Th'rin
***
<< Morning - Day Three>>

Th'rin had seen to the care of Racine's child .. his brother. What an odd
thought that was! The child was younger then his own son. *Er .. then
Oberon ..* he quickly corrected himself. But with everyday that passed he
felt that the boy was indeed his son .. and sometimes it made him feel
guilty. Oberon wasn't really his son .. Though the boy had managed to spit
out a few syllables that sounded amazingly like 'Dada' when he was around.

Helping Racine into Areena's saddle. "It's the fastest way," He assured her
as he strapped her in. "Areena's very gentle .."

"I know, Th'rin .. it's just .. well, she's getting so big! Why if she
keeps growing like this surely she'll be full sized in no time."

"Oh no," Th'rin chuckled, "I doubt Areena will ever get that big."

His hand slid over the saddle strap taking note of the fact that there were
only two unused holes in the end of the strap .. Hadn't it only been last
week that there five??

He stepped back from the dragon, trying to look at her objectively

<Soon I will need a new saddle,> her silvery voice purred in his head.

Th'rin frowned and ignored the comment. <Take Racine to the med center.>

<You should ride with me.>

<No, I don't want to hurt you.>

<I am bigger .. I am stronger.>

<You are not, and I will not let you hurt yourself by doing foolish things,
now go on and take her.>

Areena shrugged and launched into the air moving gracefully and smoothly so
as not to scare the woman on her back.

He watched as she grew smaller against the blue sky and was finally able to
breath a little easier. No she wasn't getting bigger. She would always be
small .. she would never fully mature .. He kept repeating the words over
and over in his head, almost like a prayer.

He began to jog toward the medical center, just as he had in the old days
.. before he'd had Areena to ride on. His footfalls kept time to his
thoughts, pounding them into his head, easing the worry that hid in the
back of his mind.

***

Merissa was there with Oberon, when he arrived. "How is Racine?"

"She's good. It's a boy .. she named him Neeril."

Merissa smiled, "I'm so glad." She kissed the boy and handed him to Th'rin.
"Now I'm late.. I'll see you tonight for dinner."

Th'rin nodded as she raced out the door. He turned and looked at the door
to B'ril's office .. suddenly the sadness at the loss of his mentor falling
over him again.

Within minutes Xanthia had arrived to pick him up. "Maxima told me he was
here," she grinned moving to take him.

>Th'rin was somber as he handed the boy and the baby equipment over to Xanthia.

>"What's wrong?" Xanthia asked.

>"B'ril's funeral was last night," Th'rin said, as if that was all the
>explanation needed.

>"I know," Xanthia said, her tone devoid of any emotion. It was a statement
>of fact to her.

>"He was my friend."

>"I'm sorry," Xanthia said, not knowing what else to say.

Th'rin nodded, "We all are." Then he turned and walked away, leaving
Xanthia watching his back.

Saul
***

Byrin said his good-byes to Ojean and Fawna, who both begged him to stay a
while longer. But Saul reminded them of his promise to Byrin's mother. "You
don't want me to go back on my word do you?"

Fawna frowned, "No .. but maybe you could talk Byrin's mother into moving
here?"

Byrin laughed out loud at that. "I'm sorry Fawna, but that will never
happen. My mom has lots of responsibilities in Ralengarde. She runs the
Traveler's Rest. And then there's Toral Smith."

Fawna giggled, "I know .. he likes to kiss on her." Byrin had told them all
of his mothers new beau. Saul grinned. He was glad to see the boy approved
of the young smith. That would make it easier for Merybelle and Toral.

"Come along, Byrin. You'll be late for school. You too," he said turning
and looking back at Ojean and Fawna.

"But I haven't finished oiling Teewith yet," Ojean complained.

"You have ten minutes to finish, then off for your morning lesson."

"But Saul .." the boy started to complain.

"Jean-o, you only have a morning lesson at school. You get to spend all
afternoon with Teewith, and Cali. But your sister and I insist on this
morning lesson."

"Oh all right," the boy grumbled and headed over to finish oiling his tiny
dragon.

***
<<in Ralengarde>>

Saul dropped off Byrin at school and headed to the Smithy to see Toral
Smith. There were some things he felt he needed to discuss with the young
man. Particularly in light of his relationship with Merybelle.

He walked into the front of the shop and was greeted by a well-built
gentleman, "Good Morning, rider." The man said with a smile, "Don't get
many of you in here. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for Toral Smith."

"Ahh, he's my nephew, and he's in the back. I show you were he is?"

Saul nodded, "I would appreciate it."

The man nodded and motioned for him to follow him into the back. As Saul
came through the door, he motioned toward a fire pit, "That's him over
there."

Saul nodded recognizing the tall muscular frame of Merybelle's fiancˇ. He
thanked the man and headed over, already feeling the heat of fiery furnace
the young man worked over.

Sweat was popping out on his brow as he got close enough to call to the
man, "Toral?"

The dark-haired man turned, and looked at Saul in surprise. "Saul of
Whiteriver." He smiled, "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted a moment to talk to you about Byrin?"

 Toral nodded, "Sure let me finish up here and I'll meet you in that room
over there. You'll find a table and chairs .. perhaps even some coffee if
my Uncle hasn't drunk it all already."

Saul smiled and nodded, "Thank you." He was glad to get away from the
over-powering heat.

***

"So is anything wrong with Byrin?" Toral asked, running a clean towel over
his face and neck as he sat down to  talk with Saul.

"No, not really. I'm am concerned, however, about his future."

"His futures?" Toral asked, "Why?"

"Byrin wants to quit school and start apprenticing."

"Oh no, I don't think Mery would go for that. She's intent on him having a
good education and taking over the Rest."

Saul nodded, "So Byrin has told me. Part of this may be my fault. I'm
afraid I was never much for academic endeavors. Seems Byrin inherited that
from me. But what he really wants to do, is to work with you."

"Me?"

Saul nodded again. "You've made quite an impression on him. He respects you
a lot and I think it would be good for him to learn a trade such as this.
Especially if he hasn't the inclination or aptitude to take over the Rest
from Mery."

Th'rin
***
<<Lunchtime>>

"I brought you some lunch," he heard Caliban's voice coming up behind him
in the med center.

He turned and raised a questioning eyebrow, "Oh .."

She nodded, "Yes, Areena told Lute you wouldn't take time for lunch, so I'm
bringing it for you."

"Areena worries to much." He said, "But thank you."

"I want to talk to you about Areena."

"What?"

"Can we go in your office?"

Th'rin nodded and led her down the hall and into his office. It was the
same small office he'd had since becoming a healer .. he hadn't had the
heart to move into B'rin's office yet.

"Areena agreed to help Lute and I with Teewith .. being that he's so small
.. much like she was."

Th'rin frowned, thinking she'd put an awful lot of emphasis into the word
'was'. "She likes Teewith and feels a kinship due to their small size. And
she tells me that her mother was not a queen either .. though I think Lute
has more motherly instinct then Areena's mother must have had."

Cali nodded. "The thing is, Th'rin. She begged Lute to have me measure her
again .."

Th'rin groaned, "I hope you told her you didn't have time for such
silliness. I don't know why all of a sudden she thinks she's just going to
start growing .. she hasn't grown more the a few inches this year so far..
why should that change!"

Cali rested a hand on his arm, calming him a bit, "Th'rin .. the thing is
.. she was 15 feet  and 10 inches last month when I measured her. And
you're right, that was only up a couple of inches from 6 months prior to
that."

"See ..what did I tell you. Silliness .."

"She was 17 feet and 5 inches this morning."

Th'rin looked at her in shock. "That can't be! You mis-measured! You said
she'd stopped growing!"

"I said, it seemed her growing was slowing. Now she's hit a new growth
spurt. It happens with most dragons in the first weeks of life. We just
didn't know what was going to happen with Areena."

"Cali .. that's nearly two feet in a month!"

"I think it's more then that. Areena seems to think all that growing
happened last night."

"Overnight!"

"Well, that's not unusual for a dragon .."

"For a hatchling.. not a year-old dragon!"

"Areena is .. different. She was a wild dragon hatched of a non-queen. We
really didn't know what to expect. It might just be .. a fluke."

Th'rin nodded, "That's it.. it's a fluke. You're right .. it's a fluke.
She'll stop again .."

"She might not." Cali said, but Th'rin ignored her, his earlier mantra
running through his head again.

Regards,
Saul & Fayloth
Th'rin & Areena
***
NRPG: Sorry about the two parter .. again. But I gotta go to work.. and I
wanted to get some of this out. I'll be caught up to Junipers mating flight
in my next post.

Kris

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       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Darlea & Makayla, Keldarra Warren, Courier
                      Waylene & Aura, Marrid Warren, Warrenlady
                      Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Wingleader
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Telnor Warren, Dragonrider
                      Saul & Fayloth, Whiteriver Warren, Searcher
                      Merybelle Barmen, City of Ralengarde, Innkeeper
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm
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