[Derry]

Trinale ran off and he followed.

"How could you!"

That stopped him cold.

"How could I what?" he asked reasonably.  "Try and comfort a woman whose
husband just took her children away?  Try and talk sense into someone who
hates her dragon enough to wish him dead?"

"You were kissing her!"

"I was getting yelled at by her!  She was in my face, Trinale, that's all!"
 Derry stared at the young woman he loved with disbelief.  "How could you
think that I would...  I would ever...  I love *you,* Trinale.  I pledged
my life to you...  Do you think my word is so worthless?"

[Tag, Kat]

-----
[Katla]

"Who are you and can you tell me where I can find a bed or do I have to
crawl under a bush?"

Chance swayed against her crutches as she groggily stared at the woman
Artoharke was staring at so lovingly.

"I'm Katla Vaddon."  She didn't add that she was tempted to tell Aeryin to
sleep under a bush.  "I've been caring for your hatchling."

"Yeah, well, thanks, but I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Too damn bad."  The harshness of her own voice surprised her.  "Your
treatment of a lovely creature whose only crime is to love you is something
that needs to be talked about."

"Don't you dare start on me...  Because of him my husband took...  took my
children away!  Because of him I have to stay here!"

"I doubt that Artoharke asked your husband to do any such thing, so why
don't you place blame where it belongs?  As for having to stay here... 
given your attitude, I doubt anyone asked you to be on the sands, so blame
yourself if you have to blame someone for the fact that you were the most
perfect match your dragon saw there!  Artoharke is innocent of human
prejudice and cruelty... Which you manifestly are not!"  Katla's voice rose
until she was shouting.  "I can't imagine why he should have picked you,
since you're so obviously not worthy of his love and devotion..."

< Katla! >  'Tinka's voice prevented her from making some truly cutting
comments about Aeryin's worthiness in other ways and the furious tirade cut
off abruptly.

"The hatchling barracks is that way.  I hope you have enough of a soul to
feed him so he won't die."


<...>

[Next Morning]

"Hey, N'lin!"  She grinned at her partner as she entered the dining hall. 
"Ready for patrol?"

He grimaced at her and she frowned.  "Something wrong?"

"No...  Just a headache."

"N'lin, you've been saying that for days.  Have you gone to the healers
about it?"

"No."

"Then let's go."

"What?"

"N'lin, you're my partner and like a baby brother to me...  Darned if I'm
going to let you abuse yourself..."  Katla suddenly grinned.  "Don't tell
Derry I said that, or he'll think I have to obey him when he's doing
this..."

[Tag Bridget]


<...>

[Next Afternoon]

Katla laughed out loud, "I thought you would know by now, dragons are
terrible gossips! By the way, heard that you got quite a bath at training
today."

Xanthia blushed crimson at the reference to the morning's events.

"Oh, don't worry about it, I got quite a bath myself my first time bathing
Satinka."

"You did?"

"Hey, you try bathing and oiling a dragon when your legs are partially
non-functional."  Katla grinned, unafraid to mention her disability.  "You
get wet, messy, and covered with slippery stuff.  It takes forever for me
to get cleaned up after cleaning 'Tinka up."

Xanthia blinked a bit at her and then smiled hesitantly.

"I heard about what Elissa said this morning, Xanthia..."  Katla smiled,
"...and don't you believe it.  You're a good healer and you'll be a great
dragonrider."

-----
NRPG -- Hi, all :)

*hugs*

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Derry, Katla, and Satinka
WhiteRiver Warren
DragonLands

                 X-FILES                         DRAGONLANDS

  Assistant Director                     Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
  Sterling Kincaid, Team Leader, ECHO    Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
  Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA            Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
  Xan X. Xavier, Trainer, Classroom A    Zera and Mazel       *Norwall*

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
			      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
 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=