[Morning]

Trey woke up, alone.  After his late night the previous night, he had slept 
in this morning, knowing he didn't have a patrol.  He vaguely recalled 
saying goodbye to Diana as she had gone to Aura's cave.

He arose, washed and dressed quickly, then headed off to the Dining Hall.  
He stood and looked over the emptying hall till her spotted her.  He walked 
over to the table where the pregnant woman sat alone.

"Suayla?"

She looked up, startled.  "Yes?"

He slid into the seat across from her.  "I hear you paint murals and such."

"Yes, I do."

"I'd like to hire you to paint a baby room."

She smiled, her hand touching her swollen abdomen.  "Oh, I'd love to.  
Babies have been on my mind a lot."

"Good.  When do you think you could do it?"

"I can start right after breakfast, if you want."

******

She looked over the room, getting a feel for the play of light and shadow.

"The cribs go over there," Trey said, pointing.  "And a dresser over 
here and here."

"Hand me my charcoal.  I have some ideas."

They sat in companionable silence while Trey watched her work.  A quiet 
smile would steal over her features as she worked.  She was beautiful in 
her quiet confidence.

"So, you've been painting the warren for years now?"

"Yes.  Though I stopped for a while earlier this year... after my lover died."

"The Dragonlady's courier?"

She nodded, remembering.  She had begun to suspect she was pregnant some 
time before his death, but hadn't spoken to him about it because she hadn't 
wanted to face the effect it would have on their relationship.  She had 
wanted to remain at Marrid, but he was the Dragonlady's courier.  After the 
battle of Marrid, in which she was injured, they had discussed it so often.  
It must have been during that time that she had gotten pregnant, though she 
had been using birth control.

When Al'dairan had died, she hadn't wanted to face the fact of her pregnancy 
without him, but she couldn't face aborting the child, either.  So, she had 
remained silent to his family.

When she had returned to Marrid, she had painted dark, forboding murals till 
Waylene had asked her to stop.

As Al'dairan's child had grown within her, though, she had more and more 
welcomed it.  She had yet to speak to his family and tell them the news.  
Keldarra still held such painful memories, but she knew she must tell them soon.

"How far along are you?" he asked, moving off the painful topic.

"About six months."

He nodded.  "Due around the time Diana's due."

She smiled.  "Yes, though with twins, she'll probably deliver before me."  
She stood and fetched her paints and brushes.

He watched as she began to fill in her outline with bright colours.

He worked around the apartment while she painted, stepping in every so often 
to take in the developing picture.  He fixed a quick lunch and they ate, 
then he stood and watched her work a bit more.  He was startled out of his 
observations by a knock at the apartment door.  He quickly went and opened 
it to find himself face to face with his son, B'rin.

"Papa?"

"B'rin?"  He stood for a second, stunned, then gathered the young man into 
his arms.  He felt tears coming to his eyes.  "Gods, B'rin, you've grown so 
much since I've seen you."  He pulled back then and held B'rin out at arm's 
length.  "It's so good to see you.  What brings you to Marrid?  Just visiting?"

"Not quite."

He saw the serious cast to his son's face.  "What's wrong?"

"Oh, papa, I don't know what to do!"

He got B'rin in, sat down and calmed him down.

Suayla stepped out of the nursery quietly.  "Excuse me."

B'rin looked the woman over critically.  Taking in her bulging middle.  "Are 
you Diana?"

"No, I'm Suayla.  I'm a painter doing the babies' room.  I heard you out 
here, and thought maybe I should go..."

Trey considered her a moment.  "No, let us go somewhere and you can stay and 
work."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure.  Thanks, Suayla."  <Roth?>

<Coming.>

He led B'rin out to where Koroth was landing.

"Where are we going?" B'rin asked.

"We're going out to the temporary hatching cavern.  Diana should be about 
done for the day.  Until then, we can talk out there away from everything."

******

[A half hour later]

"I wish I could give you more help, B'rin, but it's just something you're 
going to have to live with, I'm afraid."

The young man nodded.  "Just seeing you and talking about it helps.  Thanks, 
Papa."

"Hey, don't give me that.  You know I'd do practically anything for you."

They glanced up as Zena's green form settled onto the ground and Diana slid 
off awkwardly and walked over to them.

"B'rin, this is Diana.  Diana, B'rin."

She and B'rin studied each other for a moment before he spoke.  "I'm glad to 
meet you."  There was still a note of disapproval in the boy's voice, 
despite his words.

Trey tried to relax, hoping his new mate and son would get along.  Knowing 
what his son had just gone through with his best friend betraying his trust, 
Trey hoped the boy didn't let his anger spill over into this encounter.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Tr'etram and Koroth
   (and B'rin and Kalon)

NRPG: Over to you, Kat.  What does she think of the kid?

---
|   Lynette R. F. Cowper  *  Official INWO Rules NetRep & Goddess    |
| http://www.io.com/~lcowper  *  lcowper@io.com  *  lcowper@indy.net |
|  "If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever |
|                   get done."  -- L. Wittgenstein                   |