Katrina was taking an afternoon nap. After her unpleasent encounter
with her visiting father last night, and the discovery by Azure after
the hatching party that her brother had affinity, Katrina felt she
needed some rest.
But it wasn't a pleasent rest for she was having a very unpleasent dream:

 *She was at a hatching in some warren she did not recognize and her
brother Seth was on the grounds waiting for the moment a little dragon
would hatch and choose him. An egg hatched, but Katrina was looking on from
a distance, so she couldn't make out any features. Katrina saw the outline
of a hatchling headed for Seth, but it passed him and headed towards her.
As the draconic figure approached Katrina it grew, and grew, but not into
a dragon, it grew into her father. Her father towered above her, and
shouted,"This is your fault, all your fault. You have turned your
brother-my
son agaianst me! I will not tolerate this! It is your fault...* That word
echoed in Katrina's head and she awoke with a start. Katrina called to her
dragon to calm herself but it was a few moments before Azure replied.

 <What happened? What took you so long?>, sent Katrina.

 <I am sorry my rider. I was in contact with the other warren dragons
when you called. There are Wraiths south of Cleft near a Nomad village,
we must go now>.

 Katrina with her dream put off for the time being flew out of bed, threw
open her closet, quickly dressed in her leathers, ran out of her apartment,
and saddled and mounted Azure. Katrina was still buttoning her vest as she
took off. Azure sent:

 <I think you have just broke some Warren speed record for getting ready>.

 Katrina laughed and sent,<And I thought I was outta practice>.

 Katrina arrived at the green where the Wing was in a flurry of motion. She
spotted Lenna and landed. After a  'Good hunting' from Lenna, Katrina gave
a thumbs up signal and 'a same to you' relayed to Blanchie by Azure. Just
before Katrina prepared to take off she saw her brother come run up and
stop a shot distance away.

 "I thought you and the family were ready to leave." called Katrina

 We were told to wait because of the Wraiths. We have to wait in case
the things head in this direction." Katrina nodded and Seth called,
"Be careful sis, and come back safely."

 "Of course I'll come back. You have to have someone else to torment
besides poor sister Serina," finished Katrina. Seth grinned and nodded.

 Katrina then received the image of the wraith's location relayed to
Azure. She nodded to Seth and took off. As the two took to the air, and
before their jump, Katrina saw the rest of her family-even her father, at
the edge of the Green waving.

---------------------------
 Katrina, Azure and the rest of the wing appeared above the nomad village.
The first thing Katrina saw was the large group of wraiths, the second thing
was the unfamiliar dragonriders-the rogues. Azure answered before Katrina
asked her:

 <The rogues wish to assist. The Wing has agreed. So for now there is
a truce and we fight together until the wraiths are taken care of>.
Katrina looked at the numerous amount of wraiths and had to agree
that was a good plan.

 The next hours went by with Azure flaming, diving, rising and Katrina
relaying directions and watching for wraiths. Katrina lost all sense of
time as she concentrated on tactics, the movement of the Wing, the wraiths
and Azure's amount of flame. Soon Azure's flame was depleated, as well as
Lenna's Blanchie. The two partners teleported to Cleft to replenish.

--------------------------
 As Lenna and Katrina arrived at the mines. Katrina saw one of the
rogue riders she recalled seeing while fighting wraiths. The rogue was
exchanging harsh words with the Cleft miner.

>"What do you mean I can't refill my coal here?" and angry shout could be
>heard. "But I have to if Docateh and I are to go back to the fighting. We
>can't fight Wraiths with no flame."

 As Katrina listened to the exchange she found herself heated. Perhaps it
was fatigue, maybe it was the hold up at refilling, maybe dragorider pride,
or maybe just the sheer prejudice behavior of the miner, Katrina didn't
know-she just wanted to do something. Katrina got down off Azure and headed
for the rider and the miner.

>"We don't like your kind around here so go back where you came from and get
>coal. Cause you're not getting it here!" the miner shouted and stood barring
>the riders way.

"Let him through!" Katrina's voice was firm, and more than a little cool
as she spoke up.  "He's a dragonrider whose out there protecting you butt
so move aside!"

>"But he's a rogue rider!" the miner snorted as if to remind her of that
>fact and try to get the other's on his side.

 Katrina wanted to shake the miner, or deck him with the hilt of one of
her daggers. Katrina took a deep breath to calm herself, and was
about to rebuttle when Lenna stepped up and spoke.

>"No..." Lenna drew out as she stepped forward to stand right before the man
>who stepped back after recognizing the blonde rider. Her reputation had
>proceeded her, she could tell. Good!

 Katrina took another deep breath and thought,*Good Lenna is very
persuasive and not many like to argue with her. Lenna will sort the
fellow out*

>"Right now he is a rider in need of the coal for his dragon so he can fight
>wraiths, and you will step aside and let his dragon have all the coal he
>needs or I will have Blanchie use up the last of her supplies and show you
>what a wraith feels after it's been flamed!! Now move it!!"

>"Are you threatening me?" the man asked the smaller woman, for he towered
>over her by a good feet.

>"It's not a treat," she smiled and said sweetly. Lenna at her most
>dangerous. "It's a promise. Blanchie!!"

>The purple angled her head towards them as the others moved out of her way.
>They didn't want to be in the line of fire should the beast let go.

 Out of the corner of her eye Katrina saw Azure move in near Blanchie to
keep an eye on her fellow dragon and on Katrina and Lenna. Katrina grinned
because Azure tried to look menacing, and wasn't succeeding very well.

>"Now are you going to move and let this rider in...or do I have Blanchie
>flame you?"

>"I'm gonna report you for this" the man said as he moved out of the way.
>"You can't get by with threatening me this way for doing my job."

"If you were doing your job the way you were supposed to be," Katrina
spoke up again. "Then it never would have gotten this far, so don't bother
unless you want to share in the blame. Now have we made ourselves clear?"

>"Thank you," Docateh rider said as he motioned his beast up to the bins.
>"I know no one wants us here... but it was the closes place to come to
>>resupply."

 Katrina cocked a weary eye at that comment and wondered at it's validity.

>What he didn't say was that even though the Warren riders had promised not
>to follow them... the rogue riders weren't taking any chances.

>Lenna and Kat waved his thanks aside. "You're a dragonrider protecting the
>lands. For now your one of us... but after this fight is over..."

>"I know," the man said sadly and started to say something else but stopped
>himself... "But thanks."

 After Katrina and Lenna refilled and headed back to thier dragons Katrina
turned to Lenna. "You handled that very well."

 "You weren't so bad yourself Kat. I've never seen such a fiesty side of you.

 Katrina grinned, looked at Lenna and said,"Maybe it is from being
around you-I think you are rubbing off on me." The two chuckled at that
as they mounted their dragons. Just before take off Katrina smiled and
called,"Let's go kick some wraith's bu..." Before Katrina finished that
line Azure sent:

 <My rider I don't think wraiths have...>

 Katrina replied,<It's a figure of speech Azure>, and laughed.

 Then with the Nomad village to the south fixed in their minds they
teleported right back in to the thick of things. As Katrina and Azure
headed for a group of wraiths Katrina thought to herself,*A dragonriders
work is never done.*

 The next hours went by with the amount of wraiths never seeming to
lessen. In one manuever Katrina and Azure went in low towards a group
of wraiths, with Lenna and Blanchie on their right. While flaming and
focused on this particular group of wraiths, niether Katrina nor Azure
saw the stray wraith come up behind them from the left. The creature
closed in on Azure's left wing unbeknownst to Katrina or Azure.

 NRPG
********************
(tag: This is open to anyone's dragonriders fighting the wraiths who
might want to jump in and save Katrina/Azure's behind--Arlene, Barb, etc.)
If noone does, I'm sure I can come up with something later.

 Respectfully submitted,
 Kris Berg
 Katrina/Azure
 Cleft Warren

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