> He sat up on one elbow and looked at the young girl beside him. "Ashelle?"
> 
> "hmm," she mumbled looking up at him.
> 
>  He reached behind her and grabbed her shirt, to cover her from the cool
> air, "How old are you? 16? 17?"
> 
> "Oh please, T'jellan it doesn't matter." She  said putting her hand over
> his mouth as she pulled the shirt on. "Let's not think about it."
> 
> "It may not matter to you .. but it may matter to others," he said
> sensibly, sitting up. He ran a hand over her head, and let his fingers
> tangle in her ebony locks.
> 
> "Why? I'm a dragonrider .. according to Caliban that makes me as much an
> adult as anyone."
> 
> "Yes, but there's a difference between being an adult dragonrider .." He
> grabbed for his own shirt, pulling it on, ".. and being an adult in a
> relationship .." the word slipped out and stunned him even as he heard
> himself say it.
> 
> Ashelle grinned, "Is that what this is? Are we in a .. relationship." The
> idea obviously pleased her.
> 
> He breathed heavily, "Oh Gods, I don't know."  He moved to lean against a
> nearby rock, "I'm going to 40 years old in a couple of months. You ..
> you're in your teens .."

  Ashelle moved to settle next to T'jellan, and hugged herself, thoughts
flying in her head that she quickly tried to cover up..not wanting Oaklah
to pass anything on to Grunth.

  << As soon as he hears how young I am..he's going to run in the other
direction...feeling like he's hurt me like he did....oh damn..why did I
have to be so young?!  The fact that I honestly care won't matter... >>

  Finally, she looked at the ground, and sighed softly.  Better to get it
said and over with.  "I'm 15, T'jellan."  Then she simply went
quiet...closing her eyes and waiting to hear him rise and leave..as she
was sure he was going to.

> <<NRPG: Jeanette, according to your bio Ashelle is 15, so I figured it
> likely she was still a virgin. Hope I was right :)>>

  <<NRPG:  You were.  :) >>

> ***
> 
> As they sat talking Grunth intruded on T'jellan's mind, <The Warrenlady's
> been hurt. Oaklah and I are going to gather with the rest of the dragons to
> comfort Cricket.>
> 
> A worried look crossed Ashelle's face as Oaklah informed her of the same
> thing. She looked up at him, "Do you think we should go .."
> 
> He shook his head, "No. We'd only be chased out by B'ril .. We might as
> well wait here."

  Ashelle blinked, looking quite suprised.  "You still want to sit with
me, even after knowing how young I am?  T'jellan...you don't, well.."  she
shrugged softly, looking just a bit lost. "..you don't regret what
happened, do you?  I wanted it too, you know."

  Then she went wide-eyed.  "T'jellan...if Cricket can't hear
Trinale...won't she, well...if the link is gone between rider and dragon,
doesn't the dragon suicide?  What's going to happen?  Oaklah said that
Trinale can't hear Cricket!  That means that Cricket can't talk to her!"

  Ashelle shivered, and snuggled close against T'jellan...worried that
they might lose their Warrenlady.

[NRPG:  Sorry so short...I really didn't know what to do with it. :( ]

[Tag:  Kris!]
-------------

Jeanette
Ashelle/Oaklah * Whiteriver Warren