From: Michael David Turek <mdt02@uow.edu.au>

[Day 6 - Afternoon]

>"Think on it."  she whispered as she tugged her hand from his grasp and
>stood up.

	S'ron opened his mouth as if to speak, but then stopped himself
and thought about what Naomi had said. It had come as a slight shock to
him when she poured forth her heart and seeing the look of panic and
hope in her eyes, it was as if she had touched his soul.

	But it wasn't her words that kept him from responding. For all
he felt for Naomi, the memories of his past kept reminding him of what
he had been and still might be. Did Naomi deserve to become a part of
that? From what Amethyst and Makron had told him about her previous mate
and his abrupt departure, S'ron could see why Naomi was hesitant in
getting close to anyone. 

	Could he truthfully say to her that he wouldn't be like that?
Even after he had been appointed as wingleader, S'ron still preferred to
be alone. But that wasn't how things worked in a warren and S'ron was
still learning to work together with others. He had told Naomi that they
could trust each other and in doing that, S'ron had tried to put a large
part of his life behind him. But it never really did go away.

	Plagued by his doubt and lost in his own thoughts, S'ron gazed
out over the warren, almost forgetting the woman that stood close by. 

>	"S'ron?" she prompted a long time later,  finally unable to
>stand the wait.  Once more she searched his face for a clue to his
>thoughts and her shoulders slumped in tired sadness as she realised she
>sought hope in vain.  His face was shuttered and distant, and she
>doubted he was even aware of her continuing presence as his troubled
>gaze turned inwards.

"I'm sorry Naomi."  he muttered, avoiding her eyes.  "I really don't
know what I want to do." Which was a lie, to her and to himself. He knew 
what he wanted to do, to wrap his arms around her and pull her close,
but 
he couldn't bring himself to do it. 

>	"Forgive me."  she said, her voice trembling with regret and
>sadness. "I've been selfish and put you in an intolerable position.
>Please ... forget that I said anything and we'll go back to being just
>Warrenlady and Wingleader. Let's stick to a working relationship, and
>if it will make things easier for you we can arrange that you give your
>daily report to Maeve from now on.  I promise not to embarrass you any
>further."

S'ron felt dirty as he turned and watched Naomi walk away, her back
rigid with suppressed emotions. Why hadn't he just told her? Why
couldn't he say what he felt?

	<Why didn't you tell her> Makron asked him in a puzzled tone. <You know
how she feels about you and I know you feel the same way. All you had to
do was...>

	*That's fine for you to say!* S'ron replied sharply. *Think about it
Mak. Does Naomi really know who I am? You ask Amethyst whether her rider
needs another mate turning up dead one day.* 

	S'ron stayed there for a long time, thinking about what he might
of told her and wondering if he had given up a true chance at happiness

[Day 6 - Around Midnight]

	S'ron spent the rest of the day trying unsuccessfully to think
about something other than Naomi. Makron had been unusually quiet about
it since his rider's outburst, which was strange in itself knowing his
dragon's penchant for organising S'ron's life for him, so the wingleader
was left alone in his thoughts. 

	He didn't feel like sleeping and so after a quiet word to the
patrol riders before they left and rather than rousing his sleepy
dragon, S'ron walked by himself up towards the lip of the crater. He was
partially surprised to see Naomi there, but not totally unhappy about
it. Maybe it was a chance for him to talk to her.

>	"Can I sit down?"  S'ron asked when she didn't acknowledge his
>presence.

>	"Be my guest."  she told him quietly as she stood up.  "I was
>just leaving anyway."

	"Fine," S'ron muttered, sitting down on a rocky outcropping. The
hint of despair and frustration in his voice caused Naomi to pause for a
moment, looking down at the person who had managed to touch her
somewhere that she had thought lost. He was looking out over the crater,
his face a picture of someone who was struggling to get something out
but couldn't find the right words.

	"It was wrong of me to not to give you an answer earlier," he
said finally, still looking away. "I have said I will be honest with
you, so I will be."

	"S'ron," Naomi started, wanting to hear what he said while at
the same time afraid of what she might hear.

	"I recognise what we might have together, Naomi," he continued, "but to
tell you the truth, I was afraid of what might happen if we did get
close." He turned and looked at her, taking in her face as if it was the
last time he would see it. "There is a lot of blood on my hands and it's
not something that I would willingly put on anyone else, especially
you." Naomi regarded him for a moment, then slowly turned away.

	<Why don't you show her, rather than telling her?> Makron told him
quietly. <You might be surprised at what she might say.> S'ron  thought
about it, then decided his dragon was probably right. He stood up and
walked up behind Naomi, taking her hand in his while at the same time
reaching out gently with his mind. 

	The contact sent a shiver down S'ron's spine, the warmth of her
touch contrasting the flood of emotions that flowed from her mind. He
hadn't realised just how much his 'rejection' had hurt her and it was
obviously tearing her up inside. 

	*I truly had no idea it meant that to you,* he told her
silently. *If you can forgive me for that, I hope you will.* She turned
around, her green eyes wide and tight. 

In that moment S'ron showed her what he meant, what had prevented him
telling her what he knew to be true and what she had hoped he would say.
S'ron knew that it would probably turn her away from him for good, but
it was the only way if he was to ever look her in the eye again and not
feel ashamed.

	"I'm sorry for disturbing you," S'ron said, after they had both
stood there in silence for some time. "I'll leave you in peace." He let
go of her hand and slowly walked away, feeling her eyes on his back but
not wanting to take it any further. She had the best reason in the world
to forget about him, but he wasn't sure if he wanted her to.

****

[Day 7 - around midday] 

	Galen was right, S'ron thought to himself. There wasn't much
else to be done in regards to defensive training of the warren's
inhabitants. There was a line between the well-trained civilian and a
professional fighter and S'ron had no inclination to cross it with any
of these people. It had been more a way to keep his mind occupied while
still new to the warren and now that he was wingleader it was probably
best that it finished up.

	He had watched Naomi's session with Galen earlier from a
discrete distance, wondering what was on her mind. Looking at the way
she nearly caused Galen serious injury, he guessed she was distracted
with something. Not that he could blame her, but he didn't like sitting
around waiting for an answer. Now there was hypocrisy for you.

	After he cleaned up, he headed back in to his office and was met
there by one of the patrol riders. He waved her to a chair and listened
as she repeated what she had told Naomi earlier. When she had finished,
S'ron leant back in his chair pensively.

	"I wonder why he's coming here, now?" he mused, half to himself.
With the information he had picked up the other day, it was too much of
a coincidence to be taken lightly. He sat up and leaned over the desk.
"I think taking a closer look might not be a bad idea." S'ron grinned.
"Would you be interested in giving Harkkon a buzz?" P'ril grinned back
at him.

	"Sounds like fun." S'ron followed her out of his office and
roused his dozing dragon with a mental prod.

<What?> Makron replied sleepily.

	*Move it, you lazy lump of scales. Sleeping all day will make
you fat.*

	<Me? Fat?> The dragon's indignation was evident, so much so it
made S'ron chuckle. 

	Taking a moment to put on his riding gear, S'ron climbed up on
his now awake, but slightly huffy, dragon and followed P'ril up and out
of the crater.  

Following the trail that snaked down towards Whitbarrow, they caught
site of the caravan in quick time. S'ron motioned to his fellow rider to
follow and then put Makron into a sweeping dive that took them directly
over the slow moving group. 

	As they got near, S'ron's sharp eyes picked out the face of Harkkon
poking out from his caravan, looking up at the two approaching dragons.
Quite a few of those in armour also looked upwards, their weapons
glinting brightly in the sunlight. 

	<Did you see them?> Makron asked his rider quietly.

	*Yes I did,* S'ron replied. *Those bowmen have a serious case of
itchy fingers. I think we've seen enough.* With that he signalled P'rill
back to the warren.

****

[Day 7 - Later that afternoon]

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

	"Well, that's what he said." S'ron tried not to chuckle at the
restrained excitement in the girl's voice. He had asked Kalena in to
talk with him about it after Galen had finished up with her. As well as
assigning her a patrol partner, it was also a chance to meet a rider
who, strangely, S'ron hadn't been introduced to.

	"I gather you rather like the idea?" he asked her dryly,
eliciting a small smile from his companion. She had seemed shy and
almost reluctant to talk when she had first walked in, but after a while
she seemed more at ease.

	"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." S'ron hadn't missed the slight widening
of the eyes and the moistening of the lips when the name was mentioned.
Well, well. He had certainly missed something there. Looks like K'tarr
was settling in nicely.

	"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?"

[Tag Dianne *grin*]

****

[Day 7 - Evening]

	S'ron found himself fingering his dagger unconsciously after
watching and listening as Harkkon and his companions descend on the
warren. Naomi was cordial, polite even, doing her best to keep
unruffled. S'ron had to admire her self control. He would have slit the
man's throat a long time ago.

	There was still the question of why he was here at all. He
claimed it was to discuss the landbound's push towards dropping the
warren's tithe, but S'ron couldn't get rid of the feeling that it was
for something else. 

	Those mercenaries with him meant something as well. They were dressed up
to be Harkkon's guard, but there was a touch of ruthlessness about them
that betrayed their true origins. There was going to be a fight here
sometime soon. It was up to S'ron to work out when.

	The others knew it as well. He had conferred briefly with Galen and
Darrkon earlier and they had both been on edge. S'ron had also given
notice to a couple of riders to stick close to Naomi all night. If
Harkkon was planning something, he wasn't going to have her anywhere
near him. 

	<Wraiths!> The call echoed loudly in his mind as  the warren's dragons
relayed the cry for help and S'ron was halfway out the door before
anyone in the room moved. 

	*Mak, where are you?*

	<Here on the green.>

	"Galen!" He waved down the soldier as he ran towards him. "Get Beta wing
up and around the crater in case this is a diversion. I'll take Alpha
out to take on the wraiths." He nodded his agreement and S'ron ran off
and out onto the green. Dragons were converging on the area to pick up
there riders and a fair few were already in the air. Jumping up on
Makron's forearm and onto his back, he secured his riding straps and
urged his dragon into the air.

*Do you...*

	<Everyone has the image from Lonnisgrave.>

	*Let's go then!*

	As a group, the wing winked out of existence and reappeared soon
after high over the valley to the sight of a smallish mass or wraiths
rising up from the treetops, their grey, sheet-like appearance barely
distinguishable against the dark night sky. 

	Bright orange tongues of fire lit up the sky as the dragons strove to
destroy their nemesis, weaving in and out to catch those wraiths that
slipped through. The occasional squeal rang out as one got to close for
comfort, bringing down the wrath of the dragon's wingmates upon it.

	*Form up into groups and sweep the area,* S'ron ordered after they had
seemingly beaten off the attack. *Make sure we haven't missed any.* This
had seemed almost to easy. Wraiths hardly ever attacked in such small
groups and S'ron was wary of any more lying in wait. 

	A faint call in his mind brought him up short. "Wha...?"

	<Amethyst says her rider is in trouble.>

	"I knew this was a diversion!" he swore to himself. *Some of you stay
here* he told the wing,  *the rest back to the warren!*


****

NRPG: Okay, I figured the wraith attack was a ploy to draw most of the
dragons away from the warren in anticipation of whatever is going on
back at the warren. Will, Ben, what's going on back there? *grin* 

Les: Next move is up to Naomi :) She knows now why he couldn't say yes
the first time and its up to her if she will accept or reject him for
what he is.

Submitted by,

		S'ron and Makron
		Norwall Warren.


_______________________________________________________________________________
         _
        / \      _-'
      _/|  \-''- _ /
 __-' { |          \          'Listen to them - the children of the
     /              \	       night. What sweet music they make!'
     /       "o.  |o }            
     |            \ ;				-Dracula-
                   ',
        \_         __\
          ''-_    \.//		Michael Turek
            / '-____'		mdt02@uow.edu.au
           /			ICQ#: 32360480
         _'
       _-'
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