Kattibrie woke up groggily and vaguely became aware of her surroundings,
realizing she was in the med center. She winced with pain as she sat
upright, and recalled why she was there. She tried futilely to push those
memories away, to make it all go away as if the last day hadn't happened.

<Calishandra?> she called to her queen, shaking away the last of the mental
cobwebs.

<Kattibrie, my heart! You are awake!> the young queen responded joyfully.
But her joy was quickly dampened by her rider's heartache.

<Kay, where's Kay?> Kattibrie asked fretfully.

<Don't you know? He's in jail. There's going to be a trial.>

"NO!!!" Kattibrie wailed. She felt like her heart was being torn in two.
How could this be? She had to see him, somehow. She thought desperately of
who would be friends with Kay that she could ask.

Serrine came in the room moments later. "How are we doing?"

"Better," Kattibrie said lamely.

"Well, if you promise to take it easy, I'm going to let you go. You do have
a dragon to take care of, after all, and you've slept away the better part
of the day," The healer smiled kindly at the queenrider, "it's after lunch."

Kattibrie nodded. It would feel good to see her queen again, "Not hungry,"
Kattibrie muttered, looking at the cold tray by her bedside.

"Well, you need to eat dinner later at least. I brought you some clothes,"
the healer said, handing her a sack.

"Thank you," Kattibrie responded shyly as she took the sack of clothes.

"Now, promise me one more thing, and that is that if you need to talk, you
come to me or to anyone else you feel comfortable with."

"I... I don't want to talk about it, ever" Kattibrie shook her head. "I
just want to forget."

"I know you do, but you can't push it away or it'll just hurt you more,"
Serrine advised her softly. "Anyhow, when you are ready, put your clothes
on and you're free to go."

******

<You should be in the hatchling barracks, love!> Kattibrie told Calishandra
once she found her sitting vigil with Sabbith.

<I can't leave Sabbith. He's so sick...>

Kattibrie sympathized, she didn't want to leave Kay either. Somehow she had
to get to see him.

<I wish you could fly...>

<Even if I could fly, I wouldn't leave Sabbith now.>

<I know, my heart, I'll find a way.>

Queen and rider bonded closer as Kattibrie fed, bathed and oiled the
hatchling. She put extra time and effort into the ritual and soon
Calishandra was asleep.

Kattibrie then realized that she, too, was hungry and went to the dining
hall. As she entered, she was painfully aware of everyone staring at her.
She wanted to run and hide, but took a deep breath to steel herself and
went on about the business of getting her dinner. She sat down at a table
alone and picked at her food.

"May I sit here?"

Kattibrie looked up and saw L'sein standing across the table from here with
a tray.

"May I sit here?" he asked again.

"Yes, sure..." Kattibrie said, distracted.

L'sein sat down and began to eat his dinner. The two were relatively quiet
through most of the meal.

Then Kattibrie looked up from her plate. "You're friends with Kay, right?"
she asked suddenly.

"Um... Yes, I am," L'sein responded.

"Would you please take me to see him?" Kattibrie asked frantically.

"You should stay here," L'sein responded.

Tears welled up in her eyes, "I beg you, please! I need see Kay! Please
take me to him! Tomorrow maybe?" She looked at him pleadingly with her
sapphire blue eyes.

******************

NRPG: Tag Lyn!








                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                        )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood          )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                         )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      FaeRhee/Alustriel of Daere       )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Aradia/Futhark of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (   Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_ Yasmine/Starlin of Marrid       )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;