> T'jellan looked at her and nodded, "I see your dragon is taken with gossip
> too. It's in their blood I think."

  Ashelle nodded, sighing softly.  "I try and ignore it, as it doesn't
concern me, and I'm not a snoop.  I figure if I get involved in other
peoples' messes, that I will only end up involved in things that I don't
understand."

  She looked at her friend, and grinned.  "Maybe I need to give Oaklah
something else to concentrate on."  Then she looked at T'jellan curiously.

> "They're close friends of yours?" she asked, "I only meet Saul the one
> time, and he seemed nice enough, very charming and handsome."
> 
> T'jellan darkened, "He didn't .. try anything with you .. did he?"

  Ashelle shook her head quickly.  "No, other than calling me his sweet
Ashelle, and holding me tightly when his dragon went in a dive after the
one Th'rin was riding.  Why?"

  T'jellan shrugged, deciding not to get anything started.  He was upset
enough as it was.

  Ashelle sensed that he didn't want to talk much, and grinned.  "Anyhow,
it's time for your first lesson!  Now, let me hear you sing
something...anything."

  He rolled his eyes, it was something to distract him, that was for sure.
And he tried to sing out the first verse of a rather bawdy song, but it
came out more like a rumbling roar.

  Laughter from Ashelle got his attention, and he mock-glared at her.
"Well, I *told* you I couldn't sing!"

  "Sure you can...here, let me try something.  Hold still."

  She moved until she was directly behind him, and leaned against his
back, reaching around him with her arms, and pressing in just under his
ribcage.  "Sing it again."

  The nearness of her and the warmth of her against his back startled him
monentarily.  Then he tried again, almost stopping as she pressed in as he
sang the words.  But the pressure suprised him in another way, it made his
voice sound different, more clear, and not as rough-sounding.

  Ashelle peeked around to wink at him.  "Told you.  *That* was your true
voice, the one that you sing with.  You have to sing from deep inside, not
just howl out the words.  When you use that technique, you bring your
voice from inside, and it sounds clear and true.  Breathing exercises help
too."

  She moved to settle next to him.  "Lay back, and take a deep breath, and
do what I say to.  I think you'll be suprised, T'jellan."

  He looked a bit confused, but laid back and took a deep breath, blinking
as Ashelle leaned over him and pressed against the same spot again.
"Sing!"

  His voice sounded different, more assured as he tried the song again.
He looked up at her with amazement, and laughed.  "You're amazing.  But if
you don't let up, I won't have any breath left!"

  She lost her balance as she stopped pressing down, and fell atop his
chest.   "Sorry!  I forgot to let you inhale after that."  Then she
started to get up, and stopped as she simply looked into his eyes, and
thought she was going to drown.  She blushed a pretty shade of pink, and
smiled.

  She tried to move her hands, and found his hands over them, holding them
snugly, but if she'd wanted to tug free, she could have.  What totally
suprised her was that she didn't really want to.

  T'jellan felt her heart beating against him, and her chest mashed
against his, and found he couldn't breathe if he'd wanted to.  But she was
young enough to be his...

  << You are happy, my rider.  And as I said, what difference does age
make? >>

  < But she's so young!  I don't want to scare her off! >

  << And does she look scared to you?  She feels quite comfortable,
actually.  And you feel very warm.  So, again I ask you, what's the
problem? >>

  T'jellan suprised both his dragon and himself, when he realized that
there wasn't any, not really.  "Ashelle...there are a few things you ought
to know about me."

  The girl shook her head.  "If you aren't comfortable talking about
them, then I don't want to know them.  Besides, the past is the past.
This is a new friendship, and I like spending time with you.  So, from
here on out, nothing is a problem...at least as far as I'm concerned."

  She ran her finger across his lips, and smiled as he caught his breath.
"Oh ho!  You're ticklish!"  And her fingers flew as she moved to poke and
tickle everywhere she could reach....soon bringing the poor rider to a
state of laughing squirms.  "Hey, Ashelle, that's not fair!"

  He quickly started to tickle her, and as she wriggled to pull back, he
rolled over, trapping her underneath him, and then stopped as he looked
down at her smiling face.  He ran his finger along her lips, in return for
what she'd done earlier, and was suprised as she kissed it softly.

  He tried to tell himself that she was just too young, and failed
totally...moving to place a hesitent...which suprised him still more, kiss
on that smiling mouth.

  Ashelle froze for just a moment, and then her arms moved slowly to wrap
around his neck, and she kissed him back, sighing softly.  She didn't want
to move..not at all!

[Tag: Kris!  Go for it!]

------

Jeanette
Ashelle/Oaklah * Whiteriver