Reolden was watching her again, like he had several times before.
She was working with the children.  Teaching them tumbling and acrobatics.
He enjoyed watching her.  Her movements were so sure and smooth.  He wished
that he could move like that.  He'd been coming to watch her frequently
lately, but she didn't know it.  He would stay back and watch from a
distance while she was teaching, and leave before she was done.  She had
always been so involved with the children that she never noticed him.

	Today, however, he decided to stay around and talk to her after her
lessons.  There was a question he wanted to ask her.  He wasn't used to
asking for things.  Back when he was still one of the landbound, and the
son of the king, he never needed to ask for anything.  His father made all
of the decisions, and told him what he wanted.  He was still having some
trouble getting used to the idea that he could make decisions on his own.
He liked the idea, though.  Along with the freedom to make his own
decisions had come something else.  He no longer automatically got
everything he wanted, or rather, everything he was told he wanted.  Now he
had to ask and sometimes the answer was no.  He'd finally gotten his
courage up to ask Briana a favor.

	She finally finished to lessons and the children all left.  He
started walking over to where she was starting to do some more practicing
herself.  She saw him and waved, but continued with her routines.  He  sat
down to watch.  He hadn't seen the more advanced routines that she worked
on by herself as much as he had seen the easier things she taught her
students.  It was enjoyable to watch her tumbling high up on a rope.  It
looked dangerous, but she seemed to know what she was doing.

	After a while she finished and came over to sit next to Reolden.
She sat down and just rested for a few minutes catching her breath.  Once
she had caught her breath she said, "Hi, Reolden.  I don't see you too
often.  What brings you out here?"

	"Well...", he replied, "I came to see you."

	"Oh..., was there something you wanted to talk to me about, or did
you just come to watch me practice?"

	"Both.  I enjoy watching you practice."

	"You do?"  she interrupted with a surprised smile on her face.

	"Yes I do."

	"Great!  I enjoy it and I'm glad others do to.  There was also
something you wanted to talk to me about?"

	"Yes.  I was wondering if you would be willing to teach me some
acrobatics.  I'll understand if you don't.  I'm much older than most of
your students and probably wouldn't fit in with a class with them, and I'm
sure you don't have much time, so I'll understand.  And I'm not sure how
much I can learn.  I'm nowhere near as flexible as you or the children.
But I'd like to learn if I can."

	<Wow!  I think that's the longest speech I've ever heard you say.>
chimed in Trendal.  Reolden could hear the humorous tones in his thought. 

	<It was hard.  I'm not used to this kind of talking.>

	<OK.  Well we'll see what happens.  I bet it'll be good.>

	Briana paused for a few seconds before responding.  This was a bit
of a surprise coming from Reolden.


Respectfully Submitted,
Mike Cowper


NRPG:
OK, Kat, you can take it from here.  Will she teach him?  Hope I played
Briana OK.

Sorry it's been so long since my last post.  RL sometimes (often) gets in
the way.  I think I should be able to keep up better for a while now.

><>  "Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein  <><
Mike Cowper             mcowper@indy.net <> "Any sufficiently advanced
IndyNet SysAdmin          admin@indy.net >< technology is indistinguishable
Mr. Wizard  http://www.indy.net/~mcowper <> from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke
><>  "What do YOU care what other people think?"  - Richard P. Feynman  <><