Oldreth stirred and opened his eyes. Sleeping in a warm bed was decidedly
an improvement over the hard, cold ground. He looked around and stretched,
cat-like, which would have been a curious sight, had anyone been there.
Sunlight streamed through the balcony window, and looked to be the very
first light of a beatiful day. He rubbed his eyes and retrieved his axe
from the bedside.

For as long as he could remember, he'd woken with the dawning of the sun,
and in the cool of the morning air, he moved through the 112 movements of
the Shi Shauk. His father had taught him, as his father's father had done,
for as long as the stories had been kept. It had brought them together,
and he thought of the hulking bear who'd raised him. He smiled quietly, a
pleasant memory, as he glided through each movement, the axe moving as an
extension of his body.

The object was to perfectly assume each position, and to move between them
perfectly. It had always brought him harmony of mind, and it served to
maintain his body. He moved well, but he was never satisfied, it could
always be done better. He was deep in his own form of physical, and
spiritual meditation when Xanthia arrived. He didn't even notice.

> Finally Xanthia walked into the main bedroom of the apartment, and found
> him doing exercises in the nude.
> 
> "Oh my!" Xanthia exclaimed, feeling a warm glow come over her.
> 
> "Old... Oldreth," Xanthia said, her voice cracking slightly. Was it warm
> in here, Xanthia wondered. "I brought something to show you."

Oldreth heard someone saying his name as he carefully moved through the
last three movements. He turned smoothly and smiled.

"Good morning little sister." 

Xanthia continued to blush as something preoccupied her attention, he
looked down in response to her gaze. He'd not dressed to excercise, he
never did, but remembered that Warrenborn and townies had odd customs
regarding nudity.

"Sorry" he smiled and pulled on his trousers, then walked over to kiss her
cheek.

"It's okay...It just...suprised me is all." she smiled weakly.

"Who's your charge?" he asked, gesturing to the babbling child on
Xanthia's hip.

"Oh, this is Oberon...I told you about him" she smiled.

"A fine, strong lad, a bit of a runt for a nomad, but it might be the food
here, who knows." he teased.
 
> "Um, I need to change him," Xanthia said as she felt a warm sensation
> growing under her hand.
> 
> Xanthia spread a baby blanket on the dresser and laying Oberon on it
> unfastened the baby clothes and began to change the boy. She pulled up
> the boy's shirt to keep from fastening the diaper to it and stopped as a
> mark on the boy's chest drew her attention.
> 
> "What is it?" Oldreth asked,
> 
> "It's a birthmark, I never noticed it before, look at it," she pointed
> to the area over the boy's heart. "Don't you see? It looks just like
> Pa'gan's Dagger of Eternal Honor!"

Oldreth leaned in and chuckled, the birthmark was sort of blobby at this
point, but was defining into a very bladelike shape, with some distinctive
features. Perhaps in a few years, it would bear even more of a
resemblance, but he could see how she could think of it thus. She was an
imaginative one, perhaps a dreamspeaker, or some other sort of shaman.

He'd met one of her sort many years before, distracted, flighty, but she
commanded the respect of the people, for her vision guided them, and more
often than not, was the best course. She was so young, yet very
attractive, well formed, he would not mind laying with her, but wondered
idly about the strange warrenborn customs.

<<Why do you not just lay with her? I can feel you want to.>>

<I hardly know her, good morning you great busy body>

<<Why not just ask her? And good morning to you my dear.>>

<Perhaps. How did you sleep?>

<<Very well, they fed me well. I found the ledge outside where you're
sleeping, I'll be here if you decide to come for a fly>>

<All right dear.>

Xanthia had finished changing Oberon, and Oldreth had sat down to pull on
his boots. She bundled the child back up and sat down on the edge of the
bed next to him.

"I brought the portrait of Aradia and Pa'gan to show you." as she
struggled to hold the squirming child while she opened the case holding
the rolled canvas of the portrait.

Oldreth reached over and helped Xanthia with the portrait case, unrolling
the portrait, He studied it quietly as Xanthia shifted the gurgling boy on
her lap.

"See, I told you, nomads" she chimed in.


"I see." he grinned quietly. "I don't recognize the faces right off, but
it's been a long time... They make a handsome couple."

Xanthia nodnodded and paused to fuss with the child. Oldreth again smiled,
she was a nice girl, and he decided he liked her. He reached up to touch
her cheek in a gesture of affection, and could feel her skin burn as she
blushed.

"I'm sorry Xanthia...I have to see your Warren lady about some such
thing..."

"I know...I just wanted you to see the picture."

"I appreciate it...Thank you." he leaned in and kissed her cheek and
rolled up the portrait carefully and replaced it in it's tube.

She blushed again and groaned slightly with the weight of the child as she
stood again.

"Take care little sister."

Xanthia giggled a little and almost seemed to skip oout of the room as
Oldreth turned to pull on clothes to go see Trinale. He strapped his axe
on, and left the apartments, wandering down to the sands, where Cricket
was fussing over preperations.

<Good morning Cricket>

<<Flowers, I need more flowers>> complained the dragon.

Oldreth chuckled <All right dear, I'll go get you some flowers>

<Wintermoon dear.>

<<Yes Oldreth>>

<Do you want to fly?>

<<Always with you my heart.>>

Oldreth walked out to the green and swung astride Wintermoon, ignoring the
stares of all the people there, and held on as the dragon launched into
the air.

<Cricket, tell your rider I'll be back after I find you some flowers, much
later>

<<You're a dear, thanks.>>

Oldreth guided Wintermoon up and south, then disappeared as they
teleported away. 

		*	*	*	*	*	*	

NRPG: I think he'll be late for his appointment Kat. Whoever, you can
write me returning in the afternoon if you want to get with me.

       />          Rob Hines Jr.        <\       
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