[DL-N] Taking matters into hand.
		

> I know you want to help and I'm grateful that
>you took the time to think of a plan that might help T'grat,  but I don't
>like the idea and I forbid you to contact this man." With that, Naomi
dismissed S'ron and left him to mull over his options.

<Did you really expect her to say anything else?> Makron's voice sounded
gently in S'ron's mind. 

*No, not really. I was probably a bit quick bringing this idea up. It just
means I'll have to pursue the matter without her 'official' permission.*

<Are you sure this is the only way we can do it?> It was a question S'ron
had asked himself many times since coming up with the idea. He still
wasn't absolutely sure that it was, but at the moment it was the only
course of action open to him.

*I'm not sure my friend, I'm not sure.* S'ron exited the warren and walked
out onto the green. Besides Makron, the only other dragon was the
violet-hued wilder. Reaching out with his mind, S'ron found that his
gentle probing was being consciously blocked. S'ron had never encountered
this before and wondered why a dragon would block himself out from even
other dragons. Thinking back to their encounter that morning, S'ron
remembered the feeling he had when first meeting them. It had been almost
alien, the flashes of anger and hatred accompanying a surprising lack of
concern for other dragons. S'ron wasn't sure where these two had come
from, but it would be important to find out.

<that evening>

	S'ron was on his way to the med center to talk to T'grat. Well, to
try to talk to him anyway. As he got to the door of the med center, S'ron
could here an animated conversation coming from within. 

"I'm not leaving, Zera. I promised Lars and Alyne that I'd be here for
them and I will." T'grat's tone was one of conviction dulled with fatigue.
S'ron opened the door slightly and looked inside. T'grat sat between the
beds that held his children, physically and mentally tired. Zera stood
before him, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.

"If you don't get some rest then you won't be able to help them at all!" 

"I'm not leaving them, Zera."  The finality on T'grat's voice told Zera
she wasn't going to get anywhere with her argument. Taking one last look
at T'grat, she left him to his bedside vigil and made preparations to
leave. S'ron slipped quietly away from the door, realising that now was
not the time to drop in for a chat. Seeing his friend reduced to this
state made S'ron think of all the unpleasant things he'd like to do to
Harkon. He knew of many ways to inflict pain on people, many that even
T'grat would probably flinch at. But then again, maybe not. Harkon would
suffer a very long time for what he had done and no method, however
gruesome, would make up for what T'grat was going through now.

<....>

	S'ron was still thinking about it when he came out on to the
green. Seeing Galen sitting out here shook him out of his reverie. Talking
about something else would get his mind off Harkon and calm him down as
well, so he veered over to where Galen was sitting.

"Evening" he said, sitting down next to Galen. 

"Evening, S'ron" Galen said, "why the black looks?" 

"Well you've seen T'grat, haven't you?" Galen nodded. 

"Yes, I can understand how you must feel." They sat in silence for a
moment, until S'ron spoke up.

"Leaving that for the moment, what did you think of the class this
morning?" Galen chuckled thoughtfully before answering.

"They'll be fine if they learn a little humility. They all think they know
everything before the class starts."

"Doesn't every student?" S'ron grinned. "I noticed you had a little more
success with the trainees this afternoon." 

"You watched?" Galen asked him, a little surprised. S'ron nodded. "Well,
they were a little wary to start off but by the end of it we had a good
rhythm going. They were a little put out that T'grat wasn't there,
though." 

"Yes." Again they sat in silence, wondering what to say next. Just then,
Zera  came out of the warren and started towards them. "I'll take my leave
of you now" S'ron said, "In the morning then?" Galen nodded his agreement
and S'ron took his leave, nodding a greeting to Zera as he passed.
Although his face was passive, inside S'ron was still torn with indecision
about what to do. Naomi had told him no, but S'ron's sense of morality was
telling him to act. 

<You humans can be so awkward sometimes> Makron told him with a hint of
reproach, <if you feel that you should do something, do it! Don't sit
around mulling over this and that when you could be achieving what you
want.> As usual, his friend's blunt assessment helped S'ron come to a
decision.

"Okay, we go tomorrow. After the morning practice." He walked over to the
white dragon and climbed up. As they rose into the air, S'ron couldn't
help wondering what Naomi would say when she found out.

<Next Day, around noon>

S'ron sat at a table in Traveler's Rest nursing a drink. The person he had
come to see hadn't made contact yet, but S'ron knew he had been seen.
Suddenly, a face appeared at the door and motioned him in the direction of
the private rooms at the back. Slowly, S'ron got up and moved towards the
back. Entering an unoccupied booth, he sat down and within a minute, he
was joined by a medium-set man wearing a dark cloak. They stared at each
other for a moment before S'ron broke the ice.

"Long time no see, Hammond" he said in a conversational tone. Well, it had
been quite a few years actually.

"S'ron" acknowledged the man in a gruff tone, "never thought I'd see you
again. What do you want?"

"So much for reminiscing" S'ron said with a grin, which quickly faded. "I
need some help, specifically from someone with your qualifications."
Hammond's eyes widened a little. 

"You need that kind of help? Anyway, I don't do that anymore."

"Oh?" S'ron said with a raised eyebrow. "First time I heard of the guild
letting someone go like that." Hammond shrugged nonchalantly.

"After a killed the first half-dozen people who tried to kill me they got
the message. Anyway, what's this help you need?" S'ron took a long pull at
his drink and sat back in his chair.

"People are being poisoned in my warren. Professionally." S'ron's frank
tone of voice caught Hammond by surprise.

"You sure it's a professional job? Poison's not that hard to come across
these days."

"They used Ylthredrin" S'ron said, his voice devoid of emotion, "a woman
and two children." Hammond blanched a little at the mention of children. 

"What do you want to know?"  S'ron leant forward and kept his voice low.

"I want to know who it was that set it up. I realise the poisoner is
probably long gone, but I want the person or persons who ordered it. You
know where to get this stuff and how much it costs. Can you find out who
bought it and who killed three innocent people?" Hammond stared at him,
seeing the anger in S'ron's eyes. How could he refuse? The killing of
innocents was why he had quit the guild in the first place. There was the
other matter as well, but S'ron didn't need to know that yet.

"Alright, S'ron, I'll help you. But only because your my friend and I have
a small score to settle with the guild." He stood up, ready to leave. "But
don't expect miracles" he warned, "it may be that I can't find anything."
S'ron nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I understand. We'll meet again.....?"

"In a week. The clearing near the river. You know the one." He turned and
walked out, leaving S'ron alone. Giving Hamond a good few minutes, S'ron
then made his own way out of Traveler's Rest, returning to where his
dragon lay waiting for him.

<He accepted?> Makron asked him, getting to his feet as his rider
approached.

"Yes, he'll do it. I just hope it's worth it." They took to the air and
quickly teleported back to the warren, hoping their absence hadn't been
noticed. 

They reappeared a moment later just south of the crater. Galen was running
the trainees through their paces again from the green and Makron landed
close to him. 

"Where have you been?" Galen asked as S'ron dismounted and walked over to
him. 

"Meeting an old friend" he said evasively. Galen made as if to reply but
caught himself, realising S'ron wasn't going to volunteer more
information. Galen tried not to let it show, but he suspected S'ron had
been doing something that Naomi didn't exactly approve of. 

"I hope you know what your doing my friend" Galen though to himself,
"whatever it is."

		submitted by Michael

		S'ron and Makron - Norwall Warren

		lonewolf@rabble.uow.edu.au




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