Traplin
**********

It had taken most of the afternoon to show Ash around the mountain top cave
and the surrounding areas. He'd taken him by a couple of places to introduce
him to several people Trap trusted with his life. 

They'd promised to find out what they could and to help out Ash'chenon out
as much as they could as a favor to him. 

He had left the man high up on the mountain top and had Diemis bring him
back to the Warren sometime later. Thinking only of spending some quite time
with his mate, when he got home and she asked if they could go out.

It was the last thing he wanted to do, but the look on her lovely face
helped to change his mind. He'd do anything to keep that happy look on her face.

Ash would be okay for tonight. So why not. A little dancing with the woman
he loved would help to erase the weariness about him, and hopefully when
they got home....

"Of course, Dallie. We can get Blaze and whoever he wants to bring and go to
the Blue Dragon Inn." He thought to make it up to his patrol partner for
deserting him this afternoon without a word of explanation. 

Danielle's face lit up. That had always been one of her favorite places. "Oh
thank you, Trap!." She hugged him tightly and then drew his head down for a
passionate kiss.

Trap chuckled. "If this is how I will get thanked every time I give you
something you want, I might have to do it more often."

In answer, Danielle drew him towards the bedroom. "Come, let me thank you
properly." She smiled at him as he gathered her into his arms and carried
her the rest of the way to their bed.

Maybe he wouldn't have to wait until they got home, he grinned as his lips
covered hers and he laid her out on the bed before joining her. 

He enjoyed her thank you very much, and was able to forget his worries for a
while as he became lost in the wonders of her body.

Tera
********

Their patrol had been very uneventful and Tera was glad when it was over,
she was missing her son and couldn't wait to get back to him.

Did all new mothers feel this way, she grinned as she waved good-bye to her
partner and they split up upon making it back the Warren.

But when she would have turned Sundee towards the unjoined wing of
apartments, she noticed red Sabbith on the green and saw Kay sitting there
with him.

<<Sundee my love. Would you land near Sabbith please?>> she asked
remembering she'd promised Kitty she'd have a talk with Kay.

<Oh good... I haven't cuddled with Sabbie for a while. It'll be good I can
catch up on his gossip.> the mid-night blue dragon sounded happy.

"Hi, Kay." She signed when she had his attentions and looked over at the
picture he'd been working on.

*Hi,* he signed.

"That's a beautiful picture," she said moving to get a better look at it. He
did such wonderful work, and she couldn't wait until he got started on the
picture of her son. It was to be a surprise for her mate, Ga'brin. 

*Thanks.*

"Do you mind if I sit down and talk to you a minute?" she asked.

He shrugged, *Sure.* He moved to give her room on Sabbith's leg. He lay his
brush and  paints down on his lap as he turned to look at the tall blonde
woman beside him.

*I wanted to talk to you about Kattibrie,* she reverted to signing, wanting
to make sure he understood her worries, and so there would be no
misunderstandings.  *She's really worried about you and your sudden fear of
Children.*

Kay frowned, *I'm not afraid of children.*

*Just of having one of your own.* She pressed. 

Kay's eyes rolled, *I don't want to talk about this.* He turned away,
looking back at his painting.

She understood, but wasn't about to let him off so easily. It was important
that he knew there was nothing for him to be afraid of. So when he turned
away she tapped his arm, drawing his attention back to her, *Why are you so
afraid?*

*I'm not afraid. I just don't want to have any.* He shook his head, *Believe
me, it's for the best.*

"For who?" she asked. He really couldn't believe that. Could he?

*For everyone. This warren doesn't need anymore deaf people not doing
anything for it.*

"Kay?" Tera asked, looking at him in surprise.

He shrugged, *Besides, it's not fair to bring a child into the world knowing
this is how he'll have to live.*

*You listen to me! You are important to this warren. We all love you.* She
insisted very strongly.

"What is so horrible about being like you? You should listen to Kattibrie
when she talks about you.  There are so many good things about you, Kay ..*

*All but one thing,* He interrupted, *I'm deaf.*

They talked about that for a few minutes and then the real problem came out.
This was something she could understand. Being a singer, she enjoyed knowing
people liked to hear her sing. 

To be without her music... well it was something she never wanted to even
think about. It was so much apart of *who* she was, that to be denied it....

She picked up his hand and brought it to her face, then began to sing,
knowing he'd be able to *feel* the beat of her song. The look on his face as
she sang was more than enough of a reward for her.

When she stopped singing he opened his dark eyes and stared at her. "How was
that?"

*Amazing,* he signed.

She looked at him gently, "See Kay,  you can enjoy my singing."

She saw him blush. 

"Kay... You have so much to offer the Warren and the people who care about
you. So much," she told him and saw him closing up on her again. She wasn't
bout to let him do it, and took a hold of his chin to bring his face back
around to see her speak.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like ...a lot!!" she insisted. "You tell me how many of the other riders
can hear and talk to ALL of the dragon's. That's something you can do that
none of us can. And I know how many times you've helped others because you
were able to do so, where others couldn't."

"Then too...Danielle might not even be alive right now if you hadn't jumped
in to save her when you did. You didn't need to have hearing to do what you
did that day!!"

"Sabbith did that."

"No... you did," she told him. "Well maybe it was the both of you. But if
you hadn't been there..."

"Kay I know how it was for you before you came to the Warren," she told him
softly, making sure he could read her lips. "I know you didn't have the best
up bring in your cousin's home. But here in the Warren it's different, and
will be so for any children you have. Here we're a family. It wouldn't
matter in the least to us if a child was deaf or not. What you have is a
gift. We here recognize that."

"Danielle didn't," he signed angrily. "She chose Trap cause there wasn't
anything wrong with him."

"No! She chose Trap because she has always loved him," Tera insisted
strongly. "It had nothing to do with your being deaf or being less of a man
because of it. She had to go with her heart. Haven't you ever loved anyone
so much that you felt half a person with out them? I'm sure Kattibrie would
understand what I'm talking about Kay. She loves you that way. And it
doesn't matter in the lease to her hat you are deaf. Think about that?"

She got up and started to walk away, then turned back and saw he was still
watching her. "Give her love a chance Kay. I know you'll be glad you did.
For what it's worth... I think you would make a wonderful father."

Then she turned and remounted Sundellath for the short flight to her in-laws
to pick up her son.

Traplin
********

He hadn't really been in a party mood when they arrived, but he knew how
much this had meant to Danielle to get away for a while, so he went along
with them and found to his surprise that he was having fun.

Maybe he needed the break as much as she had done. 

Things had been going quite well. They'd danced a bit and finally Trap
begged off telling her he needed a break. Blaze offered to get them all a
new round of drinks, and even though Trap thought Danielle had had enough to
drink already, kept his mouth shut when she easily downed the new drink in
one gulp.

"Come on Blaze... dance with me," he heard her asking his partner and would
have said something, but he trusted the man to look after her. 

As Trap watched, anger began to seep into his very being as he watched the
way his Dallie began dancing with the man. Other's he saw, noticed too, and
then when Blazed tried to pull her back towards their table, she spun away
from him.

"Now isn't that just like her?" Nia commented from where she sat beside him. 

He favored her with an angry scowl and then turned back just as Danielle
voice rose enough to be heard. 

"No!" she said "I just want to have fun and if you won't provide it I will
find someone who will." lost her
balance slightly and sprawled into the lap of one of the nearby patrons.

Trap got up out of his chair then and started across the dance floor to see
what in the hell she was up to. This wasn't at all like his mate. 

His anger burned when he when saw Danielle smiled up at the stranger and
straightened herself up so that she was
sitting in his lap, her hand reaching up and entangling itself into his
auburn hair. "Hi my name is Danielle."

"Marcus" he said simply.

The tall blond rider didn't for one minute like the look in other man's
eyes. He was going to have to set him to rights about the woman he seemed to
be goggling as if she was gift from the Gods who'd just happen to have been
dropped in his lap.

He was seeing red when he heard the man ask her how much, then heard her
throaty laugh in reply.

"How much?" he asked.

Danielle laughed a silvery laugh and stroked the mans cheek. "If I was
charging, you couldn't afford me, but all I want is to have fun." She
started to pull his head down for a kiss when suddenly she felt herself
being pulled from the mans lap.

"Danielle! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Trap pulled at her,
trying to free her from the mans grasp, but he held onto her.

"I think she is with me" Marcus said calmly, standing up and pushing
Danielle behind him.

"She's my mate!" Trap roared, focused only on reaching for Danielle he
charged towards them.

Marcus easily stepped out of the way and as Trap went by he raised both
hands above his head and brought them down across the back of his neck. Trap
fell to the floor. He lay there for a moment, stunned, then slowly got to
his feet.

He was ferrous with himself for allowing the man to sucker punch him. 

Danielle laughed. "Two men fighting over me! This is fun!"

Trap looked at her furiously, but the hurt showing in his eyes. "What's
going on, Dallie?"

"Nothing....its just been so boring lately, and I want to have fun. You know
how I am." Danielle looked at Trap and then at Marcus. "And right now, he
looks like more fun than you."

Trap charging towards Marcus when suddenly pain exploded in his head and the
last thing he remembered was the sound of laughter coming from the woman he
loved.

"Not really, you should tend to your MATE." he scowled darkly at the young
woman as he dumped the contents of his mug of ale over Trap's head, bringing
him around.

"You should take your mate home dragon rider, before you get hurt over her.
Next time...Monitor her drinking. I would not have liked killing you over a
bit of fluff."  he spoke quietly to the dazed Trap. 

The man's words barely fazed him. The only thing on his mind right now was
the hurt. How could she have done that to him? Didn't their love mean
anything to her... or was she just killing time with him until the next poor
sap came around.

It hurt. 

Gods how it hurt. He picked her up, ignoring those around him, barely
standing the feel of her in his arms and carried her outside to where the
dragons where waiting. 

Mounting, he gave Diemis the orders to fly them home.

As they took off he could hear Blaze shouting once again how sorry he was,
but Trap didn't care about that right now. He didn't care about anything but
the feeling inside him. The feeling that his heart had been ripped in two.

He had Diemis land when they got home and took just long enough to drop
Danielle off on the bed and then went to change. He had to get out of here.
If he stayed....

He didn't know what drew him back to the bed. But his feet took the few
steps leading him there when his eyes stared down on the sleeping form of
his mate. His mate... Gods he almost laughed aloud at the words. 

Damn! How could she have done what she did? Acting like a common slut in
front of everyone there tonight. If she was unhappy with their being
together... why did she have to pick such a public way to tell him?  

Turning when he couldn't stand to look at her any longer, Trap collected his
weapons and other things he might be needing and left the place he'd been so
happy for the last few months feeling like his whole world had left him.

--------   

It was late morning by the time he finally returned to the Warren, but he'd
finished all the things he'd set out to do. 

The cave had fresh supplies laid in, and a few other things, weapon's and
medical supplies just in case they needed. 

He'd talked to a few people and found out a few things he wanted to pass on
to Ash, so had left a note for the man where he was sure he'd find it, then
when the sun had come up decided it was time to go back home....

He'd hoped she'd still be asleep and he could grab a quick shower and change
before she awoke, but as he came out of the shower he knew he'd left it to long.

"Where were you all night?" Danielle asked when he entered the room. "I was
worried when I woke up and didn't find you here and Violet couldn't find
Diemis."

"Were you?" he commented as he reached inside the closet and then began to
dress in clean clothes. When he was finished he turned without a word and
started towards the door. He couldn't talk to her right now. He was still
hurting to much over her behavior last night. 

"Where are you going?" she asked confused by his lack of words to her. "You
just got home."

"And now I'm going back out."

She came after him as he reached Diemis. 

"Trap...what's wrong?"

"What's wrong!?!" he turned on her, his green eyes flashing in anger. "After
the way you acted last night you have the *nerve* to ask me *what's
wrong*??? Gees... what a piece of work you are."

He turned and mounted Diemis without a look back and gave the green the
order to take off. He was already late for his patrol with Blaze......

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

Nrpg:
Well I would say Trap isn't taking it very well at all... 
He's a little po'ed and hurting pretty bad right now... 

Rob: Trap's head won't be clouded by anger the next time they run into
eachother...so he won't be so easily taken if an trouble starts... Not that
he would start any... :)
Not Trap  (hehe)  BTW: Welcome to Telnor....

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

Barbara (a.k.a. 

Traplin & Diemis
Telnor Warren