Ghost was still in shock sometime later after the hatching was over 
and the newly-joined riders were shown to the Hatchling barracks. 
Sitting on the side of the cot she now called home for the next 
week or so, the girl eyes were glued to the now sleeping pink 
hatchling. Still finding hard to believe that the little dragon 
was now her life mate.

Her savior! For with joining with the pink, she now had a valid 
reason for thumbing her nose at the horrible Lord Bridgett and 
anyone he might send after her. He couldn't touch her now. By 
*LAW*, she being a dragonrider could chose to stay with the Warren 
if she wanted too, and the best part was that she didn't have to 
pretend to be a child any longer.

She let out a child like giggle when she thought about how the 
others would respond when they found out her true age. She hoped 
that after explaining the reasons behind her masquerade, they 
would be able to forgive her lies. Would they understand that she 
had been in fear for her life? That she had had no other choice? 
Well she'd soon find out.

They know as soon as she walked into the hall where the party was 
to be held in the dress she wore, that was more befitting to a 
young woman her age that the child she had pretended to be. She 
knew a few heads would turn when she walked in and couldn't wait 
to see the reactions.

Her eyes went back to the little hatchling who laid curled up and 
sated for the time being, in her wallow next to Ghost's bed. 

By the Gods!! She thought. What am I going to do?? I have two 
dragons!! Why that was unheard of. Yet here she was with two 
different dragons who looked to her for their care and welfare. 
How was she going to be able to pull it off?

<You'll do fine,> Kikeane's sleepy voice entered her mind with 
the reassurance. <We both think so and we should know.>

<<WE!!>> Ghost caught the pinks use of the plural. <<You've 
talked to Saz? Where is she? Is she all right?>>

<Sazarnth is well and should be home to us soon,> came the 
hatchling's reply. <She has something's to do before she can 
come. You however should go to the party where all of the other 
humans are and enjoy yourself tonight. I'm going to stay here in 
this nice warn wallow and sleep.>

<<Well if you're sure?>>

<GO!!>

Ghost smiled at how bossy the little pink was getting so soon after hatching
and wondered if this was how the dragon planned to go on. Anyway...going to
the party did sound like fun so that's what she 
would do. Maybe she would turn a head or two.

"Yeah right!!" she laughed giving the pink one last caress before 
leaving the room. *Her* turn heads... First they'd have to get 
over the fact that she had gone from being 12 years old to being 
17, in less than a day. What fun she was going to have this 
evening.

The party was well under way when she walked into the hall. Off to 
the left she saw most of her other hatch mates and headed off to 
join them. As she past by the Warrenlady's table, Ghost was 
pleased with the double take her new appearance had earned from 
Lady Phaedra. She couldn't help but smile back at the woman's 
smile. 'Little' imp... it seemed to say, but Phaedra seemed 
pleased with her instead of being upset.

She'd been sitting at the table for sometime wishing she had the 
nerve to ask someone to dance when she felt someone touch her arm 
and turned to see the handsome Beta Wingleader standing beside her 
asking if she'd like to take a few turns around the dance floor 
with him.

She didn't need to be asked twice but jumped up and let him take 
her hand and lead her onto the floor. The first song was just 
about over when they joined the others, and she enjoyed it so 
much that when the song ended she didn't want to leave the dance 
floor. Much to her surprise he stayed there until the next song 
started and they began to go round and round with the new beat.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about this unique problem you 
seem to have with two dragon's to look after." the man said.

"It is kind of unique, isn't it," she asked with a slight smile. 
"I mean I've never heard of one person having two dragon's before."

"Nor have I," C'rin frowned slightly. "But we'll give you all the 
help we can to see that you don't become over burdened with their 
care. That's what I've been wanting to talk to you about, cause 
you're going to have to work twice as hard as the others on 
something's and then you'll be farther ahead of them in other 
ways. I want your promise that you won't take any chances with 
either of them until you've learned what you need to know."

The look in his dark-brown eyes was serious. He meant what he was 
asking. Could he already know that she and Saz had teleported when 
she had promised V'dar that she wouldn't.? Not that it had been her 
fault, not really. Sazarnth had teleported on their last trip 
before she had had the chance to tell her about the promise she 
had made. So that time really didn't count.

"I promise," she told the Wingleader. "But which dragon am I going 
to be riding? Kike or Saz? Or will I be expected to ride both of 
them at sometime or another? It's all kind of confusing."

"I'll just bet it is young Bashie,"

"Ghost!" she corrected him somewhat firmly.

"But I thought the Warrenlady said that your name was Bashie?" 
C'rin looked confused as they completed another turn around the 
floor.

"The person I was before I came here is dead," she told him. "I'd 
prefer to let her rest in piece. From now on I want to forget that 
life and everything that went with it. (Forgive me mama) I'm know 
as the Ghost here in the Warren and that's how I wish it to be."

"But you don't have to be the 'Ghost' anymore child," he said 
kindly and that's when she knew he had no idea just how old she 
was. So the Warrenlady had kept her secret. Leaving the decision 
up to her as to who to tell or not. Well she would tell this man. 
Just to get him to stop treating her like a kid. And because she 
didn't want him to think she was keeping anything from him that 
he should have known.

"C'rin do you think we could go somewhere just a little more 
privet," she asked the taller man. "There's something about me 
that I think you should know. In fact I think you had better know."

"What ever could it be child?" he asked.

"Well there's that," she said as they left the dance floor and 
moved to the back of the room where there were some empty seats. 
"You've got to stop calling me child....after all I'm seventeen."
---------

To say the man was a little shocked when she had finished telling 
him her story, was putting it mildly. He swore to her that if the 
damned bastard ever set foot in the Warren, he would tell him a 
thing or two before showing him to the Warren gates.

"Well I don't think that will be needed any longer," she smiled 
her thanks anyway. "You see he no longer has any hold on me. I'm a
dragonrider now. I've even got TWO dragons."

"I guess you do at that, young... ah ..Ghost," he frowned and then 
took a good look at her. "You're really seventeen?"

"I really am," she agreed smiling and then saw a new light in his 
brown eyes. She liked the admiration she saw reflected there.

"Well that's going to take some getting used to," he laughed. 
"Let's go take another turn around the floor if you've a mind 
too. We can continue our talk about your other problem in the 
morning."

*****Submitted by: ******

Barbara (a.k.a.
Ghost & Kikeane

Geode Warren