The Dragonlady was definately someone I could get along with, Hedda 
decided.  Lannith was just finishing the last of the coal.  <I still 
think the stuff is very bland> came a voice in Hedda's head, Lannith's 
big black eyes looking at Hedda with a look of disgust.  

 Hedda was walking back to her dragon, having rested outside the Warren 
while her dragon had eaten some coal.  Lannith had made her displeasure 
with coal known from the very beginning, but had put up with it as a 
necessity for extended fire.  

 Hedda pet her dragon's nose before mounting, thinking "Don't worry.  
Hopefully, this is all the coal you'll have to eat for quite a while."  
Lannith's reply came back, <I hope you are right.>  

 Hedda took a few moments to secure some of her equipment to the saddle.  
There was one piece of equipment, a mess kit, that didn't want to tie 
down securely, but she didn't think it would cause problems.  She let it 
be. 

 Hedda climbed expertly aboard Lannith's back, strapping into the 
"saddle," and pulling her hair up under her riding helmet.  "Are you 
ready?" Hedda asked Lannith, beginning the pair's usual takeoff routine.  
Only Hedda could hear the dragon's reply, but one watching would see what 
could almost be called a smile cross the dragon's face.  <Ready only if 
you are!> came the dragon's enthusiastic reply.  "Can you fly far and 
fast?" was the next step.  As usual, Lannith came back with <I can get 
us across the waste in a day, if you desire.>  "Are you ready to do 
battle?"  The final question.  Lannith's final reply was <I can kill a 
hundred wraiths with no coal, I can take a wild dragon out of the sky, I 
am ready to face anything, but I am not ready unless you are.>  The last 
step.  "Let's go!"  

 With a flap of wings and a loud roar, Lannith launched the pair into the 
air.  Then, once airborn, there was the cold nothingness that was the 
teleportation void, then more roars filled the air.  

 There seemed to be fewer dragons in the air now.  The dragonriders had 
taken many casualties, but so had the wraiths.  However, the dragonriders 
were still heavily outnumbered.  This was going to be fun.

 Lannith dropped into a fast dive.  Hedda looked around, found a wraith 
that was following another red, who seemed to be a wingleader.  The rider of 
the red did not appear to know he was being followed.

 Lannith breathed, a bright gush of flame spouting from her mouth and 
consuming the wraith.  Hedda noticed something glint in the sunlight as 
the human and dragon team passed over the wingleader, and looked back and 
down to see her messkit fall, hitting him in the shoulder.  

 Hedda felt a sudden slight tinge of guilt, and felt that she would have 
to seek that man out and apologize to him later.  However, she could not 
dwell on that now.  <Alanth, the human's dragon, says that the human 
sends his thanks.>  "Tell him that I must speak with the human after the 
battle."  <It is done.  I like Alanth.>  Hedda shook her head.  Young 
dragons.

 The battle continued through the morning, and Hedda and the wingleader 
had many more encounters throughout.  He seemed impressed with the young 
woman's performance.  She was thinking this may be her way into another 
Warren, one that would accept her.  No, she thought, I can't let my 
thoughts distract me right now.  

 She was wrapped up enough in her thoughts, even Lannith didn't notice 
the wraith decending upon them.  Lannith let out a cry as it touched her 
back, Hedda feeling the dragon's pain.  She fought back the wave of pain, 
turning in her saddle, grappling with the wraith on her dragon's back.  
"Not MY dragon..."  The wraith finally lost the fight, slipping from the 
dragon's back, but not before gashing Hedda's chest badly.  

 As the wraith started to rise back toward Lannith, the wingleader 
swooped in and flamed it.  <Hedda, Alanth says that now we are even.>

 Finally, sometime in the mid-afternoon, the wraiths vanished.  Hedda 
was relieved, or as relieved as she could be as tired and wounded as 
she was.      

**********

 Back at Keldarra Warren, both Hedda and Lannith were recieving treatment 
for wounds recieved in battle.  While laid up, Hedda was approached by 
the wingleader whom she had met in the battle.  

 M'ressan, his name turned out to be, wanted her in his wing.  

 "I appreciate the offer, but there is something else.  Something you are 
not telling me."

 M'ressan hesitated.  "Yes.  I understand you are Warrenless.  That could 
cause some problems."

 Hedda suddenly turned cold.  "That's... not my problem.  Nor is it my 
fault.  I did not ask to be Warrenless."

 "Fine.  The Dragonlady, Christella, would like to speak with you once 
you are up to it.  There is to be a Hatching soon.  You are invited to 
watch.  There is a Queen egg this time."

 Hedda remembered the joy she had felt when she had joined with Lannith, 
and realized she would never again be alone.  "I'll be there."

 
 Respectfully submitted,
 Hedda, 
 Rider of Lannith, female red,
 Currently Warrenless

 Nathan Terhune

 NRPG: Susan:  Hope you don't mind me inviting "myself" to the Hatching?  
*grin*  Didn't think so.