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Titus sat with Brant on the wagon as they tallied what the raiders had

taken. "Damn it! Where is Evart when I need him! I hate this number

garbage!" Titus raged.


"Calm down. It's not that big of a deal," said Brant. He hated the rages

that Titus tended to go into over the smallest things. He's been

especially irritated since Kay had disappeared and now his reemergence as

a dragonrider had set the angry young man off again.


Titus turned angry eyes at his friend, "I shouldn't have to do this!"


Titus turned his eyes back to the sheet of numbers in front of him,

trying to concentrate on the accounting of what they had brought and what

they had lost. Finally sighing in frustration and throwing the paper to

the ground.


Brant picked it up, looking at it himself. After a few moments, he looked

back at Titus. "This numbers don't seem right, Titus."


"Of course they aren't right we lost most everything to those damned

raiders!"


Brant stuttered, "I meant for the ranch total. I'd say this number is

only maybe half of Rufus' total."


Titus turned on his friend, grabbing the sheet from him. "You just forget

you saw that, or you won't have a job!"


"You're cheating the Warren?" he said incredulously.


"What have they done for us! We still lose sheep to wraith attacks. And

my father isn't going to be pleased that they've stolen the idiot

either." Titus snarled, "After all, he is family."


"I don't know, Titus. Does Kay know you don't send proper tithes?"


"That idiot! No way!" The young man began to laugh. "Did you see they way

he still cowers to me. And being protected by a little slip of a girl ..

though wouldn't mind having her in my bed."


"It wasn't just the girl, Titus. That other dragonrider didn't seem

pleased either. He really laid into Evart on that one!"


Titus snarled remembering the slap he'd received from Evart over that

one. He knew that Evart was in charge of the caravan and his word was

law, even according to his father. While Titus was coddled by his mother,

his father was a different story. He demanded obedience, especially from

his son.


The two young men heard approaching footsteps and turned to see Evart

walking up behind them. "Where have you been!" growled Titus, "When my

father hear that you walked out .."


"Shut up, Titus. I was taking care of business."


"Business? What kind of business?"


"Protecting your father's interests, of course." Evart took the tally

sheet from Titus, looking it over carefully, "Messing up the accounts

even more?"


"I was trying to cover your butt!" Titus snapped.


Evart whirled grabbing Titus by the collar, "You listen here, boy. I

don't care that you're the bosses son! You are a lazy no-good, and I

won't have screwing this operation up." He released his grip on the young

man and smirked. "By the way, that whore you brought .. she's gone."


Titus glared, "What are you talking about?"


"Don't  play dumb with me. You can dress her up as a boy and cover her

all you want, but I know. Nothing gets by me."


Titus' eyes flared in anger, "What did you do with her?"


"I gave her to the Shadow to save what we had left."  Evart chuckled,

"She was a decoy so he could get away."


"You did what!" Titus roared.


Evart didn't even flinch, as by now he was more then used to Titus'

rages. "She's probably dragon bait by now. I saw that dragonrider throw

her on his dragon and fly off with her." He narrowed his eyes at Titus,

"Now don't be getting any ideas, Titus. You know as well as I do, your

father won't be happy you snuck her in anyway. I probably just saved your

skin."


Titus was fuming. His face was boiling red under his dark hair. Evart

ignored him, "Now let's get what's left of this pathetic caravan back

together and finish our journey to Telnor."


--Titus 

****

NRPG: Okay so I made Lyonnia's double a girl after all and explained why

she would look like a boy :} Hope you all don't mind.


Titus and Evart are coming to finish their delivery. Though probably very

little left of Rufus' original tithe I figure with a mile long caravan

from other ranches as well, probably Rufus' was the only one hit. So

dragon food is still on the way :}


Titus will probably be looking for his 'girlfriend'. BTW, most likely she

is a real whore that Titus hired for the trip .. he's kind of a scum :}

As far as his looks I imagine they are pretty close to Kay's (same

height, hair color, etc.) though I'm not sure they look particularly

alike.


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