[Day 3]
Time: 07:30 am

<<Wake up>>

Oldreth stirred and snuggled closer to the pillow he was holding against
his chest.

<<WAKE UP>> shouted Wintermoon in Oldreth's mind.

"MMmmmm-mmm" came the unintelligible from against the pillow.

<<Oldreth...>> prodded

<Damn it. Let me sleep.>

<<It's after dawm dearest.>>

Oldreth stretched and groaned, sitting up in the bed.

<Fine, I'm up, happy?>

<<Very...Good morning dear.>>

Oldreth mumbled "Morning" as he rolled out of bed and went to take a bath,
about 30 minutes of hotwater later, he came out and started his
excercises.

<<Maxima says her rider is excited to know another Bear nomad>>

Oldreth chuckled and almost missed a step in his excercises <She's excited
about everything>

Wintermoon grinned draconically, <<She likes you>>

Oldreth hrmphed and then, with a smile <See if you can have her see me in
a bit.>

<<Okay. Cricket likes her flowers>>

<Tell her she's welcome.>

Oldreth finished up his morning routine of excercises and pulled on some
clothes, making sure that everything matched and that his hair was brushed
and neatly tied back.

> Xanthia bounded into Oldreth's apartment. "You wanted to see me?" The
> question came too eagerly.
> 
> "Yes," his eyes twinkling with amusement, "Sit down, please."
> 
> Xanthia set Oberon on the floor with some of his toys and then did as
> she was told, her face lit up in eager childlike anticipation; of what,
> she was not sure. 
> 
> Oldreth knelt down beside her, bringing himself closer to her eye level.
> "You are a Bear nomad, and you were raised in Tillharnon."
> 
> Xanthia nodded vigorously.
> 
> Oldreth continued, "You have this dagger, and you do not know what it
> means, or any of the nomad ways."
> 
> Xanthia nodded again, more uncertainly this time. Xanthia put her hands
> protectively over her dagger.
> 
> "It is your right to know these things, to learn the ways of your
> people. I would like to teach you these ways. Would you like that,
> Xanthia?"
> 
> Xanthia threw her arms around the large man's neck, "I'd love it!" she
> cried. He smelled good, she noted, and his arms felt good around her.

Oldreth laughed as the girl almost toppled him in her happiness. He sat
her down and pulled a chair over to sit opposite her.

"Okay...Where to start..."

"At the beginning?" piped up Xanthia.

Oldreth chuckled "Very well, at the beginning."

He took a deep breath and though a moment "All right, in ages past,
legends say there were one people, not nomads, or landborn, or warrenborn,
but when the first human bonded with a dragon, things started to change.
A group of men saw that controlling the dragon riders could bring them
power, so they sought to control them. There were so few riders in those
days, and they fled rather than be controlled by evil men. They formed the
first warren a longlong time ago. So long ago, no one remembers it's name,
or where it was."

Xanthia sat, rapt in the story, and gave a small "Oh." as he paused.

"Those men who sought power over others soon found other ways to lord over
the people, and they became the nobled of the landborn. But some people
wouldn't submit, or give up their freedom, so they too left. This was the
First Tribe of nomads, and stories say that all other nomads everywhere
came from this tribe. The lords of the landborn couldn't let part of their
people just leave though, so they declared the First Tribe criminals,
traitors to their people, and for dozens of years, they were hunted by the
soldiers of the landborn. In time, the evil of the nobles was mitigated by
the voice of the people, and the Covenant between the Landborn and the
Warren people. But necessity became tradition, and running to survive the 
swords of the ruling classes, in time became a tradition of wandering. The
dark times fragmented the First Tribe, scattering it's people all over the
lands. We became the Bear Nomads, for our strength, and ferocity in
battle."

He smiled at Xanthia, "These stories are passed from nomad to nomad, so we
never forget where we came from. Any questions yet?"

Xanthia's red hair flew in a multitude of directions as she shook her
head, bouncing Oberon on her knee.

"Someday you'll tell him these stories, so he knows where he comes from."
he reached out and touched Xanthia's cheek gently.

"Anyway, to go on, the Bear Nomads have four tribes, which roughly
corresponds to the times of the year. I'm of the White tribe, which is for
winter, when the snow is on the mountains. There is also Green, which are
the spring people, Red, or the summer people, and Gold, or the autumn
people. Each tribe shares a common heritage, but lives in different areas.
Most of our traditions are the same, but of course, some differ."

"Now that we've got some background, how about breakfast?" he smiled.

Xanthia nodded and grinned, standing. Oldreth helped her collect Oberon's
supplies and went to breakfast.

********
NRPG: Tag Morgie, go whereever you want with breakfast, heck, make up some
more about the Bear Nomads :)
********

Time: 11:00 am

Oldreth smiled after Xanthia, as she went her own way toward the medical
centre. Turning away, he went out to the green and stretched out on the
grass, enjoying the full feeling, and basking in the sun. He'd almost
closed his eyes...

<<Oldreth...>> Wintermoon's thought snapped him awake.

"What..." he sighed.

<<Cricket says her rider needs to speak with you.>>

"Gods!" he mutters as he pulled himself up, <Fine, I'll be in her office
in a moment>

He brushed himself off and set out toward the warrenlady's office.

********
NRPG: Tag Kat, you wanted to talk, he'll be a little less talkative,
having talked himself out with Xanthia. Get in what you want to say quick
:)
********

Time: 2:00 pm 

Oldreth frowned to himself, walking out of the bounds of the warren
proper. So many damn rules, he'd probably get in trouble for walking out
this far, but what damn business was it of anyone's where he went.

He'd found a stream and thought about a swim when he heard the choking
sobs of someone crying. He hurriedly followed the sound to the huddled,
miserable shape of Moira sobbing on the bank of the creek.

<<Wintermoon, tell Cricket and Chrysthal that Moira's distraught about
something>>

He knelt down next to her and touched her arm gently. "Moira?"

She sniffled, "Just leave me alone"

"Come on now" he helped her up, "Tell me what's the matter"

With that Moira's sobs became more urgent and he pulled her close and
heard the snuffling sobs against his shirt, and felt her wipe her nose
over the clean soft fabris. He sighed and tried to comfort her as he
shuddered miserably agaist him.

		*	*	*	*	*	*		

Rhiannon, Tag! :)
NRPG: Whew, I think I got everyone. Let me know if there are probs.

       />          Rob Hines Jr.        <\       
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