<T'grat>


>He threw her a quick encouraging smile and the
two pressed on until they reached Greta's apartment. 

>There he took her in his arms as she finally lost all resolve she had and
broke into a torrent of tears. As he held her trembling form close, two
little bodies
huddled up hugging their legs. The tiny hugs helped calmed Greta down and
she bent down to hug her children.

>"It'll be okay, Mommy," said the sweet voice of Alyne.


"Yes, my darling. It will." She said encouragingly to the tiny girl as she
gently stroked her peachy soft cheek.  Then she looked up into T'grat's
eyes and he saw just how desperately she was clinging onto her sanity for
the children's sake.  


"It *will* be alright?" 


Her voice and eyes pleaded for his reassurance and he nodded, pulling her
close again so that she wouldn't see the lingering doubt in his own eyes.
She trusted him to make everything right and he wished that he could take
away the threats and uncertainty....


"Everything will be fine my love."  He spoke confidently, not knowing what
he would do... just knowing he had to do something.  "Nothing will hurt you
or the children as long as I'm here to protect you."


"Are you going to tell mummy about Megandra and the man I saw?"  Lars
tugged at T'grat's tunic for attention.  "I didn't let Megandra know that
I'd told you."  he said proudly.  He looked from his mother to T'grat,
hoping that the adults would be pleased with him.


"You did just fine son."  T'grat tousled his hair and grinned broadly  "You
were born to be a fellow conspirator!"  


Lars giggled excitedly, and nudged Alyne's side to capture her attention.


"See?  I told you it would all come right!"  he told her happily.  "T'grat
and mummy will sort things out and we won't have to worry about Megandra
any more."  He looked at T'grat once more;  "Once Grampa knows how horrible
Megandra is then he'll tell her to go away won't he?"  Lars gazed at Greta
innocently  "Then we'll be able to go back to his house and......"


"Hey slow down!"  Seeing how upset Greta was becoming again T'grat
interrupted Lars' excited comments.  "I still have to talk to mummy about
what you saw and then I have to find out why Megandra was giving Sparks
rider money."


Thankfully only T'grat heard Greta's gasp of fear and despair at Megandra's
plotting.  She sank into the couch clutching Alyne tightly to her breast,
gazing at the door in wide eyed fear.... almost as if she expected an open
attack there and then.


"Do you think you could watch Alyne for a while?"  T'grat asked Lars
quietly  "I think mummy needs some time to think and I have some people I
need to speak to."    Lars nodded, and T'grat gently took the squirming
little girl from Greta's clutching arms. 


"We can go play with the other kids on the Green."  Lars said, leading
Alyne towards the door.


"I think it might be better if you played together in your room."  T'grat
told him  "Just until I come back and we've got all this nastiness with
Megandra sorted out.  I won't be long and when I come back I'll get Mal to
take you for a quick ride.  How's that?"


"Well..... alright."  Lars said reluctantly  "But you have to promise about
Mal."


"Promise."  T'grat said hand on heart  "Just as soon as I come back.  OK?"  


He watched the two children disappear into their room and then sat beside
Greta, hugging him to him tightly.  She buried her face in his shoulder,
sobs shaking her slender frame.


"What's going to happen to us?"  she asked tearfully  "How can I protect
them when I don't know where the next threat will come from?  If Megandra
has paid one rider to help her who can say how many others....."


"Hush now darling."  T'grat soothed her softly.  He wiped the tears from
her face, and  gently kissed her trembling mouth.  "You should know the
riders better than that!  The only other rider at Norwall to have designs
on you is ME!"  He tilted her chin and dropped a light kiss on the tip of
her nose.  " I have to speak to L'gan and at least try to find out why he's
helping Megandra.... it could be that she's threatening him too."


He caught Greta's disbelieving look and sighed heavily.  "It's a long shot
I know but I hate to think that any dragon rider could be corrupt."  He
stood up and straightened his tunic, rubbing at the damp patch on the
shoulder caused by her storm of tears.  "I've got to find out what she's up
to, love.  Depending on what I find out from L'gan it might be time to find
a safer place for you and the children... away from Lord Harkon and his
lady wife."


"I'm not leaving you!" she exclaimed vehemently  "I love you...."


"And I you."  He smiled at her protest  "There's no way I would let you go
without me.  And it's still only a possibility... let me see what L'gan has
to say...."


Submitted by

T'grat & Malachite



-- 
Mint,  the voice and soul of

Timi Caplain  FO   USS Javelin       Caliban & Lute,          Dragon Lands
Lillith the Mage     Broken Lands     Minty, Kirimith's rider  Dragon Lands   
Naomi, QueenRider to Amethyst, Norwall's WarrenLady,  Dragon Lands

http://www.netkonect.co.uk/l/lovers/mint/norwall.html
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/5902/
http://www.dragonfire.net/~Mint/