Koda had just finished getting cleaned up after the long hard 
surgery and was on her way to fix a cup of tea when she saw the 
Warrenlady walking her way. "Where's D'ssarian?"

"He's in with the young pregnant woman. They are trying to slow 
the birth down." Koda replied trying not to ask the question 
foremost in her mind. The Warrenlady looked as if she had a lot 
on her mind already.

Waylene nodded, it was too early for those babies. She looked at 
the woman for a moment, "I want to thank you for your help with 
the young guard."

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity."

Waylene smiled. "I want you to know that I wouldn't turn you away. 
Even if D'ssarian said you were the worst healer he'd ever known, 
I'd have found a way to keep you from having to go back to B'nair."

Lakoda let out a slight chuckle, "I appreciate it." 

<<Did you hear Ribbon?>> the young healer sent the excited thought 
on to where her dragon was sunning herself on the green. <<We get 
to stay!! The Warrenlady said we can STAY!!>>

<Did you have any doubt?>> Came the dragon's calm reply.

Koda chuckled again and saw Waylene looking at her.

"Ribbon," the girl said by way of explanation. "I just told her we 
get to stay."

Waylene just smiled.

***

A short time later D'ssarian stepped out of a room and Waylene called 
to him, "How is she?"

"All right, for now. We seemed to have slowed things down a bit." He 
smiled at Lakoda. "Did you hear what a marvelous job this young lady 
did for us this afternoon, Lady Waylene."

"Indeed, I did, D'ssarian. So you think we should allow her to stay."
Waylene teased the older man.

"Absolutely."

"Thank the gods," Koda gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. "You two 
don't know how much this means to me. Of how I dreaded going back to
Falagand and having to face B'nair." The smile on her lightly tanned 
face turned to a frown as she turned to face the Warrenlady. "I mean 
no disrespect to Warrenladie's in general, but I'm not the only one 
who felt this way about her. One of the riders,  who's name I better 
not mention, went so far as to pour a whole bowl of porridge over 
B'nair's head when he'd finally had enough of her."

Koda could tell, looking at the two that they were trying their best 
not to laugh. I would have loved to have seen that," then her eyes 
narrowed when she looked at Koda. "and I'll deny I said that young 
lady if you ever tell a soul. What happened to the rider?"

"Oh B'rand transferred to the new warren when it opened," Koda 
replied. Where I suspected he's having a quiet time of it now." 

"Yes well... " D'ssarian cleared his throat, "I need to be getting 
back to Diane, but you young lady, I'm sure you didn't expect to be 
put to work quiet so soon after arriving."

"Oh I didn't mind," Koda started to say but the older healer held his 
hand up.

"I'm sure you don't," he stated. "but we're covered here until morning 
so why don't you take that lazy beast of yours and spend the rest of 
the day finding a place to live and settling in. Tomorrow will be soon
enough to start."

After asking who she should see about available apartments, the girl 
said her good-byes.
------
(outside with Ribbon)

<There's a place in the cliff's near here that I would like to see. Porthios
said that it had a nice big ledge and it gets the afternoon 
sun to keep it warm>

<<Already making friends here, my love?>> Koda asked.

<Of course,> Came the purple's response. <One of us has to know what's going
on in other parts of the Warren besides the medical hall.>>
-------
The apartment Ribbon headed for proved to be acceptable to both rider 
and dragon. Soon everything Koda owned was off loaded from where it 
had been strapped to the purple's harness and put into it's proper 
place in their new home. When she had finished, Koda suddenly noticed 
that she was very hungry. With no supplies as of yet gracing her 
shelves or cooler, the girl decided to make her first trip down the 
cliff to the dining hall to eat before putting in her request for 
staples. 

Tomorrow would be soon enough to transfer her medical stores and 
equipment down to the medical center. 
--------------------------------------
(nrpg: This MUST be a record for me :) I don't think
I've ever had such a SHORT post before *grin*

******Submitted by: ************
Barbara (aka the voice of:
Lakoda & Ribbon
Marrid Warren