Trinale discussed all that had happened with Hugh, Saul, and L'rian. 
Cricket kept interrupting, insisting to Trinale that she was not sharing 
HER hatching ground with the wild eggs.

After Hugh, Saul, and L'rian all insisted that the eggs had to be saved 
Trinale agreed to talk with Cricket.

(Cricket, these hatchlings will die if you don't help them)

(I don't care! I don't want them near MY eggs!)

(Cricket, sweetheart, please give them a chance...just let them stay 
where they are on the far corner of the hatching grounds and keep the 
sand warm near them, thats all I ask)

Cricket was suspicious (Thats all?)

(Thats all)

(What happens if they don't hatch when my eggs do? I am not staying here 
guarding them after I can leave here)

(I don't expect that. If they don't hatch right away we can see if some 
of the other dragons will take turns warming the sands near them til they 
hatch)

Cricket almost chuckled at that (Dragons other than Queens protecting 
eggs? Thats a laugh)

(Well, we'll deal with that if it comes to pass,ok)

Trinale turned to the men. "She will keep them on the far corner of the 
grounds and keep the sand warm....just until her eggs hatch. If those 
don't hatch at the same time we may have a problem."

Hugh and the others looked very relieved. "L'rian, would you show hugh to 
the searchlings barracks? Saul, here, needs to hit a few more places as 
we don't have enough searchlings yet. We have fifteen eggs, including a 
Queen. that will need riders...and thats not counting the two wild eggs."

She turned to Hugh "welcome to Whiteriver, the eggs should hatch within a 
day or two and you have the affinty, so hopefully you will join. Remember 
though, if you don't join this time, it might take another hatching or 
two. I myself, stood for two years, 4 hatchings before joining with Cricket."

Trinale watched as all of the others took off in separate directions. She 
then returned to the hatching grounds. Cricket was over near the wild 
eggs, sniffing them.

(They will hatch soon, Trinale. And there are two fine dragonets in there)

(Thank you, Cricket, I know this is hard on you.)

(Its not so bad. But I stillam not staying here for them if they don't 
hatch when mine do)

Trinale chuckled and settled down to doze a little before the party 
tonight. One of the nobles in the area, Lord Fowler, was having a 
celebration and gathering of some other elite in the area. She needed to 
be there to see if there were any searchlings she should bring for this 
hatching. She knew Lord Fowler's son, Jared, would stand again. He had 
stood at the last hatching, the one she had joined with Cricket at.
How she wished Deanna were still here. Trinale was not ready for all 
this, most of the nobles treated her like a child still, because she had 
just recently turned sixteen. Well, she would do her best and hopefully 
she would find some candidates for the hatching.

Trinale woke a short while later and climbed the steps from the hatching 
ground up to her apartment. There she washed and dressed for the party.
She pulled on a long emerald green dress, that set off her red hair and 
green eyes perfectly. Cali was picking her up shortly to go with her to 
the party, since Cricket had to stay here with the eggs.

(Lute, could you please tell Cali that I am ready?)

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

NRPG: Les: you didn't know you were going to a party, did you....hope you 
have something to wear! *grin*

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

*a little later into the party*

Trinale was getting bored with the party. She had spotted only a few 
likely candidates. and most were ones who would attend the hatching 
anyways with their fathers. There was one lovely girl, named Corina, who 
was a daughter of one of the lesser nobles. She would make an excellant 
candidate, possibly for the Queen. Trinale had already asked her father 
to let her come to the warren tonight to make sure she would not miss the 
hatching. She would send her mother or father back a little later for 
her. He had agreed. He himself would travel to the warren in the morning 
to be there in time for the hatching.

Suddenly Trinale heard music starting. She grinned to herself, knowing 
that Lute would be edging towards the pavillion where the party was being 
held in order to hear better. Then her eyes were drawn to the stage, a 
beautiful dark haired woman was there, her voice even more beautiful. And 
there it was....the aura, strong and bright. This one had to come stand 
at the hatching. She turned to Cali "She's got the aura. We have to bring 
her back"

Cali and Trinale watched until the show ended. Then Trinale approached 
the young woman, after first getting her name from Lord Fowler.

"Merissa?" Trinale said, as the young woman stepped off the stage. The 
young woman who stood before her nodded. "I am Trinale, Warrenlady of 
Whiteriver Warren. I would like you to stand as a candidate for the 
hatching that will occur soon. You have the dragon affinity and I think 
you should come. Your dragon may be awaiting you."

As the young woman started to protest, Trinale encouraged her "Please, 
won't you come? Your aura is very strong and we need good candidates. 
Please say yes."

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

NRPG: Arlene.....continue from here.....sure hope you say yes.
:)

Les or Arlene: please take us home at the end of your post :)

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

Trinale barely could keep her eyes open long enough to remember to send 
her mother after Corina, and then she was sound asleep.

*The next morning*

Trinale awoke to the bright sunshine already streaming in her apartment. 
She quickly washed and dressed and ran down the stairs to check on the 
eggs and Cricket. Cricket had curled the wild eggs up into a curl in her 
tail while her own eggs where in the curl of her body, with the Queen egg 
between her forelegs. Trinale smiled. She knew Cricket would settle down.

(I still am not staying here any longer than I have to!)

(I know, sweetie, as soon as the hatching is over and at least the 
beginning of the celebration then we will sneak off and let you hunt, I 
promise, ok?)

Cricket seemed pacified by her words and settled down. Trinale saw some 
of those who she needed to see in a temporary office set up just outside 
the hatching cavern so she wouldn't be too far from Cricket. Two of the 
patrols were reporting some strange things. Some of the more unusual 
creatures that normally were found near the edge of the wastes didn't 
seem to be there anymore. And the healers reported some even more 
disturbing news. "We can't find some of the plants we need to make 
medicines with, m'lady" B'ril said. "We are having to go farther and 
farther in order to find the plants that used to grow easily on the edge 
of the wastes. "

Trinale frowned. This was bad news. She wondered what was happening and 
if this was happening all over the Dragonlands. Sometime after the 
hatching, she would visit the Dragonlady at keldarra and see if she could 
find any news.

Her meetings with people stretched into the early afternoon. She was 
almost faint with hunger and had decided to try and grab a quick bite to 
eat when she heard Cricket trumpeting loudly in her head "They're 
hatching! It's time!"

Trinale raced for the cavern, surprising the noble who she was discussing 
tithes with, yelling back over her shoulder "Come on! It's time. They are 
hatching!"

Trinale reached out to Fayloth "Tell Saul its time! they are hatching!"

Everyone in the warren was racing for the hatching grounds, every dragon 
in the warren trumpeting the news.

Soon, there was a crowd in the warren hatching area, with more pouring in 
every minute. The candidates on the sands. Trinale was down near Cricket, 
trying to keep her calm. She saw one of the wild eggs start to rock as 
well as Crickets eggs.

(Cricket, look!)

Cricket chuckled. (They didn't want to face the wrath of a Queen if they 
didn't hatch in time)

Suddenly, one of Cricket's eggs broke open and a bright orange dragon 
fell out. It crooned piteously, looking for its rider. Suddenly Trinale 
saw Corina head straight for the baby and throw her arms around her. "Her 
name is Sunflower!"

One of the hatching grounds keepers brought out a big bowl of raw meat 
for Corina to feed her and the dragon took the meat ravenously from her 
hands. Trinale looked up into the crowd and saw Corina's father and 
mother beaming proudly. Behind them, she saw a small boy, and he had the 
aura! He looked to be about fourteen or so, why was he in the crowd 
instead of out in the hatching cavern? Oh well, if he was meant to join, 
his dragon would find him, even up there. If not, she would see that he 
stood at the next hatching.

The eggs continued to rock, and the candidates waited breathlessly.

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

NRPG: Ok, all.....hatching time......pick your dragon and join! *grin*

Kevin: did you recognize yourself in the crowd? *egrin*

Gwen and Adam: next post will have Cricket out hunting after the 
hatching.....Trinale will be there also, but on the ground, so if you 
want to post anything you can or you can wait on me.


                            Also known as:
        |\__/,|   (`\     Danielle & Violet of Telnor Warren (Dragonlands)
      _.|o o  |_   ) )    Briana & Starleana of Keldarra Warren 
   ---(((----(((--------- Diana & Zena of Marrid Warren
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Lacey & Garnet of Norwall Warren
     ~  Kat Harris  ~     Karina of Amber
    ~catwoman@indy.net~   Ensign Minx Nightwalker Counsellor USS Apollo
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Ensign Jillia Firenwood Counsellor USS Faraday
                          Trinale & Cricket,Warrenlady of Whiteriver Warren 
 
             http://www.indy.net/~catwoman
 
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