Tuesday, September 18, 2001 9:11 PM
If *IT* Could Only Talk
Day 13
[ Mid Morning to afternoon]
"So... who was that rider you were walking with outside the office?" Kayla asked Vesta as the two sat down in the dining hall to share a meal. "I don't recall him being from around here?"
"Oh he's new," Jayleigh's courier told her friend. "His name is TEm'fai. I was taking him to the quartermasters to find an apartment after he spoke with Jayleigh."
"So what's he like?" Kayla grinned, knowing her friend would have learned all she could about him in the short time they were together... Like if he was seeing any one.
"He seems nice," Vesta grinned. "He ought to get along well with T'rell too... he likes coffee."
"To bad there isn't any of that coffee left over from T'rell's last birthday," the blond rider chuckled. "Then you could have invited him over for some ah... for a drink."
Vesta laughed a bit to sharply and looked away. She'd forgotten about that, but now at the mention of that *coffee* she was reminded of her part in that nightmare. Thank the Gods Leigh had never found out that she had helped C`nis with that little joke, or she'd have been wraith bait by now.
"Yeah... to bad," Vesta muttered, and then smiled brightly. "Well I've got to get back to work now before Jayleigh comes looking for me."
She stood up and collected her trash and then before walking away she turned back with a mischievous grin on her face.
"Oh did you hear abut our new *queen*?"
"Sure did," Kayla chuckled. "I was there when we found them and brought them back... I just wonder how long it'll be before Flerrion is begging for a transfer."
"Won't do him any good," Vesta remarked with a slight frown. "Now that T'rell finally has some kind of life again, he'll just go back to ignoring his dragon just like he used too unless he needs him."
The girl was gone before Kayla could ask her what she meant by that last remark. But it stuck in the back of her head.
.....................
As Kayla left the dining hall a thought came to her. Another thought that had been stuck in the back of her mind since she'd mentioned the *coffee* at T'rell's birthday party.
She added up the time in her mind, and then as a wicked smile settled on her lovely face, she changed directions and headed towards the leather shop.
Kayla walked in through the door of the shop and spotted the leather worker talking to two guys she'd never seen before. She waited off to the side partly hidden behind a pile of leather until they'd finished their business and then after making sure no one else was in the shop approached Sharees... "Hey.. busy? Or do you have a moment?"
"For you, Kayla... I have the entire afternoon." Sharees grinned, teasing her old friend. "I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to chat -- what with all that fuss about Lord Gossimor's daughter.... "
"Oh that's okay.. got kind of weird there didn't it?" she asked and then went on before the other woman could answer. "I just remembered something today about T'rell..."
"If it is about Panda... that's old news." Sharees giggled.
"Actually it's not, though it's good to see the old boy finally getting some... if you know what I mean... I had him figured out as being as hopeless as Ja'ks in that department. Especial after the way Mari did him so dirty. But that's not what I'm here. I was hoping that maybe.. you might be interested in helping me putting one over on him." Kayla grinned. "What would you say if I told you that our fearless leader has a birthday coming
up in a few days... and he didn't even tell anyone about it?"
Sharees's eyes lit up, "Ah! A birthday is it? And no one is supposed to know? Oh, this is going to be good!"
"I was hoping you'd say that," the blonde's grin grew even brighter. "You see I was thinking we should do something for him... To show him just how ah.. special he is... Don't you think he deserves a surprise party?"
Sharees nodded, enthusiastically. "Think we should ask Leigh to cook?"
Kayla broke out laughing. The thought of Leigh cooking sent her into a fit of giggles. "Now that would be a surprise... but No.. for this I think we'll have Realee involved.. Only.. we'll make sure there's no coffee this year. You remember what happened last year at his birthday party?"
Sharees blushed, "Oh, yeah... the coffee!" Then she burst out laughing. "Oh I don't know.. I sort of had fun at his last birthday party .... " The two women laughed and reminisced about who had gone to bed with whom, "Well, everyone certainly got an eyeful that night!"
"That's the truth..." Kayla agreed then her eyes turned sad for just a brief moment as she remembered her night with Ari.. then she pushed the thought aside. She'd come here for another reason. "Do you remember the paddle that Noni showed up with? The one that T'rell brought out at her birthday party and threaten to give her a few birthday paddles with it?"
"Yes! Whatever happened to that?" Sharees wondered, though she had a feeling she was about to find out.
"I umm... Well it was Ari really," Kayla blushed. "He sort of took it that night for safe keeping.. and well.. I still have it. I was thinking we could ah.. *return* it to T'rell at his party. After we demonstrate what it's good for... I mean I think T'rell deserve... I mean would like to have it back. don't you?"
Sharees laughed, "Oh, yes, he should indeed *get* it back... and what better day than *his* birthday! Count me in on this one, Kayla!"
"Oh I'm hoping I can do more then count you in on coming... I was hoping I could get you to help me set it up. We have to make sure the others show up without T'rell getting wind of it. And I was thinking that we could pay him back for all those fun little drills he likes to pull.. by pulling one of our own.?"
"Of course! Hmmm... an emergency BCS meeting! Everyone has to come... we'll send Olaf to fetch our fearless leader... how does that sound?"
"Like a plan," Kayla agreed quickly. "Only.. I don't think it would be such a good idea to let Olaf in on what we're doing .. I mean he's okay in a fight.. but when it comes to keeping secrets.... the poor dear is hopeless. And if he doesn't know what we're doing it might make sending him after T'rell more convincing."
"My thoughts exactly... send him first, with some tale of a terrifying crisis, and then get everyone else together for the *surprise*," Sharees nodded. "Now... we'll have to go talk to Realee..." she linked her arm through that of her friend and headed out of her shop... "And we might as well have lunch while we're at it!"
Realee, Daere's head cook, when she finally stopped laughing, was more then willing to help the two rider's out.
"Oh you two are the most!" she chuckled, now that her fit of laughter had died down. "Just leave the meal to me, and be assured that it'll be a surprise when the time arrives. Have you thought of a way to get him here?"
The two riders looked at each other then at the cook.
"Well we thought we'd pull one of those surprise drills that he's always pulling on us. Sort of pay him back if you know what I mean," there was a mischievous sparkle in the girls eyes.
"Oh I think I do," the cook winked and then started to chuckle again as she walked away.
"Man this is going to be good," Kayla said rubbing her hands together as they left the dining hall. "He won't know what hit him until it's too late."
"Let's hope not until *IT* does it's thing." That said both girls started to giggle again and that lasted until some commotion had people running towards the Med center.
Not wanting to be left out, they followed and were in time to see Allora breaking the fall of a woman who'd seconds before been in the mouth of a strange tan dragon.
"Oh dear!" Kayla muttered and as one the two of them raced forward to see if they could be of any help. Instead they were stopped and told to keep others back away. T'rell was already handling things with Jayleigh and too many others might get in the way or lead to more trouble.
They stood there as the Tan dragon suddenly ran past Troy and nearly ran over the new little Queen! Suddenly there were many dragons in the area trying to block the path to the tan dragon and the girl's deciding they were in the way, made a bee line over near the Warrenlady and T'rell.
Moments later they witnessed the Tan dragon sky the lone figure of a human who had suddenly appeared in the middle of the green. Before anyone could warn her to run, the Tan had her in it's claw, holding the human out in front of it as the Warren dragons circled it.
It felt like hours had gone by before the dragon finally lowered the girl and allowed the healers to advance towards her. Then both got the summons from their dragons telling them that they were to go with the Healer Lakoda and Allora with the Tan to where her rider was waiting.
The tan dragon, they learned had been after a healer when she noticed how sick her rider had become.
They mounted their beast and took a few last minute instructions from T'rell then they rose into the air after getting a firm picture of where they were going, and just before they teleported away, Kayla thought the Tan was flying a bit weird. Almost as if she didn't understand the fundamentals of flight.
It wasn't then only thing she noticed but later the slip would come back to haunt her. For it had something to do with seeing someone watching what was going on. Someone she couldn't see well so couldn't identify. For now she focused her attentions on the mission at hand.
For as soon as they got back to the Warren, the sooner they could begin plans for the return of *IT*.
****Submitted by: ********
Kayla & Allesha ( Black Coffee Squadron/Gamma Wing)
Realee (Head cook)
Daere Warren
Aka:
Barbara