"Tera, good morning," a voice called from behind her just after she had
dismounted from her mid-night blue dragon and was taking her son out of his
travel pack.

Turning she found the new young Queenrider walking up behind her. the
woman's eyes smiling as she caught sight of the little boy in his mothers arms.

"Good morning," Tera returned. "I hope all is well with you today?"

She was talking about the mating flight the girl had had where Trap's Diemis
had won, and hoped there had been no problems because of it. 

"Well things are looking up. May I?" she asked and them motioned towards
Treb, who Tera handed over for the few minutes it took to gather the rest of
the stuff she was taking over to her father-in-law in a little while. 

The older man was going to watch the boy until his father, Ga'brin returned
from his own patrol. After settling her bags over her shoulder she took the
baby back and heard the girl saying something about going to meet Kay in the
dining hall.

"Oh is that where he is?" she asked brightly. "I've been meaning to have
Sundee ask Sabbith where he is. I have a favor to ask of him."

"Then why don't you join us for a little while if you have time?" 

"If you don't mind I think I will."

The two women went on inside and walked to where the men sat, "Kay, I ran
into Tera on the way over here and I asked her to join us. Is that all right?"

Kay nodded and smiled at Tera, he gave a quick smile to the babe, and then
looked away. It didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"My what a big boy, you are getting to be!" H'nry grinned teasing the infant
who smiled and chortled with glee as he grabbed at H'nry hand. "He'll be up
and walking before long!"

"Oh, don't say that!" Tera grinned as she took a seat across from him, "He's
growing so fast .. too fast. Ga'brin and I were talking about maybe having
to find us a ground level apartment by then. We can't have this little one
walking off the ledge, now can we?" She turned to Kay, "Actually Kay, that's
one thing I wanted to talk to you about."

*Oh...* Kay's face held a frown. 

"Oh it's nothing like that!" Tera couldn't help but giggle, thinking he
meant she was asking him to baby-sit for a while. Besides...Sarrine and
Gabben would have been a little put out if they allowed someone else to
watch their grandson. The older Bard and Treb had taken well to each other. 

"I would like to offer you a trade," she told him and saw a question appear
in his eyes. 

*What kind of a trade?* he signed slowly.

"I would like to trade off my making you a new shirt or a new pair of pants
or both even... if you would do me and Ga'brin the favor of painting a
picture of our son."

*A picture?* he signed and his face lit up into a wide smile. *Is that all?
Well of course I'll do it. I'd be honored that you even ask this of me. But
you don't need to trade me anything for it.*

"Oh thank you!!" Tears of happiness threaten to fall from her eyes. He
didn't know how much this meant to her. 

"It won't help," H'nry grinned from across the table.

"What won't help?" Tera looked at him confused as he held his arms up for
the baby and took him from his mother when she lifted him into the rider's arms.

"He's still going to keep growing, despite what the old poem says," he
answered as his thick figure was captured by the tiny hand of the babe in
his arms. 

Tera broke out laughing as she remembered the poem H'nry spoke of. It had
been one of her favorites as a child. 

"No I guess you're right," she chuckled and then saw that both of the others
were confused by the reference and explained it to them.

"There's and old wives tail that used to talk about a woman who thought that
if she had her child painted then the child's soul would be in the picture
and the child would never be able to grow any bigger unless the picture was
destroyed."

"I never hear that one," Kitty smiled slightly when the blonde had finished. 

"Of course the mother learned of her mistake after the food bill increased,"
H'nry laughed. His eyes twinkling as he looked up at the young Queenrider,
who grinned back. She was finally relaxing and it made her look so lovely.

*I remember that one,* Kay signed, his eyes held a look of sadness. *My
mother used to tell me it at bed time before...*

Tear sat there wanting to help do something to take away the sadness she
could sense coming from him, but Kitty moved first and took his hand in her,
giving him a warm tender smile that didn't go unnoticed.

Well good, she thought. It was wonderful to see him with someone who really
cared about him. Tera couldn't help but noticed the young man seemed to feel
the same way.

Maybe now things would start to calm down between him and Trap, and he could
learn to forgive Danielle and become friends with the girl again. Tera knew
Danielle wished it to be.

"Well I need to be getting this big guy over to his grandfather, and then
finding my partner for our patrol," she stood up and came around the table
to take Treb back from the bearded dragonrider. 

Then she turned back to Kay and told him she would get together with him
later and set up a time that would be good for him to start working on the
painting.

"But I will insisted that you let me repay you with making you something to
wear," she told him and continued before he could tell her again it wasn't
needed. "Please Kay. I want to."

*All right,* he finally gave in. *Maybe a nice new shirt would be good."

"Fine," she smiled as she wrapped the baby's blanket around him for the trip
outside. "A nice new shirt it will be."

Then she made her good-byes to all sitting there and left the hall.

---------------------   

Kris: Well he's been asked ;)

Tony: Ready for a partol?

*****Submitted by: *******

Barbara (a.k.a. 

Tera & Sundellath
Trebin 
Telnor Warren