Nikol slept in.  This was not normal for him, he was always an early riser.
 But then, being injured by dragon bites was not part of his day to day
routine, nor was staying up over half the night listening to the familial
problems of a member of the warren.  He limped down to the commons to get
some food in his belly.  He made sure to grab some extra fruit and meat to
build up his strength.  He knew today was the first day of training and he
didn't want to be late.  Fetching Azurbull had been easy, the dragon seemed
glad to be out into the sunshine.  They had walked up to the commons where
the lesson was to take place.

It's petty.  It is not important.  He enjoyed the fact that Azurbull was
one of the largest dragonlings in the lesson.  Especially in the shoulders.
 The dragons body was growing at a phenomenal rate but with a difference
from most of the other dragons . . .his wings were still a little
underdeveloped but the shoulder muscles made the dragon begin to resemble a
bull mastiff.

As he stood in the sunshine he admired the other dragons and their owners.
There were definitly two parties present.  The nomads stood off to on side,
talking amongst themselves and the warrenfolk on the other side, doing the
same.  Nikol felt particularly uncomfortable as he did not know many warren
people or nomads.  He drifted closer to the warrenfolk only because he
understood the language.

sigh

The language was a big problem.  A very big problem . . . _she_ had been
visiting Azurbull again this morning.  When he had arrived she had looked
at him with such a strange look that he had no idea what she thought.  It
could have been accusation or guilt.  Az had curled around her
protectively, as if Nikol would attack her again.  Averting her face as he
had tried a simple 'good morning' she had once again run from the pen.

*** flashback to the morning ***

>She looked into the small pen where the dragon looked up at her with
anticipation. She smiled and opened the door to get in. "Arahva kaoth
nv'hhwihlu;  adhueiut'd'iy i'rrod  d'aethijhimn leiwh aa." She set the
bundle she had down and unwrapped the cloth. A pigās leg rolled out with
some other food, including spiced apples.
>
>The dragon churred in response and started to eat the food. 
>
>"H'u'll tai htaell kj swaehvae.  Ehteitei lha kh Efviy!" She ran her hand
down the side of the dragon. "Etr hwieteij uwhuearrar elleihv k Nikol-
'hdhuissaey akhueal'iaez arrekh  lhilheajhs'h." She took the oil out and
started to oil the dragon, removing the loose scales on his body.
>
>She hummed a tune, one of the sacred songs. It seemed appropriate with the
surroundings. She felt herself drawing closer to the gods as she worked
taking care of the dragon. 
>
>The dragon gobbled up the food then looked at her. "Envehnvaihrourrh e
oiorr ih aem neitrehrhiahsuy ih;  ek'heuz i'r." It nudged her again and
churred. "T'siti d' kh." She giggled and gave his nose a shove back.

Nikol stood outside the door and shook his head.  How could he ever learn
what she was saying? The language was almost musical and he knew what most
people thought of his singing voice.  But he could stand here all day and
listen to her talk.  He hefted the bag of food he had brought and wondered
how many double meals Azurbull had been given in the past days.

[Not telling.  Come on in, she's in a good mood.]

Nikol set aside the bag and grabbed the oiling gear.  [I want you to look
your best out there this morning.]

>It made a yelping noise and pushed her again. This time she turned enough
to see someone at the gate of the stall. Her eyes went wide as she fixed on
Nikolās form. He stood looking at the two with a bucket and an oiling
cloth. His wide form filling the doorway.

>She jumped up and started for the door to leave, just a tail tripped her.
The fool dragon had wrapped his tail around her ankle and she fell forward.
Nikol caught her and said something in the rider talk.

Smooth, warm, with a gentle scent of woman.  He could have stood there
forever, holding her.  He straightened her up and then, having no good
reason to keep touching her, took his hands away.  "Good morning.  I wanted
to apologise for taking advantage of you the other day and I was wondering
if we could start over?"

>Raine had been giving her lessons, but he spoke so fast she could not make
it out. She grimaced and looked back as the dragon unwound itās tail from
her leg. It churred softly.
>
>She spoke what dragonrider she could, and what she thought was correct. *I
go.* 

He stepped aside instantly.  Having the runs was not fun and when the urge
hit he knew that one did not tally.  She fairly flew out of the pen leaving
only a sad dragon, a woe begotten rider/trainee and a last hint of her
scent . . . lingering in the air.

[Why do you keep scaring her away?]  Azurbull sounded petulant.  [I like her.]

"I said good morning you big lout.  I think she is still mad at me for the
kiss I stole."

[hmmmmf]  Azurbull stretched out and then pulled back sharply.  [ow]

"Ow?"

[My wing won't open all the way.]

Nikol knelt next to his friend and probed underneath.  "Scarring.  The wing
bites didn't heal perfectly.  It will probably stretch back out in time."
He started oiling, making sude to get all of the wings, top and bottom.
"It's the first day of classes today.  I don't know what we are going to
learn but I'm looking forward to it."

[Me, too]

*** return to the class already in session ***

>"Now we're going to begin to teach you more," P'ker said.
>
>"Now we will fly with our dragons?" Fesal asked.
>
>"That comes later," M'yer replied, "they aren't big enough yet."
>
>"Then what is there to learn?"
>
>"They have to learn how to run," P'ker answered.
>
>"They don't know how to run?" Nikol asked the surprise evident in his
>tone.

"Did you, when you were less than a month old?"  M'yer asked.

Nikol shook his head and listened carefully as they were shown how to
attach the riding saddles.  They were not going to ride, today but it was a
good idea for the dragons to get used to the saddles right off the bat.
This, of course, did not go over well with the nomads.  They did not use
saddles and wanted to extend the concept to dragons as well.

The blaster could understand what they meant.  He wanted the skin to scale
contact of bareback riding as well.  From a family that knew horses and
worked with them all the time he had little fear of ever falling or not
riding well.  But he kept his peace as he did not want to antagonise the
instructors on the first day.  He followed the steps and talked to
Azurbull, listening to Azurbulls comments of too tight or too loose.
Together they soon had the saddle attached.

The running was fun to watch.  The huge beasts lumbering across the green
like a pack of racing lizards.  Az stayed to the centre of the pack, never
winning but never last either.  Nikol cheered him on from the sidelines.

[This is fun!]  Azurbulls call trumpeted to the sky, only to be echoed by
the others.

[You're doing fine.  It's okay if you don't win.]  Nikol assured his dragon.

[Win?  We are just running, what win is there?]

[First across the field is considered the winner.  We have been making bets
on who would come first.  I lost a little but that is alright, you are
doing well.]

[ . . . ]

[What?]  Nikol had felt a contact but only sadness, no words.

[i'm sorry.  i didn't know it was a race.  did you lose much?]

Nikol laughed in relief.  [No, come here, now.  I want some contact.]

In retrospect maybe -now- wasn't the best choice of words.  Azurbull showed
what the strength in the shoulders allowed him to do as he dug in and
stopped running only to pivot and lunge through the pack of dragons,
heading for the sidelines.  He put his head low and dug in, long claws
threw back great divots of sod as he charged towards the humans.  He was
travelling very fast, far faster than he had been out in the races.  Most
of the people around Nikol stepped back, knowing that gaining speed is
often easier then stopping.  Nikol stood his ground and was right to do so.
 Azurbull again dug in with the huges shoulders behind it and stopped
almost directly in front of him.  [Hug?]

The blaster threw his arms around the dragons neck and was lifted off of
his feet as Az looked up and back at the other dragons.  "For you there
will always be a hug.  Don't worry.  I've got the best dragon out here and
I don't need you to win a race to tell me that."

The lesson soon ended, a disappointment for the riders who had yet to ride
but the dragons seemed better.  "Exercise is good for them.  It makes them
grow stronger and happier.  Keep it up everyday."  The instructor then
translated it for the nomads and the class was dismissed.

Most went back to the hatchling barracks immediatly, at the insistence of
the dragons.  Feeding time gave the riders a moments break _and_ the common
ground of dragons eating.  Nikol stood next to the man he had been
partnered with, a nomad named Shanak.  His dragon, Poranth, was sharing a
side of beef with Azurbull.  With no language between them they tried
various signs and waving of hands before Azurbull and Poranth snorted in
unison and looked directly at the riders.  

[Why can't you two understand each other?  We can.]

[You can understand Poranth?  And he can speak nomad?]  Nikol smiled and
looked over to Shanak, who was also smiling.  Then the two could converse,
if their dragons were handy and did the running translation.  Nikol sighed
as he thought of another use for this translation . . . he could try to
learn her language, so he could apologise properly.

After the feedings it was another oiling and then bedtime.  Nikol returned
to his own quarters and curled up with the book C'aranth had lent him.
Warren design was a dry subject but he skipped the administaration stuff
and looked for pieces of physical design.  But soon his mind wandered as he
dreamed of fireworks and colours filling the night.  Those thoughts were,
in turn supplanted by another thing he would like to fill his nights . . . 

>She looked up and found she was in the hatchling barracks.  The small
dragons all sat in their pens, looking really sleepy.  She walked to the
big dragon that was Nikol's.  "Hello little one."  She slipped inside the
pen 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.
>

Nikol sat up suddenly.  [What?]

[I said she is here again, talking to me.  I like her voice.]

>"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."

[What is she saying?]

[I don't know, Poranth is asleep.  I think she is . . . crying.]

[What?  Why?]

[I'm a dragon.  How should I know.]

[Well I'm a guy and we are just about as clueless in this sort of thing,
according to my sisters.  I'm coming down.]

[No!  I like her here and you scare her away.  Come down in the morning.]
Azurbull gently lifted his head and pulled the blanket down off of a hook
on the wall and draped it back across his shoulders and the girl.  She
looked up as the cloth swept across her back and she was staring right into
Azurbulls brown eyes.  Deep and full they didn't judge her, they didn't see
the scars or the woman who had been owned by others.  A wing slowly
extended halfway out and swept her in for a gentle hug.

She didn't stay the night, a fact that sorely disapointed Nikol in the
morning and Azurbull that evening.

<<<nrpg>>>
There, that was fun.  

Timeline
Day 3 am  Nikol and Andorra meet again in the pens. 
Day 3 noonish  Dragon races
Day 3 eve  Androrra has another visit to Azurbull

mike--->goes to bed

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