** Med Center, late evening **

"I was just coming to chase you out," Th'rin said to Xanthia, smiling at
her as she stepped out of Trinale's room..
>
>"Why?" she asked.
>
>"Cause she needs her sleep." Th'rin said.

Xanthia nodded. She knew this, as a healer... but hadn't thought... She
felt stupid.

<You're not stupid, you're very smart! Not everyone thinks with such vivid
mind pictures as you do,> Maxima chastised her rider.

<How do you know?>

<It's what the other dragons tell me,> the young black and red replied
smugly.

Xanthia suddenly realized that Th'rin was speaking to her, and shook her
head to try to focus on what he was saying.

>"By the way, Xanthia," Th'rin said, "I'd like you to stop by again
>tomorrow. I would kind of like to see if you can hear Oberon any more.. or
>if it was just a fluke."

Xanthia frowned, only catching half of it.

<He wants you to come back to his place and see if Oberon is really
telepathic tomorrow,> Maxima translated.

The redhead's expression relaxed to almost a smile now that she understood.
She wondered what she would do without Maxima.

>"Okay," the girl nodded, "When?"
>
>"Before dinner?" He asked, "You could stay for dinner again then if you
>like. I'm sure Merissa won't mind. She'll probably like the break. She's
>gonna be pretty busy with Trinale being in the med center."

"Why?" Xanthia asked, not understanding why Trinale's injury would affect
Merissa.

"She's the junior queenrider. She has to take over when Trinale can't do
her job as warrenlady."

"Oh..." was all Xanthia replied.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Th'rin said. He looked at the redheaded
healer and saw dark circles under her eyes. "Training is draining. Go back
to the barracks and get some sleep!"

***

** Next morning **

Xanthia was more tired than she realized. She slept hard that night, so
much so she barely moved from the position she laid down in, curled up
against Maxima. She was surprised to wake up and find that Maxima was no
longer curled up with her. Normally she was aware of every move the black
and red hatchling made, even when asleep.

Xanthia ran out onto the green in a panic. "Maxima! Maxima!!!!" she cried
out, tears streaming down her face.

Cali came up to her, "Whatever is wrong?"

"Maxima! Can't find her!" Her crystal blue eyes filled with tears and her
voice shook with panic as did her body. She began anxiously pulling at her
hair.

"Relax... it'll be all right. The other dragons aren't in an uproar so
she's not hurt. We'll find her."

"How???" Xanthia despaired, not thinking clearly."

"Call to her with your mind, that's the first thing. Can you still feel
her?"

"Y-Yes," Xanthia stammered as she fought to calm herself. "She's not hungry
anymore... but I haven't fed her..." Xanthia looked at the trainer
perplexed.

"Okay, so she's not far. Call to her and ask her where she is."

Xanthia felt stupid once more. She was a telepath who could talk to all the
dragons, and definitely could talk to Maxima who was her own dragon. She
should have thought of that at the beginning.

<Maxima, where are you???> Xanthia called out.

<Getting breakfast,> the young dragon replied smugly.

"Well??" Cali asked.

"She said she's getting breakfast... but how..." Xanthia's expression was
perplexed.

The trainer smiled broadly at the knowledge of what had happened, "Don't
let her eat too much, Call her to you before she gorges herself."

<Maxima, you've had enough. Come here,> Xanthia ordered.

"Okay..." Xanthia said to Cali, wondering what next.

"Now look to the sky, and wait."

Xanthia squinted as she peered up at the bright morning sky, uncertain but
doing what she was told. Her eyes grew wide as she caught sight of a black
form swooping through the air,

"Maxima???" Xanthia asked excitedly, pointing at the dragon in the sky.

"Yes, that's her all right. And doing quite well. Tell her to come down
here before she strains herself."

<Come down before you strain yourself!> Xanthia ordered.

The black and red landed gently on the ground next to her rider, licking
the last of the blood from her morning feast off of her giant maw.

<You can fly!> Xanthia bounced up and down ecstatically. "She can fly!" she
said to the trainer.

<Of course I can, I am a dragon.>

"Yes, and she does it well. Hope you slept well, because you are going to
have a busy day today."

"Busy?"

"Well, you'll need to see Z'bert about a saddle and after training you will
need to go find an apartment," Cali told her.

"Saddle and apartment..."

<Don't forget you need to see Oberon!> Maxima reminded her.

"And Oberon," Xanthia nodded.

"What about Oberon?"

"He can talk to me," Xanthia shrugged, "Th'rin wants to see if its..." she
struggled to think of the word the healer had used, "a fluke?" She finished
the explanation with a questioning tone, not certain if she said the right
word. 

***

Xanthia eagerly ran back and changed for the first time into her
dragonrider clothes. Black leather pants, vest, and boots, and she put on a
bright red blouse underneath the vest, the same color as the stripes on
Maxima.

"Where are you going" Ashelle asked her redheaded friend, noticing her
wearing the leather outfit for the first time.

"Craft Hall!" Xanthia answered simply, and tore out of the barracks as fast
as she could, running with all her might to the Craft Hall to find the
saddler's store.

***

Tears filled the shopkeeper's eyes as he laid eyes on Xanthia. He still
couldn't get over how much she resembled Aradia. He dabbed his eyes with a
handkerchief and composed himself.

"I suppose you are wanting a saddle?" Z'bert said to the girl who stood
uncertainly in front of him.

Xanthia nodded, "Maxima can fly!" Her voice was still filled with childlike
awe.

"Yes, she is a dragon, they do that," The older rider couldn't help but
smile. "Actually, I've been waiting for this day."

"Why?" Xanthia cocked her head to the side, perplexed.

"Just wait here," Z'bert winked at the girl knowingly and disappeared into
the back of the shop.

Moments later he came back, bearing an exquisitely tooled saddle with many
straps to it.

"That's not like the others..." Xanthia commented.

"No, it's not... I've only made two like it before."

Xanthia fingered the straps, "How does it work?"

"Call your dragon here, let's go outside to meet her and I'll show you." 

***

Z'bert placed the saddle on the eager dragon and showed Xanthia how to
cinch up all the straps securely.

"See, Now, it's on her good and tight," the old man told her.

"But these other's..." Xanthia fingered the remaining straps uncertainly.

"Here. get on her... that's right."

"Okay," Xanthia said, waiting for further instructions.

"Now, this one goes about your lap. These go around your legs..."

"Like Katla's saddle?" Xanthia frowned.

"And your sister's... It was her idea. She wanted a saddle like Pa'gan's
battle harness... that's what he called it... because she was afraid to
fall off. She thought one like that would help Katla because of her legs,
and by the shells she was right! I thought you would like a saddle like
your sister's."

Xanthia fingered the beautifully tooled leather and smiled. "I love it!"

Zert dabbed at his eyes again, feeling nostalgic about the moment, "Good!
Now off with you, You'll be late to practice!"

***

Xanthia told Maxima to go and she did, flying in the air until they landed
on the practice green, where young dragons and their riders were already
gathered and listening intently to the trainer.

All eyes fell on the redheaded healer and her black dragon as they landed.

"Maxima can fly!" Ashelle exclaimed, surprised to see her friend
dismounting from her dragon.

"Of course she can, she is a dragon!" Xanthia replied happily.

***

** Before dinner **

"Well, did you find an apartment you like?" Merissa asked as Xanthia
dismounted from Maxima and the black and red dragon cuddled up to Areena
and Chrysthal on the dragon ledge of the queenrider's apartment.

Xanthia nodded. "The highest one, up there." she pointed.

Merissa paled, "That was Aradia and Pa'gan's apartment."

"So I can't have it?" Xanthia frowned, disappointed.

"No... no... I didn't say that. It's just a surprise is all. Of course you
are welcome to have your sister's apartment. Come on inside, Th'rin's
waiting on you."

The healer was on the floor, desperately trying to entertain his foster
son, who was crying inconsolably.

"Merissa, he won't stop crying," Th'rin complained.

<Stop that noise! It hurts my ears!> Xanthia told the baby in a stern
mental voice.

Oberon quickly quieted and reached up for Xanthia.

"There, he listened to me." Xanthia smiled.

"Are you sure?" Th'rin asked skeptically.

"Lets take him on the dragon ledge." Xanthia suggested.

***

The three walked out to the dragon ledge, Th'rin still carrying young
Oberon.

"Can I hold him?" Xanthia asked, and took the child when he was handed to
her.

He was a big boy, so standing would be quickly tiring, so Xanthia plopped
down on the ground and held the baby upright on her lap as she sat cross
legged.

<I need the three of you to help me, see if you can talk to Oberon.>

<The baby?> Areena asked.

<Yes, the baby.>

<Those are dragons,> she told the boy, <They are my friends and they talk
to me. Can you talk to them.?>

The baby responded by giggling in delight.

<Ladies, please introduce yourselves to Oberon,> Xanthia told the dragons.

<I'm Chrysthal,> the purple metallic queen spoke first.

<I'm Maxima,> the black and red responded.

<And I'm Areena> the iridescent white one said.

<Chrysthal, Maxima, Areena!> Oberon echoed back at them.

<Tell them your name. Say Oberon,> Xanthia instructed.

The boy did as he was told.

"Well?" Th'rin asked.

"Introductions have been made all around." Xanthia smiled.

"Are you sure?" Th'rin questioned her.

"We'll see in a minute," Xanthia said.

Xanthia handed the boy to Merissa and took her to the side "The stick with
the colored rings, Hand Oberon just one of the rings, out of sight of the
dragons. Doesn't matter which one. Better if I don't know."

The queenrider nodded and took the boy into the apartment's living room,
and handed him the red ring.

<Oberon, tell Areena what you've got, just Areena.>

"Okay, what now?" Th'rin asked.

"Ask Areena what Oberon is playing with," Xanthia shrugged.

**********

NRPG: Well, Areena will tell Th'rin it's definitely a red ring. In fact
Oberon may even show her the toy it goes with, too. :) He's a smart lad.

A note about the saddle: Z'bert will keep those special saddles, aside from
Katla's because she has special need, in the family and only make them for
Xanthia, later Oberon once he joins, and if Xanthia ever has any children.
So Xanthia and Katla will be the only riders with such saddles for now.






                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                        )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood          )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                         )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      Danika/Kalindeth of Daere        )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Xanthia/Maxima of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (   Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_ Yasmine/Starlin of Marrid       )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;