>Xanthia was still thinking about his question, so he nudged her a bit.
>"Com'on, it'll be fun."

"Fun?" Xanthia asked, flinching a bit at the unexpected contact from his
nudge. The thought of having fun with other people was foreign to her.

"Yes, Dinner will be fun,"

Xanthia wasn't sure about that, but it had been a while since she'd seen
her nephew. And she did want to try to fit in here. She'd noticed that the
other healers were getting used to her odd quirk of remembering the exact
volume and page numbers for the recipes of the medications as well as the
details of medical procedures. Few ever questioned it even. So she nodded
in agreement.

"Great! I'll have Areena tell you what time," Th'rin responded. He had
found out that the easiest way to get Xanthia to remember appointments was
to use her facility with communicating with the dragons, for the girl's
time sense and short term memory were sadly lacking.

He waved at her as he left the room.
 
>Elissa
>***
>
>Elissa was surrounded by a group of new dragonriders who were watching the
>strange red-head who'd dance herself to dizziness at the party. Now she was
>soaking wet and dripping oil everywhere. Goodness! She was so weird!
>
>One girl leaned over to her, "She's an oddball, that one is." Elissa nodded
>in agreement.
>
>The girl continued, "And rumor has it she's a healer!"
>
>"You say she's a healer? I don't know if I'd trust her to do surgery on me,
>she might drop the scalpel!" Elissa said in disbelief. She hadn't meant to
>say it. It just sorta slipped out. And as some began to laugh around her,
>she paled. She saw the trainer, Cali looking at her unhappily and her
>cheeks burned bright red. It was a look she'd have gotten from her mother
>when she was disappointed in her actions.
>
>  Ashelle dropped her cloth, and spun, her face a mask of anger.  She
>offered a very loose hug to Xanthia, remembering how tight embraces made
>her nervous.  "Wait here, Xanthia.  This one needs a lesson in humility
>and respect!"
>
>Suddenly there was a hissing and she felt fear, but didn't know why. She
>turned to see the strange girl's black dragon charging them, even as
>Patinari move clumsily in front of her knocking her down into the dirt, and
>scattering those around her.

Xanthia collapsed on the ground crying. She'd not meant to upset Maxima to
that degree, nor Ashelle for that matter. It was all her fault. Now, she
was certain, she would never be able to make friends with the other
riders-in-training.

She felt Oaklah snuggle up beside her. <It's not your fault,> the
tri-colored hatchling soothed, <You shouldn't blame yourself,>

<But I'm bad, I can't do anything right! Just look at the mess I've made of
everything! I'll never make any friends> Xanthia cried.

<You are a good healer,> Oaklah told her. <And Ashelle and I are your
friends. And Areena's rider Th'rin. Maxima told me earlier that you are
going to his apartment for dinner. That's what friends do.>

Xanthia felt a hand stroking her hair and looked up to notice not only was
Ashelle by her side again, but somewhere along the line Cricket had joined
the hatchlings and was actively chastising Maxima and Patinari.

Maxima
***

><But she rushed my rider ..>
>
><Only because she hurt mine!> The two young ones argued.
>
><STOP!> Cricket roared. <Dragons do not fight. Dragons do not threaten
>other dragon's humans.> The two looked shamefaced at their mother. <Now go
>back to laying down and let the humans worry about their petty hurts! You
>are dragons! You are above that!>

<But look at Xanthia crying ..> Maxima protested. Her heart went out to her
rider, Indeed the young black and red hatchling knew she would defend her
rider to the death if need be.

>Cricket turned a soothing gaze to her hatchling, <You need to comfort her,
>little one. Keep your anger in check, and see first to your rider. Lute's
>human will deal with Patinari's.>

<I'm sorry, Mother, I'm sorry Pati,> Maxima apologized. <Please let your
rider know I am sorry I scared her. I just felt my Xanthia's hurt so
strongly.>

<I understand,> Patinari replied, <Just like I felt my rider's fear so
keenly.>

<That is the way it is with the dragon-rider bond. But we must not let it
affect or behavior as it does the humans. We are dragons, and dragons don't
do such things.>

<Yes, Mother,> the two chagrinned hatchlings replied.

<Now each of you go to your riders, lie down and be good.> With that the
great silver queen took off in the air.

Xanthia
***

>Elissa raised her eyes to where the red-head sat unhappily. Then taking a
>deep breath, she walked slowly toward her.  She stopped when she stood
>directly in front of the girl. Next to her stood the ebony haired girl
>who'd been trying to help her. She looked angrily at  Elissa.
>
>Elissa looked away from the girl, she felt bad enough as it was. "Xanthia
>.." she said softly. "I .. I'm really sorry .. I didn't mean it."

Xanthia looked up at Elissa, her ice blue eyes piercingly reflecting the
hurt the redhead felt.

"Then why did you say it?" Xanthia asked bluntly, swiping roughly at the
tears that moistened her face, "And why won't you look me in the eye?"

"I don't know..."

"Look!" Xanthia demanded. Corra had taught her that polite people looked
each other in the eye. It was something that didn't come easily to the
redheaded healer herself but she knew that was how proper normal people,
without the difficulties that she was born with, should behave, and this
girl definitely was raised properly and didn't have her difficulties.

Elissa raised her eyes to meet the red-head's piercing blue ones. "I'm
sorry," she said again, "I don't know why I said it. It just popped out."

"So you thought it," Xanthia said, her eyes tearing up again, "That means
you meant it," She buried her face in Ashelle's shoulder, sobbing like a
small child.

"I did, but I didn't think... can't we start over again? Like Cali says, we
are all dragonriders, we need to learn to live together and get along."

People had often accused Xanthia of not thinking, but no one had ever
offered her a second chance. She peered with one eye over Ashelle's
shoulder.

"Start over?" The innocent look and tone of voice told that this was a
totally new concept for young Xanthia.

"That sounds like a good idea," Ashelle spoke up, "I think there's been
enough hurt here for one day." 

"Okay," Xanthia nodded.

"Come on," Ashelle said to Xanthia, "let's go get you cleaned up."

******

** In the hatchling barracks, after lunch and a nap **

>Xanthia's thoughts began to swirl and her head throb at all the gossip that
>Maxima was telling her. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Xanthia clasped
>her hands over her ears and cried out, "STOP! STOP! You're making my head
>hurt!"
>
>The hatchling looked at Xanthia hurt, <I'm sorry my rider, I thought you
>wanted to know...>
>
><I tried, my heart, but it's just too much for me. Please, keep me
>informed, but keep it simple. All this, it's just overwhelming.> Xanthia
>explained.

Xanthia heard the sound of crutches and turned to see Katla coming toward
her.

"What's making your head hurt?" Katla asked, as she sat down next to
Xanthia.

"Maxima." Xanthia replied, and the black hatchling gave the two young women
a chagrinned look.

"How is your dragon making your head hurt?" Katla asked.

"Telling me who did what and where... It's just too much!"

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," 

***

** Dinner time **

Xanthia put on her pretty party dress that Ashelle had surprised her with
the day she helped her get clothes and her nice shoes, wanting to look her
best for dinner with Th'rin and Merissa. She debated on her hair and
decided it would be neater if she braided it.

"Would you like some help?"

Xanthia turned and saw that it was girl Elissa, who had embarrassed her
that morning.

"Help?" Xanthia asked.

"With your hair."

"Please," Xanthia nodded

***

"There, you look very pretty," Elissa said in approval once she was
finished.

Xanthia beamed at the praise.

"Thank you," Xanthia said, after a reminder from Maxima.

"Where are you going, all dressed up."

"Going to Th'rin and Merissa's, to have dinner and see my baby nephew,"
Xanthia smiled and bounced, excited by the upcoming event.

***

** Th'rin and Merissa's apartment **

"Am I on time?" Xanthia asked anxiously as she entered the main chamber of
the healer and queenrider's apartment.

"Perfect!" Merissa smiled. She was holding Oberon on her hip, and he was
much bigger than when she'd first met him, able to sit up and chatter baby
talk. "Actually, would you mind playing with Oberon and keeping him out of
trouble while Th'rin and I finish cooking?"

"I...I..." Xanthia stammered, uncertain as she'd never babysat before.

"Oh, you'll do fine, he's a happy baby." Merissa said encouragingly,
handing the boy over to Xanthia, "His toys are in the chest in the corner,
just lay a blanket on the floor for him to sit on." And with that she
returned to the kitchen area.

***

What to do with a baby, Xanthia wondered, once left alone with the baby.

<Play!> A small voice piped up in her mind.

Xanthia didn't think twice about it, and spread out the blanket, fetched
some toys, and laid them out on the blanket. She sat down on the blanket
and set Oberon beside her. 

There were several brightly painted wooden rings of various sizes and a
conical post on a platform. Xanthia wondered to herself as to the purpose.

She was then rewarded by the image of the rings being placed on the post as
Oberon banged the red ring against the side of the platform.

Xanthia took his small pudgy hand in hers and helped him guide the red ring
onto the post and Oberon giggled in delight.

Xanthia then took the orange ring and placed it on there.

***

The two played happily for some time before Th'rin and Merissa came out and
announced it was time to eat. Th'rin picked up young Oberon and placed him
in his high chair. between himself and the queenrider.

"You two seemed to be having a good time. I could hear the two of you
laughing all the way in the kitchen," Th'rin said.

"It was fun," Xanthia replied.

"Well, good, that's the whole idea," Th'rin smiled

***

Xanthia watched in fascination as both Th'rin and Merissa tried desperately
to get Oberon to eat some puree'd peas, each of them wearing twice what the
boy had eaten.

Finally Xanthia decided that the three had been frustrated long enough. "He
doesn't want that!" Xanthia giggled.

"Then what does he want?" Th'rin asked, meaning it to be a rhetorical
question.

Xanthia paused and considered the image and the flavor that just filled her
mouth.

"Applesauce!" she replied a moment or two later.

"And how would you know that," Th'rin chuckled.

"He told me!" Xanthia answered simply, her eyes sparkling with delight.

**********

NRPG: Well, there's a couple tags for Kris here, and one for Jeanette and
one for Jill. Have fun! :)








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