Fae'Rhee was soaked with sweat as the fever broke suddenly. She fought
desperately against the sedatives they had given her to numb her mind and
keep her quiet, she just had to convince someone. Maybe that Danika girl
with the pretty dragon would help, Fae'Rhee hoped desperately, or maybe
that other girl Nefiri. The door opened and the larger of the two women,
Nefiri, walked through the door.

>	"Fae'Rhee," she said softly, placing a hand on her forehead.  She'd been
>sweating, but her brown was now cool.  Fae'Rhee managed a weak smile.
>
>	"Nefiri.  It's so nice to see you again."
>
>	"Hi, sweetie.  It's good to see you, too.  Alustriel has been worried about
>you."
>
>	"She has?  Why?"
>
>	"She said somebody came to see you after I left this morning, and it upset
>you again."
>
>	"Oh, Danika came.  She didn't upset me.  She believed me when I told her
>about Zert."  Fae'Rhee seemed pleased with that observation.
>
>	"Fae'Rhee, why did you tell Danika about your dream?"
>
>	"She asked.  She said Jadain told her about Zert."

Fae'Rhee felt a panic as she worried about her young friend Jadain again.
She had to stay awake to tell Nefiri what she knew, to convince her, but
the drugs were winning the battle and making her groggy.

>	"Fae'Rhee, honey, I don't understand.  How would Jaidan know about your
dream?"
>
>	"He's a telepath too."  She was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

Fae'Rhee cursed the healers and their sleeping drugs called sedatives, so
much like anesthetic but for the mind instead.

>	"Fae'Rhee," she waited to get the girl's attention, "honey, I have to go
>now.  But I'll be back to see you later on, okay?  You need to sleep now,
>and you'll feel better."
>
>	"Sleep...yeah.  Do you remember your promise?"


Promise... Fae'Rhee searched her foggy mind. Then she remembered; don't get
upset because it is bad for Alustriel.

>	"Yes, I remember."

Still, Fae'Rhee worried about Jadain. She couldn't let Zert hurt him.

>	"Protect Jaidan, too.  Will you promise to protect Jaidan?  I don't care if
>Zert hurts me, just not Jaidan."
>
>	"Zert isn't going to hurt anybody, Fae'Rhee.  I promise you that.  He won't
>hurt anybody."

Fae'Rhee nodded sleepily, her eyes drifted shut and she fell asleep,
content for the moment that something would be done at last.

******

** Evening **

She awoke a while later with a ravenous appetite. Her hair was plastered to
her head with sweat but she was much cooler.

"Feeling better?" the healer asked with a smile.

Fae'Rhee scowled, "Hungry, need a bath."

The healer chuckled and helped her stand up. She led her to a bathing area
and helped her into the warm water.

The water felt wonderful to Fae'Rhee. Extremely refreshing. She scrubbed
her head til it tingled and her body until the skin was pink, just to get
rid of the fever smell that was clinging to her.

She was dismayed to be brought another nightgown to wear. "Regular
clothes," she protested shaking her head so vehemently that her wet curls
flew about, spraying water around the room.

"Need to get better first," the healer explained.

"I am better. No more fever!"

"Maybe so, but you were very ill, you need to rest."

"Eat first!" Fae'Rhee insisted.

"Back to bed and I'll have a dinner tray brought to you," the healer chuckled.

******

** Alustriel**

In the barracks a lone hatchling awoke as her rider did. The icky sick
feelings were gone.

<Better?>  Alustriel asked hopefully.

<No more fever,> the rider sent back as she ate her dinner.

Alustriel ran out of the barracks trumpeting happily. <My rider, my
Fae'Rhee, is well!> she announced to anyone who was listening.

She flared out her wings as she ran and suddenly found herself aloft.

<My Fae'Rhee, I am flying!> the turquoise and fuscia hatchling cried out,
surprised at her own unintentional accomplishment.

<Wonderful!> Fae'Rhee replied joyously. She pushed aside her tray, jumped
out of bed, and rushed to a window to see if she could catch a glimpse of
Alustriel in flight.

Fae'Rhee saw the colorful hatchling high in the sky. She thought to herself
how much she'd grown and how much she'd missed out on the past few days of
being sick. She longed to be on the back of her hatchling, just like the
other dragon riders.

"Fly!" Fae'Rhee called out, doing her dance of so long ago, her arms
stretched out wide as if they were wings, "Fly!"

******

NRPG: Well, Fae'Rhee is better, but she will remember her dream and her
visitors and still won't trust Zert.

Niki, will Nefiri be paying another visit to Fae'Rhee that evening?

Mike, is Zert going to attempt to see Fae'Rhee now that she's well?
Remember, she will not be thrilled to see him, and will be afraid.


                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                        )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood          )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                         )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      Danika/Kalindeth of Daere        )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Aradia/Futhark of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (   Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_ Yasmine/Starlin of Marrid       )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;