> She sealed the letter and called B'rin in.  He was taking the place of
> Prania while the girl was expecting... expecting L'sein's child, Ophelia
> thought and wondered again if he would survive to see if.
> 
> B'rin, her eldest son had shot up like a sapling over the last year and
> was now just shy of six foot.  He promised to be as handsome as his
> father, Tr'etram.  She knew that soon his dragon would win that first
> mating flight.  And she knew he knew, and that it still terrified him.
> She had tried to talk to him about it, had even had R'chein talk to him,
> but nothing seemed to help.  Somehow, she had ended up with a boy with
> landbound values in the warren.
> 
> She watched him leave, then called to her dragon.  <Beryth, dear, could
> you ask Dalanth to have his rider come and speak to me sometime this
> morning.  It's nothing urgent.>  H'nry was the mentor for landborn boys
> who joined.  Perhaps he could help B'rin get over his fears.
> 
> She glanced down at the papers on her desk.  Now what next?
> 
> ******
> 
> [Retala]
> 
> Retala stretched out in the bed, relaxing in the afterglow of her
> lovemaking to H'nry.  She could hear him rattling around in the kitchen,
> throwing together something for breakfast.  She smiled.
> 
> He re-entered the room, carrying a tray, still completely naked.  She
> giggled.
> 
> "What?" he demanded.
> 
> "You make an interesting serving wench in that costume."
> 
> He grinned.  "Well, if you'd rather I dress..."
> 
> "Oh, no.  I have plans for after I recover my strength..."
> 
> "Oh, really?" he asked, nibbling an ear as he slipped intot he bed beside
> her.
> 
> "Huh-uh, not now.  I have to recover first.  Feed me."
> 
> H'nry chuckled.  "Your wish is my command, m'lady."

<My rider, Beryth's rider wants to speak with you when you have some
time,> Dalanth thought to H'nry.

*It will definately have to wait,* H'nry replied as he slipped back
under the blanket with Retala and began to feed her a grape.  He held it
between his teeth, and she ate it directly from his mouth.

<I'll let her know,> Dalanth thought with a mental chuckle.

"Toast?" H'nry asked holding up a slice of lightly grilled bread.

"With butter please," Retala asked.

H'nry buttered the bread and began to feed it to her.  His free hand
traced a line from behind her ear over to her chin.

"Hey!  You got butter on me," Retala exclaimed.

"Oh, sorry.  I'll take care of it."  H'nry leaned over and began to
gently lap the butter off her neck.

Retala giggled and pushed his head away, "I need to eat first to regain
my strength.  Then I'll be ready for that."

"As you wish.  Juice?"

"Just make sure you eat, too," Retala said taking the cold glass from
him, "You'll need all the strength you can get."

"Oh, I just love it when you threaten to push me to my limits," H'nry
smiled.

> ******
> 
> "We should get up," he said later, after their second bout of lovemaking.
> 
> "Whatever for?  You don't have patrol till after lunch, and the wing drill
> isn't until this afternoon."
> 
> "Hm.  I don't know.  It just seems terribly decadent to spend the whole
> morning in bed doing nothing."
> 
> "We haven't been doing nothing!" she shot back.  "We've been exer--"  Her
> voice cut off suddenly as her face turned pale.  She stumbled from the
> bed, hand over her mouth, and dashed to the restroom.
> 
> She made it to the sink, but not the toilet, losing her breakfast into the
> sink.  She could sense H'nry stepping into the restroom behind her and
> knew there would be a concerned expression on his face, but she could do
> nothing but void her stomach.
> 
> "Are you okay?" he asked quietly when the nausea passed.
> 
> She nodded, wetting down a washcloth and wiping her face.
> 
> "Here, you sit.  Let me clean up."
> 
> She sat on the toilet and let him at the sink, but he didn't run the
> water, but merely stared at the slime in the sink.
> 
> "It can't be that interesting," she said.
> 
> "Retala... there's blood... in your vomit."

She leaned over to look, and then looked away quickly.  "This can't be
good."

"No, it can't be," H'nry quickly ran some water around the sink, "I'll
do a good cleaning later.  Right now I want to get you to the Med
Center."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," she said trying to smile.

"Arguing with me right now isn't going to do you any good, so don't
bother."

"They say you can't out stubborn a cat."

"And you can't out stubborn me, either.  I'll go get you some clothes."

***
They climbed into Dalanth's saddle and H'nry wrapped his arms
protectively around Retala.  She felt good enough to make the short
flight on Rimanda, but H'nry would not let her.  She'd didn't even try
to argue.

The short flight made her feel a bit queezy, and she was suddenly glad
for H'nry's support.  She thought he must have sensed it because
Dalanth's landing was especially gentle.

H'nry led her inside and they were led to an exam room.  A few minutes
later Sarrine came in and began to examine Retala.  She took her time,
and did not ask H'nry to leave, which made him very uneasy.

He knew what was happening and it filled him with dread.

> 
> She could tell that the prognosis wasn't good by the look on Sarrine's
> face.
> 
> "It's the cancer," the healer explained.  "It's spread to your stomach."
> 
> "Which means what?" H'nry asked.
> 
> Sarrine sighed.  "It means she's not going to keep food down very well."
> 
> "You mean if this goes on I'll starve to death."
> 
> Sarrine nodded.  "Or dehydration."
> 
> "I see."  Retala stood and reached for H'nry's hand.  "Thank you for being
> honest, Sarrine."
> 
> They were both silent on the way back to the apartment.  As soon as he
> slipped off Dalanth's back, she slipped her arms around him.  "I know I
> should be grateful that I've lived longer than they expected, but I'm not.
> Oh, H'nry, I don't want to leave you..."

He held her in his arms, and she sobbed against his chest.  He didn't
know what to say, so he simply held her.  After a few minutes she
sniffed and looked up at him.  "I'm going to lay down to a while."

"I'll help you get ready."

She nodded and they went inside.

***
Retala was inside sleeping, and H'nry stood on the ledge looking up at
the clouds moving across the sky.  Dalanth lay curled up with Rimanda.

<My rider, Rimanda will do what she needs to do to make sure her rider
does not suffer.>

*Gods, I'm going to miss her,* H'nry replied, *I never expected such
happiness.*

<You both knew that this day would come.  Before you and Retala began to
mate she had decided on a course of action.  You swore that you would
not sway her from that course.  Now you have to keep that promise.  If
you do not, the consequences will be terrible.>

*What if she's changed her mind.  I would have to support her decision.*

<Rimanda will make sure that her rider does not suffer.>

NRPG:
For the record, I have never served my wife breakfast in bed while
completely nude.  The kitchen windows don't have shades on them and the
houses in my neighborhood are fairly close together.

This got a bit long, and so I stopped.  I hope to get part 2 out next
week which will include a conversation with Sandor and something Kris
and I have talked about.

I thought this would be very hard to write, but it just flowed.  Funny
how that happens.

In case I don't post before then, MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HANNUKAH!!!!

		Respectfully submitted,
		H'nry - Dalanth
		Telnor Warren
		Alton Reich
 
-- 
			Alton & Elizabeth Reich
			  alton.reich@snet.net
"Ani l'dodi, v'dodi li - I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine"
--The Song of Songs