Dalaine
****

[Day 10 - evening]

Lainie was having a marvelous time.  More than commemorating the latest 
hatching, she felt she was celebrating a new phase in her life, now that she 
and Selene were flying together.  She drank down a glass of one of Jasra's 
best vintages...followed in short order by another.

Being joined with Selene gave Lainie an odd sense of independence - despite 
the fact that the two of them were permanently connected.  She experienced a 
feeling of coming into her own, of having undergone a rite of passage...it 
made her want to dance...and sing...and....

A particularly attractive sailor - presumably from the pirate ship - caught 
her eye.  The fact that he likely had a dangerous past only made him that 
much more appealing in her present, no-holds-barred frame of mind.  As she 
watched him, he turned to meet her gaze, a slow smile spreading across his 
face.  She sauntered over to him, flashing him a dazzling smile of her own.  
He leaned down to whisper something outrageous in her ear.  Giggling 
ecstatically, she whispered back, her comment elevating his eyebrows to his 
hairline.  Before he could react further, she flounced away from him, moving 
on to other targets.  She danced and teased and sipped wine until she was 
giddy with delight.

>From the corner of her eye, Lainie caught her mother's glare on her.  
Momentarily cowed, she quickly shook off the censure.  She wasn't really 
doing anything wrong, she was just in high spirits - and not about to let her 
mother...or her father, for that matter, though it would be just as well if 
he were too caught up in his storytelling to take notice of her behavior - 
bring her down.

Another nice-looking sailor had just brought her a brimming wineglass.  She 
enjoyed the smooth, fruity liquid gliding down her throat and warming her 
belly.

"Ye've got to hear this one, m'girl.  The cap'n tells a mean story."  With 
that, the sailor pulled Lainie to the neighboring table and sat them both 
down. 

Lainie needed to sit down.  That last glass of wine was making her head swim 
a bit.  She giggled as she wondered what kind of fish it had become.

Gus flinched as Dolfis lifted his glass, with a cheery "here's mud in your 
eye."  She turned a baleful glare on Lainie.  "Ask Blondie for that.  She's 
good at playin' dirty." 

"That makes two of us, then," Lainie glowered back, the effects of the wine 
making her quick to take offense and loosening her tongue.

"Ain't me started heavin' mud around.  MY hands is clean." 

"I suppose you managed to wash up for the party.  I'm certain your hands 
aren't nearly this clean usually - considering where they've likely been."  
She threw him an arch look.

Gus stiffened, unsure just what Lainie was suggesting with that remark.  
Whatever it was, though, it was certain not to be good - and equally certain 
to be true.  "What is you sayin'?"  Gus growled softly, her low voice a 
warning. 

"I think you know.  Suffice it to say, I wouldn't be trusting you with MY 
valuables."

Gus's face darkened with her anger.  Dolfis coughed slightly, and Gus slowly 
unclenched her fists, exhaling slowly.  No fighting, she reminded herself.  
Tara said no fighting.  None.  Really.  Finally she looked up at Lainie with 
a half-hearted grin.  "YOU ain't got nothin' I'd want." 

"That's only because you haven't got any taste.  Some people," she smiled 
pertly at the sailor beside her, "know what's worth having."

"Some people have been at sea for months."  There was a smattering of 
chuckles around the table quickly smothered. 

Lainie struggled to maintain her dignity in the face of the laughter.  "I 
wish YOU would go to sea - the bottom of it."

"You forgettin' how good I can swim?"  Gus wished immediately she could call 
back the words.  Damn, Lainie was almost certain to take them as a pointed 
reminder of her "rescue" - not what Gus had in mind at all.  She sat silently 
miserable, wondering what she could say that would fix it. 

"I'm counting on you forgetting."  Just what was it about Gus that seemed to 
make her so edgy?    
Gus grinned in sudden relief.  If Lainie could snap back like that, she was 
over that hero nonsense.  "No chance, Blondie.  Swimmin' ain't somethin' that 
uses my head." 

"I begin to wonder if there's ever a time you use your head."

"Oh sure, good weapon in a fight." 

"As hard as yours is?  That I can believe."

"Aw, shut yer traps now," someone at the table ordered.  "The Warrenlady is 
speakin'."

Gus and Lainie retreated into grudging silence - which lasted just until the 
moment Tara announced that they were to be partnered with each other.

Gus pinched herself - hard - hoping this would prove to be a nightmare.  But, 
as always, it was just her foul luck.  Partnered with Lainie.  Ok, just which 
god had she pissed off so bad? 

Lainie wondered if one of Selene's notorious wails had affected her hearing.  
She couldn't possibly be partners with Gus.  

{We're partners, fathead!}

   {Varaenna's rider really couldn't have done any different, dimwit.  We had 
to be partners.}

{But of course, fathead.  We belong together.}

   {Naturally.  You're too scrawny to look out for yourself, so you need me.} 
    

{Ha!  And what would you do without me to get you more food?}

   {Waste away to your size in no time at all,} she whined grievously.

{Now, no whining.  I'd never let that happen.}

"Oh great," Gus muttered and sank lower in her chair. 

"Can you believe they actually LIKE this ludicrous idea?" Lainie exclaimed.

"This is gonna be a disaster!  Actually, a lot of disasters!" 

"I'd sooner be partners with G'ret and Seroth."

"And you said *I* got no taste?"

"It goes along with the fact you've got no sense, either - except for 
agreeing that this partnership is a wretched idea."

Gus snorted in disgust.  "You're a fine one to talk about no sense.  But you 
got one thing right.  Us bein' partners - especially them dragons - stinks."  
Frankly, Gus thought bein' partnered with anyone was a lousy idea.  But them 
dragons - that was beyond lousy, it was fuckin' NUTS.  "We gotta talk to 
Tara." 

"I'm one step ahead of you."  Lainie stood up unsteadily, taking a teetering 
pace toward Tara as she prepared to inform the Warrenlady in no uncertain 
terms why she had to reassign them. 

Gus frowned as Lainie wobbled unsteadily.  Dammit, was she drunk?  Watching 
Lainie weave towards Tara, Gus decided that yes, her partner was drunk.  She 
sighed and followed.  As they neared the warrenlady's table, Gus noticed 
Tara's head bent close to Kay's.  "Uh, Lainie, now is not a good time. We can 
wait until tomorrow." 

"Nonsense," she insisted.  "Now is the perfect time."  She took a few more 
tottering steps. "Tara!" she called out too loudly as she approached the 
Warrenlady.  "We have to talk!"

[Tag, John]

****

After their little talk with the Warrenlady, Gus herded Lainie out the door - 
just in time for Lainie to be sick in the bushes.  Once she had finished 
heaving and collapsed onto the ground, her back to the wall, Gus broke the 
sudden silence.

"So, it's awful quiet.  That mean you fed that beast more than just the one 
fish?" 

"No, I did not," Lainie retorted with a glare.  "Although I should have.  
It's a terrible way to treat a growing dragon.  She's probably sleeping.  
Trying to forget her hunger pangs, poor baby."

"Baby?  Nothin' that big can be called a baby!" 

"You're just jealous cause you got saddled with that scrawny little excuse 
for a dragon," she shot back.

Gus shook her head in mock disgust.  "No, no, silly girl.  The DRAGON gets 
saddled." 

Lainie rolled her eyes.  "That was pathetic - but only what I'd expect from 
you."

"Ooohh, Blondie is disappointed.  I'm crushed, I am, truly." 

"I should get Selene to sit on you.  Then you'd truly be crushed."

"That's why Tara told you to stop stuffin' her face all the time." 

{Your rider is being mean to mine, fathead.  Why does she do that?} 

   {Because your rider is mean to me, dimwit.}

{How is Gus mean to you?} 

   {He makes fun of my size,} Selene whimpered.

{Yeah...but so do I.} 

   {It doesn't hurt quite as much when you it, dimwit.}  She pondered it for 
a moment.  {I think it's because I know you like me anyway.  Your rider 
doesn't.}

{But my rider is human!  It doesn't count, anyway!}

   {You don't care what your rider thinks?}  Selene was stunned.  {I don't 
always understand my rider, but her feelings count.}        
                                        
{No, no, no - it's the not understanding I mean.  Who knows if sh-ome human 
likes you.}  Loki winced at his near misstep.  {Besides, Gus insults everyone 
- doesn't mean anything.} 

   {Why does he do it, then?}

{I don't know.  But my rider insults me, too.  And we're JOINED.}

   {He shouldn't insult you.  That's MY job,} she teased.

Loki rolled his eyes.  {Hmm, but if they are partners now - maybe it's his 
job to insult your rider.} 
   {I'm sure he'll do a fine job of it.  He's already got a good start.  
She's been seething most of the evening.}

{Humans!}  Loki sighed and snuggled in closer.  Selene twined her neck with 
his and agreed. 

****

[Tremendous thanks to Katrina for contributing Gus and Loki's POV to this 
post - a joy as always writing with you!]



Submitted by:

Dana Zuhlke                             

Elvynia (Elly) and Iris

Ro'gen and Apollo
Evlan and Athena
Ed'wen (Eddy) and Hesperus
Dalaine (Lainie) and Selene

Jasra Warren