[DL]
	Chaldecony landed gracefully, almost silently, on the ledge 
outside Shard's apartment.  Below the cold, overcast grey sky, a thick 
sea of milky grey-white clouds hung over the land, sending wavelets to 
lap at the apartments of the Warren.  The air was heavy and cold, but not 
quite chill.
	Chaldecony turned to regard his rider, absorbed as he was with 
his quaint pastime.  Shard sat crosslegged on the porch, a half-empty 
bottle and glass of red wine nearby.
	<What are you doing, Shard?>
	<Nothing.  You flew to the main halls?>
	<Yes.  I wanted to go have breakfast myself, and to greet the 
other dragons.>
	<I'm jealous.  I can't practice swordplay; my bandages will slip 
and tear.  The texts I really want to be studying are with Kyven at 
Keldarra right now.  And if I had accompanied you and been seen by 
D'ssarian, he would've lynched me on the spot.>
	<I have something ... >
	Chaldecony's great head gestured in the direction of a small bag 
tied around his neck.  <Rainy said that he delivered it yesterday from 
Norwall.>
	Shard carefully stood, feeling pins and needles, and crossed to 
where his dragon stood, and removed the letter.
	<It's from mother.>
	<Aren't you going to read it?>
	<Of course not!  I -- no -- I will.  But ... not right now.>
	
	Chaldecony stretched, then paused, turned his head quizzically to 
the side.  <We ... are being summoned.  To meet T'rend, Grall, and a few 
of the other dragons and riders.>
	<About what?>
	<About the Wraiths, scouting and studying them.>
	Shard immediately reached for his old, tattered purple cloak.  He 
drew the cowl over his head against the moistness of the air.  'It's 
probably beautiful in the forests below, right now.' he thought.
	<Let's go.>


> T'rend was sitting on the green with Grall waiting for Mukale, Sky and
> Shard. He wanted to discuss strategies for studying.  Mukale was the first
> to arrive, gliding down gracefully on his charcoal dragon.
> 
> Soon Sky and Shard joined them and they sat down to discuss thier first
> study flight. "I don't think we are quite ready to capture one yet. Actually
> Waylene tells me she is still rather skitish about it. But if we can get
> started, I don't think it will be long before she lets us bring on in for
> study."
	'What!?  How l-l-long are we going t-to wait to t-take these things 
seriously?'  Shard said, trying to control his temper.  
	T'rend turned to the younger rider.  "Control yourself!  We _do_ 
take them seriously. That's why we are beginning these scouting trips.  
But, have you been cleared for flight by D'ssarian?"  Eyeing Shard's 
patched-up portions, and the scabrous burns that remained where he had 
torn away some bandages in frustration.
	'Of course I have.'  <Chaldecony, don't say anything.>
	<You're a damned fool, Shard.>
	<I'm glad you understand.>  Chaldecony flapped his wings rapidly, 
as if to shrug.  The other riders looked at him, a bit surprised, but 
said nothing.
	"Good.  I think that we could organize a flight for tomorrow, 
don't you?" 
	In minutes, the meeting disbanded, and the dragons flew away.
	<Shard, I must ask: Why do you have such a fascination for the 
Wraiths?  It's liable to look very bad at this Warren.  Now, we've fought 
them as well.>
	Shard shook his head. <I don't know, Chal.  I think it's just 
natural morbidity.>
	Chal turned to eye his rider in flight.  <What about Malk Bromitz?>
	<I don't know, Chal.  I wonder how far away one could get before 
the Joining was broken?>
	<You're not thinking of -->
	<No, I'm not going after him, it's just an idea.  He's probably 
too far gone to catch up to anyway.  But we should have killed him, 
instead of letting him go.>
	<That's what that one rider, Diana, wanted, originally.>
	Shard pulled his scarf down, letting the moist air blow into his 
face.  <Chal, contact Sky and Mukale. Ask them if they'd like to do a 
little informal scouting of our own, today.>
	<That's how you got wounded in the first place, going off on our 
own without checking in with the leaders!>
	<Are you saying you'd rather stay home?>
	<No!>
	<Then go ahead!>
	Chaldecony, scales more brown than their native amber in the 
sickly, overcast light, banked off hard to the right, inviting the others 
to follow ...

Josh 'Khan' Kubli

	'There has not been any great genius without an element of madness.'
 		--Seneca