[Katla, midafternoon, Vaddon Estate]

"Are you sure you want me here?" Kanler asked, suddenly looking
nervous.

Katla laughed.  "Why?  Worried about meeting my parents?"

He looked abashed and Katla smiled.

"Kanler...  my parents are very nice people..."

"Chance!"  A bright, laughing voice called out from the main doors
and Anis Vaddon ran out of the house, hugging her daughter.

"Mama!"  Katla laughed, hugging back fiercely.  There was nothing
like a hug from her mother to banish the demons of the world, at
least for a while.

"The things you asked for are ready..."  Anis Vaddon's pale blue eyes
came to rest on Kanler and Chance's mother pulled away.

"Who's this?"

"Mother...  This is my new partner, Kanler.  Kanler, my mother, Anis
Vaddon..."

"Please call me Anis, my dear..."  Chance saw her mother's eyes begin
to sparkle and groaned almost silently.  "Katla, my dear girl, your
father and brother are in the estate room.  The articles you asked me
to get are waiting in the front hall..."

"Mama..."

"Shoo, dear.  I'd like to speak to this young man...  I need to find
out who is protecting my daughter, now don't I?"

Chance knew the determined look in her mother's eyes and knew better
than to try and dissuade her.

"I'll see you later, Kanler...  I've got some papers to pick up from
Da..."  She grinned at him as he paled some more.  "Don't worry, Mama
doesn't bite."


-----
[Anis Vaddon]

Anis watched her daugther make her way into the house with a smile.

"So...  You're Kanler.  Derry's told us a bit about you."

"Ma'am?"

Anis turned laughing eyes on the young man and grinned.  "Derry is
very protective of Katla...  But if it helps, he likes you."

"He does?"

Anis nodded.  "Yes.  I'm not sure he trusts you with Katla's heart,
but he does like you."

"I would never do anything to hurt her...  She's...  She's
everything..."

Moving forward, Anis linked her arm through his.  "Well, if she's
everything, why don't we talk about her?  Is there anything you'd
like to know?"


-----
[Katla -- evening]

Katla took a look at the table, smiling.  "There...  Food's waiting,
gifts are ready..."

"Why so many gifts?" asked Kanler just as he placed the last package
at Fawna's place.

"It's a surprise...."  Like the extra guests that were waiting
downstairs with J'red...  She was going to have them come in when the
time seemed right, but for now, they were just enjoying the
hospitality of Lord Fowler's son and the Warren.

A dragon screamed her defiance and Kanler's eyes glazed.

<< What? >>

< Juniper flies... >

Kanler's feet led him toward the ledge and the stairs down and Katla
bit her lip, abruptly realizing that she didn't want him to go, even
though he had no choice...

Jealousy was a terrible thing.

Chance puzzled over this new feeling, finding it strange that it
could be so strong when she didn't know Kanler all that well...  But
he pulled at her...

A roar of triumph echoed above and Kanler stopped moving.

<< Who? >>

< Kalon...  He is visiting from Telnor and is a very fine dragon. >

Katla laughed aloud as Kanler came back in, something in his eyes as
he looked at her.  She came forward, and touched his hand, intending
to give comfort.  Kanler's fingers tangled with hers and he pulled
her forward, causing her to stumble into his arms.

"Kanler...?"  Her eyes widened as his mouth touched hers, swallowing
her startled gasp.  A sweet touch, gentle and passionate...  and she
surrendered, absolutely.

[Tag, Barb -- just leave her put-together enough to answer the door
;)]

<...>

There was a knock on the inner door and Katla answered it, grinning
like a maniac when she welcomed Ojee and his family.

< My rider, Levka says this rider and Cricket's may be late... 
Oaklah's rider is in need of help... >

"Darn!"

"What is it?" asked Shawnee.

"Derry and Trinale may be late..."  Chance sighed sadly.  "I was
hoping that we could give her a night off...  She's got so much to
do, and no secretaries to take care of some of the paperwork..."  She
caught Ojee's eye.  "Well, I had intended to do presents after
dinner, but why don't we do them first, so hopefully Derry and
Trinale can make it for the meal..."

Ojean grinned and nodded.

Without being asked, Kanler produced a gaily wrapped box and handed
it to the boy, who -- despite receiving a number of presents the
previous night -- tore into it with alacrity.  Inside was a riding
jacket of fine, supple leather.

"Wow..."  He put it on and it fit him perfectly.  Katla smiled.

"It's supposed to go with Lute's present..."

"Katla...  That's so..."  Shawnee stopped before mentioning the
expense of the gift.

"Don't say anything...  It's designed with a number of panels so you
can adjust it as he grows, though he'll need a new one when he grows
up.  Da gave me a similar one when I was young, so I had a good coat
when riding...  Ojee, look under the coat."

The boy followed her instruction and pulled out a package of small,
gold embossed pieces of parchment.

"What's this?"

Katla smiled.  "Read it..."

"Cer-- certificiat-- Certificate? of Ado-adoption...  Hey, it has my
name..."

"Uh, huh."  Katla grinned at the boy and his siblings.  "Actually,
there's one for each of you...  I wish Derry was here, but...  What
it says explains my next gift..."  She relayed a request to J'red
through 'Tinka and grinned as the door opened and J'red and her
parent's walked through the door.  "I would like you to meet your new
guardians...  Well, parents, if you want them...  Personally, I
rather like 'em for a Mama and Da...  As of yesterday, you legally
became members of the Vaddon family...  which makes you my baby
brother..."  She grinned at Ojee, "...and you my baby sister...," she
hugged Fawna, "...and you my brother-in-law!"  She poked Saul in the
chest.

"I am given to understand," her father announced in his best 'I am
the father of this child,' voice, and biggest smile, "that I have a
granddaughter that I have never seen..."

[Tag Kris, Barb, and Arlene -- hope you don't mind ;)]

-----
NRPG -- Arlene, hope you don't mind my brining J'red into it, but I
thought he'd appreciate the fun :)


*hugs* all

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Derry and Katla
WhiteRiver
             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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