From: "Mint" <mint@saqnet.co.uk>

[K'lvin]

Day 5 - evening 
Lake Soulsease

>Suddenly, Mr Purr leapt up from where he had been snoozing on Cat's jacket
>and cloak. His fur seemed wired with electricity as he let out an almighty
>yowl. Leaping at K'lvin, he raked his claws down the young man's bare arm,
>drawing blood, and eliciting a yelp and a curse.
>

"What the ..."  

Antwin was startled enough to drop his lute to the sand as the cat's
yowl was echoed by the alarmed call from three dragons.

"What's got them all upset?"  Antwin demanded, as he picked up his lute
and strummed a chord that vibrated with the dragons cries.

K'lvin shook his head, confessing ignorance. 

*She's in trouble.*  Firegem said urgently.  *She was trying to sneak
up on you and now she can't even reach the surface.  She needs help!*

*Who does?*  K'lvin asked in confusion.  

*The human female that you want for your mate.*  Firegem dived beneath
the water as he spoke.  *I can't find her my rider and her thoughts are
becoming dim and confused.  She needs your help.*

"Cat's in trouble!"  K'lvin called to Antwin as he raced towards the
water.  "Get the others."

Not stopping to see if Antwin would do as he asked K'lvin plunged into
the cold water and began swimming towards the spot where Firegem had
disappeared.

*Have you found her yet?*  he asked frantically.  

*No.*  Firegem's thoughts were coloured by worry and concern for the
young girl.  *I can still hear her but not well enough to get a fix on
her.  Donjanth ...*

The rest was cut off as Firegem switched his attention to the other two
dragons who had now joined in the hunt.  

After what seemed like hours, but could only have been minutes, K'lvin
finally reached the place where Firegem, Donjanth and Qualis were
searching for Cat.  Taking a deep breath, filling his already aching
chest with air, he dived deep beneath the water.  His eyes were useless
in the dark depths as he moved downwards.  Weeds clutched at his
groping fingers, and tiny fish brushed against him as he moved along
the bottom, feeling for anything that might be human flesh.  Ignoring
his burning lungs he swam in ever increasing circles.

*You need air.*  Firegem told him.  *If you don't surface you will
die.*

*I can't just leave her down here.*  K'lvin frantically continued his
search.

*Surface now my rider.*  Firegem ordered.  *The other humans are here
and they will keep looking while you fill your lungs.*

K'lvin shook his head even though he knew that Firegem wouldn't be able
to see the gesture in the murky darkness.  Suddenly he didn't have a
choice.  Firegem's body was beneath him and the dragon was carrying him
up towards the surface .... Breaking into the air, clinging weakly to
his dragon's neck ridges, K'lvin whooped as he drew precious oxygen
into his screaming lungs.

"They've found her!"  Kalena suddenly appeared beside him.  "Qualis has
her."

Qualis' dark bulk surfaced a short distance away and began heading
swiftly towards the distant shore.  K'lvin scrambled onto Firegem's
back, reached down for Kalena and then urged the dragon to race after
the other.

[..]

He hit the sand running, and dropped to his knees beside the still body
of Cat.

"Do something."  he demanded of Antwin as the bard bent over and placed
his head on her chest, listening for a heartbeat.  "Do something or get
away and let someone else help."

"Let him work."  Kalena pulled K'lvin away as Antwin clamped his mouth
over Cat's cold, blue lips and blew gently.  "Give him a chance to help
her."

"Don't let her die, Kalena."  K'lvin begged the small woman. 

"He'll do his best for her."  Kalena reassured him as she took the
towel that K'tarr handed her and wrapped it around his shivering body. 
"He's had some first aid training and he knows what he's doing."

"She doesn't need first aid"  K'lvin moaned quietly.  "She needs a
properly trained healer.  Someone should go get Zera or Lilliana."

He tried to shrug away from Kalena's hold on him, but for all her small
size she was stronger than she looked and she held him tightly.

"K'tarr will go for help."  she told him firmly.

"The need is past."  K'tarr said softly. 
  
A spluttering cough from Cat's prone body told them all that Cat was
still in the land of the living.  As she struggled weakly to sit up
K'lvin pushed Kalena away and dropped to the sand beside her.

[..]

"You gave me the fright of my life."  he told Cat as he held her
against his chest and rocked her gently.  "Don't ever frighten me like
that again."

"It didn't do much for my state of mind either."  Cat said weakly.  "I
thought I was a goner for sure."

"What did you think you were doing?" K'lvin asked as he wrapped his
flying jacket around her shoulders and pushed the strands of wet hair
away from her face.  "Firegem said you were trying to sneak up and got
yourself into trouble.  He heard you screaming for help."

"How could he?"  Cat asked as she snuggled against him for his body
warmth. "By the time I realised I needed help I couldn't reach the
surface and I thought that I'd never see you again.  I didn't scream
for help because I couldn't."

"But Firegem heard you."  K'lvin began

"This can wait until another time."  K'tarr told the pair.  "Cat should
be returned to Norwall to the care of a healer.  Here..."

The hunter bent down to pick Cat up but K'lvin beat him to it. 
Scooping Cat into his arms and holding her as close as she'd let him he
walked to Firegem and got her settled into his saddle while K'tarr,
Antwin and Kalena cleared away the remains of the now-forgotten picnic
and doused the small fire they'd built.  Once everything was neatly
packed away they made arangements to meet back at Norwall's med centre
and K'lvin climbed into his saddle behind the still shakey Cat, and
then urged Firegem into the night sky hard on the trail of Donjanth and
Qualis.

--------------
[M'lent]

Day 6 - Morning
After the meeting between K'tarr, S'ron and Naomi


"You look put out."  M'lent said as K'tarr closed the door of Naomi's
office behind him.  

"Is she always like that?"  K'tarr asked the older man with a frown.

"Like what?"  M'lent asked as he steered K'tarr down the corridor and
into the office he shared with Norwall's trainee searcher, Aurianna.  

"Suspicious and angry."  K'tarr sighed.  "She accused me of being a
part of this cult that I've been hearing so much about since I
arrived."

"That doesn't sound like Naomi at all."  M'lent said in surprise.  "Are
you sure you have that right?  If she really thought you were a part of
the Deathwalker cult she'd have you locked up before you could spit. 
What , exactly, did she say to you?"

"Well ..." K'tarr thought for a moment.  "She asked what my connection
to the cult was, why they had sought me out and why I hadn't let anyone
know of their approach."

"All perfectly legitimate questions for your Warrenlady to have." 
M'lent said.  "So what else did she have to say?"

"She was angry that I hadn't told anyone about the run in I'd had with
them in Grentham Deeps yesterday.  And she accused me of endangering
S'ron's life by following him to Whitbarrow."

"I think there's one thing you ought to know about Naomi laddie." 
M'lent told him with a sigh. "And that's that she takes her job as
Warrenlady very,  very seriously. She hates secrets because if she
doesn't know what's happening with her riders then she can't help them
and if she can't help them she gets angry .... with the rider concerned
but mainly with herself."

"I can understand that to a certain extent."  K'tarr conceded. "But
surely she has enough to contend with in running this Warren without
needing to worry about small concerns like this.  I'm more than able to
defend myself and Qualis would kill anyone who managed to harm me."

"S'ron had the same idea as you a while ago.  He tried to keep things
from her because he thought she didn't need to know what he was up to. 
I don't think he understands why she's the way she is about secrets
either.  To understand her properly you'd also need to understand why
she hates not knowing."  M'lent shook his head.  "And that's a long
story."

"I have time."  K'tarr told him as he settled into a chair across from
M'lent.  "Why don't you tell me."

[..]

"So you see now why she feels so helpless when things are kept from
her."  M'lent said a while later. "H'tor spent almost all their short
relationship keeping many things from her.  And she blames herself for
not trying harder to get him to open up to her.  She was so angry with
herself for weeks after his death that I didn't think she'd ever snap
out of it.  Something happened recently ... and I have my suspicions as
to what that is .... that's eased her guilt and made her see that she
wasn't to blame for his death.  But that won't stop her need to know."

"But this man had a deathwish."  K'tarr said.  "He knew what he was
doing would cause his death and still he chose to do it."

"She doesn't see it that way."  M'lent told him softly.  "She believes
that she could have persuaded him not to sacrifice himself if only
she'd known just what was going on ... if she hadn't been so wrapped up
in running this place she might have stopped him.  She blames
herself... just as she blames herself for Lacey's death. So remember
that when she gets angry next time.  She doesn't want to see you - or
any of Norwall's riders -  burning on the funeral pyre."

[NRPG Anything to add Wil?]

-----------------
[Naomi]

Day 6 - afternoon
Dining hall

>Then she pushed her way past him and entered the dining hall leaving
>him standing staring after her open-mouthed in surprise.

*Satisfied?*  Naomi demanded angrily of Amethyst  *You got your own way
now please let it drop.*

*Did you mean what you told him or was that just to shut me up?* 
Amethyst asked quietly.  *I knew you liked him but 'love' isn't a word
you've used since Haroc's rider was here.  Do you love him?*

*I think so.*  Naomi told her as she navigated her way between the
tables towards the kitchens.  *But now I'm never likely to find out for
sure. Why couldn't you just leave me to work this thing out on my own?*
she sighed tiredly.  *I know you think you know what's best for me but
sometimes that's not true.  He's too like H'tor for me to trust the way
I'm beginning to feel about him.  I know he doesn't look like him but 
they both have the same way of looking at the world and I don't need
another hero in my life Amethyst.  One obsessed man was enough for any
woman to have to live with.  I'd rather spend the rest of my life
alone.*

*You're not alone.*  Amethyst told her gently.  *I'm always here and I
think that Makron's rider could be too if you'd only give him a
chance.*

*Ah, but does he want that chance?* Naomi asked.

[..]

"I don't have time to stop and eat."  Naomi told Uncle when he stopped
what he was doing to find out what she wanted.  "I'm just on my way
through to somewhere else."

"Avoiding who?"  Uncle asked her.  

"No one in particular."  Naomi lied.  "I just don't feel like talking
to anyone at the moment.  I've some thinking to do first."

"Then take this..."  he handed her a large cookie and then shooed her
towards the rear entrance.  "I'll field questions from anyone who asks
for you.  You go eat that and think."

She threw him a grateful smile.  Munching on his gift she left the
kitchens and made her way through the storecaverns and along the guest
quarter corridors, eventually emerging near the hatching cavern.

Licking the last sweet crumbs from her fingers she settled herself on a
large rock to think.

[..]

She was aware of his presence long before he spoke, but she sat silent
not wanting to have to explain herself to him just yet.  If only she'd
known how little privacy she'd have before she'd joined with Amethyst!

>"Sometimes I wonder if we really understand the bond between dragon and
>rider. I think that if the hatchling candidates had any idea of what they
>are getting themselves into, they might just reconsider." 

She started a little at his words wondering if she'd been broadcasting
her thoughts for him to hear.  Then she laughed softly at her own
paranoia.  

>"I agree. The disadvantages do sometimes seem to outweigh the advantages."
>She sighed as she turned to him. "I'm sorry, S'ron. Amethyst kept - well, nagging me until I said
>something and...."

>"I was getting the same thing" S'ron replied with a quick grin. "It seems
>our dragons have decided that they know what's best for us."
>
>"Since when have they not thought that," she observed softly. "I think it's a
>trait of all dragons, but I don't for one moment really regret my joining with Amethyst.  
I wouldn't want to live without her now any more than you would want to
be without Makron."

>"I won't disagree with that," S'ron said, walking over and taking a seat
>next to her.  "Listen, I can fully understand if you said what you did just
>to get Amethyst off your back. I might have done the same thing with
>everything I've been getting from Makron, but...."
>
>"But?"
>
>"But I'm not entirely sure that he is wrong." The both fell silent for a
>second, before S'ron continued. "Whatever you want to do about this is fine
>with me. Perhaps if we try hard enough we can convince Amethyst and Makron
>to forget about this and leave us alone. But I'm not going to do or say
>anything that is going to make you feel awkward. We do have to work together
>and I have to respect that." S'ron stood to leave, but was restrained by a
>hand on his arm.
>
>"Please, stay a moment S'ron." 

A tingle ran through her as S'ron sat down beside her and took her hand
in his and for a long moment she was silent, just enjoying the physical
contact and the warmth of his company.  Then she straightened and
sighed as she came to a decision.

"I don't want to forget about what I said to you back there."  she told
him in a quiet voice.  "Amethyst and Makron are right... I *do* like
you.  A lot.  I think I'm falling in love with you and I've known how
much you *could* come to mean to me ever since the night Amethyst and
Makron mated.  Amethyst said my feeling were involved that night and
she was right.  It felt good to be with you, to share my body and my
thoughts with you. Whether it can grow into something more than that I
don't yet know. I'll understand if you decide that there can never be
anything more than friendship between us but could we give it a
chance?" 

He opened his mouth to speak but she placed her fingers on his lips,
silencing his words, afraid to hear his answer.

"Please... let me finish."  she begged him softly.  "I'm not asking for
undying love or even fidelity from you.  I'll take whatever you can
give me and you'd be free at any time to follow your heart if it led
you elsewhere and there'd be no recriminations from me.  I may not have
much to offer ... I'm older than you and I carry another man's child
within me ... but I think we could have a future together.  If you're
willing."

She looked at him, her green eyes full of panic at the risk she was
taking mixed with the hope that he wouldn't reject her out of hand. 
She searched his still face for a sign ... any sign .. that she wasn't
making a fool of herself.

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

[Tag Michael *vbeg* ]    
 
--------------
[Faith]

Day 6 - afternoon
Med centre

"Hi."  Faith smiled as she slipped into the room and perched herself on
the side of Cat's bed.  "I heard you gave everyone a fright last night
be nearly drowning yourself to get away from K'lvin."

"It wasn't quite like that."  Cat shook her head, and grinned at the
cheeky look the other girl gave her.  "He kissed me and ..."

"And you weren't sure if you liked it."  Faith said wisely.  "I know. 
There was a boy at Whiteriver that I liked and he kissed me too but I
didn't try to drown myself."

"What did you do?"  Cat asked curiously.

"I tried to drown him instead."  Faith told her with a giggle.  "Under
the waterfall."

"You didn't?" Cat asked as she too giggled.  "Aren't you a little young
to be kissing boys?"  

"No."  Faith shook her head.  "I'm twelve and nearly old enough to be
considered as a hatching candidate.  You're a candidate aren't you? 
Are you hoping to join with a queen?  I am.  Cricket at Whiteriver said
I was outrageous enough to make a good queenrider.  Do you think I
will?  Have you spoken to Amethyst and asked her to let you see her
eggs yet?  I asked her but she said no even though I told her that
Chrysthal let me stroke her hide."

"Don't you mean you spoke to Naomi and she said no?"  Cat asked gently.
 
"Nope."  Faith told her.  "Naomi was busy kissing someone and I could
see she didn't want to be disturbed so I went and asked Amethyst but
she said no.  She was very nice about it but she said she was
protecting her eggs from murderers.  Do I look like a murderer?"

"What does a murderer look like?"  Cat asked.

"I don't know."  Faith admitted.  "So maybe I do look like a murderer
but maybe if you ask Amethyst she'll let you see the eggs and I can go
with you.  Will you ask if I promise not to touch them?"

"I can't ask."  Cat told her.  "I can't talk to dragons."

"You can't?"  Faith asked in surprise.  "That's not what Firegem told
me."

[Tag Carina]

submitted by

Naomi & Amethyst
etc....

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