NRPG: Okay, I'm filling in some gaps here (still on Day 10!!!), and will
hopefully get up to day 12 with Merissa.  Next post will deal with J'red.

*****
Day 10
Late Morning.
Merissa left Trinale's office and headed over to the medical center.
Checking with the nurse on duty, she discovered that N'lin was to be
released that morning.
She hurried to his room, hoping that she hadn't missed him and knocked on
the door.

>"Come in," he called, pulling on his boot.
>
>Timidly the door opened at Merissa peaked her head in.  He winced.  "Come
in

>Merissa.  Its nice to see you again."


She was so glad to see him awake -- and whole.  They chatted for a while,
skirting the actual event, but she felt much relieved that he did not blame
her for his attempt on his own life.

>Merissa smiled, "Please.  I really didn't do anything special.  I'm just
>happy that you're all right."
>
>"I am.  But I'm not sure if my luggage is.  Foil cut it loose rather
>abruptly in the urge to be after your lovely queen."
>
>They both shared an all too understanding smile over that.
>
>"If you don't have anything else to do, I'd appreciate the help getting it
>moved into my old apartment, which no one else seems to have taken.  That
is
>if you're not busy.  Foil's not the best gossip and it'd be nice to get
>caught up on what been happening..."


Merissa felt a flood of relief. Helping him gather his belongings and get
re-settled into the warren was something she could do!

"I've been told that you were discharged -- so when ever you are ready," She
smiled, "we can go."

N'lin looked grateful and the two left the medical center.  Merissa knew
exactly where his rucksack and other luggage had been taken, and they went
by
the general stores to retrieve them.  Trefoil obliged to take the two riders
up to N'lin's old apartment high on the walls of the warren.

Merissa filled N'lin in on the bombing of the hatching sands, poisoning of
the coal bins, and various attempts on the lives of several of the warren
folk, including the one on her own.  She concluded by explaining what they
had found out about the cult of the blind-folded lady.

"You have to be very careful, N'lin." she concluded, visibly shaken by the
retelling of the latest events.

***
Tag back Bridget -- feel free to ask her anything :)
***
It was getting on to lunch time, and Merissa suddenly realized that she had
made plans to meet with Th'rin for the noon-meal.  Excusing herself from the
very charming company of N'lin, who graciously offered her a ride on Trefoil
back down to the green, she returned to the medical center.


Trinale had mentioned the arrival of a young noblewoman, Raine, and that she
was currently at the medical center.  Raine -- Merissa recalled the young
woman vividly.  She had often invited her to her gardens to tell her tales
of her travels while being a bardswoman.  The girl had led a rather
sheltered life, but the two none-the-less had become fast friends.

She decided to see the girl before meeting Th'rin for their lunch date.

>"...Raine??? Are you in there?" came a female voice and for some reason she
>thought it sounded familiar.
>
>Slowly she opened the door and was nearly stuck speechless when she
>recognized the woman standing on the other side of the opened door. A woman
>she hadn't seen in years.. Not since she'd disappeared one night at a ball
>she had been signing at. A woman who had once been her friend.
>
>"Raine I heard you were here."
>
>"Merissa?" she muttered finally finding her voice. "But how? What are you
>doing here in the Warren?"


Merissa laughed, a beautiful, musical laugh, that made Raine smile despite
of her recent ordeal, reminding her of their shared confidences.

"I was searched!"  Merissa grinned, "While singing a love ballad, no less."
she embellished for the delight of the young girl, who had quickly ushered
her in to her room, and then embraced her with a surprisingly strong hug.

"YOU? A dragon rider?"  Raine sputtered in disbelief.  "Now your tales are
becoming pure fantasy!"  she teased.

Merissa smiled slyly, "and of a Queen!"

****
Tag back Barb :)
****
>Th'rin had been waiting for Merissa, who had via dragon, agreed to have
>lunch with him.  He smiled as she came around the corner, "Merissa, you
were here?"
>
>She nodded, "Visiting an .. old friend."
>
>"Oh?" Th'rin asked.
>
>Merissa didn't have time to answer as her face blanked in response to a
>call from her dragon.

<My rider! It's Xanthia! She's destroying Oldreth's apartment, and will hurt
herself! You must hurry.>

>Th'rin and Merissa looked at each other as they both got the news of
>*where* it was that Xanthia was .. Both knew how important Oldreth had been
>to the girl. What an impact the large bear nomad had made upon her.
>
>He and Merissa ran quickly from the med center to Oldreth's apartment.
>Th'rin, running faster, arrived there first to find Xanthia, surrounded by
>the remnants of Oldreth's bed.  "Xanthia what are you doing?!?"
>
>>Xanthia's crystal blue eyes blazed like a cornered animal... "No!!!!" she
raged,
>>throwing the blade across the room!
>
>>"Maxima told Areena you needed me," Th'rin began.
>
>>"I HATE HIM!!!" she screeched in response.
>>She grabbed one of boards that broke loose
>>from the drawer she destroyed earlier and set to smashing everything else
>>in the room, blinded to anything but her rage at the absent male
>>queenrider, deaf to any input from any source.
>
>Th'rin ducked and pushed the just arriving Merissa out of the way, just in
>time to prevent her from being clobbered in the face by the out of control
>Xanthia.
>
>"What the .." Merissa breathed, watching in horror.

Merissa backed up against a wall, frightened by the rage that Xanthia was
displaying, terrified that Th'rin would be hurt, as he slowly circled around
the girl
>planning on grabbing her from behind and stopping this potentially harmful
rampage.
>He missed twice.

Merissa could hear Chrysthal calling to the frightened girl -- her calming
and soothing mind-voice finally reaching her, as Xanthia stopped and dropped
to the floor.

>>Xanthia turned to face the frightened couple, her blue eyes looking
>>piercingly into Merissa.  ... She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve
>>as she asked with a childlike squeak, "Why?"
>
>Th'rin, still moving cautiously, took the board from the girl's hands and
>threw it out of reach. "Xanthia?"
>
>"Why did he leave, Th'rin? I loved him .."
>
>"I don't know why. He just didn't fit in. He wasn't happy here. You did
>want him to be happy .. didn't you?"
>
>"I would have made him happy .." Xanthia frowned. "But *YOU*!" She spun her
>head to look at Merissa who took a step back from the attacking glare. "He
>left because of you! Didn't he? DIDN'T HE!"
>
>"Xanthia!" Th'rin said, his voice ringing loud and authoritatively.
>
>The young woman turned to look at him, and her face crumbled. "She did it,
>Th'rin .. she did. She betrayed me .. and you. She betrayed us both .."
>
>"Oh no, Xanthia .." Th'rin said gently, and pulled her into his arms. "Shhh
>.. it wasn't Merissa's fault."
>
>Xanthia tried to push back from him, shouting, "It was! It was!", but
>Th'rin held tightly onto Xanthia, speaking soothingly until she too stopped
>fighting and simply began to sob.
>
>Th'rin turned his eyes to Merissa, looking at her apologetically, "Go on ..
>I think it's best."
>
>She nodded, knowing that it was likely her presence would simply make
>matters worse, and slipped out the door leaving Th'rin to deal with
Xanthia.


Merissa walked slowly across the green, shaken by the force of the young
girl's anger.  Her mind returned to her last conversation with Oldreth...

*"I can only cause pain here.  I saw how Th'rin was hurt by your showing
your care for me, and Dalton will want vengeance, and I wish him no further
harm.  Your ways here at the Warren, though more open than most, are still
not ways that I can understand or abide with.  I must go.... for you, for
Th'rin, for Xanthia ... I will love you all, but we must
go, Wintermoon and I."*

She stopped walking.  *No, I won't take the responsibility for this!
Xanthia has to understand, and since I was the last person to talk with
Oldreth before he left, I have to go and tell her -- no matter what the
consequences!*

She turned back and re-entered Oldreth's former apartment -- or what was
left of it!

Th'rin and Xanthia had not moved.  He was still holding and comforting her,
like a small child, much as he often held and comforted Oberon.

Xanthia sobbed and mumbled, repetitively, "But I loved him... I loved
him..."

Merissa approached slowly, and knelt beside the pair, "He knew that,
Xanthia, and he didn't want to cause you any more pain, that is why he
left...because he felt that he could only cause people more pain here by
staying,"  Merissa explained softly.

Xanthia looked up, with tears streaking her face.  "But he loved you...?"

"No, Xanthia, he did not.... not in the sense that you mean."  Merissa
looked away briefly, trying hard to explain what she did not completely
understand herself.  "It was a Nomad way... like the dragon mating flight...
we... he needed...."  she sighed, looking at Th'rin who also desired an
explanation, "he needed to be comforted."

"You don't love him?"  Xanthia asked, her mind not completely grasping the
ideas that Merissa expressed.

Merissa smiled at her, shaking her head slowly, "Yes, and no, Xanthia, but
not in the way that I care for and love Th'rin.  I just knew, I could sense
... and perhaps it was also because of Chrysthal's closeness to her time to
rise... we made love, but we were not in love..."

Xanthia and Th'rin both nodded.  Th'rin looked at the blood soaked cloth
that he was holding to Xanthia's wounds, "We need to get you to the medical
center, Xanthia...."

She acquiesced, the rage had drained her completely, and she slumped between
the two as they half carried her back to the medical center with them.

****
Tag Morgie if you wish -- there is still plenty of room for "conversation"
:)

****
Exhausted after dealing the Xanthia, Th'rin and Merissa took a late
lunch-early dinner.   They ate in silence for most of the meal... then
Th'rin could help himself no longer.

"Merissa... what you told Xanthia about Oldreth?  Was it...?"  Th'rin
hesitated.

"True?"  Merissa completed, "Or only a fabrication to make a deranged girl
feel better?"  She smiled at her mate.  "It was true, Th'rin, and just as I
told you last night... I don't know exactly what happened, or why -- I can
blame it on the shocks of the past few weeks, the desire to be comforted,
and to comfort alike, or on Chrysthal's approaching mating flight.... I
don't want to excuse my actions, Th'rin, I am so sorry that what I did hurt
you!  Oh, Th'rin that was the last thing I wanted to do... but you have been
so .... distant," Merissa faltered, looking away, blinking back her tears.

"So, in a way it was *my* fault?"  Th'rin asked, feeling guilty, and
suddenly recalling Tarv'renon, and swallowed quickly, trying to banish the
thoughts of that man from his mind.  It was easy for him to take the
blame -- he had been conditioned to it for so long living with K'leve as a
father.

But Merissa spoke up quicky, "NO!  No, Th'rin... I never meant to imply..
NO!  It was NOT your fault in any way -- I take full responsibility for what
I've done, though I can't really explain it to you.  Forgive me, Th'rin?
Please?"

****
Tag Kris
****
Day 11

The morning had been uneventful for Merissa, until she got word through the
dragon gossip (and Chrysthal was a notorious gossip!) about what had
transpired in Gwyna's apartment.  She found it amazing that Shawnee and Saul
were leaving!  That Gwyna had tried to drug Saul.

<*Shawnee... she's taking Lynnie and Aarin -- and I haven't even SEEN
Aarin! -- and they are going away, to a new warren?*>

She stood up from her paper work and marched over to catch up with Saul --
whom she met on the green on his way to see her.

"Merissa!"  He looked a bit sheepish when the young junior queen rider
glared at him.

"You... are taking Shawnee and her children away??"  Merissa bit out.  "YOU
are taking Oberon's playmates? and my friend...."  Merissa felt her eyes
filling with tears.  Merissa and Shawnee had shared many hours together,
drinking tea, talking about their children -- and their mothers!  How could
she just leave?  "This is their HOME, Saul!"

"Merissa, Merissa... wait, it isn't my decision alone!  Please, here.."
Saul thrust a small letter with her name written in Shawnee's neat
handwriting.

Merissa looked at the letter, and then back at Saul.

"It explains it all, I think..."  Saul, looked away sadly.  "Merissa, there
is just too much pain here for her -- for us!  We need a fresh start -- and
you can always come and visit?"  He turned one of his most charming smiles
on Merissa.

"Then... I wish you luck, Saul of Whiteriver."  But her heart was heavy --
her friend and her family -- leaving.  The warren had gone through so many
losses, how could she bear another?  Without another word, Merissa turned
and walked across the green to her apartment.

Tears running down her face, she found herself rushing to the comfort of
Chrysthal's secure presence.

<My rider?  What troubles you so?>  Chrysthal's gentle mind-voice chimed
soothingly.

<*Shawnee... she wrote me a letter...*>

<What does it say?>

<*I haven't read it.... yet*>  Merissa slowly opened the seal and looked at
the letter.

****
My Dear Friend,

I will miss you and your family.  Since the day we met I always felt a
kinship with you, and I will value our conversations and recall them with
fondness.

Because of several things that have been happening in our lives lately, I
feel that I can no longer feel safe living in Whiteriver. Despite
everything, I know that Saul does love me and our children and he has agreed
to go with me to a new place and start our lives over. As a family.

Merissa, I wanted to tell you this in person. I know this note is a cold way
to thank you for all you have been to me, but I hope you will understand.
Maybe one day we can see each other again!  And won't it be fun to see how
much the children have grown?  I know that Lynnie will miss her friend
Oberon.  Please, remind him of us?

Yours,
Shawnee

****
Merissa dissolved into tears, and leaned against the reassuring bulk of her
lavender queen.

Chrysthal made soft soothing noises.  She hated to know that her rider was
so distressed and called out to Areena to inform Th'rin that perhaps he
needed to be with his mate.
****
Tag Kris.
****
Day 12

They were all going.  Merissa stood on the green and watched as Saul and
Ojean lifted off with the remainder of Shawnee's family.  The warren was
losing more of its members!

Merissa had a meeting with Trinale to discuss what Elissa and J'red had
discovered at the Fowler estates, and what they were going to do about it.

When she got to Trinale's office, she was surprised to see not only Trinale,
J'red and Elissa there, but also Derry, Katla and Kanler.  They must be here
to discuss something bigger than one dead man.  Merissa looked around the
solemn group.

Trinale nodded to her junior queenrider, and her friend, "Merissa, I think
we've found a link between the bombings, and the coal poisoning ... and the
cult of the blindfolded lady, and maybe a way we can combat them."

She pulled out the book that Raine had brought with her to the warren, and
then glanced around the seated company.

****
Tag Kat, Jill, Kris, Barb etc.

****
After the meeting, Merissa slowly walked to the visitor's quarters where
she'd been told Raine had been given lodging.  It would be nice to spend a
few hours with an old friend -- and to check on how she was doing.

****
Tag Barb.


Respectfully submitted by
Arlene Jacobs
AKA Merissa junior queenrider of Chrysthal of Whiteriver Warren.