[Afternoon Day 3]

>He was sauntering across the green when he felt himself grabbed and
>spun around.  Sharees faced him, her eyes blazing.
>
>"You," she snarled.  "How could you?"
>

M'naten's eyes widened with surprise as she pushed him repeatedly in the
chest as she spat out, "YOU!  You knew!  All last night, you let me go on
and on about some stupid horses... and you knew!  How could you know that
and not tell me?"

"Tell you?  Why lovely lady, I haven't..." M'naten began only to be cut off
with another tirade.

"Of course you do!  They said YOU found him!  If it weren't for you he might
have died!  How can you rescue a boy that hurt and not even care?"

"Oh... Ca'lan..."  M'naten looked away, his face clouding.

"See! You know exactly whom I'm talking about!  How can you deny it?"
Sharees jabbed him again.

"Sharees!"  M'naten grabbed her wrists in his hands to keep himself from
receiving any more bruises.  "I didn't say anything about Ca'lan last night
partly because I was just hoping to forget the whole thing, and partly
because I thought you'd had enough to deal with already, being upset about
those horses, that I didn't want to add any more to your pain..."

"Pretty words."  But her eyes shot daggers at him.  "I've known Ca'lan all
his life... how can you decide that I should or shouldn't know about his
being injured!"

"I'm sorry, Sharees... really."

As they stood there staring at each other they were both startled to hear a
man clearing his throat.

"Martyn!" They both said in chorus.

"Sorry to bother the two of you," he almost smirked.

Sharees realized that M'naten was still holding her wrists, and how very
close they were standing.  She blushed profusely and pulled away.

"If you aren't too busy, would you mind answering some questions?"  Martyn
asked.

"More questions?"  M'naten responded perplexed.

"Oh, if you need him... I guess I should go..."  Sharees turned, but before
she could walk away Martyn stopped her.

"If you don't mind... I'd like to ask you a few questions, too!"  Martyn
called out.

"Me?  You want to ask me questions?"  Sharees replied, confused.

"I did just hear you say that you've known Ca'lan all his life, didn't I?
Maybe we could go somewhere more.. peaceful?"  He smiled.

"We could go over to my shop?"  Sharees offered.

Martyn adjusted a rather large bag that he was carrying across his shoulders
and the three riders walked across the green toward the stables -- and
Sharees' leather shop.  Once there, Sharees perched naturally on a half-made
saddle leaving the men to find places to sit or stand as they desired.

M'naten lounged against the work table, and Martyn stood uncomfortably
before them.  Without preamble he began in on the questions.

"Sharees, for as long as you've known Tair'n, have you ever known him to
mistreat his son in any way?"

Sharees was surprised to have the first question directed at her... but of
course Martyn was trying to catch her off guard.  "Of course not!  He adores
his son... if anything he's over protective of the boy, considering his
condition!"

Martyn nodded and turned to M'naten.  "And when you were at the river... did
you have a bottle of liquor with you?"

"You mean, was I drinking?"

"Please, it isn't an accusation... I was just wondering if anyone else might
have been handling a bottle that I found there..."

"Well, it wasn't me.  I went down there to clean up and cool off."

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone."  M'naten sighed,  "I was just going to give Graimor a bath ...
is all."

"Would you mind if I took a plaster cast of your foot print?"  Martyn asked,
and he swung his bag off his shoulder and began rummaging through it.

"What ever for?"  Sharees asked.

"A what?"  M'naten looked perplexed.

Martyn explained as he went along, pressing M'naten's bare foot into some
wet sand, and then adding the creamy liquid that he'd mixed up from a white
powder and water.

While it dried, Martyn asked Sharees a few more questions and then surprised
her by asking her, "And since you don't think that Tair'n is capable of
doing such a thing to his son, would you be willing to help me determine who
it was that is responsible?"

"Does that mean you don't think Tair'n is guilty?"  M'naten asked.

"I didn't say that... exactly.  I just asked Sharees if she wanted to help."
Martyn smiled.

Sharees looked from one to the other, and with determination in her eyes,
she answered, "I'll do whatever is needed to get to the bottom of this --
and those horses while I'm at it!"

"Horses?"  Now it was Martyn's turn to wonder, so Sharees filled him in on
what had transpired... including the death threats made against Lord Naiad.

Martyn listened as if filing it all away.  When she'd finished he noted, "It
seems as if a lot more is going on here..."

****
Tag John and KK... how does Martyn want Sharees to help?  And will he ask
M'naten as well?

Respectfully submitted by:
Arlene Jacobs
AKA Sharees rider of Chamelle of Daere Warren.