Mearn considers Darlea's question for a moment.  A slight frown
crosses his face for a moment then is gone.  He stands and says, "Well,
I'm still not familiar at all with your customs here, so I'm going to make
a few guesses. If I'm wrong on any, please let me know."
	Darlea nods, and Mearn takes a deep breath and begins.
	"I'm going to assume that the dragons and their riders here 'share
a mind'. By that I mean it's tough sometimes to distinguish one from the
other by their minds, and that sometimes it will be tough to know where a
thought originates.  If that's the case, it's not quite like what Rem and
I share."
	"That's not quite right." Darlea responds.  "Dragons and their
riders are constantly able to communicate.  A very strong bond develops
between the two, and the emotions run very deep, but it is always possible
to distinguish between the minds.  Each is an independant entity, and they
just function very well as a unit."
	Darlea pauses for a moment, remembering.  "Well, sometimes it's
more than just that.  Times of extreme emotion can spill over from one to
the other. Things like the Dragon's mating flights will strongly influence
the Rider. At those points, it can be kinda hard to tell where one ends
and the other begins, but that's a special case."
	"Ahh.  I see.  I hope you will forgive me, as this place is very
different from my home, and I go often by what occurrs there.  I should
know better than to make such assumptions in such a strange land, but it
gives me a base to start from.
	"The bond between Rem and myself is something like that, though she
has not yet chosen a mate.  I don't believe when she does, however, that I
will be terribly affected by it," he says, but his eyes show he's holding
something back.  "I came across her caught in a trap one day back home. 
Her right rear leg was pretty badly torn up, but she was still very
nervous about me. I set her free, and then she followed me for quite a
while.  I think it was her way of apologizing for biting me while I was
freeing her.  She didn't trust me then.  Considering what she'd been
through, I can't say I blame her."
	Darlea looks slightly surprised.  "So you two didn't bond
immediately? Dragons and Dragonriders almost always bond right away."
	"No." he says.  "It took us probably 3 years before we bonded.  I
don't know why she stuck around all that time, but she did.  I'm glad she
did though.  Sometimes she's been the best companion a person could have. 
The actual 'bond' occurred one night when I was sleeping.  I woke up
having heard a scream.  I assumed it was a dream, but the scream didn't
stop.  I then realized that I was hearing it in my mind.
	"Aparently a pack of wolves came onto the area where I live.  She
tried to chase them off, but got injured in the process.  The scream I
heard was her. I managed to get them off her, and get her inside where I
could tend her injuries.  Since then, we've been able to communicate to a
degree.  And since then, we've never really been apart."
	"Wow!"  Darlea exclaims.  "It sounds like you have been through
quite a bit together."
	Mearn squats down to pat Rem for a bit before saying, "Yes.  That
was many years ago."  The tone of his voice speaks louder than his words
that there have been many exciting times for the two of them.
	Darlea pauses for a few moments to allow this to soak in, then
speaks. "Well, she gave me quite a start, but it's good to meet you both." 
She squats beside Mearn to pet Rem for a moment, then turns back toward
the kitchen.  She starts in that direction, but stops a moment later.
	"You said this place was not like your home.  Where exactly are you
from?"
	Mearn stands with his back to her, staring out, and says, "I am
from a country called Eristhanes."
	"I don't think I've ever heard of any country called Eristhanes."
	"No.  I doubt you would.  This is not the same world that
Eristhanes resides on."  He slowly turns to face her.  He sighs heavily. 
(Is he about to shed tears?  His eyes appear to be misting slightly) He
shakes his head, and the somber mood that has been hanging passes.  "That
is the major problem I have.  I appear to be really lost.  I don't even
know where I am, let alone how to get home."
	With that said, he and Rem slowly head out of the dining hall.


    Jack Alan Shot -- jackshot@indy.net  -- Just a Shot in the Dark
   P.U.R.P.L.E. Treasurer (People United Respecting Purple Legal Equality)
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