[ The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set. ]

    [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set.  ]

    [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ]

DAY 11
[late morning]

The ship lurched as Syngnath tugged on the ropes, trying to free his new
partner.  For a little guy, Khamorray could certainly get himself into a big
mess.

<*What are you doing down there?*>  Came the distressed mind-voice of his
rider.  Syngnath could feel Corwin's stomach churning.  Uh oh!

<I am so sorry, my rider!  But it was Khamorray... he was stuck in the
ropes.  I would have noticed sooner if it hadn't been for that other
seadragon... she is so pretty!>

<*Other?*>  Corwin peered over the side towards the ocean, fearful that the
wilder queen had returned.  He was relieved to see it wasn't.  In a loud
voice he called down from his vantage point up in the rigging.  "Stand
down!" he shouted to the pirates.  "That's not the queen!"

Dolfis, who was standing in the surf near the Marquesa's bow shouted, "No,
it isn't!  I should know, I got a closer look at the other one than I wanted
to!  No weapons until we know if it's hostile or not!"

The female dragon slipped out of the ocean and ambled up the beach to stare
at the men on the deck of the ship, particularly at Ansel.  Syngnath and
Khamorray followed quickly, if not so gracefully, behind.

<SNIP from John's Post>
     The seadragon looked curiously at him, as she sat down on the sand.  [I
am Kethriss,] she replied, glancing around to study her surroundings.

     [And I am Syngnath!] Sy proclaimed, hurrying out of the water with
Khamorray just behind.

     [Greetings, little ones!] Kethriss said, bending her neck down to touch
noses with each of them in turn.

     By now, Corwin had climbed down the rigging and joined Ansel and
Griffin
on the deck.  "Is he friendly?" Griffin asked, clearly worried.

     "She's a she," said Ansel.  "Her name's Kethriss."

     "Syngnath says she's like him...and Khamorray." said Corwin.  A joined
seadragon!"

     "Well then," said Griffin, thinking aloud, "maybe we could persuade her
to help us get this vessel the rest of the way up onto the beach.  She's a
fair bit larger than the other two."

     Corwin shook his head.  "The Marquesa's far enough up on land now that
we can get some of the other dragons to haul it the rest of the way up with
no problem.  I'd be more interested in knowing why this one's here...and if
she's got a rider."

<CUT>
     "I think we've found her rider," said Ansel, grabbing Corwin's arm and
pointing at the woman walking down the beach in their direction.  Dolfis had
by now climbed up onto the deck, and came up alongside them.

     "Is that what I think it is?" the pirate captain asked, noting the
woman's greenish-tinted hair.  "One of the sea-people?"

     "I'd guess so," Corwin responded.

     The woman stopped and peered up at the railing.  "Hello!" she called
up.
"I am Tanami, rider of Kethriss.  What is this place?"

<END SNIP>

Corwin gallantly stepped forward, "This is Jasra Warren."

"Jasra Warren," The woman said as if tasting the words.

"I am Corwin, rider of Syngnath.  Who are you and where do you come from?
Do you have a Warren?"  Corwin asked.

"A warren... no.  Kethriss and I are alone."  Tanami smiled, "I am Tanami
and I am her rider."  She sounded like she was trying out the term for the
first time.  "And this... is Jasra?"

"Yes, this is Jasra Warren.  It is a community of dragons and their riders."
Corwin informed her.

"Then it is real!"  Tanami looked at the soaring cliffs of Jasra, as if in a
dream.

Tara came hurrying down the beach.  Corwin made quick introductions.

"I never imagined that Jasra was real!"  Tanami exclaimed, "I thought it was
only a myth that the sailors were telling me."

"Well, then, let me show you around!"  Tara suggested, to which Tanami
readily agreed.

Corwin watched the two women walk up the beach together, "Jasra a myth?  And
I thought the water-breathers were myths before I came here and met Wade."
Corwin shook his head in semi-disbelief.

****
 TAG John.

****
Corwin returned to the ship, which was just about inclined.

Dolfis stood on shore watching and calling directions, as the men moved the
vessel slowly, inch by inch, to just the right angle.  The sailors had
enlisted the aid of some of the warren folk in placing sandbags along the
keel of the ship to keep it steady.  The ropes were tied off to add extra
insurance.

The chemicals used to loosen barnacles from the bottom of the hull had been
purchased from Cabral and flown in by dragon.  They got out trowels and
started applying it liberally to the exposed side.  Corwin moved in behind
with a group of more muscular men and began the arduous task of scraping it
off.

Too keep their spirits up the men began singing sea chanteys.

Give us the sun.
Give us clear sky.
All that we need,
stars to sail by.

Don't send us waves.
Don't send us rain,
We want to see,
Home port again.

They had gotten into a good rhythm, when Syngnath's call interrupted
Corwin's progress.  The young seadragons were happily frolicking in the surf
just off shore with their new friend Kethriss.  She was showing them how to
track schools of fish, and which ones were particularly tasty.

<My rider?  Varaenna's rider needs to see you and Khamorray's rider in her
office.>  Syngnath relayed.

Corwin paused,  his eyes catching Ansel's, who had also heard the request.
The two excuse themselves, with many catcalls from the pirates, having
something to do with Corwin's manhood or being at the beck-and-call of the
warrenlady.  For Ansel's sake, Corwin did not return the crude comments.

The two washed off quickly, removing the chemicals from their skin before
heading to Tara's office.  Upon her summons to enter, Corwin noted that
Shawnee and the newcomer, Tanami, were already seated and deep in
discussion.

"Ansel!  Corwin!" Tara greeted them, "We have great news!  Tanami and
Kethriss have agreed to stay on at Jasra... at least for the time being,
right?"  Tara smiled at the young waterbreather.

Corwin grinned, "I'm sure you'll love it here!  Your dragon already seems
to."

****
Tag: John and Barb.

****
[Afternoon]

Following the meeting Corwin realized that his breakfast had been a long
time ago.  He walked out of the offices and started across the green.

Ansel remained in the office talking with his sister, and Shawnee said she
was returning to her paperwork, when he asked if they wanted to join him for
lunch.  He noticed Tanami had walked out of the offices and stood looking up
at the cliffs of the Warren.  She watched as dragons came and went about
their business.

"It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?"  Corwin asked sympathetically.

"Yes, I've no idea what to do next..."  Tanami looked around.

Corwin's stomach rumbled, "Well, I'm heading to the dining hall for lunch.
Do you want to join me?"

"Dining hall.... lunch?"  Tanami looked at him confused.

"It's the place we eat... like the mess?"  He saw her nod.  "And at this
time of day the meal... the food... they are serving is called 'lunch'".
Corwin smiled apologetically.  He already knew that when dealing with
strangers the simplest vocabulary was always the best... just like how he
spoke to Aitzan.  Short words, and few of them.

He led the way to the dining hall.  Tanami looked around her in amazement
when she saw all the folk and heard all the conversations going at once.
She paled slightly, but gamely followed after the large man, as Corwin wound
his way through the lines and selected his food.  She did likewise, picking
up exactly whatever he selected.  Soon her tray was so full she could barely
lift it.  "Do you all always eat so much?"  She exclaimed in distress.

Corwin looked at her tray, and then at his own, and burst into laughter.
"Tanami, my dear!  The point of these tables is that each person can select
what he or she wants to eat... you do not have to take everything that *I*
want to eat!"

Tanami's slightly green skin turned a shade greener, as she flushed.
"Oh..." was all she could respond with.

Corwin assisted her in replacing the items she could replace and then they
found a table slightly away from the crowd.

"Do you mind if I ask questions?"  Tanami began, "I am still a bit in shock
in finding Jasra..."

"Ask away!"  Corwin's loud voice boomed between bites, "And if I don't know
the answer... I'll just make something up."  He winked.

"Oh, really?"  Came another female voice, and Tanami and Corwin looked up to
see the petite form of Elly standing by their table.

"Elvynia!"  Corwin exclaimed, rising.  Then he made introductions.  "Please,
join us for lunch?"  He suggested.

Elly noticed Tanami's wide-eyed innocence and Corwin's obvious intrigue with
her, and decided to join them.

"So... you just happened upon Jasra?"  Elly probed, as she eyed the woman's
form-fitting apparel.

"Yes, Kethriss found it... when she saw Syngnath and Khamorray playing with
the large, wooden ship."

Ellly frowned.  "So, Kethriss, that's your dragon?  Is she a seadragon?"

"Of course!"  Corwin said and frowned at Elly, a bit surprised and confused
by her tone of voice, which, however, Tanami did not pick up.

"Kethriss?  Yes, she is.  When we joined it was so amazing!"  Her obvious
delight in the experience evident on her face.

"Tell us!"  Corwin chimed in.

"I was collecting medicinal seaweeds for my mother, who is a healer, when I
came upon a hatching clutch of seadragon eggs.  Before I knew what had
happened, I had joined to Kethriss,"  She told them.  "But my people aren't
really... open... to having a seadragon around, and Kethriss had to sleep
outside -- so we left.  We've been alone for a long time..."  Her eyes
looked so sad.

"But you found us -- Jasra -- and I'm glad that you are staying, Tanami,"
Corwin stated emphatically, as he reached over and held her hand in one of
his big, powerful hands.

Elly's eyes shot daggers at Corwin as she saw the gesture.  But then when
she looked over at Tanami, her heart melted.

"I can't go back to my people... at least not to live.  And we can't be
alone for ever.  Kethriss is so happy to have found other joined seadragons!
And... I am, too.  I'm glad I'm staying!"  Tanami smiled warmly, meeting
both Corwin's and Elly's eyes.

****
TAG Dana and John.

****
[LATE AFTERNOON]

After lunch, Corwin offered to show Tanami some of the apartments that she
might find suitable for herself and Kethriss.  Like other seadragons,
Kethriss preferred to sleep in damp sand.  So a ground level, sea-side
apartment seemed best.  While scoping them out for Tanami, Corwin also found
one that he rather liked as well.

<*Syngnath... do you think that we might move out of the hatchling barracks?
You are getting a bit large for them... and I've found this apartment....*>

<It sounds great, my rider, but what about Khamorray?  He'll be all alone in
the hatchling barracks...?>

Corwin glanced around the apartment and sighed.  <*Well... maybe after
Varaenna's eggs hatch....*>

Leaving Tanami to rest and get settled, Corwin returned to the Marquesa.
The ship had been inclined in the opposite position and they were just
beginning the process of barnacle removal.  Corwin was amazed at how much of
the chemical they were using.  Perhaps because of enlisting help from
inexperienced dragonriders.  The beach was covered with the foul smelling
solvent and quite a bit was running off into the water, however, once he got
into the rhythm of the process he forgot about the wasted solvent and only
worried about his task.

He was interrupted again, when Varaenna announced that Tara was ready for
the trial of the merchantmen who had attacked Elly.  He hurried back to the
barracks to shower off before getting ready for the trial.

****
TAG: to any one, Dana?  Corwin's in the shower again [eg]
NRPG:  This should put me up to the point where the trial starts.

Respectfully submitted by
Arlene Jacobs
AKA Corwin rider of the seadragon Syngnath of Jasra Warren.