[Katla]

Mumbling softly as she dragged herself from sleep's swift currents,
Katla savored the feeling of being warm, safe, and cared for. 
Scratching her nose into 'Tinka's side, she became slowly became
aware of several things.

The first was that while her back was cold in places, her legs were
quite warm, and covered, even though her nightshirt had ridden up
quite a ways to gather near her waist.  She could feel the sheets on
the backs of her legs as they dangled haphazardly into her
bedclothes.

That realization made her aware that she was sleeping several inches
higher than normal, and was plastered almost indecently against
something warm that had her pinned via a long weight across her back,
caught in the folds of her nightshirt, and a broad -- hand? -- that
seemed to have found it's way to her hip, fingertips brushing her
skin with every breath that she -- they? -- took.

Frowning, she came further awake, groggily thinking that not only did
'Tinka not have hands, she didn't have buttons, and the one's caught
in Chance's tight-fisted grip had begun to cut uncomfortably into her
palms.

Muttering unintelligibly, she shifted, feeling the weight at the
small of her back clamp down as someone else responded in an
incoherent murmur.

Instinct grabbed her half asleep brain and she began struggling
against the arms that held her.  Her nose told her it wasn't Derry --
he'd held her through nightmares and sickness enough that she would
have known it was him immediately -- but it was someone at least
marginally familiar, and her brain said that *that* meant it had to
be someone she'd slept with before... and that meant T'jellan to her
irrational mind.  Katla pushed away, seeking escape from the
emotional pain that association caused her, but not finding it odd
that she didn't want to release whatever buttoned surface it was in
her hands or loose the safety she felt right where she was...

"Let go..."  The words made it past her lips just as it occurred to
her to open her eyes.

"You might try letting me go first..." said a voice that definitely
wasn't T'jellan's as the fog faded away and she looked into Kanler's
concerned eyes.

Chance stopped moving.  

In fact, she stopped breathing.

She was in bed with *Kanler?*  A *fully dressed* Kanler?

Oh... Great... Gods...

Not only was she in bed with Kanler, her hands were so wrapped up in
the fabric of his shirt, he couldn't possibly have gotten away
without ripping it.

Katla stared at her hands, slowly flushing as the feel of the
movement of the morning air told her some other things...  Like the
fact that the covers had come off of the bed.

And her nightshirt was still bunched around her waist, though it
managed to cover everything important...  Except for the fact it had
become unbuttoned half-way down during the struggle.

"Oh, Gods..."  She unclenched her hands, trying to pull them from the
Goridan knot they'd made of his shirt and felt the next button on her
nightclothes give way under the movement.  Even more blood rushed to
join the party on her face as she managed to get her hands free and
try and fix her nightshirt... only to find that the buttons hadn't
simply become undone, several of them had simply popped off.

If it was possible to die from embarrassment, Chance devoutly wished
that it could happen now.  More than anything, she wanted to ground
to open up and swallow her.

Katla imagined that she could feel her feet and hands getting cooler
as the fire in her face burned even hotter.  She glanced up at him as
she quit trying to fiddle with her shirt, recognizing it for the lost
cause it was.  She bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do next,
when she remembered her own rule for dealing with a prank that had
gone wrong...

When in doubt, brazen it out.

Nodding to herself, she couldn't think of a better solution to the
problem.

Well, not much of one, anyway.

'Tinka woke and was giggling in the back of her mind, sending an
image of herself snuggled up with Kanler's Sariss before making a
number of improper suggestions regarding the development of a male in
Katla's bed who was not Levka's rider.

"Shut up, 'Tinka..." Katla told her dragon absently, aloud, managing
to put a more-or-less natural hostess-like smile on her face and meet
Kanler's eyes, even though her cheeks were burning to set the Warren
on fire.  "Good morning, Kanler."

The squeaky tone of voice was *not* natural, but geez, it wasn't
every day she woke up with a gorgeous guy in her bed.  Katla
swallowed and tried again.

"You want breakfast, or anything?"

That was much better, much more natural, considering being
practically naked in the same bed as said gorgeous guy.  Her mother
would have been proud... after getting an attack of the giggles like
'Tinka's.

[Tag, Barb]

-----
[Derry]

Derry bid his love goodbye for the day, pulling her into his arms for
a long kiss before she left to start the day.  Trinale was growing
ever-more-confident, and it pleased him no end.  His lady was brave
and beautiful and he was lucky to have her.

He got to the ledge and suddenly realized that it was late morning. 
No wing practice...  Derry frowned.  What was going to happen with
both T'jellan and D'ni out of action?  If a patrol-rider came in at
this instant to tell them of a Wraith attack, they would be
completely unprepared.  Despite training and practice, he suddenly
realized he had only a vague idea of the hierarchy after the
Wingleader and his WingSecond.

That was not good.

<~ Lev? ~>

<* Yes, my rider? *>

<~ Would you bespeak Fayloth for me before we go on patrol?  I need
to ask him some questions about the Wing.  If he's busy, it can wait
until we get back... ~>

[Tag, Kris...  I imagine they can talk after Saul's trip to
Ralengarde ;) ]

<...>

Dressed in riding leathers, he went down to the Green to wait for his
patrol partner, the problem of the chain-of-command still nagging at
him.  He saw Firefly land and waved at Jar-- J'red.

"How are you doing?" he asked as they mounted up for patrol.

[Tag, Arlene]

<...>

Patrol was uneventful and Derry decided to take a side trip to Vaddon
Manor, thinking about his beloved's ruined garden.  His mother was an
avid gardener and both the formal and informal gardens were
spectacular, no matter the time of year.  Not only that, he had to
tell them about the destruction at Whiteriver.  Trinale may have sent
messengers already, but this was something he wanted to discuss with
his father on his own.

Da would understand.  As with just about any concentration of humans
in the Lands, Vaddon had been attacked more than once, and the toll
was always terrible.

They landed and his mother flew out of the doors.

"Derry!  Are you okay?  How's Chance?  What does the Warren need..." 
His mother's questions tumbled upon one another, spilling in a raging
flood of worry and grief.  He held her as she landed in his arms,
questions and tears pouring out at the same rate, and he answered
them as calmly as he could.

"I don't know the number of dead and injured.  T'jellan was injured
and D'ni...  D'ni and B'ril were killed."

His mother's eyes widened.  "Oh, gods.  No..."

She began to sob in earnest, for she had known both before leaving
the Warren to marry his father.  His Da came forward and took her
from his arms.

"Come in, son.  We've a lot to talk about, I think..."

The two of them led his crying mother into the manor house.

<...>

<~ Tell Trinale that we come bearing gifts from my family. ~> Derry
told Levka as they re-appeared above the Warren.

<* Cricket is demanding flowers. *>

<~ Well, new plants for the garden don't count? ~>

<* Not for my beautiful Cricket, they don't! ~>

<~ Tell Cricket that Mama is sending some flowers too, but she wanted
to help Trinale restart her garden... That way, we can get Cricket
flowers whenever we want... ~>

Levka gave a mental laugh.  <* She's pouting, but I think she's
pleased anyway.  She says that Wintermoon and Oldreth have already
brought her a large number of flowers and that we have to match it.
*>

<~ Tonight? ~>

<* If we want to stay in her good graces... *>

<~ Good thing Mama has already given us a good start. ~>  Derry
laughed.  <~ Like one can stay in her good graces when she's broody
anyway... And who is Oldreth? ~>

<* Didn't I tell you? *>

<~ Uh... No. ~>

[Tag, Kat...  Derry arrives bearing starters :)  Actually he needs to
make several trips.]

-----
NRPG --

Kat -- oddly enough, I'd already thought about sending Derry to his
mom to get cuttings from her garden.  Great minds think alike ;)  Him
showing up with gardening stuff can happen any time you like before
the funerals.

Kris -- Whenever Saul gets back, Derry would like to talk to him :) 
He'll be in and out, so if Saul would like to help gather stuff from
Vaddon...

Barb -- Poor Kanler... <eg>

*hugs* all

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Katla and Derry
Whiteriver
DragonLands
             X-FILES                         DRAGONLANDS
 Assistant Director                   Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
 Sterling Kincaid, TL, ECHO           Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
 Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA          Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
 Xan X. Xavier, Trainer,              Zera and Mazel       *Norwall*

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			      Vasaris, the Fuzzy Dragon
 Jill E. Flansburg	          |		            vasaris@az.com
 CS HMC 1994	                |		jflansbu@muddcs.cs.hmc.edu
 History, WWU 199?                |		vasaris@divcom.umop-ap.com
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