[DL] Darlea

"Darlea," laughed Salinda, "I do believe that your bottom lip is blue."

Darlea chortled, "I don't doubt it, I am getting cold."

"And I'm getting hungry, let's head back and go get something to eat."

Darlea nodded and climbed out of the lake. A cool breeze blew, causing her
to shiver slightly in the late morning air.  No way am I waiting to dry off,
she thought pulling her breeches and blouse on. She shook her hair out,
trying to get as much water out as possible. She looked up and saw Salinda
looking much as she must have with slightly damp clothes and rumpled wet
hair. She giggled at her friends as Salinda did the same. The two hopped on
thier dragons.

"I'm going home to change first," called Salinda.

"Me too," Darlea shouted back. "I'll meet you at the dining hall. Then the
two dragons, one green and one red, launched themselves into the blue sky.

Darlea dressed in dry clothes quickly and ran a comb through her blonde hair
that was just beginning to dry now. <Ready Makayla?> she asked the little
green dragon lying on the ledge.

<Yes, Darlea-pet. I want to go back and rest with Darshan a bit more.>

Darlea smiled, <If that makes you happy, deary.>

<It does.> Makayla sighed happily.

The two glided down to the dining hall. Darlea hopped off and Makayla flew
happily off in search of her Dragon friend. She was almost bowled over by a
young boy, as she walked into the Dining Hall.

"Oops, sorry Darlea. Hey did you see it?" he asked.

"See what?" she asked.

"A wolf! A mean and growly wolf!"

Darlea laughed, "Oh, yes... I saw a wolf," she teased they boy. She chuckled
as he continued on his way and she headed in to fill her plate.

As she turned with her plate of food, she spotted a large gray wolf walking
into the dining hall. In her surprise she dropped her plate of food. She had
thought the boy was playing games with her.

The wolf toward the sound of the falling plate. Darlea's eyes opened wide as
she watched the wolf continue on it's trek into the dining hall.  

Sheltie popped her head out of the kitchen to see what the clatter was
about. Seeing her daughter standing there with a plate of food at her feet
she said, "Darlea, are you alright?" Visions of Darlea throwing a plate of
food on the floor then standing on the table screaming flashed through her
head and she felt ready to faint. But looking at the girl she saw none of
the mating fire she had seen in her eyes that night. She followed the girls
gaze and saw the wolf. She found herself frozen much as Darlea was.

Darlea found that she couldn't take her eyes off the wolf as it drew closer
to her. It was then that she noticed a tall, dark-haired man lean over and
pick up her plate. "Did she startle you?" he asked. "Guess someone should
get a broom."

Darlea stammered, but wasn't able to get any words to come out, as her eyes
moved back to look at the wolf. Sheltie's eyes feel on the food splattered
on the floor and quickly ducked back into the kitchen to get a broom to
clean up the mess.

"Don't worry, she wouldn't hurt you." He turned toward the wolf, "Come here,
Rem."

The wolf walked over to stand next to the man, who hunched down next to her.
Looking up at Darlea he said, "I'd like you to meet, Rem. And I am Mearn Torin."

"Rem?" she asked, still staring at the wolf.

The man smiled and nodded. "And you are?"

Darlea looked at the man, then smiled. "I'm sorry, I must look like a dolt.
I'm Darlea." She started to reach out toward the wolf then pulled back. "May
I?" she asked looking at the man.

"What do you think, Rem? Would you like to make friends with this young
woman?" The wolf sniffed at Darlea for a moment and then nodded her head. Or
at least it looked to Darlea that she nodded her head. Still somewhat
nervous, Darlea kneeled down and touched the wolf's head, petting her gently.

"You talk to her?"

"Well, we have an understanding." he said.

"So it's not like the telepathic communication between dragons and thier
riders?"

--Darlea & Makayla

****
NRPG: Since Mearn came early in the am, when Darlea was either at the med
cen with Almiron or at the lake with Salinda, I am going on the assumption
that he has already been pointed to a place to take a shower and change.
BTW, I didn't give the young boy a name, so he can simply disappear into the
recesses of the Warren again <G>  I'm assuming since Darlea was born and
raised there she know most everyone that has also been born and raised there.

Kristen
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Kristen and Scott Gant
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/gant.htm
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