Xanthia couldn't believe it! She'd been ousted from the monastery like
no more than a beggar! Tears of defeat flooded her eyes blurring her
vision as she ran toward her draconic soul mate.

"OW!!!" she yelled out loud as she tripped over a rock, wrenching her
ankle in the process.

<Are you hurt, my heart?> The obsidian dragon asked.

<Just my pride and my ankle. But the ankle will probably be better by
morning,> Xanthia confirmed after a cursory exam of the injured limb.
She picked herself up and limped the rest of the way toward Maxima.

<Home, girl, take me home!> Xanthia cried.

***

*Morning*

Xanthia woke to the gentle mental prodding of her dragon, <Xanthia...
Wake up... you need to talk to Trinale today.>

<Huh??? What???> Xanthia did her best to shake away the cobwebs, sitting
up and resisting the inviting pull of the mattress to lay back down
after too few hours sleep.

<You need to tell her what happened last night,> Maxima counseled.

<Last night? Oh, the monastery! I made such a mess of things!> Xanthia
lamented, burying her head in her hands.

<But Trinale needs to know, for the safety of the warren.>

<Safety? Oh Gods! You don't think they'll come again because I... >
Xanthia began to fret, nervously chewing on her knuckles. <I just wanted
to help!!!>

<Tell Trinale that, then, before she finds out from someone else.>

<Yes, you are right,> Xanthia agreed, climbing out of the bed and
pulling on some clean clothes. <Talk to Trinale. She'll understand. I
hope.> Her stomach gurgled emptily. 

<After breakfast,> she added.

***

Xanthia's eyes glistened as she noticed something shining on the ground
in front of her as she headed into the dining hall. She bent down and
picked up the smooth grey-black stone. It felt wonderfully cool to the
touch, yet shone like metal more than anything. 

"Oh lucky day!" Xanthia exclaimed, examining the found object closely.
"Hematite! I can add this to my collection!" 

She pocketed the stone happily, her worries over the impending meeting
superseded for the moment by the simple joy at finding the stone.

***

Xanthia ate like she was starving, her appetite fueled by her anxiety
over the pending meeting with Trinale as thoughts of the day ahead of
her overwhelmed her elation at finding the piece of hematite. Her mind
reeled with the possibility of all the various consequences.

She exited the dining hall, still munching on one last muffin, when she
saw the platinum dragon in the sky above!

Oldreth! <They're back, Maxima! Wintermoon and Oldreth are back!>

<As is Chrysthal.> Maxima added in confirmation.

<Chrys??? I don't understand???> Xanthia looked up at the sky and saw
the two queens coming in for a landing. She stepped back into the
doorway to be inconspicuous lighted on the ground, no longer feeling the
urge to run eagerly toward the great nomad. She watched quietly as
Oldreth dismounted and then helped Merissa dismount, then leaned forward
and kissed her cheek.

Xanthia's own cheeks began to burn. <What is he doing???>

<Kissing, from the looks of it. Humans like that.> Maxima confirmed the
obvious.

<I *see* what he's doing, but why???> Xanthia pulled the smooth stone
she had found from her pocket, rubbing it anxiously between her fingers,
a lump growing in her throat. It was a trick Corra had taught her to
deal with stress, handle something small and comforting that is easily
carried, like a stone or round marble.

>"Thank you beatiful one...You've given me...Hope. That there is something
>more here than pain and suffering."

<Beautiful one??? Hope??? What does that mean???> Xanthia's eyes teared
inexplicably. She wiped at her eyes and did her best to pull herself
together, chastising herself for her foolishness.

She waited until after the two had parted to continue on her way to the
warrenlady's office.

***

She was about to walk through the door into Trinale's office when she
heard Oldreth's voice. No, she knew she could not enter now, that would
be rude. So Xanthia stood outside the door and waited, listening so that
she would know when would be a good opportunity to enter.

>"Merissa and I made love. It was a mutual attraction I think, and this
>rider threatened to say I raped her, and hold Merissa's actions over her
>head with Th'rin. Handle it how you wish. I rendered him unconscious, and
>send him back to Whiteriver nude, tied to his dragon."

Xanthia clasped a hand to her mouth, stifling a whimper as a pang of
angst pierced her heart. Made love? But Merissa is Th'rin's mate. Oh
gods, poor Th'rin! 

<Why do you worry about who mates with whom? It seems so trivial a
matter, he's not even your mate.>

<But I... and Th'rin... he'll hurt...> Xanthia babbled.

<Right now you need to worry about telling Trinale about the monastery
so that she can make sure to take precautions, if need be.>

<Right... Precautions... Tell Trinale.> Xanthia drew in a shaky breath
as she did her best to still her trembling body and quaking spirit. She
clutched the smooth stone that normally helped sooth her tightly in her
palm.

She watched as he walked right past her, not even noticing her presence,
and the hurt inside dug a little bit deeper.

<Now is the time,> Maxima nudged.

<Time, right.> Xanthia drew another deep breath and walked on into the
warrenlady's office.

***

"Well, Xanthia? What is it? Trinale asked after Xanthia stood there
quietly for several moments, looking very much the cornered animal.

<Tell her!> Maxima urged.

"monastery... Went there... Old man... very old... unhappy... mean...
kicked me out... I'm sorry..." Xanthia babbled, her voice quivering on
the brink of tears. "I-just-wanted-to-help!" The last, finally a
complete sentence, came out sounding more like a single word.

"Slow down! Now, from the beginning, what happened?"

Xanthia told the entire tale, supplementing telepathically where
necessary, working her worry stone between her fingers the entire time.

[NRPG: Tag Kat!]
***

*A short while later*

"Where are you going?" Moira asked, as Xanthia hurried toward Maxima.
She'd just got the call from Areena that Th'rin needed relieved early.

"Med center. Th'rin needs me. Must relieve him. Poor Th'rin!" Xanthia
responded, still frantically obsessing on what she'd heard at Trinale's
office... Merissa and Oldreth, making love.

"Poor Th'rin? Why poor Th'rin?" the tall woman responded.

"Can't say. Not proper to discuss such things, Corra says."

"What kind of things?" Moira inquired.

"Private things. Sex things." Xanthia replied, attempting to fasten
straps of the saddle to her legs before she took off while still
clutching the shiny black stone. But dexterity gave way to distraction
and the small polished rock tumbled out of the healer's trembling hands
to the ground, unnoticed by it's owner.

"Got to go! Th'rin needs me!" Xanthia said as she and Maxima took off
toward the med center.

******
NRPG: Tag Rhi! Have fun! I'll just leave it like this for now, don't
know what else to post for the rest of the day.


                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___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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