T'rend
***

"M'kale?" he called as he slid off Grall's back onto the ledge, "M'kale, I
have to talk to you."

"What," came the sad reply. T'rend almost apologized and left the lad to
his grief.. But he knew he couldn't do it on his own.

"M'kale we need your help with a wraith cage."

***

It was a couple of hours later, just past lunch, when T'rend and the pale
M'kale stepped out of the storage room where they had spent so many hours
as a part of the wraith study team. T'rend knew it wasn't easy for Mukale
to retrace those memories of the four of them in that room, with Sky's
bright smile always urging them on. Sky had always been more interested in
getting out and chasing the wraiths then in constructing the cage. No the
construction of the cage had been Shard's specialty. And M'kale's was the
flamethrowers. T'rend had simply been along for the ride. He'd often felt
like a chaperone to the three young people.

"Let's get this to D'ssarian."

M'kale, who'd been fairly quiet as they'd worked, nodded and between the
two of them the carried the heavy cage to the medical center.

"We don't have bait." Said M'kale matter-of-factly.

"From what I hear we may not need it," said T'rend.

M'kale frowned slightly, "We should probably still have bait."

T'rend nodded, "I think you're right. Let's get this in and I'll run over
to the dining hall for a fresh piece of meat." He sighed, "That is if I can
steal something out of  Cook's kitchen."

The statement was meant as a joke. There had been several times when the
dragonriders had had to 'steal' bait out of Cook's kitchen, back during
their tests on different cage designs.

Mukale simply nodded and continued to trudge on. T'rend looked at the lad
with his flamethrower hanging over his shoulder. He truly looked beaten.
T'rend had really hoped that helping him with cage would help the boy, but
Mukale seemed only to be going through the motions.

T'rend spotted the impatient healer as soon as they entered. "It's about
time," he said. "This is Lakoda, who will be assisting me."

T'rend bowed gallantly, "Pleased to meet you."

"Let's get started." D'ssarian said leading the way back to surgery.

"I must go to the dining hall and get bait for the creature." Said T'rend.

"You won't need it," said Lakoda. "I assure you the creature will be quite
incapacitated."

T'rend laughed, "It's not that I don't trust your word, m'lady. But I've
never seen an incapacitated wraith, and I'd just feel better if we were
prepared."

"Suit yourself, T'rend." Said D'ssarian, "But please hurry. We begin in 15
minutes. With or without you."

T'rend sprinted out the door, bound for a sly path into Cook's supply of
fresh meat.

***

Lakoda had made her preparation and they had given it to the sedated Shep
Swordson while C'tain helped Mukale set up the cage at the man's feet. Then
the lad took his spot with his flame thrower aimed and ready.

"You aren't going to blow up my medical center with that thing are you,
son." Asked D'ssarian, eyeing the contraption suspiciously.

"No, sir." Said Mukale. "It's set at it's lowest setting. Almost like a
prod you would use with sheep and cattle."

D'ssarian nodded, then looked at Lakoda who nodded her readiness as well. 

Just as D'ssarian was about to make the first cut, T'rend ran in, with a
dripping steak which he promptly threw in the cage and grabbed up his
flamethrower.

D'ssarian raised an eyebrow at the dragonrider. T'rend grinned at the older
healer, "I told you I'd hurry."

Regards,
T'rend & Grall
***
NRPG: Okay, Barb, it's all yours.

Mike, I didn't write in much for Mukale, so you can fill in what you like
when you can. I just wanted to get the surgery underway cause we got Diana
coming in to give birth soon.

I figure this surgery takes place sometime after lunch, and Diana's coming
in just before supper time. So you've got a couple of hours to play with.
Barb, you can make the surgery as long or as short, as difficult or as easy
as you would like.

Kristen

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Kristen Gant
(AKA: Darlea & Makayla,  Waylene & Aura, Meena & Vonn, 
Kalewyn & Sabbith, Saul & Fayloth)
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm