From: "Dianne Eberle" <regenta02@hotmail.com>

Day 7 Morning

	After Kalena finished with her lessons with Galen she went to her apartment 
to get the quiver and bow. K'Tarr had promised lessons as soon as he had 
finished wing practice. She watched the end of practice, eagerly awaiting 
her soon to be teacher.  She watched the wing land and K'Tarr was nearly 
immediately by her side.

	"Are you ready?" K'Tarr asked Kalena.

	"More ready than you, I think, you don't have you're bow and quiver with 
you."  she said, not really wanting to have to fetch it, because she had 
some other plans.

	"I don't need mine.  I'll just be assisting you."  he smiled at her.

	"Oh?  Okay, I guess."  not sure what that meant.  "Well let's stop at the 
Dining Hall before we leave.  I had Uncle make us a basket so we'd have 
something to eat while we were out."

	The basket was ready when they arrived, with more food than the two could 
possibly eat, but Kalena said nothing.  She just smiled, wondering what 
she'd do with all the excess food.

	K'Tarr took Kalena deep into the woods.  She didn't quite understand why, 
but she just patiently waited until K'Tarr was ready to tell her.  She 
watched him as he seemed to be studying the area.

	"Yes, this is a good spot.  We will see game here."  he said in a 
matter-of-fact tone.

	"You don't really think I'll hit anyting?"  she asked.  "Remember I've 
never even shot an arrow before."

	"I don't think it, I expect it.  If you ever need to use this to protect 
yourself, you'll need to be able to shoot a moving target.

	"But...." she stammered.

	"You'll bring home supper tonight."  he smiled at her disbelief.

	"I don't need too.  Uncle sent enough food for six people.  I don't have 
room for much more food in my icebox."  she smiled back at the shy smile of 
the hunter.

	"You'll understand once it happens.  I know you can do this." he said as he 
smiled at her tenderly.  "You will be my first."

	Kalena looked at him with surprize.  She knew that this was a great honor 
and couldn't believe that he was offering this to her.  She was determined 
to try very hard, to make him proud of her, to make her worthy of this 
honor.

	"What do I do first?" she asked ready to get started because she thought 
she had a lot of work to do.

	"First we need to find a target.  You need to learn to hold the bow and aim 
and shoot the arrow.  Expect your arm to be sore tonight." He said as a 
statement of fact.  "Look there." he pointed. "On that tree, see the pattern 
the in the wood where a storm broke part of the tree away?"

	She looked at the tree he pointed at.  It looked as though it had been 
struck by lightening and split down the middle.  There was a jagged pattern 
left by the way the tree was torn away.

	"Yes, I see it but so what?  Storms do that sort of thing all the time."  
she said not understanding what he was getting at.

	"At the angle of the break, can you see the pattern it made.  There is two 
distict lines.  We are going to aim between the two of them."  He said.

	"Now wait a minute.  I've never even done this before and there's not 
hardly two inches between those lines and you expect to have the arrows to 
end up there?"  Not in my lifetime, I'm afraid." she replied not believing 
what he was expecting of her.

	"I don't expect you'll do it right away.  But we have time to practice.  It 
won't take you long." He smiled at the unbelieving girl.

	He then showed her how to hold the bow and let her feel the tension in the 
line.  She played with it for awhile, getting the feel of the pull.  He then 
showed her how to align the bow and hold it while she shot the arrow.  The 
first time wasn't much of a success.  The arrow went hurling off in another 
direction, totally missing the tree.  The second time was a great 
improvement.  Not only did she hit the tree, but she only missed the target 
my a few inches.

	She was amazed that she soon was hitting the target with ease.  She really 
enjoyed this.  This was something she felt that she could be good at.  She 
had never really thought that she could be good at anything.
	"Now it's time to learn about the hunt.  This takes a lot of watching and 
anticipating.  It takes patience and you must remain quiet and one with your 
surrondings." he said.

	Kalena wondered if this was something that she would be good at.  Patience 
wasn't her strong point.  But knowing the hoped for outcome, might help her 
be more patient.

	She hadn't imagined that he was right about catching supper, but now she 
could almost see it happening.  Things were moving so much quicker than she 
thought it would.

	"Look," K'Tarr whispered, pointing to a young stag that made it's way 
within  50 yards of the two.  She slowly and silently aimed her bow at the 
stag.  "Remember, anticipate it's movements, it will move."

	She let the arrow zip through the air, landing in the front shoulder of the 
stag.  She was so excited that she hit her target she turned, dropping the 
bow and threw her arms around KTarr, kissing him.  He pulled away for a 
minute, then looked into her eyes and pulled her close kissing her deeply.  
This time, there was no resistance.

	*Qualis, my brother?* K'Tarr sent his thoughts, *Can you and Donjanth 
finish this hunt for us.  We have an injured stag roaming the forest.  If 
you can find it, it's yours.*

*******************

	After they finished their lunch they returned to the Warren.  It was now 
late afternoon.  Kalena couldn't believe that most of the food that Uncle 
had packed was now gone.  She was hungrier than she could have imagined.

	<My rider?> Donjanth queried her rider. <Makron's rider has been looking 
for you.  He wishes to speak with you.>

	*Thank you, love.* she sent as she slipped fron Donjanth's back.

	"I've been asked to S'ron's office."  she said hurridly to K'Tarr. "I think 
I'll be recieving my wing assignment."

	She ran toward the administrative offices.  K'Tarr watch her, thinking she 
was a graceful as the deer as she ran.

	She entered S'ron's office, trying to catch her breath.


	"So, Galen tells me you're ready to be assigned a patrol partner?"

	"Well, that's what he said." She was out of breath and excited and 
strangely the two made her quite flushed.

	"I gather you rather like the idea?" he asked her dryly.  She smiled.  This 
would be a day to remember.  So many good things were happening to her.

	"Being the only trainee was a little strange, after being with
so many others at Daere. But I'm looking forward to having the chance to
do something other than fly around by myself." S'ron nodded.

	"I can understand that. Now, who to put you with." He flicked
through the list on his desk. With all the new riders coming in from
outside, there were certainly a few to pick from. But one caught his
eye. "Hmm, I wonder. I don't suppose you have met K'tarr, have you?"

	"Actually, yes I have." She was surprized at the suggestion, but wasn't 
sure that it was the best idea.  They had grown so close and she was afraid 
that maybe her judgement might be clouded in battle, if she thought of what 
would be best for him.

	"Then I'm sure you won't have any problems then. I'll let him
know and then I'll put you in with the others." S'ron smirked. "Unless
you would like to tell him yourself?"

	"I'm not sure that is the best idea."  she stammered.  "We become quite 
close since we both arrived here.  I'm not sure my judgement would be the 
best working with him, or even if his would be with me as his partner."

	"You're concern is noted, but I believe it is unnecessary."  S'ron added.

	"Well can I have until practice tomorrow to think about it.  I'll also 
discuss it with K'Tarr.  I would like to know his thoughts before I make 
that decission.

	"Of course, but only until morning." he said with a smile.  He knew that 
she would put the warren first and wasn't concern having these two together, 
because if she would pass up this opportunity for the safety of the warren 
then he knew that in battle she would also make the correct decission.

*****************

	Qualis yelled to Donjanth.

	<Your rider! Send your rider here! K'Tarr needs help and I cannot get to
him! Help me please, Donjanth!!>>

	<I will inform my rider,> she responded, <I am small but where he is, is 
smaller.>

	Kalena was deep in thought about all the good things that happened that 
day.  She couldn't help but smile and be happy.  She was humming a tune to a 
song that Antwin had taught her when she was little, when she was shocked 
back into reality by Donjanth.

	<My rider, Qualis' rider is in trouble.  Qualis and I are too big to get to 
him, you must go to help him.  The picture that was sent to her, scared her. 
  A man with similar tatoos but this man was evil.  He was hurting K'Tarr 
and she had to get to him.  Without thinking she grabbed her quiver and bow 
and hurried out of her apartment, climbing onto Donjanth's back.

	*Take me to the closest place you can get me too. I don't think there is 
much time.  Please hurry, Doni.*  she sent to her dragon.

	Donjanth landed infront of the tunnel.  Causing the tunnel to become darker 
than it already was.  This gave K'Tarr a chance to roll away, barely having 
the strength to do so.  Kalena slid off Doni's back and got close to the 
wall of the tunnel.

	*Doni, stay there for a few moments, it will give me a chance to get into 
position without being seen.*

	<Yes, my rider.  Just let me know when you are ready for me to move.>

	<I will, love.  Thank you.>

	She slid next to the wall.  She could smell blood, and she could feel death 
in the air.  She knew she must hurry.  The smell of the blood was much 
closer now and she prepared her bow and arrow andsent a mesage to Doni that 
it was time to move.

	More light flooded the tunnel and she saw her target immediately letting 
the arrow sail through the air, hitting him in the shoulder.

	Ka'Laren hadn't seen where it came from, but could tell it was from a 
student of K'Tarr.  He knew that he was outnumbered and fled with plans of 
returing with some more forces.

	She ran to K'Tarr, who lay on the ground bleeding profusely.  She knew by 
looking at his eyes that he had a concussion.

	*Doni, I know it's hell in the warren, but can you find me some help.  I 
need to get K'Tarr to the med center.*

(Tag anyone willing to help)

Respectfully Submitted,
Kalena and Donjanth

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