**Aeryin**

Aeryin cursed softly under her breath, hardly noticing her surroundings 
as she held control over her horse.  

"Here comes someone," Chinol said.  

She nodded and held her beast still as he did, ready to follow his lead.  
When the smiling black haired lady was closer, they both dismounted.  
Aeryin waited, slightly nervous, for Chinol to make a move so she could 
follow his lead.

"I'm Chinol, and I'd like to speak with the Lady Trinale," he said 
smoothly, and folded over in a graceful, natural bow.

Aeryin felt her mouth form an oh of understanding, no wonder his wife 
liked him so much, lucky woman.  Especially when he could bow like that.  
She'd always thought him rather unweildly, but obviously she was wrong.

Then she realized that she was supposed to be following his lead, not 
analizing it, but by then it was too late to bow, so she settled for a 
nod.  She'd probably look like a fool, or fall on her face, or both if 
she attemped such a gesture anyways.  Hadn't she heard somewhere that 
women were supposed to curtsy too?

She shrugged mentally and banished the question, she'd never needed such 
trivial information before and it was doubtful she ever would.  She 
turned her attention back to the present.

"I'm Merissa, and I'm the Junior Queenrider of Whiteriver Warren.  May I 
welcome you and offer our hospitality?"  

"Thank you, I could tell by your bearing, Lady Merissa, that you must be 
a person of great import," Chinol replied smoothly.

Merissa's bell-like laugh came unexpected.  "Well, yes, thank you..." 
She stumbled.

Aeryin nearly shook her head, Frinda was very lucky indeed.  It was a 
pity Serimo was not so quick with the compliments, but then no one was 
perfect and when he did compliment in his rather clumsy way, at least he 
meant it.

Aeryin caught the flash of a not-quite-here-at-the-moment look that  
crossed the queenrider's face and wondered how a woman of authority had 
ever gotten there if she was so thrown by a compliment.

"But, please, I'm just Merissa, and your companion?"

"This is Aeryin, a woman with numerous and valuable skills.  We are
traveling with a large caravan, and would ask the Warren Lady's 
permission to tarry."  Chinol replied.

'Numerous and valuable skills' eh?  Nice to know he thought of her as 
such.

She caught sight of that expression again,  Perhaps it wasn't the 
compliments after all since Chinol hadn't paid her one this time.

Merissa turned and smiled, "I see no objection to your camping here, and 
Trinale has given her aproval.  Why don't we see where your company can 
stay?  We have some green area around the market place just outside the 
Warren itself, where your group might feel more comfortable?"  Merissa 
lead the way, as the two dismounted riders accompanied her to the area 
of which she had spoken.

They walked and Merissa asked questions.  Aeryin answered them honestly, 
if briefly, she hadn't been quizzed about herself like this for a long 
while.  She felt the queenrider was being a bit nosy, but it was her 
palce so it was only polite to answer.

"So, you play the harp?"  Merissa was surprised by Aeryin's admital.  "I 
do too!  Perhaps while you are here we can play together?"  Merissa 
smiled.

Aeryin returned the gesture, much more comfortable with the conversation 
now.  This was more like how she conversed to strangers, as one 
craftsperson to another.  She often talked about her playing and her 
instruments with those who were interested and she fell into the pattern 
easily.

Chinol, she noticed, was quiet, as usual, though it was understandable.  
He didn't know much about music and even less about harps.

He did brighten as he noticed the area which Merissa indicated for a 
camp location.  "Yes, this will do nicely!"  Aeryin nodded her 
agreement.

"Please, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask.  I 
usually can be found in my office in the morning..."  Merissa trailed 
off, as she waved to the newcomers, and turned to take her leave.

Chinol elbowed her, an obvious signal to say something.  Aeryin blanked, 
since when had she become the leader of this thing?  So she said the 
first thing that came to mind.

"Thank you, Merissa!  And I look forward to playing with you," Aeryin 
called back.  Not as bad as it could have been, but fairly inane.  She 
shrugged it off and considered the sight.

They both looked at it for a while, trying to figure out the best way to 
set up and bring the wagons in.  Hours were easily wasted if the wagons 
weren't brought in a certain way, so that they'd use the available space 
most efficiently.  Chinol actually said more then three sentences as 
they compared ideas.  When they settled on what would probably be the 
most agreeable arangement for all, Aeryin mounted up and went to go 
fetch the wagons.
***********************
*Dining Hall, just after Ashelle's song.*
**N'lin**

N'lin walked into the dining room and filled up a plate, and headed for 
an empty table.  The place, he noticed was unusually quiet, he'd thought 
it'd be buzzing, especially with K'leev arriving.

He shrugged it off, he was certainly no authority on the ways of gossip.  
He noticed that Mara's table was in his direct line of path, and when he 
reached them he paused; it never hurt  to be polite.

"Hello Mara," he said with a friendly grin.  He nodded to the black 
haired, odd eyed girl and flashed a dazzling smile at the baby.

"Hi," Mara said softly, her face going red for no reason N'lin could 
divine.

Obviously he couldn't rely on her for introductions.  He was about to do 
it himself when the girl beat him to the punch.

"I'm Ashelle," she said with a smile.  "Join us?"

He shrugged and sat down.  "I'm Nalin- no N'lin now I suppose," he said 
with a half smile.  Being N'lin was going to take a bit more getting 
used to.  "You here for the hatching?"
*****************
NRPG: Tag Jeanette.  Do you remember when I asked you about that favor 
quite sometime ago?  Well now would be a good time.. if you don't 
remember, you know how to reach me :)
***********************
*Night*
**Aeryin**

Aeryin snuggled up to Serimo and he shifted so they were both more 
comfortable.  

"Think you'll have your voice back tomorrow?" he whispered, though he 
really didn't need to.  Set up was hard on everyone and everyone and the 
kids were dead to the world.

Aeryin merely nodded, rather embarrassed about the whole affair.  She 
hadn't realized that being in charge of set up involved so much 
shouting.  Her voice had never really been up to that sort of thing, she 
usually left the bellowing to Serimo.

Last time she volunteered for that job, that's for sure.  Oh well, she 
might be a bit hoarse tomorrow, but that was fine, it wasn't like she 
had to sing or anything.

She gave a contented sigh as the soft sounds of snoring reached her 
ears.  Tommorow would be a busy day, usually was the first day of 
business.  She pulled the blanket up to her chin and closed her eyes.

And then it was morning.

                            .  ,   
                            . ,`o--Y  
    ____.....------.'      .,' ,,~''   `,------.....____   
''''`    `---.:: ,':       ; ,'         ;`. ;;.---'    '```` 
            `   `:__`-._   `.`.,    _,-'__;'   '         
                 `  `---`---'`'`---'---'  ' 
      ____________________ \`--'/`____________________
       Bridget Olson aka  ```  '''  badei@hotmail.com 
       Dyanisa & Sienra             Daere Warren
       Inagua & Myacura          "  Geode Warren
       N'lin &Trefoil           ''  Whiteriver Warren
       Chelea & Nebavri         ''  Xylian Warren
       N'dovra Leriamtiq       ' '  Ralengarde City
       Lt. <jg> Sirosa Badei   ' '  USS FARADAY
      __________________________' '____________________
                                 -
   "The limits of life are the limits of your imagination."
   
               I am the God of my own universe          
                     What is moral or not             
                           I decide                         
                     What is to be or not             
                           I decide                             
                       What was or not
                           I decide
                  Your are your own God too
                   Make your own descisions
                              -me


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