A sea of faces floated about Merissa, as she struggled to regain
consciousness. "Th'rin?" she spoke barely above a whisper, but loud enough
for J'red to hear, as he cradled her head in his arms.

J'red knew that her heart still belonged to that cross-joined healer, but
he had fled, and J'red was the one here with her now.

Merissa sat up, feeling embarrassed to find herself the center of
attention, though the crowd soon thinned as they realized the "show" was
over.  However, in one corner Analise smiled -- a smug smile -- and
returned to complimenting Lord Fowler's new jacket.

"I think I'd better be going," Merissa murmured to J'red.

"I'll walk you back to your apartments," J'red offered.

"Thanks, J'red, but I think I need to talk to Th'rin and he can..."

"He left!"  J'red said triumphantly.

Merissa sadly looked around, realizing it was true.  K'leev was staring at
her, from across the room.  She shivered.

"You're cold?  Are you ill?" J'red's voice showed real compassion.

"No, Yes, I don't know -- yes, please take me home." Merissa felt weak.
Licking the spoons didn't count as dinner....

******
Merissa passed Chrysthal and Areena snoozing, and missing Thorin,
she leaned more heavily on J'red's arm.

Returning to her apartments, they discovered smoke coming from the
kitchen.

"Oh, No!  The stew!"  Merissa cried.

<Chrysthal, didn't you smell that?!>  

<Hmm??> The sleepy dragon replied, <Smells good...>  Snorrrrt and
Chrysthal returned to her dream.

"I think it is ruined, Merissa," J'red commiserated.  "If you'd like I'll
make you a sandwich?"

*******
After eating, the two of them sat and talked in the main living area.
Merissa had some large throw pillows about and they curled up each in
their own nest.  J'red droned on and on about his life as the son of Lord
Fowler, trying in all ways to impress Merissa.  Again, he felt as if she
were the easiest person to talk to that he had ever met.

And before she knew, Merissa was sound asleep.

******
They awoke to a mournful keening
> from Reekor resounding through the warren. He was calling all to the green
> near the big platform that the entertainment troupe had put up for one of
> their shows.

<Chrysthal?  What is that!>  Merissa asked the sleepy lavendar dragon.

<Reekor, he says everyone must come down to the green>  Chrysthal replied,
<but I'm hungry, Merissa, I'm sure it can wait...>

<What has happend!?  Did Aradia lose the baby?>  Merissa felt worried,
that sound was so inhuman, and so deep in pain....

<Reekor won't say>  Chrysthal replied after a pause.

"We have to go, Th'rin."  Merissa spoke without thinking.

J'red looked at her, surprised.  "Merissa...I'm Jred....?"

Merissa looked startled.  Oh, no!  How could she explain this?  Nothing
had happened, but everyone would see her leave the apartments with J'red,
as the apartments were right next to the green, the hatching grounds and
the platform that had been temporarily errected there.

However, as they rushed to the green, there was already a large crowd
gathering.  The fighting squadrons were all there, a bit fuzzy after the
partying the night before, but looking alert in their battle armor, ready
for whatever tragedy Reekor was keening about.

Merissa observed Trinaly and Cricket land behind the crowd.  Trinale
looked more than perplexed, and quite a bit worried.  <What is going on,
Chrys?>  Merissa asked her dragon.

<Cricket says that Reekor's rider and Futhark's rider were upsetting
Trinale.  It doesn't have to do with Futhark's rider's hatchling, though.>
Chrysthal relayed.

> > 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."
> 
> There were murmurs all around her, puzzled as to why they had been called
> here for this.

"What remarks?"  Merissa whispered to J'red.

"He said something about having sex with some bushes -- I really didn't
get it, but it seemed to have upset Trinale something awful!"  J'red
replied.

Merissa, having been privy to Trinale's concerns, knew exactly what J'red
meant, and hissed, "Oh, how could he!"

> > "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.

Merissa stared in surprise.  Th'rin??  What in the world did Pa'gan mean
by that?

> > "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."

Merissa felt cold.  Anything that had to do with K'leev chilled her to the
bone.  He was worse than her mother!

> Trinale started up the stairs of the platform when Pa'gans words again
> stopped her.
> > "And when someone tells you they will respect your wishes.....you
> > turn it against them."

"Merissa, what is he talking about!"  J'red wanted to know.

"Hush!  Later!"  Merissa glared at J'red.  Oh, poor Trinale!

> > 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!"

"Animals?  Who called him that?  Certainly not to his face!"  J'red
snorted with indignation.

"J'red!"  Merissa felt angry.  Angry at Pa'gan for embarrassing Trinale,
and angry at herself for being stuck with this "noble's son" J'red, when
she should be with Th'rin.

> Trinale...started up the stairs again.
> 
> > 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."

Merissa immediately thought of her sister Titania.  The way she had
described Ar Neahm was not at all like the way these Nomads worshipped the
goddess.  But then, Merissa had been more worried about a possible
"unknown" father, than about her half-sister's religion.

> > With that Trinale was up the rest of the stairs shaking with anger too
> > tongue tied to speak.
> > 
> > "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 Warrenlady's name was heard
> > throughout the warren.

"YES!"  Shouted J'red.  Caught up in the moment.

"Trinale!"  Encouraged Merissa.

> > "Then it is she that shall act for you all."
> > 
> Trinale heard a gasp from the crowd and saw Aradia looking very worried.

"Act?  How?  What was he planning on doing now?"  Merissa spoke outloud,
though not necessarily to J'red.

> > 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.

"Yikes!"  Merissa gasped!

"What is he doing?"  Shouted the startled J'red.  "He is a barbarian!"

> > "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......."
> 
> Trinale was flabbergasted. 
> She whispered something to him, with an angry look, as she pulled the
dagger from his chest and tossed it over the edge. 

> Pa'gan jumped up as though to hug her but her glare froze him in place.

> Trinale then called out. "Show is over, everyone please go home or to
> your duties.  Aradia and Pa'gan I wish to see in my office."

Merissa felt sick to her stomach.  It felt worse than an hangover, and she
had not even had anything to drink!

J'red tried to talk to her, but she turned on him...
"Haven't you done enough damage!"  Merissa blurted out in anger.  "Why
don't you go take care of Firefly -- he needs you more that I!"

She wanted to find Th'rin, but Chrysthal was rather insistent that she
return to oil and feed the dear queen.

Merissa moved quickly away from the startled J'red, returning to her
apartments.  

******
<Oh, Chrysthal, What have I done?  What have I done?>  Merissa said
plaintively to her soul-mate as she rubbed in the fragrant oils that
Thorin had made just for them.  <Th'rin is never going to speak to me
again!>

<I wouldn't worry, my love>  Chrysthal snorted happily.  <Areena isn't
going anywhere...>

Merissa looked past Chrysthal to the little opulescent dragon, who almost
seemed to be smiling.

<And Areena says she is *hungry*>  Chrysthal said, very pleased with
herself.

Merissa laughed.  <Tell Areena, thanks, and Chrys.... you are just too
much!>

*******
NRPG: Tag Kris!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
   /^\      /^\                                 Submitted  By
  /  `._   /  `._                               Arlene Jacobs
 ( : :  `.(  : : `.    \^=^/                         aka
 | : :`. `:_ : : `|_   | '.O'--^-^:                Merissa
  \/^|._ _. \_  ._ _\  | '.')__..''              Junior-Queen
     \/. :-._`|  .: | / .'_.-|    __              Rider  of
        \/. ..,`.\__/.,',...')__/^;;)             Chrysthal
          ^\/ ._,_... | ., )-)____/                  of
            <> \/ | ..  \__)_ __              Whiteriver Warren
                __| ., \____(,;;)          
            ../. / . \)____)\                 jacobs@wsnet.com
 _/\_/\__/\/..  ( ... )____)_)___
<__|__|__|__|___(__|___;;; ___;;;) aej

             http://www.neosoft.com/~acoustic/arlenejhp.html