Kalewyn
****

Kay straightened the saddle on Sabbith's back for the what seemed to Sabbith
to be the millionth time when the crimson dragon roared loudly.  Kay felt
the roar rumble through the dragon's body, <What's wrong, Sweet Sabbith?> he
asked.

<Would you just get on! I want to fly!>

<I just want to make sure you are comfortable,> said the young man to the
large dragon.

<I am, let's go!> Sabbith flashed a sparkling eye at his rider, <You aren't
scared are you? Look at Sundellath up there with her rider. Even Sunburst
and Eclipse are flying with their rider. Surely you don't think I'll drop you.>

<Of course not!> said Kay hotly, <I'm ready ..> He really wasn't sure he
was. He'd only flown a few times, and then with experienced riders, like
H'nry, and R'chis .. and Danielle. To do it by himself was a bit daunting.

Carefully he climbed up the dragons forearm and slid into the saddle
strapping himself in. Sabbith did not ask if Kay was ready, he simply
launched himself into the air, with Kay holding tightly to the saddle. Kay
found it much easier then he would have thought. Their joining bond that
told him where the hidden itches were was also in effect as they flew
allowing them constant contact. It was different then when he had flown with
other riders, this was special.

****
Kay and Sabbith had found the perfect apartment. It was spacious enough for
Kay to begin decorating the walls with his paintings. Perhaps even a large
Mural on the wall by Sabbith's bed sands. 

<What do you think Sweet Sabbith?>

<It is the most wonderful apartment there is!> rumbled the dragon as he
settled into the warm sands that would become his bed.  

<Don't get to comfortable, I want to go and get our things at the barracks
right away>

Sabbith grumbled, but stood from the comfortable spot. Kay hopped on his
back and the two headed down to the barracks.

It took barely half an hour for Kay to gather his belonging and carefully
load up the crimson dragon. It would have taken a shorter time, except that
Sabbith refused to reenter the barracks now that he had his own apartment.
So Kay had to lug everything out to where the dragon waited patiently.

****
<<Jump ahead a week or so>>

Titus was grumbling as he herded the sheep into the holding pen. He hated
doing this job. But since that stupid Kalewyn had disappeared, he'd been
forced to. Rotten deaf boy! Titus knew he was trouble to begin with. Though
he had  been good use for getting out of work. Now there was no one else to
do it, so Titus was stuck with the whole load. Titus hoped the wraiths found
him and devoured him for running away.

He'd begged his father to hire another man, after the boy had disappeared,
but Rufus refused saying it would cost too much. Kay had been free. They
both had gone out in search of the lad, planning on dragging him back by the
hair if they had to. But he had really disappeared this time. No one could
remember seeing him at all. 

Titus was just glad that tithe time had arrived. They were leaving in the
morning for Telnor Warren to deliver their required tithe. Titus was glad
that despite Kay's absence he was still allowed to go. 

Having finished for the night he double checked the latch on the pen and
headed out to the bar down the street. He needed himself a good whore for
the night to make up for the god awful day he'd had.

"Titus!" He heard Rufus' voice rumble down the path. 

He growled and turned to face his father. "What is it? I've done all my
chores. Now I need a good drink."

"I don't care what you go do now, boy. I just need that accounting sheet I
had you make up for the Warrenlady."

Titus cursed, "I forgot to do it."

"Well, then your chores aren't done."

"Oh come on, Pa! That woman doesn't check the records anyway. She'll never
take time to count all the sheep we're sending. I'm sure she's just glad to
get what she can for those leaching dragons of hers!" Titus grumbled.

"Now you listen to me, boy. Never underestimate those dragons. They've saved
our butt's on more then one occasion." He looked the young man in the eyes,
"I may not like having to give away my profits, but I will not risk her
finding out she's not getting all she deserves. I need those dragons when
there's trouble."

"They didn't help Kay much!" Titus shot back.

Rufus narrowed his eyes, "I don't need your back talk, boy. What I need is
an accounting sheet that will fool the Warrenlady. Now go do it!"

Titus continued to grumble but turned back to do as his father had asked. 

After a hastily done job, he rushed the paper to his father and set back of
down the path worried that all the good whores would already be taken.

****
Kay was excited to get the call from H'nry to meet at Ophelia's office. Both
he and Sabbith were ready for something important to do. And this sounded
like this might be it. He raced toward the office after Sabbith had dropped
him off and went to get his own meal. Kay had to admit that while it was
nice to have Sabbith feeding himself, he sometimes missed the time they had
spent during feedings.

He grinned when he saw Lyonnia had run also. She signed to him, *You ran too?* 

>Kay smiled and nodded, his breathing slowly getting steadier.  Finally,
both were ready to go in and walked in together.  In the office, they didn't
see Ophelia anywhere, just H'nry.  As the two young people walked in, H'nry
raised to his feet from the chair he had been sitting in and offered his
hand to each of the two in turn.  "Glad you could come so quickly," he said
as he finished shaking Lyonnia's hand.

"As you well know, now is the time when the surrounding countryside comes to
bring its tithes to the warrens." Kay gasped, he'd almost forgotten about
the tithe caravans. He'd never been allowed to go. H'nry noticed Kay's
surprise but continued without mentioning it. "And, as you probably know, or
have heard, now is also about the time that the number of raiders double.
One needn't wonder why this is; it's just a fact of life." Kay nodded at
that. Several times Rufus' caravan had been raided. The older man had never
been too concerned as the Warrenlady had never held the ranch accountable
for what had been lost, so Rufus considered what was taken as the Warren's
problem.

"Sandor has assigned our two patrol groups to patrol the tithe caravans
tomorrow.  This is a fairly commonplace assignment, and is mainly to give
you two experience in the field." Finishing his speech, he glanced at the
two young people standing in front of him, drinking in his every word.
Satisfied that he had their full attention, he continued. "We're going to be
leaving early tomorrow morning.  And," he said, shaking his finger at them,
"early.  So get a good nights sleep; it's hard work patrolling.  You'll
learn about that tomorrow though," he said with a grin. With that, he waved
his hand, dismissing them.

>Lyonnia followed Kay out the door and a little way down the corridor.
Then, excitedly, she tapped Kay on the shoulder and, when he was facing her,
said, "Oooh!  I'm so happy! We're finally truly dragonriders!"

>Kay smiled at that and nodded, then began to sign.  Lyonnia tried to keep
up with him, but lost him after less than a couple seconds.  "Kay, I don't
know enough sign language to talk to you easily," she said, staring at him.
He sighed, then began to sign slowly, so Lyonnia could easily make out his
hand motions.  Even then, though, he sometimes used phrases she had yet to
learn. (Something something something happy something you are coming.)

>Although she had missed most of the message, she smiled at the part that
she had gotten and hugged Kay.  "I'm happy you're coming too," she said, her
face just inches from his.

>Suddenly, she realized her position on him, with her arms around his neck
and her face only inches from his, and she stepped away quickly. "I'll see
you tomorrow," she murmured, not caring whether or not Kay heard, and she
fled back to the barracks, to her room to get ready for the next day.

Kay watched her as she ran after having released him from the embrace. He
had seen her murmur something but wasn't sure what it was, as she had said
it with her head turning away form him.

<I like the affectionate nature of your female friends, Kay.> chuckled Sabbith.

Kay blushed, but did not rebuke his dragon.

****
Kay was up early the next morning in anticipation of their first important
patrol. Sabbith was still sleeping and he realized that he had time before
they needed to meet on the green. He grabbed his paints and began working
once again on the large mural on the wall beside Sabbith's bed.

<Kay?> he heard the tired voice in his head.

<Yes, Sweet Sabbith> said the rider distractedly.

<I think you just dropped paint on my head.>

Kay turned quickly to see a large drop of black paint on Sabbith's left eye
ridge. <Oh Sabbith, I'm so sorry.> he said setting his paints and brush down
and grabbing a cloth and cleaning it up as best he could. <I'm going to have
to give you a good cleaning to get it off.>

<Maybe I should let you drop paint on me all the time.> chuckled the large
dragon. <How come you are doing this so early?>

<I couldn't sleep, I'm to excited.>

<And nervous> said the dragon

<Yes, I'm nervous too. I'm not sure how I'll act if I see Titus or any of
Uncle Rufus' other hands for that matter.> Kay sighed. <I was very unhappy
there, Sabbith.>

<I know, but you are not there anymore. You are here and no one will ever
take you from me.>

<I know, Sweet Sabbith. I'm not worried about them taking me. I'm worried
about what they might do to me in front of Danielle .. or H'nry and Lyonnia
for that matter. They are not nice people.>

<Your friends will stand by you, Kay.>

Kay nodded, hoping the dragon was right. Perhaps though when his friends
found out how foolish he could be .. He pushed the thoughts from his head as
Sabbith stood and lumbered for the ledge, <Come on, my rider .. It's time. I
hear Dalanth calling.>

****
>"I must thank you for showing up so early," H'nry told the small group
standing in front of him: Lyonnia, Kay, and Danielle.  "And a special thanks
to Lyonnia, whose exuberance brought her here at 4 am this morning.  A full
2 hours before we were going to begin."  He began to clap, and Lyonnia, not
knowing whether the praise was sarcastic or genuine, decided to think it was
the latter and bowed theatrically.

>"Okay.  Now, I want you to follow the pattern you have learned for
patrolling.  Remember the one?"  At the nods, he continued.  "We will be
patrolling/escorting the caravan to the warren, guarding against wraiths and
raiders.  Any questions?"

>No one raised their hand, and after a moment, H'nry nodded.  "Well then.
Let's mount up and get moving."

>The group disbanded then, each heading towards its respective dragon.  They
all mounted and, after the order from H'nry, they all lifted off and headed
towards the caravan, forming the flight formation as they went.

As Danielle and Kay were patrol partners and had done several simple patrols
together already as had Lyonnia and H'nry, they quickly and easily were in
formation to fly out and meet the caravan.

<Danielle would like to know why you are so nervous, Kalewyn.> Kay heard the
sweet voice of the lavender dragon say.

<It's nothing Violet. Just excitement.>

After a short time, Violet said, <She doesn't believe you.>

--Kalewyn & Sabbith
****
NRPG: I've taken a lot of the conversations with H'nry from Sarah's post,
just added some comments, etc.. :}

Kat I know you said you were going to write Kay's lesson with Danielle, so
if you still are I am more then willing to back post. Perhaps even a
practice patrol as well :}

Kristen
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Kristen Gant
(AKA: Darlea & Makayla,  Waylene & Aura, Meena & Vonn, 
Kalewyn & Sabbith, Saul & Fayloth)
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/kris.htm