Saul
***
<<Evening - in Whiteriver >>

"Where is she?" he asked, a frown coming to his face.

"She's with Katla and Derry, she'll  be .. fine."

"They'll take care of her," .Saul nodded, releasing the newest Warrenlady
from their hug, "So Derry's .. okay."

Merissa grimaced a bit, and shrugged, "As well as can be expected I guess.
He led the raid on the cult last night, and has been dealing with the
prisoners all day .. but it's over now. Now he's got nothing to think about
but .."

"The cult's gone? All of them?"

Merissa shrugged, "We're hoping so."

Saul turned his head to see J'red coming toward them, and soon found himself
embraced by the lanky rider.

J'red
***

The watch dragon called out a challenge as two dragons popped in over
Whiteriver, but the challenge sounded oddly like a greeting.

<It is Doshayne and Fayloth!>  Firefly greeted them as they came in for a
landing.

Many warren folk came out to greet them, including J'red, who embraced the
bearded rider, pounding him on the back.

"We came for the funeral ... has it started?"  Saul asked his friend.

"No... Merissa ... wants a memorial.  It's for tomorrow morning ... in
Trinale's garden."  J'red answered swallowing back his own grief.

Saul
***

"Oh gods .." Saul breathed, "I can't believe .. I mean I keep expecting her
to come running out here any moment .."

J'red nodded, "It's unbelievable. But those who caused it .. " the young man
couldn't continue, and his head dropped

"Are you okay, J'red?"

The rider shrugged, "I .. don't know."

"Is it something the cult did?"

J'red shook his head, "No .. It was something I did. My brother .. Oh gods
.. he was one of them .. and I .. killed him. It was an accident. It
happened so fast. But .. I did it."

"Oh J'red .." Saul said resting a hand on his shoulder, "You did what you
had to do. You can't blame yourself."

"I know that," J'red nodded, "But .. "

Now it was Saul's turn to nod, "I understand."

Th'rin
***

<They're back!> Areena shouted joyfully and threw a picture of the small
aqua dragon and the Brilliant blue one bursting into the air over
Whiteriver.

"Saul .." Th'rin breathed, feeling a tingle in the pit of his stomach.

"Saul?" Xanthia asked, looking up at him. The two of them had been in one of
the labs organizing several of the newly dried herbs. Xanthia of course had
told him she could do it alone, but he insisted saying he wanted to help
her.  

"Umm .. Areena just told me that Saul and Shawnee have returned." Th'rin
told her, "Probably for the funeral."

Xanthia pouted, but nodded her head, "Probably .."

"I'll be with you, Xanthia." He told her. "I know it's not going to be
easy."

"For you either?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No .. not for me either .."

***

Th'rin had left Xanthia to go see Saul. He wasn't sure he should .. but
neither could he stop himself. He'd missed the bearded rider leaving, and
that had been a lot harder then he could have imagined. Now he had to see
him.

Saul was standing by J'red when he arrived and there was an air of gloom
around them. He didn't notice Merissa standing nearby with Shawnee .. all he
saw was Saul.

"Saul?" he said as he got close enough.

Saul turned and smiled when he saw the healer. "Th'rin! It's good to see
you." He held out his arms and Th'rin threw himself in them hugging the
rider tightly. 

He breathed in deeply, smelling the familiar scent of him. The scent that
had always seemed to send his mind reeling before. It wasn't quite the same
anymore. There was something different about it. But he didn't care as he
reveled in the embrace of his secret obsession.

Saul chuckled as he worked to push the young man away, "I've missed you
too." 

Th'rin nodded as he allowed himself to be pushed back, "I didn't get to say
good-bye .."

"Th'rin?" he spun as he heard Merissa voice. He looked at her guiltily,
realizing that she must have seen the hug.

"Umm, Mer .. Merissa. I .. umm .. didn't see you standing there."

"I guess not .." she said eyeing him.

"What can I say," Saul joked, "It's good to be missed."

Shawnee chuckled and moved to stand beside him, slipping an arm around his
waist. "Yes it is."

Th'rin tried to hide the blush, thankful it was dark. "I just didn't expect
to see you .. so soon."

"Had to come back for Trinale .." Saul said sadly.

"Of course," Th'rin nodded, "I should have known."

The stood in solemn silence for a moment until Saul broke it, "I don't know
about the rest of you, but I'm in the mood for some of Ybini's Cheese cake.
She's got to have some laying around."

"For you .." Shawnee joked, "She'd whip one up real quick." Ybini's crush on
Saul had been very obvious, and one he'd played up for a long time. It had
gotten him treats and special favors many a time. However she was one woman
he'd never ended up having an affair with. There was no real reason why at
the time .. considering how much he'd flirted with her.

"I .. umm .. I'm gonna head home," Th'rin said. "It's been a long day, and
I've already eaten."

"Oh come on, Th'rin," Saul urged, "There's always room for desert."

"Next time, okay .." Th'rin said, he took a step back from the group, "But
it's good seeing you again .. really."

Saul nodded, "You too, Th'rin."

Th'rin turned and moved at a stepped up pace away from Saul, but had to stop
as he felt Merissa's hand grab his arm, "Th'rin?"

Saul
***

"What's up with Th'rin and Merissa?" The bearded rider asked after Merissa
had left to chase down Th'rin.

J'red shrugged, "I'm not sure, but she doesn't seem happy with him .. and he
of course, is oblivious to her."

Saul looked at J'red trying to assess what the comment meant. "Th'rin loves
her."

"Sure he does. Who wouldn't. But I don't think he appreciates her, and that
could be his downfall."

"Are you planning on stepping in?" Saul asked, cocking his head at the young
man.

J'red shook his head, "If you'd asked me that before, I would have told you,
'yes'. But .." He shrugged, "Merissa never had any interest in me. I know
that."

Saul looked off to the side and spotted Elissa standing with a stranger,
"There's Elissa .."

Shawnee, who was standing nearby nodded, "You should go see her, Saul. She's
wasn't very happy the day we left."

He nodded, "Who's that with her?"

J'red had been watching the pair, and he shook his head. "I think it's our
new searcher. Shall we go say 'hello'?" It obviously wasn't a question since
J'red didn't wait for a reply.

"A new searcher?" Saul asked, "They've replaced me already."

Shawnee chuckled, "It's all right love. I'm sure he's not as good as you ..
and most importantly, he doesn't have me."

Saul chuckled realizing how silly a question that had been. Of course they
had to find a new searcher. He moved to follow J'red.

"Elissa?" J'red called. "Look whose here." Elissa and Har'son both turned
and J'red frowned as he took note of the paleness of Elissa's face. "Hey are
you okay?"

Elissa at first, was both relieved and upset at seeing J'red. But then she
saw Saul and frowned. She turned back to J'red, "As if you care. And as for
you Saul, we have a new searcher now." She moved to stand next to Har'son,
linking her arm in his. "And he was just taking me home."

"Elissa .." Saul said gently. "I thought you'd be done be upset with me by
now."

"I'm not upset with you, Saul. I'm just tired, and Har'son was just taking
me home. So if you'll all excuse us." She pulled Har'son away.

"Something was wrong here," J'red said frowning.

"I thought you and Elissa were friends." Saul asked him.

"So did I .. I just don't understand her .."

"What can I say .. she's a woman." Saul nodded, and grimaced in pain as
Shawnee punched him in the arm. "Ouch!"

"Serves you right." Shawnee told him, giving him that disapproving look,
before turning back toward the dining hall, leaving the two men to follow
her.

***
<< Next Morning >>

Saul was one of the first to speak at the memorial service for Trinale and
her family, standing up, with Shawnee at his side, talking about the Trinale
he remembered. The sparkling child who loved wild flowers and grew into a
beautiful young woman and a leader. Her father, who had been his closest
friend and partner for many years. And her mother, whose quiet presence
spoke more in the goodness of her children.

"What happened to my friends is truly not fair. And as difficult as it is,
we must all continue on, and not dwell on our losses. That would be the true
legacy of my little wild flower .. and her family," he bent his head, and
clung on to Shawnee's hand. Thanking the gods he had her, or he would not
have been able to say Good-bye. But now, he could, "Good-bye Sweet Trinale.
Good-bye Dear Catlyn. Good-bye, L'rian, my friend."

Th'rin
***

"Trinale is not alone .. and neither are you," Th'rin assured Xanthia. It
was easier not to worry about what might be slipping between Tarv and
Merissa when he threw himself into his project.

Oberon held out his arms, reaching for the food that his father had brought,
and was of course the first one served .. his fingers promptly going into it
and making a gooey mess. "Oberon! Use a spoon!" Th'rin admonished taking a
napkin and cleaning his hand before putting the spoon in it.

"Oh my goodness!" A voice squealed and Th'rin turned to see Saul and Shawnee
coming toward them. "Th'rin! This big boy, can't be Oberon?"

Th'rin grinned, "Oh yes he can."

"My how big you've gotten, Oberon." She leaned over the boy, making faces at
him. Th'rin felt Xanthia tense up behind him. And he gently laid a hand on
her shoulder. Things had been very tense between the two women. A
relationship that had hurt Xanthia deeply, and Th'rin felt somewhat
responsible for the way things had gone. So he kept himself positioned
between them, not willing to let the situation get out of hand.

Saul had moved to hold out his hand to Har'son, "We almost got to meet last
night. I'm Saul. Elissa's brother .. though I guess she'd rather forget that
fact."

"It had been a long day, I suppose. We'd been .. flying." The new searcher
stood and shook them bearded rider's hand.

"She's okay now?"

Har'son nodded, "I took her home and she seemed fine."

"Good," Saul nodded, "It was nice to meet you." He turned back to Shawnee
and pulled her away from Oberon, "We still need to pay our respects to
Merissa."

Shawnee nodded, "Good-bye Oberon." She looked at Th'rin, "You and Merissa
are doing a wonderful job with him."

"Thanks," Th'rin nodded, and watched the two of them go. Then he turned back
to Xanthia. "You okay?"

She nodded, staring much to intently at her food.

Th'rin sighed, then decided to change the subject, "Hey maybe I should find
Mara, to watch Oberon. I did promise you a dance after all?"

Regards,
Saul & Fayloth
*** 
NRPG: This post is a combination of several that were written for WR .. Not
sure if any of them made it to Jasra so I'm sending it.

J'red is written by Arlene, Th'rin is written by me, as of course is Saul :)

I expect Saul and Shawnee to return sometime in the evening after the
reception.

Kris
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  |\  /^~~^\  /| 
--qqQ-\O||O/-Qpp-------------------------------------------------
       \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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