>"Hmmmm.... that feels good." She murmured, and opened her eyes.  "Oh!" She
>exclaimed, and sat up, alrady getting dizzy.  "S'an..... where am I?"

She didn't remember anything past leaving the dining hall and running
into... Trak. Oh, gods! The new wingleader, would he ever consider her a
worthy dragonrider now?

>"You're in my apartment.  I thought you needed some time alone..." S'an
>mentioned, and put the bowl aside.
>
>She blushed, and turned away.  "I'm sorry about the dining hall."

Yasmine felt like a fool. She'd let her own self-consciousness overwhelm
her. If all eyes weren't on her before, they would be now. She prayed
that no one would send her away for acting so irrationally.
>
>"Ach!  Don't worry about it." S'an said, but Yasmine turned to face him
>and shook her head.
>
>"No, really.  I'm sorry." she said, "I've been acting like a child who's
>never been out of my father's house.  I'm a dragonrider, like you, and
>shouldn't be afraid of anything."

Well, Utha's house, that was, she reminded herself derisively. Though
that was where she was raised. Goodness, it was so confusing! Whose
daughter was she anyhow? Utha, who raised her in his household and was
married to her mother at the time she was born, or G'vriel who had truly
loved her mother and was her father of blood.

>S'an grinned, and nodded.  "Well, I'm not sure of not being afraid of
>anything, but at least you're learning."
>
>"But you're not afraid of anything.  You wern't even afraid of Trak when
>we were outside the dining hall." Yasmine said, and blushed deeply.
>"Oh.... sorry for that too.  I hope you don't get into too much trouble."
>
>"I wouldn't worry.  I'm used to it." S'an grinned, "But even I get
>afraid.  Like when I faced Larguad, I nearly soiled my leathers I was so
>scared."
>
>"But you didn't run away."
>
>"I had more important things to protect, like the warren and you." S'an
>said, "The jist of it is to control the fear, not let the fear control
>you."
>
>"Ahh...." Yasmine said, thinking.

<Me???> Yasmine thought, <Why would he want to protect me?>

<He cares about you,> Starlin replied.

<Of course he cares about me, he's my friend.>

>S'an got up and walked into the kitchen.  "Sorry the place isn't much to
>look at, but I never thought about owning many things."
>
>"It's nice, though." Yasmine said, looking around the living room.  Though
>there were few furnishings, what was there was well made and comfortable.
>
>"I call it home," He said, and came back with a tray of fruit and some
>light wine.  Placing it down on the living room table, he filled both
>glasses half way.  "Oh, and this time, don't drink the whole bottle." He
>said with a grin.
>
>Yasmine blushed, and took a sip.

Oh, the wine tasted good. Slowly Yasmine felt the tension melt away. Her
violet eyes filled with emotion as she loosened up and began talking
about the things that weighed heavily on her. She talked about her
childhood, the kidnapping, and the rape.

"It was awful... I felt so... helpless. And it hurt so bad!"

S'an stroked her hair comfortingly, "But you survived. You found your
way here."

"But I don't even know how I did that! I just knew I had to get away..."

"And you followed your instincts, that's what I was talking about
earlier."

"It was?" 

"Yes, Yasmine, you are a lot stronger than you think. You survived that,
and you survive being raised by a tyrant."

"I am?" 

"Yes, you are. If you weren't a strong young woman, Starlin never would
have picked you."

"But I couldn't even handle the stress of battle."

"That will come in time," he smiled. "Perhaps you have another purpose,
another talent."

"Well, I can see affinity. That's what Waylene said it was anyway."

"There you go!"

Yasmine laughed, feeling better after talking about her worries. S'an
was so easy to talk to. It just came so natural. They continued to talk,
but the conversation turned to lighter subjects and the exchange of
jokes.

>***** Later *****
>
>S'an laughed at the joke Yasmine told, holding his side tightly.  "Ack!
>Too much, too much!  I'm not healed yet!" He giggled, and finished his
>glass.  "You know, you have some pretty good ones there..."
>
>Suddenly a loud roar echoed through the warren, vibrating the room
>slightly.  "My gods, what was that?" Yasmine asked, and S'an looked
>towards his apartments ledge.
>
>*Storm has risen...* came the reply from Joell, who had taken off from the
>ledge in persuit.  S'an felt the heat rising in his body as the flight of
>dragons rushed towards their goal.  "Storm has risen to mate..." S'an
>whispered, and walked out to the ledge of the apartment, waiting.  Yasmine
>walked out to him, and watched to sky as the dragons flew...

Yasmine was filled with various thoughts as she watched the dragons. She
knew what would happen if Joell won, and a pang of jealousy went through
her. 

<You care about him, too,> Starlin gloated.

<Yes, he's my friend.>

<Friends don't feel jealous over mating flights,> Starlin informed her.

>A few minutes later, S'an shook his head.  "Joell didn't win." He said,
>frustrated.  "Oh well, there's always next time."

But she could see the sexual frustration on his face. It scared and
excited her at the same time.

>"Man, I didn't realize it was this late." He said to Yasmine , "You must
>want to get home.  Koda will be worried about you..."

"Home???" Yasmine blinked, not expecting the sudden change in attitude.
Had she done something wrong? Had she offended him in some way?

"Yes, Koda will be worried."

"Koda, yes..." she'd not seen the healer since the day before. So much
had happened since then.

***

[Lakoda and Yasmine's apartment]

"Well, I guess I'll see you later."

"Thanks, S'an," Yasmine blushed.

"For what?"

"For everything you've done today. You've gone over and above the call
of duty."

"Ach, I told you before, it was nothing." He turned and gave her a kiss
on the cheek, "You have a good sleep now."

***

"Koda???" Yasmine called out to her friend.

"Yes, Yasi? Was that S'an at the door?"

"Yes, he brought me home, after Storm flew..."

"Did he???" 

"No, he was a perfect gentleman. That's what's so strange," Yasmine wore
a perplexed expression. "I could tell he was still... bothered... and he
didn't do a thing. He just suddenly said it was time for me to go home."

"Well, it has been a long day for you. I heard you'd been a bit upset
earlier."

"Yeah..." Yasmine blushed, "Sorry about that. I don't know what I would
have done without S'an there. He was terrific!"

After several minutes of conversation Yasmine looked at her friend with
concern. "You don't look well... Are you okay?"

[NRPG: Tag Barb!]

****

[Morning]

<Trey wants to see you,> Maxima informed her.

The color drained from Yasmine's face. <Oh, gods! I must have really
screwed up yesterday!>

She hastily finished her breakfast and went to see the trainer.

***

"You wanted to see me?" Yasmine asked.

"Yes, Yasmine. Waylene wanted me to talk to you."

"Waylene???" She feared even more that she'd screwed up terribly. Did
she have to go through training all over again, she wondered. "Look, I'm
sorry about yesterday... I just got scared... Really scared... I promise
it won't happen again... I'll be the best rider I can be, I promise."

"I'm sure you will. That's why I want you to come with me today."

"More training?" Yasmine asked, sure that her fears had been realized.

"Yes, more training of a sort," Trey replied.

******

NRPG: Tag Lyn! I think this catches me up. So is Trey going to allay her
fears and tell her what's going on?




                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                        )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood          )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                         )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      Danika/Kalindeth of Daere        )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Xanthia/Maxima of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (   Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_ Yasmine/Starlin of Marrid       )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;

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