His rounds that day were bad.  Ree was still in the same condition.  One
of his other patients had gotten an infection, despite the antibiotics. 
And Almiron had seizures twice-- a classic symptom of the poison he'd
gotten.  Kyven didn't like losing, and this felt very much like a contest
between his medical skills and whoever Almiron's attempted killer was. 
Unfortunately, the killer's first move had nearly won him (or her, Kyven
added) the game.

He got interrupted that evening, shortly after another seizure.  "C-can 
you t-tell me where I can find K-Kyven-n?" a voice asked from behind him.

He turned and studied the young man before him.  Seventeen or eighteen,
with unkempt black hair.  He looked pale and had some injuries.  Kyven
wondered whether he'd been admitted while he had been busy.  "Yes, I'm
Kyven.  Sorry.  Can I help you, young man?  Were you just admitted?  You
could probably use some rest--"

"I-I'm Shard of M-Marrid," the young man interrupted.  "I h-have a
d-document I was t-told you might be interested in."  Shard reached around
for his backpack, and gingerly drew forth an ancient book with rotting
leather bindings.

Kyven felt frustrated at such an interruption.  "I'm sorry, but I have a
patient right now, and I'm afraid I haven't got time to--"

"This b-book," Shard interrupted again, "Is an ancient text.  On the
Wraiths."

"Yes, I see.  I'm sorry."  He rubbed his eyes.  "It has been a long,
frustrating day.  Please, come into my office." 

The two went into his office and Kyven began reading the book, out loud. 
Shard eventually turned to a section of special interest.  Kyven read, "'I
wish I could have a live sample of a Wraith so as to study it in a
controlled setting, but all attempts at capture have been hazardous,
injuring one rider severely."  Kyven felt a pang of worry at that,
especially considering that he himself could not help in such a hunt.  He
continued to read about the acids that had been found to neutralise the
wraiths' digestive juices and the author's opinion that they were
unintelligent.

After this, Shard said, "Wh-what I was th-thinking, was a c-cage formed of
sh-sheets of mica, or some other thin stone.  The joints c-could be
ch-chain, c-coated with acid, with s-some k-kind of th-thickening matrix,
like oil." 

Kyven nodded slowly.  "Yes.  Although a metal rope or chain net coated
with acid would be easier, it'd be more likely to damage the specimen. 
We're unlikely to get permission to keep more than one Wraith at a time,
and we want it whole."

Kyven thought a moment.  "Allow me to keep this and study it a bit more,
Shard.  I will draw up plans, and make a proposal to the Dragonlady along
these lines.  This document may save the lives of hundreds." 

Shard nodded.  "B-but I want to b-be in on the c-capture and the s-study."

Kyven looked at him askance.  "Pardon my bluntness, but, shouldn't that be
up to the leaders--"

The young man interrupted again.  "Pardon *my* bluntness, but I h-have not
l-lived among Warrenfolk long, and I have a sh-short temper.  I can
c-carry my own weight, either in a s-study of Wraiths, or in b-battle. 
I've heard you were brilliant, Kyven.  I want to help.  And I will, l-like
it or n-not."

Kyven was surprised by the description of himself, amused, but above all
else, tired.  He simply chuckled wearily.  "I remember having such
ambition," he said, thinking of how he had thrown himself into his studies
after the plague that took his daughter.  "I can't see why not, right now. 
All I can say is, I will let you know."

Shard relaxed, smiled, offered Kyven his hand, and left.  Kyven watched
the young man leave, thinking of how driven he had become after seeing the
amount of pain the plague had brought, and how driven he was becoming
after seeing the pain the wraiths had brought to Marrid and those who had
helped it, including himself.  "Ree," he said softly, "damnit, I want to 
tell you so much."

He sighed and arose to do more rounds before collapsing in Ree's room for 
the night.

******

Kyven took Keev and the twins to breakfast with him.  He was thankful 
that his sister had come up from Stonelake to care for the children while 
he worked during the day, but he still kept breakfast for himself and the 
children.  Syvilla understood, thankfully.

Today, however, was hectic.  Ravena and Rytana were more than ordinarily
active and Keev was terribly quiet.  Kyven knew he was worried about his
mother, had probably heard talk at the warren.  To make matters worse,
several people inquired as to how Almiron was doing.  Kyven couldn't bring
himself to say how unlikely he felt recovery was and hedged with
wait-and-see comments.

He brought the kids back to Syvilla, who had been given a lower-level
apartment for her stay, and headed back to the Medical Center.  He needed
to take the evening off, he realised.  The kids needed him, especially
Keev.

Ree looked a bit better and his heart lifted.  The infected patient seemed
to be responding to a different antibiotic.  And Almiron had stopped at
the three seizures and slipped into the kind of hot coma Kyven had come to
associate with his self-healing.  The chief of Keldarra medical finished 
his rounds with a little more hope.

He was ready to head off to lunch when one of the staffers came into his 
office.  "It's Almiron."

His stomach lurched with fear.  "Another seizure?"

"He's conscious."

"What?" he asked, stunned.  He stood and headed down the hall to Almiron's
room.  Dark eyes shifted to regard him as he entered.  "I'll be damned,
you are awake."

"I am sorry to surprise you," Almiron said with a weak smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"I hurt... and I can't feel my leg."

"Which one?"

"Both."

"Pelvis?"

Almiron shook his head.

"I was afraid of that.  One of the arrows hit and broke a vertebra.  I
need to operate to get the pieces away from your spinal cord, but I wanted
to wait until I knew..."  He paused, trying to think how to phrase it.

"That I would survive?"

Kyven shrugged.  "At any rate.  It may be that there's just swelling 
that's putting pressure on your spinal cord and that when it goes down, 
you'll get a lot of your feeling back.  Or, it could be... that it's been 
injured.  Will your healing affect that?"

"I don't know.  I have never had opportunity to find out."

"Well, we'll hope you never do.  Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Someone shot me with arrow while I was swimming."

"That's the long and short of it.  Did you see who did it?"

Almiron shook his head.

"Too bad.  It's got the whole warren in an uproar.  You wouldn't believe
the rumours that are going on around.  I'll be sure to inform those that
are investigating it that you're awake.  For what it's worth.  And I'm
going to put you on a pretty heavy-duty painkiller and an antibiotic.  I
don't need you getting pneumonia with everything else you've been
through."

"Okay."

The staff soon got him the medecine that Kyven ordered and Almiron laid, 
pleasantly ensconced in the dreamy feeling of the painkiller.  Kyven sent 
a runner for food for Almiron and sat watching him.

"Almiron?" Kyven spoke.

"Hmmm?"

"How many times have you almost died?"

"Three."

"And you're eighteen?"

"Ummmm... how many day have I been asleep?"

"You just missed most of yesterday.  Why?"

"I'm nineteen, then.  Today is my birthday."

Kyven snorted at the irony.  "Quite a birthday present, getting shot 
three times."

Almiron smiled.  "It would be my first.  My tribe never gave birthday 
present."

******

Kyven thought about that as he headed to the dining hall.  They ought to
remedy that situation.  He wondered what he could give Almiron for a
present. 

He entered the hall and soon located Darlea, M'tan, Wynn and several other
members of Gamma Wing.  He headed to Darlea first, smiling this time.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Almiron and Darshan

NRPG: Well, all, Kyven will approach you with the news that Almiron is 
awake... and that it's his birthday.

 **********************************************************************
 * Lynette R. F. Cowper       *     Official INWO NetRep & Goddess    *
 * lcowper@io.com             *        Circle of Janus Secretary      *
 * lcowper@indy.net           *   VP of P.U.R.P.L.E. (People United   *
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 *     The INWO rulings I make are official.  All other opinions,     *
 *  discussions, deck ideas, card ideas, political beliefs, etc. are  *
 *  my own and not those of Steve Jackson Games, the Circle of Janus, *
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