Aradia awoke to hear a mournful keening. She hurriedly got dressed and,
sensing Futhark's hunger, quickly fetched a tray of meat for Futhark, who
was already twice the size of the day before.

<What's going on?> Aradia asked Futhark.

<It's Reekor, he's upset about something.>

Aradia rushed out in her dishevelled state to see what the matter was. She
feared that this was more to do with the night before. She saw Pa'gan atop
a platform and a crowd already gathered around. Unceremoniously, she
pressed through the crowd to stand in front of the platform, she looked at
Pa'gan, trying to read what he was about, but the emotions of those
gathered was so high that she couldn't filter out what feelings belonged to
whom.


>	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."

Now Aradia began to understand, at this point he was baring his soul to the
warren. Not an easy thing to do, by any means, though it was the Nomadic
way. Aradia prayed to the gods that the warren folk would understand as well.

People began murmuring to each other, some just to themselves. And Pa'gan
paused until they settled down. Then Pa'gan continued.

>	"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!"

Aradia's heart went in her throat. Now he was making the people of the
warren look at themselves. Would they do that? Would they understand the
meaning of his words? Or would they view it as further insult? Aradia
feared the latter and prayed more fervently than before.

>	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."

Tears began to fill Aradia's eyes as she saw the anger flash in Trinale's
eyes as she started up the stairs. She wouldn't understand, she knew it in
her heart.

>	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."

Aradia's heart filled with pride at these words. She was proud to be a
nomad, more proud yet to be Ar Neahm.

>	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".

She read his lips and felt a lump rise in her throat. Tears stung her eyes
as they fought for release. What was he about now? She knew his honor had
been insulted the night before, as had hers, and to a nomad this was a
serious thing. Death before dishonor, her father had taught her.

"I love you!" Aradia whispered back, choking back a sob.


>	"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.

Aradia gasped aloud as her fears were confirmed. But would the warren folk
view this in the same light as the Nomads or not? Aradia felt a mixture of
fear and pride.

>	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.

Aradia gasped again as she recognized the dagger; it was The Dagger of
Eternal Honor, passed down through many generations of Bear Nomads. It was
this dagger that was used to decide a person's fate in a matter of honor,
only used when one of the two people in question was a loved one. One did
not decide matters of honor among loved ones in battle but rather used the
dagger to decide.

>	"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!"

Aradia prayed Trinale would let him live. She watched intently, anxiously
awaiting Trinale's judgement of the giant nomad. 

"NO!!!!!!!!!" Aradia screamed as Trinale threw the dagger aside and glared
angrily at Pa'gan. How could she strip him of his honor so? Her heart went
out to Pa'gan. She was deeply saddened as this sacrilege confirmed that the
warren people were no more understanding of their ways than the landbound
of the cities and towns. Quickly, she rushed to recover the sacred dagger
from the ground.

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

Aradia heard Trinale say to Pa'gan, "Please, we are friends, lets both stop
being fools and talk this out."

Aradia fumed silently at her words, fighting to control her outrage.
Talk??? Would talk solve the hurt of a man's honor stripped from him for
all to see???

Aradia ascended the platform and solemnly sheathed the sacred dagger and
rewrapped it in it's skins.

>Trinale turned her back on Pa'gan and didn't even notice if he was
>following. She strode down the stairs and noticed when she got to the
>bottom that people were dispersing. She noticed then that Cali was
>gathering the newly joined together in front of the platform and talking
>to them.

While Trinale's back was turned Aradia stole that moment to hand back the
sacred dagger to Pa'gan.

"I love you," Aradia whispered to Pa'gan while stroking his arm lovingly,
"She doesn't understand our ways, you see. Somehow, we must explain it to
her."

She watched as Pa'gan silently began to gather his weapons, her heart going
out to him. Then they both turned to follow Trinale who was already several
paces ahead of them.

>"Damn, I forgot Aradia joined yesterday" Trinale couldn't believe how
>caught up she was in her own emotions to forget something like that.
>"She'll need to see to her dragon."
>
>She watched as Aradia approached, glancing over her shoulder at the group
>of the newly joined and then looking at Trinale. She stood in front of
>Trinale warily.

Still hurting, Aradia looked at Trinale uncertain as to what to expect.
Trinale reached her hand out to Aradia's bruised cheek and the priestess
flinched reflexively.

>"I guess I deserve that" Trinale said softly "I realize you need to go to
>see your hatchling and can't meet with us right now. Maybe we can talk
>later?"

Aradia felt a faint ray of hope touch her heart at those words. She nodded,
her promise that she would be back to talk later.

"Be calm," Aradia mouthed to Pa'gan and gave him a soft, sweet kiss.

<I'm hungry!> Aradia was interrupted Futhark's call. 

Aradia noticed that the other newly joined had already gathered and that
the group was moving on to the hatchling barracks.

She turned to leave but was stopped by Trinale's next words.

>"Please forgive me, I didn't mean to.....I was just scared."
>
>Aradia looked at her. "Now is not the time. Futhark needs me. I will see
>you later, ok?"

Aradia then turned and followed the other newly joined to the hatchling
barracks. She hoped she hadn't missed anything important.

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

NRPG: This takes care of the thing with Pa'gan. I will make a second post
dealing with the rest of the day after Keeper posts and I have more of an
idea what's going on between him and Trinale.

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