[The day of the funeral, morning]

Almiron awoke, slipped from the bed, quietly retrieved some clothes from the 
master bedroom and went into the bathroom to wash and dress.  He thought it 
slightly silly not to dress in the bedroom, but he felt odd doing it there 
with Salinda.

<Pet, Aethnod tells me that his rider would like your assistance in about 
half an hour.>

<I will be there.>

Salinda was awake when he walked into the room and instinctively pulled the 
covers up over her nakedness.

"I am going to Medical Center to help out.  You will meet me at Dining Hall 
for lunch?"

Salinda looked about ready to say no, then nodded.  He leaned over and 
kissed her uncertainly.  She returned it equally timidly.

He left after grabbing a hunk of bread from the kitchen.

******

Kyven had painstakingly pieced his son's leg bones back together, and then 
pulled the skin together evenly.  He looked at Almiron.  "All right."

Almiron placed his hands on Keev and immediately felt the bruises, cuts, 
fractures and the incision.  The energy started flowing out of him in 
response to the pain.

Kyven watched in wonder as the incision began to seal up.  When he saw 
Keev's bruises starting to fade, he pulled Almiron away.

"I don't want you expending all your energy on Keev.  I've got a couple more 
patients I'd like you to see.

******

Almiron stepped out of the Medical Center and stretched.  He had spent the 
morning healing M'ressan, Aleta and Christalla.  M'ressan was not fully 
healed and neither was Aleta, but she no longer suffered the horrible chest 
pains with the slightest bit of exertion.  Christalla was largely healed of 
the knife wound and the injuries that childbirth inflicts.

He headed to the Dining Hall, meeting Salinda outside.  The two had a quiet, 
tense lunch.  Then Almiron headed to his shop while Salinda headed back to 
the apartment to get more of her things set up.

Someone had cleaned up his work area of the spilled dye and neatly stacked 
the hides into two piles-- those who had taken the dye and those that had 
survived.  On the table sat the piece of soft leather with the pattern for 
baby booties traced on it.  It was splashed with the dye.

Almiron sighed and considered.  He had often taken what seemed like a 
disaster and made something of it, but he was too tired frustrated to think 
right now.  Images of Salinda and Darlea flitted through his mind.  He set 
it aside and began work on something that didn't require so much creativity.

******

That evening he went to Al'dairan's funeral.  He saw Darlea there, but they 
avoided each other.  It hurt.  Salinda was too shy to go, so he had left her 
at home.

He watched as the body was laid on the pyre and first Aylin, then D'neor, 
Del, Al'dairan's lover Suayla, and many others paid their last tributes to 
the man and lit the pyre in turn.

Then M'tan paid his last respects to his brother and cast the torch to the 
top of the pyre.  It landed, and the white shroud that wrapped Al'dairan the 
Courier took fire.  Soon, nothing was visible except the flame.  M'tan 
exhaled, his firm figure begining to relax.  He turned back to the crowd, 
who was moving away to a safe distance. 

Almiron stood waiting for him.  He hadn't known Al'dairan, but he wanted to 
be there for M'tan.

"Good to see you Almiron, tho admittedly, I wish the circumstances were 
better," Michel's voice said.

Almiron turned and nodded.  "Though, that would break record."

Michel half-smiled and nodded, seeming distracted.

"Yes, you're right.  So, what's this about you and Salinda?"

Almiron shrugged.  "She and I are mate.  She bears my child.  It seemed only 
right thing to do."  Almiron saw M'tan heading for a group of people.  
Perhaps it was best if he left M'tan to those who had known Al'dairan.  But, 
he did want to offer his comfort.  "Excuse me."

"Sure," Michel said.  "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"M'tan," Almiron said and the man turned and smiled tiredly.

He had spent the whole day making final arrangements for the funeral and 
worrying over whether M'ressan and Christalla would be well enough to 
attend.  He knew Almiron was somewhat responsible for that.

Almiron impulsively hugged the older man.  "I would stay with you, but I 
didn't know Almiron, and I need to go home to Salinda."

M'tan smiled.  "I understand.  I want to talk to you tomorrow about that," 
he said, a concerned look on his face.

Almiron raised his eyebrows in question.  "Everyone seems to want to talk to 
me about Salinda and me.  I'm sorry it worries you."

"It's not exactly that.  Look, we'll talk tomorrow."

Almiron nodded.

M'tan turned away and joined a group of friends.

Almiron headed back to the green where Darshan was waiting to take him back 
to the apartment he now shared with Salinda.

Salinda was sitting up for him.  He leaned down and kissed her.  She timidly 
returned it, then withdrew.  "Almiron, I don't really feel like..."

He smiled.  "I understand."

She let out a sigh of relief.  "Do you think you could... um..."

"Sleep in other bed again?"

She nodded, looking away from him.  "I know we're supposed to be mates, but 
I just can't sleep with someone else in the bed."

"Perhap, tomorrow we should move other bed into master bedroom to leave room 
for crib.  Would that be okay?"

"Oh, yes, that would be okay.  I don't mind you in the room, just..."  She 
shrugged.

"Okay.  I'm tired, so I'm going to bed.  Good night, Salinda."

"Good night, Almiron."

******

[Next morning]

Almiron was going to spend the morning moving over the rest of his things 
and arranging their combined household with Salinda.  It all still seemed 
very unreal.  He'd just gone to the warren kitchens to pick up some food for 
their kitchen when he heard the mating trumpet and felt Darshan's heat.

He followed his need out to the field where Christalla stood mocking them.  
The flight was a surprise when Alanth got distracted from his prize by a 
white-coloured female.  Almiron watched with the others as Malekith slipped 
past the huge red dragon and caught the empress.

Almiron turned to head back to his duties as Wynn and Christalla embraced.  
He wondered whether this would cause problems for either of them afterward.  
Fortunately, the DragonLady had been healed, or the dragon passion would 
surely leave her very hurt.

He caught sight of Darlea, standing watching.  He felt a lump in his throat 
and turned away.  Just then another female trumpetted her challenge and he 
turned to see emerald Makayla launch into the air.  Darshan was exhausted 
from pursuing the empress, but still lifted in pursuit.  Almiron was 
suddenly faced with the possibility of once again sharing Darlea's body.  It 
at once aroused and frightened him and he tried to pull his dragon back.  He 
couldn't do this.  If he had her so soon after giving her up, he could never 
give her up again.

The green evaded a pursuing male only to end up in the clutches of Zareth.  
Almiron fought down sudden jealousy as he saw Darlea and M'tan embrace and 
then walk hand in hand into the woods nearby.  He wasn't sure of whom he was 
more jealous, Darlea for getting to explore M'tan's body or M'tan for having 
Darlea.

He turned and started to head back to the kitchens when he saw a very lost 
Benna standing there.  Of course.  M'tan was occupied and Aleta was still in 
the Medical Center with a very damaged heart, even after his healing.  He 
went and crouched down to her level.  She looked into his eyes.

"Uncle Almiron, where did M'tan go?"

"He's going to spend some time with Darlea.  Would you like to come with me 
and meet my new mate?  I'll be sure M'tan knows where you are."

She smiled and hugged him.  "Sure!"

Almiron picked her up.  They went to the kitchens and got their supplies.  
<Darshan, come get me, please.>

<I'm *tired*, pet.  And I didn't win either one...>

<Just this one ride and you can rest.  And when Zareth is unoccupied, tell 
him I have Benna.>

The purple landed and Almiron helped Benna onto the dragon as he climbed up. 
 The two were soon at the apartment.  Almiron slipped off the dragon and 
Benna leaped down into his arms, hugging his tight.  He smiled at the little 
girl.

"Almiron, what took you so--  Oh!"

Salinda stood looking at him holding Benna.

"Zareth won mating flight and Aleta is still in Medical Center.  I thought, 
if you didn't mind, that I could watch Benna until..."  His voice trailed 
off.  Salinda was looking at him strangely.  "Is something wrong?"

Salinda smiled.  "No, no.  I'd be happy to have Benna for a while."

******

They sat together on the couch, their dinner plates empty on the table in 
front of the couch.  Now that their kitchen was stocked, Almiron had decided 
to cook dinner.  It had been an odd day.  While they had had Benna, 
Salinda's eyes had followed him with that strange look in them.  But she had 
relaxed a great deal around the little girl and Almiron was almost 
disappointed when he'd had to deliver her back to M'tan.

He had taken that break to take a little side trip, however, and now he was 
ready.  He stood from the couch.  "I have desert."

Salinda smiled.  "I hope it isn't as spicy as dinner was."

He sighed.  "I thought you said you liked it."

"I did.  Especially since I didn't have to cook it.  I just wasn't expecting 
it to be that hot."

"Sorry.  I will try to tone it down next time."

"No, no," she objected.  "Don't do that.  I liked it once I got used to it."

"Okay.  Well, desert is not spicy, I promise."

He slipped from the room and returned with a bucket filled with ice and a 
bowl inside that.  He spooned the creamy stuff from the large bowl into two 
smaller ones.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Ice cream.  I learned recipe from cook at other warren."

She tentatively took a bite and mmmed appreciatively.  "Oh, this is good."  
She soon had finished her bowl while he was still only half through his.  
"Can I have more?"

Almiron smiled.  "Sure."

<Hey, she's going to eat all my ice cream,> Darshan objected.

<There is plenty, silly.>

Almiron dished out another bowl for her, then, impulsively, scooped some up 
with her spoon and held it out to her.

She giggled, leaned forward and took the spoon in her mouth, making 
appreciative noises at the taste.  He sat his bowl down and scooted closer 
to better feed her.  Her eyes that had always looked so sad and afraid now 
danced with laughter.

******

<He didn't bother to give me any,> Darshan muttered to Dencia.

<Perhaps he will later,> the red replied slowly, almost overwhelmed by the 
feelings coming from her rider.

<By the time they finish mating, it will all be melted.>

<This is better than food anyway.>

******

He awoke in the night, still curled up with Salinda on the couch, their 
half-eaten bowls of ice cream melted to slop.  His arm was asleep.  He moved 
slightly and she stirred.

"You and I need to go to bed, Salinda."

She let him sit her up and half-carry her into the bedroom.  He laid her 
down, covered her and then slipped into the second bed next to it.  He 
drifted off to sleep, smiling at the memory of their lovemaking.

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

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 * 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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