Pua
***

A heavy fog surrounded her, and she felt as if she were drowning. She tried
to shake it, but her body felt weak .. unable to do more then flail. "..
help .." she tried to call, but her voice protested it's disuse.

She blinked open her eyes, trying to focus around her. What was this place
.. was she dead? Garien! Where was Garien? "Garien?" she called, her voice a
bit stronger with urgency.

She rolled to her side, pushing up against weakened muscles .. even as med
center staff rushed in to check on their finally waking patient.

***

Pua called for Garien loudly, continuing to back away from the strangers.
Despite her weakened condition, she stayed standing, trying to get to the
door on the other side of the room.

The strangers with pale skin and big eyes continued to jabber unintelligibly
at her .. scaring her all the more as her heart beat wildly.

When Reain entered the room she saw the other nomad woman pressed back
against the wall. She had heard the woman crying out a name as she came down
the hall, and figured it to be the name of the woman's husband.

She also noticed the relief in the eyes of the others when they turned and
saw her enter the room.

"Can you get her to calm down," one of the healers asked Reain. "We don't
want her to hurt herself again."

Reain nodded, but didn't say anything, her eyes were focused on the woman
who now seem to noticed her.

Wide eyed, Pua saw the much less alien face of another nomad woman, and
relief filled her. She prayed silently to the great trainer that this woman
would understand.

"My son .. My Garien .. have they killed him? Have they killed him!?"

Reain shook her head and turned to look at the basket where the baby laid
sleeping. she was slightly amazed that his mothers screams hadn't woken him.

Without saying a word, Reain walked over, bent to pick up the baby and then
turn and headed towards his mother.

Pua's eyes widened in amazement. He was here? He had been here all along?
She watched as the infant began to stir in the other woman's arms .. and
then her legs, which had been shaking with fear and fatigue, gave out and
she dropped to the ground, sobbing with the excess emotion.

Reain walked slowly towards her and then knelt before her. With one hand she
reached out and touched the woman on the shoulder, with her other she held
the baby to her chest.

"Be calm. You are safe here in Stone place... Son is fine. Those who ride
the dragons saw you and went to aid you." She said in words the woman could
understand, even if they sounded slight different then those spoken.

Pua looked up through tear filled eyes, "Dragon .. follower of Krayel? Have
I come to the safety of the great trainer?"

Even as she asked, her eyes and her hands moved to her son, trying to take
him to her. The other woman helped support the baby, seeing the shakiness in
the young mothers limbs.

"I know not of who you speak, but you will be safe here sister," Reain
promised. "He who brought you here has promised this. I promise this. Do not
fear. On my own child and dragon I give my word. You need rest and food to
grow strong."

Raine's accent was strange, but understandable, and Pua's stomach growled
uncontrollably at the mention of food. How long had it been since she had
eaten. "Food would be welcome."

Reain let her lips curve into a slight smile and stood, motioning the woman
to follow her. Then after seeing her back to the bed, baby clenched in her
arms as if afraid to let him go, Reain turned to the strange woman standing
by the door.

"We required food. Andorra can tell you what would be best. Send someone for
her," she told the woman, then turned back to Pua. "What do you remember?"

Pua's face wrinkled in pain at the memories, and she shook her head. "Dead
.. all dead." Her grasp on Garien tightened and the baby protested, drawing
his mother's attention to him, as she loosened her hold and began to comfort
hm.

"Then you know.. Is there no other of your tribe maybe off on hunt?"  the
dragon rideing Nomand woman asked. "Maybe a male to take you in?"

Pua's head dropped and she shook her head, sadly, knowing she was at the
mercy of these strangers. But the fact that they had not killed her male
child, gave her some hope for her fate at their hands.

"I am sorry. I too once thought my tribe all gone. No male to protect me.
But Dragonrider came for me and I am safe here in stone place. You will be
safe here. As will male child you bore," Reain told her seeing the fear
still in the woman's eyes. "Dragonrider's do not kill without reason and
only gray things who attack your village."

"You are slave then?" Pua asked, not really asking. It made sense now. This
woman had come to take her to her new master. She fought the tears that
threatened again at the loss of everything .. and her new situation. "Our
master .. is he good?"

Reaine looked a bit confused, then it came to her, she'd been in the warren
to long. "I have to master here. I am dragonrider. I am free. Woman who runs
Warren has told me this." then Reain remembered somethng else. With no male
of her tribe to see to her needs, Dan'yar who brought her here would need to
make decision about what to do with her.

"Dragonrider who brought you here to this place.. he is good man. Kind man.
He will be kind to you and son. Maybe take son as own since he has none.
Only female children."

Pua nodded, thinking now she understood why Garien had been spared. Her new
master needed a son. That he would take a slave's son to be his was a good
sign, and made her happy. Perhaps this man was rich and would give her son
status within the dragonrider tribe.

The thing that interested her was the freedom of the other woman. "How did
you become free?"

"I was slave when dragonrider's came to our village and one.. a female made
deal with my master for my freedom," Reain told her. "I was brought here to
this place thinking I was to meet new master.. but joined with one of the
beast and then I became free."

Pua's eyes widened, "YOu have tamed a dragon? Are you sure you are not of
Krayel's tribe? Surely to tame a dragon you must be touched by him."

"I have dragon, and my dragon has me," the girl grinned. "We are of one mind
as is the way of dragonrider's. Sylois is all protection I need... I Should
inform Dan'yar.. you are awake. He will want to see for himself you have
suffered no harm.. or will you wish to clean one's self first?"

"Dan'yar .." Pua said the strange name of her new master, then looked down
at the dirt on her arms. She must look a mess. "I should be presentable when
I meet him. A bath first."

"Then bath you will have," Reain agreed and went to the door, oepened it and
talked to someone outside. Seconds later she shut the door and walked back
to Pua. "We will need to walk to bath area if you are able. It is not far
and clean clothes befitting of chunor will be brought to you."

Pua nodded. The title was certainly more then she could have hoped .. but
definitly less then she wanted. Her heart beat in agony as she put on a
resolute face and tried to bury the pain of loss.

"Maybe he will want you for wife if you please him," Reain said thinking to
make the woman feel better. "He is held in high reguard in this place.. if
you please him well enough give him a fine son.. who knows. what will
happen."

"He has no wife?" Pua asked, then nodded as Raine confirmed her question, "I
will do all I can to please him."

***

The door opened moments later and a young girl, obviously a nomad by her
coloring poked her head inside the door. Reain's face lit up in joy when she
saw her daughter. 

"You have clothing?"

Jasi nodded her head and then dared to look at the woman on the bed. "For
pretty woman. Dragonman said to say he will come when Sylois tell dragon it
is okay..... I will stay with baby. Make sure he not alone while woman
bathes." She said sounding older then her years.

Reain nodded, knowing there would be someone older to keep watch over the
both of them. "Is very good of you my daughter. If okay with mother of boy."

Pua hesitated, not wanting them to take Garien away .. but she could also
feel the heat rising off the steaming water as they filled the tub. Finally
she nodded, "Will be okay." She passed Garien back to Reain and began to
strip to step into the tub.

Regards,
Pua
***
NRPG: Barb and I wrote this a long time ago .. so for not sending it out.
Barb, I thought we wrote more .... But this is all I could find :(

Kris

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  |\  /^~~^\  /| 
--qqQ-\O||O/-Qpp-------------------------------------------------
       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Meena & Vonn, Cleft Warren, Wingleader
                      Th'rin & Areena,Whiteriver Warren, Head Healer
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                      Saul & Fayloth, Jasra Warren, Searcher
                      Darlea & Makayla, Courier
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Dragonrider
                      Devon & Xanith, Dragonrider
                http://members.home.net/sgant/kristen/kris.htm
 --d----------b---------------------------------------------------
        ()
       \()/
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