Back to the conversation in the garden...

>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.


Merissa frowned.  "How do you?  I haven't a clue!  He's been on his own
since he joined with Wintermoon..."  Merissa visualized the freedom that
Oldreth had, simply flying with his dragon where-ever and when-ever they
chose -- no paperwork!  no Mothers (ugh, Analise)!  no responsibilities!
.... No Oberon -- well, maybe she wouldn't trade her life for that one, as
she found herself smiling just thinking of her little, umm, *big* baby.

Trinale watched as Merissa's facial expressions changed, and wondered about
what Merissa was thinking.  "Ahem?  We were discussing Oldreth...?"

"Oh!"  Merissa laughed sheepishly, "I was just thinking about Oberon...."

"Oh, Yes.  I just saw him with Xanthia...  which brings up another good
point... Do you have any ideas as to what the relationship is between those
two?"

"Between Xanthia and Oberon....?"

"No!  Between Xanthia and Oldreth!"  Trinale looked at Merissa critically...
her friend certainly seemed distracted!

"Umm.  I know they've shared a few meals, and that Xanthia helped get him
settled in, and that she's thrilled to meet a living Bear Nomad...  Is there
something else?"

"No.. I mean not that I know of...."  Trinale hesitated.  "It's just another
of those custom differences that I'm not sure how to handle or explain..."
Trinale suddenly had an inspiration, "Maybe *you* can handle this
situation?"

"What situation?"  Merissa felt that she was missing something in this
conversation.

"Oldreth!"  Trinale looked at Merissa exasperated.  "Maybe you could help
explain some of the expectations of a Warren Junior Queenrider!"

Merissa looked startled.  "What, me?"  Thoughts of spending any time alone
with Oldreth made her feel queasy, frightened, unsettled...thrilled.  She
couldn't put a finger on it, but talking to him alone wasn't something she
wanted to do.  "No!  I don't think so, Trinale.  I think you'd do a much
better job..."

"Oh, don't be silly!  You're the one with all that bard training.  You can
explain things much better than I can -- much more diplomatically.  I
insist!"

After going around about this a few more times, Merissa finally acquiesced.

*****
As she walked away she remembered the feelings she'd had when Oldreth had
stood, towering over her, and kissed her hand... she felt her cheeks burn.
Why did he leave her feeling so strangely?

<I don't know either, after all they are family.>  Interjected Chrysthal who
had just woken from her afternoon nap on the warmest spot on the green.

Merissa was surprised by this.  <Family?  What do you mean?  They just came
to the warren yesterday...?>  Actually Merissa had been surprised that the
two resident queens hadn't been more protective of their domain.

<But Ashai was mine.>  This cryptic response left Merissa confused.

<And who is -- was Ashai?>

<My stolen hatchling.>  Chrysthal responded.

<Your stolen hatchling?  You mean your stolen Queen Egg?  The one the rogue
dragons stole??  Are you saying that Wintermoon isn't her real name -- that
it really is Ashai?>

Chrysthal snorted, exasperated.  <No, Wintermoon isn't Ashai.  Ashai is
Wintermoon's mother.>

Merissa was startled.  So Wintermoon was Chrysthal's granddaughter,
Cricket's great-granddaughter -- family.  Well, she'd have to ask Oldreth
about the rider of Ashai!

So..., she would talk with Oldreth... But she vowed she'd wait until the
morning -- today just had too many other distractions, not to mention the
memorial service for D'ni and B'ril.

*****
--A Sad Evening--

Mara was right on time.  Unfortunately Merissa and Th'rin weren't quite
ready.  For some reason getting dressed for the service had taken longer
than they had expected... perhaps it was where they were planning on
going... neither Th'rin nor Merissa really wanted to go to a memorial
service, especially for B'ril.  Though he wouldn't admit crying again,
Merissa could see that Th'rin had come out of the shower with red-rimmed
eyes that weren't due to getting soap in them as he said.

She knew that this would drastically change their lives.  Th'rin was now the
"chief" healer and would be working days.  The ramifications hadn't quite
settled in, but one of the big changes would be the amount of time that
Th'rin got to spend with Oberon.

She hurriedly got dressed while listening to Mara and Th'rin playing with
Oberon.  The baby's happy chortling was suddenly interrupted by a very loud
squeal of frustration.  Merissa smiled, that boy was trying to grow up so
fast!  "So, what is he frustrated about now?"  She called.

>From the other room Th'rin responded, "Now?"  He laughed, "Our little bear
really wants to walk!"

Merissa came out into the living room to see Mara and Th'rin on the floor
with a frustrated Oberon trying to step from one to the other.  He didn't
want to hold onto the fingers that were offered -- he wanted to do it
himself.  Merissa smiled.

Seeing Merissa Oberon's frustrated cries turned to a squeal of joy, as he
flung himself towards her, falling on his face in the process -- but
undaunted, he just crawled at top speed to her legs, pulling himself up on
her skirt.  Merissa laughed and swung him up into her arms.

"Oh my Big Bear!  Why in such a rush?"  Merissa hugged him to her, as his
chubby arms encircled her neck.  She sadly disengaged as Th'rin noted that
they should be going.

*****
They entered the dining hall together and scanned the sea of familiar faces.
Several people came up to Th'rin and offered their condolences.

B'ril had been Th'rin's best-friend, mentor and he was taking it very hard.

Merissa excused herself as Saul and Shawnee came over to talk with Th'rin.
She made her way to the stage area where Analise was busy with a few of her
students.

*****
NRPG: Tag Kris, Barb.
*****

"Mother... "  Merissa hesitated.

Analise turned cold eyes to her daughter.  "Can't you see that I'm busy?"
she snapped.

"Yes, well... " Merissa responded lamely.  Why did she keep trying with that
woman?  "I just thought that you might want to get started with some soft
background music..."

"You don't need to tell me *my* job.  You go back to your little dragonrider
friends and leave a Bard to do a Bard's work."  The comment cut Merissa to
the quick, her mother no longer considered her a bard!

Turning with tears in her eyes, Merissa suddenly found herself walking into
a wall of a man.  Looking up startled she found herself staring into the
face of the large Bear Nomad, Wintermoon's rider.
*****
NRPG: TAG Rob.

*****
Merissa stood over by the food table not even noticing the items she shoved
into her mouth.  Trinale saw her looking more upset than she'd seen her
friend before and headed in her direction.  But Merissa wasn't about to tell
her the conflicting emotions that raged inside of her.  Instead she quickly
changed the conversation.  "Do you think we should get started? "  Turning
towards the stage Merissa signaled to her mother to stop the music.

Trinale had no choice but to go forward, though vowing not to let Merissa
off so easily, and calling for attention;  she began,  "We are here to honor
our fallen comrades, D'ni and his dragon Davonni who gave their lives in the
heroic rescue of T'jellan and Grunth, and B'ril a talented healer who had
served our Warren for more than 10 years..."

*****
NRPG: Tag Kat.  And anyone else who cares to attend the memorial...

Submitted by
Arlene Jacobs
aka Merissa and rider of the Junior Queen Dragon Chrysthal.