"Thank you," the girl said, as Almiron sat calmly beside her.  She had 
talked little beyond introducing herself, but seemed to take some 
reassurance from his calm presence.  "I've only been here less than a day, 
and still don't know what's going on.  Michel's been the only person I could 
ever count on.  Since mom and dad died when I was little, he's always been 
looking out for me.  He didn't even think he would be chosen when he decided 
to come here for the Hatching.  Knowing him, he probably could have made off 
with half of what's considered valuable here.  He has to be all right."

   "There, I am sure he will be fine," though in his mind he had some 
doubts.  He reached to pat her shoulder again, comfortingly.  As soon as his 
hand touched the girl, the memory hit him like a torrent-- the gold dragon, 
his brothers and companions torn and dying, all the pain of the claw wounds, 
giving himself over to death.  He gasped, holding his side as he had done 
over three years ago.  Slowly he regained the present and looked at Carie.

   She was staring at him in wide-eyed shock, holding her side, obviously 
having lived the memory as well.  He was about to speak, when he saw a 
dragon appear above the medical center.

   She followed his eyes.  "Is it him?"

   "I don't know.  It is over medical center."

   "The medical center?  Then he's hurt... oh, please, no."

   Almiron reached out, almost frightened of touching her.  "Calm down.  If 
he is there, he is hurt, but he is not dead.  Come, let's go there."

   The two dashed in the direction of the center, though they realised early 
that the body being carried in wasn't big enough for Michel.  They came upon 
the rider that had brought the wounded person, a rather wealthy land-born 
trainee named Reolden, to whom Almiron had had the pleasure of selling a 
great number of his wares.

   The girl ran to Reolden and took his arm, her eyes showing her 
desperation.  Reolden started at the contact.

   "Where's Michel?  Do you know, is he all right?"

   "He's being taken care of.  He should be here shortly," the trainee replied.

   "Is he all right?"

   "I don't know.  I didn't see him up close."

   Carie pulled back, looking panicked and lost at the same time.  Suddenly, 
a green and a green with stripes of brown and gold appeared in the air above 
them, both riderless.  A red soon followed, with two riders.  Reolden pulled 
Carie out of the path of the landing dragons.  Seeing her brother on the 
red, Carie ran forward.  The rider, Hedda, handed him down into Carie's arms.

   The left side of his face was covered with blood, his left eye lost in 
it, and he seemed very weak.  Almiron and Reolden helped Carie to steady her 
injured brother, as David and Minty ran out to help.  They got him into the 
center and into a bed, where one of the healers examined him.  Carie did not 
want to leave his side, but Almiron gently pulled her back to allow the 
healer room to move freely.

   Michel was talking half coherently about someone named Malk Bromitz who 
had taken someone named Darlea.  David, Reolden, and Minty all looked 
concerned at this news.  A woman in the building gasped in panic and fled 
toward the entrance to the building, calling for M'ressan, Aleta, R'mar and 
Darlea in turn.

   The healer was older and experienced, but still blanched upon examining 
Michel's left eye.  Almrion felt his heart sink-- it had been as bad as he 
thought it was.  Carie saw the look as well, and started crying, silently, 
trying not to worry her brother.

   The healer quickly dressed Michel's wounds, then turned to address them.  
"I need to speak with him alone.  Everyone scoot."

   Carie stepped forward timidly, still holding onto Almiron as if for sheer 
life.  "I'm his sister.  Please, can I stay?"

   "Of course, dear, but I want everyone else out for a few minutes."

   Almiron found a chair and pulled it up next to Michel's bed and sat Carie 
down in it, gave her a last comforting pat on the shoulder and left with 
David and Minty.

   The three walked in silence for a moment, coming out onto the green 
around the center.  "His eye..." the girl named Minty started.

   "It is damaged beyond repair, I am afraid," Almiron said.  "Only miracle 
will save it.  It is what healer wishes to discuss, I think."

   "Darlea taken," David said, shaking his head.  "Tis a dark day."

   "She is trainee?" Almiron asked.

   "Aye, that be her dragon, Makalya, there," David said, poiting to the 
green, that was flying nervously about, the closest Almiron had ever seen to 
a dragon pacing.  David's eyes went blank for a moment as he looked at the 
dragon, much like riders did sometimes in conversation with their joined 
dragon.  Almiron watched with interest as the green glared at David then 
grudgingly landed next to the male dragon had arrived with and lay down, 
though her tail continued to twitch with pent-up nervous energy.

   The two trainees headed for the warren to get more information about 
Darlea and what had happened.  Almiron paused and looked at the green more 
closely.  One foreleg was mildly injured.  The dragon was so distraught, she 
seemed not even to know it.  Almiron approached cautiously.

   "Makalya, I am Almiron.  You are hurt.  May I see?"  The dragon offered 
him her foreleg and Almiron studied it briefly.  "I will go get someone to 
dress this for you.  It will not take long to heal."  Almiron patted the 
green, then went inside and found one of the staff.

   "This is barely worth bandaging.  But no use taking chances," the healer 
said upon examining the wound.

   "It is not as bad as I first thought," Almiron commented.

   The healer quickly bandaged the wound and headed inside.  Almiron patted 
the dragon's side, attempting to offer some comfort.  "You don't worry about 
your rider.  She will be fine."

   As he walked off, the dragon's eyes followed him thoughtfully.

Respectfully submitted
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Almiron

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 * Lynette R. F. Cowper       *     Official INWO 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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 *     The INWO rulings I make are official.  All other opinions,     *
 *  discussions, deck ideas, card ideas, political beliefs, etc. are  *
 *  my own and not those of Steve Jackson Games, the Circle of Janus, *
 *                        or P.U.R.P.L.E.  Fnord.                     *
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