NRPG-Sorry i have been gone for so long, I have been in the middle of
changing jobs.  It has been a very busy time for me but things seem to be
settling so hopefully i can get back to writing.

************************

Amber sat in the room looking over the reports that were handed to her.  The
two men who had been promoted to lead the army stood waiting.  "I have
looked over what you have brought me and I find nothing to even warrant an
investigation."  She looked back up at the two men.

"What!"  The one man burst out.  "You are going to let them get away with
it!?"

Amber smiled a wicked grin.  "Well, if I look into this I guess I will also
have to look into my own poisoning as well.  See who was involved in that.
There is also the death of Tarkan and Davyd, and I do not think reducing our
own numbers would help us in bringing this colony to fruition.  So, I am
going to over look these crimes in the hope that nothing like them is ever
repeated.  And with all of us working we can bring peace to this land."  She
stood, just short of them, and looked at them both hard.  "And that is what
I intend to do, understood."

They saluted and walked out of the tent.  She relaxed when the flap finally
closed.  There was a rap on the tent, "Enter" Amber replied.  Maddalyn
walked in.  "Oh, it is good to see you."  Amber stood and walked to her new
friend.  She had gained in strength since returning to the camp.

"How goes things?"  Maddy sat on one of the few chairs in the room.  Amber
offered her a drink and sat across from her.

"They will adjust.  You can tell Cynthia the investigation is dropped."  She
motioned to a stack of papers on her make-shift desk.  "The new generals
insisted that every guard on duty make a detailed report of the events of
the night.  I had to spend most of my week wading through the paper work
just to tell them no.  They would not take an answer until I had read all of
the reports."  She sipped her own drink.  "So the investigation is closed."

"Don't you want to know who did it though?"  Maddy pushed slightly.

"Of course I do.  But what if it was one of yours who killed him?  I would
much rather let it go than to have to kill someone good for killing someone
bad."  She looked down.  "All in all, I guess it doesn't matter."  She
looked back up at Maddy.  "We will be moving south on the next week.  I have
a spot all picked out.  You will keep coming to see me?  I would like to
keep in good touch with the warren."

(Tag)
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Jeratko slumped into the bed of sand next to Vaga.  <Ohhhh.>  He moaned.
She looked down at the little dragon and chirred.  <When does it stop?>

<Exercises again?>  She nudged him lightly, and he nodded.

<He had me beating my wings in the water until they felt like they would
fall off.  We then practiced fighting.  Him with a wooden spear, and me with
my claws, I could not touch him of couse.  After that we had a small lunch
and sat under a water fall for an hour.>  He moaned again.

<It must have been nice to get to relax under the water fall.>  She wrapped
a wing around the worn dragon.

<No, I mean we sat under the waterfall, as in the water was falling on me.>
He looked up at her sharply.  <He says I need to grow as strong as I can
seeing as my size may hinder me in combat.>  He sighed.  <I guess he is
right, I am a bit small.>

Vaga growled.  <He is not right.  You are just right how you are.  Do not
worry little one I will see that he does not work you so hard.>
(Tag)
****************************

C'aranth smelled the stew; it was a deep red and smelled of dried peppers
and fish.  "Just like home."  He took a bit, the flavor was delicious, and
it rolled over his tongue reminding him of Epion.  "Summer stew, it is
wonderful."

Renata looked distant for a moment.  "I said it tastes wonderful."  He
commented again.

"Oh, thank you, it was my mothers recipe."  She took a bite then looked at
him very serious.  "You should not be working Jeratko so hard."

C'aranth paused mid bite and looked at her.  He swallowed knowing this was
going to be a long conversation.  "And what has brought this on?"

"I was just told of how you worked the poor little dragon.  He is still
young and needs time to grow."  She sipped her wine in the cool calm that
only a woman can create when she is sure she is right and is waiting to
smash down any protest you have to give.

"I would say we do not have time.  This warren is short of riders as it is.
And that recent wraith attack was just a sliver of what is really out there
in the nomadlands.  We have a new group of landbound to protect and the
nomads, well we would need at least a hundred patrols out to just cover them
as they tend to wander."  He set his spoon down in the stew and looked at
her just as intent.  "And as you said he is small, to put it bluntly he is a
runt. And he will need all the strength he can get.  He will have to work
twice as hard just to get flying as high as the other dragons.  And he
cannot practice with the last hatching as they are far more advanced than he
is.  I have told him all the reasons why he and I have to work so hard."

She smiled and nodded.  "Perhaps you should remember he is just a child.
You don't need to go reminding him of all his faults that he has.  Build up
his strengths.  Let him know what is doing good at so he at least feels a
sense of accomplishment."  She sipped her wine waiting again.

"I will train him the way I see fit."  C'aranth did not like the look of
complete superiority that she was giving him.

"I think we should ask the warrenlady to put you both with a trainer.  Then
you can get the standard training."  She sipped her stew.

"Are you saying I cannot train my dragon?"  his voice was slightly raised.

"That is not what I am saying.  It just seems you may need some help in
sorting out what training is required when, that is all."  She looked up at
him.  "And don't get mad at me if you are the only one who cannot see you
are running Jeratko into the ground with your grueling training.  Some of
the things you are training him on are a complete waste of time when it
comes to fighting wraiths."

C'aranth stood kicking the chair out from under him, Renata followed only
slightly behind him.  "LIKE WHAT?"

"LIKE HOW TO FIGHT OTHER DRAGONS IS WHAT!"  She looked him strait in the
eye.  "I know your last dragon was killed."

"Quiet."  C'aranth's voice was very soft.  "Just be quiet.  You do not know
what it is like.  If Britanna had known."

"You cannot keep living in that shadow, you have a new dragon now!"  She
leaned over the table and placed a hand on his shoulder.  "I will not happen
again."

He pushed the hand away.  "She is still out there.  Some place in the
nomadlands.  So do not try to console me.  I will not let anything happen to
Jeratko."  He sat, a cold flush running over him, fear stopped his heart at
the thought.  He had never said it out loud, but it was always there in the
back of his head.

(TAG)

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