<T'grat>


Malachite landed on the green a short distance from where the trainees were
already beginning to assemble.  T'grat slid to the ground and then reached
up to help Greta down.  His arms enfolded her warm, soft body, and he felt
himself responding yet again to the scent, and feel of the woman he loved
and had married.


"To hell with training for today..."  he whispered close beside her ear
"I'd rather spend the time with you..... in bed.  I'm sure Meena wouldn't
mind taking care of the children for one more day......"  


He moved one hand up to cup the back of her head, and urged her closer to
him, his lips and tongue seeking the honeyed depths of her soft mouth.  She
groaned and relaxed against him for a long moment, giving herself up the
sensations he aroused in her.


There was a discreet cough and the pair reluctantly moved apart.  T'grat
ran trembling fingers through his mussed hair, before turning to face the
man waiting to talk to him.


"Galen."  he nodded at the newcomer, 


He reached out to snag Greta's wrist before she could take advantage of the
distraction to move away from him, and pulled her close to his side.  He
shot the grinning Talesin a brief smile, and then turned back to Galen.


"How can I help you?"  he asked politely.


Mentally, he cursed the pair for the untimely interruption .... a few more
seconds and just maybe he'd have got his way with the stubborn,
unreasonably duty conscious, beautiful, funny, adorable woman who was his
wife!  


A soft smile curved his lips.....


He felt a sharp nudge in his side, and suddenly realised he'd heard nothing
of what Galen had been saying for the last minute or so.  He flushed with
embarrassment as he brought his attention back to the two men, and vowed a
suitable revenge on the softly giggling Greta.  


Maybe he'd tickle her until she begged him to stop .... or perhaps a
thorough kissing would be .....


"Perhaps we should wait until he's back on this earth."  Talesin suggested
in an amused voice.  "It's obvious that his ... er.... thoughts?... yes,
his thoughts,.... are elsewhere."


With an effort T'grat dragged himself back to the mundane and gave his
attention to the grinning duo.


"Shouldn't you be getting to practice?"  he asked Talesin with a sly grin
"I'm sure you wouldn't want to be late for class, would you?  I've heard
the teacher's very unforgiving of tardiness... "


"I'm going, I'm going!"  Talesin laughed aloud and jogged away towards the
training area.


"I too must go."  Greta said  "I *must* spend some time with the children."
 She caressed his cheek with a gentle hand.  "I'll see you after training
my love."  She gave him a smile full of sensual promise and headed towards
their apartments.


"Walk with me?"  he invited Galen as he followed behind Talesin.   "And
tell me what I can help you with..."


"I've been watching the trainees during the last 3 or 4 days."  Galen told
him  "And I've listened to the basics of combat and strategy that you've
tried to drill into them.  I know there are many differences in tactics and
techniques between aerial and ground based fighting but it might be
worthwhile to exchange ideas and experience.  There are some manoeuvres
that I think could be adapted to fighting on dragonback."


T'grat paused thoughtfully for a moment.  There was always room for
improvement in the way the Wings trained and fought, and a fresh view on
accepted practices couldn't hurt and might even help.  


"I like to discuss this further, but I have people waiting on me."  he
gestured towards the waiting trainees gathered into small groups of two or
three.   "If you don't mind waiting until class is finished for the morning
then I'd welcome your ideas and suggestions.  I'm sorry to rush away...."


"I'll see you after training."  Galen said with a smile.  "I'm quite happy
to sit and watch you take them through their paces."  


Galen leant against a nearby tree and settled himself to observe.  He waved
 cheerfully at Zera as she joined the others a few minutes later.


********
<Naomi>


>She stood with him for a second, watching the trainees.  Her eyes were
>troubled.  Tact had never been a strong point for him, so his words
>were very blunt.
>
>"He'll be back."


She looked at him, shock and confusion covering her face.  Had she been
that easy to read?  Or had it been a lucky guess?  Flustered by his
perception she sought for something to say ... 


>"It's amazing how much you can learn by watching and listening.  I saw
>him leave yesterday.  He looked like a soldier going into battle.  And
>from what I've heard about him, he's one of the best soldiers around. 
>I've lived this long - I'm sure he can too.  He will return."


"He knows how to handle himself,  but he takes many risks with his life
that I find hard to bear.  I knew that when we first mated and his nature
hasn't changed."  She tried to keep her tone neutral and her face calm as
she spoke, but there was an edge of bitterness to her words.  "He is his
own man and may come and go as he pleases without hindrance from me."  


<*We won't mention that he obviously doesn't trust me enough to discuss
whatever it is that drives him so.*> she thought sadly.  <*Or that still I
flounder in the dark trying to understand this stranger I live with.*>


She caught the flash of compassion in Galen's eyes, and pulled her thoughts
together quickly.  She touched his hand briefly, hiding all trace of
personal cares behind a polite smile.


"Are you comfortable here?"  she changed the subject neatly  "Can I offer
you further hospitality or do you have everything that you need?  We
haven't had much time to talk since you arrived here......  "


Her words were cut off by a shrill, terrified scream from one of the
trainees, and an urgent bugling from Amethyst and Garnet.  She whirled
around and then instinctively dropped to the earth, pulling a startled
Galen down with her bare seconds before one of the hatchlings skimmed by
scant feet above them, raising a cloud of dust in her wake.  Naomi
scrambled to her feet and watched in fascinated horror as Lyric, for that
was who it was, sped towards the cliff face seemingly intent on a suicide
dash.


*LYRIC!!!*  The authority in Naomi's mental call was unmistakable  *Return
to earth.... NOW!*  But the hatchling ignored her.  


Amethyst and Garnet bugled angrily, and burst into the air above the
youngster's hurtling form, ready to interpose their own bodies between the
dragonette and the cliff if it was needed.   


At the last possible second the youngster peeled away, and slowly spiraled
down to a perfect landing.


<..>


"Zera, let her get off of Lyric's back."   Naomi heard T'grat say sternly
as she hurried up to the trainer.  


>Zera moved back.  Without looking around, T'grat said, "Class dismissed --
>we'll discuss this after lunch.  Domaia -- Lyric -- I would like to have a
>little chat with you."


He waited until Zera had moved away before turning to Domaia with blazing
eyes. "What the fuck did you think you were doing?  I warned you before you
even left the ground that I wanted no antics from you and that... that....
overgrown jester... and here you are giving me a heart attack"


"Take it easy, T'grat"  Naomi told him as she looked at Domaia's white
face, and huge, wide eyes.  


"Take it easy!"  T'grat said angrily "She behaved irresponsibly and could
have got herself and her dragon killed.  She completely disregarded
everything I've taught her over the last few days....."


"Look at her, T'grat!"  Naomi interrupted him   "She's terrified out of her
wits!"


As T'grat subsided, she shrugged out of her warm flying jacket, nudged
T'grat aside with her hip, and placed the fleece-lined jacket around the
shivering child's shoulders.   Making softly soothing noises, Naomi led
Domaia away.....


<Tag Paula!>


**********
<T'grat>


Shaking with reaction, T'grat watched Naomi lead the girl across the green
towards the med centre.  The young fool had nearly killed herself and her
dragon and Naomi wanted him to go easy on her. 


"I take it she wasn't using an accepted aerial manoeuvre?"  Galen asked
dryly, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little.


He muttered a quiet curse, and forced himself to relax a little.


"You could say that!"  T'grat told him grimly   "She disregarded everything
she'd been taught and  nearly got them killed!  For what?  A few minutes
excitement!"


"Are you sure it was the girl that caused the dragon to run riot, and not
the other way around?"  Galen asked  "It looked to me as if she really
didn't have any control of what was happening."


T'grat took a deep breath and thought about it calmly.  Now that his fright
had subsided a little he began to see that perhaps Galen and Naomi were
right about Domaia's terror.  Lyric *had* shown herself to be something of
a menace before.  Maybe he was doing the girl an injustice....


*Mal... talk to Lyric and warn her that she's NEVER to do something so
dangerous and irresponsible again or I'll ground her for life!*


*No need my friend.*  Mal's gave a satisfied chuckle.  *I really wouldn't
want to get on the bad side of THOSE two!*


Puzzled, T'grat looked over to where Lyric had landed, and a broad grin lit
his face.  Garnet and Amethyst were glaring down at the small dragon, and
T'grat could almost *hear* the scolding the Queens were delivering.  


"Well I don't think I need worry about a repeat... at least not for a few
days."  he told Galen.  "I'm with Malachite.... I wouldn't want to be on
the receiving end of the sharp edge of those tongues.  Since it seems that
training is over and I've a bit more time to spare than I thought.  Perhaps
we can discuss strategy now rather than later?"


<Tag Ben!>


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


"...but you'd have to talk to Naomi about it first."  


"Talk to  me about what?"  she asked as she pushed the door open and guided
the still whitefaced Domaia into Lilliana's office.   "Domaia's had quite a
shock and she's in urgent need of some TLC and sympathy." she told Lilliana
 "Her dragon seems to have some sort of death wish...."


"I know"  Lilliana said  "Zera was just telling me about what happened.
Come on my love...."  Lilliana put her arm around the still shivering girl,
and eased her towards the door once more.  "Let's take a quick look at you
and then we'll get you a nice cup of tea.  There's nothing like a good
strong cup of tea to settle the nerves."


They could hear her continue to gently soothe Domaia as she led her away
down the corridor.


<..>


Naomi perched on the edge of Lilliana's desk and looked down up at Zera. 


"So what was it you have to talk to me about first?"  she asked with a
smile  "Whatever it is can probably be arranged... just so long as you
don't want me to hand Amethyst to you on a plate. I don't think she'd be
too happy with that kind of arrangement."


"I wanted to continue working here, in the med centre...... after hatchling
training is finished of course."  Zera told her   "Lilliana said she'd be
glad of the help, and I'm good at what I do here."


"Staffing arrangements here are Lilliana's concern... subject to my veto,
but I usually bow to Lilliana's judgement where medical staff is concerned
anyway.  Hm!  There's no shortage of patrol pairs in either wing so there's
reason why you shouldn't continue here.  In fact you'd be a big help when
an unconscious rider is brought in... Mazel will be able to find out from
the injured rider's dragon just what the problem is and that means less
time guessing what the problem is, and more time actually treating the rider.


"Have you had any experience with treating injuries to dragons?"  Naomi
asked hopefully   


<Tag Jill!>


submitted by

Naomi & Amethyst
T'grat & Malachite


NRPG  I feeling soooo much better now... thanks to all who sent me good
wishes and suggested remedies to clear my head.  Barb... the rosemary worked!



-- 
Mint,  the voice and soul of

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

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/5902
http://www.dragonfire.net/~Mint/