[Pre-jump Day 8]

[C'tain]

C'tain pushed unceremoniously through the door, followed by Sina. He
looked at Waylene, disappointed to see that Trak wasn't there and the two
were obviously not going to back down.  "Where's Traknor. I assumed he'd
be here to apologize." 

Waylene ignored the question.  "Please sit."

C'tain considered just walking out, but Sina pulled him to a chair. Lakoda
took one as well. 

Waylene moved to the front of her desk and leaned back against it taking a
deep breath before beginning. "When I came to Marrid, I was young and
scared and I failed to join to a dragon. I was treated cruelly by my
father, and taken in by the kindness of the people here. People who didn't
know me from the next person.

"I fell in love with the Warren back then. And I knew no matter whether or
not I ever joined to a dragon, I would live here for the rest of my life."

"What does this have to do with anything?" C'tain asked.

"I need you to listen, please." Waylene replied. "I think as Warrenlady, if
not as your friend, you owe me that."

He nodded, wondering how she could treat the healers like she had and
still consider them 'friends'. 
 
"Go on, Waylene. He'll listen," Sina answered.

"I had few friends at first, and even less after Aura hatched, and I had
to spend so much time learning how to be a junior queenrider. But
throughout all of it, your family was there for me. I have always
appreciated that. I learned to depend on you and your father... and Sina,
too," she nodded at C'tain's youngest sister, "... once she began to take
a larger role in the med center. I've never had any complaints regarding
how we all work together and how you work with the dragonriders assigned
to help out." 

"And you never would have had you not let Trak begin dictating how this
warren was run," C'tain said pointedly. 

"When Lakoda came to Marrid, it was like a dream come true. We finally had
a JOINED healer! Someone who could make communications between us
better...  more efficient. And I'll admit that perhaps I took more
advantage of that then I should have." 

"Absolutely. You didn't treat Arri this way."

"Daetyn was a different dragon. She wasn't accessible the way Ribbon
was...  and she was a queen. And while it may make no sense it does change
the way some dragons and riders dealt with her." 

"We are the healers! We are the ones with the medical knowledge! Our
decisions must be respected if we are to be effective." 

"I would agree with you., however we are talking about something that was
not a medical issue." Waylene said. "We are talking about a warren issue.
This warren's *Wingleader* was found half-crazed and dying due to the lose
of his dragon. Irregardless of my relationship to him, as *Warrenlady* I
should have been informed!"

"Lakoda has already told you .."

"Yes, she did," Waylene interrupted. "And I do respect her reasons, but the
fact of the matter is, she ~was~ wrong."

"That's a matter of opinion." C'tain told her.

Waylene nodded.  "True, but C'tain, *I* am Warrenlady. I make the final
decisions when it comes to this warren and its well-being." 

"And if I can't abide by them?"

"Then you are right to leave." Waylene sighed. "I will not beg you to stay.
And will most certainly not cave into your threats. I made my choice and if
I thought it was a wrong one, I would be the first to admit it. However, no
matter whether or not you like it, Lakoda is a dragonrider first! Even
before being a healer."

C'tain reddened in anger.  Had she not listened to anything Lakoda had
been saying?

"And I will have her trained to be a dragonrider both for the good of this
warren and for her own safety. I am not asking her to fight combat. I am
only asking that she know how to protect herself and her dragon should she
ever find herself in a dangerous position. And as a healer who has the
ability to transport directly to the wounded, and is inclined to do so by
the very fact that she is a healer, makes training all the more essential. 
It is no more then I would ask of any dragonrider." 

"You had her training with the Wing! That is not the same thing."

"No, it's not, you're right. However, while the wing trains for battle,
they also train for self preservation and it makes sense to train all
dragonriders at the same time rather then having one or two separate. This
is a small warren, and we do not have the resources some warrens do. We
have basically two trainers. One for the hatchlings, basic things that
Koda would already know. And then we have the wingleader .." 

"Trak was punishing her! It was spiteful and disrespectful. And you
allowed it!" 

"C'tain," Waylene said calmly, "My intentions were not to punish her, but
to get her thinking like a dragonrider... like a team. Trak apologized
already for making it more then that. It really wasn't his intention
either..."

He couldn't help but snort at that.  It had been exactly what she had been
doing, even if she would no longer admit it, even to herself.  One didn't
make the head healer of the Medical Center ignore her medical duties and
completely exhaust herself trying to both train and work all in the name
of 'discipline' if your intention was not to punish the person.

"You accuse me of not respecting the healers of Marrid, and that couldn't
be farther from the truth. I value you. And Sina... and Koda. And I will
do everything in my power to be sure you are here and safe to do your job. 

"So here's what we have. I don't want you or Sina or Koda to leave. We
need you... I need you. Both as healers and as those I thought I could
call friends. However, I will not require Trak to apologize anymore than
he already has."  C'tain shook his head.  Traknor's supposed apology had
been a joke-- a way of attempting to embarrass Lakoda in front of the
wing.  It had backfired, however.  Many of the members of the warren had
seen his actions for what they really were and had lost substantial
respect for him.  "And I will require Koda to be trained as much as is
necessary for the safety of her and her dragon. Those are my terms and if
you can not respect my position as Warrenlady, you are more then welcome
to leave. In fact, you will be required to do so." 

Waylene looked at them. Her face remaining resolute.

He sighed.  "You're not going to see reason, are you?  It *was* a medical
decision."

"It was administrative," she shot back.

"Oh, yeah?  And why was Traknor making it when he wasn't the one left in
charge of the warren?"

"What?" she asked.

"T'rend and Baeta were in charge of the warren.  If Trak disagreed with
their going along with Lakoda's decision, he had no right issuing orders
to her, and you know it.  He should have been talking to T'rend and
Baeta." 

"That's not the point."

"It *is* the point.  She was in no way shape or form answerable to Trak
and you 'disciplined' her for failing to follow his *orders*!  And I don't
care how you want to explain it in retrospect, the reason you gave at the
time for assigning her to the wing was that she needed more 'discipline'--
you were punishing her." 

"Damn it, stop! Both of you!!" Koda stood up as fast as her gravid body
would allow her too. When C'tain moved his hand out to help her, she
pulled away from him. Her face wore a look of hurt as she looked from one
to the other.  "Stop talking about me as if I wasn't even here damn it! I
am. And I have been able to speak up for myself for a long time now,
though I thank you love for caring." 

She glanced down at the man beside her for a few brief seconds, then her
smile disappeared and she looked again at Waylene. 

"You were wrong with what you just said about me being a dragonrider first
and a healer second," she told her. "I am now as I have always been a
Healer. Someone sworn to go whatever I can to save lives. Not take them. 
But I can see you and I are never going to agree on that so what's the use
of even arguing about it?" 

"Koda... you have to think of Ribbon..." Waylene started to say, but Koda
rounded on her. 

"I do think of her!! I think of her every time this comes up. I think
about her and wonder why she ever picked me to join with. I'm not a
fighter. I'll never make a good fighter, so our pairing is a wasted on
that level. But I am a good healer and I know that some of the people I've
saved wouldn't be alive today if Ribbon hadn't've picked me. Having her
with me... is the only reason I've been able to save some lives that
should have by all right died.  Oh yes, I think of her." 

"Then you have to agree that being trained to protect yourself and Ribbon in
more than just the fundamentals is important."

"You heard her," C'tain spoke up. "She's a healer, not a dragonrider."

"No, Tain.. in some ways Waylene is right... I do ride a dragon..." she
held her hand up when he would have replied. "I am... with Ribbon and I
joined there's no way we can deny that fact. But you, Waylene, will have
to agree that since I will not be going out and flying with a wing during
an attack, that to continue having me train as if I were would be a waste
of time." 

"But, Koda, don't you see..?"

"I do see... but not in the same way you and Trak do," Koda kept her voice
level. "I've been doing some thinking on the matter and while it's not the
training itself I'm so much opposed to... it's the type of training I'm
being force to participate in that I find objectionable.  No, hear me out,
please.

"I do not object to training with Ribbon to learn how to protect both
ourselves and any wounded riders we're sent out after... I agree that the
knowledge is a good thing... but having to train with a fighting wing and
being made to be part of the force going out fully loaded with flame with
the total intent of killing... that's where I draw the line. I will learn
to protect myself, my dragon and any patient I have... but I will not take
any part of being placed in a Wing that is responding to a call to fight." 

She looked at both of them to try and gage their reactions. 

"I will be ready to respond if the call comes in and we are needed," she
calmly clarified her thoughts. "But I will not be a part of the main Wing
and go with them when they leave to fight. Someone will have to be here in
the Warren to get the medical center set up and have the healers ready for
when the injured do start to arrive." 

"But Koda don't you see? There are others who can do that," Waylene told
her. "And you would not be expected to join a wing if there's an alert.
Gods forbid woman... you're much to valuable for us to risk you in that
way!" 

"But he is not the head of the medical center," Koda reminded her.  "I
am... Or I am suppose to be. As long as I am not expected to fly out with
the Wings... I don't see where I'll have much problem with it. But we'll
see later when I'm able to go back to it." 

Waylene didn't answer right away. Koda could tell she was thinking over
what she had said. Then after the silence had grown, Waylene finally
spoke.  "I'll consider what you have said and let you know what I decide." 

"That's all I can ask for."

"But, Koda, she hasn't said..."

The healer turned to him and smiled.  "It's all we have for now love...
I'm sure if we sit down and talk this thing through some compromise can be
reached that we'll all be happy with." 

Her eyes begged him to understand.  She was giving in.  And he had agreed
to abide by her decision... for now...

"Tain... I'd like to speak with Waylene alone for a bit," Koda turned to
him.  "I've a few things to talk to her about dealing with Tina's...
Queen... or whatever she may be. Would you mind?"

He left unhappily.  She had given in.  But Waylene knew he wouldn't
tolerate this sort of thing again.  She was on notice now against acting
like B'nair of Falagand and second-guessing her healers again. 

******

[Post-jump day 1]

The next few weeks were strange.  He and Koda began spending the few nights
where they were both off together.  Waylene tiptoed around him and the
Medical Center was left to run itself, as it should be.

And then he was being shaken awake.  "C'tain!  Wake up.  It's Lakoda.
She's in labour."

He was rolling out of the bed and reaching for his clothes practically
before it registered.  The baby...  It was too early.  Was it good enough?

He turned and took in the amused look on the female rider's face as he
pulled his pants on.  "Something wrong, Behrse?"

She grinned.  "I guess I just hadn't thought of you as a nude sleeper."

He winked at her.  "Well, keep it to yourself, eh?"

She laughed.  "I don't think Koda would take well to my knowing that bit
of trivia.  Are you ready to go?"

He ran a hand through his hair.  "Ready.  Is Minourith waiting?"

"Yup."

He slid off the dragon that he'd come to rely on so often for emergencies
in the middle of the night.  He cast a worried look at Ribbon as he ran
into the Medical Center.  Behrse had filled him in on what had happened,
as much as they knew. 

One of the staff pointed and yelled a room number and he kept going,
yelling a thanks over his shoulder.  He nearly ran over T'rend as he got
to the room. 

Koda was obviously between contractions when he walked in.  She still
looked pale, scared and strained, though. With good reason. "We're going
to have a baby, love," she grinned up at him. "Looks like it decided today
was as good a day as any." 

He reached up and gently pushed back a strain of damp hair from her brow. 
"It'll be fine, Bit... you'll see.  Sina and I will be here with you the
whole time." 

Another contraction hit her just then so she didn't see the worried look
that pasted between sister and brother. 

Nothing was said to Koda about Ribbon outside.

He had regretfully left her when the investigating team had arrived, with
dragons injured or ill and frightened riders.  He had made his visit to
Trey's officer, where Talitha was, as quick as possible before returning
to Koda and her parents.

It hadn't been that much longer before he had watched the baby girl laid
on her mother's stomach.  He was tired and knew he wouldn't likely get
much rest before his shift tonight.  But for now he just sat and held
Koda's hand, sharing in her joy.

******

[Day 2, early morning]

[NRPG: The timeline in Mike's last post was majorly screwed up, so after
consulting with Kris, we decided the surgery, etc. would be DURING the
hatching, which puts it merely a day after the birth of the baby-- close
enough-- rather than the day after the hatching, which would be two days
after the birth of the baby.]

He was just turning the Center over to Sina for the day when the
trumpeting announced the hatching.

"Damn," Sina said.  "Looks like I get to miss another hatching."

He smiled at his sister and waved. "See ya!"

She stuck out her tongue, then turned to go to her office and review what
needed done.  Lakoda wouldn't be back on duty till tomorrow, so she and
C'tain were taking twelve-hour shifts.

C'tain spotted his son on the way to the hatching ground and scooped the
boy up.  "C'mon.  Let's go watch."

"Is Koda coming?" D'tass asked.

"Probably not, but you never know with a hatching..."

******

He never saw her at the hatching, so went to find his love at the Med
Center, where she was still staying.  He noticed Storm take off just as he
walked up to the building.  There were a number of staffers standing about
watching. 

"What's going on?" he asked.

"They had to send Traknor to the Healers Guildhall for surgery."

Hr froze and looked at the staffer.  "What?  Why?"

"He had some internal damage that Ailill couldn't handle."

"Ailill?  Ailill isn't a healer, she's a combat medic.  What was she doing
poking around in his viscera?"

"Well..." the staffer paused nervously, "he... uh... didn't want anyone
but Lakoda or Ailill operating on him and--"

"In other words, not Sina or I?"

"Well, I guess you two would be the only--"

"Gods damn him!  And Lakoda let Ailill operate?" he demanded.

"Well, Koda wasn't really up to it--"

"And when they hit complications that Ailill couldn't handle, she *sent*
him to Tinnobal instead of calling in Sina or I?  Does Waylene know?"

"I don't think so.  She wasn't here."

He turned and started striding toward his apartment when he spotted
Behrse.  "Behrse!  Come here!"

The girl turned and smiled, her grey eyes sparkling.  "What did you need
C'tain?"

"Can you take me to Cleft?"

"Cleft?" she asked.

"Yes, I need to go there.  D'tass and I both."

"When?"

"Right now," he answered.

******

[Sina]

She burst into Lakoda's office, where the healer was talking to the
warrenlady.  "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just got word that C'tain's
left."

"What?" both women said in unison.

"He heard about Trak not wanting him to operate and decided it was the
last straw, and... oh, gods, you have to hurry, Koda."

******

[C'tain]

"Aren't you going to go talk to her?" Behrse asked.

"No," he answered, as he set down the pen.  "I don't want her to try and
change my mind and I'm too angry right now to talk to her."

Behrse grabbed him by the shoulders.  "I'm not very old, but I think you
need to calm down first before you decide to do this.  Let me take you out
of here for a while where you can think.  Please?"

"No!"

"C'tain..."

He sighed.  He hadn't been able to find D'tass in all the confusion
anyway.  He might as well.  "Okay."

"I know this nice spot.  It's quiet and not too far from the warren,"
Behrse chattered as he followed her to her dragon.

It was only after the dragon had winked out that he remembered the note to
Lakoda laying on his kitchen table.

******

[Sina]

C'tain wasn't in his apartment.  There were clothes pulled out of his
wardrobes and strewn about.  She couldn't tell if there was anything
missing.  She heard a sob sound from the kitchen and went to find Lakoda
clutching a piece of paper.

Koda held it out to her, tears streaming down her face.  Grimly, Sina read
it.

	Bit, I've just heard what you did with Traknor.  We're supposed to
	be healers first.  You should know that teleporting him to
	Tinnobal, especially with qualified surgeons here, was
	unnecessarily endangering his life.  You caved in again.  I'm
	angry, but not at you, Bit.  But I can't stay here.  Come to
	Cleft, please.  I'll be waiting for you. 
						I love you,
						C'tain

******

[C'tain]

Behrse sat calmly humming and oiling her dragon.  For such a young rider,
she understood that sometimes a person doesn't want to talk things out,
that they need to just walk and think and rage.

He appreciated her wisdom.

He felt so... betrayed.  It hurt to the very core of his being.  And
yet... 

He still wanted her.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at a single flower,
valiantly struggling against the last chill of winter. 

He was sure there was some lesson to be learned there, but in his state,
he couldn't find it.  He sank down to the cold ground, his hand reaching
out to touch the delicate petals of the flower.  He'd never seen a flower
like this before.  It seemed as if the flower responded to the warmth of
his hands.  He almost swore it moved toward him

"Very strange..." he murmurred.

Then Behrse screamed.

He turned to see her kneeling beside the great head.  Shaking the dragon,
which stared as if unseeing at her rider.

"Behrse, what's wrong?" he demanded, running to her.

Suddenly, blood started flowing from the dragon's mouth and nose.  Behrse
screamed again, throwing herself at the dragon's side.

Suddenly, he understood.

"You've got to get out of here!  Go!  Go now!"

But Behrse was backing off from the dragon, staring at her.  "No!" she
screamed.  "No!  Come back."

C'tain dived at the girl as he saw the knife come out.  "No, Behrse, you
can't..."

The girl slashed out at him, catching him across the cheek, then used his
stumbling back to turn the knife on herself.

He gasped in almost physical pain as he saw her plunge the blade into her
stomach again and again.  He reached her and grabbed the blood-slick blade
before she could do herself more damage.

He caught her as she started to fall and lowered her to the ground.  She
looked up at him, her breath rasping now, with eyes like Brisse's but a
face more like... hers.

"So... alone...  Hold mmmee..."

"It's okay, sweetie.  I'll get you patched up and back to the warren," he
said, pulling open her shirt to survey the damage.

Oh, gods...

And he didn't have any medical supplies with him.

"I can't... feel her...  Hold me..."

He wrapped his arms around the girl, sobbing.  There was nothing he could
do, but offer her the human comfort of his arms.

******

The sun had risen in the sky and was now beating down on the pair.  She
had died hours ago, but he couldn't let her go.  Her blood had dried on
his clothes, on his hands.  His own wound had stopped bleeding, and his
tears had joined the blood on his face.

Walking to the warren would take the rest of the day unencumbered by her
body.  But he couldn't leave her here...

He heard a snuffling sound and looked up.  Minourith's blue-green eyes
stared down at him.

Gently, he laid the girl down, stood and walked to the dragon.  "You're
alive," he said in a voice hoarse from crying.

Minourith let out a soft whimper and laid her head down.  He touched her
hide, feeling the heat.  Waste sickness.

He hesitated.  The dragon would likely die without the bond to her rider
anyway, but...

"Okay... I'll go back to the warren.  I'll get you help.  And... and if
what you want is to join her, I'll help you," he promised her.

Then he turned and started the long trek back to Marrid.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  C'tain
  (and a little Sina)

---

 Lynette R. F. Cowper <lcowper@indy.net>, INWO Line Editor