Danielle awoke reaching for her mate, but all her hand found beside her
was empty space. She sat up puzzled, realizing that she still had on her
clothes from last night.

She frowned, puzzled. She hadn't ever had trouble handling her liquor
before now, but obviously if she was still in her clothes she must have
passed out. She tried to remember what had happened the previous night,
but the last thing she remembered was arriving at the inn.

(Violet, where is Trap?)

After a few moments of silence, Violet responded (Diemas is not in the
warren.)

Now Danielle was even more puzzled and also worried. She quickly hopped
out of bed and into the shower so that she could go down and see if she
could track where her mate had disappeared to.

She was drying her hair with a towel when she heard Diemas land on the
ledge. She walked into the room and saw her mate.

> "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.
> 
> "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?"

Danielle was puzzled. Trap had never acted like this to her. What was
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.

Danielle's face turned white as a sheet as she watched her mate walk away
from her. What had happened? The towel slipped from her fingers to the
floor as she stood there looking at the spot where her mate had taken off
from a few moments ago. Her legs turned to rubber, she felt nothing except
shock and numbness. She crumpled to the floor. He had left her....he had
promised never to leave her, but he had just walked out on her without an
explanation.

(Danielle?) Violet was worried at the feelings she felt coming from her
rider. There was a wall she couldn't reach around. (Danielle?) Violet
tried again but got no response.

Violet didn't know who to call for, but she knew her rider needed help.
She was fading very quickly away from her. All Violet felt around
Danielle's heart was icy coldness. She tried Sabbith's rider, but he was
worried about how it would affect Kattibrie.

(Sundee?)

(Yes, Violet? Whats wrong?) Sundee asked, the panic in Violets mind making
her alert.

(Danielle is very upset because of Diemas's rider. Can you ask your rider
to come here please?)

There were a few moments of silence then Sundee answered (She is on her
way.)

Danielle was sitting on the floor, caressing the silver bracelet on her
wrist and didn't even hear the dragon land. She was oblivious to Tera
walking into the room.

"Danielle?" Tera saw how white her friend was and rushed to her side and
knelt down beside her, putting her arms around her. Danielle was stiff as
a board not responding.

"He left me" Danielle said woodenly. "He promised he would never leave me,
and he left me."

Tera couldn't believe what she was hearing. (Sundee, see if you can find
out from Diemas what is going on.)

(Diemas is not in the warren, but Violet says that Diemas's rider did not
stay with her rider last night and they fought this morning.)

Tera looked at her friend, wondering what had happened between her and
Trap.

"Danielle, he'll be back" Tera tried to reassure her friend "You'll work
things out. He loves you too much."

"He promised he would never leave me" Danielle said flatly, no emotion in
her voice "He walked out on me."

"I am sure it was just a quarrel that you two can work out" tera reassured
her friend.

Danielle's eyes flared angrily for just a moment. "He said he'd never
leave me, and he did. I should never have believed him!"

Tera was aghast at the words coming from her friends mouth. What had
happened between them last night?

Danielle then crumpled, her bravado disappearing, burying her head in her
friends shoulder. "Oh Tera, what if he doesn't come back? I couldn't bear
to lose him again."

Tera gathered her friend into her arms as she sobbed, and rocked her. "he
will be back. he loves you."

Danielle sobbed "he was so angry with me this morning, and I don't even
know why!"

Tera stroked Danielle's hair as her sobs softened. "He will be back and
you two can talk it out."

Danielle looked at her friend with hope in her eyes "You think so?"

"I know so" Tera said firmly.

Danielle wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged Tera. "Thank you." she
said simply, then laughed softly as her stomach rumbled. "Would you come
with me to the dining hall to get something to eat? For some reason, I am
suddenly ravenous."

Tera nodded and the two girls stood. They got on their dragons and headed
down to the dining hall. Danielle linked her arm in Tera's and they headed
in when suddenly they were almost knocked over by a strange man, Danielle
had never seen before.

"Excuse me" Danielle said, looking at the man before her. "I wasn't
watching where I was going, I am sorry."

The man looked her over before saying anything then asked her "Are you
feeling better than last night?"

Danielle looked puzzled. "Last night? What do you mean?" She looked at the
man again, trying to remember if she had met him before now. "Do I know
you?"

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

NRPG: Tag, Rob!

Barb, I hope I wrote Tera alright. The post just seemed to flow and I just
pictured how you would react if I was crying and hurting and thats how
Tera came out. Hope you don't mind. And if you want to do something more
with the scene here, feel free also.....just thought we ought to drag our
newest writer into the story. :)




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                   Kat Robertson (catwoman@indy.net)             
                         (katmandu@iquest.net)

                     http://www.indy.net/~catwoman