*A Thin Line Of Hope*


Lonnie
*******

Lonnie wished he could have been happier for his brother and friend after
the announcements of their up coming mate hood. And he was. 

He really was. 

But at the moment he just couldn't handle all the 
happiness going on around him, so he sneaked away from the crown as soon as
he could and found himself a lone 
table and a big mug of ale. His forth of the night.

He was happy for them, but the pain in his heart was still a real thing, and
the emptiness deep inside that had always been held together by the bond he
shared with his twin, just wouldn't go away.

It was still there. The bond, but just a shadow of it's former self. A thin
line that was the only thing holding him together. He knew as long as it was
there he had some hope. 

He raised his mug to toasted the two new parings glad that they had found
eachother, yet angry at the same time that they could go on with their lives
as if Lenna's disappearance didn't mean a damn thing to them any longer.

Then his eyes caught sight of a mop of red hair exiting the dining hall and
knew B`rand was feeling just as miserable as he himself was. He wanted to go
after him. Misery loves company he'd always heard and got up to do just that
when he felt a hand on his arm.

"How you doing?" a voice said and a body sat down beside him. 

Lonnie swiveled his head around to see Kat had taken the empty seat beside him.

He raised his mug to her in a mocking salute. 

"Just dandy! And you?" he asked, his words slightly slurred from the excess
of brews he'd already partaken of while trying to block out the pain.

"Better then you will be if you keep this up," she scowled and took the mug
out of his hand before he could finish the amber liquid inside of it. "I
don't think Lenna would have liked to see her brother turn into a drunk just
because..."

"I'm not a drunk," Lonnie growled but made no more to take the drink back.
"I'm just having a few brews in her memory. She would have understood."

"There are better ways to remember her by the sitting here getting shit
faced!" Kat replied, her voice sounding like a disapproving mother.

"I'll remember just fine when we find her," he slurred and tried to stand up
but Kat caught his arm and pulled him back down onto the bench.

"When she gets.... Damn it Lonnie! Don't you think I wished she come back
too! I do. Every damn minute I'm out there on patrol I wish it was Lenna and
Blanchie beside me. But that's not ever going to happen. She's not coming back!"

He just looked at her but didn't repeat his beliefs.

"Lonnie several of us want to have a service for her," Kat told him. "It's
been long enough and we feel it needs to be done."

Lonnie looked at her and wondered if it would do any good to explain it to
her. Would she understand? Or think he'd totally gone over the deep end. 

Might be good to tell someone about the thoughts going around in his head.
Maybe then he wouldn't think he was crazy for what he believed.

"You go ahead and do what you feel is right. But she'll be back," he stated
firmly. No slur mangled his tone this time and his eyes were a clear blue.
"I know this in here...(he points to his heart) Not just because I want to
believe it but because she's still here..  She's still apart of me.  Maybe
not like she was before, but it's still here. The bond that has always been
between us. At times I can still feel it. And I know damn well its not just
wishful thinking. She'll be back. I can't tell you when or how but as long
as I can still feel her inside of me I will never give up hope."

"But the dragons didn't sense her Lonnie. Not even Triss. How can you
explain that?"

"I can't. I just know what I believe and ...What's the use. You wouldn't
understand." 

He got up then and she didn't even try to stop him this time. For him the
party was all but over. 

Let them have this service if they wanted. He knew the truth. Lenna would be
back. When he didn't know. He just knew she would be and that they would all
be surprised when she did. 

He wouldn't be. But then he knew.

***Submitted by: *****

Lonnie & Meritanth
Cleft Warren

aka 
Barbara