>"Well then Daughter of Larsine, let us proceed. Shall We?"

>Waylene looked at the healers, "You're sure you can do this?"

>D'ssarian looked at Lakoda who nodded. Turning back to Waylene, 
he said, "It'll be fine, Lady. We will be careful."

>"How long will it take to mix this potion of yours?" she asked 
Lakoda.

>"Not long. It'll be ready within the hour." Koda replied, her mind 
already on the preparations. 

>"Very well, but I'd still like to have someone in the room in case 
that thing inside him isn't asleep. I'll talk to M'kale myself if I 
have to."

>D'ssarian nodded, understanding the Warrenlady's hesitation. She too 
was still feeling the loss of the sunny girl.

>"Does that mean I can stay?" asked Lakoda, hope flared inside her 
heart. They just had to let her stay, for there was no way she was 
going back to listen to B'nair's snide little comments. She was a 
healer, and a good one. It wasn't her fault that the other women 
had a vindictive streak a mile wide. 

">I will leave that up to D'ssarian. If he feels you will be an 
asset, you may stay."

'Oh I'll show you what an asset I can be here,' she swore to herself. 
'I'll make myself so indispensable to this Warren that they'll beg me 
to stay.'

"Then come young lady, " she heard D'ssarian saying as he moved 
towards the door, "While we walk back over to the med center, we 
can find out what you'll be needing."

She waited until they were outside in the cool air of the day before 
saying anything. "Well first I need to make a quick trip out to where 
my dragon is," she said more to herself already thinking about the 
problem at hand, until she happened to glance up and see the question 
in the older mans face. "I left all my bags with my supplies still 
strapped to Ribbon when I landed.  So I'll have to go by there first 
and retrieve the things I'll be needing to make the brew." she 
explained.

As the two walked , Koda's mind was already going through the packages 
and bags stilled strapped to her dragon, trying to remember which one 
held the Tejas bulbs. She knew there were at lease six of the little 
red bulbs in her herb bag the last time she had inventoried it, so 
there was no problem there.

It didn't take long for her to find what she was looking for, once she
arrived at her dragon's side. Ribbon was napping and didn't even bat an 
eye as her human went through the bags attached to the dragon's harness.
Koda soon found what she was looking for and rejoined D'ssarian for the rest
of the walk.

"Do you really think your idea stands a good chance of working?" 
D'ssarian asked as Koda quickened her steps to keep up with him.

"Oh yes," she assured him. "At least I know it'll work on the human, 
it just stands to reason that if that... Hellspawn... is that what you
called it?" she asked to be sure she got it right before going on. "It
stands to reason that it should also work on the creature eating away inside
of him if that thing has attached itself to it's human host in anyway."

"We can only hope you're right," the older healer said, but she could 
see the uncertainty in his eyes, when they arrived at the door to the
center. "We've already lost one man to one of these things. I would 
prefer not to lose another one."

"Did he remember to tell you that he almost lost his own life to the 
thing the first time we came in contact with it?" another voice joined 
them and Koda turned to see a young man with black hair, and brown eyes that
held no expression as he turned away from the counter top he'd 
been leaning against to face them.

D'ssarian frowned at the man, then turned his eyes on Koda. "My son 
C'tain, who should be home asleep in his bed right now."

"And leave you to have all the fun, father." he replied as his brown 
eyes moved to take in Koda. "and who might this lovely lady be father?"

"This lovely young lady is the healer who has come up with an idea we 
are going to try to save the life of the man laying in the other room."

C'tain's eyes widened. "You're a healer then?"

"I am," Koda nodded her head in reply. "Formerly of Falagand, but new 
I hope to Marrid. Your father still has to decide."

Before C'tain could ask what she meant, his father started to talk.
"Lakoda has come up with a way that we might be able to render the Hellspawn
harmless. At least enough so that it won't be a serious 
threat when we operate."

"How is that?" he asked while holding out a pot of coffee to offer 
the two a cup. 

Koda shook her head, but smiled her thanks. She was so keyed up 
already, that she didn't need the extra caffeine burst.

"You know of the Tajas plant?" she asked him when D'ssarian motioned 
for her to proceed.

C'tain nodded his head slowly. "It's leaves are sometimes used for 
slowing down a rapid beating of the heart."

"True," she acknowledged. "that is one of it's better known uses. 
But at Falagand quite by accident we discovered another use for it. 
If you take the red bulb and mash it up, then seep it in hot water 
for about five minutes like a tea... then give it to the patient, 
it will cause them to fall into a coma like state."

She went on to explain to him how they had found out about this use 
of the plant and the success they had found by using it. Answering 
his questions as he brought them up.

"Lakoda is going to assist me in the surgery," D'ssarian told his 
son. "I would though like to have you standing by ready to pitch in 
if needed."

"Oh you can count on me father," the younger man said agreeably 
nough, but Koda could see that he still had some questions about 
her qualifications. Apparently his father noticed as well.

"Lakoda comes from good stock, my son. She's well able for the 
duties at hand," he informed C'tain. "One would only expect it to 
be so of any child of Larsine."

Not wanting to see his reaction, but unable to stop herself from 
looking, Koda's green eyes took in the son's face and saw the same 
series of emotions that had earlier past over the father's when 
Larsine's name had been mentioned. She wished now that she hadn't 
used her father's name, she wanted to get the job on her own merits, 
but then again, if being Larsine's daughter pulled any weight with 
helping D'ssarian to decide in favor of letting her stay-- well... 
she would just have to work hard and show them, they had made the 
right choice later. Right now all that mattered was that she could 
stay. 

"When will you be starting," C'tain asked.

"Just as soon as, T'rend and Mukale arrive," he answered, hoping the 
young dragonrider would be willing to help. "We just have to get as 
much as we can ready, and hope they show up soon."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Well Lakoda is ready with the knives to open this guy up :)
Anyone want to join her? A flame thrower or two would be 
nice *grin*

*******Submitted by: *****************
Barbara (a.k.a.)
Lakoda & Ribbon
Marrid Warren

*****Submitted by:*********************
Barbara
Voices of:
Warrenlady Jayleigh & Queen Viktroy (Daere)
Tera & Sundellath (Telnor), 
Dan'yar & Shinner (Cleft) 
Shawnee (Whiteriver)
Lakoda & Ribbon (Marrid)

Daere Warren Home Page
(http://mail.reallink.com/~carolyn/index.html
(Barbara's Pern Question page)
<http://pubpages.unh.edu/~bscott/pern/questions.html>