At 01:59 PM 2/9/97 -0500, mike054 wrote:
>Zert was awakened by the pounding thought, <Can you hear me?>.
>
><Yes, I can hear you. Um, who are you and why are you in my room?>, was
>Zert's answer.
>
><I am Fae'Rhee and I was looking for the man my mate cut with his
>knife,> she replied.
>
>Zert laid there for a few minutes in silence before asking, <Sorry I
>can't help you with that I just got here myself. Are you new here to the
>warren?>
>
>That got a nod from the girl. Zert was beginning to get worn out by all
>this mental conversation, even though it was brief, so he asked her,
><Can we speak normally, please. This is starting to take tax me
>greatly.>
>
><Normally??> the girl asked him.
>
>"Um, yes. Like I'm doing now," he responded.
>
>The girl gave him a very angry looking glare and shaking her head said,
><I'm not very good at speaking like that, my mate and I spoke only with
>our minds.>

Fae'Rhee desperately wanted to be able to speak like others, and understand
their speech, but right now she was too stubborn and frustrated to try
again. Her frustration was verging on anger.

><Ok, I'm sorry if I made you angry, please forgive me. I will keep
>talking to you with my mind, but if I stop for a moment or two I'm
>resting, alright?>
>
>Again she nodded. She was getting up to leave when a plate of food was
>brought in for Zert's dinner. Zert looked up and saw that she was 
>watching the plate as it was handed to him so he asked, <You hungry?>

Fae'Rhee's stomach rumbled in response.

>She looked at him and the food then nodded while saying, <Yes.>
>
><Would you like some? I won't be able to eat it all. So I don't mind
>sharing it with you.>
>
>With that she sat on the bed next to him and started to reach for some
>of the food, when he told her, <Stop.>

Fae'Rhee wondered what kind of cruel trick this was. How could he tell her
yes and then no? These people made no sense at times.

>She was looking at him again, her emerald eyes flashing with anger, <You
>said I could have some!>  
>
><Yes, I did say you could have some, but did I say that you could use
>your hands to take the food off of the plate?> Holding up a fork he
>asked, <Do you know what this is?>
>
>A shake of her head was the answer.
>
><Ok, I'm getting tired talking to you with my mind, so I'm going to rest
>a minute before we go on, is that ok with you?>
>
>Another nod.
>
><Alright this is called a fork, you use this to..... um, stab the food
>on your plate. Like this,> He told her as he stabbed at some of the
>vegetables that were on his plate, <See. You can also use it to hold you
>meat in place so you can cut it into bite size pieces with your....>
>
><Knife!>, she replied when he held up the knife.
>
><That's correct. See how you hold the meat with the fork and then take
>the knife, and using the sharp side you can cut it.>

<Stab with knife, hunt with knife.>

<No, Fae'Rhee, no hunting here. There is no need,> the man explained.

<Hunt to eat!> Fae'Rhee protested. 

<No, lass, someone else does the hunting. The cooks prepare the food and it
is served in dining hall.>

Fae'Rhee marveled at the thought of a dining hall. It was a foreign concept
to her.

>She was smiling as he took the bite that he had cut and plopped it into
>his mouth. <Would you like to try it,> he asked as he handed the plate
>to her. <Just be careful and take your ti.....,> was all he got out
>before the fork, along with the piece of meat she was trying to cut,
>slide across the plate and flew from her hands to the floor.
>
>She watched in fascination as the fork and meat hit the ground then,
>giving the plate back to Zert, she went over to get it. She put the meat
>back on the plate and tried again only to receive the same result, it
>appeared that she was becoming angry now. On her third attempt Zert
>reached out and help her to cut it without sending it against the wall.
>
><That wasn't so bad was it?> he asked her.
>
><This is stupid. I can eat the meat fine without cutting it.>
>
><That you can, lass. But you'll not be welcomed at many tables. If you
>would like me to help learn this or anything else you come and tell me,
>ok.>
>
>Again she nodded and headed for the door.

Fae'Rhee turned around and asked, <What is your name?>

<Zert,> the man replied.

<Zert, I want to learn to speak like other people, and understand what they
say.>

<Later, lass. it is late in the day and I am tired.>

Fae'Rhee smiled hopefully and went to Dyanisa's apartment. She was glad to
find someone to teach her at last.

As she entered the apartment Dyanisa was cross with her. Fae'Rhee didn't
need words to understand that. Dyanisa had dinner waiting and Fae'Rhee was
glad of it, having only gotten a taste of Zert's meal.

Fae'Rhee sat down on the ground cross-legged with the tray in front of her.
She was not about to be defeated by a tool such as a knife and was
determined to fit in with the warren people. Picking up the knife and the
fork she attempted to cut the meat.

The knife slipped disastrously. Blood flowed profusely and Fae'Rhee howled
at the hot pain in her left hand and began to panic.

**********
NRPG: Tag, Bridget!
**********

== Shortly after, at the med center ==

Fae'Rhee struggled as the healers attempted to stitch her. She flailed
about fearfully and the healers struggled with her. She growled at her
captors.

<Zert, help! They're hurting me! I'm scared!>

Suddenly Fae'Rhee felt a sharp pain in her buttocks followed by a burning
sensation. Her eyes got heavy, her tongue thick and then everything went
black.

**********
NRPG: Tag Bridget, Mike, and anyone else who wants to jump in.

The last thing Fae'Rhee felt, BTW, was a shot of anesthetic. (Thought that
was pretty obvious, but just in case...)
**********

== The next morning ==

Fae'Rhee woke up to find herself in a bed in the med center. Her left hand
throbbed painfully. She looked at it and it was swathed in bandages. Her
mouth was dry and she was feeling slightly thick headed and confused, and
alone.

Fae'Rhee got up and wandered to the room where she remembered Zert was. She
sat down cross-legged in the chair, trying to sort out what had happened
through the mental fog.

**********
NRPG: Tag, Mike!

                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
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     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_   Jacqueline "Morgan" Routier           )
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