were offered!"

     "I hope it doesn't come to that," Cynthia told them.  "I instructed
D'arcon to work toward some kind of an agreement with the rogues, using
H'rriol and Garoth as emissaries - nothing more.  But if that fails, then we
may have to take other measures, beginning with finding the location of
Shakar.  That would be Trevor's job, I think."

     Trissana came over to sit by Trevor, leaning her weight against him.  He
put an arm around her narrow shoulders as he addressed the others again.  "Has
D'arcon or anyone else spoken to H'rriol yet?" he asked.

    "I don't believe he's regained consciousness," the Warrenlady replied.
"At least he hadn't as of a couple of hours ago, when I had Syren check.  And
when he does...well, some decisions will have to be made.  As I told D'arcon,
H'rriol may have committed crimes for which he'll have to be tried.  For right
now, we have to consider him as much a prisoner as a patient."

     Lenna finished her coffee and stood up.  "Well, I'm going to go and look
in on Garoth.  Trevor, I may need your dragon to speak to him for me if he's
in a bad mood.  I understand he and Triss have been talking a bit."

     "A bit," Trevor agreed.  "Just have Blanchie let her know."

     After Lenna had left the dining hall, Cynthia gave Trevor that
speculative look that he was coming to know so well.  "So, who did you have in
mind to talk to H'rriol?  And about what?"

     Trevor grinned.  "Can't fool you, can I?  Actually, I was thinking of
D'arcon...but only after I've gone in there first.  I've got an idea that may
pave the way for just the kind of agreement you've got in mind."

* * * * * * * *
(hatchling barracks, evening)

     Trevor wrapped Triss' blanket around her, noticing sadly that it was
already looking a bit small on the fast-growing dragon.  He'd have to remind
Kellie of her promise to make a new one for her.  He hoped the little dragon
would soon drift off to sleep, since Cynthia had invited him over to her
apartment for the evening.  Though he loved being with Triss, he'd discovered
that he also really liked being with Cynthia.  He'd never met anyone quite
like her.

      He wouldn't go, though, until Triss was asleep.  And tonight, she seemed
inclined to stay awake.  *You need to rest,* he told her.  *Come on, close
your eyes...*

     But her luminous eyes remained open and looking at him.  <I'm not really
tired yet,> she told him.  <Maybe this will help.>  She stood up again, and,
taking the blanket in her teeth, climbed up onto Trevor's own bunk.

     *Hey, that's MY bed!* he protested, as she carefully arranged herself.

     <I like this one better,> she told him.  <And if you want me to go to
sleep so you can go and have fun with Syren's rider...>

     *Who said I'd be having fun?* he asked, a little mystified.  *She
probably has an assignment of some sort for me to do.*

     <Whatever.  I'm still not sleepy, though...>

     Trevor sighed, and lay down next to his dragon on the bunk.  It was a
very tight fit, and he knew he couldn't possibly sleep this way tonight.
Well, he'd deal with that problem when he got to it, he supposed.  For now,
though, he had to find a way to get Triss to sleep.  *How about a lullaby?* he
asked.  *Go to sleep, go to sleep, go sleep, lit-tle drag-on...*

     Trissana's eyes snapped open.  <I am NOT a baby, you know, that you can
put to sleep with a lullaby!>

     *Of course not,* he chuckled.  *You're a whole day and a half old, now!
Almost fully matured!*

     Triss snorted.  <I want a story,> she declared.

     Trevor was taken aback.  *Story?  I don't know any stories...*

     <That's all right...I'm sure I'll drift off to sleep eventually...>

     *Um, okay...well, let's see...once upon a time, in a dark and scary
forest, there lived a wicked...>

     Trissana's eyes opened as wide as saucers.

     *Um, no, let's forget that one, okay?  Let's see...okay, once upon a time
there was this brave, handsome dragonrider who rode the skies on a magnificent
dragon with beautiful pearly scales...*     

* * * * * * * *
(later, Cynthia's apartment)

     "Thank you for helping me," Cynthia told him, rubbing oil into a dull
spot on Syren's leg.

     "No problem," Trevor told her, scooping out another handful of oil and
carefully applying it to a dry spot on the queen's tail.  When he'd arrived,
Cynthia had been just starting this job - not a complete oiling, which would
have taken up a fair portion of the night - but just a touchup, on some areas
that showed signs of drying out a bit.

     "Even grown dragons need this periodically," she told him, peering around
the dragon's side to where he was working.  "Well, you'll find out all about
*that,* of course!"

     Trevor chuckled.  "Just these few dry spots on Syren cover more area than
all of Triss does right now," he observed.  "But it's the least I can do for
the best ball-playing dragon at Cleft, right Syren?"

     The queen turned her head to regard him calmly, but there was look in her
eyes that made Trevor wonder.  It almost looked like she might have some sort
of mischief in mind...but no, queens didn't do that!  They were too dignified!

     "So you think you can make some progress with H'rriol when he wakes up?"
Cynthia asked.

     "Maybe," he said, working his way up to just behind Syren's wing.
"Cynthia, could you ask her to spread her wing for me?  There's a dry spot
just underneath where it attaches to her shoulder, but I can't reach it with
the wing folded."

     "Sure," the Warrenlady replied, and a moment later Syren obligingly
opened her wing.  

     "Anyway, I wouldn't try and pump him for information, or anything like
that," Trevor told her as he scooped out another dollop of oil. "I'd leave
that to D'arcon...but just to explain to him what the situation is out in the
NomadLands.  Or, more accurately, what it's shortly going to be.  By the time
we finish mapping..."

     "All done over here," said Cynthia, wiping her hands off on a rag and
walking around the dragon to where Trevor was working.  "Are you ready for
dinner?  I'm getting hungry."  Through the corner of his eye, Trevor saw that
Syren appeared to be watching them very closely.  Must be making sure he did a
good job and didn't miss any spots, he decided.

     He half-turned to Cynthia, just as he was beginning to rub the oil
beneath Syren's wing.  "It'll be just a minute and I'll be done..."

     Just then, Syren drew her wing closed.  Cynthia's eyes opened wide with
surprise as she was shoved into Trevor's oily embrace, and the two of them
were pinned securely between Syren's flank and wing.  Trevor's face was only
inches from Cynthia's, and he didn't know which he was going to do first,
laugh or turn bright red...

NRPG:

     Alton - over to you!  I'm *sure* Syren didn't do that on purpose...heh-
heh...

     Barb - I assume that Lenna would have reached Garoth's apartment before
Trevor and Trissana got back to the hatchling barracks, since she left the
dining hall first....so Triss would have still been awake, and available, to
speak with Garoth if necessary when they go to see him.

     Krister - I didn't know where D'arcon would be while this was going
on...but if he just *happened* to be outside the door of the dining hall while
Cynthia, Lenna, and Trevor were talking, he might have been very interested...

Submitted by:

John

Trevor & Trissana
Kellie & Varie
Cleft Warren