Kaelanori watched him cross the green, the last rays of the sun 
stretched his shadow out before him.  She could just make out the lines 
of Farr'in's face and they painted a story of sadness.  Understandable, 
considering he just lit the fires of a pyre.  Who had he said goodbye to 
this evening?  One look at his face would tell anyone he wanted to be 
alone.  But what one needed and what they wanted could be as different 
as night and day.  

She stood silently, watching him walk away.  What comfort could she give 
him?  She had never felt the ache of grief, because she had never taken 
the time to care.   The man had lost something that she couldn't 
understand.  Still, part of her wanted to help him?  She liked him.  She 
had liked him the moment she set eyes on him.  It wasn't lust, or 
anything even remotely sexual.  It was almost as though they had met 
before, or that they shared some deep dark secret with each other.   
Which was ridiculous because Kael had never seen the man before today.  
Besides he wasn't the only one, just the one she felt it with the most.  
She felt the same way about half the people she met at the warren.  Like 
there was something more to them.   She watched Farr'in until he turned 
a corner.  He was too familiar.  It was erie...

She shrugged of the subtle feeling of deja vu, it was probably just 
because he was nice to her.  Unlike that Galen fellow.   Galen was like 
most soldiers she'd met.  Rude and controlling, they didn't like it when 
someone threatened their position.  He reminded her off all the reasons 
she'd sworn off fighting men.  Not that many soldiers could have 
afforded her.  However it would be fun to watch him try and teach 
swordsmanship to a bunch of stablehands.  And if she wanted to be up in 
time to watch them practice then she needed to get to sleep.   Grinning 
to herself she wandered back to the searchling barracks.  

At first her dreams were filled with handsome men dancing with swords, 
but they shifted slowly.  They changed and warped they way dreams do, 
most of them drifting from her memory like whisps of smoke.  But there 
was one that she remembered.  In it she stood in a sandy cavern.  Eggs 
of all shapes and sizes filled the cavern.  Piled high until the towered 
over her.  Surrounding the eggs, pressed against the sides of the cavern 
were people.  She couldn't see the people but she knew they were there.    
One by one and then in droves the eggs hatched.  Out poured a wave of 
hatchlings.  Each one rushing past her, until she stood alone in a cave 
full of egg shards.  Then she heard a call, soft and desperate.  She 
waded through the egg shards searching for her dragon.  As she searched 
the cavern faded away.  The hot sun beat down on her.  Still she 
searched frantically.  The temperature all around her rose,  the egg 
shards burst into flame.  The dragonling was forgotten as the fire grew 
closer.  

She blinked her eyes, pulling the covers over her head to escape the sun 
that shone through her window.  Instantly she regretted that move.  She 
was sweltering under her blankets.  The sun's bright beams had set out 
to drive her from her bed.  Throwing off the covers she crawled out of 
the bed.  Another day in Norwall was beginning.  Or had begun.  It was 
late morning by the time she emerged curried and combed from the 
searchling barracks.  

She was disappointed to discover that Galen's lesson was already over, 
by the time she got there.  She was about to head to the dinning hall 
when she noticed Farr'in saddling up his dragon.  

"Where are you headed, handsome?"  Once again she had the overwhelming 
feeling that she had met this man before. 

He glanced up when she called out.  "Morning, Kael.  I'm headed to 
another warren.  I'm going to visit my family for a few days."  

"I see."  She was surprised by how disappointed she was.  "Well then my 
offer will just have to wait until you get back."

"Oh?  And what offer would that be."

She grinned, "We make a good pair.  I need a dragonrider to show me the 
ropes."

He smiled gently.  "I'm sure you can find someone to help you Kael."

"What?  You don't want to be seen with me?"

"It's not that Kael, it's just that."

Kael grinned, she knew what was coming.  "Your already spoken for aren't 
you?"

He laughed, "I'm not sure yet.  It depends on what she thinks of the 
situation."  

She sighed, maybe next time.  "Well can I help you pack?"  

He tossed her a small pack.  "Sure, hook that on the 'D' rings on the 
other side of the saddle."  She crossed around to the other side of his 
dragon.  Tieing the straps to the small metal rings. 

Farr'in called from the other side of his winged companion.  "Kael, 
Where did you come up with such an unusual name?"

"My mother's favorite folk character was named Kaelanori."  She had 
trouble keeping the touch of bitterness out of her voice.  "My mother 
only stuck around long enough to name me, and she couldn't even get that 
right.  Kaelanori was a flighty, girl.  She was all looks, with the 
brains of a slug.  I'm thinking about changing my name."

"To what?" 

"I've been giving that a lot of thought."  She grinned, "There is one 
name I like.  It's a little nickname that a... friend... use to call me.  
He was one of the few people who could make me laugh, and who didn't 
care about..."  She trailed off.    

"About what?"

"Oh nothing.  I'm thinking about changing my name to Kae'ri."  

"Kae'ri?  I like it..."  The name tickled something in the back of 
Farr'in's mind.  He had heard that name before...

"Well I'm all set over here."  Kael came around the front of the brown.  
"Do me a favor and hurry back, I have this feeling that some of the 
people around here aren't all that fond of me."  Her voice wavered just 
a little as she voiced her concern.

"You'll be fine Kae'ri, they'll get used to you."  His compassionate 
voice made her regret his leaving even more.

On impulse Kael wrapped her arms around Farr'in in a friendly hug.  
"I'll be counting the days Farr'in, so you'd better not stay too long."  
She gave Tergath a quick pat.  With a quick wave she skipped across the 
green.  Heading for the dinning hall.

NRPG:  Just a short little quick one.  Now it's your turn Barb.

One more thing...  Kael has something of a colored opinion of Galen...  
But then, he wasn't very nice to her.  ;)  Nothing personal!  

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