Reekor landed near the platform where the dragon training takes place for
the newly joined. Pa'gan dismounted from Reekor and he hugged the massive
dragon and turned and walked up the stairs to the top of the platform.

	He looked around at all of the warren and knew that everyone was still
sleeping. But in a few minutes the entire area would be filled with joined,
unjoined, and land bound. Soon everyone would be here and he would have his
say.

	With a mental nod to Reekor Pa'gan moved to the center front of the platform.

	Reekor let loose a loud and mournful keening, one of great sorrow and
desperation. Then Reekor told all the dragons that a great number of riders
and their dragons were in great peril, as well as non joined. Everyone was
needed at the training grounds.

	The first to arrive were the riders that formed the different attack
squadrons, they were trained and used to moving at any moment. The next was
those from the hatchling barracks.

	Pa'gan 's eyes searched the growing crowd and confused faces among them.
Aradia was there...hastily dressed in the clothes from the night before and
still wrapped in his shirt. Pa'gan fought back the tears that threatened to
escape his eyes at the sight of her.

	Saul was there and not looking very happy upon spotting Pa'gan.....Shawnee
was in tow. Derry, Daimon, Thorin, B'ril, K'leev, Merissa, Timma, Analise,
Byrin, Barry the old tailor with Shawnee's siblings, the cooks, the rest of
the medical staff........and there she was fighting her way through the
crowd that consisted of everyone else that was there, Trinale.

	Just before Trinale reached the bottom of the stairs Pa'gan began to
speak. "Last night.....many things went wrong for a lot of people. Many
things were taken not as they were meant. But now I do have a few things to
say and I want no mistake about it. First....I apologize for the way I got
you all here but in a way was the truth."

	Pa'gan paused to look at the crowd and then continued. "It would seem that
I mad a lot of you mad with a comment I made towards one of the women I
love. Yes I made a drunken JOVIAL remark about making love to both of the
women I love at one time. We nomads are not like you warren borns. We do
not hide our feelings."

	Pa'gan waited for the murmurs to die done as he picked at a splinter from
the flute he crushed the night before.

	"I by no means claim to be perfect.....far from it. But I will tell you
this .....you people can not even be honest with yourselves let alone with
one another. You can not even be true to your own desires!"

	Pa'gan looked directly at Trinale and then let his eyes wonder to Thorin.

	"You can not even be proud of your own children," Pa'gan 's eyes locked on
K'leev for a moment, "And you put up with drunken bullies that torment
those smaller than themselves and on women who can not defend themselves
and even worse when it is their own spouses and offspring."

	Trinale started up the stairs in anger but Pa'gan's voice once again
stopped her on the stairs. "And when someone tells you they will respect
your wishes.....you turn it against them."

	The crowd got even more quiet at that point as Pa'gan's eyes moved away
from Trinale yet again. "And you ALL have the guts to call ME an animal!"

	Pa'gan was visibly shaking with anger at this point. "I tell you
all.......WE ARE NOT THE ANIMALS HERE!"

	Pa'gan's eyes found Aradia. "We.......WE NOMADS.......WE OF AR NEAHM!"
Pa'gan sighed, "We are not the animals.....barbarians.....heathens you
accuse us of being. I think you should look at yourself be accusing anyone
else."

	With that Trinale was up the rest of the stairs shaking with anger too
tongue tied to speak.

	Pa'gan's eyes were still locked on Aradia and a tear escaped his left eye
and another threatened to roll down from his right as he mouthed the words
"I love you".

	"To show all of you," he continued as he took his eyes from Aradia and
looked again over the crowd, "that we nomads are of an honorable
race.........there is an old and sacred tradition among my people. Trinale
speaks for you all does she not?"

	A loud and clear cheer at the young Dragon Ladies name was heard
throughout the warren.

	"Then it is she that shall act for you all."

	Pa'gan heard a gasp and a sob from the crowd.......just one and he knew
that it was Aradia and she had figured out what tradition he was speaking of.

	Pa'gan drew his sword and stuck it into the wooden platform and then
leaned his bow across the hilt. He then moved in front of Trinale and kneeled.

	Trinale's anger turned to confusion as she watched the giant of a man
kneel before her.

	Pa'gan withdrew a dagger that no one in the warren had ever seen. He then
cut open the front of his armor and pulled it open exposing his muscular
bare chest. Next he placed the dagger tip just above his heart and sunk the
tip in ever so slightly.

	"If my honest expressions of my emotions have truly offended you and you
believe that was my intent," Pa'gan reached out for Trinale's hand and
placed it on the handle of the dagger, "Then push and end my life and your
humiliation!"

	Pa'gan paused for but the briefest of moments, "But if it is possible that
you were the one mistaken......then pull the dagger from my chest and let
us all live as friends......." and then Pa'gan whispered just loud enough
for Trinale to hear, "if not lovers!"





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	NRPG: Tag Kat....and every/any one else that wants to........! I hope you
liked it....it is shorted than I wanted but wanted to get it out so
everyone else could post.

Respectfully submitted by Keeper Journeyman,

the life breath and soul of Pa'gan and Reekor!