[NRPG: And now for the weather report from Johnstown, Pennsylvania...]

Noni's day got off to a quiet start. After a light breakfast, she turned
Amethyst loose on the herds so that the dragon could get her own repast. Noni
then spent some time in her domain of experience -- the medical center. Every
so often she would check on that stabbed rider, Tair'n. She had given a few
stitches, prescribed a few herbs, and set a broken arm. Now she was bored.
She pulled out a copy of a book she had stashed under one of the examination
beds and began to read.

No sooner than she had turned one page she saw a man staggering into the med
center. The skin on his face and hands was not a healthy color. Did he come
in from--

"I'm cold, my wraith injury on my arm hurts, and I can't feel my
toes anymore. I've been outside all night, trying to get back here and I
don't feel very well at all. Can you please help me?"

Noni leapt from her perch on the table and dropped her book just in time to
catch the man as he collapsed. She carefully laid him on the table. First
things first... Airway... OK... Breathing... Not too bad... Circulation...
Good. The healer reached into a nearby cabinet and pulled out a vial of
smelling salts. She broke the seal and held it under the man's nose. He
jerked his head away. Noni gently slapped his face. "Sir? Sir, wake up."

She pulled off the man's boots and looked at his toes. (Flying flames,) she
thought. (He really deep froze these!) She pulled out a kettle of warm water
(one was always kept warm in the medical center during the winter months for
just such an occasion) and dipped a towel in it. She gingerly wrapped it
around her patient's feet. Now, about that arm...

"You said that you had a wraith burn?" A patient like this should be kept
talking. A talking patient is a living patient.

"Umm... yes..." 

"Which arm?"

He swiveled his right arm at the shoulder. Noni pulled out a pair of scissors
and cut the sleeve of his shirt at the shoulder seam. [NRPG: I don't have the
original post that says which arm got burned, so I'm taking a guess here.
50/50. If I'm wrong, oh well.]

The wound had been treated before, but not nearly enough. Tinctures of fresh
blood welled around its edges. Noni soaked a rag in the warm water, cleaned
the burn, coated it with antiseptic and anesthetic ointments, and wrapped the
whole package with a bandage. (Let's see here...) she thought, ticking off
points on her fingers. (He's frostbitten, wounded, and isn't feeling well.
Not feeling well...?)

"Sir, how long have you been feeling sick?"

Her patient had his wits intact now. "A few hours before I made it here."

Noni mentally put the pieces together. "Did you do any teleporting before you
began to feel ill?"

He hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"Teleporting. You know, going from 'point A' to 'point B' in a matter of
moments by not flying over any appreciable area between the two points.
Common practice for dragons and their riders." 

[NRPG: Tag, Mike! :) Where else shall their conversation go? No matter what
Zert says, that healer won't let him go anywhere with teleporting sickness
and frozen toes, guaranteed! :)]

************************
[An hour later.]

*Ammie?*

The dragon stifled a yawn. <Huh... What?>

*Wake up, sleepywings. You're the gossipmonger. You wouldn't know just who
I'm treating now, would you?*

Amethyst thought for a moment. <Uh, yes, I think I've seen him before. Can't
say anything else except that.>

*I bet.* Noni thought for a moment. (Well, suspicious or not, someone should
know he's here in case there's a party looking for him. Now, who to call...
What was that rider's name again? Beta wingleader... Ah. Ja'ks.) *Ammie, I
want you to talk to another dragon for me. Tell Ja'ks' dragon that I would
ask that his rider come down to the med center at his earliest convenience.*

<Sprarroe.>

*Yep. Him.*

<His rider is on his way.>

--------------------------------------

NRPG:

Barb: Tag! :] And so it begins... <g>

Mike: Hopefully I didn't make too many errors in my writing of Zert here...
If I did, I'm sorry. 

Clear Skies and Seas,
Paula