~*~Late afternoon, day 5,  Koda and Ail's talk~*~

Ailill sank down into the chair Koda offered her.  "Have you ever wanted 
to choke the sense into someone Healer Koda?"

The small healer grinned.  "Occasionally, but I try to restrain myself.  
So who's driving you to violence? Kendal?"

She nodded glumly, "That fool man doesn't know a good thing when it 
slaps him upside the back of the head."

"Most men don't.  Give it time Ail, he'll come around."

"I doubt that Koda."  Ailill mumbled gulmly.  "Even if he does, I don't 
know how long I can wait for him to decide this is what he wants.  I 
mean, it's a little disturbing when someone you care about is running 
away from you."  Ailill was getting more and more depressed as she 
thought of Kendal.  "I just hope he doesn't do anything too stupid...

<<Too late, love...>>  Storm interjected.

Ailill closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands.  <Is he 
gone?>

<<Yes, he and Ainu left While you were talking to Mayhem's rider.  They 
tried to sneak away, but I have been watching them.  Ainu would not tell 
me where he was going.>>

Ailill sighed, surprisingly it didn't hurt as much as she thought it 
would.  She glanced over to Koda, who had taken the opportunity to start 
serving the food.  "Well, he's gone..."

The little healer looked up from what she was doing.  "Are you going 
after him?"

She paused for a moment, rolling the thought around in her head.  The 
more she thought about it the more determined she got.  "No, no I'm not.  
I have responsibilities here.  I'm through chasing him.  If he wants to 
return, if he decides he want to try to work on us, then I will welcome 
him back.  But I won't go running off like a lovesick puppy."  She 
resolved herself to the situation.  Kendal was gone, and he was the only 
one who ccould choose when to return.

The words had come out harsher than she had meant them to be.  She 
smiled up at Koda as the healer laid a dish down in front of her.  
"Thanks, Koda.  I'm sorry for bothering you with all this.  I just..."

"Needed to talk."  Koda finished for her.  "I understand."  Koda sat 
down across from her.  "I'm glad to see your maturing Ailill.  You have 
an appointment with me tomorrow morning in the med-center."

She nodded.  "I'll be there, Koda."

The rest of the evening progressed quietly.  Koda steered the 
conversation away from anything that would remind the girl of her 
troubles.  That, and two glasses of Marrid red, greatly improved 
Ailill's mood.  When she left the healers apartment (after helping Koda 
clean up) she wandered across the green.  She didn't want to go to her 
empty apartment just yet.  

<What am I going to do with that man Storm?>

<<There is not much you can do, my rider.  Perhaps this is for the best.  
Don't you humans have some saying about letting something go?>>

<Yes, I know, I know, but I'm going to miss him, it's going to be lonely 
`round here.>

<<Why?  I will miss Ainu, but that is no reason for me to be lonely.  
There are other dragons, and riders, in the warren.>  Storm purred at 
her rider.  <As a matter of fact, there's this big green that I have had 
my eye on.  His rider seems nice too.>  

Ailill gave her dragon an exasperated look.  <Hurray, I'm joined to a 
60ft matchmaker!>

<<63ft, actually.>>

<I think I'll wait awhile before I start making new 'friends'>

<<Suit yourself.>>

~*~*~Next Morning, Day 6~*~*~

Ailill skipped breakfast and headed straight to the Med Center.  There 
she found Lakoda waiting for her.  The little healer looked tierd.  
Ailill had heard about lasst nights activity.  She was sure Koda hadn't 
slept. She followed the healer on her morning rounds.  The worst case 
was a woman who had stumble on her staircase.  A sprained ankle and a 
few scrapes, and a cut that needed stiches.  Koda showed her how to set, 
and wrap, the sprain, and the proper method of dealing with a minor cut.  
Ailill watched attentively, and later reproduced the wrapping technique 
on Koda's ankle.  After, her lessons, with nothing better to do Ailill 
hung around the Med Center.  She got to know some of the nurses, and 
aids.  She sweet talked them into teaching her some other wrapping 
techniques.  She wanted to surprise Koda tomorrow.  

She was picking at her brunch when Storm's voice resonded in her mind.  
<<WRAITHS!!!  In the warren!>>

Ailill winced.  <Don't yell.>

She joined the many riders who were racing out of the Dining hall.

<<Wait...>>  Confusion filled the gray's voice.  <<They...  They're not 
attacking...  Aura's rider is speaking with them...>>

Waylene?  *Speaking* with wraiths?  <What?>  Ailill stopped at the 
doorway to the dining hall.  She could hear Aura's angry cries echoing 
through the warren.  <What's going on Storm?>

<<Aura wants us to flame them... but...>>

<But what?  They're wraiths, in our home!>

Storm didn't answer she just growled and set about destoying the gray 
forms.

NRPG:  Well it's not much, but it does get me caught up.  (I hope that I 
got the timeline all straight.  It's wild how much *stuff* we can cram 
into two days!  :)

I want to appologize for letting myself get so behind.  It was really 
irrisponisble of me, and I will do my best to make sure that I don't get 
this lazy again!

Thanks for not stoning me!  :)

Kate,
Ailill and Storm, 
Combat Medic (in training),
Marrid Warren  (The best warren there is!  ;)








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