NRPG:  I'm getting caught up...  Slowly...  :) 
RPG:
Isara stumbled back to her bed.  It was the second time Rysa had waken 
her for one reason or another.  This time it was an itch she couldn't 
reach.  Isara dropped wearily onto her bed, not even bothering to pull 
the covers over her.  She was drifting into semi-conciousness when a 
hand gently shook her.  She snapped awake and sat up quickly. 

>     "Feysal!" she whispered, blinking up at him.  "What is wrong?"

>     The young Nomad sat down on the corner of her bunk.  "Isara, I 
>have a problem.  My dragon just asked something of me that I....I am 
>not sure how to answer."  He quickly told her of his conversation >with 
Falorin.

>      "He didn't know it was me," Feysal said, finishing his 
>narrative.  "And how can I tell him?   And  yet...if I don't tell >him, 
he will probably find out on his own, eventually.  What would >*you* do, 
Isara?"

She chewed her lip, stalling for time.  How was she supposed to know 
what to do?  She had no idea how to deal with Feysal's situation.  She 
remembered what her father had told her about giving other people 
advice.  But she wasn't sure how much help it was.  He said the trick to 
giving good advice was to find out what the person wanted to, but was to 
nervous to do, and then tell them to do it.  

"You need to tell him, Feysal.  It's the only option you have..."

Feysal shook his head.  "How can I Isara?  How can I make him 
understand?"

She frowned.  "I'm not sure, but it should come from you."  She glanced 
in the direction of the sandy cave where her life mate stirred.  She 
wished she knew more about these creatures.  "He loves you, Feysal.  If 
what you and he share is anything like what I feel with Rysa, he'll 
forgive you.  He'll come to understand.  I'll go with you, I'll help 
you, if you need me to."  

He considered her words.  Then slowly shook his head.  He looked pale, 
but his face was set with determination.  Isara felt a twinge of pity, 
and a flood of pride.  This was probably the hardest thing Feysal had 
ever done.  

She caught his hand as he rose to leave.  She held it briefly, lending 
him her courage.  He would need it.  

She watched him leave.  Attempting to sleep was pointless now, her mind 
raced.  She rose from her bed and padded through the dark to her dragons 
side.  Feysal wasn't the only one with a hard time ahead of him.  She 
though about the warrenlady's words, about her place in this warren.  
She thought about her life before this whole mess started.  Back then 
the most she's hoped for in life was a good husband and a strong family.  
She laughed softly at her naive dreams.  How good it would be to have 
them back.

<<But then you wouldn't have me.>>  Her dragon's voices sounded small 
and hurt. 

Isara winced.  <I know, and I wouldn't change what's happened.  I was 
just thinking.>

Rysa settled back down, happy with the answer.  Isara just wished she 
was so certain.  She curled up next to her dragon and fell into a fitful 
sleep.

~*~*~*Okay, skipping ahead to the first day of training.  I'm sure I've 
got a tag for something else in there, but I'm so behind I've decided to 
use the jump-straight-to-now method of getting caught up.  My excuse for 
being so behind?  Brain freeze.~*~*~*~

RPG:

Isara and Rysa stood a little bit apart from the others.  This was 
partially due to the fact that because of Rysa's size, it was hard for 
them to get any closer.  Isara still had a hard time believing just how 
much her soul-mate had grown.  It was frightening.    

She poked the queen in the ribs.  "When are you going to stop growing?"  
Isara asked aloud.

Rysa gave her a puzzled look.  <<Growing?  I've grown?>>  She twisted 
her head to look back along her body.  <<It must be your imagination, 
`Zara.>>

Isara just rolled her eyes and grinned at her hatchlingâs attempt at 
humour.  She turned away from her dragon towards the approaching 
trainer.  It had already been explained to her that she would spend the 
first few days with the group, while they learned the basics.  Later she 
would have her own lessons.  

She listened with interest to his words, then turned to her hatchling 
for confirmation.  <You can't run?> 

<<Of course I can run!>>  Isara looked doubtfully at the awkwardly 
hatchling.  She'd seen Rysa try and walk, the hatchling even had trouble 
with that.  <<Well, I will, once I figure out where my legs go.>>  Isara 
had to laugh at the determination in Rysa's voice.  

The hatchlingâs attempts to run amused Isara, but she worried about the 
rift that seemed to exist between her people and the outsiders.   There 
was little interaction between the two groups, Isara understood the 
importance of bringing the two groups together.  Warriors needed to be 
able to rely on their fellows.    But how to go about doing that stumped 
her.

Some of the Warrenfolk started betting on which of the hatchlings would 
reach the end of the field first.  Isara grinned as she saw her people 
watching the betting intently.   It wasnât long before they were trying 
to get in on the action.  Using hand signals and a few roughly spoken 
words they managed to get their point across.   Isara laughed at the 
menâs actions.  It wasnât perfect but it was a start.  With a grin she 
joined in the betting, both as an interpreter, and as a participant.  
Rysa didnât win very many times, the dear thing had more power than the 
others, but her size made her awkward.  

The races, and the betting ended when the hatchlings wore down.  The 
collapsed in cute little heaps on the green, demanding attention from 
their lifemates.   


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The group of male riders dispersed slowly. The dragon lust had abated 
and they were no longer drawn to this spot, but few of them were in any 
hurry to be anywhere else. 

"They've been watching," P'ker pointed across the green to where several 
of the newly joined sat in the grass with their dragons.  M'yer nodded 
and began angling in their direction.  The trainees sitting there were 
mostly nomads, but there were a few warrenborn included.  

"Why you go there?" Feysal asked, "They say your dragons make you," he 
gestured toward one of the warrenborn.  

M'yer thought for a long moment about how to explain. "Trissana, one of 
the female dragons, rose to mate. Our male dragons followed her hoping 
to catch."  

"She was in heat?" Isara asked. As a nomad she understood the breeding 
cycle of the horses that were so important to the tribe.  

"Yes," P'er confirmed. 

"And dragon heard has many stallions," Feysal followed, "Many stallions 
must compete for female in heat."  

"The males try to catch the female as she flys," P'ker explained, "The 
male that catches her gets to mate with her." 

Isara remembered Trissana and her rider Trevor. "Trissana will have 
hatchlings soon?" 

"No," M'yer shook his head, "While all female dragons rise to mate, only 
the queens lay eggs. "

Isara frowned slightly at the answer, and Ankara asked, "Then why do 
other females mate?  

"P'ker and M'yer looked at each other and P'ker said, "I'm not sure."

"I'm sure your dragons are hungry after today's lesson. You should 
probably feed them and let them get some rest," M'yer added.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


Isara nodded, as did the others.    They walked in a group to fetch the 
meat that flowed like water from a makeshift slaughter yard that was set 
up after hatchings.   Isara glanced back at where the mem had 
congregated during the flight.  ăIt seems like such a waste.ä  She 
suggested to the others.

Ankara frowned.  ăBecause there are no eggs?ä  

Isara nodded.  ăWhatâs the point.  It takes so much energy, itâs a 
distraction.  Itâs nessasry for breeding, but if there are no eggs·ä  
She shrugged.

ăBarren mares still go into heat.ä  Feysal added.

ăYes, but they are not bred.ä   Her people didnât let the stallions 
fight over a barren mare.  To great a chance of injury with no resulting 
foal.   They were usually culled from the herd when they were in season, 
if not simply culled permanently.  

ăNo, but then these riders are soft about some thingsä  Isara could tell 
that Feysal was referring to the trainers demand that they use a saddle.  
But that was just his pride talking.  None of the Nomads had put up much 
of a fight.  As anyone who spent their lives on horseback knew.  If you 
rode, you fell.  And a fall from dragon back would be a death sentence.    
ăBesidesä he continued,  ăI wouldnât want to tell a dragon it couldnât 
mate.ä

Ankara gave a short laugh.  ăIt would be difficult to restrain them.ä

Isara smiled.  ăStopping them would probably be more trouble than 
letting them have their fun.ä

ăAnd it does look like fun.ä  Ankara added with a grin. 

They all agreed with that.  Isara, however, was still amazed by the 
apparent wealth of this warren.  They could afford to waste precious 
time and energy on futile matings.  

The trio fed their hatchlings then let them curl up on the green.  It 
was a surprisingly nice day, and they all wanted to enjoy it.  

Isara leaned against the warm dark scales of her dragon and chatted with 
the others about the differences between warrenlife and home.  She 
realized that it was going to take a lot of work to smooth out the 
differences between the two groups.  

NRPG:  *sigh*  There isnât really any particular reason why this post is 
soooooo late.  Iâve just been a bit out of it recently.  Trying to get 
my life in order, ect.  I love being a semi-adult force to make life 
changing decisions.  I envy all you adults out there whoâve got your 
lives on track.  :P  No fair!  ;)  

Itâs not much of a post, but Iâm a bit lost.  So basically itâs a 
yes-Iâm-still-alive post.  

I really hate to do this to you guys, but I'm not sure if I can keep up 
with Isara.  ;(  Thank's sooooo much for offering her to me, and I would 
like nothing more to keep her, but it might be best for the group if 
some one else were to take over writing her.  I know that you want an 
active queenrider.  And I'd like to fit the bill, but recent life 
changes have left me, well, doing a lot of thinking and prioritizing.  

Sorry, and I'm feeling really guilty right now.  ;(  

Kate

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