Thorin
***

Thorin was kneeling gathering some leaves for one of his newest experiments
when someone tripped over him. 

>"Gosh, excuse me!!"  the young woman exclaimed. 

Thorin looked up to see the petite woman looking at him with the darkest
eyes he'd ever seen. Eyes that matched her dark hair. 

He quickly looked away, speaking softly, "No, pardon me, it was my fault, I
shouldn't have been in the walkway."

>"I'm Merissa, the *new* junior-queen rider.  I haven't really gotten to
know too many people here...."  She was a softy for the downtrodden--being
very familiar with that feeling herself.

>"Thorin," the young man shyly replied. "I work in the medical facility,
training to be a healer."  

He knew Clarissa would berate him for that, but he could never bring
himself to say he was a healer. He feared he never would. He would always
be a healer in training, at least to himself.

>"What's that you are gathering?"  Merissa inquired.

>"Oh, just some herbs."  Thorin reached down and plucked up the container.
"I've been working on a salve that one of the newly joined dragon-riders
showed me." He gushed enthusiastically. He loved talking about his herbs.
"It was used to decrease the swelling when applied to hives.  It really
worked quite well, and I was trying to duplicate it in the lab..." Thorin
trailed off, suddenly becoming self-conscious again, as he noticed how
intently Merissa was listening to him.  "I should be getting back to it...
I left the Bunsen burner on..." and he fled. 

He couldn't believe he'd been talking to that girl about herbs. He'd
probably bored her to tears. She had just been polite to sit and listen to
him. She probably had other things to do. Dragonrider type things. And to
make it worse she was a queenrider! He felt his skin blushing bright red at
what his father would have to say about him discussing his 'weeds' with a
queenrider.

***

>"Hello?"  Kalyth asked a bit uncertainly as she peered into the building
the orderlies said she would find him in.  The young man jumped at the
sound, nearly upsetting the bowl he was holding.

>"Hello?"  he hurriedly put down the bowl, but didn't quite meet her gaze.

"I need some help," she said simply.

Thorin recognized the young dragonrider as the one with the hives from
yesterday. "Are you sick. Would you like to see a healer?"

"Actually, I wanted to see you. The goldfish told me you were really good
with herbs," she said. Thorin looked at her a bit confused, not knowing
what the goldfish was. She recognized his confusion, "Oh, the fish is that
bright orange dragon out there."

"I see," Thorin said, "Well, I guess I can help you with herbs .. if you
need it. I haven't quite perfected that salve from yesterday .. I .."

"It's about this oil."

Thorin looked at the jar of oil in her hand, "The oil for the dragons?"

"Yes. It smell horrible. Isn't there something you could do about that?"

Thorin looked at her for a moment, then nodded, "Sure, what would you like
it to smell like?"

"Anything better then this," she said wrinkling her nose.

"Okay, I'll do it in the morning," he said taking the jar from her hands.
"It almost time for my shift."

She nodded and headed out. Thorin quickly headed to find his father before
he was needed in the medical center. He had a tea that eased the older
riders aching bones and if K'leev didn't have it in time, he was bound to
scream.
 
****
(the next day or so - I'm getting a bit lost - at any rate the day Saul
returns :}

Thorin picked up the jar and sniffed. He wasn't sure it was what the rider,
Kalyth, wanted, but at least it smelled better. He headed out of the lab
and toward the dining hall. He really hated the dining hall and tried to
spend as little time there as he could. But it was lunch time and that
meant it was the best time to find dragonriders.

He was almost there, steeling himself for the possibility of running into
his father, when he heard his name being called. "Hi Thorin!" he turned to
see the new queenrider approaching. "Are you going to have lunch?"

Thorin shook his head, "No.. I .. I'm looking for Kalyth." He held out the
jar of oil, "This is for her."

"Is that oil for the dragons?" asked Merissa. "It seems different. I like it."

"You do?" Thorin asked, almost with a smile.

Merissa nodded, "Why don't you have lunch with me while you look for her."

Thorin froze, "I .. uh, I don't think .."

"Come on, I won't take no for an answer."

--Thorin

*******************************************************
                  ___====-_  _-====___
            _--~~~#####//      \\#####~~~--_
         _-~##########// (    ) \\##########~-_
        -############//  :\^^/:  \\############-
      _~############//   (@::@)   \\############~_
     ~#############((     \\//     ))#############~
    -###############\\    (oo)    //###############-
   -#################\\  / "" \  //#################-
  -###################\\/      \//###################-
 _#/:##########/\######(   /\   )######/\##########:\#_
 :/ :#/\#/\#/\/  \#/\##\  :  :  /##/\#/  \/\#/\#/\#: \:
 "  :/  V  V  "   V  \#\: :  : :/#/  V   "  V  V  \:  "
    "   "  "      "   \ : :  : : /   "      "  "   "

Kristen Gant
(AKA: Darlea & Makayla,  Waylene & Aura, Meena & Vonn, 
Kalewyn & Sabbith, Saul & Fayloth)
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/kris.htm