*Day 14, late morning*

-=Tarv'renon=-
>A few minutes later and the brown dragon and his rider, Tarv'renon.  Though
>J'red had wanted to rush to find Elissa himself, he acknowledged the wisdom
>of their checking out the site of the destroyed caravan.

They landed and Tarv'renon looked around, surveying the devastation.
How could anyone do such an atrocity? And even more so, why? What use
was it to anyone. 

"Come on, help me search!" J'red called the stout young man to action.


Tarv'renon shook his head to break free of the reverie, "I'm just
trying to figure out where to start."

J'red nodded. Where to start, indeed. It was a daunting task for the
most well trained investigator. But, he looked over at his patrol
partner, not all were as well trained as others.

What to look for, Tarv'renon wondered. Many personal effects were
found. He placed those carefully in his nap sack, just incase they
meant anything. He thought of the girl, the lone survivor who was
housed in the med center currently. He heard her father had died in
the attack and his heart went out to her. Perhaps something may have
some meaning to her, even if it wasn't a clue. 

His toe connected with a board and he landed with a thud, shaking him
from the thoughts of the injured girl.

"You all right?" he heard J'red call out.

"Um, yeah, fine." Tarv'renon started to push himself up when he felt
something round beneath his palm. He picked it up, thinking it was
perhaps one of the cult's coins. In fact, he hoped it was. It could be
a clue. He looked at it, but no, it was just a button. Tarv'renon
sighed dejectedly, and blue the dust off to examine it out of
curiosity. The button was made of gold, and appeared to have some
design on it. 

{Bards must do better than I thought,} the young man mused as he
shoved the button deep in his pocket.

***

"You find anything?" J'red asked when they were finished scouring the
area.

"No, not really. A diary. A bunch of other personal stuff. I picked it
up anyway. Maybe the new girl wants it... you know, for the memories,"
Tarv'renon shrugged, "How'd you do?"

***

*Day 15, late morning*

>When they got to Xanthia's room, Merissa was startled to see a man hovering
>right outside the door.  She checked her urge to call for assistance when
>she caught sight of the young man's face.  He looked torn between a desire
>to open the door, and fear.  But the concern that was in his eyes was
>evident.
>
>"Tarv'renon, are you coming or going?"  Merissa asked trying to decrease his
>anxiety at being discovered hovering there.

Her tone made him flinch. He still had many prejudices against him to
overcome. And this was Merissa, Th'rin's mate. Tarv'renon swallowed
hard. That just made it all the more difficult to talk to her.

>"I wasn't sure if Xanthia... was awake."  he finished lamely.
>
>
>At the mention of Xanthia, Oberon forgot about his indoor voice, and
>bellowed, "An XAN! An Xan!"

Tarv'renon couldn't help but chuckle at the child's exuberance.
Clearly the boy was quite enamored with his young aunt. Not that he
could blame him. 

>"Shhhh!  Bear!!!  We'll go see Aunt Xanthia, honey!"  Merissa said, putting
>her finger to the boy's lips as a reminder.
>
>Tarv grinned, "Well, him I know she'll be glad to see." and he opened the
>door admitting the small boy into his aunt's room.

Oberon ran into the room and looked up at the redhead in the bed as if
he was listening to her, though not a word was spoken. Then he pulled
the chair over to the bed, climbed up on it, and from the chair to the
bed. 

Tarv'renon flinched, worrying for Xanthia's leg, but she didn't seem
to mind. In fact, that was the first smile he'd seen out of her, as
she cuddled and played with the young toddler on the bed with her.

>Merissa and Tarv'renon hung back in the doorway and watched the odd
>interaction between the aunt and nephew.  Few words were exchanged, yet they
>seemed to totally understand each other.
>
>"That's pretty amazing... look how quiet he is when he's around Xanthia,"
>Merissa murmured.  Her doubt and confusion coming to the fore -- was there
>something wrong with her little boy?  He hardly ever spoke!
>
>"They're good for each other, don't you think?"  Tarv asked.
>
>Merissa glanced at Tarv with new eyes.  She had never really gotten to know
>him -- mostly because of her opinion being clouded by his previous attack on
>Xanthia.  Perhaps his motives had been good, even if his actions had been...
>problematic.  Th'rin continued to insist that Tarv wasn't all that bad...
>and now she saw, that perhaps he wasn't.  He truly seemed to enjoy watching
>the petite red-headed healer playing with the toddler.

"I said, they are good for each other, don't you think?" Tarv'renon
repeated.

"What, oh yes, yes they are." Merissa answered.

Something seemed troubling the junior queenrider, she seemed awfully
distracted. "Is something the matter? You seem... troubled."
Tarv'renon ventured more boldly than he anticipated.

"It's just..." she shook her head.

He reached for her face, stroking her cheek and stopping at the chin,
where he then tipped her head back so he could look her in the eye as
he spoke so she could see his sincerity.

"If you need to talk, I'm a good listener," he said softly, his heart
going out to her.

[NRPG: Tag Arlene!]

***

*Day 16, Morning*

<Xanthia>

>The tense atmosphere was lightened as everyone watched Xanthia, her teeth 
>gritted with the effort, begin to pull herself upright with the aid of the 
>crutches.  She nearly fell again twice, but in the end she got to her feet.  
>Then a spontaneous cheer broke out among the onlookers.  Even Corra could not 
>suppress a grin.

<I did it! I really did it!> Xanthia crowed to Maxima, beaming from
ear to ear. 

<Well, I knew you could all along,> Maxima replied dryly, though
indeed she was thrilled for her rider.

>"There, that's the first step.  And then it's just a step at a time from here 
>on out, until you master itÐwhich you will."
>

Xanthia turned excitedly to Th'rin. "So how long til I fly again?" her
mind going to the conversation she'd had the day before with Katla. At
least she could fly... And how she loved to fly, but with everything
that had gone on, there hadn't been much opportunity to fly outside
the warren even before she got ill.

"Easy, one thing at a time," Th'rin said. "Are you ready to practice
walking some more?"

Xanthia grinned and nodded vigorously. "Then can I see Oberon?" 

"Yes, if you have the energy." Th'rin grinned back.

***

*Tarv'renon*

Tarv'renon walked over to Xanthia as she sat in the wheelchair
catching her breath. Th'rin had ordered her to go back to her room and
rest before she overexerted herself.

He knelt down in front of her. She looked so small, like a child. "I'm
sorry I scared you," he said softly. 

Xanthia frowned, trying to think of what he was talking about, then
smiled, "Bygones!" she said.

"Bygones?" He asked, perplexed.

"Yes. You know, bygones. Like spilled milk," Xanthia smiled at him.
"In fact, if I hadn't fallen, I never would have learned to get up.
Then I wouldn't have tried so hard. I was ready to give up until that,
you know."

He laughed and kissed her on the head, "Xanthia, you are something
else. But, it's time for lunch, you need to eat and though I may not
look it, so do I." He ruffled her hair and headed for the exit.
Whistling happily, wishing he had someone to share his joy with.

***

*Dining hall, lunch time*

He sat smiling to himself, as he examined the button he'd found the
other day. It was really quite curious. 

"Mind if I join you?" Tarv'renon looked up to see J'red standing there
with a tray.

"No, not at all. I just saw Xanthia." 

"Oh, how's she doing?" J'red asked as he took a seat.

"Just fine! She's learning to walk again." He flipped the button in
the air as if it were a coin and attempted to catch it. But instead
the button bounced from the table to the floor, and landed to rest
beneath J'red's seat.

"Here's your..." J'red stopped mid-sentence, his expression changed
from jovial to grave as he examined the item in his hand. "Where did
you get this?"

"That old button? Found it at the caravan site, seemed too nice to
leave... why?" Tarv'renon answered honestly.

[NRPG: Oh Arlene? ;) ]

***

-=Xanthia=-

*Late afternoon, med center*

Xanthia smiled sheepishly as the young woman she'd met earlier in the
corridor entered the room with Corra.

"Corra said you wanted to see me?" the girl said shyly.

"Yes...Del..." Xanthia shortened the impossibly long name and hoped
she hadn't offended. "I..." she looked over to Corra who nodded for
her to continue. "I want to apologized for making a scene earlier... I
was... upset... and frustrated." She sighed, having gotten it out,
defining emotions was so difficult. she fussed with the cover,
plucking fuzz off of it, in an effort to cover her discomfort.

[NRPG: TAG Dana!]

***

*Evening*

Xanthia was alone once more when suddenly she felt a familiar voice
screaming in her brain.

>Trinale stopped in her tracks and screamed, both in her mind and outloud.
>"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She cringed in recognition. <Trinale, what's wrong?> she sent forth,
but no answer was forthcoming. A moment later a second scream
shattered her thoughts.

>"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Trinale screamed again as she climbed on Cricket and
>Cricket launched in the air in a vain attempt to stop the red dragon.

<Trinale???> Xanthia was troubled. She didn't have to have her sisters
sense of empathy to be able to detect the angst in the queenrider's
cries.

>Dragons around the warren keened in despair as one of their own teleported
>away into nothingness. There was a slight break in the keening for only a
>second as they waited for Cricket and her rider to reappear, having failed
>to stop Dandy. It was only a moment before the dragons realized that
>Cricket was gone too. Their keening doubled in strength as they realized
>that the young Queen and her rider were gone.

The cries of the mourning dragons was deafening. <Trinale???> Xanthia
sent out again, panic welling up inside of her.

<She's gone, they're all gone. L'rian, Caitlin and Dandy. Trinale and
Cricket. All gone.> Maxima replied solemnly.

<Gone?> Xanthia sensed the finality of her dragon's message.

<They teleported out... to beyond.>

<Dead???>

Fear and abandonment gripped the young redhead as the reality sunk in.
So many unanswered questions echoed through her brain. She raked her
finger down her face, raising red lines.

<Don't!> Maxima commanded.

Xanthia stopped, knowing what she really need was not to be alone.
Pulling all her strength about her grabbed the crutches and stood up
beside the bed, the brace clicking in place all too loudly. 

Deliberately she made her way out the door, pulling herself forward
step by teary step til she reached Th'rin's office, though she cried
for the pain inside her heart, not the pain in her leg. His light was
still on, she was glad to see as only now did the possiblity occur to
her that he might have left the med center.

Leaning heavily on the right crutch, she grasped the doorknob in her
left hand and flung it open and made her way toward the distraught
head healer, throwing her arms about him.

"Why, Th'rin?" she cried, holding him and sobbing aloud the question
that was the most perplexing. "Why?"

[NRPG: Tag Kris!]

-=Tarv'renon=-
*Dining hall*

The keening died down and Tarv'renon wiped the tears from his eyes. As
he wondered what would happen to the warren now, his mind went to
Merissa. 

{Gods,} he thought, {She's warrenlady now.}

He remembered how troubled the young woman was, so overwhelmed by all
that was going on in her life. Gods, what this must be doing to her,
to lose her friend and gain all this responsibility all in one fell
swoop!

<Murkash where is Chrysthal's rider right now?> He stood up from his
dinner and headed for the door.

<She's in her office.>

<Is anyone with her?>

<No, she's alone,> Murkash confirmed his rider's fear.

<Take me to her.>

Moments later he found himself opening the door to the new
warrenlady's office. All he cared for was making sure she was all
right.

He found her at her desk, her head bowed, resting on folded hands. He
walked over to her and stroked her hair lovingly.

"Sh... it's okay... I'm here now," he soothed.

***

NRPG: Tag Arlene!


                \=/,         _-===-_-===-_-===-_-=======-_-===-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                  )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood    )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__    morgie@iquest.net               )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                   )
     )   _ /  / _)            (   The heart and soul of:          )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_  Xanthia/Maxima of Whiteriver   )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             ( Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_                              )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-====-_____-===-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;

Morgan's World http://members.xoom.com/Morgie/

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