(Evening, Day 9 - Tara's quarters)

    Tara had spent a good part of the afternoon preparing dinner.  She wasn't 
really a very experienced cook, but thought she could handle the recipe for 
seafood she'd gotten from Jasra's head cook.  She'd made something like this 
recipe - which was called "Jasra Seafood Stew" - a couple of times while 
she'd lived at Ismene, and it hadn't come out too badly.

     It was just about ready when she heard the sound of footsteps coming up 
the outside steps leading to her quarters.  She went out into Varaenna's 
empty sleeping chamber, jut as Kay appeared in the entranceway.  "You're 
right on time," she told him, smiling.

     /Good,/ he signed.  /I want to thank you for inviting me....even if it 
wasn't exactly your idea./  He smiled at her.

     "Well, it was a good idea," she laughed.  "By the way, how come you had 
to walk?  I'd have thought Sabbith would have brought you."

     /Something about redecorating the hatching cavern,/ he told her.  /I was 
hoping you'd understand it more than I do./

     Tara made a face.  "Oh dear," she said.  "Jerram told me that Varaenna 
had conscripted Seydor to help her...I guess I should have known she'd have 
latched onto Sabbith too.  Well, if you need him and she balks about it, let 
me know and I'll speak to her.  In the meantime, though, come on in."  She 
took him by the hand and led him inside the apartment.  She'd moved into 
Evelle's old quarters, since they were the most spacious in the warren, and 
had managed to get a lot of her personal effects placed since the return from 
Ismene.  

     "How do you think these wall hangings look?" she asked.  "I know you're 
an artist, so your opinion means a lot."

     Kay nodded.  /They're nice,/ he signed, moving to take a closer look at 
them.  /They have...character./

     "I'm so glad you like them," she said.  "Vignette never did...nor, 
apparently, does my queen.  She tried to dispose of them before we left 
Ismene."

     After she'd had Kay seat himself, she went into the kitchenette and came 
out a moment later with two steaming bowls and a bottle of wine on a tray.

     "This is our cook's recipe for 'Jasra Seafood Stew'," she told him.  "I 
hope you like it."

     /Seafood?/ Kay asked.  /Like those dol-fins?/

    Tara's eyes widened.  "No, nothing like that!" she assured him.  "The 
dragons would never forgive me if I cooked any of *those*!  These are regular 
fish, plus some crabmeat."

     While Kay poured the wine, she took a small spoonful.  After tasting it, 
she looked down at the bowl and frowned.  "Too salty," she remarked.

     Kat took a taste as well, and nodded.  /A bit,/ he signed.  /But I like 
salty foods./

     Tara shook her head.  "I'd made something very much like this at Ismene, 
and it didn't taste like this," she said, perplexed.  "True, I did add some 
salt that the cook's recipe didn't call for...but I did the same thing at 
Ismene, and it tasted fine."

     Kay thought for a moment.  /At your other warren...where did your fish 
come from?/

    "A mountain lake," she replied.

     /Freshwater lake?/ he asked.

     "Yes, but what...oh, damn!" she said.  "And the fish here come from the 
ocean, which is saltwater!"  She sighed, resting her chin on her hands.  "No 
wonder the Jasra recipe doesn't call for salt...the fish come with their own 
already added!  I'm so sorry..."

     Kay chuckled.  /It's all right,/ he assured her.  /Dinner is more about 
the company than the food./

     "Thanks," she said, laying her hand over his.  They ate in silence for a 
bit, then she looked up at him.  

     "Kay, do you like it here at Jasra?" she asked.

     He nodded.  /I've never lived in a place like this before..with few 
trees...sand in everything you eat, and wear...but I do like it.  I like the 
sun, and the water...and the people are nice as well./

     "Enough to....well, to want to stay?" Tara asked.  "I know you must have 
ties back at Telnor Warren, but..."

     /I can't go back, at least not yet,/ he signed.  /Yes, I would like to 
stay./

     "I'm glad to hear you say that," she told him, reaching over to take his 
hand.  "This place wouldn't be the same without you, you know."

* * * * * * * *
Varaenna
(hatching cavern)

     An enormous number of sandbags had been brought into the hatching 
cavern, and were now piled at one end.  At the other end, the white-silver 
queen lay cuddling with Sabbith.  Seydor and Makayla, who had done all of the 
carrying, sat in the middle of the cavern, unsure of what they were supposed 
to do next.

     [Well,] the queen announced, [now that the bags are here, they need to 
be opened and the sand spread around.]  She couldn't wait to have a covering 
of that wonderful, white beach sand to cover over the rougher, grainier sand 
of the cavern.

     Sabbith looked uncomfortable.  [Um...who is going to do that?]  he 
asked.  [Perhaps we should call in some humans.]

     [My rider says they have better things to do,] the queen lamented.  
Seeing the look in Sabbith's eyes, Varaenna chuckled.  [No, *you* don't have 
to do it!  You're my artistic inspiration, and I need you here with me!  
Seydor and Makayla can take care of this.]

     Sabbith sighed happily.  [I'm glad to hear you say that,] he told her.

    Seydor glanced at Makayla.  [This seems a bit unfair,] he remarked.  [Of 
course, perhaps there's a *fun* way to do this.]

     [Fun? This isn't fun!] Makayla whined.  [I don't think I've ever done 
this much work before!]

     Seyd thought for a moment.  [Well, we like to play in the sand down at 
the beach,] he reasoned.  [Maybe we can use this sand to play in, too!]

     He picked up a sandbag in his teeth, and gave his head a flip to send it 
sailing through the air toward the green dragon.  [Catch!] he told her.

     [Oh!] Makayla grinned happily.  [I see!]  She did the same, tossing the 
bag way up into the air, the sand flying as it ripped in her teeth.  [I never 
thought I would like the sand here...gets in my nose and my teeth.  But this 
is fun!]  She picked up another bag and tossed it, sending sand flying.

     Varaenna scowled at these goings on, then looked at Sabbith.  [Well, at 
least they're spreading the sand around,] was the only good thing she could 
think of to say.

     [Yes, at our expense!] he remarked, letting out a huge sneeze from all 
the dust filling the air.

     [Hmmph!] said the queen.  [Could you two please find another way to do 
this?] she asked.  [It's bothering poor Sabbith!]

     [Then maybe you should send Sabbith down to *help* for a bit!] Seyd 
suggested irritably.

     Varaenna draped a wing over the red dragon.  [Sabbith is doing his job 
*quite* well, thank you very much!]

     With some effort, Seyd and Makayla found a way to open the sandbags and 
empty their contents that did not involve throwing sand all around the 
cavern.  Soon, however, another problem began to manifest itself.  <You're 
just piling it all up in the middle!] the queen pointed out.  [It needs to be 
spread evenly!]

     [You didn't like the way we were doing it before, so now we're doing it 
this way!] Makayla told her.  [It would be nice to have some humans in here 
to do this...]

     [I know what to do!] Seyd told the others.  He sprang up to the top of 
the pile, and rolled around playfully in it.  [You should try this!] he told 
Makayla.  [It's fun!!]

     [Ooh, let me try!] Makayla cried, and leaped up after him.  She rolled 
and wriggled in the sand, sending yet more of it flying.

    [This wasn't exactly what I had in mind,] said Varaenna, glancing 
worriedly at Sabbith.

     [Maybe we need my rider here,] said the red dragon.

     [Your rider?  Why?]

     [Oh, he is very talented,] Sabbith assured her.  [Why, back at Telnor, 
he...]

     As Sabbith told his story, the sand on the pile was flying ever higher 
as the two dragons rolled and played in it.  Chuckling, Seyd started to scoop 
sand onto Makayla.  [Here, I'll throw it onto you, and you do the spreading!]

     Laughing, Makayla threw a clawful of sand at Seydor...but the blue 
ducked, and the volley of sand went past him to hit the queen squarely on the 
nose.

     [Oooooooh!] Varaenna growled, smoke jetting from her nostrils.

     [Oh-oh,] said Makayla, ducking behind Seydor.

     The white-silver queen surged up, almost bowling Sabbith over in the 
process.  [Out!!!] she roared.

     Seyd and Makayla quickly scrambled for the entranceway.  [I figured I 
could get us out of this,] he told the green.

     Her helpers gone, Varaenna's anger subsided and she lay down next to 
Sabbith again.  [Well, that didn't work out so well,] she decided.

     [No, it didn't,] he agreed.

     The queen thought for a moment.  [But...I spoke to young Iris earlier.  
She told me that Loki and Selene would be glad to help out after training 
tomorrow.  I told her to plan on coming too, of course.]

     Sabbith nodded, cuddling closer to her.

     [Syngnath would be good for this, too,] she decided.  [Who knows more 
about how a beach should look than a seadragon, right?]

     [That's right,] Sabbith said, nuzzling her neck.

     [And you can help too!] she said.

     [Yes, I can...what?] Sabbith asked, looking up sharply.

     [Your rider,] she explained.  [What you were just telling me about him.]

     [Oh...yes, that,] Sabbith said, sounding very relieved, and went back to 
nuzzling her.

* * * * * * * *
Tara

     [Oh my riiiiiderrrrrr,] Varaenna said in her mind.

     Tara, who'd just been sitting down next to Kay on the couch, rolled her 
eyes and swore silently.  *Yes, Varaenna, what ridiculous and unreasonable 
request do you have this time?*

     [Unreasonable? Me?  Whyever would you...?]

     *Because we both know how hard you are to say no to,* Tara told her.  
*And if you feel that you need to use that whiny, simpering tone when you 
ask, it must be something completely outrageous and out of the question!  
Now, tell me what you want so I can tell you 'no' and get back to what I was 
doing!*

     [Well, Sabbith told me that his rider puts colors on things with a 
brush...sort of like the one you use to scrub me with, only smaller...and 
that he can make a thing look like something else by doing that.  Is that 
true?]

     *Yes,* Tara said warily.  *He paints.  So?*

     [Well, you see, I realized that the inside of this hatching cavern can't 
really look like it's outside on the beach because of the stone walls and 
ceiling.  They're all gray and dark, you see, while the sky is bright and 
blue...]

     *Absolutely not!* Tara said.  *I will NOT ask Kay to paint the entire 
interior fo the hatching cavern to look like the sky.  Forget it!*

     [Oh, you won't have to,] the queen told her smugly.  [I asked Sabbith to 
talk to his rider about it.]

     Tara groaned and turned to Kay.   "I'm sorry," she sighed.

(Tag Kris - Will he or won't he?)

NRPG:  Well, I'm still not quite caught up yet.  My next post will cover the 
night of Day 9, and the first part of Day 10.  Should have it out within a 
couple of days.

Submitted by:

John
Tara & Varaenna
Jerram & Seydor

Jasra Warren