<Minty>

Minty woke from a dream of battle.....

Not sure where dreams ended and reality began she lay for long seconds
listening to the dreamlike screams and cries of distant fighting. 

Then she heard a delighted draconic chuckle from the dragon portion of her
apartment,  the *whoosh* of released flame, followed by a strangled
yell.  Still half-blind with sleep Minty heaved her swollen body up from
the bed, and splashed cold water on her face before struggling into the
too tight pants she hadn't had time to alter yet.  

There was a second sound of delight from Kirimith.

*What's going on out there?*  she questioned as she waddled awkwardly
towards the dragon's resting place.  *Do we have visitors?*

*You could say that*  Kirimith told her cheerfully  *Hey.....*

The dragon's angry cry was closely followed by a clatter, and Minty
picked up her pace as much as she was able, arriving in the sleeping
chamber in time to see a large wood & metal, javelin-shaped missile
bounce to a stop mere inches from Kirimith's talons.  

The dragon side- tepped gracefully, regarded the missile with a
jaundiced eye then allowed a small jet of flame to lick out and set the
thing to smoldering.  

*What on earth is that thing and where did it come from?*  Minty demanded
as she made her careful way to the ledge.  *That could have been
dangerous.  And where did -that- come from?*  Minty indicated the
grappling hook that suddenly appeared from nowhere and embedded itself in
a small crevice in the rocky ledge

*I think it was meant to be dangerous.*  Kirimith answered drolly, herding
Minty gently backwards with her tail as she prepared to release another
stream of fire.   *I don't think the invaders are too worried about who
gets killed and who doesn't.  Stay back Minty and let me continue to
protect you.*

As Kirimith belched fire there was a strangled cry from somewhere below
and a smell of burning hair, followed by distant cries of...
"Backup.....That hellhound up there has gone crazy."

*Got him!*  Kirimith said with a satisfied grin  *I don't think he'll try
that again in a hurry.  Now if I can just figure out a way of stopping
them from lobbing toothpicks at us everytime I go out to my ledge....*

*Got who?  And what did you mean by invaders not worrying about who they
killed?*  

Minty tried to step forward again but Kirimith's tail flicked out and she
sprawled to the ground with a bump.  Not a moment too soon!  The wall
behind the place where her head had been suddenly sprouted a slender
finger of wood/metal.  Minty's hand flew upwards as she felt a sharp,
stinging pain on one cheek, and when she took her hand away once more her
fingers were stained with her own blood.

Whitefaced and confused she looked to Kiri for answers.

<..>

*So how do we get out of here and make ourselves useful?*  Minty aked when
Kiri had finished bringing her up to date on the invasion of the Warren by
the Lord of Larguad.

*WE DON'T!*  Kiri told her   *I can protect you and the hatchling much
better here than I can anywhere else.  And the wing is quite capable of
defending the Warren without our help.*

*Hiding here while the others are risking their lives isn't an option
Kirimith, and you know it.*  Minty said stubbornly.

*One more pair of wings isn't going to make any difference to this
battle.*  Kiri protested.  *I won't take you and your hatchling into
unnecessary danger.*

*Fine.*  Minty feigned indifference to Kiri's words  *I'll go without you
then.*

She picked up her flight jacket and shrugged it on. 

*Hm! If I can find a rope long enough....* she mused aloud, tugging
experimentally in the "toothpick" embedded in the cave wall.  

*Alright!*  Kiri told her with a shudder.  *I'm not risking you both
falling to your deaths. I'll get us out of here.*

With a grin of triumph, Minty fastened her fighting saddle to Kiri's
lowest neck ridge, clambered up, and strapped her securely into the
harness.  Once she was settled as comfortably as the swell of her belly
would allow she patted Kiri's neck.

*Ok sweeting let's go.*  Minty told her.  *If you make a dash out to the
ledge....*

*Hold tight and close your eyes and just pray this works.*  Kiri said in
an ominous tone. 

Minty felt Kiri's muscles bunch under her, there was a mement of cold
darkness, and then they were in clear air high above the Warren .....
plummeting stone-like towards the distant earth.

*Arrrrrgggggghhhh*  

Minty's terrified scream was whipped away by the wind of their passage
through the still air. She clutched at the lather straps of her saddle
with frightened fingers... then Kirimith's wings snapped upwards and
outwards.  The force that halted their speeding descent  slammed her chin
downwards into her chest.  Her teeth clicked together, tears filling her
eyes as she bit down on her tongue... the coppery taste of blood flooding
her mouth.  

The dragon began a lazy glide across the bowl of the Warren.

*Don't... you.... ever... do.... something... like... that... again.*  She
pummelled at Kirimith's shoulder to emphasise her words.  *You could have
killed us.*

*It was your idea to leave the safety of your apartments.*  Kirimith told
her  *I just did as you ordered me I got us out of the apartment.  I
couldn't use the ledge to leave... those toothpicks may be small but
they're sharp!  The only way was to take a chance and hope on 'porting
high enough to have enough time to open my wings before we were dashed to
death on the rocks!!! Now if we're to be useful we should go lower....*

Minty squeezed the dragon's neck with shakey knees and indicated that they
should descend. 

*We'll talk about this later.*  Minty promised/threatened

Kirimith headed towards the battle.

<..>

Kiri suddenly veered towards a distant blue glitter.

*Fiera calls for help against Wraiths.* she explained when Minty
questioned her.  

<..>

Wraiths filled the sky!

Screeching defiance, Kirimith dove towards them, flame streaming from her
muzzle as she passed and repassed the deadly grey shapes of her enemies. 
She caught a wraith as it flapped towards a man cowering on the ground. 
All around her her wingmates flamed the wraiths to black ash.

<..>

*There's something odd about these wraiths.*  Kiri said as she sent
another of the sinister creatures to a fiery death.

*In what way odd?* Minty asked  *They look the same as any others I've
seen.*

*Their behaviour is odd.*  Kirimith told her  *Hang on tightly... I'm
going to try something.*

Before she had time to protest Kirimith had dived into the thickest
concentration of wraiths, setting herself up as a target for their notice.
 
AND THEY IGNORED HER!

They swarmed around her and not one of them touched her.  Instead they
seemed hell-bent on reaching the soldiers on the ground, swooping around
Kirimith in order to reach them.

*I'll say they're behaving oddly!*  Minty said in amazement.  *I've never
seen them do anything like that before.*

*And that's not the only odd thing about this.*  Kirimith said
thoughtfully.  *All the time we've been flaming their brethren there have
been two or three wraiths that have stayed back from the battle.  They 've
made no move to attack anyone, they just seem to be waiting ... and
watching Fiera.*

Minty shuddered and looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the
wraiths that Kirimith had observed.  It was difficult to be sure in the
chaos of battle but when she caught sight of three wraiths hovering in the
air not far from where Fiera was fighting she felt there might be
something to what Kiri was saying.

*I see them.*  Minty said  *How long have they been shadowing Fiera and
Carie?* 

*I think ever since the battle started.*  Kirimith told her.  *I could be
wrong though...*

*Have you told Fiera?*

Kirimith shook her head and dived towards the ground to rejoin the battle.
 *No... I didn't want to distract her.*

*Well I think you're going to have to.*  Minty said eventually  *This is
too odd to keep to ourselves.  Let her know what's happening and then she
can decide what she wants to do about it.*

*Fiera says she noticed the odd behaviour of the wraiths, and that they've
avoided the dragons as much as possible.  She hadn't noticed that she was
being watched...*

*Ask her what she wants us to do about the watchers.*

Kirimith was silent for a few minutes then she rose higher into the air
and began carefully working her way towards the group of wraiths she'd
pointed out before.  When Kirimith got close, Fiera suddenly broke off and
angled upwards to join her and the two dragons carried the battle towards
the trio that had so far stayed back from the fight.

When they saw the two dragons converging on them, the wraiths broke
formation.  One undulated through the air to menace Fiera and a second
headed straight at Kirimith causing her to duck below it's billowing shape
to avoid being enveloped.  With a snarl, Kiri turned in a tight circle and
aimed a deadly stream of fire into the heart of the grey mass of tissue. 
There was a high-pitched shriek from the creature, then  flame blossomed
outwards from it's centre and it broke into several pieces that fluttered
downwards.... each part intent on inflicting damage to anything in it's
path. Kirimith dived after them, flaming each piece again and again,
making sure they wouldn't survive to be a threat to others in future.

*Die monster!*  Kirimith sang joyfully  *No more victims will you claim.*

<..>

*We killed one and Fiera another, but where is the third?*  Kirimith
demanded when she was convinced the wraith was truly dealt with.

*It flew away as soon as it saw what was happening to it's companions.* 
Minty told her  *Didn't try to attack us or take advantage of our
distraction... it just made off towards the mountains as fast as it could
while we were otherwise occupied.*

*Odd*  Kirimith mused 

*It's certainly strange.*  Minty thought back.  *It definitely needs to be
reported once this is all over.*

<..>

Minty shifted uncomfortbly in her saddle.  Her back was aching from
sitting too long in one position,  and the constant twisting and turning
of Kirimith's flight as she made sure that every part of the wraith was
burned beyond recognition had left her belly feeling tender and bruised.
She rubbed a gentle hand across her tight abdomen and felt the baby kick
lustily in response. With a sigh she eased herself further down in the
saddle trying to relieve some of the pressure.  

She'd be glad when this battle was done and she could relax in a hot bath,
she thought as Kirimith turned to flame another wraith.

submitted by

Araminta, Kirimith's rider




-- 
Mint,  the voice and soul of

Timi Caplain  Unassigned            Caliban, Lute's human  Dragon Lands  
Lillith the Mage    Broken Lands    Minty, Kirimith's rider    Dragon Lands                  
Naomi, QueenRider to Amethyst, Norwall's WarrenLady,  Dragon Lands

ICQ #5814808
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/5902
http://www.dragonfire.net/~Mint/

PGP Public key: http://www.dragonfire.net/~Mint/Mint.asc