<T'grat>


He slipped out of the bed, disentangling himself from her clinging arms
with reluctance.  The lovemaking they'd shared had left a pleasantly sweet
ache in all his muscles, and a lethargy in his movements.  


He sluiced his face with water from the basin on the night table, trying to
wake himself up, his teeth chattering with the cold.  She stirred  at the
faint sound.....


"I love you, T'grat....."  she murmured sleepily.  She rolled over so that
she could watch him dress, eyes following his every movement.    


The huskiness of her voice, and the languid glance she sent him held such
erotic promise that his body responded without his volition.  A small moan
of frustrated desire welled up as he continued dressing, and she chuckled
softly, knowing the effect she was having on him....


"Are you sure you have to leave right at this second?"  she whispered as
she rose from the bed to stand in front of him, unashamed of her nakedness.
 "Are you sure they can't wait just five more minutes?"


She twined her arms around his neck, moving softly against him, her erect
nipples sliding across his chest sending a shudder rippling through his
body.  Her mouth fastened on his, the tip of her tongue probing the warmth
of his.


"I have to go..." he mumbled, voice thick with need  "I have to go right
*now* or I won't go at all......"


His arms held her close to him, moulding her body to the length of his, one
hand sliding around to cup her breast, thumb flicking the hard bud
surmounting the soft mound of creamy flesh.  With a gasp she drew away from
him, shivering slightly with the rising heat of her own wanton need.


"Go on...."  her breathing was ragged, her voice uneven.  She nodded
towards the door  "Please....."


Unsure if she was pleading for him to stay or go, he cursed softly and
swiftly exited the room.  Closing the door behind him, he rested his head
against the cold stone of the corridor wall, fighting to regain some
control over his churning emotions.


*You have a problem my friend*  his dragon's chuckle echoed through his
mind  *And one I don't think I can help you to solve.  Perhaps your
confusion will lessen when she returns to Whitbarrow?*


*She's *not* going back there!*  he thought fiercely  *She stays here with
me, where she belongs. I don't care what anyone says... SHE STAYS!*


*I believe you!*  Malachite soothed him  *Now find a way to convince Naomi
and Meena of that.*


*I find some way to keep her here.  Don't you worry about that....*  He
straightened up and pulled his tunic into decent order  *There's a way... I
just need to find it.*


With that resolve firmly at the forefront of his thoughts he went to start
wing practice.....


<..>


The bustle of an awakening Warren surrounded him as he emerged from the
apartment. The change of patrols was going smoothly, and he watched as the
next shift took to the air, and blinked out overhead.  He was proud of the
efficiency that the wing showed... <his mind dwelt briefly on the problem
of Darrkon, then he pushed the thought firmly away... time enough for
worrying if there was a repeat of his behaviour.> 


*You should be wary of that one*  his dragon said carefully  *He would not
make a comfortable enemy...*


*He was wrong, Mal.  No way round that... If it'd been my choice I'd have
grounded the pair so fast they wouldn't know what hit them.  But Naomi
seems to feel he deserves a chance, and I respect her judgement.  A few
days practice with the younglings wouldn't hurt them....*


*Amethyst says that Naomi wants all the riders assembled on the Green in 15
minutes.*  Mal interrupted quickly  "D'gerrit is missing...*


*But D'gerrit's in a coma!*  T'grat exclaimed as he picked up his pace,
heading towards the assembly point near the Warren's ancient oak.


*Not any more it seems.  Amethyst says Naomi will explain when we get
there.....*


********

<Naomi>


She waited until T'grat had called for quiet before she began.  Her voice,
though soft, carried to all the assembled riders.....


"We have a missing rider."  she started, and waited until the murmur her
words had roused died away  "Most of you know D'gerrit, and that he's been
confined to the Medical centre since the fall at Whitbarrow put him into a
coma.  Seems that he finally woke up sometime during the night and decided
he longer needed our hospitality...."


"Where did he go?"  S'ran asked  "Surely he can't have got too far?"


"On Orobos he could be anywhere, and Amethyst can't get a sense of where
they might be.... not even a direction. And that could mean anything!
D'gerrit might be confused, and the confusion is affecting Orobos.... or he
might be keeping a very tight rein on Orobos so that the dragon won't
answer Amethyst's call.  Or they could be so far away that Amethyst just
can't hear them."  Naomi answered her brother's query  


"Well he'll be alright if his dragon's with him."  one of the newer riders
chimed in  "Surely the dragon won't let his rider come to any harm?"


Naomi sighed softly.  There were some here who didn't realise just how
close D'gerrit had been to paranoia, and Orobos close behind.....


"Normally you'd be right."  Naomi explained  "But in this case we have
reasons, good reasons, to say that they're both.... er...unstable..... yes,
unstable would be the word I think we'd have to use."


"Then why doesn't Orobos just bring him back?"  one of the recently joined
riders asked  "I'm sure that's what Kelsey would do?"


"I expect Kelsey probably would."  Naomi told him gently  "But Orobos
wouldn't and we're worried about them."


"We intend to send out search parties."  T'grat interrupted, and she smiled
at him gratefully


"We'll split you into groups of 3 or 4."  Naomi explained  "Someone who
knows D'gerrit in each group of course, and a one of the trainees too.
It'll be good practice for them...."


"Are you sure that's wise?"  T'grat whispered  "They only took their first
flights yesterday and none of them have teleported yet."


"Time to teach them then.  We need all the dragons we can put aloft!  Most
of it will be straight flying anyway.  We can't teleport to where they are
since we don't *know* where they are."  She shrugged and turned back to the
riders  "Meena I'd like you to go with Piper, and W'liam.  Soliel, you take
Arwin and P'trick.  M'lent you can go with H'nri and Shona.  A'shair... I'd
like you to check out Shard's old camp with Aleipha and Lacey."


"Had you thought of Rixx's camp?"  a grizzled rider asked from the back
"D'gerrit and Rixx were good friends at one point, and I know that D'gerrit
visited Shard and Rixx a lot"


"I could help you there."  Klianne volunteered  "My brother and I weren't
close but our dragons did gossip... at least they did until D'gerrit
starting showing some strange ideas and such.  Opal knows where Rixx's camp
is, Orobos boasted about it often enough.  I can go look there if you'd like?"


"Yes please."  Naomi said with relief "If you'd take Darrkon and Maybeth
with you it should make searching the area much quicker.   Ok... back here
to meet your co-searchers in 15 minutes."


They began to drift away and Naomi turned back to the waiting T'grat.


"No peace for the wicked is there?"  she said with a wry grin  "I thought
he'd caused all the trouble he was going to as well.  Do you think we'll
find him?"


"I could hope we won't."  T'grat said with a shrug  "But that's just my
wish.  He caused you enough trouble that I think I'd rather he stayed as
far from here as possible....."


"But he could be really sick out there!"  she said, aghast  "I'd feel
terrible if we didn't at least try to find him."


"You're too soft-hearted sometimes, love. It'll get you into real trouble
someday. "  He changed the subject at her frown   "Did you have some
special reason for not sending H'tor out with the others?"


"Oh damn!  I completely forgot he was here!"  she exclaimed  


"He can come with me and my party then."  T'grat smiled at her confused
expression  "Suit you?"


She nodded, watching as he approached the other man and informed him of the
decision......


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Naomi & Amethyst
T'grat & Malachite


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