My thanks go out to Dave and John for help with this... Dave reads minds
folks...

==========================



"I hope you don't mind my joining you this morning," Koda said as
she sat down across the long table from the rider she had met last night. 
"But I wanted to thank you for ..ah... looking out for me last night."

Arkt'han smiled wearily. "A pleasure to help one who gives so much help
to others."

"Still," she grinned and lifted the cup in her hands to her lips. Then
frowned as she sat it back down. "You said something last night. When you 
were telling me why you were here in Marrid.. and I was wondering if you 
might go over it with me again?"

He nodded, taking a sip from his steaming mug.  "Certainly...  about
searching for my brother?  What of it?"

"It didn't hit me until this morning... But I recognized his name and
just wanted to make sure it was the right person," she said but didn't
elaborate any further.

"I don't understand..."

She started to wonder just how to phrase her question without saying
something she might regret. After all it might not be the same person.
But she had to be sure.

"You see I lived in Falagand for a while. It's where I joined with
Ribbon. I was just wondering if you're brother was someone I once knew from 
there," she told him trying to keep the panic out of her tone.

"...you mean, you *do* know my brother?" Arkt'han stared curiously at the 
petite Healer.  "You *do* look familiar, at that..."  He paused, then 
blushed.  "Um, Auram says *he* remembers Ribbon, and is chiding my faulty 
recall."

Her lips curved up into a smile. She decided she liked this man. He didn't
make her feel as nervous as the other one had.

"Don't blame yourself," she assured him. "I spent most of my time in the 
healer hall... too afraid if I came out I'd run into B'nair."

Arkt'han shrugged.  "And I concerned myself with hunting and patrolling, 
mostly."

"Ahh.. See that explains it. But I would like to hear more about your
brother.. and why you're looking for him."  He'd still been living in the 
Warren when she had left. What had made him decide to leave?

"Well.  Ar'lan was fine until a few years ago.  He used to be dashing,
charming, fun to talk to...  I looked up to him."

"Then what happened?"

"Something changed him.  He became moody, volatile.  He and 'Phard stopped 
going on patrols, started spying on other warrenfolk."

"And then fights?" she asked, knowing before he even said it.

Arkt'han nodded solemnly.  "Yes, and then the fights. He probably would
have been banished anyway, if he and 'Phard hadn't gone missing first."

He went on when she didn't say anything.  "I never found out what happened, 
the night before they left.  He'd gotten into some kind of trouble, and they 
told me he attacked a Healer who was trying to help him."

She nodded, then looked away. It was even worse then she thought. Why
had he left. And how soon after she had taken off it had been.

She didn't want to remember, but pictures of his distorted face looming
over hers while she tried to fight him off, kept popping into her mind.

The large rider reached across the table to take her hand.  "Lakoda?
What is it?"

"He'd come to me after one of the fights he'd been in," she started
slowly.  "Over something so stupid like a shirt he didn't like or something 
like that....And at first.. he was charming and nice. The next day he'd come 
back to have me check the dressings and brought me a flower... He said he 
wanted to start seeing me... But I was already involved with someone... And 
he didn't take it very well..."

His brows drew together, troubled.  "He didn't... hurt you, did he?"

She looked at him shaking her head. "But only because Ribbon had called
for help. If she hadn't..." She was shaking now, her mind back then again 
reliving the panic when she thought he was going to kill her.

"He said... that if he couldn't have me... then no one would, and he
tried to .. tried... but T'rell showed up with another rider. Ribbon knew I 
trusted him, so she'd called for him to come help me....After that... I left 
Falagand and moved here... I thought he was still there."

"He...  no, he disappeared the following morning.  At least, that was
the last time I ever saw him.  It took several days before he was officially 
declared missing...   but I suppose you were already gone, by then."

She nodded as she turned to face him. "I'd forgotten about it until now, 
until you brought up his name."

Arkt'han grimaced.  "Not to mention his face...  I'm told the
resemblance is quite strong.  I'm sorry to have upset you."  He let go of 
her hand, suddenly self-conscious.

She caught at his hand.

"You've nothing to be sorry for," she assured him, liking him even more.  
"You're not your brothers keeper. You can't help what he did anymore then I 
can help B'nair being the way she is..."

He smiled slightly. "Thank you. I still wish I could find him...  sooner or 
later he's going to hurt someone. I mean, worse than he already has. I *am* 
sorry about what he tried to do. I didn't know."

"Not your fault. I don't think anyone could have predicted what he was
going to do that night."

"Indeed not.  He was getting pretty damned erratic, just before they
went.  'Phard was no help; Auram says he's the most paranoid dragon he's 
ever met."

"Well we never have figured out why certain dragons pick certain
riders..  maybe their joining was just..."

Arkt'han looked past her shoulder and grinned.  "Finally, some good
news.  Provided that's who I think it might be..."

Koda turned to look back the way he was pointing and it took her a
moment to see the tall rider making his way towards her.

In his hands she noticed a small bundle and was on her feet and racing
towards them before he'd made it half way across the room.

"You found her!!!!"

Martyn grinned broadly as he walked toward Koda, holding out the infant
to her.  "M'lady, I believe someone has been waiting to see you."

"You just bet I have!" Koda wiped away the tears from her eyes as he
handed Talera over to her. the first thing she did was unwrap the blanket 
that had been placed around her and looked down into the infant's tiny face.

"Oh Martyn.. you did find her," Koda cried and looked up at him. "I
don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you.... Look, Arkt'han. He found 
her!"

Still seated at the table, Arkt'han heaved a sigh of relief.  "I'm glad."

Martyn bowed to her.  "M'lady, Martyn always gets his man...or, in this
case, his baby."  He noticed the rider sitting at the table, and nodded
a greeting.  "Good day to you...Martyn, rider of Havelok.  You are of
Marrid Warren as well?"

"Arkt'han is from Falagand," she told Martyn, leaving out telling him of 
their connection beyond that.. "The same Warren I where Ribbon and I
joined."

He rose and walked to where the others stood, extending a hand.  "Arkt'han, 
rider of Auram.  Formerly of Falagand, from nowhere in particular, at the 
moment."

Martyn's eyebrows rose.  This was the second rider he'd met who'd come
from Falagand, and he hoped that Arkt'han wasn't anything like the other.  
"Ah...Falagand, you say," he said.  "I suppose you knew T'rell the 
Dragontrainer, then?"

"Everyone knows T'rell," Koda laughed at hearing her old friends name. 
"Though he's been gone from there for sometime. Been living up in Daere 
Warren for the past year or so."

She hugged her daughter to her, feeling better then she had in a long time.
"If you two will excuse me, I think I'm going to go get reacquainted with my
daughter."

She nodded to them both, but before leaving, she leaned forward and 
wrapped her free arm around Martyn's waist."I'd give you a kiss on the 
cheek in thanks for bring her back to me but you're just to darn tall 
for me to reach."

"Well never let it be said that I was anything but helpful," the rider 
grinned and leaned down to aid her quest. But his cheek was not where 
Koda's kiss landed. 

The kiss lasted slightly longer then intended. But when she finally pulled
back, she had to bite her lips so the *wow* she was feeling didn't get uttered. 

"Umm.. I'll see you both later. Again thank you.. Both of you," she
stammered quickly and left before she made a fool of herself.

She had her daughter to take care of. Her daughter who was now safe and back
with her. She just hoped Trey's girls would be as lucky to be reunited with
their father. 

Where was he?

======================== 

Special thanks go out to Dave who helped write most of this post... and to
John for helping with the end of it!!! Thanks Guys :)  You're fun to write
with!!!

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

Lakoda & Ribbon
Head of Marrid Medical 

aka
Barbar








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