The day after the hatching dawned bright and warm.  Ophelia awoke to R'chein 
moving about the room, getting dressed.  She moaned and stretched and he 
turned to her and smiled.  "Good morning, love.  Not going to sleep in?"

"I'd love to, but I have work to do.  I have to talk to Tera..."  Ophelia 
sighed, still trying to think what she would tell her.  "And I need to see 
Lord Etain off, which will be interesting.  I have a feeling Eliana's never 
been left on her own."

R'chein nodded.

"I should check in at the Medical Center and see how Retala's doing."

"She's fine.  I do perfect work," R'chein said with a smile, looking at her 
firm body as she kicked off the covers.  "Hmmmm... I think I should keep you 
in bed a bit longer," he said as he leaned over and kissed her knee playfully.

"'Chein," she protested, "I have work."

"It can wait a few more minutes.  We have the place all to ourselves, after 
all."

His lips returned to her leg, slowly kissing upward and inward.

******

The two entered the Dining Hall at about the time that she had wanted to be 
at her office.

L'sein was sitting with Ph'let, who had spent the night in his apartment.  
Ophelia was certain this was another arrangement the kids had put together 
to allow their parents some time to get to know one another as mates.  She 
appreciated the effort and thought and was glad to see that the kids seemed 
to be not only taking it well, but encouraging it.

R'chis, Laria and B'rin were nowhere to be seen.  Doubtless B'rin was 
sleeping in after the excitement of the previous day.  She suspected R'chis 
and Laria were together somewhere.

They got their meals and sat down with their youngest boys.

"Good morning," L'sein greeted.  "Have your dragons told you the latest news?"

After the attack on Trey at Marrid, Ophelia had learned to pay more 
attention to dragon rumours at the warren, though she detested 
gossip-mongering.  R'chein was nosier.  But both had been too busy to ask 
their dragons about rumours.

"What's that?" R'chein asked his son.

"Danielle and Teslin have split.  She spent the night with that wild rider, 
Dameon."

R'chein's eyebrows shot up.  "Kind of quick to be moving on, I'd say."

Just as he said that, the subjects of their conversation walked in together. 
 Several eyes studied them and they seemed well-aware of the scrutiny they 
were getting.

R'chein took in Dameon's bandaged hand.  "Looks like there may have been a 
fight."

"Mmm... yeah.  Teslin's in the Medical Center," L'sein informed him.

"What!?" R'chein said.  "God, I have to start having Lofflossit give me the 
rundown on the gossip before I get out of bed in the morning."

Just about this time, they saw B'rin enter.  They were surprised to note 
that he wasn't alone.  He smiled shyly as he approached the table.

Ophelia smiled warmly at the young girl who stood close to B'rin.  "Good 
morning, Eliana.  Where's your father this morning?"

Eliana glanced at the paper she held in her hand, then gave it to Ophelia.  
Ophelia read it.

        My dearest Eliana,
                I have decided to leave this evening instead of waiting 
        till morning.  I think it's better this way.  I will visit you
        often.
                                        Love,
                                        Your father

"He left?" Ophelia asked.

Eliana nodded.

"Ah, well, he's not far away.  I think he didn't want to drag out the goodbyes."

Eliana forced a smiled and nodded.

<Such a quiet girl,> Ophelia thought.

B'rin seated the girl, and received a barely audible thank-you, and then 
went to get them both food.  The table fell into an uncomfortable silence 
for a minute.

R'chein noticed his son watching the entrance to the hall.

"Watching for R'chis and Laria?" R'chein asked.

It took a second for L'sein to realise the question was addressed to him.  
"Hmmm?...  Oh!  No, actually, I was watching for F'gon.  He, uh, doesn't 
seem to have made many pleasant acquaintances yet, and I thought..."  L'sein 
shrugged.

"He's a little old for you, isn't he?"

L'sein sighed.  "Probably."

"Speaking of F'gon, did M'arl get him into a new apartment yesterday?" 
R'chein asked Ophelia.

"Yes, he did.  But Dameon never showed up, so he still has to take care of him."

R'chein nodded.  "I'm sure he will."

Ophelia turned to B'rin, who had sat down during the conversation.  "How is 
Kalon this morning?"

"Hungry," B'rin answered.  "One of the other dragons stepped on him-- the 
deaf boy Kalewin's dragon.  So, I got to meet Kalewin.  Then he left and I 
heard Eliana... ummm... up."

B'rin had actually heard the girl crying, but he didn't want to embarrass 
her by saying so.

R'chein stood.  "Well, I'm off to the Medical Center.  I'll see you for 
lunch, love."  He kissed Ophelia and headed out.

Ophelia and the others soon followed.

******

R'chein arrived at the Medical Center and began his rounds.  They only had a 
few patients there, including Retala, Teslin and R'fas.

Retala was conscious.  Thomas was there, having stopped by to see her before 
running the Alpha Wing exercises.  Sandor hadn't bothered to visit.  R'chein 
checked her briefly, finding her recovering nicely, then headed to Teslin's 
room.

Teslin was awake, though suffering from a hangover and exceedingly 
depressed.  R'chein sat and listened to him ramble on about Danielle coming 
to collect her things with "that wilder, Dameon, damn him."  Teslin ran the 
gamut from vengeful to suicidal in a few minutes, and back again.  After a 
while, R'chein excused himself to check on the rest of his patients.

R'fas was delighted to see him, as always.  R'chein had always suspected 
that R'fas might be his father, but the two never discussed it.

"And how is your dragon, today?" R'chein asked.

R'fas smiled and wheezed out his reply, "She's fine.  Waiting to die..."

The smile slipped slightly from R'chein's face.  "Don't say that, R'fas."

"I'm old and tired, R'chein."  He paused and took a breath.  "I want to 
sleep."  Breath.  "I want to see Renulf again..."  He had to pause for 
several breaths.  "Renth is tired, too."

It was a topic that had come up more and more with R'fas.  He was in a lot 
of pain, which bothered R'chein mightily, but the thought of assisting the 
old rider into death rankled as well.

R'fas's eyes met R'chein's.  "Do you believe in a life beyond this one?"

"Paradise?" R'chein said.  "A life without pain, with all your dead loved 
ones surrounding you...  I don't know...  It's a comforting thought, but not 
one I'm willing to cut this life short for."

"If you end up in my state, you will," R'fas answered.

R'chein squeezed his hand.  "I'll think about it, R'fas."

He stood and left, feeling the old rider's eyes following him as he went.  
He stopped outside and sighed.  Was it really merciful to keep R'fas alive? 
Or was death the more merciful option?  R'chein's first mate had lived her 
whole life in pain and had never once wished for death, had fought tooth and 
nail to live as long as she did.  And here was R'fas.  He had had a long 
life and felt it was long enough.  His mate, Renulf, a quiet man to R'fas's 
flamboyance, after whom L'sein's dragon was named, had died two years ago of 
a heart attack.  R'fas had lost all will to live, his health declining rapidly.

"I don't know," R'chein spoke to the empty air.  "I don't know."

******

Ophelia straightened out her desk for the seventh time that morning.  She 
was thinking while she straightened.  She had tried to handle some other 
work, but her mind kept coming back to the singer, Tera, and her missing 
brother.  Ophelia carefully slipped the picture from its hiding spot and 
looked at the young man drawn there, leaning against a dragon.  Traplin.

There was a knock at the door.  Ophelia slipped the picture into a drawer 
and called for the person to enter.

Tera walked in.  "We were going to discuss my brother, warrenlady?"

"Yes, come in and sit down, Tera.  How is Sundellath this morning?"

"She's fine.  Everything's been such a whirlwind, I'm still getting my 
bearings."

Ophelia smiled.  "It comes with time."

Tera nodded, then seemed to brace herself.  "So, about my brother...?"

Ophelia sighed, opened the drawer and pulled out the picture, handing it to 
Tera.  "Is this him?"

She watched Tera's eyes widen in surprise.  "Yes, this is him.  Where did 
you get this picture?"

"B'larin drew it shortly after Traplin joined... shortly before he died."

"What?"

"Your brother joined a dragon, Diemas, here at the warren.  On a teleport 
attempt... something went wrong.  They teleported to nowhere and were lost. 
We didn't really have much of a chance to know him.  I'm sorry, Tera."

Ophelia watched Tera absorb this news, her heart aching to have to do this 
to her.  But, she couldn't tell the girl the truth.  Not now.  Maybe someday.

[NRPG: Tag, Barbara!]

******

The warrenlady and her new mate sat down at the lunch table.  They saw that 
Gazella had gathered the newly-joined landborn females at a table.  Ophelia 
was sure the woman would mentor them well.  Thomas was supposed to be making 
arrangements for a mentor for the landborn males that were newly-joined, as 
well as the two wild riders.  He had suggested H'nry, which Ophelia thought 
was a good choice.

"Ophelia," R'chein said, suddenly, "what would you think of having R'fas be 
sort of a secondary mentor to F'gon?"

Ophelia's eyebrows shot up.  "Some reason you think he needs it?  Most of 
our cross-gender joined seemed to do fine without and I don't want to single 
F'gon out."

R'chein nodded.  "I know.  Actually, I was thinking it might give R'fas 
some... purpose.  He's been so alone since Renulf died.  They have a lot in 
common beyond the cross-gender joining.  I remember as I was growing up how 
skilled R'fas was with a sword.  He can't fight now, but he could talk, 
maybe give F'gon pointers, probably unnecessarily, but..."  He shrugged.

Ophelia considered.  "Maybe tomorrow you could drag him out of the Medical 
Center to F'gon's practice.  He's been working out with Dirk in the morning. 
 Dirk's been quite impressed.  Nothing official, just introduce them."

R'chein nodded.  "I'll do that, then."

He hoped it would help.  The light had died in R'fas's eyes slowly, as those 
he knew and loved had died and he had remained.  R'chein wanted desperately 
to see the old, flamboyant R'fas back.  He knew it was a desperate attempt 
to avoid the dilemma R'fas presented him, but R'chein could no longer stand 
idly by and watch R'fas suffer.

Tomorrow, he would start his new mission.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Ophelia and Beryth

NRPG: Frank, do with it what you want.  Brief bio:

R'fas: Age 72, Dragon- Renth; Retired from combat.  Lost his mate, Renulf, 2 
years ago.  His health has gone downhill since.

 **********************************************************************
 * Lynette R. F. Cowper       *     Official INWO NetRep & Goddess    *
 * lcowper@io.com             *        Circle of Janus Secretary      *
 * lcowper@indy.net           *   VP of P.U.R.P.L.E. (People United   *
 * http://www.io.com/~lcowper/*   Respecting Purple Legal Equality)   *
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 *     The INWO rulings I make are official.  All other opinions,     *
 *  discussions, deck ideas, card ideas, political beliefs, etc. are  *
 *  my own and not those of Steve Jackson Games, the Circle of Janus, *
 *                        or P.U.R.P.L.E.  Fnord.                     *
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