"Sorry my Lord. I was preoccupied with a bit of a disagreement with my daughter, but all is cleared-up now. Please excuse me, I meant no disrespect to you sir."

Vorbis smiled at the man, it the girl smiled as well, and he took that she must have seen the humor  in the reaction as well.  "No disrespect taken.  You are pardoned." He stepped around to kiss the hand of the mans daughter.  "I could not help but notice you two talking.  And I was relieved to find someone else who was not from these backward warrens."  He kissed her hand in a very gentlemanly way.

"Why yes.  We were only visiting family.  I have children here."  Samuel scratched his chin.  "What brings you to the warren, if I can ask?"

"You may."  He turned from the girl to Samuel, she was more lovely up close, and the coy looks she was giving him let him know she thought as much of him.  "We are moving a settlement down to the Nomadlands.  We will regulate trade as well as start a new kingdom."  He looked Samuel over and took him for a man who was looking to make his life easier.  "Perhaps even settle in a new higharchy  with new lords and ladies.  If I feel so inclined."  

Samuel smiled.  "I see, and what would make you so inclined?"

"Well, I am sure friends, close friends of mine, will be given land and title."  He looked up to where his room is.  "I am thirsty, would you mind joining me for some wine?"

Samuel grinned again, and this time Vorbis better watch this man.  He would be like an adder in the grass, it may flush out the pheasant, but it could also bit you in the ankle.  "I would be glad too."
***************************************************

In the apartment they sat and Vorbis poured three glasses of wine, he handed them to Samuel and his daughter, who he had learned was named Serina.  Samuel looked at the goblet of wine in Serina's hand and back to Vorbis.  "Do you not think, my Lord, that she is a bit young to be drinking?"

"Surely not, she must learn sometime, and now is a good enough time I suspect.  Your not the type of man to let petty morals like that stand in the way of progress are you?"  He sipped his wine and watched him.

"It is my wife, Lord, if my daughter comes back smell of wine she will want to know why."  He tried to emphasize the importance of the manner without trying to insult Vorbis.  He was good at it too, and that impressed Vorbis.

"I will tell you what, I need a girl servant to help me while I am here.  You go home alone and tell her you left her to clean up and help with some small chores.  I will pay you five gold crowns a day for her services.  I am sure your lovely wife would understand the importance of your daughter earning you a little extra cash?"  Vorbis smiles and leaned back, he made it clear in his tone of voice that this was not negotiable.  "We would want her to have the proper manners to be represented in court, wouldn't we?"

Samuel sat for a moment looking at the man, then leaned forward.  "Serving girls would be hard to find in the warren, she is worth at least ten gold crowns a day."

Vorbis smirked.  "I understand that, but the gold I have brought to the warren is limited, I can only pay the most of six a day, no more."

"I am sure her mother wound understand for eight, and I am sure a Lord such as yourself could have some sent."  Samuel was a cunning man.

"Eight it is then."  He stood and walked to a small chest he had under his bed, with a quick turn of a key Samuel had his eight gold crowns.  Vorbis sat,  "Tell me what is it you do that makes you such a hard man to cheat?"

(Tag- Kris)
*******************************************************

Andorra sat an looked at Andahar.  "Cousin, and chief, I have the deepest of respect for you.  But I must ask.  Were you hit on the head in that last battle and your mind fall out.  Because you have the sense of a rock lizard."

"What?!"  He looked at her in shock.  "Why do you talk like that woman?"

"Do you mean to hurt her, or are you just daft?"  She finished folding the last of the napkins and set them away in the "drawer".  "Can you not see she likes you, or are you blind to this fact?"

"I am going to go for a walk."  He stood from his chair and started for the door.

"I knew your grandmother, and if she would have seen you like this you would not beable to ride in the saddle for week from the switching you would get."  She stood and cut him off on his way to the door.  "Andahar, even women get a measure of honor."

"She tarnished mine, infront of the whole warren, our tribe now.  And you want me to court her."  He flushed as he spoke.

Andorra backed up, it was more instinct than anything else.  It was acting like this that gave her the scars she has on her body, but she was not anyones now.  But would that keep him from beating her.  "It is just, we sometimes do not know what is good until we have it gone.  I do not think she will be waiting for you to love her forever."  A pain struck her, it was remembering Nikol.

She opened the door and slipped out of the room into the hall way, trying to get out before the tears came.  She needed to walk now.  Thoughts of the kiss floated to her mind, his body in the morning sun.  The soft lip pressed to hers, then the word he spoke.  She hung her head, she was cursed to live alone.

The gods had told her what was to be, she could not touch Nikol with the healing wind.  Avanasha had made it clear what her place with Nikol was.  Her was not nomad, that is why her love was cursed.  And she was not to be a wife, having been anothers slave.

She looked up and found she was in the hatchling barracks.  The small dragons all sat in their pins, looking really sleepy.  She walked to the big dragon that was Nikol's.  "Hello little one."  She slipped inside the pin and he looked at her with one large lazy eye.  It made her laugh, and she wiped the tears away with her sleeve.  "How are you, you look like you have run for miles.  It must have been some meal you have eaten to make you this sleepy."  She petted the scales of the dragon, it churred in response.

"I love him you know, your rider."  She had never said it aloud, and it made her neck swell with pain as she said it, and a new group of tears ran down her cheeks.  "I suppose I should not tell you these things."  She had to pause to sob, her body just leaned on the dragon limp and shaking from the sobs.  Being here, she could almost smell him, his musky sent mingled with the hay and dust.  "I guess we are not to be."

(Tag-Mike)
***************************************************

Darren Hunter
korzad@lgcy.com


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