<Minty>

Exhausted by the night's happenings, but still high from the excitement of
finally meeting her son, she dozed off and on during the quiet afternoon
hours.  Each time she woke she marvelled anew at the tiny perfection of
the new life she held cradled in her arms.  He was so like his father, she
thought drowsily as she watched David sleeping in the chair beside her
bed.  So innocent looking....

A mewl from the blanket swaddled baby brought a smile to her lips. 
"What's wrong my pet?" she cooed in a soft voice as she rocked her son
gently back and forth.  She touched a finger to the baby's cheek and he
turned his head to her touch his mouth opening wide as he searched......

*Like all the newly hatched he says he's hungry.*  Kirimith told her.   
*As am I.* Minty felt the overtones of hunger in the dragon's mental
voice.  *He'll sleep when he has eaten.  When I hunt I can bring him back
part of a juicy deer if you'd like?  Or a rabbit?*

*Kirimith!!*  Minty shuddered delicately.  *Milk is all he needs at the
moment, he can't manage anything else.  Go hunt your supper and leave me
to provide for Zael's nourishment.*

*Well ... if you're sure that Zael will thrive on just milk.*  It was
Kirimith's turn to shudder at the thought.  *How will he grow strong on
such food?*

*Positive.*  Minty assured the dragon. *And you'd be surprised how quickly
he'll grow on just milk.*

*A hatchling should have bloody meat.*  Kirimith chuckled wickedly.  *Are
you really sure?*

*Argh!  Go before I do something drastic to you,  you hellion.*  Minty
laughed quietly.  *Go hunt!!*

The room was quiet except for Zael's contented murmurs.

<Later>

"Oh! Yuk!" Minty's tone was surprised, amused and disgusted by turns.

"What?  What's wrong?"  David was startled from his light doze by her
exclamation.  He sat up, looked at Minty and Zael for an explanation and
then burst into laughter.

"It's not that funny!"  she told him crossly as she wiped the liquid from
her cheek.  "How would you like it if he peed in *your* face?"

She quickly pinned a fresh diaper on Zael's tiny behind then handed him to
his laughing father so that she could wash her face properly with soap and
hot water at the sink in the corner of the room.

<..>

"Did ye notice t' mark?"  David  asked her as she dried
her face.

"What mark?"  she asked with a worried frown. "Where?"

David had laid Zael on his stomach on the bed and was looking at something
on the child's back.

"What's the matter?"  she asked as she tried to peer over David's
shoulder.  "Is there something wrong with him?"  

He moved slightly so she could see the dark mark on the baby's creamy
skin.  Just above the dimple at the base of Zael's spine was a small dark
area that felt slightly raised to her fingers.  

"Et looks a little like t' silhouette of a flying dragon."  David said as
Minty searched the baby's body for any other imperfections.  "Et's a
birthmark, love.  Nothing t' worry yerself about.  Me sister has one on t'
sole of her foot."

"Are you sure?  Maybe we should get one of the healers to take a look?" 
Desperate for reassurance she picked Zael up and would have left the room
to go look for a healer if David hadn't stopped her.

"He's fine, love."  David said as he guided her back to the bed.  "Et's a
birthmark, naught more."

<Later still>

She stood looking down at him as he slept in his crib, hardly daring to
believe that he was really hers. He sighed in his sleep, his eyelids
twitching as he dreamed the dreams of the innocent.

*He's glad to be here.*  Kirimith told her sleepily.  *And he can already
recognise you as his mother.*

*Don't be silly Kiri.  Besides ... how would you know something like
that?*  Minty tucked the coverlet under Zael's chin as she spoke.  

*I can still hear him dreaming.  He knows your voice from before he was
hatched... and now he knows your smell.  His thoughts are small and
unformed but he knows you.*  Kiri told her matter of factly  *He's content
and warm and satisfied for now.  Why not sleep while you can?*

*I will.*  Minty promised quietly, but she made no move towards her bed.

<Later yet>

The yelping of a dragon calling for help for his/her rider was followed by
running footsteps and hushed voices.  Drawn by the commotion in the
hallway, Minty opened her door in time to hear a strange woman and Kendal
introducing themselves and discussing someplace called Renen.

Renen?

She stepped into the corridor as the strange woman said:

>"I don't know, I haven't given it much thought. I guess so, until I find   
>a way back to Renen." said Tina. "I suppose I'll have to speak to the   
>warren lady. Hey it looks like people have finished with Koda, let's   
>check on her." said Tina.

"Koda?"  Minty asked startled.  "What happened to Koda?"

The pair whirled to face her, and Minty blushed at being caught
eavesdropping. She smiled uncertainly then shifted Zael to her left arm in
order to hold out her right hand in a greeting to the taller woman.

"I'm Minty."  she said as she nodded recognition at Kendal.  "I'm sorry
... I shouldn't have been listening but you mentioned Koda.  Is she OK?"

<Tag James or Norman>


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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