<Slow down,> the orange dragonet said petulantly.  <My wings aren't strong 
enough to fly, and they haven't taught me to teleport yet... so quit taking 
such huge steps!>

<Sorry, Jacinth,> K'drik thought in reply.  <I'm just... anxious to see what 
he wants.>  That was, K'drik admitted to himself, certainly an 
understatement.  He had been half afraid the fleeting evening he and D'neor 
had spent together would be all there ever would be.  For all that K'drik 
had enjoyed the lesson - and it *had* had something of that dynamic, a 
teacher taking on a new pupil - D'neor had seemed strangely detached and 
distant, for such an intimate occassion.   Then again, perhaps most men were 
like that.  K'drik certainly had scant basis for comparison...

...but now, D'Neor had sent a summons, declaring that his presence was 
requested - no, wait, *needed*, the messenger had said he was *needed* - in 
D'Neor's chambers, straightaway.  K'drik had nearly fallen over himself in 
his haste to readiness.

<I don't undertand.  The messenger seemed nervous and confused, but 
K'drik-Mine is happy... was there more to the message than I heard?>

<It was probably just the unexpectedness of it all.>  A messenger would be 
justifiably nervous about helping to arrange an illicit tryst, right?  As if 
there were any need for secrecy with that nosy Ada spreading rumors about 
them.  Well, OK, so they weren't exactly just rumors, since they were true, 
but that was beside the point.  At least she'd gotten herself transferred 
someplace else.  Good riddance...

...this meeting with D'Neor, though... it *was* a ruse for another tryst, 
right?  That *had* to be what it was about, although the boy - what was his 
name again?  Arlen?  Arvin?  Whatever his name, the boy had refused to 
elaborate when K'drik pressed him for details about the summons, meaning 
either the lad didn't know or was unwilling to say.

<He didn't say anything more, so you think that means something else?> 
Jacinth thought skeptically.

<Shush,> K'drik thought irritably.  They had arrived at the WarrenLord's 
office.  K'drik drew a deep breath, then knocked.

"Enter," boomed the abrupt reply.  K'drik's spine tingled momentarily as he 
opened the door and crossed the threshhold.

The WarrenLord sat behind a table filled with myriad maps, one huge hand 
wrapped around a half-full wine goblet.  K'drik favored him with a shy, 
lopsided grin.  That expression evaporated as soon his eyes fell on the 
room's other occupant - K'wen, draped languidly over a chair in the corner, 
smiling a tight, cold smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Your little pet's not happy to see me, D'Neor."  Stretching like a cat, 
K'wen took a sip of wine and resettled into an even more casual posture than 
before.

"Who ever is?" D'Neor rumbled in reply.  Then, to K'drik, "Leave the 
hatchling outside.  It's going to get crowded enough in here as it is."

<Sorry, dearest,> K'drik thought apologetically.  <You can find->

<Oh, yes, I can find my way around,> Jacinth thought heatedly.  <Better than 
you, if you'll recall.>  She squirmed back the direction they had come.

K'drik coughed uneasily.  "Sorry.  She's a little upset."

"She's 'Vari-Spawn.  Some frustration in her life will do her good."  D'Neor 
shrugged and gestured toward the maps.  "Get yourself something to drink.  
Food should arrive soon.  In the meantime, come take a look."

K'drik did as directed, frowning slightly as regarded the contents of the 
desk.  This *hadn't* been the rendezvous he'd been anticipating...

D'Neor misinterpreted the momentary hesitation.  "Surely you've seen maps 
before..."  He paused thoughtfully.  "You *can* read, can't you?"

"Yes," K'drik blurted, a trifle defensively.  "I'm just not certain what all 
this is about..."

"...all in good time," D'Neor leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.  
"I don't feel like explaining it more than once, so you'll just have to wait 
until the others get here."


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