~*~*~NRPG: I'm doing a tiny time jump here, just moving us a week or two 
head.  Hope no one minds?~*~*~

RPG:
Kael swiped at a patched of dust that clung to her breeches.  This late 
summer heat was driving everyone up the cavern walls.  It hadn't rained 
in weeks, and the temperature had steadily climbed.  Everyone was 
complaining about the drought.  The heat knawed at peoples nerves, 
making them snappish.  It did little to improve Amythist's temper, which 
shortened visibly as the hatching neared.  

Kael wandered through the stone incased halls.  It seemed that the 
entire warren was crammed into the crater's caves.  It was the only 
place that was livable when the midday sun was out.  Everything that 
possibly could be moved now took place inside.  The sword training had 
been moved after a few trainees had passed out from heat exhaustion.  
Naomi had reacted swiftly to the temperature change restricting all 
fires except the dinning centers cooking fires, and shortening the 
length of patrols so that dragons and their riders spent less time in 
the sun.  Even the watch dragon's shifts had been shortened.  This heat 
was as hard on the dragons as it was on the people.

Kael had never been so bored in all her life.  She wished something 
would liven up this monotony.  Maybe she should hunt down that 
swordmanship lesson again?  It had been amusing to watch them before?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This weather was perfect.  He could not have planned it better.  The 
green, if it could still be called green, was empty.  The watch dragons 
were too busy watching _outside_ the warren to notice before it was too 
late.  The bowl of the warren would be a deathtrap.   He would have to 
remember to thank Naomi for sealing off the second tunnel that led out 
of the warren.  It made his job much simpler.  He checked his lantern, 
inside the small flame still flickered.  He set it down in the tall dry 
weeds near a small sapling.  The grass quickly began to smolder.  Soon 
it would begin.

Soon...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sharpek yawned.  He wondered why he and his rider had been so unlucky to 
draw the midday watch shift.  He fanned his large gray wings in an 
attempt to cool off.  Nothing was going to happen in this heat.  
Scanning the area outside the warren he tried to get comfortable.  <<Are 
we almost done, my rider?>>  Sharpek mentally prodded

<Soon.>  Was all that T`omas would say.  He wanted to get out of the sun 
too, but his dragons consistant questioning was getting to him.

The big gray sighed, <<This is silly, this heat will be a better 
guardian than a hundred dragons.>>

<Maybe, my friend, but we've laready been over this.  It would also be a 
prefect time to attack the warren.>

Again Sharpek sighed.  He too, regreted the recent attacks but all he 
could think of was how hot his hide was getting.  Watch shifts were 
always boring, especially when there was nothing to watch.  Several 
minutes dragged past in silence.  The inactivity was eating at him.  
<<My rider, are almost done?>>

T`omas rolled his eyes at his big friend.  <What did I tell you the last 
five times you asked that?>

<<I know, I know.  Soon.>>  He scanned the horizon one more time.  It 
was then that a familier smell reached him.  He raised his massive head.  
<<Do you smell that my rider?>>

<Smell what?>  T`omas frowned, <You know I can't smell as well as you.>

<<Smoke.>>  There was an undertone of worry in Sharpek's voice.  He had 
seen a wild fire before, he knew just how terrible it would be to have 
one now.

<It's probably just from the dining center.>  T`omas reassured his 
dragon.

<<No, it's not coming from the right direction.>>  A rocky outcropping 
was blocking Sharpek's view of just where the smoke was coming from.  
Startling his rider he lept to the stone outcropping.  He teetered on 
top of the stone, flaring his wings as his balance faultered   Steadying 
himself he gazed out over his home.  A low growl growing in his throat.  
A dark collum of black smoke rose from the other side of the warren.  He 
sent out a general alarm.  <<FIRE!!!>>  Along with the image that was 
laid out infront of him.  A few seconds later dragons and their riders 
swarmed out onto the blazing green.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*Damn!*  He though violently, as the wind changed bringing the sent of 
the flames to one of the watch dragons.  He had hoped the blaze would 
have had more of a chance to grow.  Still, perhaps this wasn't a total 
loss, firefighting was dangerous.  Who knew what could happen in the 
confusion.  If he was careful he still might be able to make something 
of this.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

NRPG:
Well it's shorter than I'd hoped, but most of my posts tend to be short 
and to the point.  I'll leave the rest of you to organise firefighting 
parties, and decide how the fire(s?) go?  :)  

Oh yeah, could I get someone to send me an updated Norwall mailing list, 
I think the one I have is old...

Respectfully submitted by...
Katherine Heath
AKA
Kaelanori
T'omas and Sharpek
and...

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