<T'grat>

Location:  The Floating Dragon, Whitbarrow


T'grat watched the customers of the inn carefully as they entered.  The
atmosphere was heavy and forbidding and the guards posted about didn't give
him a sense of safety as they should.  In fact as he and Meena walked up to
the bar he realised the guards were the cause of the unease.... the other
patrons gave them as wide a berth as possible in the small taproom.


"I didn't believe Hered when he told us about your father's  guards."  he
said quietly to Meena  "I thought it the talk of a man with cause to dislike
Harkon.... but now?"


"This is much worse than even he has been in the past!"  Meena whispered
"He was never quite as bad as this...."


"I think you should let me do all the talking." he said  "I have a feeling
about this...."


Meena nodded and stood close to him as he spoke to the barman


"Hello friend,"  he said quietly  "I am in need of a little information."


The man stopped polishing the bar top and looked at him, then at the guards


"What makes you think I'd be willing to give it to you?" he asked cautiously



"I'm looking for Greta."  he said, as he placed a worn gold coin on the counter


The man looked from Meena to T'grat then over to the guards, all the while
ignoring the coin.  "Who's Greta?"


"We're friends. We can help," said Meena. The man looked the young woman
over, then picked up the coin and motioned for them to sit. He disappeared
in a back room while the two dragonriders waited.


He was soon back, and gestured to the back room, and the two went through.
T'grat kept silent through most of the ensuing conversation.... this was
Meena's business and he was here to make sure that nothing happened to
her... but he was constantly on guard.  Ambush and such words were easy to
believe about this place. He was even more wary when the led them through
filth ridden alleys to a small shack.


"Why go to so much trouble?" he asked as the woman tapped a complicated
pattern on the a trap door that had been hidden by a rug.


The old woman frowned at him, "Because Harkon has promised to kill the boy
should he be found within the walls of Whitbarrow."


"He couldn't do that surely?"  T'grat asked shocked  "The boy's his grandson."


Meena nodded, "Yes, he could. Perhaps not by law, but the threat is there
none the less. He did the same thing to Devon. If we hadn't left for
Norwall, he would have had Devon killed."


"I see why Naomi thought you needed protection Meena.  I'd be much happier
if you were to return to Hered's shop and let me handle this.  What happens
if this is a trap designed for the sole purpose of taking Demee from you?"
he frowned in thought  


"My father doesn't know he's here.  I don't think it likely.  Really
T'grat... it'll be fine."


Meena and T'grat descended the steps and the door was closed behind them,
leaving them half-blind in the dim light of the root cellar.  T'grat drew
his dagger as a female voice called out;   "What do you want?"


"Greta?" asked Meena of the female figure that approached them, "I am Meena,
Stont's sister, I want to help."


"I why would that be?"  the woman sneered  "What have I got that you want?"


T'grat looked at the owner of the voice as she lit a small stub of candle.
She couldn't have been more than 25, with dark hair and dark eyes, her face
and clothing were none too clean... but he could see why a man would pay for
her services.  She exuded sex.... 


<NRPG  Kris do your bit about Greta here. >


T'grat thought while the two women talked.  All the time the boy was here in
Whitbarrow he was in danger, and Demee being named Harkon's heir wouldn't do
anything to help this child.  Obviously Lars needed to be in a safe place
until either Harkon acknowledged his existence or until his mother, this
Greta, had time to make plans.  The safest place T'grat knew was....


"Norwall."  he said aloud, startling both women.  "We'll take them to
Norwall.  They'll be safe there under Naomi's protection and it will give us
time to think."


"But Harkon...." Greta started


"Are you going to tell him where you're going?  If we take you in under
cover of darkness then no-one need know about it.  Just you, me and Meena.
Oh and Naomi of course.  What do you think Meena?"


<NRPG  Tag Kris!>


*********************

<M'lent>

Location:  Norwall Warren


M'lent was talking with some of the riders when Lacey found him.  He excused
himself quickly and took her arm, leading her away from the interested
stares of the other men


"Well I'm honoured lass!  Two visits with you in two days.  To what do I owe
the pleasure?"


"I've come for the training we talked about yesterday." she said  "I talked
to Naomi too."


"Ah!  And she was of the same mind as me was she?  It's important you
know... and the talent is very rare.  Just think if we didn't have
Searchers... how would we ever know who to present as candidates?  Imagine
the dragonets left on the hatching ground...."


"That's a horrible thought M'lent!"  Lacey shuddered at the thought  


"It's not hard work to see the aura once the talent shows itself, it can be
harder not to see it!  The training's more to give you a way of blocking it
so you gain some peace.  Living in a Warren and surrounded by those with
affinity all day, every day....."


"I hadn't thought of that."  Lacey said quickly  "I've only had flashes now
and then, but they've been very distracting sometimes."


"So what do you actually see?  It takes people in different ways and I'd
need to know -how- you know that the affinity is present....."


<NRPG  Tag Kat!>


************
<Naomi>

Location:  Naomi's office.


"Come in"  Naomi called at the knock on her door.


The door opened and two of the younger riders entered nervously.


"As'Tarth? M'narrin?  What can I do for you? Come in and sit down..."


"No thank you."  M'narrin answered for the pair  "We've not got much to say.
We couldn't find T'grat or we'd have been to him instead of bothering you
about it."


"T'grat is elsewhere at the moment, but I'm always willing to listen to
problems...." she told them  "How can I help?"


"No no... it's not a problem... not really..."  As'tarth said, flustered
"We've been thinking... M'narrin and me... well sort of anyway... thinking
that..."


"What As'tarth's trying to say is we'd like to transfer to Beta wing"
M'narrin interrupted his friend, elbowing him in the ribs to keep him quiet


"Have you had a problem with some of your wingmates?"  Naomi asked quietly
"Surely it's something that can be sorted out?"


"No it's nothing like that.  We'd just like to be in Beta wing that's all...."


"Have you had problems with T'grat then?  There must be some reason why you
feel you need to be transferred?"  Naomi persisted  "If you feel you can't
talk to T'grat surely you can tell me why...."


"Please... there's nothing wrong.  We just want to transfer to Beta."
M'narrin said


"Well I can't approve it until I've spoken with T'grat and D'gerrit about
it.  I'll let you know after that."


The two left hurriedly, clearly pleased to be escaping.... and Naomi watched
them go with a sense of foreboding.


Submitted by

Naomi & Amethyst  
and sundry others


-- 
Les

the voice and soul of

Timi Caplain  CMO    USS Javelin        T'beth  Counsellor     USS Magellan 
Lillith the Mage         Broken Lands      Minty, Kirimith's rider  Dragon Lands

Naomi, QueenRider to Amethyst, Norwall's WarrenLady,  Dragon Lands