First a wee bit of backposting....
*****        
Moira had been woken early to the sensation of feeling like she was
starving, drowning out the aches and pains from her fall and activity
yesterday, she climbed from bed and quickly dressed so that she could
get Vasra out to eat.  Many of the other newly joined also stood about
half awake, some kind soul came through with a pitcher of coffee and
some rolls for them. Moira sat on a rock next to Truan and ate, and
found herself looking at the state of her hair. It had been loose
yesterday and was now a tangled mess. "Good Gods Truan....I may have
to cut this mess short to get it sorted out." She said with disgust,
flipping the long mane back over her shoulder.  With a wry smile she
shook her head. "My mother, may she rest in peace, would have a fit if
she could see me. My hair like a rats next, and joined to a dragon! of
all things."

*There is something wrong with being joined to a dragon?* Vasra asked.

*No my dear, it's wonderful.* Moira answered. *My mother was just a
little bit afraid of dragons, that's all!*

*Silly.* Vasra mumbled back as continued to eat with great gusto.

Moira grinned at the dragon preoccupation with it's food and then
turned in surprise as a voice came from behind them.

"Good morning, Moira, Vasra.  Moira, she's lovely!  And isn't it
amazing how they grow overnight?  You're doing wonderfully with her."
Ashelle said with grin, her eyes taking in the shadowy dragon. With a
chuckle Ashelle waved her hand in Moira's direction.  "Need a bit of
help with your hair?  I have a spare brush...and can help get rid of
the knots, if you want me to.It's easier to wear it in a braid or
short, but I just can't bring myself to cut mine.  T'jel....I mean,
someone liked it long, and I just can't see myself with short hair." 
She said, then paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. Moira glanced
back at Vasra to see if the dragon was showing any signs of slowing
down, and decided there was plenty of time. Glancing back to Ashelle
she saw the young woman rub at her eye, and then look back up at
Moira. 

"You really wouldn't mind?" Moira asked. "My hair is so thick it's
beastly to brush when it's a mess."

"Not at all." Ashelle replied, pulling a brush from her pocket and
sitting behind the tall girl and setting to work.

"I know what you mean about not cutting your hair, my father loved my
hair, he would often help my mother brush it when we went on picnics,
he'd put the combed out hair on bushes for birds to build nests of.
After he stopped visiting.." Moira paused a moment. "I mean after he
died, I just never had the heart to cut it." Suddenly Moira chuckled.
"Vasra doesn't quite get the concept of hair, I was just explaining it
to her." 

"You weren't kidding about this stuff being thick!" Ashelle said as
she paused and pulled some of the shed hair from her brush.  Truan
reached over and took it from her hand and grinned, then darted over
and strung it across a couple branches, getting a smile from Moira.
"So you were awake and listening young man!" Ashelle smiled. 

"I was busy talking with Draken, but I'm getting the hang of hearing
him and what's going on at the same time. " Truan answered with a
smile. 

"Ashelle, I was wondering, dragons come in so many colors, why on
earth were so many of the surviving hatchlings dark? Look at my own
little shadow dragon, and Draken is a wonderful inky color....is it
normal for there to be so many dragons so close in color to a
hatching? Especially when the parents are both so brightly colored?"
Moira asked. 

"Now that you mention it, it is unusual. This group hatched, well, not
prematurely since they are all well formed, but awfully quick.
Nothing about this hatching was normal..." Ashelle trailed off,
sadness crossing the faces of the three humans sitting and watching
the feeding dragons.  With a final lick of the brush she finished
Moira's hair and helped the girl pull it into a braid. The three sat 
companionably and watched as the dragons finished thier breakfast, 
Ashelle and Truan chatting briefly about music.

Moira sat still looking at the steam rising off her coffee mug,
listening to the chatter of the others.  Yes, being joined was
wonderful. She had Vasra, and would always have Vasra, she'd never be
alone again, but she missed her father, and her mother, and a great
hole was in her heart where Barry had taken up residence.  Fighting
back fresh tears, she sipped her coffee and looked down at the paper
in her lap that the trainer had been handing out. She noticed a lump
in her pocket, she was wearing the same pants she'd worn yesterday.
Hesitantly she traced the outline, and realized it was Barry's
thimble. A plan began to form in her mind....She set it aside for the
moment, and caught the sight of Truan out of the corner of her eye.
His eyes were wide with wonder as he looked at the dragon whom he had
joined with, she wondered which held greater affections in his heart
now, Morning Glory or Draken? Suddenly another idea struck her mind.

"Truan, you lost your family in Windtide, didn't you?" She asked him
gently. He nodded solemnly. "I lost my family al long time ago, and
then there's Barry..." Moira's voice trailed off. Gently she put an
arm around the youth's shoulders. "Truan, would you mind if I thought
of you as my little brother? We orphan types should stick together you
know....."

Ashelle smiled a bit and with a wave headed off to give them some
privacy. 

"Your brother?" Truan asked, his eyes wide. A smile krept across his
face and he threw his arms around Moira, squeezing tightly. "Of
course!"

"Easy on the ribs laddie, before you squeeze me in two and then you'll
have two sisters instead of one!" Moira chuckled, tickling the boy to
break his hold. 

*I'm full* Vasra said plaintively, followed by an alarmingly loud
belch, prompting a fit of giggles from both Truan and Moira. 

"I would think so!" Moira replied. "Ready for a bath?"

"Draken says his skin feels stretchy, he wants one too." Truan added. 

"Well then, into the water with both of you while we find some soap
and brushes!" Moira shooed the dark pair into the water and dropped
off her empty mug on a nearby waiting tray, then she and Truan found
the proper equipment and joined the dragons where they splashed about
in the bathing pool. 

"Let me know if I scrub to hard darling. " Moira told Vasra as began
scrubbing along the head and neck of the dragon. 

*No, it feels wonderful! I was beginning to itch.* Vasra replied,
closing her eyes and heaving a deep sigh of contentment. 

"I'm not surprised, Ashelle was right, you've grown overnight, not to
mention all the food you just ate, greedy gut." Moira scolded lightly
as she continued her scrubbing.  "We'll have to oil them when we are
done Truan, won't we?"

"That's what Meredwyn said this morning. " Truan responded as he
scrubbed Draken's side, pausing he looked up at Moira. "Do you think
the explosion at the hatching is why Draken and Vasra are dark Moira?
Could it have changed thier colors?"

"No hon, I don't think that did it. Perhaps it had to do with the fact
that they hatched so quickly, like Ashelle was mentioning. Besides, so
many didn't make it, and they might have been all bright colored, I
don't know, I didn't see. It could just be coincidence that the
majority of the survivors were dark colored." Moira instructed Vasra
to wade into the pool a bit deeper  so that Moira could reach her back
properly. "Poor Cricket, to have lost so many children at once, before
anyone even got to know them. "

"I don't understand WHY....." Truan nearly growled this last word as
he scrubbed fiercely at a muddly place on Draken's leg, "Someone would
attack poor defenseless hatchlings.. I might understand if Wraiths
somehow did it, but they couldn't have..."

Moira froze in place, staring at Vasra's side. Could it be that
simple? It was so obvious, had anyone else thought of it? 

*Vasra, contact, no not Cricket, she's ill, contact Chrysthal would
you? Have her tell Merissa that....* Tell Merissa what? What was this
idea exactly, a fragment of memory from her readings, or just some
half baked theory? *Tell her that I'm not sure why, but for some
reason I suspect that the Blindfolded Lady might be Wraith Ridden, a
HellSpawn. It just....makes sense.* Moira finished lamely. She
wondered if she should wait and think it over before passing this on,
but then again she had waited to talk to the queenrider before and
look what had happened at the hatching..if she had spoken sooner might
they not have had better security? Better to pass things on as she
thought of them, besides, the queen rider had told her to keep her
informed. 

*I've told Chrysthal, and what happened at the hatching was NOT your
fault.* Vasra interrupted Moira's line of thought, sounding very
determined and stubborn. 

"Moira?" Truan was standing next to her looking up at her a little
frightened. "Are you okay?"

"Oh..Yes hon, I'm fine. " Moira shook her head and gave him a hug.
"What you said about the Wraiths was a good observation and very good
thinking, it made me think about some stuff, that's all. Now, I think
it's time for these two to rinse off and then we'll oil them, and
Vasra is insistent on a long nap in the sun!"

********

Much of the morning had been used up in cleaning and oiling the
dragons, and then in getting cleaned up themselves.  Moira was torn
between napping with Vasra in the sunlight or getting something for
early lunch, all the hard work that morning had taken it's toll.
Growling stomachs voted for both her and Truan.

As they made their way to the dining hall Moira sent Truan on ahead,
wanting to stop at the med center and see if everything was okay. 
Things seemed to be well in hand there, so she went to join Truan. She
was nearly knocked over as Xanthia went charging by with her arms
full.

"Whoa! Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Moira asked, taking in
Xanthia's flushed cheeks and a large package of something in her arms.

Xanthia stopped and looked up at Moira. "Home, for now..." She
clutched her parcel close to her.  "Til I go to the med center
later... It's been a bad day..." 

Gently Moira reached out and patted Xanthia's shoulder. "Hey, if you
need to talk sometime...I'm in the newly joined quarters now." Moira's
face grew a little sad, then she shrugged. "You can always come talk.
I'd like you to meet Vasra too."

"Okay." Xanthia nodded vigorously. "Gotta go now though, have stuff to
do..." The healer glanced down at the package in her hands and shifted
her feet restlessly. 

"I'll see you later then. " Moira waved and headed on to dining hall,
urged by her increasingly growly stomach. She wondered if she were
hungrier than usual because she was joined to a growing dragon!

******

After lunch Truan and Moira went their seperate ways, planning to meet
again at the funeral. Moira had run an errand and then returned to her
quarters to finish unpacking and keep an eye on Vasra. After putting
away most of her belongings she gathered up her dye pots and a few
pieces of unfinished canvas and went out and sat on the ledge with the
sleeping Vasra and began painting. She finished up what she was
working on just in time as Vasra woke and spoke of being hungry again.

"Again? After all that you ate this morning?" Moira responded, teasing
the shadowy dragon good naturedly.

*I'm growing.* Vasra responded proudly, standing up and stretching out
her full length and spreading her wings. *You and I will be flying
together soon.* she added with an eager note.

*I know, I can't wait!* Moira told her in reply. *Let me put these up
to dry, and then we'll get you fed again. * Moira quickly laid the
paintings out on her bed to finish drying, then laid out some dark
clothes. *Soon as we get back I'll have to get ready for Barry's
funeral tonight. I think Ashelle is going to pick me up.*  Pausing,
Moira picked up a tiny bit of cloth with something wrapped in it and
tucked it into the pocket of the pants she planned to wear. *Can you
meet me there? There is something I'd like you to help me with....*

Together they went down to the feeding ground as Moira explained her
plan.

*******
Ashelle had arrived as Moira  had finished dressing.  She looked in
surprise as Moira handed her a rolled piece of canvas. "I thought you
might like to have this, I drew it this afternoon." Moira told her.

Unrolling the canvas, Ashelle was surprised to see Barry's likeness
smiling up at her, along with her own likeness standing next to him.
"Moira, you painted this?" she exclaimed, gently touching Barry's
face. 

"Not exactly, it's done with fabric dye. I've never had any paints..."
Moira replied quietly. 

"It's incredible..Thank you!" Ashelle said and gave Moira a hug.

"I made one for all of us. " Moira said quietly , pointing to another
picture of Barry and herself hanging on the wall as she picked up a
small bundle of rolls laying on the bed. "I have some for Shawnee
too."

"Let's go an meet her then, it's almost time." Ashelle said quietly.
Arm in arm the two girls made thier way out to the dragon waiting on
the ledge. 

*Vasra?*

*Awake, and I'll be there my rider.* Came the reply as pale green eyes
gleamed from the darkness, Vasra's body seemingly invisible in the
shadows of the ledge.

******

Moira and Ashelle were met by Shawnee as they landed on the ledge "I'm
glad you both decided to come with us," Shawnee smiled warmly and
gestured them inside. 

"Well ...family... should stick together," Ashelle said softly and
looked at Moira, who nodded. 

Shawnee glanced down the hallway and then looked back to them. "Yes..
Families should stick together."

"I have something for you Shawnee." Moira held out a bundle of rolled
canvases to her. "I've given Ashelle's hers already."

Curiously, Shawnee unrolled the top one, it was a painting of Barry
and her standing in front of Doshy. "Oh.."

"The others are of Barry and the children. He had me paint them a few
days ago for him, I went and got them from his house this afternoon. I
thought he would have wanted you to have them." Moira explained. Had
it really only been a few days ago? So much had happened.

Shawnee unrolled each one, looking at them with tears in her eyes,
then hugged Moira. "Thank you, so much."

Moira nodded, trying hard not to cry.  Saul joined them shortly with
Fawna, who gave Moira a big hug, and they made thier way to the
funeral pyres. 

****
Moira listened quietly as many people stood and spoke of Barry,
holding to the reassurance of Vasra's presence. The dragon had come
quietly and was sitting in the shadows, unnoticed, comforting her
rider and helping her to be strong for the work they had to do
tonight. Shawnee had finished speaking and had taken the torch and
Fawna's hand and made her way to the pyre where Barry lay. 

"Good-bye Grandfather of my heart. I will never be able to say thank
you enough for all you have been to us. All you've given to us. You
will be missed, but we will take comfort in knowing you will live
forever in our hearts."  She turned then and motioned for Moria and
Ashelle to step forward. "My sisters," she smiled warmly at them both.
Moira joined her to the left and Ashelle to the right, adding thier
hands to Shawnee's on the torch.  Together they set the pyre alight. 

"Moira..." Shawnee motioned with her hand towards the stage. Taking a
deep breath Moira mounted the steps, her hand stealing to the small
object in her pocket, wrapped in a bit of blue velvet.  She glanced
down and saw Truan standing nearby, his face full of worry. She nodded
to him, summoning a small smile for his benefit, then faced the crowd.
She nearly faltered, she'd never stood before so many people before,
she wanted to run and hide, but she couldn't. Barry had given her so
much, she had to do this thing for him. 

"I came here searching for my birth father, who had been long gone. I
had no idea what a father truely was, until Barry took me in. We have
all spoke of what Barry meant to all of us, now, I want Barry to speak
of what we all meant to him. " Several people frowned at Moira's
speech, looking around, wondering if the stress had made her crazy. 

*It's time my heart. Contact all the other dragons. Let them know
through you what I know, and let them pass it on to thier riders.*
Moira cued Vasra to the plan she had told the dragon child earlier.

Reaching into her pocket Moira pulled the bundle of blue velvet from
it , then rolled a worn shiny thimble into the palm of her hand, then
closed her fingers over it. Closing her eyes, she let her talent have
it's way, to it's fullest extent. Pouring from her to Vasra, and from
Vasra to the rest, was all that was Barry.

There was an overwhelming sense of strength, tempered by wisdom and a
loving gentle heart. There was pride, in his work, in the warren, and
in the children, both young and old, whom he had dealt with. There was
also love, of people, and of his life at the warren. There was beauty,
and joy and peace. To Moira it was like swimming in a cool stream,
soothing and safe. The dragons set up the keening  that was thier cry
of mourning, as many of the riders standing about had fresh tears
course down their faces. 

Moira sustained the reading for as long as she could then pulled away
before becoming lost. Opening her eyes she looked down at the burning
pyre, then threw the thimble into the flames. Swaying with weariness,
she made her way off the stand into the waiting arms of her new
family, sisters and brother. Before darkness claimed her she felt
Vasra's strength comfort her * I am here, I'll be waiting when you
awake.* then sleep overtook her. 

********

Moira will pretty well be incapacitated for a few days after that. It
takes a lot out of her. She'll be able to manage to care for Vasra,
feeding and the like, but will take a lot of naps in between. 


Rhiannon, writer of:
Moira, rider of Vasra