** Outside Barry's tailor shop **

He watched her from afar as she entered the tailor shop. She looked so much
like the other one, the one he admired for so long. He thought fondly on
Aradia, who like a shooting star arrived unexpectedly, changing everyone's
lives, and then left them as suddenly as she appeared. He had never had a
chance to get to know her, though he felt he knew her a thousand years.

The dragons said that this one might be Aradia's sister. She sure looked
like it, but younger. There was something different about her, too. Maybe,
just maybe he might have a chance with her.

Xanthia... such a pretty name. Pretty as a picture.

<She might like one of your pictures,>  the man's dragon, a brown, suggested.

<But I haven't finished her portrait yet. It's not perfect!> the rider
fretted.

<Well, what about one of Aradia?>  the brown asked.

******

** Searchling Barracks **

Xanthia returned to the searchling barracks, wanting feeling the need to
wash up and brush her hair to calm down after the stress of picking out
various fabrics and colors and styles of clothes. All she really cared was
that they were comfortable and didn't itch.

The water was wonderfully warm, and Xanthia scrubbed until her skin was
pink, enjoying every moment. She then scrubbed her head, making the scalp
tingle, and felt the tension begin to leave her body.

Once she was satisfied that she was clean, Xanthia toweled off and dressed,
before heading into the sleeping quarters to finish brushing out her hair.

Xanthia raised an eyebrow in surprise as she saw a scroll tube lying on her
pillow with a note beside it. Filled with curiosity, she picked up the note
and read it.

    "I thought you would like to see what your sister Aradia looked like"

The note was unsigned.

Xanthia carefully opened the case and pulled out the contents. She unrolled
the paper carefully, and gasped as she looked upon an oil pastel portrait
of a woman who looked just like her, save for having the deepest violet
eyes she ever saw. The face of a man was looming above the woman; a man
with long black hair worn in a braid, and ice blue eyes. She carefully
rolled up the picture and put it back in it's case, and picking it up
headed in the direction of Th'rin and Merissa's apartment.

******

** Th'rin's apartment **

Xanthia practically ran up the stairs and straight into the apartment of
the healer and junior queenrider. 

"Xanthia!" Th'rin said, surprised.

"I need to talk with you," Xanthia huffed as she worked at catching her
breath, she brandished the scroll case at him, "Did you send this?"

"No," Th'rin replied, not recognizing the item, "What is it?"

"Picture," Xanthia replied, and plopped down on the sofa next to Th'rin.
She opened the case and taking out the picture, unrolled it on top of the
coffee table. "Look!"

"Where did you get this?" Th'rin asked.

"It was on my bed." Xanthia studied the picture again, "Look! It's me, and
it's not me!"

"It's Aradia" Th'rin said.

Xanthia nodded and pointed at the face of the man, looming in the sky above.

"I don't understand," Th'rin replied.

Xanthia pointed again, more insistently.

<She wants to know who it is,> Areena told Th'rin.

*********

NRPG: Tag Kris! Well, Xanthia's there, she's looking for answers and more
willing to listen now. ;)

 


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