** Danika **

Danika felt better when she woke up the next morning, no longer feeling
like a small child. She knew she made mistakes, but she was not going to be
cowed today. Not by Nefiri and not by anyone. Her heart was in the right
place, of this she was certain. But her father was right, she had to learn
to be more diplomatic and think things out more thoroughly.

Danika washed and dressed and headed for breakfast. She was thinking of
ways to continue her investigation without stepping on toes, still bothered
by the things that Fae'Rhee had told her and it's affect on Jadain.

***

[Dining hall]

Danika hit the pastry table first, as she usually did when stressed and
filled her plate with sweets. Then, feeling guilty, she put some eggs on
her plate as well and got herself a hot steaming cup of well sweetened
coffee. She sat down at an unoccupied table and began to eat her first meal
of the day.

"Excuse me, may I join you?" a male voice said.

Danika looked up, into the most brilliant blue eyes she had ever seen on a
man.

"I... I don't believe we have been properly introduced," Danika stammered,
blushing prettily, her aqua eyes a bright contrast to her now rosy cheeks.
She looked down, embarrassed, never before had a young man had that effect
on her.

"I am Alex Gossimor," he said, as if the name should mean something to her.
But the name meant nothing to Danika.

The young queenrider looked up into his eyes again, "I am Danika, rider of
the queen Kalindeth. I just transferred here a few days ago from Epion
warren."

"Ah..." he said, a hint of recognition in his eyes at the reference.

Danika saw the look and imagined that he must have heard of her through
dragon gossip.

"Would you mind if I joined you for breakfast?" he repeated, now that
introductions were over.

"Please sit down," Danika invited.

They sat eating their breakfast and Danika continued to mull over her
problem, her brow  furrowed in concentration.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Alex asked.

"Perhaps there is. There have been some strange happenings around here and
I am afraid I have made a mess of things."

"Oh?" asked Alex intrigued.

Danika, never shy, began telling her tale about Fae'Rhee and her dream, and
the suspicions that Zert was a dragon who could change form. She told him
every detail of what she had learned. Then she got to the subject of Nefiri
and their conversation in the corridor of the med center.

"And there is something about that woman, I can't put my finger on it, but
something not quite right about her. She made me feel small and inferior."

*******

** Fae'Rhee **

[Later that morning]

Fae'Rhee spent the morning griping and groaning. Her fever was gone and she
longed to be released and be out with her dragon.

"I'm sorry, we can't release you yet."

"Why not?" Fae'Rhee's green eyes flashed angrily. There was still something
untamed about the woman that caught people off guard, especially when she
was angered or upset.

"There are others sick here as well, we need to do some tests to see if you
don't have the same thing. There is always possibility of a relapse," Herin
tried to explain, a little unnerved by the young woman.

"I am better now! Want to fly!" Fae'Rhee protested.

"You are still too weak, you at least have to gain your strength back
before I can permit you to learn to fly your dragon," Herin was getting
exasperated.

Fae'Rhee crossed her arms, and scowled silently down at the white sheet
covering her. The healer took some notes and walked out the room.

With the stealth of a cat, Fae'Rhee crept out of bed and listened at the
door. When she was satisfied that no one was nearby she slipped on her
clothes and wandered out the door.

******

** Danika **

Danika arrived at the med center to see how her father was. But to her
dismay and surprise he wasn't in the room. She left the room and started
searching the halls for a healer to ask about where R'ven might be, or if
he'd been released when she felt someone back into her.

Danika gasped and spun about to see the young woman Fae'Rhee, but she was
up and about and fully clothed.

In an instant Fae'Rhee's expression went from fear, to confusion, to
recognition. The wilder put two fingers to Danika's lips, signaling her to
be quiet and gestured for Danika to follow.

Intrigued the young queenrider followed Fae'Rhee out of the med center.
Fae'Rhee found a comfortable tree and gestured for Danika to sit down
beside her in the shade.

"Is it safe to talk now?" Danika asked, sitting down next to the wilder.

"Yes, sorry," Fae'Rhee apologized.

Danika thought the better of asking for confirmation that Fae'Rhee had left
without healer's permission, afraid of scaring the young woman away.

"Feeling better?" she asked instead.

Fae'Rhee nodded in confirmation, but was silent, uncertain how to proceed.

"You remember my visit yesterday?" Danika asked cautiously. She didn't want
to risk upsetting the young woman.

"Yes. You believe me?" Fae'Rhee asked at last.

"Yes, Fae'Rhee, I do. But I have run into some difficulties."

"Nobody believes?" Fae'Rhee asked.

"No, unfortunately," Danika sighed, "Jayleigh doesn't believe me."

Frustrated, Fae'Rhee got up and walked off. Danika's first impulse was to
follow the young woman but decided the better of it, so as not to upset the
searcher any further.

Instead, she decided to go to the library, to see what she could learn of
her new home. Perhaps the Fae'Rhee and Zert matter would be better served
by her putting her mind toward other matters for a while so as not to have
reason clouded by obsession, she thought.

******

** Fae'Rhee **

Fae'Rhee was excited to see her friend Sienra sitting on the green by a
human and rushed toward her, eager to see the dragon and her rider again. 

She arrived just in time to see Sienra fly off and stopped dead in her
tracks. The person talking to Sienra was not Dy, but Zert. Many emotions
flashed through the young woman at a frightening pace. Love, fear,
confusion. Her instinct was to run, but her feet refused to move.

"Zert!" she called out.

"Fae'Rhee! I didn't know you were released."

"I... um..."

The couple regarded each other cautiously.

There was something about him that was different. He appeared to be hiding
something. Had she ruined his trust with her fears?

******

** Danika **

[Outside the library]

Danika was approaching the library when the door opened and out came her
father R'ven. Was he released without her being told, she wondered, surprised.

"Da! What are you doing here?" Danika asked.

********

NRPG: Tag Alex, Mike, and Lea! :)

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