[Aedra]

Aedra felt her Human fall unconsious and a moment of panic swept through 
her.  It was so like the instant Elswyth had fallen away from her the 
previous night, slowly fading into death.  For a few moments she was caught 
in pure terror until she realized that she could feel Elswyth's thoughts and 
memories coalexce into dreams of helplessness, rage, and worry.

<Elswyth...>  Her Human's dreams calmed to a smooth grey and white landscape 
as Aedra sent her love down the bond they shared, nightmares swirling away 
into nothing.  Aedra pondered her problem...  Elswyth was in that *place*, 
the one that Shatavari had shown her, but Aedra did not know where it was or 
how to get there.  Aedra *was* aware, though where the knowledge came from 
was a mystery, that Elswyth had slept in worse places under more terrible 
conditions...  But that was before they had joined, soul-to-soul, and Aedra 
was not about to let her Human develop more memories filled with 
hopelessness and despair.

The question was... what could she do?  She didn't know where her Human was, 
and would have difficulty getting through the powdery white stuff ('snow' 
some unnamed memory told her) and even if she found Elswyth, she didn't have 
hands, and it was doubtful that she could do much for her Human.  What she 
needed was a Human to go look for Elswyth... but she knew so few dragons 
here, and she hadn't yet apologized to Parnath and Iganeth, so she was 
hesitant to ask them.  There was Kaaren... and Te'Adara... but their 
Humans... well, Ceth was a Half-Elf, whatever that difference was... seemed 
to be new here too...  And Shae seemed to have problems that took up much of 
her time... and Ceth was nice, but Aedra was afraid that she'd get 
distracted from finding Elswyth...

Around the edges of her consciousness, Aedra realized she felt someone 
familiar...  Surely he would help...

<Sire-Darshan?>  Her mental voice was soft and hesitant.

<Aedra?>

Aedra cursed herself.  Sire-Darshan sounded distracted, and she didn't want 
to be a bother... but Elswyth was lying on the floor somewhere...

<Yes...>  She thought for a moment, unsure of how to ask for help.  <...My 
Human has collapsed, and I -- I -- I... don't know what I should do.>

<What?>  That got his attention.  Aedra cringed inside, not wanting to be a 
bother.

<Shatavari's Human told her to leave -- I think... Shatavari is hard to 
understand... -- but Elswyth doesn't know where she is...was... And I think 
she fell when she passed out, but I'm not sure because...>  Aedra stopped 
abruptly, realizing that she was babbling.  She didn't want to babble.   
Hysteria, something inside her said, would not solve anything.

<I have told my rider.  He is where she is, and we will take her to the Med. 
Center.>

Aedra *whuffed* in relief.  <Thank you, Sire-Darshan.>

Aedra huddled under the overhang next to the window of the Med Center and 
waited.  After a moment Darshan spoke to her again.

<Why did your pet collapse?> Darshan asked in a gentle voice.

<...I'm not sure.  She was badly hurt, and though she was better, I don't 
think she was as energetic as she was used to...  She ate a little around 
mid-day, but she has been so worried about caring for me...  Then she ran 
out to stop Zareth's Human from hurting himself... And then she was frantic 
when she realized Zareth's Human was bleeding...  And please... please don't 
call her that, Sire-Darshan.  Someone horrible used to say that about her, 
and she hates it!>  The frantic worry was back, edging her words with a 
hysterical bite.

<Calmly, little one.>

<I am sorry, Sire-Darshan.  It's just... I don't want her to go there again.>

<Go where?>

But Aedra couldn't answer, the memory of Elswyth's desolate dreamscapes too 
much a part of her.

<They've taken her inside.>

<Thank you.  I was so scared...  Thank you.>

Aedra waited under the overhang that kept a fair amount of the powdery 
*stuff* off of her, but she was getting very cold.  She didn't know where to 
go, and didn't want to bother sire-Darshan again tonight.  She had been so 
demanding, and to have snapped like that over calling Elswyth her pet...

<Aedra?>

Aedra shivered and reached out with her mind.  <Te'Adara?>

<Aedra, are you still outside?  You haven't come to the barracks...>

<Elswyth fell asleep, and I didn't know where to go.  Was I supposed to go 
there?>

<...it's the place where most of us have been sleeping...> Te'Adara told her.

<Oh.>

<Would you like to spend the night with Ceth and I?>

<Could I?  I'm cold here, and Elswyth is deeply asleep...>

<We will come for you.  We can always get Elswyth in the morning.>

<Thank you.  You are very kind.>

<You're my friend, Aedra... There you are...>

The three of them went back to Ceth's rooms and fell asleep, warm and snug 
inside while the storm spent itself during the night.

----
[NRPG] I think that get's me caught up to the next day

Respectfully submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Elswyth and Aedra
Relyth

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			Vasaris, the Fuzzy Dragon
Jill E. Flansburg		    |		vasaris@az.com
CS HMC 1994			    |		jflansbu@muddcs.cs.hmc.edu
History, WWU 199?		    |		vasaris@divcom.umop-ap.com
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