Day 26? Hatching Grounds

<My name is Cara.>

Eleanora simply sat and stared dumbfounded at the perfect little creature 
half-on and half-off her lap.  Swirls of brown and gold - just like a 
gemstone - she was so beautiful.  Her reverie was abruptly cut short by a 
high pitched noise emanating from  Cara.  For the first time in her life, 
Eleanora could really hear the dragonās keening for the loss of one of their 
own - and not only hear, but feel it within her bones.  Along with the 
vibrating sound was a sense of loss and anguish unlike anything Eleanora had 
ever known.  Startled and a little scared, Eleanora looked around to try and 
see what had happened.

Not more than 10 yards away was a still figure with a pool of red beginning 
to seep around him.  Another still figure lay a few feet away with Abby 
pulling a needle back from its arm.  Eleanora shuddered.  This just shouldnāt 
happen at a hatching!

Suddenly, she was nearly overcome with a wave of hunger.  Frowning, she tried 
to remember when she had eaten last - surely it wasnāt THAT long ago?

<Can we get some food?>

Eleanora smiled as the pieces fell into place.  She wasnāt hungry, Cara was.  
She wondered how long it would take her to sort out her feelings and her 
dragonās.  She waved someone over, who was carrying buckets of meat for the 
hatchlings and began to feed Cara.  The little dragon began to began to 
practically inhale the gobbets of meat at an alarming rate.

<Not so fast, youāll choke!>

<No, I wonāt.  And besides, Iām really hungry.>

Eleanora sighed at her dragonās firm mental tone.  Controlling her wasnāt 
going to be easy, was it?  Cara glanced up guiltily from the bucket.

<You really want me to slow down?>

<No, its ok.  Just be careful.>

Cara finished the meat at a more reasonable pace and Eleanora felt the hunger 
pangs fade away - to be replaced by a growing drowsiness.  She spotted the 
trainers leading the hatchlings to the barracks and fell in with them.

*******
Later, Dining Hall

Eleanora sat quietly at a table with another one of the new riders. She also 
signed, though it was a bit different from what she had learned.  They 
chatted for a while and then the girl began to juggle fruit sheād picked up 
and left the table to entertain the others.  Eleanora still sat where she 
was, marvelling in her new position.  Suddenly, a pair of hands covered her 
eyes, both index fingers tapping rapidly on the bridge of her nose instead of 
laying still.  It couldnāt be - could it?

ćLeonidas?ä

There was a gust of air against her neck that signalled laughter and then her 
brother was sitting across the table from her.  Eleanora smiled broadly.

*How did you get here?*

*Friend of mine has a brother whoās a rider, I begged a ride off of him.  
Only just got here!*

*Did you see? I joined! I got a dragon - me!*

Leonidas chuckled.  *I saw you, Runt.*

Eleanora made a face at him at the despised nickname.  *Iām nearly as tall as 
you now, you can stop calling me that!*

*Youāre right, I should.  Remind me next time, eh, Runt?*  He grinned, 
unrepentently.  *Why donāt you show me around this new home of yours? 
Introduce me around?*

Eleanora smiled and stood up, looking around for the faces sheād learned to 
recognize.  Abby and Marcus were sitting quietly at a small table and 
smilingly waved her over.

*Abby, Marcus, Iād like you to meet my brother, Leonidas.  He came for the 
hatching!*  Eleanora spoke with the signing, unable to contain the joy 
bubbling inside.  Not only had she joined, but her big brother was there to 
share in her moment.  Abby smiled, but looked tired and drawn.  Eleanora 
chided herself inwardly.  Sheād been so wrapped up in her own happiness, 
sheād forgotten the mess on the hatching ground sands - and that Abby would 
have to clean up afterwards.  She leaned over to give Abbyās arm a comforting 
squeeze - and gasped at the pain it caused.

*Whatās wrong?* 

Eleanora shook her head in confusion, holding out the injured hand.  How had 
she hurt it? Memory flooded back, showing her pounding the egg - she must 
have done it then.

*You head on over to the Med Center and get that looked at.  You were 
pounding on that egg pretty hard - might have broken it.*

Eleanora nodded and began to weave her way through the crowds.  She noticed 
the people dancing and had to force down a wave of regret that sheād never be 
able to join them.  The beat of the drums, though, was loud enough to vibrate 
the very floor!  She escaped the Dining Hall only to find that sheād lost Leo 
somewhere in the crush.  She began backing across the green toward the Med 
Center, keeping her eyes on the Dining Hall.  She stumbled and turned to 
right herself and  was still regaining her balance when she felt a hand on 
her shoulder.  Good, she thought, heād found her.  She turned to see Benāsar 
grinning at her.

ćCongratulations!,ä he said, laboriously signing the word. 

*Thank you.*  She peered over his shoulder and saw her brother half-stagger 
out of the crowds in the Dining Hall.  She waved him over.  

ćWhoās this?  Got yourself a boyfriend, Ellie?ä  Benāsar grinned at her, 
tweaking her nose gently.  Anyone with eyes could see the family relationship 
in their faces.

Eleanora mock glared at him and turned to Leonidas, who had come up beside 
them.  *Leo, this is Abbyās brother Benāsar.  Benāsar, this is my brother, 
Leonidas.*

The men shook hands and then her brother cupped a hand under her elbow and 
began heading her away from the Dining Hall.  *OK, so, where is this Med 
Center of yours?*

ćMed Center? Ellie, what happened?ä

ćI hurt my hand - probably on the egg.ä

Leonidas narrowed his eyes at the younger man.  Ellie?  Heād given Eleanora a 
pet name - in just the time sheād been here?  Heād heard plenty of stories 
about dragonriders - and the things that went on in the warren, but not with 
his baby sister they werenāt.  There was no mistaking the boyās concern 
though - not with the way he was hustling her toward the Med Center.  Heād 
better have a word or two with him, just to be sure he understood.

Once Eleanora had been lead into another room to deal with her hand Leonidas 
turned to Benāsar.

ćYou seem to care a great deal for my sister.ä  He put just enough stress on 
the word Īmyā to make things clear, without quite sounding hostile.  

ćUh, yeah, I guess.ä  

ćSheās a sweet kid and I wouldnāt want anything to happen to her.  I really 
wouldnāt like it if someone were to take advantage of her - hurt her in any 
way.ä  It was a little difficult to be completely menacing, when the boy was 
so much taller, but he wasnāt a bard for nothing.  Benāsar took half a step 
back, his face still filled with confusion and then, it suddenly cleared.  He 
smiled broadly.

ćI get you.  You donāt have to worry about her.  I wonāt let anyone mess with 
her.  Sheās like a little sister to me, too.ä

The men smiled in understanding and clasped hands.  Eleanora quickly dropped 
back around the corner - they hadnāt seen her.  She was shaking - both with 
the pain of having the bone in her hand set and seeing what had passed 
between her brother and Benāsar.  How dare they?  She knew Leo thought her 
lack of hearing made her a fragile victim of anyoneās tricks, but sheād 
thought Benāsar knew better!  Little sister! As if she were 6 instead of 16!  
She hadnāt spent all that time in taprooms watching Mom and Dad without 
picking up something.  Admittedly, sheād never put anything into practice, 
but that couldnāt matter that much, could it?  Little sister! Ha, sheād show 
him who was little.  Hiding her fury under a shaky smile, she turned the 
corner to face her adversaries.

*All set?*  Leonidas looked concerned.  She knew he meant well, but she was 
too angry to welcome it.

ćNo problem.ä  She held up her hand, now encased in a splint.  ćIāll have to 
use my voice for a while, though.ä

ćAh, but its such a lovely voice, Ellie.ä

She smiled weakly at Benāsar.  ćShall we head back to the party?ä  Without 
waiting for an answer, she swept out of the room and back to the Dining Hall. 
 Once there she headed for Gabbenās table.  Within minutes of the 
introduction, the two bards were deep into their specialized small talk.  
Eleanora strolled over and got herself a glass of the strange pale wine with 
the bubbles.  She essayed a tentative sip and smiled.  She returned to the 
table and sat quietly, sipping the wine.  Leonidas glanced at her once, 
raising his eyebrows at the wine.

ćItās a celebration, after all.ä  She shrugged.  He grinned and nodded.

ćCareful though, that stuff will go to your head faster than ale.ä

Eleanora bristled at the advice, but said nothing.  Truly, the one glass did 
seem to make her feel more light-headed, but it could be from having her hand 
set too.  She spent the next several minutes wiggling her fingers 
experimentally within the splint and discovered that she could sign around it 
though it was a bit awkward.  Although, tonight she suddenly didnāt care if 
she sounded odd.  She could speak like normal people and thatās what sheād 
do.  She turned to a slight tap on her shoulder.

ćGabben has said he will show me the guest quarters so you donāt miss out on 
your party.  Iāve had a long day and want some sleep, ok?ä

Leo did look tired, and all of Eleanoraās anger at him melted.  He was only 
trying to help after all.  She smiled fondly at him.  ćMeet me here for 
breakfast tomorrow?ä

He nodded, smiling and stood to follow Gabben out of the Dining Hall.  She 
turned back to the party, noticing Benāsar sitting next to Abby and grinning 
as if he had just told a wonderful joke.  He noted the empty wine glass near 
her hand and frowned slightly.  Eleanoraās anger flared anew.  Deliberately 
she stood and went to get another glass, though she was still feeling the 
effects of the first one.  She half-drained it in one angry gulp and watched 
the room spin dizzily around her.  She staggered slightly and felt a warm 
hand on her back, helping her up.  She turned to thank whoever it was and saw 
a rider sheād seen, but never really met.  

ćThank you.ä

He smiled warmly at her.  ćAre you all right, darling?ä She nodded and he 
continued.  ćWould you like to dance?ä

A quick glance at the dance floor showed a slower dance in progress.  If she 
kept real close to him, she could probably follow along.  She smiled up at 
him.  ćIād love to.ä

Once on the dance floor she pressed close to him, trying to anticipate his 
movements by feeling his muscles move.  She kept her eyes on his face, 
watching for any speech.  She didnāt think he realized she was deaf - maybe 
she could pretend, just for tonight, that she wasnāt.

When the dance had finished, he suggested they step outside for a little 
fresh air.  The movement in the dance had increased the effect of the wine on 
her and she agreed.  She was concentrating so hard on not weaving when she 
walked, though the ground seemed to move under her feet, that she paid no 
attention when the riderās hands dipped, perhaps, a bit too low.  She leaned 
against his arm for support and followed him out of the hall.

He lead her into a shadowed corner and leaned her against the rock wall.  The 
wall was cool against her overheated back and she leaned back happily.  The 
world seemed to be slowing its spinning and she relaxed.  Then he leaned 
forward, placing his hands on either side of her head.  What was he doing?  
She searched his face for an answer  and found it in his sensuous smile.  He 
was going to kiss her!  He didnāt care that she was deaf - she carefully 
ignored the voice that said that was because he didnāt know - and he didnāt 
think she was a child.  She let her eyes drift closed in anticipation.

There was a rush of movement in front of her and she opened them again.  
Benāsarās back was to her and he was clearly saying something to the older 
rider.  The older rider held his hands up in mock surrender, shrugged and 
then smiled at her over Benāsarās shoulder before walking off.  With that, 
Benāsar turned to face her.

__________________________________________________________
Katrina