The door to Trinale's office was closed so Merissa knocked softly and
promptly heard the Warren Lady's call to come inside.

She was a bit surprised to see Oldreth already there, and found herself a
bit petulantly asking "So, What's up?"

Trinale handed her a letter and as she scanned the contents felt the color
drain from her face.  Oldreth jumped up to steady her, and Merissa found
herself again noticing how attractive -- how strong -- he was.

"Easy there!  Now what's scared you so?"  Oldreth crooned.

"Have you read this?  It is unbelievable!  I've heard of these things, but
thought they were myth... Are they real?"  Merissa turned her troubled eyes
to Trinale for confirmation.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."  Trinale nodded.  "But the good news is that they seem
to have found something to combat these Hellspawn!"

"Yes, the Tejas root, I read that...."  Merissa sighed.  "You don't think we
have to worry about these things here, do you?"

"I don't know, but we'd better be prepared."  Trinale answered.

Merissa noticed that Oldreth seemed awfully quiet.  "Doesn't the Hellspawn
concern you?"  Merissa asked the large Nomad, feeling unusually annoyed.

Oldreth looked from one to the other.  He had gathered from the conversation
with B'rin that there was a real threat from these new wraiths... and now
he'd heard about the Tejas root.... "What we need is more Tejas root."
Oldreth's voice boomed with authority.  "We should get teams out and search
the hillsides."

"That's a great idea"  Merissa beamed.

"Yes, I'd already thought of that..." Trinale nodded in agreement.  "I'll
have patrol parties assigned in the morning.  You know for the first time
since Oldreth has come to Whiteriver the three of us have agreed?"  She
laughed slightly.  "We might actually make a good team ourselves!"

Merissa and Oldreth laughed as well, feeling the tension slip away.

Merissa turned to the large man and remarked, "I've a number of reports that
I am working on, I'd be willing to spend a little extra time and show them
to you..."

"That's a great idea, Merissa!"  Trinale chimed in, "Oldreth, why don't you
take a few minutes and just familiarize yourself with them?"

Oldreth looked a bit nervous... Why would he look nervous over looking at
reports?  Merissa wondered.  Then again, he seemed to put on an air of
confidence and loudly replied, "I'd be delighted..." and flashed a very
winning smile in Merissa's direction -- and it made her heart pound
irrationally loudly.

They left Trinale's office together and walked across to Merissa's office.
She felt light headed -- must be the tension of the past few days catching
up with her, she rationalized.

Pulling papers from the stack, Merissa started to calmly go over
inventories, tithings and which Lords were responsible for what supplies.
Oldreth just sat there and watched her.  It was rather unnerving!  He
glanced occasionally at the papers, and this began to really annoy Merissa.

Merissa stopped suddenly, and looked pointedly at Oldreth, "Are you paying
attention to anything I'm saying?"

"Yes, and you are quite lovely when you get upset..." Oldreth grinned, then
started to rehash almost verbatim what Merissa had been saying... "Lord
Gringle has the most forests, so we ask him for wood, Lord Vaddon has a lot
of crop lands and can supply us with foodstuff, Lord Fowler has livestock,
cattle... shall I go on?"

Merissa stared open mouthed.  How had he done that without looking at her
notes?

"If you keep your mouth open like that I might just have to kiss it..."
Oldreth grinned at her.

Merissa shut her mouth quickly, blushing.

The red cheeks were in sharp contrast to her ebony hair -- with the small
red streak that fell forward in a charming curl -- Oldreth noticed.

Trying to find her composure, Merissa tried to continue with the
instruction, but the way that man was staring at her...

"Well, maybe that is enough for today!  Oberon probably needs me ... and
...."  She trailed off, looking into Oldreth's eyes as if asking for help.

And Oldreth helped himself, by kissing her soundly, then abruptly turned and
left the office.
*****

NRPG: Tag Rob ;)

*****

Merissa walked back to her apartment in a daze.  She hardly even noticed
that Juniper rose to mate.  She idly wondered who'd won her.

<You seem distracted, my rider> came the concerned dulcimer tones of
Chrysthal.

<Just a lot on my mind...>  Merissa distractedly responded.

<Like my granddaughter Wintermoon's rider?>  Chrysthal asked.

Merissa stopped suddenly on the steps.  <What about Oldreth?  You haven't
been telling...>  Fear gripped her heart.  What had she done?  She used to
daydream about Th'rin like this...

<No, not like this, my rider.  But what would I tell?  And to whom would I
tell it?>  Chrysthal queried.

<Nothing! There is nothing to tell!>  Merissa stomped up the remainder of
the steps.

She crossed the ledge where Chrysthal and Areena were perched.  Was Areena
getting bigger?  She didn't look quite so tiny next to Chrysthal...  Maybe
it was the angle...  Merissa stopped for a second, but then had to respond
to the sudden calls from Oberon, who had sensed her arrival -- how did he do
that?  She wondered.

"Mammmaaa!" came the cheerful call as the boy let go of Th'rin's hands and
came toddling to meet her!

"Oberon!! You're walking??"  Merissa scooped the boy into her arms!  "Oh,
Oh, my little bear!"  She laughed and danced him around, though he obviously
had no idea what had made her so happy.

"Watch what you're doing!  He just ate!"  Th'rin's concerned tones
interrupted their dance.

Merissa stopped spinning and looked at the delighted little boy in her
arms.. "Well, I don't think a little congratulatory dance is going to hurt
him!"

"You'll upset his stomach!  You might make him throw-up!" Th'rin responded,
"And spinning isn't good for babies... could cause brain damage..."

"Oh,"  Merissa carried the boy into the living quarters of their apartment,
subdued, but annoyed.  Th'rin was so over-protective sometimes!  Not that
she didn't feel protective... but, he just seemed to take it too far!

"Juniper rose to mate." She found herself saying, to change the subject.

"Yes, Areena told me."  Th'rin seemed a bit concerned by that.

"Oh, who won the mating flight?"  Merissa worried that maybe it was someone
that Clarissa didn't get along well with, or that Th'rin didn't particularly
like.

"The dragon from Telnor, his rider B'rin is very young," Th'rin commented as
he shared out dinner for Merissa and himself.

Merissa sat and the two ate in relative silence, punctuated with Oberon's
chatter.

Merissa looked across at her mate, feeling suddenly like she didn't even
know him.

****
NRPG: Tag Kris
I had a J'red post in the works... mostly his reaction to his "partner"
becoming his Wing Leader, but I don't know where to go with it.  And
Jennifer's visit to the warren.  Any kids want to play?  Shawnee's sibs,
Trinale's sister?  I think Jennifer would love to meet Teewith...


****************************************************************************
Arlene E. Jacobs (9/22/63) <ajacobs@zebra.net>; ICQ 11274608
in Montgomery, Alabama
Loving Wife to Mark (7/9/59) and Mother of
Kevin (5/17/92-11/22/93), Jeffrey (5/14/94) and Jessica (3/25/96)
Charter Member of The Wise Women of the Web
http://www.neosoft.com/~acoustic/wwwarlenejhp.html
Family page http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/1013/

"I will extend peace to her like a river,
 and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
 you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees,
 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;"
 Isaiah 66:12-13