Dyanisa aimlessly wandered the warren ground, gazing with unfocused eyes at
the ground.  It wasn't late enough for her to be tired and she was restless.
Tonight, she was feeling the warren walls around her more than she ever had.
They were like a cage, limiting her freedom to roam.  She was home sick.  

<You wish to go back to the waste?> Sienra asked, her tone an undecipherable
mixture of sadness and something else.

*No,* Dyanisa replied, surprised at her own vehemence.  *  The waste is
lonely and I'm sick of being alone, I hate being alone.  Funny thing is, I'm
afraid of being with people.*

<You aren't alone anymore, love.>

*No, I'm not, but I am.  Oh, I don't know!*  She sent a pebble skittering
across the ground in frustration.  *I suppose it's just strange to me.  The
waste is all I've known, it's what I am.*

A movement caught Dyanisa's eye.  A slight figure with her arms out
stretched and fluttering in the cool winter breeze, danced to the silence.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a man, sitting down in the corner.
Then she smelt them, and her homesickness, momentarily forgotten, returned
with a rush.

The smelt of dirt, blood, sweat, badly tanned pelts, and sand; they smelled
like the waste.  Curious, she walked silently over.  Purposely she sent a
pebble skittering across the ground to land at the man's feet.

He jumped to his feet, knife in hand, skittish as a startled bird.  The
woman still pranced around; Dyanisa wondered if there was something wrong
with her.  

*Sienra, do you know who these people are?*  she asked.

<Amadith and Sinia brought them in.  The man stabbed Tair'n.  Sinia says
they can talk with dragons.  The girl is facinated by us.>

*Why don't you come out here for a moment then.*

<Oh, fine,> Sienra answered impertantly.

*Don't "oh fine" me, 'Ra.  I know you just as curious as I am.*

Dyanisa continued her aproach, purring softly like one of the big cats in
the waste.  It seemed to help a little, but the knife was still in his hand.
Just as she got about half a fot from him, he paniced and lunged.

Quick as lightning she grabbed his wrist, her fingers digging into the
muscle until they hit the nerve.  The knife dropped from his deadened
fingers like a rock.  Dyanisa caught it with her other hand and let him go.

The knife was a very functional knife, no real distinguishing markings or
anything.  The balance was good though, but it didn't look like the man knew
how to throw it.  She hadn't back to him hilt first.

Sienra chose then to lumber into view, her scales shining in the moonlight.
The woman smiled delightedly, and ran over to her, lightly stroking Sienra's
snout.  'Ra crooned a melody in enjoyment.

*You want to talk to them see if you can calm them down?* Dyanisa asked, one
eye on her dragon the other on the man.

<Warren translator at your service!> came the amused reply.

The man aquired a less skittish posture and seemed to relax a bit.

<The girl's name is Fae'Rhee, the man's is Nrocinu.  They're wastrels like you.>

*Wastrels?* Dyanisa asked, confused.

<They have lived in the waste since they were young.  So they're wastrels.>

Dyanisa quirked an amused eyebrow before turning all her attention to the man.

Dyanisa held out her hand to Nrocinu, smiling toothlessly.  He stared at it
for a while, then hesitantly took it, putting the knife into his belt.  She
led him over to Sienra, who was preening under all the attention.

*Oversized pussy cat,* she accused the dragon.  *Ask them if they are hungry.*

<They are.  It seems Amadith and Sinia's arrival ruined their hunt.>

*Dragons have a way of doing that.  Stay here with them.  I'll go get
something to eat.*

Dyanisa walked off, aware of Nrocinu's eyes on her.  Food was the first
thing on her list of things to do with her fellow 'wastrels'.  Right behind
it was a bath and that might be a bit more difficult.  Clothes could wait
until tommorrow, but the pelts were going in the trash as soon as she could
russle up some clothes for them.

It didn't take long for Dyanisa to return and her food was gone in the blink
of an eye.  Leaving the plates where they were, Dyanisa stood up and led
them towards the public bathes.

Sienra had to leave them then and Fae'Rhee took a little convincing to leave
the dragon, but eventually she did.

*Sienra, stay in touch will you.  I'm going to give them a bath and I don't
really know how much they'll like it.*

<Scrub them very good.  They stink.>

*They're not getting out of the water until they are dirt free!* came the
vehement answer.

Dyanisa stripped and disarmed herself, gesturing at them to do the same.
Sienra had to say a few words to them, especially Nrocinu, but eventually
their pelts and the knife were in a corner.  Dy grabbed some towels, lots of
wash clothes, two scrub brushes,  and two bars of soap.

Throwing the towels in the corner, she put the rest within easy reach of the
bath and attempted to get Fae'Rhee and Nrocinu into the water.  It took a
while, but the moment they stepped in the water turned brown and muddy.
Dyanisa was very thankful that it was circulating and the dirty water was
being replaced by clean, though the clean wouldn't be evident for a while.

It was a very educational experience, and by the time they were were done,
the soap was gone and the third bar halfway there.  But they were clean, if
very red from all the scrubbing.  

Dyanisa wrapped them up in the towels, not letting them go anywhere near
their furs, which were bundled up in a towel, to be sorted through later.  A
metal comb was taken to attempt to unsnarl Fae'Rhee's hair, then they left.

*Where do you thing we should put them, 'Ra?*

<They can sleep in our room, there's plenty of blankets for bedding on the
floor.  The blankets will probably be the most comfortable bed they've had
in a long time anyway.>

Dyanisa sent a feeling of agreement to her dragon and set out for her quarters.

The beds were made and Nrocinu was asleep almost immediately.  Fae'Rhee
wasn't so lucky.  Sitting the woman down, Dyanisa took the comb and
proceeded to untangle the long black hair.  It was very late by the time she
had finished, but it was worth the effort.  With aching arms, and in
Fae'Rhee's case, an aching scalp, they snuggled up in their beds and went to
sleep.

Submitted by Bridget Olson
Dyanisa/Sienra *Daere*
Inagua/Myacura *Geode*
N'dovra Leriamtiq *Ralengarde*

"Things of Order and things of Chaos don't mix well, but I survived."