Dinner eaten as per ordered, Koda found herself at a lose for 
something to do. Going back by the medical center was out of the 
question. As soon as *he* saw her, he'd be showing her to the front 
door and it wouldn't surprise her none if he placed a couple of big
orderlies there by entrance to make sure she couldn't get back in.

Looking around the dining hall, Koda was struck once again by all 
the people she didn't know. True she saw her fair share of the 
Warrens population coming and going from the med center, but none 
that she could call friends.

As funny as that seemed to her at the moment.. which was not at 
all, she decided that she was far happier here in Marrid than she 
had ever been in the Warren where she had joined with Ribbon.

Here at least she could practice what she had been trained to do. 
Heal people. No one second guest her work or tried to stop her for 
treating someone the way she saw fit. (but only if they came in 
during her shift) She thought with a frown. She was really going 
to have to talk to C'tain about that.

Looking up she saw the rider who'd accompanied her back to the 
Warren with the injured rouge rider. Why she didn't even know his 
name. Nor had she thanked him for his help.

< D'nar, Porthios's rider,> Ribbon supplied the name into her mind. 
<I remembered to thank Porthios when we got back. His rider 
understands you were busy at the time.>

<<Thank you love,>> Koda returned the thought. <<I can always count 
on you to remember the things I forget.>>  

<Someone has to look out for you so that you can look out for 
others.>

<<Well I'm always happy for your help.>>

As her green eyes continued around the room, they fell on a young 
girl coming out of the kitchen carrying a tray laded down with food 
for the serving table. For some reason she was reminded of Amble, 
the insane woman who'd come close to killing the Warrenlady and her 
mate... exmate  Z'lec. 

She'd heard some scuttlebutt somewhere about what had broken up the 
two, and remembered something Amble had muttered one day after she'd 
been caught and locked up.

"... I would have had him that time if it weren't for the other one 
walking in ahead of me...he saw her first and it ruined everything.."

When Koda had tried to get her to explain her words, the woman had 
just laughed and said... "There's more than one way to convince 
someone that they love you..."

Still Koda couldn't figure out what she had meant and no amount of 
prodding the woman would get her to say anything else on the matter.
Still... her words had stuck in the healers mind.

An idea came to her. Surely after all this time she would be to late 
to see if she was right or not, but there was no reason not to try 
to find out. Was there? After all, if what she thought was true... 
maybe a few other things could be explained at the same time.

Getting up from the table she made her way over to the girl and 
called out to her before she could turn back towards the kitchen.

"A moment of your time please is all I need," Koda smiled warmly at 
the girl who kept throwing nervous glances back towards the kitchen 
door.

"Just a short moment M'lady," the girl said suspecting the healer was
someone important. "I've more work to do and will get in trouble if 
I don't get back to it."

"Well if anyone gives you any trouble just tell them that Healer 
Lakoda requested your help." she said. "I need some information 
that I think you might be able to help me with."

"I'll try."

"You knew Amble, the woman who tried to kill the Warrenlady?" Koda 
asked.

"I ...knew.. her, aye," the girl said and then looked around to 
make sure no one was watching them. She didn't want to be accused 
of speaking out of turn.

"I need to know if you knew where she lived?" Koda lowered her 
voice in understanding. "And if you could show me where that was?"

"Well I don't know..." Lorilee said slowly. "I won't get in any 
trouble for helping you will I? I can't afford to get into trouble 
right now."

"No. I promise," the tiny healer swore. "In fact if it'll make you 
feel any better, I'll go back into the kitchen with you and tell the 
cook that I require your help, and why."

"If you would please, healer," the worry eased somewhat from the 
girls face. "They won't tell you no and that way I won't get in 
trouble."

"Then that's what we'll do," Koda smiled and drew the girl towards 
the  door leading into the kitchen.

----------

"This is where Amble lived healer Koda," Lorilee told her when 
they'd got there. "She never really was an overly friendly one 
if you ask me."

Then realizing what she must sound like, the girl said, "It's not 
that she was mean or anything. Or didn't get along real well with 
the rest of us, but somehow you always got the idea that she thought 
she was better than the rest of us and was waiting for something 
better to come along. She was always nice when we were at work and 
all... but she never did anything with us when we weren't working."

"I think I understand," Koda told her, pushing open the door to
Amble's room. 

"She never invited any of us to enter her rooms," the kitchen 
helper went on. "We always wondered what she was trying to hide. 
I guess we know now..."

"So it would seem." she muttered as she began looking around the 
room.

"Do you need for me to stay any longer?" Lorilee asked and then 
left when Koda thanked her and said no.

----------

Hours later after she'd finally finished reading the first of the 
three journals she'd found among Amble's things, Koda had a clearer 
vision of what the woman had been like. And she wasn't reassured 
in the least.

Waylene had had a lucky escape with her life still in tact. The 
woman was definitely a mental case and Koda wondered how she had 
gotten by with it for so long without anyone noticing. 

She was appalled by the things she had already read there in the 
woman's hand writing. Things about her love for Z'lec and how she 
planed on making him love her. She talked about her hatred for the
Warrenlady and how she was going to settle her. And that was only 
in the first book, there where still two books Koda had yet to read. Picking
them up she carried them with her when she exited the 
apartment and called Ribbon to come pick her up. 

She would take them back to her own apartment and finish reading 
them there. Something about this place with all the herbs and plants
 was giving her the creeps. She'd have to see about having the place cleaned
out and the things growing here destroyed after bring Arri 
here to look at them.

 When she had some answers she would show the books to Waylene and 
Z'lec. Just so they would know the extent of the woman's madness. 
Somehow Koda had to make sure the woman was never set free. She 
would be a danger to anyone getting in her way, and the next time 
she just might succeed.

--------------

(Just something for Koda to do....and so Amble wouldn't be 
forgotten to soon :)

Kris: do you remember the reason we came up with for him to 
acted the way he did back then :)

*****Submitted by: *******

Barbara (a.k.a.

Lakoda & Ribbon
Marrid Warren Healer