Ojean
******

Ojean was excited yet scared at the prospect of leaving the one place he had
ever truly called home. Certainly the only place he'd even been really happy in.

On one hand he had been both pleased and awed that the rider had told him
the choice was to be his and his alone to make.

Surprised too, but there had really been no other choice that he could have
made. Though he loved Whiteriver and his duties here, he knew he could never
really be happy anywhere else but with the people he loved. And he owed
Shawnee so much, that he couldn't repay her now by chosen to stay behind. It
just wouldn't be fair. Not after everything she had given up through the
years for him and Fawna. She'd always placed them first before Saul had
found them and brought them to the Warren.

It was time someone thought about her, and if it meant him going with them
to this new home, then go he would.

There only remained one or two things to do.

He went first to see Trinale and told her of his decision. He knew she would
understand and said so. She even told him she would miss him and the help he
had given her, but she understood about family.

Next he made his way to Cill's home. He wanted to be the one to tell her
before she found out some other way. He'd miss her badly.

She was his best friend, and he knew he would miss her real bad when he
left, but with Teewith he could make the trip back to see her whenever he
felt the need to see her.

He knew she'd be upset with his leaving, but he would talk to her and make
her understand that he wasn't leaving her. would never forget her. Besides
after all they'd been through together a bond had formed between them that
could never be broken by any amount of distance.

And so it was that Ojean arrived at her home only to find her gone. But her
mother seeing that he looked like he needed to talk to someone invited him
inside to wait for her daughter and after they had taken seats in the living
room she asked him what was wrong.

He told her. Explained everything to her knowing she would understand. She'd
been through a lot before too and if anyone would it would be her....


"So you see even though Gwyna might get banished from Whiteriver, Shawnee
doesn't want to come back and have to deal with the bad memories. 

"So where will you go?" Racine asked.

"Some new Warren called Jasra that was found in the new Dragonlands they
discovered....but.." he hesitated for a second. "I wanted to tell Cill
myself that we were leaving before she found out from anyone else and I know
she's gonna be upset with me cause I'm going... But do you think it would
make it easier for her if I promise that she can come visit me there?"

He added quickly when he saw he hesitate, " I know Shawnee would look after
her and let her stay with them. So you wouldn't have to worry about her. I
just don't want to loss my best friend cause I've leaving and if she could
come see me there then we can still keep on being best friends."

Racine's face smoothed in to a kind smile. Ojean thought she should smile
more often cause she had a nice one. Made her look years younger.

"I know you would take good care of her Ojean. I'm not worried about that,"
she told him.

"Then she can come visit us there sometime?"

They were still talking about it a little while later when the door opened
and they both turned to see the two girls come inside.

"We're home..." Mara told them. 

"We can see that," her mother grinned and stood up. "Why don't you come out
into the kitchen with me for a while and help me get something started for a
meal."

Mara looked confused for a minute until her mother nodded at Ojean who had
gotten up and moved over to take Cill's hand.

"Oh sure..."

He waited until they were both out of the room then signed to his friend. "I
have something to tell you. Do you think we can go outside for a while..."

"Okay," the girl said and let him lead her out of the apartment and down a
short path to where they could be alone.

He was glad the bench was empty and that no one else was around when he led
her to it and helped her sit down.

Then he slowly repeated to her what he had just finished telling her mother
and then he finished by telling her that he was leaving, he could see the
tears in her eyes when she turned her head away from him.

"Cill...?" 

"You .. you're leaving?" she mumbled turning her head away from his
searching eyes. She'd come to depend on him .. and now he was leaving her.
NOW?? Gods had he grown tired of her?

He'd figured she'd react this way... being a girl and all, but she was the
best friend he ever had and he hated to be the one to upset her. 

"Cill they're my family. I have to go with them," he told her reaching out
to take the hand that hung limp in her lap. "But you're my best friend and
I'm going to miss you horribly, but your mother said you could come visit us
soon and I'll even come back and get you on Teewith.. you'd enjoy that won't
you?"

".. no .." she said simply pulling her hand away. "You just go .. go on. I
don't need you and your pity." Tears began rolling down her cheeks.

"Pity!!! Now when have I ever shown you pity?" he asked her.

"Why else would you stay this long!" she cried. "You were just waiting for a
chance to run off so you didn't have to bother with me anymore! Well I don't
need you Ojean! I'll be just fine!" She stood and turned first one way,
squinting through the blur, then the other way, trying to determine the best
and fastest way out of this horrible situation.

She took three steps away, before tripping over a well camouflaged rock and
falling to the ground. She groaned in pain.

He bent down to help her to her feet and held on even when she would have
denied his help.

Instead of helping her up, he sat down beside her and spoke as softly to her
as he could hoping she'd hear the sincerity in his voice.

"I stayed around you because you were my *friend*... did you ever think of
that!! I didn't have to you know but I did because I really like you and I
*wanted* to be with you!!"

"Why?" She sobbed, "Why would you want to be around me .. I'm a mess." One
hand strayed to her scarred face "I'm ugly .."

"You could be fat and ten feet tall but to me you would still be Cill," he
told her. "It doesn't matter to me what you look like. It's who you that
made me like you. The person inside here."

He reached out and tapped her on the chest.

"That's what I see when I look at you. Why can't you believe that?"

"I can't stand to look at myself, Ojee .. " he nodded, knowing that there
were no mirrors in her bedroom any longer. Those she hadn't broken, Racine
had removed. Cill continued, "Why would you want to look at me."

"So are you saying that if it had been me in that blast who had been hurt...
that you would have stopped being my friend? If I had been the one who now
wore those scares... would you have turned your back on me and walked away
just cause I didn't look handsome anymore?"

He sought to use another tract to deal with her. Make her look into her own
heart for the answer.

"Of course not!" she spat. "But you don't understand. There isn't anything
else to me .. Or at least there wasn't. Not till you came along. Have you
noticed that none of my other friends come around anymore? You were all I
had left .. and now you're leaving me too.."

He reached out and took her hand again and held onto it when she would have
pulled it away again. "I never had a real friend before I met you. Never
knew anyone I wanted to get to know as well as I know you. Even after all
the things we went through with Owlean and you're father.... I wanted to be
your friend even more because you and I had shared something no one else
could understand. We helped eachother deal with it and that Cill is what
friends do," he told her.

"I don't want you to go .." her voice pleaded with him.

"I wish this thing with Shawnee didn't happen, but it has.. but it does NOT
mean I don't want to be your friend anymore... In fact I just got through
asking your mother if you could come stay with us for a while after we got
settled into Jasra..... I want you to come see my new home... Not Brice or
Tippen.. but you. My BEST friend!"

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulders until her
head was pillowed on his shoulder. He could feel her tears soaking into his
shirt but he didn't care. 

"Cill.. I don't want to leave you either... But I can't stay here... not
after everything Shawnee has done for me...but with Teewith I'm only a
teleport away and I'll come back so often that you'll be sick of seeing me
after a time... and you can come see us in our new home and swim in the
great sea Saul told me about."

"Promise?" she asked looking up at him.

"With all my heart. I Promise," he swore and made a move to drawl his hand
across his heart in the age old gesture of honor.

....

Several hours later, the two dragons were loaded up with the final load of
belongings, (Saul having already made one trip, taking Tahsa and Sammy along
with him) hands were shaken, hugs were offered and Ojean had to look away
from those who'd come out to say good -bye to them. 

He knew Cill wouldn't be there because they had already said their good-byes
and he knew he couldn't stand to see her hurt all over again if they had to
say them a second time.

He mounted Teewith and his blue eyes stared fixedly at Saul until the older
rider lifted his hand up in the gesture to lift.....

==========================  

Well the last family member is gone.... sob.... but don't think for a moment
that you've seen the last of Ojean... 

****Submitted by: ******

Ojean & Teewith
formerly of Whiteriver Warren
Jasra Warren

aka
Barbara