Trinale snuggled in closer to Derry as she awoke. After everything that
had happened yesterday it was very comforting to have someone to wake up
next to, someone who was there for her, someone who loved her and she
loved in return.

She was interrupted from her musings as her love kissed the back of her
neck. She rolled over into his embrace and kissed him firmly and
passionately on the lips.

He smiled at her and pulled her to him.

"I love you" Trinale said.

"I love you too" Derry said, and pulled her to him, to show her just how
much.

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

*a little later*

Trinale headed over to Saul and Shawnee's after having breakfast with
Derry.

She entered and saw Shawnee standing there cooking breakfast.

"Where's Saul?" she asked.

Shawnee blushed as she answered. "hes in the shower."

Trinale smiled, glad to see the two of them were doing well together.

At that moment, the man they were talking about walked in.

"Er .. Hi Trinale." He said, surprised to see her.  He covered and smiled
handsomely, "You're looking beautiful this morning, little flower."

"Thank you. And I'm glad you're finally done," the red-head grinned,

"So what brings you here so early."

"Well, it's not exactly early .. It'll be lunchtime soon."

Saul shrugged and grinned, "Again, I say, what brings you here so early?"

She chuckled, "I've come to talk to you about Ojean." She looked at
Shawnee, "I'm sure you understand how young he is to have joined with a
dragon .."

Saul and Shawnee both nodded.

"Look, what I am trying to say is one of you is going to have to talk to
him about such things as mating flights and such. I can arrange a non
combat position until he gets older, but the other ramifications of being
a dragonrider I can't control." Trinale looked worried as she said this.

Shawnee looked at Saul, her face very white. "I never thought about that.
What are we going to do?"

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

NRPG: Barb and Kris?

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

Trinale strolled away from Shawnee and Sauls, lost in thoughts about Ojean
and his joining. She hoped Saul and Shawnee could handle it.

Then her eyes took in the destruction as she walked. Shriveled leaves,
bare wraith scored branches on trees...blackened earth...she shivered.

She headed for her garden. She needed to start repairing things there, it
was the only way she could get through things, was to have a place there
to forget.

She noticed Xanthia and Oberon in the herb section of the garden working
already.

"Hi Xanthia!"

Xanthia jumped to her feet and turned about. Recognizing the warrenlady,
she ran up and gave her a hug.

"Trinale! Cricket told me you can hear her again! I'm so happy!"

"Thank you," Trinale responded, "You're certainly in a good mood."

"Why? Shouldn't I be?" Xanthia responded in confusion.

"No, it's just you seem happier than usual."

"I just feel good today," Xanthia shrugged, watching as Oberon hung onto
Trinale's skirt with one chubby hand and patted on the warrenlady's leg
with the other.

Trinale looked down at the boy, a mixture of Pa'gan and Aradia and had a
moment of sadness as she realized that he would never know his wonderful
parents.

Trinale picked the boy up. "He's getting big!" she commented, "Have you
seen Oldreth today? We were supposed to meet to discuss some things."

Xanthia nodded and smiled.

"And?" Trinale asked.

Sometimes getting Xanthia to talk about things was so frustrating.

"And he kissed me, here," she pointed to her cheek, "Like I was his
sister, or something." Xanthia smiled broadly.

"That's not what I meant. What I want to know is, where is he?"

"Away."

"Away???" the queenrider asked. Had he left the warren already? She hoped
not. He seemed to already bring Xanthia out of her shell a bit more.

"He'll be back though, Wintermoon told me so. And queens don't lie,
right Trinale?" Xanthia looked up at Trinale for reassurance.

"You like him, don't you?" Trinale asked.She hoped this man wouldn't take
advantage of Xanthia's innocence. She was so fragile. Maybe she would have
a talk with him about this.

"Of course I like him, he's my friend. He treats me just like regular
people, and yesterday we took a bath together. It was fun," Xanthia
bounced with childlike glee.

"A bath?" Trinale looked at Xanthia, a frown on her face.

Xanthia noticed the frown and looked worried. "Why? Didd I do something
wrong?"

Trinale was quick to reassure Xanthia. "Oh no....I just want to make sure
that everything is fine between you Xanthia...you do know about such
things, right?"

Xanthia looked puzzled.

(Wintermoons rider gives Xanthia good feelings. She wishes to mate with
him) Trinale heard Maxima's voice in her head.

Trinale almost dropped Oberon, she was so surprised.

"Xanthia, lets sit down for a moment" Trinale couldn't believe she was
going to try and explain this to her friend. She only recently had
discovered these things herself.

They sat, as Oberon crawled around near them. Trinale looked at Xanthia.
"Look, men and women can enjoy good feelings together, but remember to do
these things only if they feel right to you." Trinale knew she was
babbling but didn't know how else to tell Xanthia.

Xanthia smiled at her "It felt so good to take a bath together...so since
this felt right, it was okay, right?"

Trinale nodded, but also frowned a bit as she realized she wasn't getting
through to Xanthia. She decided to be blunt.

"Xanthia, I just don't want you to get hurt. If you eventually want to
mate with Oldreth, then thats alright...just don't do it unless you want
to, ok?

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

NRPG: Tag, Morgie

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

Xanthia left soon after their talk and Trinale turned her attention to the
garden. She was working hard, pulling up burned plants and trying to cover
some of the blackened earth with earth from other places in the garden.

She would need to make some trips out into the outlying lands and get some
more starts for the garden...as well as bring flowers back for Cricket.
She would have to talk Derry and Katla into taking her out.

She was interrupted from her musings by Crickets shout of joy. (Flowers!)

(I know you want flowers, sweetheart, but there are very few here right
now) Trinale tried to patiently explain to her Queen.

(No, silly, Wintermoons rider brought me flowers!)

Trinale frowned as she realized how afar afield Oldreth must have flown to
get flowers.

She needed to talk with Merrisa about how best to talk to their new junior
Queenrider.

"Hi Trinale!" she heard Merissa's voice behind her.

"I was just thinking of you" Trinale exclaimed.

"All good, I hope " Merissa teased.

Trinale giggled, then  grew serious again.

"Our new Queenrider appears to think its okay to traipse out of the warren
without an escort. How do I explain to a Bear Nomad that this just isn't
done?" Trinale asked.

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

NRPG: Tag back, Arlene.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

After talking with Merrisa and almost forcing her to agree to discuss the
ramifications of being a Queenrider with Oldreth, Trinale turned back to
her gardening and clean up. She hadn't wanted to deal with Oldreth on this
matter. After the misunderstandings with Pa'gan and Aradia she didn't want
to make the same mistakes. She still had guilty ffelings over their
deaths, thinking if she had just understood their culture more, that they
would still be alive.

(Wintermoons rider is in your office waiting on you)

Trinale stood and brushed the dirt and blackedned soot of of her, but she
was still filthy.

"Oh well" she thought to herself. "He has been out picking flowers, not
helping with warren clean up...to hell with him if he has a problen with
my appearance." She then immediately felt guilty. He had just arrived
yesterday, he shouldn't have to be set to work helping the warren right
away.

She walked towards her office, thinking about how to approach this man.
She wanted to welcome him to the warren, but she also wanted to warn him a
bit about being careful with Xanthia...without breaking any customs or
offending his sense of honor.

She opened her door and looked at him sitting in her chair, a huge ax
across his lap, as he sharpened it.

"You've only been here a day and you're already thinking of taking over?"
she looked at him, then smiled. It was better to handle this situation
with a bit of humor, even if it did tick her off a bit that he was so
comfortable behind her desk.

He dropped his feet to the floor and rose, coming towards her. He towered
over her, and again, Trinale was reminded of pa'gan and the mistakes she
had made.

"Not yet" he smiled at her as well.

She motioned to a seat in front of her desk and she moved back behind
hers.

"Forgive my appearance. I have been cleaning up after the wraith attack we
suffered yesterday." Trinale looked at him and then forgot all her good
intentions as she blurted out, "What are your intentions towards Xanthia?
You know she is just a child, and I want to make sure you don't hurt her."

Trinale's face flushed red as she realized what she had done and she
groaned and buried her head in her hands.

"Shit....I didn't mean to do that..." Trinale mumbled.

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

NRPG: Tag, Rob!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

NRPG: Trinale would also probably visit the med center later that day to
check on the injured, especially T'jellan...and she forgot her appointment
to see Th'rin or Clarrisa in the morning for her checkup, so she'll see
them later if they hunt her down :)

Sorry it took so long to get this post out.....

Rhi.....next post....I just can't do anymore tonight, so if we move onto
the next day, the Warrenlady will meet you then :)
















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                  Kat Robertson (katmandu@iquest.net)

                    http://www.iquest.net/~katmandu