[NRPG: This is a joint post by Brian and Dana]


[[Day 42 - afternoon]]

Nestled in the shade of a broad, leafy oak's canopy, hiding from the
burning sun, Thralenkier slept lightly. He'd lost track of the number of
nights he'd been drifting from place to place, and the number of days
he'd taken what shelter he could find or make to keep from burning up.
Water was plentiful... if you were a farmer - the rest had to take what
sipwells and puddles they could find.

He'd always been told to travel at night. The sun parched one out
quickly, even in the wintertime, but the nights were cool and travel
went by faster. That the rule he'd learned tended not to be followed
outside of Windtide had never occurred to him - until he'd left, it had
become progressively more dangerous just to be seen in the light of day.

So travel at night he did. So far, the tiny hamlets he'd found were not
of a size to support him in his trade, nor did they have the resources
he would require for his forge and his quenchers. Running water was an
absolute must, as was a convenient source of fuel to keep the furnace
hot.

Game, of course, was hard to come by at night - and, for the
slightly-inept lad, in the daytime as well. Spring berries and foraged
greenery had sustained him for most of his long journey, and he looked
it. His skin was pale, almost sallow in complexion, and the lack of
suitable lodgings found on his way were ground into his clothing and
hair by grime and unkemptness.

He'd chosen this spot carefully, such that he would be awoken by the
late afternoon's direct sunlight, and hadn't been disappointed when the
piercing yellow-white rays took on a life of their own, stabbing into
his brain and bringing him out of his furtive sleep. Thralenkier rose
slowly, letting the familiar waves of movement jar him even closer to
the land of the waking. After finishing the last of the rabbit he'd
lucked into hitting just right with a rock the day before, then set off
again to where his instincts told him work would be found.

Game was harder to come by, and the sort of greenery he was used to
eating didn't grow very much this far from home. The rations he'd
brought had long since either been eaten or gone bad, and he didn't have
enough tradeable goods left to get food in a town, but for some reason
he just felt like he had to keep going.

At least there was water; he knew enough about survival to know that he
could go for a while without food, as long as there was water available.
He could likely have foraged for something more edible, but he had a
reason to make haste through this part of the countryside - he was near
Whiteriver Warren, and if there was any chance of getting past it
without having to deal with the people inside, he'd be very pleased.

The sun was setting over the mountains, and if he remembered right,
there was a decent landhold on the other side of the Warren. One that
might be big enough for him to settle into. Sure, he might have to do
business with the Warrenfolk, but taking their money wasn't something he
was afraid to do.

He pressed onward, taking a straight line that brought him close to the
Warren, but he refused to actually enter. As the sun dropped behind the
mountains, he pushed himself just a little further. Lone travelers at
night disappeared around Warrens; their infernal beasts sharpened their
foul teeth on the bones of man and beast alike. Both the master
blacksmith that taught him his trade, and the mayor of the town he grew
up in said it was so, and they knew the world a lot better than he did,
right?

Panting with exertion from the brisk, non-stop pace he was moving at,
Thralenkier's fatigue outvoted his desire to get past the horrid place.
Twilight settled quickly, wrapping the world in night's blanket, before
he could find a suitable spot in which to rest his tired bones.
Sloughing off his pack, he started to ease himself down to the ground
for a brief - very brief - rest.

Somewhere between standing and sitting, his opinion ceased to matter,
and he crumpled to the ground.

****

[[night]]

Dashing out of the garden as if she had wraiths on her tail, blinded by
a relentless torrent of tears, Lia floundered through the near-total
darkness, her way lit only by distant torchlight and the pale gleam of a
crescent moon.  Heedless of the direction she took, she sought only to
outrun the pain of too many rejections for one night.  Life had been
much simpler when her father had still been alive; he had sheltered her
from so many things.  Since arriving at the warren, she had begun to
relish her new-found freedom, but now she knew it was only gained at a
cost - one she was no longer sure she was willing to pay.

All at once she was falling, and she hit the ground with a solid thump,
her hand grazing a sharp rock, a knee twisted beneath her.  Moaning, she
rolled over, gingerly regaining her feet as she tried to catch her
breath.  Chest heaving and pulse racing, Lia clutched her uninjured hand
to her cramping side, leaning back against a nearby tree.  She looked
around, realizing she had covered far more ground than she'd had any
notion of.  Cursing the log that had tripped her with one of her newly
acquired oaths, she limped over to give it a vengeful kick.

Lia jumped back with a gasp as her foot made contact with something
decidedly unlog-like.  Squinting through the shadows, she realized that
it was human.  But was it still alive?  She wasn't certain she wanted to
find out, but if the someone were hurt, she owed it to them to do
whatever she could to help.  After all, she herself had been found
unconscious and bleeding after the caravan attack that had taken her
father from her.  With the memory of the assault came a shudder as it
occurred to her that similar ruffians might be lurking nearby.  But as
there wasn't much she could do about it if there were, since she was all
alone except for the seemingly unconscious stranger, she would just have
to show a little backbone and do her best.

Kneeling beside the still form, she cautiously laid a hand against the
chest she could now feel slowly rising and falling against her palm.
"Hello," she said softly at first, repeating the greeting louder when it
got no response.  "Are you all right?"  She shook a slight shoulder
gently.

He felt like he was swaddled in thick, heavy blankets. Itchy blankets,
too.

There were flies buzzing around his face, the buzzing getting really
annoying as it grew louder and softer. They must've been pretty bad,
since someone had hit the blankets he was hiding in fairly hard. His dad
was like that when he was younger, and Thralenkier had learned how to be
quiet when Father was in a very bad mood.

There was something like a voice, but far distant, muffled by the leaves
he hid under to evade notice during the daylight hours. It was a nice
voice, at least. Maybe he should take a peek out of his clubhouse and
see if there were any other kids to play with. There never were,
though... he was tired of being the only kid in their little village.

She saw his lips move, but nothing came out at first; it was with their
motion that she saw how parched they were, wrinkled and light in color.
Eyelids fluttered weakly as his head thrashed side to side with all the
strength of an anemic kitten, and they finally opened to reveal a pair
of incredibly dark eyes staring up past her into the blue-black sky.

His voice was whispery, like old dried parchment being crushed between
strong hands, as he muttered, "Wh-- wha?"

"Oh," Lia murmured sympathetically at the sight of the young man's
struggle.  "I think you need to get to the med center quickly."  She
slipped a hand carefully under his neck.  "Can you sit up?"  If he
couldn't she didn't know just what she would do, not wanting to leave
him alone again in this condition.

Again, his lips moved but little sound came out. Up. She wanted him to
sit up straight at the table. The voice that wasn't a voice said,
"Alright, Mother," and he struggled to lift his too-heavy body up before
she came back with the wooden spoon. With no small amount of help from
Lia, he managed to get propped mostly upright, just in time for his
stomach to howl angrily at its mistreatment in the past weeks.

Lia wasn't certain what he was saying, but she didn't suppose it
mattered.  The only thing that did was getting him to his feet so they
could somehow get to the warren med center.  Not possessing the strength
to carry him that far, the best she could hope for was to prop him up as
he leaned on her, sharing his weight between them.

She frowned as he seemed to grimace in pain.  "Is there anything I can
try to do for you right now?  Before we start back to the warren?"  It
was hard to look him in the eye, a window to the agony tormenting him.

He flinched again, but it was barely noticeable in his current state
among the assortment of tics and tremors that wracked his gaunt frame.
"I'm fine, Constable," he murmured, his mind drifting back to another
encounter in another place and time. "Just need a little rest and I'll
be on my way."

Sitting up seemed to help a little, for after a few long minutes, she
saw that he could focus his eyes a little more clearly, both in terms of
visible light and in awareness of the world around him. Thralenkier
blinked a few more times, bringing her face into focus and realizing she
wasn't the long arm of the law, but a flesh and blood person of the
feminine persuasion.

"You shouldn't be out at night like this," he mumbled through horridly
dry vocal chords. "It's not safe for womenfolk."

"No, it isn't," Lia agreed.  "I'd no idea I'd wandered so far."  She
lowered her head, the not-quite scar tissue on her soul flaring as red
as her mortified face, burning with the heat of shame.  "I
was...upset...about something...."  The painful words replayed in her
mind until she forcefully pushed them aside.  Time enough later to
relive the humiliation.  Little enough time now to provide the help that
was needed.  "We both need to get back to the warren.  It's dark and
getting cold and one of the healers really ought to have a look at you.
Lean on me and try to stand up."  As she knelt beside him, she wedged a
shoulder under his arm and urged him to get to his feet.

He grunted with the strain, finding his way to his feet more by blind
luck and her unwillingness to let him fall again than through any real
strength. "My pack," he managed to blurt, throwing his other arm out to
steady himself on legs that made a newborn foal look like a champion
thoroughbred.

Glancing around, Lia spotted the pack - lying just out of reach.
Quickly assessing the options, she told him, "Hold my hand so you can
maintain your balance while I get your pack."  He wobbled uncertainly as
she stepped away from him, clutching her hand as his only solid grasp on
reality.  Crouching down, Lia snatched up the pack in a smooth motion as
she rose to her feet again, catching him against her shoulder again as
he swayed.

His eyes fell on hers, dark grey points peering into wide verdant orbs,
blinking as a little smile crept onto his face. Remembering something
about her being upset, he tried to imagine what sort of thing it could
have been and found himself wandering in thoughts for a span of several
heartbeats. "Anyone dumb enough to make you upset deserves bad luck for
a lifetime," he finally offered, weakly, his voice betraying both
intense fatigue and no small measure of insecurity. "But-- but then
again... if they hadn't, I wouldn't have met my guardian spirit."

Lia flushed an even darker shade, averting her gaze.  "I'm just glad I
was where I was needed.  Now, take your time, but keep moving.  If you
stop, you might not want to start again."

As they meandered slowly along, Lia began to take in details of the
young man's appearance.  They were nearly matched in height, his slight
figure seeming not to outweigh her by much.  Above an expressive face,
his dark hair and one eyebrow had a lighter patch that glinted in the
moonlight.  His clothes were filthy and worn, and smelled of a body much
in need of a bath.  Yet there was something appealing about him.
Perhaps it was only that he was more in need than she was, she who had
felt beholden to many since she had arrived penniless and
possession-less at Whiteriver.  Or perhaps it was more.

The closer they got to the warren, the more Lia felt the strain of
supporting the young man as they walked.  Their steps got slower and
more erratic, like a couple of drunks weaving their way home arm in arm
after a night of binging.  Just when Lia's knees had begun to wobble,
and she thought she was going to lose her hold, she caught sight of a
flash of motion through the trees.  "I think there's someone there," she
whispered.  Not wanting to reveal their presence until she knew the
identity of the newcomer, she quieted her steps, urging her companion on
a soft exhale of breath to do the same.

A twig snapped nearby, as the shadowy figure approached.  Straining to
see through the dim light, she let him take another stride closer.

"N'lin!"  The cry erupted from her as recognition dawned.

Startled, the dragonrider turned toward the sound of his name.  Several
long moments passed as he stared at the pair.  "Lia?" he queried
wonderingly.  "What are you doing out here?  Is everything all right?

"Actually, it isn't, N'lin.  This fellow," she nodded her head toward
the one in question, "needs to get to the med center.  I found him
unconscious.  Can you please help me get him there?"

N'lin positioned himself so that he could take half of the young man's
weight on his own shoulder, thereby relieving Lia of an equal amount.
"You said you found him.  Do you know who he is?"

"In all of the excitement, I forgot to ask," Lia admitted in dismay.
Turning to the slumped figure between them, she asked, "Can you tell us
your name?"

Right at the moment, he couldn't. There was a thick wad of cotton in
Thralenkier's mouth that made all but the most basic breathing
impossible. First to Lia, then to the newcomer, he turned his head and
his mouth gaped open and closed as the words tried to form, but his
tongue was being uncooperative in the worst way by being dry and
swollen.

Still, though, he tried, and through enough effort to crease his brow he
managed to squeak out what sounded like "T... in... keer."  Then he fell
mute again, concentrating on the more important task of keeping his feet
underneath him so his new friend and, apparently, her friend wouldn't
have to support him wholly.

"Tinker?  Is that your name?"  Lia wasn't certain she had caught all the
sounds as he rasped them out.

He shook his head and tried again, but the word just wouldn't form
properly.

"Never mind, just concentrate on walking," Lia suggested gently, "we can
worry about who you are later."

N'lin nodded.  "First things first.  Now, one foot in front of the
other."

****

[[Meanwhile, back at the warren....]]

Nephrititi twitched and squirmed inside her egg, seeking a bit of extra
room for a hind leg to stretch out in.  It was certainly getting to be a
tight fit.

{I can't wait to get out of here,} she stated to no one in particular.

[How much longer?  I'm HUNGRY!], came the reply from one of her
clutchmates.

{Dam says one more Day, Narshada.}

[Um... I forget, Neph.  What's a Day?]

{Didn't you pay attention to that lesson?  You were probably only
thinking of your stomach again, weren't you?  I'm hungry, too, but there
are lots of other important things to think about, and nothing we can do
about that one yet, anyway,} she reminded her pertly.

[Was not,] came the sulky-sounding reply.  [I was cold.  And I... what
did Dam call it?  Oh, yeah. I itch, too.  On my... nose.  My nose itches
'cos it's cold.  So there!]

{How can you be cold on these warm sands?  I'm nice and toasty,}
Nephrititi purred.  {Then again, I *am* a queen, so our dam probably
makes sure I have the warmest sands in the cavern.}

[Yes, Your Majesty,] taunted the other mental voice.  [Knowing my luck,
I'm shoved over by the far wall out of the way.]  As it happened, that
was nearly the case - Narshada's egg was one of those nearest the wall
of the sand-floored cavern.  [I've had it, Neph. I've been cold as long
as I can remember... I'm bustin' out early and finding someplace *warm*
to hide!]

{You're not allowed,} Nephrititi insisted.  {You have to stay in there
until the shell starts to crack.  It's not safe trying to do it on your
own.  Although if you do, and something bad happens to you, I won't have
to listen to you whine any longer.}  This last was accompanied by a
hearty mental chuckle.

[But I'm COLD!]  Nar pushed as much as she could within the cramped
inner confines of the only home she'd known, but the inside of the egg's
shell was slippery, making it difficult to get purchase enough to put
stress on it.  [Whuh-wha-whoa!]  A little hint of confusion traveled
through the link as Narshada lost her footing and slip-rolled around.
[Great.  Just great,] came an exasperated, almost hopeless Narshada's
thought-voice.  [Now I'm cold... and I'm hungry... and I itch... and I'm
UPSIDE DOWN!]

Giggling merrily, Nephrititi wished she could see just now foolish her
clutchmate looked.  {Serves you right.  I TOLD you not to try to get out
before it's time.  You ought to wait for your rider to be here, anyway.
You don't want to have to go searching for her.  In the meantime,} she
added sagely, {since I can't do anything about righting you, you'll have
to tell Dam what you've done and have her help you.}

[Right my egg?  How about we *move* it somewhere warmer!]  Narshada's
flush did little to warm her.

{Well, silly, ask her to do that for you, too, then.  Honestly, you'd
think you didn't have any thought in your head other than your incessant
complaints.}  Nephrititi was no longer laughing.

That comment took the young dragonlet abruptly, enough that there was a
fairly ominous silence between the clutchmates.  [I do so have
thoughts,] Nar 'casted quietly.  [A lot of them, really. Areena and Dam
have told us a lot about the World, and I want to go see it for myself.
I want to know what 'green' is, and find out what the big deal is about
boy riders and girl riders, and why Areena giggled when we asked about
where we came from.  And I want to meet my rider... it's weird, Neph.  I
feel confused and sleepy, but I know I'm not really.  Is that my rider
talking to me?  Or am I just going crazy in here?]

{Oh, you're crazy all right.}  Nephrititi rolled her eyes. {You and your
rider haven't even joined yet.}  She paused, Nar's words striking a
chord. {But I know what you mean about wanting to see and learn about
everything for yourself.  I want that, too...but mostly to join with my
rider.}   The little dragon rested her head against her forelegs,
closing her eyes dreamily.  {I know she's very special.}  Suddenly her
head popped up again, knocking against the shell.  {And just think how
much fun we'll have - once we get out of these wretched, cramped eggs.}

[Fun will be good... but I want food first!  I'm *starving to death*
here!]  Even through the distraction of the rumble in her gut, Nar
wasn't wholly convinced that she was crazy just yet.  Stir-crazy,
perhaps, but there was still that sense in the back of her head that
told her she was right.  [Am not crazy,] she denied flatly, shifting her
weight around inside the hard husk that was the only world she knew,
compromising a little when she found a way to get mostly on her side.
[Dam says that dragons don't get crazy.  It's the humans that are
weird.]

She shifted again, trying to get a forelimb up high enough to reach her
nose, soft scales grating against the inside of the shell and meeting
with a little success.  [Yes... oh yes, that feels good,] Narshada
purred with glee as she finally got to that annoying little itch.  [And
what makes you think your rider's a she, anyhow?  You might find out
that a male human's more to your liking... Dam says it happens once in a
while, y'know.]

Nephrititi thought for a moment.  {I just know, that's all....  Just
like I know you're crazy,} she added with a giggle.  Suddenly her own
belly gurgled as if in sympathetic response.  {And stop making me think
about food, too,} she grumbled, the amusement gone as quickly as it had
arisen.   {My rider won't be weird, she'll be wonderful...AND she'll
feed me.}  Nephrititi smacked her lips in anticipation of a full belly.
{I wonder what meat tastes like,} she mused, {and what it smells
like...and how it feels when you chew it....  Oh, bother!  Now you have
me doing it.}  She frowned. {Maybe we should just take a nap to make the
time pass quicker.}

[I'm not sleepy.]  Another shiver shook her small (for a dragon) form as
more cold seeped in from the outside, making her curl up tighter around
herself reflexively.  Despite her denial, her eyelids were feeling quite
heavy, and she reasoned quite sanely that letting them close wouldn't
hurt anything, considering there was nothing to see inside the shell
anyway.  [Sleep's all I do anyhow. Betcha I won't sleep for a month
after we hatch, we're so caught up on sleep.  Dam says that there'll be
a lot of humans watching when we start to come out... the ones that
don't get joined, are they food too?]

{Hmm, I don't think so.  I think some of them might join later....  Who
knows, I might even be dam to their dragons.} Nephrititi would have
puffed out her chest if only there had been room inside the egg.  {First
our riders bring us our food, then - when we can fly - we get to hunt
for our own.  Maybe then we get to eat other humans.}  She ached to test
her wings, all folded up tightly against her body in the confines of the
egg.  {I want to get out of here.}  The frustrated whimper accompanied a
sharp blow to the shell delivered by an out-thrust hind leg.

Narshada's smug, self-satisfied grin could be heard as she sent, [*Told*
you I wasn't crazy.]  Still, the thump that had echoed from Nephrititi's
eggshell was soon accompanied by another from her co-conspirator.  [At
least you're not upside-down.]

{You wouldn't still be, either, if you weren't too foolish to ask for
help.  Well, I'm tired of hearing about it.  Dam!} she called to
Chrysthal, {Nar's gone and gotten herself turned upside down.}

<That figures.>  Chrysthal sighed, trudging over to the far side of the
hatching cavern and rotating the egg half a turn.  <Better, Narshada?>

[Yes, Dam,] came the meek reply.  She didn't think she was a bad little
dragonlet, but she could hear the snickers from some of the other eggs
in the cavern, and more than a couple of half-voiced 'troublemaker'
epithets.  [Thank you, Dam.]

<Just try not to do it again.  You'll be hatching soon enough.  Then you
can roll over all you like,> Chrysthal reminded the chastened youngster.

****

[[A short time later at the med center]]

When the trio entered the med center, they found it dormant, the hour
and the impending hatching conspiring to make the place feel deserted.
Lia and N'lin, knowing the ways of the warren far better than their
helpless companion, threaded their way to one of the examination rooms
along the dimly-lit hallway, easing their burden onto one of the beds
before lighting the room's lamps by which to see better.

Once sure the lethargic man wouldn't fall over and get hurt more, N'lin
turned to Lia.  "You stay with him while I locate one of the healers."

As N'lin left the room, Lia looked down at the feeble bit of humanity
seeming very small and vulnerable and as pale as the sheet on which he
lay.  She was reminded again of her own arrival in Whiteriver Warren -
or at least of her awakening in the med center.  How strange it had all
been to her, and excruciatingly painful - both to her head, which had
nearly been shattered by a rock, and to her heart - which had utterly
shattered at the news of her father's death.  Her eyes closed to block
out the memories, but they lingered on behind her eyelids.

The return of N'lin with a healer close behind him was a blessed
distraction.  Lia was very pleased to see Corra again, and hurried over
to give the woman an exuberant hug.

Giving herself a moment to take the welcoming embrace and return one of
her own, Corra bustled over to the exam bed in her characteristic
unhurried fashion. "Oh, my," she muttered absently to herself at the
sight of the dirty, bedraggled stranger. "We do seem to attract them
like this, don't we?" Heedless of his appearance, she ran a cool hand
across his forehead, probing for a moment at the line running from
eyebrow to hairline before nodding to herself absently.

"Well, now," she said again after a moment, looking over at Lia. "He's
not from around here," she stated flatly. "Where'd you find him?"

"Just beyond the warren, Corra.  At first I thought he might be dead."
Lia's soft voice was tremulous as she related the details of her
discovery.

Corra took in the story Lia told as she examined the man, eyes and
fingertips telling her much of his recent life story. His stomach,
predictably, complained terribly when her probing touch disturbed it,
howling its discontent loudly.  "Simply amazing what some people do to
themselves," the older woman declared as she moved across the room to
the table set with a pitcher and a pair of cups.  Pouring a small
measure of water, she brought it back over and let a light trickle run
into Thralenkier's mouth.  "N'lin, please ask Larin down the hall to
find some food for this patient.  Some bread and just a little cheese;
his stomach won't like whatever we give it at first, but we can try to
make it less painful."

A nod from the dragonrider presaged his departure, letting Corra look
back at Lia.  "Nothing wrong with him that some decent rest and a few
good meals can't fix," she pronounced.  "From the looks of him, he's
been traveling quite a fast pace, and not eating enough to sustain
himself.  A little dehydration, but not nearly as bad as he could be...
he's got sense enough to drink a lot, even if he doesn't eat anything
with it."

The corners of Lia's mouth turned up slightly at this news, but the
worry refused to entirely abate.  "I know you'll take good care of him,
Corra, just as you did with me."

"You're a sweet girl, Lia."  The praise brought a rosy glow to the
younger woman's cheeks.  "It was a pleasure to nurse you through your
recovery.  And just look at you now.  The picture of health."  Corra
smiled in understanding.  "You'll see.  He'll be just fine in a day or
two."

"I'm glad."  Lia compassionately laid a gentle hand on the patient's
limp arm, the warmth of her skin penetrating his worn sleeve.

"I'm glad."  Lia compassionately laid a gentle hand on the patient's
limp arm, the warmth of her skin penetrating his worn sleeve.

Another hand covered Lia's where it sat.  A trembling, male hand.  She
looked down quickly, first at the hand, her eyes then traveling up the
arm it was attached to, finally coming to rest on the stranger's face.
The same wide, dark eyes she saw before were looking up at her, a little
more focused than before.

"Thra..." There was something still in his throat, but not as bad as
before.  He was warm, and on something soft, and in his current
condition those two things were far more than enough for his tastes.
Someone had said something about a med center, which he took to mean
that's where he was now. Good.

His voice was weak.  Definitely male, but weak, something more than a
whisper but less than conversational tone.  Corra took up the cup again
and fed him a little more water, her healer's eyes unwavering as she
watched to make sure he didn't choke on the liquid.

He didn't.  Corra got a spare glance from him, but his attentions were
firmly on Lia as he said urgently, "Thralenkier.  My name... is
Thralenkier."


****


Submitted by:

Brian Cook

Thralenkier and Narshada

and

Dana Zuhlke

Adeliannae (Lia) and Nephrititi
J'rret (Jay) and Hunter

Whiteriver Warren

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Date: Mon, 29 May 2000 20:40:24 -0500 (CDT)
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Subject: [DL-W] One of *THOSE* Days

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nrpg: I'm resending this cause some people say they didn't get it...

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

One Of *THOSE* Days

Ben'sar heart felt as if it was breaking in two as he watched Ellie walk ...
no, run quickly away from him. His cheek still stung where she had hit
him, but his hand made no move to touch it or try to easy the pain. He
knew he deserved it for the things he had said.

He had lost her... even before he ever really had her. For good this
time if
he was any judge of her character. She'd never forgive him for what she
saw as him fooling around. And the girl Lia hadn't helped his cause any
by her remarks. 

The woman must hate all men, he thought angrily as he remembered her
remarks about him nearly attacking her.

He'd done no such thing... but instead of telling Ellie what really
happened... like he had been trying to... she went off with lies to get him
in deeper trouble then he was already in..... And Ellie had believed her.

Women! He swore then kicked out at a tree sitting there innocently next to
the damn bench where he had found trouble in the making.

It **wasn't** his fault!

Damn, couldn't Ellie see that?! Hadn't he proven how much he loved her by
following her here to this place?! By leaving his family and the only home
he'd ever known behind just to be with her!

Women! Who needed them! Hell, who *understood them!

His eye began to hurt and pain he understood. Just what he needed, two
black eyes to start out his life in the new place. Sure do great things
for his reputation. What a sorry sap, a lousy fighter, or a wimp. Was
one woman worth it?

Ellie was.

He took off walking, knowing he'd have to do something about the swelling,
so he went on to the dining hall and entered it, moving right through what
crowd was still there and on to the door leading into the kitchens. As fate
had it, the same woman who had been there the night Leo had decked him
was working and when she saw him she came to him and chuckled.

"Looks to me like you need to learn how to duck, young man," she
quipped, but not unkindly. Neither did she ask how he got it, which he
blessed her for. "Hang on, I'll get you something for that and something
to put inside you as well. Go on out and find yourself a seat and I'll
be right out."

"Thanks," he managed a small if ironic grin for her assistance, and left the
same way he had come. Once entering the main room, he found a table in a
far corner away from the crowd and sat with his back facing the wall to
hopefully put off anyone from joining him.

"Here you go," the woman came up behind him and first placed a full
plate on the table before him, then handed him a piece of frozen meat to place
against the bruise starting to appear under his one good eye. "Now I know
you may not feel like eating anything right now because of whatever
happened... No, I won't ask, but I can see it in your eyes that something
did... But let me remind you that you do have to eat... maybe having some
energy will make it easier for you to duck quicker the next time, young
man... you don't have any more eyes to blacken and those you do have need
time to heal. Now eat!"

She turned and walked away after delivering her words of wisdom, so he
didn't see the knowing grin that appeared on her lips as she walked away
chuckling to herself about the antics of the young. Though she did feel a
bit sorry for the poor young man.

Ben took the meat and leaning against the table on his right elbow, held it
up against the underside of his eye and with his left hand picked up the
fork and began to move around the food on his plate. He really didn't
feel like eating, too upset, but then he remembered he hadn't eaten
anything more than a few pieces of fruit since morning and stabbed his
fork into the offering on the plate and raised the first bite to his
lips when he sat there stewing.

"I figured I^ñd find you chasing after my sister this evening," a familiar
voice said from behind him and Benny didn't even look up as Leo joined him.
"Not sitting here all alone...WOW... who gave you that!?" 

Leo couldn't help notice the frozen piece of meat under the rider^ñs cheek.

"Your sister beat you to it," Ben'sar quipped sardonically.

"I take it she had a reason?" Leo asked and Benny saw the darkening of his
eyes as a wariness crept in. Ever the protective brother... But Ben'sar
wondered if Leo knew Ellie didn't need protecting... It was the other way
around. Others needed to be protected from her.

"She thought so." 

"Maybe you'd better explain that remark," Leo request wasn't so much as a
question, but an order.

"Let's just say that you told me so," the rider said, still frowning. "I
just don't get women. They tell you one thing, do another... And when you
make an *honest mistake* they blow things right out of proportion and
act as if everyone is out to cause them misery. I made an honest mistake
and now she's mad at me and left me this new black eye to remind me of
it... what is it with the people in your family, Leo... does everyone
hit first then ask for explanations? 

"Only when the occasion calls for it," Leonidas replied, only half
joking.  "But Runt's never been one to play those kind of games. 
Suppose you tell me about this *honest mistake*."

"She plays them well enough," he quipped, moving the meat up a bit. "You
taught her well..... We spent the day together and things... started
well... turned a bit rocky but we worked them out and were supposed to
meet for dinner here tonight," he started and saw Leo nod. "Well, I
showed up where we were suppose to meet and saw someone sitting on the
garden bench and thought it was her... Hell, it looked like her so I sat
down next to her and kissed her..... Only it wasn^ñt Ellie you see...
just some girl who looked like her and as soon as I found out my mistake
I stopped kissing her, but Ellie showed up at that point and saw us and
put two and two together and came up with me being a player of some kind
seducing every woman I came across... and the other girl didn^ñt help
things any by playing the victim to the hilt instead of telling Ellie
what really happened.... Acting like a frightened virgin caught in the
act instead.....Hell, Leo... it damn sure was an honest mistake but no
one would believe me... and all I got was another black eye for my troubles."

Leo couldn^ñt quite suppress a chuckle.  "Boy, when you screw up, you do
it up brown, don^ñt you?"  The bard stopped to think. "If the girl looked
just like Runt, it had to be Lia, right?" At Ben^ñs sullen nod, Leo went
on.  "Now, I don^ñt know the girl that well, but from what I can tell....
Uh, Ben, she wasn^ñt ACTING like a frightened virgin...."  Leo shrugged
apologetically.  

"So you know the girl?" Ben asked and saw Leo nod his head again. "Well,
if she keeps acting the way she is I don^ñt give her a chance in hell of
changing her virginal status any time soon.... But then she^ñs not my
problem... Ellie is.... How in the hell am I going to get her to listen
to reason? Can you tell me that? How am I going to get her to see I made
a mistake and didn^ñt set out to hurt her?"

"She^ñll calm down eventually." Leo looked at the miserable young man
sitting next to him and felt a wave of pity for him.  He really wasn^ñt a
bad kid, and as much as Leo hated to admit it, the boy DID love his
sister. "Take heart, chap. She never loses her temper with anyone but
family." He paused in thought for a moment.  "But I would be prepared
for some SERIOUS groveling if I were you."

"Right now I^ñm willing to do just about anything to get her to listen to
me. I know once she does and thinks about it she^ñll see it really was a
mistake on my part. But how do I get her to listen with out having to
duck another punch?"

"Shout from across the room?" Leo laughed outright at the dirty look
this comment won him. "Seriously, when she^ñs this mad, just stay out of
her way for a bit. She^ñll calm down enough to feel guilty for hitting
you before too long and then she^ñll be her sweet, reasonable self
again...though I can^ñt say as she^ñs shown much reason where you^ñre concerned."

"So your advice is that I should just ignore her until she calms down
and pretend she doesn^ñt exist until she becomes sweet again? Am I going
to have to go through this every time she gets mad at me?"

"Well, most of the time, she^ñs not so ...violent, but...yeah, every
time. Luckily, she doesn^ñt get mad that often.  I wouldn^ñt quite ignore
her...just give her some space.  Let her come to you - she will, y^ñknow."

"I can only hope I live that long," Benny stated as he got up from the
table. "See ya around. I^ñm going home to lick my wounds in private for a while."

He had only taken three steps when the angry sounds of the dragons
keening sent an alert through out the Warren. Leo was by his side
instantly as the two of them made their way out of the hall, followed by
others to see what was happening.

"He^ñs been murdered!" Came the cries around them.

Leo grabbed the arm of a passing rider and asked who.

"Lord Kanen," the rider stated grimily. "There^ñs going to be hell to pay
when his sons find out about it."

Then Leo let go of the rider^ñs arm and turned to Benny. 

"Who^ñs Lord Kanen?" the former Telnor rider asked.

"Kanler^ñs father... you^ñve met Kanler already haven^ñt you? "Ben’sar
nodded his head.

"This morning along with his mate... the Alpha Wingsecond. Why would
anyone want to murder his father?"

"He^ñs one of the good guys," Leo said cryptically and took off to see if
he could help out any in his guise as a bard. Something was going on
that he didn^ñt know about and wanted to. He^ñd heard something of the
troubles the Warren had been facing before he came here and wondered if
it had anything to do with that.

Ben'sar listen as Leo gave him the shorten version of what had happened
dealing with the Cult and the aftermath. He listen as the man explained
that... "Kanen had been one of the Lords who had helped bring the cult down
and now it looked like someone who had escaped justice had taken his or her
revenge on the good Lord for his troubles."

"Oh gees....." Ben'sar sighed, and then was quite as they came upon the
scene of the crime. He saw his sister Abby coming out of the crowd and
stepped up to meet her.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"Bad enough from what I gather," she sighed and looked back for a second.
"His family is in with him now." They're not to happy... from what I hear
they may know who did it and if they decide to go after him... It could mean
more trouble for the Warren. The oldest son is a dragonrider held in some
respect here around the Warren."

Ben'sar nodded. "Kanler... I've met him, but don't think he's the kind to go
off half cocked."

"I hope you're right," Abby sighed. "I hope you're right."

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

Nrpg: Much thanks goes out to KK who helped with Leo's words of wisdom.
Thanks KK :)

****submitted by: *****

Ben'sar & Killeen
Whiteriver Warren

Aka
Barbara