Xanthia and  Th'rin walked together up to the apartment after they met up.
They were both quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. Xanthia wondered
what it was that he had to show her. She could think of little else since
he mentioned it the night before, but curiosity finally got the better of
her and she called to Areena.

She giggled to herself, remembering how easy it was to ask Areena to help
her locate Th'rin and Merissa. Areena had told her that the two were mates,
so she figured she'd find one with the other.

Th'rin looked at her questioningly, "What is it?"

"It's so easy with dragons, talking to them," Xanthia explained. Oh how she
delighted in this new ability she had just discovered.

******

Xanthia watched closely as Th'rin carefully opened the chest, as if it
contained great treasures within. Her mind reeled at the possibilities. The
treasures of some great king, perhaps?

Th'rin looked over his shoulder and saw her still standing there. He
beckoned her to come sit next to him and he started going through the
contents of the chest.

"This," Th'rin began, unwrapping the first parcel, "was Pa'gan's sword."

"Pa'gan's sword," Xanthia repeated.

Th'rin nodded. "Pa'gan was Aradia's mate. He was also a Bear nomad."

"It's big," Xanthia commented.

"Pa'gan was a very large man. And this," Th'rin pulled out the next object,
"was Pa'gan's bow."

"Bow." Xanthia repeated. The stress of the day had deteriorated her verbal
skills to little more than that of a small child.

Xanthia pointed to two objects that resembled simple crowns with crescent
moons on them, one was larger than the other.

"What?" Th'rin asked.

"What are those?" Xanthia asked, struggling to string the words together.

"Circlets. Pa'gan and Aradia were Ar'Neahm."

"Witches?" Xanthia asked, frowning. She didn't know that men were allowed
to be priests. She thought the Ar'Neahm only allowed women.

"Well, they weren't bad. Most Ar'Neahm aren't bad actually. There's was a
different sect though, being as they were Bear nomads they practiced
differently."

Xanthia nodded at the explanation.

"This is a special blade. It is what Pa'gan called The Dagger of Eternal
Honor," Th'rin said, unwrapping a very carefully wrapped dagger.

Xanthia's mouth opened into a silent "Oh," as she looked with awe at the
ornate dagger, her expression that of childlike wonder.

******

And then Th'rin came to the last parcel in the box, "This is what I wanted
to show you," Th'rin said seriously, laying it in front of Xanthia. "Open
it, but be careful."

Xanthia looked askance at Th'rin, this was the first and only of the things
in the chest that he'd wanted her to unwrap herself.

"Go ahead," Th'rin prompted.

Xanthia carefully unrolled the skin which was wrapped around what felt like
another blade. She wondered what was so special about this one. Then she
looked down at the dagger before her, and squawked in surprise as she
looked at it.

"Mine!" she said, and then checked her belt for the dagger she'd always
carried with her, noting in mixed relief and confusion that it was still
there.

Th'rin shook his head, "Aradia's. She said her's was the only one like it,
being as only members of her family had daggers of such design."

Xanthia knit her brow into a frown, "Don't understand."

"Don't you see, it all fits. Your parent's were Bear nomads, so were
Aradia's. You look just like her, just younger and different eye color;
hers were violet, yours are blue, like Pa'gan's. And you both have the same
dagger."

Xanthia shook her head, overwhelmed and not quite understanding.

"Xanthia, you and Aradia are sisters!"

"Sisters?" Xanthia asked in disbelief.

******

The door opened and in walked Merissa, carrying a baby with her. Th'rin
couldn't hold back his excitement of the moment.

>"Merissa, you're home!"  Th'rin gushed.  "and Oberon!"  Th'rin rushed over
>to take Oberon out of Merissa's arms, and turned to Xanthia stating,
>"Xanthia, this is Aradia's son -- your nephew!"

"Nephew?" Xanthia asked, looking at the child as if he were an insect. She
had no family that she knew of. Now she was being told she had a dead
sister and that this was her baby. It was all a bit much to take in at once. 

Xanthia rubbed her temples, trying to calm the throbbing in her head, still
her racing thoughts, and piece together all the information she was just
given. It was just too overwhelming. And what did it all mean? What did
they want from her?

She looked at the child closely, studying his violet eyes and his jet black
hair. Even his skin was darker than hers.

"No." Xanthia said finally, after considering all the facts.

"No?" Th'rin asked.

"Not my nephew. Hair and skin, too dark. Eyes are violet, not blue."

"I already explained that," Th'rin told the redheaded girl, "Pa'gan's skin
was very tan and his hair was black, like Oberon's. But his mother Aradia,
had violet eyes. Oberon has his father's hair and complexion, his mother's
eyes."

No! How could it be? Xanthia thought it a panic. She felt trapped, she had
to get out of there now. The throbbing in her head became more intense,
blurring her vision. Oh, how she hated these headaches. Migraines, the
books and Corra called them. They only came on when she got too overwhelmed.

The need to leave overruled her sense of reason, and Xanthia stood and
tried to run. But the pain in her head was too much, making her stomach
churn. She ran down the stairs as best she could, clutching to the side of
the mountain as she did.

She no sooner reached the bottom of the stairs when she lost her battle and
fell to her knees in the grass, loosing the little bit she had in her
stomach. But that didn't do anything to quiet her head.

"No!!!" she groaned, clutching her head in her hands and rocking. She just
wanted it all to stop, no more Aradia, no more Oberon. For the first time
in her life, she knew who her family was, but now the truth was just too
much to handle.





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