<<Darn it! Sorry about the lack of title~!>>

D'nar
***
<<Hatching >>

The tall blonde rider sat in the stands now that the searchlings had all
been ushered into the hatching ground. It was always quite a show. Awkward
hatchlings looking for their soul mates .. frightened searchlings both
afraid that the might join .. or that they might not join. Oh he remembered
that feeling well. He'd stood four times himself .. and the last had been
the hardest. Both because of his own fear of failure and of the pressure he
had been getting from his mate.

Sheltie had not wanted him to stand, complaining that he had
responsibilities to her and their infant daughter. He had promised her that
he wouldn't abandon his responsibilities .. but that he had to try that one
last time.

'Remember, dragonriders have a special role here, Sheltie,' he'd told her.
'A position of respect ..'

She'd been a bit upset with him over that one. She tried to tell him that
tending the Warren's herds was just as important as being a dragonrider.
She thought he should be happy with his life. And it wasn't that he was
unhappy. He could have easily lived his life without ever having joined ..
after all both his father and his mother had. But he'd wanted more for his
family. More then just a small unjoined apartment, and a job.

As a dragonrider with a family he could get a large ground level apartment
with lots of room and all the amenities. But Sheltie had only been jealous
of the time Porthios took from them. And of the other women riders.

D'nar had never looked at another woman. Sheltie had taken his heart long
ago and he didn't want anyone else. But all Sheltie saw was the
after-effects of the mating flights .. starting with the ones Porthios lost
and cumulating with the first one he'd won.

It hadn't been long after that, D'nar had packed his bags and left. Staying
in Keldarra after that had been just to painful. For a long time after
coming to Marrid, he'd kept to himself. He felt horrible guilt over having
left Sheltie and Darlea. It had taken a long time to get over that. The
fact that Darlea did not seem to blame him had helped a lot.

It had been the hardest when she was small and would cry hysterically when
he would leave after visiting her. But she'd grown out of that fairly
quickly and their visits became the highlight of his life.

His eyes drifted over the mass chaos of eggs and searchlings, finally
settling on Trey who was kneeling over a seemingly unconscious man, who was
being licked by a tiny dragonet. He grinned wondering how many newly joined
had passed out in shock during a hatching. He continued to watch as Talitha
and three little girls moved to start feeding the dragonet, while Trey
tended to the rider.

Trey's girls were growing up so fast .. looking more and more like their
mother.  They toddled along clumsily. He grinned, thinking how nice it
would be to have a little one to cuddle with ..

And now that he was going to become a grandfather .. he would get that
chance. He'd not been real happy when Darlea had come to tell him the news,
but the more he thought about it, the less it bothered him. Her mate seemed
devoted to her and she to him. They were both riders, so that solved at
least one big problem.

He would have to take a trip to Keldarra soon to check on them. Her time
would have to be drawing soon by now ..

Aura
***

>< I don't know... My rider thinks it's because... > Prisma stopped. She
>didn't understand it either, though there were shades of humor in 'Lith's
>mental tone that she didn't quite get either. It was a little soon to
>start trying to explain that humans were strange about mating -- the
>little one would just be confused by it and Prisma didn't know what to
>say. < Aura... >

Prisma drew the queens attention to her keeling little one. She cooed to
the hatchling she knew intimately as she'd carefully tended to each and
every one of her eggs over the time of their hardening and dawning of
sentience.

<Sylan .. little one.>

<My human ..> the baby kreeled. <What's wrong with him.>

<Sometimes humans are not prepared for us, young Sylan.> Aura explained.
<Sometimes it takes time for them to understand our place in their lives.
He will learn. Do not be afraid. He was a good choice.>

<There was no choice ..>

Aura nodded, <No, there never is .. and your human will come to realize
that in time as well. You must just be patient with him.>

T'rend
***

"Well that's the last of them," T'rend said with a smile to his companion.
"Shall I help you home?"

"Home? Now?" Baeta said with a bit of surprise. "There's just been a
hatching .. and that means there'll be a party .. and you want to go home?"

"Well it was an early wake up call .." he complained.

"Oh but it was worth it," she said looking out over the newly joined. "All
those new beginnings .." Just then she chuckled, "Look over there."

"Where?"

"Trey's girls helping feed that hatchling .." She grinned, her eyes taking
on a warm glow, aren't they adorable .."

He looked at them and shrugged, "Sure.. aren't all kids."

She turned to him and smiled, "Yes, they are."

Z'lec
***
<<After the hatching >>

The hatching was long over by time Z'lec finally crawled out of his bed.
That had been on purpose. The last thing he wanted to see was newly joined
and their stumbling hatchlings. He really should just leave Marrid. He'd be
better off ..

Why did he insist on torturing himself like this! Was is just on some vague
hope of seeing Trak slip up and fail .. or have Waylene realize that she'd
been wrong to desert him for his best friend? Some friend! Or maybe it was
because of Ailill. She's shown him so much kindness and compassion, though
she still rebuffed his advances.

Hell, he didn't blame her.  He was only 26 years old, and already he was a
tired old man with no future .. Nothing worthwhile left .. not now that
Raynod was gone. Damn! Life was so unfair!

"If you're so damn miserable," he shouted to the empty room, "Why don't you
just leave!"

He picked up a dirty plate, which had held his dinner last night, but now
held just dried remnants of Cook's Delicious roast beef. He threw it across
the room, savoring the satisfaction of watching it explode as it hit the
stone wall, the pieces scattering to the floor to join an ever growing pile
of broken dishware and pottery.

He'd often thought of picking up one of the sharper pieces and joining
Raynod in death .. D'zall had done it .. Why hadn't he?  It would have been
so simple, just a slice up the wrists .. a sharp jab into the heart ..
anything to end this constant lonliness.

Still he never did it. Those dark, morbid thoughts never stirred his body
to action. And the man grew more despondent over his inability to 'do the
right thing'.

Touth
***
<<Late Afternoon >>

*Can you call Aura and tell her the healer needs to see her right away,*
the man asked his companion.

*Already done, old man.* Yenal assured him. *Aura says her rider is in her
office with Kaylin'sha's rider. You and the healer can meet her there.*

Touth nodded and helped the exhausted and emotionally-worn healer off the
black dragon's back, "Waylene's going to see us now."

The healer steeled himself and nodded. "Let's go."

"Are you going to be all right?"

The healer nodded, "Of course .."

Touth shrugged not sure whether or not to believe the healer. He sure
didn't look all right.

Waylene
***

"You came back," Waylene said simply as the healer and the old man stepped
into the room.

C'tain simply nodded, "Something happened .. Behrse .. She .. I couldn't
stop her! I .. couldn't .."

Waylene closed her eyes .. damn ..  this was beyond serious now.

She raised her eyes to Touth, "Where?"

"We found him not far .." Touth began.

"Her dragon .." C'tain interjected, pulling himself together enough to
remind them of the suffering dragon, "She's still alive .."

"Oh gods .." Waylene gasped.

Touth nodded, "Yenal wants to get out to sit with her."

"And .. I promised .." C'tain said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to get
something's from the med center. Then I'm going back out there with you."

His voice held a tone that Touth could neither respond to, nor ignore. So
he simply nodded. This seemed enough to satisfy the healer and he shuffled
quickly out of Waylene's office.

"Damn!" Waylene swore as she fell into her chair.

"This is serious Waylene. Yenal's been checking with the other dragons, and
these null spaces or whatever you want to call them are very close to
Marrid."

Waylene nodded, "I know. And I need to get out of here and check on Trak ..
but I can't go with this .."

"Why not?"

She looked up at him, "What do you mean 'why not'? I've got responsibilities."

"And you've got a junior queenrider to help you. Let her help you."

"Carie? She's not ready .."

"How will you know until you try? Besides, how long are you planning to be
gone? A few hours .. over night? Surely she can handle things for that
amount of time. I mean what are you going to do while you're here ..
nothing that she can't do."

Waylene frowned, "I suppose .."

"Listen, Waylene, there's nothing that can be don in the next 24 hours
anyway. Go on and make sure Trak's okay. And maybe by time you're back,
you'll have more information."

"You think so .." Waylene had always appreciated the older riders advice.
And even since the loss of his dragon and his odd companionship with Yenal
that had taken him from the warren for long extended periods of time ..
still he spoke so wisely.

"Of course .."

She nodded, "I'll consider it then."

"Good now, I've got to get Yenal and C'tain out to see that dragon."

T'rend
***
<<Later that evening>>

It had been a good day, but T'rend was exhausted by time he was able to
pull Baeta away from the celebration. Still he was looking forward to
having some time alone with her. With all the recent happenings, they'd
barely had any time together in the past couple of days.

She was not surprised to find him pulling her onto his lap as they entered
their dwelling. "No fair tackling the helpless, one-legged woman," she
teased as he kissed her.

"You are far from helpless," he murmured as his kisses become more amorous.
It had been a while since either of them had the time or energy for such
activities, and T'rend was in the mood to make up for that that. And she
seemed a willing recipient ..

He smoothly picked her up and stood moving toward their bedroom. He placed
her on the bed and moved to cover her body with his.

"Hmmm, Terry .." she said pushing him back a bit.

"What?" he asked, not being dissuaded from his quest as he moved to kiss her.

She pushed him back gently once again, "Ummm, I'm not taking anything .."

"Okay .." he said moving in to nuzzle her neck. Then he stopped and pulled
back himself, "You're not taking anything ?? As in .. nothing .."

She shook her head, "Nothing .."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I am telling you."

"How long?"

"Just now .. today .."

He sat back, "But why?"

"I want to have a baby."

T'rend's face paled, "A .. a .. ba ..baby .."

"Well.." she said frowning, "I'm not getting any younger, you know .."

"You're hardly old," T'rend tried to reason.

Baeta frowned and sat up, "Terry, it's that time for me. I know that. It's
what I want. But if you don't .. then well .. perhaps we need to rethink
our relationship. I love you, and I'm so glad that we moved in together. I
.. couldn't have done it without you. But .. it's time for another step in
our relationship."

"But a baby .." T'rend said shaking his head, "I'm just not sure *I'm*
ready for that .."

"I know this seems out of the blue for you," she nodded, "But I've had time
to think about it before I actually stopped taking anything. And I know
it's right for me. You just have to decide if you're ready to join me or
not."

"Gods, Baeta .." The dragonrider stood, shaking his head. "I don't know
what to say .."

"Just promise me you'll think about it .. Please .."

He turned to meet her eyes, "You've made up your mind?"

She nodded.

"And if I tell you I don't want to have a baby .."

"It won't be easy, Terry. And I don't want to lose you .. but this is a
step I want to make in my life."

"Well, let me think about it, okay?" he said. "I mean, I've only had about
30 seconds so far .."

She smiled, "You'll really think about it?"

He nodded, "I will .."

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
D'nar & Porthios
T'rend & Grall
***
NRPG:  Well I still feel like I'm forgetting something but I don't know
what it is .. Oh well, any one is free to jump into any storyline in
regards to the pockets .. So please do. We've got the sick dragon (Lyn will
she survive?) And the next morning Yenal and Touth are going to go out
looking for this part finished warren somwhere to the northwest I believe,
anyone is free to go help them find it.

If there's anything I forgot please let me know .. I'm a popsicle again
here in Chicago :(:(:(

Hugs,
Kris
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       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Waylene & Aura, Marrid Warren, Warrenlady
                      Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Wingleader
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Telnor Warren, Dragonrider
                      Th'rin & Areena, Whiteriver Warren, Head Healer
                      Merybelle Barmen, City of Ralengarde, Innkeeper
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                      Saul & Fayloth, Jasra Warren, Searcher
                      Darlea & Makayla
                      Devon & Xanith
                http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm
 --d----------b-------------------------------------------------------
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Kristen & Scott Gant
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/gant.htm