Darlea 
***

>Gus gathered her meal and threaded her way through the crowds over to Darlea's
table.  Despite the crowd, she was still siting alone. Gus hooked a chair
out with her heel and glanced at the blonde rider.

>"Mind if I sit here?"

Darlea looked up and seeing a young boy, maybe about 12 or 13, she nodded,
"Sure." She recognized him as the one who'd been accused of pulling that
horrible prank on Jerram. Darlea studied the boy for a bit. There was
something old about his eyes .. something wiser then one would expect from a
lad his age. It made her wonder, "Umm.. do you mind if I ask you a
question?"

Gus tensed slightly. "Don't promise to answer, but you can ask."

"Did you pull that stunt on Jerram?" She grinned, "Honest I won't say
anything. But .. well it's just that .. I was wondering. I mean .. he seemed
so sure it was you .."

Gus grinned impishly.  "Course I did...but I ain't said nothin' to you."

Darlea's grin widened, "I didn't hear anything either."

Gus nodded, satisfied. "Say.. uh.. I noticed your friend was gone."

Darlea's grin faded, "Lesta .. yeah. She went back to her home. At least she
had one to go to .."

"You got one now, don'cha?"

"Yeah, but .." After all Tara had given her a position. That meant that she
could stay here in Jasra. So she did have a home now, ".. well sometimes I
wish I knew more. I wish I could remember more."

"Why? You likely had a good reason for forgettin'. Why not let it go?"

Darlea thought for a moment, "Maybe .. but do you really think it could be
as bad as all that? I mean sure there might be something bad that I might
not like. Clearly there was .. but it couldn't all have been bad .. do you
think?"

Gus eyed the woman.  She appeared to have no kind of street sense - so
likely she hadn't been through any of that, but still... "Dunno.  Lotsa bad
stuff to happen.  Better to forget it - if you can."

"That's what Lesta said too .." Darlea sighed. "Well I do have a job .. and
a place to live .. it's a start." She looked up at the boy. "What about you?
Where do you come from?"

Gus stiffened slightly. "Cabral."

"What was it like there? Growing up I mean." Darlea had failed to see the
boy tensing up. Really she just wanted to hear about his connections ..
since she had none of her own.

"Compared to what? It's all I know.  Trust me, you didn't live like that -
even if you can't remember."

"What about your mother and father? I was thinking the other day about mine.
What they might be like." She smiled, "I imagine that they are very much in
love and never far from the others side"

Gus failed to entirely smother his snort. "Don't have a da.  And they wasn't
never in love, neither."

She paused for a moment and looked at him. "Wait a minute .. what did you
mean *I* didn't live like that .. How would you know?"

"Look at you. Your hands is soft, no scars .. all clean and everythin'. You
never lived on the streets, I can tell."

Darlea looked at her own hands, then looked back at him. "Let me see yours,"
she said holding out a hand.

Gus turned one hand palm up on the table, just out of reach.  It was
darkened by more than a darker complexion and the fingertips were heavily
callused.

She reached out to touch it ..  Gus jerked his hand back like it had been
stung.

Darlea also pulled back, "I'm .. umm .. sorry." She looked closely at Gus,
sympathy overwhelming her.

"What about your mother and father? I was thinking the other day about mine.
What they might be like." She smiled, "I imagine that they are very much in
love and never far from the others side"

Gus failed to entirely smother his snort. "Don't have a da.  And they wasn't
never in love, neither."
 
"You really lived on the street .. without a father .."

Gus shrugged. "Yeah. Don't worry about it. I survived."  He narrowed his
eyes and met Darlea's squarely. "Don't need no pity."

Darlea looked away, for she had been feeling pity for him. "It just sounds
like a horrible existence for a little boy .. I mean you can't be very old
.. 13?"

Gus winced.  "I be old enough.  And like I says, its all I know."  He
shrugged.  "I got by."

Darlea nodded, "Okay, I get the picture." She didn't want to pry, she'd just
been curious. "You don't like talking about yourself, do you?"

Gus looked up and held her gaze. "You can forget. I can't."

She nodded, "Funny thing isn't it. I want to remember and you don't .."

Gus grinned suddenly.  "That just shows I'm smarter than you, is all."

She raised an eyebrow at him, then chuckled. "Probably. It would just be
nice to .. be connected to something."

"Connected to your dragon, ain'cha? What more do you need?"

Darlea shrugged, "Nothing I guess. 'Cept maybe a friend."

Gus waved a hand to indicate the full dining hall. "So, pick one.  Lots to
choose from."  He grinned.

Darlea chuckled again. "What are you the eternal optimist? You know Gus, I
don't think you're as hard as you try to make people think you are."

Gus stiffened.  "Ain't tryin' to make anyone think nothin'," she muttered.

"Don't get all paranoid on me," Darlea laughed, "I wasn't saying you were
trying to pull a fast one or anything. Honest."

"Lookit, Lesta asked me to watch out for you.  Reckon she didn't figure on
me talkin' to you, but now she's gone... Well, if you needed somethin'." Gus
shifted uncomfortably.

"Lesta asked you to watch out for me? Why?" Darlea asked. She couldn't for
the life of her figure out why Lesta would ask a little boy to watch out for
her. Just didn't make any sense.

"Didn't tell me zactly, but don't take a genius to see the bruises.  Figured
you needed protection, so...."

"You're going to *protect* me?" Darlea tried not to laugh. She didn't want
to hurt his feelings.

Gus chuckled softly. "I can do a better job than you done.  Street teaches
you that much."

"Look Gus, no offense or anything. But you're .. 13 .. maybe 12. Even if you
don't want to tell me. But I think whoever .. did that .. to me. Well if he
came back and found me .. I don't think you could stop him." She shrugged,
"He's probably dead anyway .."

Gus shrugged. "Whatever. But I survived on the streets on my own for almost
nine years."  He gathered up his now-empty plate and made ready to leave.

"I'm sorry, Gus. I didn't mean to upset you.. it's just .." Darlea tried to
explain. "Well it's just that I've decided that there's probably no one that
can protect me .. cause even I don't know what happened. So how can I know
what I need to be protected from."

"Well, I don't know everyone in Cabral - but I learned how to figure who was
gonna hurt me and who wasn't." She stood up.  "Ain't offended.  If you want
something, you can find me."

Darlea nodded, "Okay." She let him go. No sense making things worse by
telling him she didn't think she'd need anything.

Regards,
Darlea & Makayla
***
NRPG: Thanks to Katrina for writing Gus' dialogue for me :)

Kris

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       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Waylene & Aura, Marrid Warren, Warrenlady
                      Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Wingleader
                      Th'rin & Areena,Whiteriver Warren, Head Healer
                      Merybelle Barmen, City of Ralengarde, Innkeeper
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                      Saul & Fayloth, Jasra Warren, Searcher
                      Darlea & Makayla, Courier
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Dragonrider
                      Devon & Xanith, Dragonrider
                http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm
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