**Nalin**

Nalin leaned against the wall and slid down the wall with a sigh.  
Trefoil was finslly asleep and training was pretty much over for the 
day.  He had rushed through dinner, not really in the mood to talk to 
anybody.

He pulled out his pipes and started playing softly to relax him.  It had 
been a rough day.  He didn't even notice when a tall, dark man carrying 
a small bag, stopped to listen, or when a small smile came across 
Daimon's face.

Daimon cleared his throat and Nalin nearly jumped out of his skin.  He 
put the pipes down and looked up, wondering why he couldn't relax in 
peace.

"Yes?" Nalin asked, fairly politely.

"My name's Daimon," the dark man said.

"Nalin."

"You play beautifully and I was wondering if I could ask a favor of 
you?" Daimon asked.
************
nrpg: Since Kat wrote Nalin playing music I figured I'd slip this in :)
************
**next day**

Nalin stared up at the flying hatchlings and threw a glance at Trefoil, 
who was stretching lazily nearby.  

*Well,* Nalin said, rather acusingly.  *What are you waiting for?*

<Oh, don't be so impatient,> Foil said, amused.

*Fly and I won't be,* he retorted.

The green hatchling gave an amused snort and easily launched himself 
into the air.  Nalin squinted upwards, following Foil up and the world 
shifted slightly out of perspective.

He could feel the wind flowing past him, yet at the same time he was 
vaguely aware of still being on the ground, somewhere...

^It's wonderful, isn't it,^ Foil/Nalin stated.  He seemed so much closer 
then before, as if they shared the same mind instead of just having a 
strong link.

^Yes it is,^ Nalin/Foil replied, awed.  

Foil/Nalin watched the other dragon's wild antics with disdain.  
^Couldn't they think of anything better to do with the wind so freshly 
under their wings?^ they thought.

Smoothly, they gained altitude, looking at the warren beneath them.  ^I 
shall have to make a song for this,^ Nalin/Foil thought absently as the 
beautiful scene unfolded beneath them.

They rose higher, riding a thermal, and looked down.  Nalin/Foil, could 
barely make out himself standing on the ground with his eyes focusing 
upward like all the rest of the new riders.  It was fairly 
disconcerting, but after a while it wasn't so bad.  Besides it was much 
more fun to be more in the air then on the ground.  That struck him as a 
rather odd statement, but it was true.

They were now far higher then the rest of the hatchlings, content with 
just looking around for now.  

Suddenly Nalin became more aware of the ground instead of the air.  
Perspective shifted again and suddenly he was on the ground, squinting 
after the green speck that was Trefoil.

"Hmm?" he asked in reply to Cali calling his name.

"Call your dragon in please," she said.

Nalin nodded absently, still wondering what in the world had happened 
and relayed the request.

<Yes, what did happen?> Foil asked as he lazily descended.

Nalin shook his head, *I don't know, it just happened...*

<Oh, well, I found it rather enjoyable.  It was nice being that close to 
you,> he said as he landed gently on the ground.  

*Yes,* Nalin agreed, dismissing his confusion.  *It was interesting.*
*************
**after lunch**

Nalin grinned hugely as Trefoil took to the air, this time with him in 
the sadle.  The take off was smooth and powerful and Nalin would have 
smiled larger if he could have.

*This is fantastic!* he said happily to Foil.

<Isn't it though?> Foil said smugly.  <I can't wait until we can do this 
all the time.>

Nalin could only nod, knowing Foil understood.  Their first flight 
together was all too short.  As they landed, Nalin suddenly gripped the 
straps more tightly as strange feeling of nausea washed over him for a 
second.

<Are you all right?> Foil asked turning to look back at his baffled 
rider.

*Fine,* Nalin replied without a thought.

<Maybe now you are.. but you weren't a moment ago,> Foil said as Nalin 
got off and started to unsadle him.

*It was nothing...* Nalin said.  Nothing that came from me anyway, he 
thought in private confusion.

He looked over and watched as Caliban  scolded a very pale Shawnee.  She 
loooked as ill as he had felt a moment ago.  He shrugged it off as he 
felt a headache coming on.

Then he spotted Katla and sighed.  She looked like she had not had the 
easiest time up in the air.

<Nal, are you going to take the thing off or not?> Foil asked 
impatiently.

Nalin dutifully turned his full attention back to his dragon.
******************
nrpg: Well, Nalin's starting to get little hints from his empathy, but 
won't get anything more then that.  That little thing in the middle is 
just his empathy alowing Nalin and Trefoil to become as close to being 
of one mind as possible.  Sorry this took so long to get out :<

Submitted by,
Bridget Olson
Nalin and Trefoil
Whiteriver



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