[Katla]

"Because I care about you and wonder if you could ever care for me in
the same way?"

Katla all but gaped at him in shock.  That wasn't possible.  Kanler
*liked* her?  When someone like Beneka, who was beautiful, wealthy,
and could *walk* wanted him?  "But.. you... Beneka... "

He stopped her stuttering with a gentle finger against her lips and
Chance shivered slightly from its warmth and texture.  Derry had done
the same thing a thousand times, but...  Chance concentrated on
Kanler's words to distract herself from frisson of heat.

"There is no me and Beneka," he told her. "Not on my part anyway. I
can't stand the girl. You're the one I want to spend time with.
You're the one I want to get to know... and I told your brother the
very same thing."

"Derry? You told Derry?" Katla could but stare.  In her world,
telling the eldest immediate male relative was the equivalent of
asking permission to court a girl...  with the intent of marriage. 
Despite the sterling qualities he seemed to think she had, she still
couldn't walk or cook or particularly keep house...  Oh, she knew how
to run a business or estate and could gentle horses with ease, but...
She bit her lip, nibbling on it for a moment, noting only distantly
how his eyes drifted down from hers for an instant and then returned
to hers.

"Look... just let me just spend sometime with you.. Maybe be your
friend. I would never do anything to hurt you and if you find you
don't.. feel for me the way I do you.. I'll understand."

He wanted to spend time with her.  Outside of her family and the few
true friends she had among the nobility, it was a novel concept. 
Except for N'lin, of course, but N'lin...  Katla refused to think
about it now, not when there was nothing she could do for him.

"Would you like to go with me to Saul's... Ummm... There's a
get-together at Saul and Shawnee's apartment...  It's Ojean's
birthday," he said a bit tremulously.

"Shawnee invited me." Katla told him, nodding slightly, puzzled.

"Will you go with me?" he asked again.

"As friends?" Well, of course, idiot.  Didn't the man just say he
wanted to spend time with you?  Katla shivered again, thinking of the
warmth and odd roughness of his fingertips.  Kanler nodded at her and
she was oblivious to the rigidly controlled glances that trailed down
the indecent V her ruined nightshirt made.

"I'll even promise not to try to hold your hand unless you reach for
mine first," he gave her the most charming grin he could come up with
and she laughed.

"Okay."  Katla grinned back and he left the bedroom.  When the door
had closed, she stood, flushing again when she realized how close to
*naked* she had been throughout the conversation.  Still...  He'd
somehow made her comfortable, despite the situation.

Her legs twinged only a little and she managed to find an outfit that
she could wear riding and possibly walking around.  She walked out
into the main room of her apartment clad in grey-black trousers and a
green linen shirt and smiled at Kanler.

"Why don't you go get changed and we could go on a picnic...  I'm not
the world's best cook, but I can do bread, cheese and wine..."

"That sounds... great."

She laughed and shooed him out of the apartment, heading for the
kitchen.

Overall, it was a good day with great company.  Kanler seemed
interested in all of her little -- or 'Geez, Chance, where do you get
the time?' as Derry called them -- projects, and she listened with
fascination as he told her about growing up.  They returned for
B'ril's funeral, which was well attended and she leaned on Kanler a
bit, in part from the exercise of the day and partly because of the
almost overpowering sadness in the air.  Katla hadn't known the man
well, only having met him a few times, but he had been well-loved by
the people who knew him and she mourned the loss of not having had a
chance to care for him as well.

Still, there was a party to go to... one that was happy and about
life.  Chance perked up as they headed up to Saul and Shawnee's, a
permanent smile gracing her lips as she remembered that she was
supposed to go home and pick up the final paperwork from her Da... 
So Ojee's present would have to wait a day...  So what?

It was a great party, in which the adults and children were equally
involved.  Katla played with Fawna, nuzzled Lynnie, gave the birthday
boy a huge hug and congratulated him on Lute's present.  The boy
grinned back at her and they laughed.

"I do have a present I want to give you, Ojee -- but it won't be
ready until tomorrow...  So...  wanna have a party over at my place? 
Good food and family?"

The boy considered her for a moment and she grinned.  "C'mon, I want
you and your family to come to my place tomorrow -- I've got
something that's for all of you...  I just wish it could have been
today, it's a great birthday present..."

"Okay, let's ask..."

The boy dragged her over to Saul and Shawnee and demanded that they
go to Katla's for dinner.  Chance rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Why?" asked Saul and she smirked at him.

"Because I enjoy watching you with your family, Saul...  You're so
cute when you worry about the kids..."  Saul groaned and Shawnee
laughed.  "Seriously, though, can't I want to have you over for
dinner?  I've got a gift for Ojee that won't be ready until tomorrow,
so...  I thought we could have a get-together at my place so I could
give it to him and everyone could congratulate him all over again... 
It's no fun to get a gift when no-one else is there to appreciate
it..."  

Ojee turned world-class begging eyes on them and they caved
instantly, not that they were fighting very hard.

They all drifted back into the party and she made her way back to
Kanler, who was telling some kind of tall tale to a wide-eyed Fawna,
with Byrin, Lorelie, and Jennifer all in attendance.  Derry had set
out his collection of child-safe carved objects for Ojee to choose
from and had donated a number of them as party favors for the kids. 
Katla sat down to listen too, catching an odd look from her brother
as his glance strayed to Kanler every once in a while.

Katla groaned inwardly.  Overprotective brother mode.  Just what she
needed.

Yuck!

But Kanler, at no time treated her with anything other than the
utmost respect, and Derry, even though he was obviously concentrating
on being sure that his beloved had a good time, had to have noticed
that.  The small knot of kids wandered off to play a game as Kanler
finished his story and Trinale came over.  Katla hugged her
sister-in-law and repeated the invitation to dinner, which was
speedily accepted.  She nudged Derry hard in the ribs as he gave
Kanler another sharp look.  Chance groaned softly and dragged her
brother away.

"Stop it."

"What?"

"Derry, Kanler is nice, so stop it.  He wouldn't do anything to hurt
me."

"Mmmmm."

"Stop worrying about me and take that lady of yours out for a picnic
or something tomorrow.  Trinale bears the whole responsibility for
this place and probably needs a break.  This has got to be
devastating for her."

Derry nodded.  Chance hugged him.

"Now quit taking out your aggressions on Kanler, okay?"

"Yes, mom!"  He looked at her seriously.  "Chance, I need to ask you
something..."

"What?"

"Ummm...  Trinale has asked me to be Wingleader until T'jellan
recovers..."

Katla stared at him.  "You're joking."

"Nope.  Nary a bit of it."

"Gods.  That'll go down well."

"Well, Saul reacted okay."

"Derry, Saul would react okay so long as it wasn't him and wasn't
someone like...  K'leev."  Katla grimaced.  "What are you going to
do?"

"I'm going to take it...  Someone has to, and what happened yesterday
can't happen again."

Katla shuddered.  "I agree with that."

"I want you to be my Second."

Katla's jaw hit the floor with almost enough force to shatter it. 
She stared at her brother, gaping helplessly.  She tried to close her
mouth.  Several times.

It gave her the rather endearing, if unflattering, appearance of an
asphyxiating fish.

Finally, she gained control over her tongue and mouth, but she still
stared at him like he was crazy.

"You... you want *what?*"

"I want you to be by Second."

"That-- That's what I thought you said."  She brushed a lock of hair
out of her eyes, noting absently that it was shaking fit enough to
make butter.  "Nepotism is alive and well..."

"That's *NOT* it, Chance."  He took a deep breath.  "During the
battle, we didn't have to talk to do the things that needed to be
done.  You began covering the fleeing unjoined when I was trying to
get everyone to finish filling the Wing...  and when we were..."

Katla flinched, not wanting to remember the magnitude of her failure.

"...when we were making it so that everyone could get coal, we didn't
have to discuss it, we just did it..."

"You want me to be your partner?"

"No.  We'd go crazy."  Derry grinned wryly at her and she laughed
shakily.  "I'm going to change the organization of the wing a bit... 
We think along lines that... fit together.  I know that between us
we'll be able to cover all the things that need to be done...  And
for that we'll need separate partners.  N'lin is... at Tinobal.  Who
would you like for a partner?  Kanler?"

Chance blinked.  "I don't know.  He'd do as well as anyone."

"And I can trust him to look out after you, too."

"Derry!"

Her brother laughed.  "We've been sequestered too long.  Soon
everyone will think I'm beating you.  Will you do it?"

"Of course.  Like you didn't think I would."

"Well, there is that..."

They returned and enjoyed themselves until the party broke up. 
Kanler escorted her back to her apartment, treating her like fine
china and making no overt moves.

He turned to leave and she watched him for a moment before calling
out.

"I'm having a dinner party tomorrow night.  Do you want to come?" 
She grinned at him.  "I need to go home and get some things...  You
can meet my parents..."


[Tag, Barb]

-----
[Derry]

He got up shortly before dawn, waking Levka with a gentle thought. 
They had a lot of things to do before lunch and there was one thing
he needed to accomplish before doing any of them.

<~ Mother's rose garden. ~>

<* As you wish, my rider... *>

Moving along the rows in the pearly light of pre-dawn, he found the
perfect rose and picked it for Trinale.  A flower for his love.

They returned home and he left it on the pillow before heading out
again.  He stopped in the kitchen to request a picnic basket before
heading to T'jellan's office.

It was an odd sensation, going through Wing information without
T'jellan there, but something had to be done immediately.  Wing
practice and patrols couldn't be put off.  They had a responsibility.
As the Warren awoke, he spent his time looking over patrol schedules
and partner assignments.  He wrote up some ideas on changes to make
in patrol patterns that would eliminate wasted time and help increase
visibility in a way that would remind people that the Warren was
there to *protect* them.

As it approached noon, he organized his notes and made a swing by the
dining hall to pick up the basket and headed to Trinale's office. 
The last couple of days had been horrible and they both could use a
break.  Derry knocked lightly on the door and was puzzled when he
didn't get an answer.  The door swung open and what met his sight
caused him to freeze.

Trinale dwarfed by a huge man, lips unquestionably touching...  Not
him screaming in her face, invading her body space, the way Aerin had
done to Derry...  Trinale's eyes met his and she pulled away from the
other man, flushing.

"Trinale..."  Images flashed through his mind... Aradia, Pa'gan... 
Daimon.  That his lady had chosen *him,* a LandBound lord's second
son, dimmed in the rush of pain... and anger.  He'd gotten screamed
at for trying to comfort a woman who had lost her family, had done
nothing more than stand there as her rage pushed her into his
personal space...  He swallowed hard.  Damned if he was going to
repeat *her* behavior.  "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have interrupted.  I
suppose I haven't gotten used to Warren culture yet.  Next time, I'll
knock harder."

"Derry..."  Trinale's voice was soft, her blue eyes pleading.

"No."  The basket dropped from his fingers.  "I can't do this right
now.  I can't stay here.  Nice to meet you, whoever you are."  He
managed to keep his face calm.  "Do you still want to go to Chance's
for dinner tonight?"

"Yes, of course."  Her voice broke and he looked away, refusing to
acknowledge the young man any further than he had already.  It was
killing him not to react with violence.  He wanted to scream.  He
wanted to beat on the guy.  He didn't do any of those things.

"Mother is sending a copy of her perfume recipes and gardening
secrets.  She...  she wanted you to have it."  Civilized.  He could
do civilized.  He looked at her, his princess in silver.  "I'll... 
see you this evening.  I've got to go."

<* My rider... *>

<~ Tell her...  I love her, but I can't stay right now.  I... I'm
going riding, okay? ~>

<* Where do you want to go? *>

<~ On a horse, Lev.  I'll be back. ~>

Leaving the basket on the floor he walked out, heading for the
stables.


-----

[Katla]

"Well...  If it isn't Crippled Katla Vaddon, the pathetic little girl
whose father is probably still trying to find someone willing to bed,
let alone marry."

Katla froze, turning to see Beneka, whose twisted smile totally
eliminated anything even remotely related to beauty in her face.

"Hello, Beneka.  How are you doing?"

"How am I?  I'm great!"  The young woman gave her a completely false
smile.  "How else can I be when my man is spending all his time with
a little piece of work like you..."

"Your man?"  Katla laughed.  "I think Kanler is above bestiality,
Beneka.  I can't see him screwing every dog in heat that crosses his
path...  And face it, Beneka, you're a bitch."

Beneka gaped at her before striking out, gasping when a hand shot out
to catch her flying hand before the slap could land.

"That's enough, Beneka."

"But, Kanler...  How can you let her say those sorts of things about
me?"  She fluttered her lashes coyly, her twisted smile smoothing out
to something that was actually reasonably pleasant to look upon. 
"What can she possibly have that I don't...  I've got money, title,
land, beauty --"

"You're a selfish, cruel, thoughtless beast, Beneka.  You always
were, even when we were children.  Did you know that your father was
glad when you Joined?  That way he didn't have to put up with your
tantrums any longer.  Everyone knew that he went down on his knees
that night and thanked the gods that you weren't his problem
anymore."

"You... You..."

"Go away, Beneka."

[Tag, again, Barb]

--------
NRPG --

Derry just left the makings of a nice, romantic feast, in case you're
wondering :)


*hugs* all

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Katla and Derry
Whiteriver Warren
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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