NRPG: Character-hopping again.  Bear with me.  THen again, just expect 
it. :)

RPG:

Timeframe: Before the Funeral

	M'tan hefted the last few branches onto the pyre, wiping sweat
from his forehead.  It was a hot summer day, and it was difficult to keep
perspective in the humidity. 

	<Whew, I'm beat,> he complained to his Dragon, dropping down in 
the shade beneath the closest tree.

	<It looks quite acceptable,> Zarelth replied, ambling over and 
clawing the dirt around the pyre with his foreclaw.  <That should help 
keep the fire from spreading.  I know Rendel would never have believed 
that such a production could be made out of his Human's passing.  Dragons 
have a different way.>

	<I know,> M'tan replied.  <This does well for us.  I don't think
God minds, either way.> Of course, his family had left him to build it
alone for the most part.  None of them had been able to stomach the
prepartions.  M'tan sighed. 

	<Maybe the Human way is good,> Zareth mused, streching his 
massive grey body out on the plain.  <You can wait to say farewell to the 
body until you're ready.  Rendel was just gone, and many of us are still 
coping.>

	<I don't know,> M'tan replied.  <You don't have to face Rendel's 
body when Rendel's soul is no longer there.  I almost envy you Dragons.>  
He smiled thoughtfully.

	<There is that,> Zareth agreed, letting the matter drop.  A 
companionable silence passed between them.  Zareth turned his head and 
regarded his Human with one large violet eye.  <There is one thing that 
has troubled me recently, my Human,> Zareth began slowly.  <About your 
Human customs.  I don't quite understand them.>

	M'tan raised his eyebrows.  <Shoot.>

	<Well, Darshan and Dencia are moving in together because of a 
mating flight, and-->

	<What?> M'tan stood up.  <Almiron and *Salinda*??>

	<Yes,> Zareth was a bit taken aback.  <Darshan won Dencia in a 
mating flight, and now their Humans are making them share living space.> 

	M'tan shook his head, fighting down a surge of helpless emotion he
couldn't really understand.  Almiron mated??  <This doesn't make *any*
sense.  You must be leaving something out.  Tell me all of what you heard,
and don't spare any details you don't think are important.>

	<Well...  Darshan won Dencia in a mating flight, you remember.>  
M'tan nodded.  He did.  That had been quite a while bac, at least a 
month.  What would cause them to do something like this now?  <Dencia's 
Human was very upset about it.  Dencia stayed out of Gamma Wing after 
that.  Darshan's Human went to her recently, and they had a fight, I 
think.  Right after, they decided to be mates.  Of course, most of this 
is third hand.  Darshan and Dencia don't talk to me much.>

	It still didn't make any sense.  M'tan sighed in frustration.  It 
could be so difficult to get clear answers about Humans from a Dragon.  
<Is there ANYTHING, any little detail you can think of?>

	Zareth thought hard.  <Well, it seems that Dencia's Human will be 
reproducing.  That was a secret until recently.>

	Reproducing?  <You mean she's pregnant?>

	<That's the way you Human say it, I think,> Zareth admitted.

	M'tan sat down again hard.  So that mating flight had resulted in
Salinda's pregnancy with Almiron's child, and Almiron had proposed
matehood to Salinda out of responsibility.  It made too much sense now.  
Why had Almiron been so silent?  It hurt to think of Almiron going 
through so much of a crisis without talking to M'tan.  M'tan remembered 
how afraid he was that Darlea would be pregnant.  This couldn't have been 
any easier.

	<I'll need to talk to Almiron, I think,> M'tan sent thoughtfully.

	<You haven't gotten to my question,> Zareth retorted, clearly 
annoyed. 

	<I'm sorry.> M'tan snapped himself out of thought, genuintely 
contrite.  

	<Well, you and Aleta became mates because I won Melianth...>

	<That's not true!> M'tan retorted quickly.  <What made you think 
that?  Aleta and I love each other.>

	<Let's be honest,> Zareth said patiently.  <I won Melianth and 
you and Aleta picked out an apartment in the next week.  Don't tell me 
those events weren't related.>

	M'tan was silent.  That was exactly how it had happened.  He'd 
woken up in Aleta's arms, his understanding of his love for her still in 
its fledgling stages, and she was already talking about being mates.  The 
mating flight had been the trigger, undoubtedly.  But, somehow, the way 
Zareth described it disturbed him.  <All right,> he said at last, <where 
is this going to?>

	<Do you hold me back in mating flights because you are afraid you 
will have to be mates with the Human of whoever I win?>

	<What?>

	<You hold me back when I fly in mating flights,> Zareth said 
testily.  <Is that why you do it?>

	<But I don't hold you back,> M'tan replied slowly, his mind 
racing.  <Do I?>

	<Melianth is the only female I've flown with in 12 years,> Zareth 
pointed out.  <You tell me.>

	M'tan thought hard.  Had he really been forcing Zareth to live 
with a commitment he made to Aleta?

	Aleta's words came back to him, as she knelt on the floor of their
apartment, stuffing carry-bag with her clothes.  ...'You've never violated
our relationship.  Twelve years, and Zareth never won another mating
flight; you never looked at another woman...'  She'd almost left him 
then, because Darshan's mating with Melianth had filled her with so much 
guilt. 

	Had he really been doing that by himself?

	<Zareth,> he asked sheepishly, <you don't like it this way, do 
you?> 

	Zareth's shoulders heaved in a Draconic sigh.  The single violet
eye rolled.  <Not particularly, if you want to know the truth.  Melianth's
pleasant enough and all that...>

	<Then I won't hold you back next time,> he said with resolve.  <I 
promise.> 

	He meant it.

**********

Timeframe: After the mating flight

	Mista was crying, or not-crying-- whatever it was that she did 
instead of crying, and it was giving M'ressan a headache.  He flipped on 
the gas to warm her something to eat and bounced her in his free arm.  He 
had braced himself for the empty yearning of mating flight passion 
without Christalla there; now the mating flight was over and... nothing.

	<What happened, stud?> he asked his Dragon.

	Alanth's thoughts were mournful.  <I lost.>

	<You saw someone,> M'ressan said, seeing the image of the white
Dragon still clear in Alanth's mind.  <That was Rika, wasn't it?>

	<Yes,> Alanth agreed, filled with frustration and hurt.  <She
wouldn't even speak to me, and now I can't find her again!>

	<All right,> M'ressan conceeded.  <I'm sorry for doubting you.  
Rika exists, and I find it difficult to believe that a wild Dragon would 
be this close to a Warren.  If the rest of what you said is correct, I 
guess Mearn would be the person to talk to.>

	<Yes!> Alanth exclaimed.  <Will you help me?>

	<I guess you've recruited me,> M'ressan sighed.  <But get me down
from here first.  I want to visit my sister, and I *refuse* to stay up in
the apartment if Christalla's off with some young Gamma Wingleader
anyway.>

**********

	M'tan cornered Almiron at breakfast.  The young man was eating 
alone and not looking particularly happy.

	"Somehow you don't look like you've had the world's best beauty 
rest," he said as he slid into the seat across from Almiron.  Benna, 
always in tow, sat down beside M'tan, looking sleepy.

	Almiron offered a half-smile.  "You could say that."

	"New mate keep you up all night?"  M'tan tried to make the words 
sound teasing, but they came off half-accusatory.

	"Well, it was hard for her to keep me awake, since I slept in 
other room," Almiron retorted.  "Are you going to tell me I am making
mistake too?  Seems entire Warren wants to tell me what is good for me."

	M'tan sighed.  "No, it just came as a surprise, really," he 
replied.  "Zareth told me the Dragon gossip yesterday.  I'm sure you'll 
be a wonderful mate and father once things smooth out."

	Almiron winced at the word 'father'.  "Things aren't off to best
start," he admitted.  "I hope we can make this work." 

	M'tan reached out and took Almiron's hand.  "I want to be there 
for you," he said fiercely.  "You went through all this without a word.  
Why didn't you tell me?"

**********

	"I think I just need some time to think," Wynn admitted.  His 
eyes were those of a caged animal as he regarded Christalla the 
DragonLady, who had just recently been his lover.

	"No one can deny you time to think," Christalla smiled.  "But 
don't take too long.  You have a wing that needs you, and Keldarra's been 
through a lot of turmoil recently.  It needs good leadership."

	Wynn nodded.  Taking instruction from the DragonLady in this 
setting seemed horribly out of place.  He just wanted to escape.

	"You know," Christalla mused, looking up at the sky, "I remember 
the first mating flight that Alanth won.  I was a child then, 10 years 
old.  He was 15, and had barely been a dragonrider for a year.  Alanth 
was just getting big then, and I don't think anyone realized what he was 
capable of.

	"Low and behold, this young red Dragon flew in his first mating 
flight, and he won the Empress.  This 15-year-old boy, M'ressan, ended up 
bedding the DragonLady Adrielle.  She was 35.  Oh, that seemed so old at 
the time."  She laughed softly and leaned back in the grass.

	"What was worse was that M'ressan had been living in Adrielle's 
apartment.  She'd adopted him and Aleta when they arrived at the Warren.  
Right after that, he moved out and found his own apartment.  She had to 
fly to him and force him to talk to her before they worked it out and 
became like family again.  I don't know why I remember so vividly.  He 
was just a boy, and boys had cooties."  She laughed.

	Wynn just watched her.  He hadn't thought about M'ressan in a 
position like this one.

	Christalla rolled over onto her stomach and looked at him
intently.  "It didn't bother Adrielle, but M'ressan nearly destroyed what
they had together because of it," she said.  "Alicynth is a fine sized
Queen; she might be Empress when Kaeryth is retired.  I'd rather Evelle
not have a similar story to tell.  Our way is strange, Wynn, but it's our
way.  I trust you to understand." 

	"I do understand," Wynn admitted, "with my mind.  Give me some 
time to work it out with my heart."

	Christalla took his hand and squeezed it.  "You didn't get where 
you are just on M'ressan's recommendation," she confided.  "I trust you, 
as a Wingleader and as a friend.  Come back soon."

	Malekith winged down onto the grass a little bit away from them.  
Wynn smiled wanly to her and hurried off to his Dragon.

**********

	"So what have you been doing while I was asleep?" Aleta asked 
teasingly.  "Just pining away waiting for me to wake up?  You worry so 
much, brother dear."

	"Um, yeah," M'ressan replied uncomfortably.  "I did a lot of
worrying."  He was sitting on her cot, sleeping Mista wrapped in the
blankets beside him.  Aleta had made it on her own to the seat across from
him.  Her strength was returning rapidly, and now that Almiron's healing
touch had eased the pains in her chest, the Med Center hoped she could
return to her duties in another week. 

	"There's so much they're not telling me about the time I was out,"
Aleta said.  "It's been driving me crazy.  I know things were difficult. 
Melianth's even been standoffish.  What is it they don't want me to
hear??" 

	"I don't really know," M'ressan lied.  Badly.  He he faltered for 
something to save himself under his sister's intense gaze.  He was coming 
to terms with what had happened at Ralengarde only slowly himself.  In 
the days after with a daughter to care for, it had been easy to pretend 
they had never happend.  But something had changed inside of him, and he 
wasn't quite ready to deal with his sister's reaction to what he had 
done. 

	As if on cue, he heard a mind-call of Dragons.  "Makayla's 
mating flight is over," he reported.  "It looks like... good grief!"

	"What?" Aleta demanded, letting the subject be changed.

	"Zareth won Makayla," M'ressan reported, eyeing her warily.

	"*Zareth*??" Aleta cried.  "But he's never... not once!"

	"It had to happen sometime," M'ressan replied lamely.  "You're 
not going to do anything like last time are you?"

	Aleta laughed.  It was like the weight of years was lifting off
her shoulders.  She couldn't explain it... it was liberating in such a
strange way.  Zareth had won another female.  M'tan was making love to
another woman right now.  "Makayla..." she let the word roll of her
tongue.  "Whose Dragon is that?"

	"Darlea," M'ressan replied.  "Joined from Kaeryth's last clutch.  
She's in Gamma Wing."

	"Darlea."  She could see the laughing blonde girl in her mind's 
eye.  "Why, she's just a child!  M'tan's with a girl half his age!"  She 
laughed again.  Almiron, after all, hadn't even been quite half her age.

	"Aleta," M'ressan asked warily.  "Are you sure you didn't take a 
knock to the head when you fell?"

	"Maybe I did," Aleta grinned.  "Or maybe things are just getting 
simpler in my life."

**********

	M'tan watched Darlea go, shaking his head to himself.  <I know I
promised not to hold you back,> he admonished Zareth, <but I didn't expect
you to take me up on it so quickly!>

	<Hey,> Zareth chuckled, <I was worthy.>

	He hoped Darlea and Almiron worked it out.  She cared dearly for 
him, and he longed for her.  It seemed they were making it all so 
complicated.  Watching young lives take their course was so thought- 
provoking sometimes.  He wondered how Aleta was taking the news of the 
mating flight.

	<Melianth has nothing adverse to report,> Zareth informed him.  
<You are sure this will have no bad effects on you and your mate?>

	<No,> M'tan replied, mostly certain.  <I don't think so.  We'll 
work it out all right.>

	<Good,> Zareth smirked.  <Because the females here are in for a 
surprise!> 

	M'tan laughed softly, lying back in the grass to rest a bit 
more.  Images of himself and Aleta as teenagers in this very spot flashed 
before his eyes.  He wondered... what would have happened if another 
Dragon had won Melianth that day?  Would Aleta really be his mate now?

	It was a disturbing thought.  He didn't want to think about it.

**********

	M'ressan and Mista headed out of the Medical Center and went to
the Dining Hall for lunch.  Aleta was sleeping again.  She'd commented
that she had about Mista's stamina right now.  But she was healing, and in
good spirits.  That was all that mattered. 

	On his way into the Warren proper, he found himself face to face 
with Mearn and his wolf Rem.  "Ah, M'ressan!" Mearn greeted him.  "I've 
been looking for you."

	<It's him!> Alanth cried.  <Ask him!  Ask him!>

	M'ressan winced, but covered it up quickly with a smile.  
"Actually," he admitted, "I've been looking for you too."

	"Then it seems to be a good thing that we found each other," 
Mearn returned the smile.

	"Well," M'ressan suggested, "I was just about to head in for a 
meal.  Would you like to join me?"

	"I do feel a bit hungry," Mearn admitted.  "Rem's been causing a 
few bad reactions there, though.  Are you sure she'll be welcome?"

	"Seems like we've had stranger things in our Dining Hall," 
M'ressan grinned.  "So long as she doesn't do anything threatening, folks 
have no right to complain."  He waved to the wolf, who watched silently, 
though she seemed to be rather contented.

	The two of them walked together into the Dining Hall.  Rem stayed 
close to Mearn.  "She really is a wonderful creature," M'ressan commented 
cheerfully.  "I've never seen a wolf so well-trained.  Where did you find 
her?"

	Rem looked at him sharply.  A slight growl escaped her lips.  
"No, now that's hardly fair," Mearn said, turning to her.  "You can't 
expect the people here to know EVERYTHING.  No, I'm sure he didn't mean 
it as an insult."  He touched her head reassurringly...not a pat, like 
one would a pet dog, but more as one would hold someone's arm to keep him 
from doing something foolish.  "Rem's my companion," he said, looking up 
at M'ressan.  "I didn't train her.  She's not like that.  We've been 
through a lot together."

	"Um, I see," M'ressan replied, backing away slightly.  "I'll be
careful not to insult her again."  He looked down awkwardly at the wolf,
who still watched him unappreciatively.  "Um, Rem, you have my most
sincere apologies.  I will do my best not to, um, misjudge you again." 

	That seemed to be enough for Rem.  She tossed her head, and led 
the way for Mearn and M'ressan to the nearest table.  M'ressan followed, 
shaking his head.  That was the strangest animal he'd ever seen, bar 
none.  And Mearn was a piece himself.

	They got something to eat and sat down together.  M'ressan's mind 
was filled with questions about Ralengarde.  What had really happened 
there?  But he wasn't quite ready to ask them.  That was apart of himself 
he couldn't quite face yet.  Instead, he asked, "What exactly was it you 
wanted to see me about?"

	"Well," Mearn began, "it looks like I'm going to be staying here 
a bit longer than I thought.  I'm a stranger here, and there's a lot I 
don't know how to do.  I was hoping perhaps you could help me."

	M'ressan was eating with one hand and holding Mista against his
leg with the other.  There had to be a better way to do this.  He'd have
to ask a more experienced parent soon about the ins and outs of keeping
track of children.  "I'm a bubbling fountain of help," he mumbled around a
mouthful of food.  "Ask a question.  Any question." 

	"First, I need a place to stay," Mearn began.

	"Easy.  You'll find us a pretty accomodating bunch.  There are a
lot of free apartments.  The stone buildings around the Warren are largely
apartments for the unjoined.  You can pick out one of those if you like.  
If you happen to have reliable transport Dragonback, feel free to take 
any of the free apartments in the cliff-faces."

	"And I take it I can eat here whenever I need to?"

	M'ressan nodded, swallowing.  "Well, whenever Sheltie's serving,"
he amended. 

	"You really offer all this for nothing in exchange?"  Mearn was
skeptical. 

	"Well, actually, we'd prefer that if you're going to stay more 
than a day or two, you offer something to help support the Warren.  If 
you stick around too long without helping, you'll suddenly discover that 
Sheltie doesn't have any food left for you, and the like."  M'ressan 
grinned.  "There's always labor to be done, and if you have a trade 
skill, we always appreciate new craftsmen." 

	"Well, it seems my 'trade skills' are proving useless here," 
Mearn commented wryly.  "I'll see what I can offer, though."

	<*Enough* small talk!> Alanth raved.  <Ask!  Ask!>

	M'ressan sighed.  "Well, I did have one thing I wanted to ask 
you," he said.  "My Dragon has been harrassing me ever since that 
night... at Ralengarde.  He claims that you're somehow joined, which 
looks to me to be impossible.  Does the name 'Rika' mean anything to 
you?" 


Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Rati
Administrator, DragonLands

NRPG: Whew!  I think that handles all tags sent my way, except the BIIG 
tag from Whiteriver, which I'll address ASAP.