>"That's impossible."  Minty insisted

>"What's impossible?"  David's voice asked from the doorway.  He had been
on another flight outside, searching.  And thinking.

Something was wrong with Araminta.  More than just their son missing too.
Her story about meeting his parent.  And the strangeness during her
teleport.  And what had happened after they left?  David sat confused,
wishing that his telepathy still worked.  And that was another thing,
according to everyone he had been able to talk to all the dragons, and his
son as well.  He should be able to hear him, feel him... but something had
happened during his dissappearance.  Maybe it was linked to these
null-pockets.  Maybe not.  All he knew is that he had to find their son...
and now what was his mother doing here?

"What are ye two talkin' about?" He asked, stepping into the room and
closing the door.  "And what're ye doing here, mum?"

"I came t'help with ye, t'find Zael." Khi said, and sat down next to
Minty.  "And Araminta told m'about her visitin' with us.  And asked m'why
I was lying t'ye."

David looked at Minty for a second.  She looked worried, and distraught.
She wouldn't look at him...

"Ye see, she visited last month, but we..." Khi began, and David looked
up.

"What d'ye mean last month?" He asked.  "Te'only place we went last
month was Shaul to pick up some supplies.  That's it... Mint, did ye go
while I was on patrol..."

Minty shook her head, and just glared at him.  "What does all of this
matter?  Our son is out there somewhere, and you're here arguing about
last month!  David, you should be able to hear him, or don't you care
about our son!?"

David and Khi both took a step back from that.  David's eyebrows narrowed
for a moment, and then settled.  "Ye know fer a fact that I can'nt hear
anymore... dragons or otherwise.  And I've been out from sunup t'sundown,
and even beyond that, lookin' fer Zael since he was lost.  Kaylin and I
almost died out there when we ran into a null-pocket en te'forest..." He
shook his head, "I've been doin' all I can, and more.  And now I want
t'know if ye went t'Keldarra and didn't tell me."

Minty just sat there for a moment, and shook her head, crying.  "Why would
I lie to you, to anybody?  I didn't go to Keldarra until..." She shook her
head, like her thoughts were jumbled and they wouldn't come together in a
straight line. "until a few days ago.  Just like I said.  Not a month, not
a year!" She finished, raising her voice.

David held out a hand to soothe her, but she pulled away.  He sighed.  "I
believe ye, both of ye.  But it just doesn't make sense..." He shook his
head.  

Khi put a hand on David's shoulder, and squeezed gently.  "Ye need rest,
and food.  Have yes eaten since this started?" She asked.  David was about
to nodd yes, but shook his head.  "I thought so.  Go'n get somethin'
t'eat, and get some rest as well." She said, and pushed him towards the
door.  "I need t'have a talk with yer mate here..."  She then pushed him
outside, and before he could protest, the door was shut in his face.

Sighing, David headed towards the dining hall...

[time jump- day four]

David sat on the green, trying to puzzle out what was going on.  Minty
now refused to see him until he brought their son back.  She wanted to go
herself, but the medical staff was keeping her in so she wouldn't hurt
herself, or others, in her attempt.

David slammed his fist into the ground.  Nothing made sense anymore.  From
what he could tell, both Minty and his mother were telling the truth, but
that just couldn't be.  It gave him a headache just thinking about it.
Khi was doing what she could, and Minty would see her, just not him.

He had almost memorized every track of land in a twenty mile radius from
the warren, and still hadn't come up with his son.  He had questioned
villagers in every town around marrid, in the chance that they may have
come across a crying babe.  But nobody knew anything.

He was at his wits end...

*David, someone has a question...* Kaylin asked, and David looked up at
the large creature giving him shade.  

'Yes Kaylin?' David asked, and Kaylin motioned towards the edge of the
green.  A little hatchling was wandering around, and had come across
Kaylin.  

*He wants to know where his rider is.* Kaylin mentioned, and David looked
hard.  It looked like the little dragon that bonded with Breeze.  He had
seen the dragon in the medical center while Breeze looked after Tina. 

'I'm not sure, I haven't seen Breeze all day.' David said, and looked at
the little hatchling.  'But I guess my time es better spent doing sometin'
than sitting here.  Ask him to ask Breeze where he is.'

A few moments later, Kaylin relayed the message.  *He says that his rider
says that he was delivering food to someone in the apartment up there.*
Kaylin pointed with his snout, and David looked up.

'But that is A'Rillia's old apartment, there's nobody in it now.' David
said, and Kaylin shrugged.  

*That's where he says his rider went.* Kaylin said, and David scratched
his head for a moment.  He knew A'Rillia had helped them before, and maybe
she knew something they didn't.  She did have that strange healing
ability.  Maybe she would know what was wrong with Minty.

'Hell, I'm out of options and nowhere else t'go.  But I bet all we find es
an empty, dusty apartment...' David said to Kaylin.  'Oh, and Kaylin, tell
the hatchlng to tell Breeze that he is out on the green looking for him
and that I want to talk with him.'  As Kaylin relayed the message, David
took out some oil from his pack and rubbed down the young dragon to pass
the time.  He seemed to be getting a little dry...

[NRPG: I hope this fits.  I fugured that since Breeze's dragon is so fond
of following him around, he would be looking for him and would ask someone
where he was and someone would put two and two together. :) ]

[Later that evening, after talking with Breeze]

David stood outside the door to A'Rillia's old apartment, and he was sure
now that someone was inside.  He heard movement, and someone had
been crying.  Knocking on the door, he spoke out. 
> "A'Rillia, I know you're in there. May I come in?"

No answer.

"It's David.  I need t'talk with ye, about Minty and something that has
happened.  I haven't told anybody else ye be here... but we need yer help,
if ye can..."  David proceeded to explain everything to the door,
about the time differences and his missing son, hoping that she would
answer and help him.  But he wasn't going to barge into the apartment to
force her... he wasn't that desperate, yet.

********** SUBMITTED BY ************
Justin

NRPG:  I hope that was ok Bets... and that I didn't screw anything up. :)
       Les, so what's going on with Minty?  *heh heh heh*

       ___
       | |         Justin Almeida   
   ____| |____     almeidaj@nevada.edu
   |___   ___|     punchingbag@juno.com
       | |         
       | |         Las Vegas Valley Search for Christian Maturity  
       | |         Board Member - Communications Committee
       |_|         www.nevada.edu/home/18/almeidaj/search/index.html