(early morning after Cricket's mating flight)

He must have overslept.

Eyes still closed, Ash breathed in the scent of strong coffee, just like he 
remembered. The sound of the waterfall outside. Mnepath tripping over
things in the kitchen. Something was wrong, though...the light was all 
wrong. He was going to catch hell for oversleeping, he had told his
Kappa flight to be ready for him to drill on close-air support for 
landbound armies, and he was late. Ash sat up quickly, one of his
old shoulder scars pulling with the sudden movement.

Wait, he got that scar outside Oakenhold, in Falagand. After he had 
left Whiteriver...

Remembrance came to him. Of course, he was visiting. Wyndamenth
was outside, probably tearing into the food supply. Not for the first
time, Ash regretted not being joined to his dragon; he missed her 
presence, missed the conversations he used to have with Sol first
thing in the morning, even before he got up.

Well, all that was over. Count your blessings where you can, Ash 
admonished himself. Appreciate what you've got. Feeling an 
unfamiliar weight, Ash looked down to see the swinging charm of Laya's 
two-headed dragon depending from its chain. Count your 
blessings indeed, he thought as visions of Laya filled his head.
A new mate and a new child are blessings enough, not to mention 
the second chance fate or the gods had given him with Wyndamenth.

"Morning, son. What's the matter?" Mnepath stood in the doorway,
concern etched in his face.

"I was ready to berate myself for missing Kappa flight's exercise,"
Ash said. The old weaponsmaster chuckled.

"They disbanded that not long after you left."

"That useless, eh? I realize that after we drove off the rogues , the 
flight wasn't all that necessary, but a team that's prepared to handle
special situations-"

"No need to get hot about it, lad. Your flight wasn't useless, nor was
it obsolete. No one wanted to lead it after you left. All the special
tactics you taught them, well, they used it to improve the wings after 
your team was absorbed into them. It worked out well in the end."

"If you say so."

"That's just what I heard. Come, eat some breakfast, then you can
show me what you've learned since you left. I especially want to 
see you use that sword."

"Viper? Yes, it was a princely gift. The best sword I ever had."

"Hah! The best sword you'll ever see. Likely Blademaster Tinkato 
made it, only he would combine such art with its functionality. To
think how long he must have spent carving the hilt into that serpent 
shape..."

"Tinkato? That would make Viper at least fifty or sixty years old!"

Mnepath unsheathed the sword, pulled out two metal pegs, and
slid the jade handle off of the sword. He examined the tang of
the blade, and grunted in satisfaction. He pointed at a mark on the
steel.

"That's right, and as bright and clean and new as when it was
forged. At least you show it proper respect. I'd say the wielder
is worthy of the blade." 

Ash bowed his head, humbled. "Not really. I never learned sirado'ka,
you know that. I never joined the guild."

"Ahh, but they made you the exception, didn't they, boy? They taught 
you all the other styles, including the root forms from which 
sirado'ka evolved. No one else learned that...even most 
Blademasters never learn it. I'd say you know how to use...
Viper? Viper, then."

"I would be honored to spar with you, da," Ash continued. "I've...
learned a few things since I left, you could say."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"In the meantime, though, I must see to my dragon, talk to a
few people, visit the lake-"

"Are you still set on this in your mind, then? I think it's a mistake."

"Why? You never said why. That's partly why I'm here. I want to 
say goodbye."

"I'd better not say, it won't make a difference one way or the 
other. Be strong, though, don't let it overpower you."

"It's been 7 years, I think I can handle it."

"Well then, I will see you later. Come to me at the training hall."

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

[[Right there...right under the wing. Ahh, that's perfect.]] Indeed,
Wyndamenth's eyes were almost closed, basking in the 
pleasure of being oiled.

++Your body is elongated...it patches up very quickly. I can
see that I'll be busy with you for some time.++

[[Well, I'm certainly worth it.]]

++ Your humility is amazing. ++

[[When will we be going to the lake?]]

++Very soon...I just want to see a few riders first. Saul, for instance...
I barely got to talk to him yesterday.++

[[Fayloth's rider is not here.]]

++Oh, well then I'll talk to Trinale. She should be suprised.++

[[The queen's rider? You don't quite 'feel' respectful, if you know
what I mean.]]

++You mean I'm not projecting respect, and you're right. The
last time I saw her, the little red-haired brat had pestered me with
questions for an hour, and when I shooed her off she hid till 
nightfall. I spent hours looking for her, and she finally revealed
herself to me after I was about to raise the whole warren in alarm.++

[[Ahh, you like her, then.]]

++Of course.++ Ash smiled. ++Let's just hope she doesn't still like
hiding in the bushes all day.++ His mind went back to the night before,
her dragon rising to mate just before he had a chance to see
her... of all the damndest times...

++I'll see you later. Are you comfortable now?++

[[For the next few minutes, maybe. I'll let you know when I need
you.]]

"Smart ass dragon."

[[I heard that.]]

Ash crossed the last part of the green, knocked on the warrenlady's
door. At her cry of "Enter!" Ash turned the knob and went in. 

"Gods, what a sad sight! When are you going to get out from behind that
desk and stop pretending you're the warrenlady?"

Trinale looked up from her desk, obviously startled from deep 
thought. "I *am* the warrenlady," she said, eyes flashing, "and I 
think that you've made a mis..."

"ASH?!?"

It was like a whirlwind in the office, she moved that fast. A blur, then
she crashed into him, almost knocking them both over. 

"I can't believe it! When did you get here? How did you get here?
Why..." She pulled away from him suddenly, sobering up. "Are...
you okay?"

"Yes, I'm all right now," he replied. "I've just some to visit, though. 
I live at Telnor, now. I came to see Mnepath, see how things have
changed, and see, well, Solaris." Seeing the question in her 
eyes, he said, "I would still be gone, except that I have a new
dragon now."

"Oh." Tranale drew herself up. "How long have you been here?"

"Since last night... long enough to see a mating flight."

Trinale blushed. "That was not the best time for that. And gods,
you were there...what if you dragon had won?" She looked horrified.

"That bad, eh?" Ash couldn't help but smile at her discomfiture. "I
understand. I don't know why you always chose me to be a mentor-
type, but I certainly didn't mind at all. And I doubt Wyndamenth will 
be winning any mating flights...she's female."

"She?!"

"We're not joined. She was riderless, and I saved her from teleporting."

"I've never heard of that happening before."

"She was young enough that she couldn't teleport yet, or else it 
wouldn't have worked. Anyway," Ash picked Trinale up, spun her 
around. "Tell me how a little red-haired girl takes over a warren..."

(Tag, Kat :)

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

I'm getting bleary-eyed...I'll continue this tomorrow :) Morgie,
I can have Ash there at lunch with Aradia if no one else takes it. 
Kris, Saul will see him too...and Lea, I should have him back to
Telnor in the early evening :)
   



Allen Veazey
wolf@dbtech.net
	
	"I'm not really bad, I'm just drawn that way."
			--Jessica Rabbit