[After lunch]

"My, my," Dalchance murmured appreciatively. "You work like ten men!"

"Oh," Karine said, chuckling demurely, "It's nothing. I was bred a worker."
She dipped her hands into the dish basin and pulled out another plate. A few
moments later, another.

The head cook quietly left the young lass to her tasks. Karine merrily went
through the job, all the while humming little tunes to herself. 

In rather little time, the work was completed. Karine stood against the wall
and wiped the water, cleanser, and food bits off her hands. She stepped over
to a produce bin and pulled out a carrot as a snack. She gingerly plucked a
package of hers from a nearby shelf and set out for her home.

It was only a few flights of stairs, not too much of a hike, but enough of a
trek for anyone in poor physical condition. Karine wasn't.

She stepped into her room and turned up some lamps. Her dragon had been
playing with a small rope perplexity and looked up. Her talons were tangled
up in the twine. 

"Oh, you silly beast... Come here so I can get your forepaws out of that
mess!"

<Mm, no! I've almost got it solved!>

"No, you don't. If it were solved, it would be untied... Not wrapped around
your claws."

The dragon growled darkly and sneezed. 

"Besides, I have a new game for you." She held out the package and the dragon
immediately rose to her haunches. The creature approached, as carefully and
yet clumsily as she could while using only her back legs, and sniffled the
package.

Karine put the package behind her and held out both hands. "Now, give me your
forepaws, dear... Let me get that string off." The dragon did as she was
told, resting her weight on her elbows as she offered up her claws for
detangling.

When Karine had finished the minor task, the dragon thrust her muzzle towards
the package. Her long serpentine tongue slithered out and lightly licked the
seal on the box; the head cocked so one bright eye could peer intently at the
box's markings. <Ooh! What is it?>

"You find out. You know how to open boxes by now." 

The dragon stared at her rider and then stared at the box. With a slow
movement, she brought one sharp talon to bear. She brought it down and
forward to push it into the seal of the box; then she pulled the natural
knife toward her. The seal tore easily.

Andromeda squealed with delight as she stuck two of her talons into the box
and started rummaging around. <What's in here? What's in here?> Eventually
she had thrown out all the packaging and let out a triumphant croon after
viewing the box's treasured contents: a new treegum ball!

Karine laughed as she watched her friend immediately begin to partake in her
play...

First Andromeda pushed the ball around with her forepaws...

Then she threw it up in the air and caught it with her mouth...

Then she batted it around the apartment with her long, strong tail...

And then she started kicking it with her strong hind legs. 

One kick was just a bit too hard, and both rider and dragon watched with
horror as the new plaything bounced off their ledge and onto the ledge below.

<Ohhh, nooooo!> The medium-sized winged beast wailed. <What'll I do now?> 

"Wait until the dragon or rider below decides to give you your ball back,
maybe?"

Andromeda whimpered.

"Ohh, don't worry so. You'll get it back." Karine paused. "Someday." 

The dragon pulled her forepaws over her face. Her rider kneeled down and
caressed her head in comforting fashion. 

"Now, now, dear. Come here," she said as she led her lifemate to her couch.
"Things might seem a little better when you wake up. Who knows? You may crack
your eyelids open to see your ball right in front of you!" 

She sat there for several minutes, comforting her forlorn friend. Andromeda
was feeling awful. She had never lost a toy before, and this was a terrible
one to lose!

"Now," Karine said, standing up, "I'll go take a walk and leave you here in
the quiet apartment. Sleep's easier in the quiet." She smiled gently, and
with a parting pat on Andromeda's head, walked off.

Andromeda sighed and whimpered for a little while. Soon her eyelids became
weighted and she fell into a deep sleep.

=========================
[Some time later]

Something hard cracked Andromeda squarely on the head. She cried out and
opened her eyes in alarm. What was that thing?

Her eyes nearly bugged as she saw her little missing plaything on the floor
not ten feet away. She turned her head and saw some other beast with its
talons on her ledge and its head peeking over. She turned around quickly to
face the stranger dragon head-on.

<You play ball?> the other dragon asked. <Want someone else to play with?>

<You threw that?> Andromeda's jaw dropped. <Umm.. Yes... I'll play with
you...>

The beast gave a smug, rather deep chirrup. <Yes I did! I'd play ball a lot
more often if there were other ball playing dragons about. The green's nice
and flat for playing. Want to come?>

Andromeda trotted over happily. She snaked her limbs from her ledge to the
surrounding rockface and began to descend. <Oh, and just so we know each
other... My name's Andromeda. What's yours?>

<Name's Skeeter. I live in the apartment right under yours.>

Soon the two dragons reached the bottom of the rock wall and began bouncing
the ball back and forth between themselves. Eventually they began hitting the
ball... Kicking the ball... Throwing the ball... Chasing the ball...

=====================================
NRPG:

Open tag, folks. :) Karine's somewhere in the Warren, not quite sure which
offhand, but if anyone wants to run into her on a whim, feel free. If anyone
wants to intercept an errant treegum ball, Andromeda's game. :]

Good to be writing with all of you! :)

Clear Skies and Seas,
Paula