[ The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set. ]

    [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set.  ]

    [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ]

 M'rdith concentrated on keeping the voices calm, but the dragon Havelock
had already relayed the course of events down to the dragon's below and
their angry thought were spearing through M'rdith's mind.  The assassins
thrust forward, nearly impaling M'rdith on the blade, instead slicing across
his ribs as he twisted out of the way.  M'rdith knew that sooner or later
the man would catch him and then that would be it, just before he was
getting back to civilization.  As he circled warily with his armed opponent,
M'rdith wondered if this was a higher power telling him he should never have
left where he was.

 A sudden yell from the side caught the assassin's attention at Martyn came
to M'rdith's aid.  The man turned to face the aggressive onslaught and a
furious clash of blades ensued, leaving M'rdith all but forgotten.  Casting
about him, he found a couple of fist sized rocks.  Given the circumstances,
it was the best that he could do.

 **Oh, my goodness, what are they...**

 **Pull everyone back, this could...**

 **Cover your ear-holes...**

 M'rdith saw Martyn take a stable defensive stance and M'rdith did the same,
readying his rocks.  Havelock roared loudly, distracting the assassin
momentarily.  M'rdith let fly with his rock just as Martyn began moving
forward.  The rock cracked cleanly against the skull of the unknown
assailant, crumpling him to the rocky ground.  Acting quickly, Martyn
scooped up the unconscious bandit and carried him back over to where
Havelock stood, the gray dragon peering back down towards the warren below.

 The two climbed back on and flew back down, landing. Sliding off the back
of the gray, he patted the dragon, a tear coming to his eye as he walked
over to where several riders were gathered.

 **You miss that, don't you.**

 <Of course I do, Corragh.  There hasn't been a day gone by that I haven't
thought of riding a dragon, riding you again.>

 The dragon chatter continued inside his head as Martyn brought the
troublemaker forth.  Lots of angry voice began sounding in his head, and he
clutched his head, dropping to his knees, **Corragh, tell them to stop!**

 **Please, cease your angry ramblings, fellow dragons.  Rest assured that we
will bring this man to justice.  Killing him in anger now will only prove
that you are no better than he is.**

 **Who said..**

 **Where is this dragon that..**

 M'rdith's head still hurt, but the voices were quieter now, and much more
manageable.  As his head throbbed, he saw several of the riders pointing at
him and moving closer...

<Tag, anyone!>

Submitted by
M'rdith
AKA Chris Weeda

Return to Xylian Posts for Sep 2000