From: "Katherine Heath" <domani@hotmail.com>

~Scene: Healer Hall, just after the debriefing, afternoon on day 2~

Ailill glanced at the position of the sun as she walked out of the 
building.  Several hours had passed since she'd arrived.  <Time to go 
back home, love.>  She sent to her dragon.   

<<What's your hurry, love?  I'm rather comfortable.>>  Storm answered.  

As Ailill neared the area where her dragon lay she understood why Storm 
was reluctant to move.  Ailill recognised the large male that curled 
around her grey female.  <When did Mayhem get here, Storm?>

<<Not long ago, he wants to know how his rider is doing.>>  Ailill could 
see the signs of concern in the male.  

<Tell him his rider is going to be fine, but that he should get 
comfortable because Trak is going to be staying here for a while.  Until 
he's recovered enough to get back to warren life.>  There was a pause as 
Storm relayed the information to Mayhem.  He seemed to relax a bit.  

<<He thanks you, but he wants to know why we had to come all the way 
here to make his rider well.  I think this places makes him 
uncomfortable.>>

Ailill sighed, why did they have to come all this way.  <Tell him...>  
Ailill suddenly felt tired.  All the activity of the past few hours came 
crashing down on her as the rush worked its way out of her system.  
<Tell him what ever you want, Storm, love.  I don't know, I just want to 
go home.>  Home, and a chance to talk to Z'lec.  She'd wanted to talk to 
him ever since 'the incident'.  A cold chill pass through her at the 
though of how close she had come to loosing her soul-mate.  She *hugged* 
Storm through their bond, and the dragon returned the wave of love.  

The bond felt the same, and yet it felt different.  More tentative.  It 
was as though the brush with the no-magic had made her aware of the 
fragility of the bond.  Before it had been an absolute.  Something only 
death could touch, and then only temporarily.  But now, now the bond was 
like a glass rod.  The slightest change in the environment might shatter 
it.  Storm separated herself from Mayhem and moved closer to her rider.

Storm's voice pushed through her personal thoughts.  <<Maybe you should 
talk to Ainu's rider, he went through the same thing?>>  

Ailill considered the idea as scratched her dragons eye ridges.  
<Maybe...>  Her thoughts turned to Kendal.  The sound of his voice, the 
way his clothing moved over his skin when he fought.  She missed the 
swordsmanship lessons he used to give her.  He had been through the same 
thing she had...

Storm chuckled in her head.  <<What about Z'lec?>>  She snorted her 
disdain.  <<I like Ainu's rider much better than Raynod's rider.  You 
should pick him, he's worthy, almost.>>  Her voice was tinged with 
sorrow as she formed the dead dragons name.

Ailill eyed her dragon, that was an odd comment.  She knew that Storm 
wasn't fond of Z'lec, but...  She ran her eyes over the grey as she 
shifted her mental focus more deeply into her dragons mind.  She 
couldn#t find anything really different about her dragon.  She was 
probably just being paranoid.  Looking for trouble where it didn't 
exist.  <<Well, are we leaving?>> She shifted nervously.  

<You were the one who wanted to know what my hurry was a few minutes 
ago?  Are you feeling okay, love?>

<<Yes, yes, I'm fine.>>  She did feel fine, just antsy. Ailill was still 
worried though and maintained a strong contact with her dragon.  The 
line between Storms thoughts and hers blurred.  It felt good to be that 
close to Storm, especially after...  She forgot her lessons about 
separating out the dragons thoughts and welcomed them into her own 
conscious.  She felt that if she closed her eyes she could see through 
Storms, breathe through Storms lungs.  Fly on her wings.  The cool wind 
played across her hide. 

<Just let me get your saddle on.>  She sighed, distancing herself from 
Storm enough to focus on the task at hand.  Ailill headed over towards 
where someone had laid her work saddle.  It wasn't easy to get the 
awkward saddle in place.  Ailill briefly wished that she'd brought her 
light saddle.  With a little help from Storm she had it in place.  She 
secured and double checked the saddle, then climbed on and strapped 
herself in.  It was getting late.  <Well, I'm all set, let's go home, 
love.>

Storm lifted herself into the air and climbed lazily to teleporting 
height.  It was nice not to have to rush.  Ailill prepared for the `port 
carefully.  But even a well planned `port can run into trouble and 
Ailill's did.  Storm appeared over Marrid and was forced to twist her 
body into a short dive to avoid a mid air collision.  Ailill got a good 
look at the other dragon as she was nearly decapitated by his wing.  

<<Ainu wants to know if your okay?>>  Storm asked casually.  She could 
tell her rider was shaken but unharmed.  

<I'm fine.  Take us down, love.  I still have to talk to Koda.>

<<Okay,>>  Storm started her decent.  Ailill noticed that Kendal and 
Ainu followed them.

<What are they up to?>  She questioned Storm.

<<Oh Ainu's filling me in on warren gossip.>>  Storm chuckled.

<Is that all?>  Ailill asked.

<<Yes, of course.>>  There was something about Stormās response that 
made Ailill suspicious.

<Storm???>

<<Well, Ainu and I have decided that you and Kendal are being silly.  I 
want you to talk to him.>>  Storm sounded shockingly like Ailillās 
mother.

<Storm·>

<<No, no, no.  Iāve had enough of your human nonsense.  Your going to 
talk to him if Ainu and I have to sit on both of you!>>

Ailill couldnāt help but laugh.  Storm backpedaled hard and touched down 
on the green.  Ainu landed a few meters away.  Ailill swung down off of 
Storm.  <Love, I have work to do now.  I need to talk to Koda.>  Storm 
Snaked her head around and gently took hold of Ailillās clothing.  Her 
dragon breath washing over Ailill.  It was a surprisingly sweet smoky 
smell, considering what Storm ate.   <Alright, alright.  Tell him to 
meet me for dinner.  We can talk then.>

Storm let her rider go, with a satisfied look.  Ailill threw a glance at 
Kendal.  The man shrugged and laughed.  Shaking her head Ailill headed 
off to find Koda.  And then she wanted to see how Zālec was doing before 
dinner.

NRPG:  Well it doesnāt get me caught up, not quite, but it gets me 
further along.  Z'lec is next.  

Ailill might be a bit late for dinner Norman.  But I thought it was 
about time for them to talk.  Their dragons must thnk they are crazy.

Cheers!
Kate
AKA
Ailill and Storm, Marrid Warren Combat Medic.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are proud as punch of our new web site!
http://www.onelist.com
Onelist: The leading provider of free email community services