Kris: Would you please bounce this to the mailing list for me? I'm at mom's
for the weekend watching the dog while she's gone and don't have any updated
mialing lists here.... thanks :)  Barb

-----------------------------------------



Barry looked back at the young girl. His eyes scanning her face and seeing
the same look there that he had seen once before. the last time on the
lovely face of the woman who had in time become to be like a daughter to him.

Yes, in some ways this girl standing before him looking so hopeful, did
remind him of Shawnee. There was a certain joy for life showing in the
mixed-matched eyes looking back at him that he had witnessed in the older
girls the day Saul had first brought her by to see him.

"Have you have experience doing this type of work?" he asked.

"Well a little," she told him. "If you include what work I did for my
family. It's not a lot, but I learn quickly and I'm willing to work real hard."

Yes. This one would, Barry thought and smiled. He really could use the help.
Shawnee tried to help him out when ever she could spare the time, but what
with her dragon and the new baby on the way... Thank the Gods nothing had
gone wrong there!

"Okay I'll give you a try," he told her and was rewarded by a big smile.

"Oh thank you...sir..."

"Barry," he said kindly. "Why don't you come back in this afternoon right
after lunch then. It'll slow down around here and I'll be able to show you
around the place and we can decide then what you can do. Does that sound al
right with you?"

"Oh yes sir... Barry, I mean," she grinned shyly. "I'll be here then, and I
promise I'll work real hard so you won't regret your offer."

"Oh I've a feeling you will child," he chuckled as he watched her walk out
of the shop. Yes I really think she will.

Ojean
******

"She's here isn't she Shawnee?" Ojean asked as she joined them for lunch.
"In the Warren?"

Shawnee looked at her little brother and decided it wouldn't do him any good
to lie to him. "Yes Ojee, she's here. But she and K'leev are locked up and
the riders will be taking them away today to face charges for what they did
to you and Cill. You're not to worry about her now you hear? How did you know?"

His head bowed slightly, a sign that he'd been caught doing something he
knew he likely shouldn't have been doing.

"I was listening to the dragon's talking," he admitted. "I know I'm not
suppose to do that... and I still can't believe I can hear them all now, ot
just Doshy... but sometimes when I'm afraid they will talk to me and then
I'm not afraid anymore. They like me."

"Well of course they like you," she chuckled. "What's not to like."

"Will Cill and I have to go there to testify against them?" he asked, and
she could see the fear in his eyes. Fear yes, but also a need to see her put
away so she couldn't ever harm anyone again.

"I don't know Ojee," she told him as she reached out to take his hand. "I
really don't know. But I'll ask Trinale about it when I see her. Still...
You are not to worry or think you did anything wrong. None of this was your
fault."

"I know that," he replied nodding his head. "It was her and her sick ways of
thinking... Shawnee... we were very lucky that you tried to steal Saul's
gold coins that day back then. If it hadn't been for that we would never
have come here and I really like it here."

Shawnee's eyes opened in mild shock. "How did you know I had stolen Saul's
coins? I never told you that?"

"Saul did one day while we were oiling Fayloth," he grinned. "He made it
sound real funny."

Funny... that wasn't how she remembered it at the time. she'd been scared to
death when he'd busted in the door and demanded his money back. She
remembered being afraid he'd turn her into the town guards, but Ojean had
come out just then and once Saul saw how sick Fawna had been and the rest
was as they say history.

Who'd have thought back then that her simple sight of hand would end up with
them together and a baby on the way? Life sure had a funny way of working
out sometimes.

When lunch was over, Shawnee knew she should head on home to rest, but she
wasn't feeling all that tired. she knew she'd have to break the news to Cali
soon about her being restricted from flying any more patrols so she asked
Doshayne to ask Lute if her rider could see her for a few minutes.

"I came by to see Lutes egg," Shawnee told her friend a few minutes later
when she joined them in Cali's apartment. "And to let you in on the news."

"About your mother?" the other woman asked. "I heard. Lute's been keeping me
informed... and what are you doing out of bed?"

"Oh not you too!! I'm fine! Really..." she told her. "But if it'll make you
feel any better I'm going home right after I talk to you and I'll be a good
girl and take a nap then."

"Right," Cali grinned knowingly. "Sure you will... How much stuff did you
talk Barry out of giving you to take home to work on?"


"Not much," Shawnee blushed. "Just a few things he really needed to have
finished. I had to find something to do! I'd go crazy just sitting there
doing nothing and worrying about Saul taking Byrin back home since they'll
be in the same city...she's being taken too."

"Saul will be fine. You don't need to worry about him," Cali reminded her.
"But you'll only cause him to worry if you don't take it easy and rest like
you're supposed to. He really cares about you and your baby."

"I know. Funny how at this time last year everything was so different in out
lives," she mused. "If anyone had told me then that I would fall in love and
be having a baby, I would have told them they were dreaming... or crazy. I'm
still wondering how I got so lucky."

They talked for a little while longer and the Shawnee mount the little teal
dragon and went on home, where she sewed for a while until she started
nodding off and went into their bedroom and laid down for a short nap.

Only to dream about babies again... and picnics by the water fall.

****Submitted by: *******

Barbara (a.k.a.
Shawnee & Doshayne