"Almiron, are you all right?" he heard Darlea say.

He looked at her and nodded, knowing he must look a sight with blue dye all 
over his face, hands and clothing.  He was proved right when she about burst 
out in laughter after looking at him.  "I'm so glad," she laughed, hugging him.

He hugged her back, feeling the warmth of her desire.  While he and Darlea 
had been casual lovers, they usually didn't have this much desire for each 
other all the time.  Now that they had decided not to have each other, their 
bodies taunted them.  She quickly stepped away, their eyes meeting.

"I... I'm sorry."  She quickly turned and ran back toward Makayla.

"What's wrong with your mate?" the man beside him asked.

"What?" Almiron asked, starting at the question.

"That girl, isn't she your mate?"

"No, no, she isn't.  She and I are... were... lover, but never mate."

The man looked genuinely apologetic.  "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Almiron assured him, feeling his eyes tear up again, and this 
time not from the stinging dye.  "Let's go."

There weren't any major injuries at the Medical Center.  Mila checked his 
eyes and told him to go.  Almiron asked after Kyven and was told he was 
examining Aleta, who had awakened during the earthquake.  Almiron was glad 
to hear the woman was all right.

As he left the Medical Center, the memory of making love to her surfaced 
suddenly.  Dear Hehran, what was wrong with him?

<Pet, Dencia tells me her rider would like to see you so you can start 
making arrangements.>

Arrangements.  The word sounded so cold.  Of course, if he were in his home 
tribe, he would be purchasing his wife from her father, using horses and 
cattle to barter for her.  "I'll give you 3 horse for your daughter," didn't 
sound any more romantic than "start making arrangements."

Ah, well.  He didn't see any reason to put it off.

<Darshan, come and get me.>

He went to his apartment and quickly washed up.  He managed, after much 
scrubbing, to get it off his face, but his hands were a different story.  Of 
course, he often had dye on his hands.  People were used to it.

He arrived at Salinda's apartment some time later.

The two stood, suddenly uncomfortable.  Finally, he asked, "You are 
accepting my proposal to be mate, yes?"

She stepped forward and shyly wrapped her arms around him.  He felt a lot of 
fear in her body which increased as he returned her hug.  He kissed her 
lightly, pulling back quickly.  This felt so alien.  He had been fighting 
sexual desire all day and now it had vanished.

They parted, still nervous.  "We've got a little time to look at apartments 
today," she said.

He nodded.  "Let's go."

They spent a couple of hours rather uncomfortably apartment-hunting.  They 
finally found one to fit both their dragons, with two bedrooms and a 
reasonable kitchen for the amount of cooking they did.  The smaller bedroom 
had a bed in it, but they decided it would be easy to take it down and store 
it away while they needed a crib.

Almiron sat down on the bed in the master bedroom, checking the matress.  He 
could sleep on almost anything, having spent so many years travelling, but 
he did have some preferences.  He laid back.  It felt pretty good.  Almost 
better than the one he had now.

Salinda walked in and let out a little gasp when she saw him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Come try bed.  See if it's okay for you."

She edged back slightly.  "I'll... I'll try it later."

He shrugged.  "Okay."

He stepped out into the living room, glancing about.  He heard the soft 
sound of Salinda trying out the bed and he turned to ask her what she thought.

He was stopped by dragons trumpetting.

<What is it, Darshan?>

<The wing is back.  They rescued Evelle.>

Almiron let out a sigh of relief even as he heard Salinda do the same.  He 
stepped into the bedroom.  "You heard?"

"Yes.  I'm glad.  This warren's had enough excitement for a while."

Almiron sat beside her, appearing not to notice that she scooted back a bit 
as he did so.  "Yes.  I hope this will be all for while, though there is 
still assassin somewhere here."

She shivered.  "It's all so awful.  And here I've only been thinking about 
myself."

"You have had lot to think about.  Don't be hard on yourself."  He hugged 
her suddenly and felt her tense at the same time as he felt the heat of 
desire flow through her.  She was frightened, but at the same time, she 
wanted him.  He took her face in one hand and tilted it to look at him.  "I 
will never hurt you, Salinda.  You and I don't have to... do anything till 
you are comfortable."

Tears sprang suddenly to her eyes.  "But we should... I mean, if we're going 
to be mates, then..."  She shrugged.

"There is plenty of time," he assured her.

She relaxed then, even though he still held her.  "Do you have much to move?"

"No.  It will not take long.  I could probably even do it tonight.  What of 
you?"

She shrugged.  "I don't have much either.  I could get it all over here 
tonight for the most part.  But, should we?  Maybe we should wait.  Then 
again, maybe we should just get it over with."

"I will leave it up to you."

She sat for a moment, feeling the heat of his body against her and the small 
sensations of desire drifting through her body.  Maybe it would be all 
right.  "Let's move tonight."

Almiron had just gotten his clothes moved over to the new apartment and he 
and Salinda were deciding which dresser would be whose when Darshan spoke.

<Pet, Iganeth's rider has found the half-elf creature.  Keev was in a tunnel 
somewhere when the earthquake happened and he can't be found.  S'brogh is 
asking for people to come help.>

He looked over to see that Salinda had also received the news.

"I would like to go..." he said, uncertainly.

"Go.  Please.  I'll unpack, if you don't mind me putting your stuff away."

"I don't mind."

He realised with a start that Darlea had put most of his clothes away the 
last time.  And they had truly become lovers then, what seemed like so long 
ago.  He shoved the thought aside and headed for the ledge where Darshan 
awaited him.

******

[Later that night, after the rescue of Keev]

[NRPG: I'll leave this to June-- don't want to hog the stage here-- and 
backpost Kyven's response.  I will mention that Kyven *will* be there and 
I'd rather Keev not die of his injuries.]

Almiron arrived back at his new apartment, exhausted.  The news of his and 
Salinda's choice to be mates, and her pregnancy, had spread by dragon 
grapevine quite rapidly once he and Salinda had allowed their dragons to 
talk.  Someone he didn't even know had called him 'Daddy' once, startling 
him.  The thought still terrified him, but there was a part of him, that 
liked the sound of it.

He saw that Salinda had all their bags unpacked and had already drifted off 
to sleep.  He undressed quickly, anxious to rest his weary bones, and 
climbed into the bed.  Despite his attempt to not wake her, Salinda stirred.

"Hi," she said.  "Did they find him?"

"Yes.  He is at Medical Center with both leg broken, badly."

"Ouch.  Well, at least he's home."

Almiron nodded and slipped his arms around her.  He felt the same sensations 
of desire and fear rush through her at his touch.  She seemed to force 
herself to relax.  Her hand gently touched his chest and she began a slow 
exploration.  Almiron gasped at the sudden desire running through him from 
just that quiet touch.  She fearfully withdrew.

"No.  It is okay.  I won't go any faster than you are willing."

"How will you know?"

"You can tell me if I do not feel it from your body."

He let her explore first before slowly reaching out to her, gently 
carressing her hair, then her face.  He avoided her breasts for a long time, 
just pleasuring her with touches to other, safer, areas.  Finally, he 
reached her breasts.  She tensed and then slowly relaxed.

When his hand drifted down to her sex, she started to pull away.

"Relax," his disembodied voice said out of the darkness.  "I will not take 
you tonight-- you aren't ready-- but I would give you this pleasure."

She slowly gave way under his touch, letting his hand and then his mouth 
pleasure her.  She moaned in surprise and pleasure as his fingers slipped 
inside her, as his tongue worked its magic.  She began to move her body in 
rhythm to the thrusting of his fingers and the lapping of his tongue, losing 
herself to the sensations of it.  If he had wanted, he could have taken her 
then and she would not have resisted, but he continued to pleasure her, 
ignoring his raging need, until he felt her climax.

He held her as her breathing slowed and the small twitchings in her body 
subsided.  He stretched out beside her.  She moved to adjust her body for 
sleep, and brushed against his hardness, hearing his sudden intake of breath 
at the contact.  They lay still for a moment.

"Almiron?"

"Yes, Salinda?"

"Would you... ummm..."

"What?"

"I don't think I can sleep with you here.  Could you... sleep in the other 
bed tonight?"

"Sure," he said, much to her surprise, and then kissed her lightly.

Almiron slipped out of the bed and padded into the bathroom first.  Once he 
had taken care of his burning need, at least somewhat, he slipped into the 
baby's room and curled up in the bed there, drifting into an exhausted, 
dreamless sleep.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Almiron and Darshan

NRPG: Hope I played Salinda okay, Kris.

All: well, what does any one have to say about the news?

 **********************************************************************
 * Lynette R. F. Cowper       *  Official INWO Rules NetRep & Goddess *
 * lcowper@io.com             *        Circle of Janus Secretary      *
 * lcowper@indy.net           *   VP of P.U.R.P.L.E. (People United   *
 * http://www.io.com/~lcowper/*   Respecting Purple Legal Equality)   *
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 *    I write of things which I have neither seen nor suffered nor    *
 *  learned from another, things which are not and never could have   *
 *  been, and therefore my readers should by no means believe them.   *
 *                                            --Lucian of Samosata    *
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