Dumping the clothes into the hamper, she knelt and retrieved the object
Curiously she unfolded the  paper and began reading.....

"David?  What's this all about?"  she asked as she re-entered the main
room with the letter in her hand..... 

David looked up from a book he had picked up. "What es what?" He asked, 
not really thinking, his mind on other things.

"This." Minty said, holding out the letter he had recieved earlier.  
David held back a curse, remembering that he had dropped it when he left 
for the battle, carelessly where it could be found.

"It es a letter from m'Dad.  He asks how we are doing an such, and Mum 
wants to know when we be visiting, and that they miss us.  Also, 
something about the Cleft Warren.  The guild es going t'be helping out 
with te'project." He said in a mild tone, and shrugged his shoulders.

"But it's written in some strange language." She remarked, handing the 
paper to David.  "Why would he send a letter like that?" She was starting 
to sound accusing.

"I don't know, love.  I'm not me father..." David looked at the letter, 
knowing what it meant.  "It es written in te'old tongue... he was 
probably in a ritualistic mood."

"Are you sure there's nothing I should know about?" Minty asked, her face 
taking on a look of half doubt and half concern.

David wasn't sure what to say, but he wouldn't lie to her... suddenly, 
another feeling filled him, and David's body shook visibly with agony.
A cry filled the air, chilling and filled with sorrow, and cut off 
abruptly.  Minty looked towards the cave entrance.  "Oh god..."

David put his head in his hands, trying to hold back his already 
overused tear ducts, keeping them from spilling over.  Again and again he 
felt and heard the mourning of the dragons of the warren, and each time 
experienced their pain.  God he was sick of the death, sick of 
feeling and hearing all the voices as they called out to remember.  
He didn't want to remember, he didn't want to hear everything for once...

Grabbing his hair tightly, he screamed aloud, his mind overwhelmed as it 
reached its limits, and a slight trickle of blood fell from his left 
ear over his hand.  From two battles and three deaths, he had 
over-worked his already flawed talent and it had yet again taken its tole.

Minty spun around at the scream, seeing her lover fall to his knees, 
blood covering his hand as he ran his head into the nearest wall.  "Make 
them STOP!!!!!" He cried out, hitting his head again, trying to stop the 
splitting pain that had begun to bombard his mind.

Minty forgot about the letter, and ran over to tackle David, trying to 
keep him from hurting himself even more.  They both fell over, and as 
David hit the ground, his body went stiff, pupils dialating.  There was a 
sort of numbing sensation spreading over him, and everything turned grey, 
then black.  His body went limp in her arms, a sigh of relief coming from 
his mouth.

[...]

"David?" A voice kept saying.  He ignored it, wanting to stay in the 
calming void of sleep.

It came again, louder.  David opened his eyes slowly, and realized 
everything looked incredibly dark.  "What..." He mamaged, and realized 
that his body moved very sluggishly, his head starting to spin.

"Please, not too fast." The voice said again, and David saw that it was 
C'tain with a very worried Minty looking over his shoulder.  "You gave us 
a scare last night, David." He said with a smile, "Minty got you here 
quick enough, so you'll be all right soon."  He turned around and nodded 
to her, and she sat on the bed carefully as he backed away.

"You've got to stop over-exerting your abbilities, David.  I don't want 
to see you in here every time you go to battle..." He began, but David 
interrupted.

"It wasn't just that." He said, sitting up, and was hit by a wave of 
vertigo.  Minty put a hand on his shoulder, steadying him.  "It was 
everything put together.  The deaths, the battles..." He shook his head, 
trying to clear his mind.

"I understand, but I still want to see you once a week now so we can see 
how to treat your malady."

"But..."

"No 'buts' about it.  I'm sure Minty will agree with me." He said, 
looking with a coy smile towards the young woman.  She nodded in agreement.

David sighed, and nodded.  "I'll be there."

"Good, now I'm going to leave you two alone while I go check on another 
patient."  He said, and before he left the room, he turned around.  
"You're part of the Guild of Swords, right?"

"Aye." David said, "Why?"

"We had an incident last night, so you might want to talk with Waylene 
and Z'lec about it.  It involved a guild memeber." C'tain said.

"When can I leave?" David asked, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere unless 
the healer said he could.

"About an hour.  The pain killers should have worn off by then." He said, 
and with a smile and a wink, closed the door behind him.

David looked at Minty.  "I'm sorry love..." He said, and she shook her 
head.

"Don't."  She said, putting a finger to his lips.  "I'm just glad that 
you're all right." She said, her eyes teary.  David held her close, and 
ran his fingers through her hair.  He could feel her relief as her body 
relaxed against his.  He kissed her deeply, and wiped a tear from her eye.
They sat in silence for a while, then David put his hands to his face, 
feeling something metal around his eyes.

"What are these?" He asked, and began to remove whatever the contraption 
was.

"No!" Minty cried, and stopped his hands.  "They're special glasses, 
tinted to keep the light down."

"But why?" He asked, keeping them in place.

"Your medication, and the injury, make your eyes sensitive to light.  
C'tain said if you take them off prematurly, you could have a relapse of 
last night." Minty said, and held up a small mirror.

The lenses were circle, and gave off a reflexion from the black glass.  
"Well, if I have to wear them, I have to wear them." David said with a 
smile, and looked at Minty.  "So, how do I look?"

Minty giggled, and shook her head.  "Strange, but still handsome." She 
said, and put the mirrior down to cuddle next to him on the bed.

"So, I have about an hour in here eh?" He said, and made a very 
suggestive look towards his mate.  She looked up at him, and blushed 
deeply as he kissed her, moving her underneath the covers....

[...]

David waited outside Waylene's office, knowing she was in a discussion 
with lord Godred.  Listening closely, he heard them finishing up.

"Thank you. This means a lot to me." He heard Godred say, and David 
knocked on the door.

"Come in." Waylene called out.

David opened the door, and bowed to Waylene first, then to the lord.  
"Warrenlady.  Lord Godred." He said, then looked up.  "I had heard that 
Perion was killed last night by a member of the Guild of Swords.  Since 
I'm part of the guild, C'tain thought maybe I could help you with what 
was going on...."

********* SUBMITTED BY ***********

		Justin

*TAG* Les and Kris  <lol>