Aradia was crying in the hatchling barracks, holding on to Futhark. when
she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she leapt to her feet and
assumed a defensive posture.

"Thorin!" she exclaimed in surprise as she recognized the other person in
the room. She relaxed her stance. "Don't startle me like that!"

"I came to check on you, you seemed upset when you rushed past."

Aradia wiped a tear away with the back of her hand and sniffed. Thorin
scrounged in handed her a handkerchief, which Aradia gratefully accepted.
She shuffled her feet, embarrassed at loosing control of her emotions in
front of the young healer yet again.

"You always seem to see me at my worst," Aradia muttered.

Thorin shrugged and looked uncomfortable, though Aradia couldn't tell what
he was feeling for sure.

"Damn it, am I such a freak?" Aradia demanded, tears of anger and
frustration brimming anew.

******
NRPG: Tag Kris! Sorry, but I didn't know where to go from here.
******

** Futhark **

While Aradia and Thorin were talking, so were the hatchlings.

><Now what's going on?> asked Levka, impatient.
>
><Chance is dancing... I think she's planning to do something to Lord Gingle, 
>but I don't understand the terms she's thinking in.  What is Derry doing?>
>
><He's just *holding* Cricket's rider and thinking.  He won't talk to me.>
>
>'Tinka snuggled up against him, offering comfort.  <Katla isn't talking to 
>me, either, but she's trying to come up with ways to embarrass some 
>people...  Lev, what's embarras?>
>
><I don't know...  A human thing?>
>
>The two dragonets looked at each other, confused.  Satinka reached out... 
><Futhark?  Do you understand what's going on?>

<My Aradia is upset. She wanted to love Cricket's rider and got slapped for
it,> Futhark explained.

<What's wrong with that?> Satinka asked

<I don't know,> Futhark replied, <Something about my Aradia already having
a mate and about her wanting to love on a female, it makes no sense to me
why Cricket's rider has a problem with it. Why do humans complicate things
so?> 

Futhark shifted anxiously and sighed a dragon sigh, <I wish that my Aradia
would calm down. This is doesn't feel good.>

<Reekor, where is your rider? Aradia is still upset and she's getting angry
at Areena's rider now,> Futhark sent out to the obsidian dragon in
frustration.
**************

NRPG: Tag Keeper!










                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                        )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood          )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_       Warrenlady Cynthia/Syren of Cleft )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      FaeRhee/Alustriel of Daere       )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Aradia/Futhark of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (   Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_ Yasmine/Starlin of Marrid       )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;