"Yes Dyanisa?" she asked.

She finished her scan of the room, and quickly ducked her head to hide her
slight smile when she saw the Warrenlady sitting very near Tair'n.  It was a
bit to late to be here for just a casual visit.  

"Come..find..her.." Dyanisa said once she got her amusement under control.
"Woke ..not find her."

There was a pause as Jayleigh conferred with her dragon.  In the back of her
mind, Dyanisa could feel Sienra grumble as the queen woke her up.

"Dy, have you been looking out for the two of them?" Jayleigh asked.  She
nodded in reply.

"Bath and food.." she smiled and wrinkled up her nose as she recalled how
awful they had smelled.  "Better now... we go?"  Sleep was a good thing and
she really wanted to go do some more of it.

"Go?" Jayleigh asked.  Dyanisa was confused by the warrenlady's confusion.
She didn't think it got much clearer than 'go,' as in leave.

"Sleep..not..not..," she frowned.  How was she supposed to explain asking
for a dismissal when the only word she knew that expressed leaving was 'go'
and that hadn't worked?

That was dismissal if Dyanisa had ever heard one.  Quickly she reached for
the girl but Fae'Rhee shook her off.  Now what, Dy thought with annoyance.
Her bed was really starting to look very comfortable.  Dy watched in
confusion as the woman reached out to touch Jayleigh's shorter hair, and
tilted her head as if she was asking a question.

"Maybe you can take her by Beret's tomorrow and see if she'd like to have
her hair cut?" Jayleigh said.  Beret's?  Dyanisa committed the name to
memory so she could find it tomorrow.

"Cut" was the one word the feral woman understood. She began to panic
instinctively.

<CUT??? CUT??? Why hurt???> Fae'Rhee's mind reeled. 

<Hair cuts don't hurt,> chuckled the familiar voice of the dragon Sienra in
her head.

<Why cut?>

<Because humans think it makes them more attractive, and it seems you like
the shorter hair of our Warrenlady Jayleigh, who is on the bed there.>

Fae'Rhee reflexively nodded in affirmation, <Yes, but not all... just the
front like Jayleigh. The rest same, but knotted.>

<Knotted???> the sleepy dragon asked slightly confused.

<Like Dyanisa does.>

<Oh!> exclaimed the Sienra, <You mean braided. That is the word for that
style. And short in the front is called bangs.>

<Yes!> Fae'Rhee replied, nodding again, <Braid and cut bangs.> A faint
glimmer of a smile began to creep upon her face, but just as quickly
disappeared as she remembered why she was here. Oh, how she missed Nrocinu.
Where was he and why didn't he take her with him???

<Good,> replied Sienra, who was eager to get back to sleep, <Now will you
please go with Dyanisa so we can all sleep.>

<But Nrocinu....>

<Is probably fine. We'll sleep now and see what we can do later after we
have rested and taken care of some things.>

That satisfied Fae'Rhee somewhat. She then went willingly. But still she
was sad. The dragon said they would look for Nrocinu, but in her heart of
hearts Fae'Rhee knew that Nrocinu would not be found, and wouldn't be
coming back. Though warren life was an adjustment to make for her, she had
been acclimating much better than Nrocinu had. Perhaps he wasn't happy
here, or maybe he was scared. But wherever he was, she wondered if he
missed her as much as she missed him.

They both paused as the cold wind seemed to blow right through them,
freezing them to the bone.  At least it probably wouldn't snow tonight, it
was too dry and bitter cold.  Impulsively, Dy reached out and took
Fae'Rhee's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Fae'Rhee looked in surprise at the woman squeezing her hand. Dyanisa smiled
in reply. Suddenly she didn't feel quite as alone anymore. Still, she pined
for Nrocinu.

Both of them shivered and Dyanisa tugged on Fae'Rhee's hand.  That was all
the warning the woman had before Dy broke into a run for their rooms,
dragging Fae'Rhee behind her.

At that moment Fae'Rhee realized she was cold. She didn't need any further
urging to run to their rooms, and Fae'Rhee ran as fast as she could,
trailing behind the woman holding her hand.
*********************
**Next Morning**

Fae'Rhee awoke to find Dyanisa had already risen and left. Panic was
starting to set in. What if she had disappeared like Nrocinu?

<Where is Dyanisa?> Fae'Rhee asked Sienra anxiously.

<Gone to get some food for breakfast. She'll be back soon,> explained the
dragon reassuringly.

<Stay???> asked Fae'Rhee unsure of whether to go find food herself or to
stay and wait.

<Yes, please do. We wouldn't want to lose you, too. Besides, it seems
Dyanisa has grown attached to you and Jayleigh thinks you are something
special.>

Somewhat confused, Fae'Rhee sat on her blankets and waited anxiously, for
she was hungry indeed. It wasn't long before Dyanisa came in with a platter
of food. Together they sat and ate, and Fae'Rhee made an effort to imitate
the younger woman's manner of eating. She was starting to really like
warren food better than her own cooking. And fitting in was somehow
important to her. Without Nrocinu, this was her new home now.

<Fae'Rhee, you need to get dressed and cleaned up to go see Jayleigh... the
lady with the bangs. It is very important,> Sienra informed her after they
finished their meal.

<Bangs cut first???>

<No, later this morning.>

Fae'Rhee put on the clothes that were laid out for her. The shirt sleeves
once again hung over her hands, flapping like wings, but today Dyanisa
rolled them up slightly. Still, it was apparent that the clothes were
oversized for her. 

Fae'Rhee then started trying to braid her hair in the fashion that Dyanisa
had done for her the day before. Dyanisa hurriedly intercepted the tangled
fingers and attacked they young woman's hair with a comb and deftly weaved
Fae'Rhee's hair into an attractive style. The braid came down Fae'Rhee's
back past her buttocks when Dyanisa was through.

<Can Dyanisa teach me to braid?> inquired Fae'Rhee of Sienra when they were
done.

Dyanisa took Fae'Rhee's hand and led her to a room she hadn't been to
before. The younger woman knocked on the door, and Fae'Rhee, not
understanding did likewise.

Soon the door was opened by the lady with the bangs.
***************
NRPG: Tag Barb and Bridget! Barb, was thinking that you might want to
suggest, in addition to anything else, that Fae'Rhee go to the med center
that afternoon for a physical. That would be logical with her not having
seen a doctor since before the age of 4 and all and would give a reason for
her to be there when Maeve comes in and sees her.


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                |  @___oo   (                                         )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Submitted by:                        )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_   Jacqueline "Morgan" Routier           )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      FaeRhee/Alustriel of Daere       )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Aradia/Futhark of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (                                   )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_                                 )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
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