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NRPG
Ok, so I have been conspicuous in my absence.  RL dealt me a bad hand so
now I play a different game.  Whatever.  I am making one last valiant
attempt to return.  Of all the things I was writing at the time of my
vanishing act this one was calling to me the the strongest so this is the
one, the only one, that I have come back to.  Others may be in the future
but for now, I am limiting my commitments.
 
RPG
 
City Horse
 
    She moved with a quiet study of determination and grace.  One arm
loaded with plates as the other added to the precarious pile and swept
table leavings to the floor.  From behind a throaty contralto spoke. 
"Ma.  There is no need for you to be cleaning up after us.  This is my
inn and I will take care of it."
 
    "Stele, darlin.  I will be cleaning untill they nail the box shut. 
You knows I never been one for sittin still when there be work to do." 
The pile of plates climbed above the reach of her arms which precluded
her adding anything else to the pile.  So she headed for the kitchens
where the sounds of activity were heard.
 
    "I tell you Da, that stuff Stele is serving is worth taking out in
the field.  Get the Nomads to appreciate good drink and we'll sure to be
making a double trade run, selling horse and the loads they are carryin."
 
    Da scratched his head slowly and then shook it.  "I dunno, son. 
Drink has a tendency to make reasonable people less so.  Take Andy, the
cousin of Nikis love.  He tried to _sell_ me her last night.  Now what
sober man would be selling a relative, eh?  I ask yas."
 
    Cupper looked up sharply.  "Da, think carefully, what did you say?"
 
    "Well, I'll admit I had been celebrating a bit as well.  But near as
I can remember?  I said that if he thought I was gonna buy Niki a bride
he had another think coming.  Damn iffen he didn't try to barter, then. 
Three horses and a carriage, iffen I recall. I told him we don't have
slavery here and if Niki wanted to marry, fine but I wasn't buying."
 
    The room was silent for a moment.  Then Nikols mother spoke.  "Cup? 
What be the matter, hon?"
 
    Cup looked slowly around and shook his head.  "You're right, Da. 
Maybe taking drink out would be a bad idea.  It does affect some people. 
Da, what was the first thing ya taught us about trading with Nomads?"
 
    "Easy.  Don't play until ya knows the rules."
 
    "Da.  The Nomads in the area of Cleft have different rules.  There is
a bride price, like a reverse dowry, that shows the tribes how much the
bride is valued by the family that gets her.  It isn't slavery, Da, it is
tradition . . . a way of showing the community how happy the family is
about the marriage."  Cupper shook his head slowly.  "When you refused to
pay anything . . . "
 
    "I was saying that I thought she was worthless?  No, Cup, I didn't
mean that."
 
    "I know Da, but it was what you said."  Cupper looked over to his
Ma.  "I think we might have ruined it for Niki."
 
    "Not if I have anything to say about it.  Stele dear, you clean up
the inn.  Da, you fetch the carriage, the _good_ carriage.  Cup, we need
horses, think of what a good bride price is and double it.  Brons . . .
"  the last was to another son who just entered the kitchen.  "You be
getting the travel packs ready."
 
    "Who's going where?"  Asked Brons, still wiping sleep from his eyes.
 
    "We all be going to Cleft.  Men!  Why they ever think they should be
involved in wedding things is beyond me.  Well?  Move!"
 
    The men of Nikols family are not cowards . . . they do know when to
fight and when to run, though.  They ran.
 
Country Horse
 
    On the other hand, men can be totally clueless sometimes.  Nikol rode
back, the night before, with a light heart and a heavy load.  He could
hardly get things unpacked before his nose was buried in the L'Bridges
underwater demolitions text.  That Andorra did not arrive in his
apartment that night was, for the most part, not noticed.  It is not to
say he didn't care, just that he didn't notice.  It is a distinction only
a man would understand.
 
    The next day he spent the morning with Azurbull and the afternoon
making new charges to replentish his basic supplies.  In between charges
he would be making strange little notations whilst reading from the
text.  Sketches of the warrens lower tunnels littered the floors with
small carefull phrase like 'crk run?' and 'follow flow'  It was well past
evening meal when he realized he was squinting more and more to see his
notes.  He lit a lamp and continued until he dragon called him in a
piteous voice.  {I do eat sometimes, you know.}
 
    Abashed he dropped what he was doing to race down to where Azurbull
waited.  "I am sorry, but when I get a problem like this I have to figure
it out or . . . "
 
    A large head butted him.  {I know, but I will remind you when _I_ get
hungry.  _You_ are on your own.}  It then turned to feed on the meat
Nikol had brought.  {Where is she?}
 
    There was no question of who 'she' was.  There was only one female of
note that the young dragon would ask about.  "I don't know, I haven't
seen her all day.  She may be busy with duties."  Nikol shrugged it off,
trying to mentally picture the shape of a charge needed to drive a
channel at an angle into a rock face with minimal drill prep.  If he was
to use an extra layer of sandbags on the upper side . . .
 
    {I didn't fly today.}
 
    "And you didn't fly yesterday.  It will come when it comes." 
 
    {And if it doesn't come?  If I never fly?}  It is hard to explain how
a telepathic voice can have tears in it.
 
    Nikol dropped all thoughts of explosives and cuttign patterns to turn
his full attention to the dragon . . . his dragon.  "If you don't fly
then we will run.  If you don't run we will walk.  If that doesn't work
we will sit in the compound and wait for the wraiths to come to us.  You
and I are a team.  There are no conditions, no terms, and no feeling
sorry for yourself.  I have not heard a single complaint about your lack
of flight and I will deal with anyone or anything that even thinks of
making fun of you."  Strong hands took each side of the dragons head and
pulled it to a face to face.  "We are together.  Nothing you can or
cannot do is going to ever change that."
 
    The moment lasted for an eternity that was over too soon.  {Have you
told her that?}
 
    'I tried, but the language barrier.  Sometimes I am not sure whether
I am telling he I love her or ordering a new dress for myself."
 
    {You wouldn't look good in a dress}  Azurbull snorted and dust
swirled around them.
 
    'Thanks for the tip.  Now go get some sleep and I will oil you in the
morning.  Call me just after sunrise and we will get some flight practice
in."
 
    They said their goodbyes and Nikol returned to his work.  Again it
was very late when he crawled off to bed.  As he drifted to sleep he
wondered where Andorra was, tomorrow, tomorrow he would try to get some
time with her. . . and with Azurbull  . . . and see C'aranth about
fighting lessons . . .  . . . . and check with P'Ker about the new apart
. .  .ments . . . .  . . .
 
zzzzz
 
 NRPG
 
Been so long, but I am back.  Figure at least a week before Nikols family
arrives, putting it about Day 9.  If I read the timeline correctly.
 
I'm also unsure of the complete who to mail to.  I got the cleft list, is
there and archive and news bounce?
 
mike--->now what do I do?  
 
 

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