Day 37/Day 1
Afternoon -

Th'rin was busily doing what he did best, avoiding his personal problems and
throwing himself into his job. It had been easy enough with this strange
illness. Xanthia was holding up well as usual too. He was so proud of her,
despite worrying about her. She did indeed seem to be paying attention to
her own needs as well as those of her patients, taking extra care as she
worked.. or had she always worked so carefully ..

Th'rin shook his head as his eyes ran down yet another case of this strange
sickness that had seemed to take over the warren's med center. There was
something nibbling at the corners of his mind.. something he seemed to know
but couldn't put his finger on ..

He was prevented from continuing to try when Merissa knocked, "Th'rin?"

He looked up at her, "Yes?"

"A dragon from Marrid has landed and his rider is in bad shape. Xanthia's
with him.. but if he was sent from Waylene, I need to know what's
happening."

Th'rin nodded and stood up, the nibbling thought at the back of his head
disappearing again as he put a hand on Merissa's back and followed her to
the Marrid riders room.

***

>"He was given a draught to make him wakeful for a brief period." Xanthia
reported back.

>"That was quite a risk to take." Merissa replied.

>"It was his only chance. Without trying to teleport here, they would have  been
as good as dead where they were." Xanthia explained flatly.

"You did the right thing, Xanthia," Th'rin assured her, smiling at her in
approval. He completely missed the look that flashed over Merissa's face, as
she hid it nearly as fast as it appeared. However Xanthia did not miss it,
and after basking briefly in Th'rin's approval she stepped back out of the
Warrenlady's way.

Th'rin and Merissa moved closer to the patient as Th'rin ran his trained eye
over him. "Xanthia stay close please, he's still your patient .."

"Of course," Xanthia replied.

***
Late Afternoon -

>"If you like, I can go call on her now and do the blood draws>"

>"Are you up to it?" Th'rin asked.

>"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" She followed Th'rin's gaze down to her now  immense
belly and she suddenly realized the nature of his concern.  "Besides, I
could use a break from this place. I've nearly forgotten what  the sky looks
like," she chuckled. "I *promise* I'll be most careful."

Th'rin smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead, "I know you will. Go on
then .."

Xanthia beamed at him before turning and hurrying off on her quest to draw
blood from Corra to begin the tests. Th'rin headed back into the comforting
environment of the med center and started his rounds once again.

He stopped briefly at the Marrid riders room, to see that he was sleeping
peacefully .. something he needed desperately. Areena had been speaking with
his dragon and the feelings his small dragon sent to him were not positive.
The dragon had calmed considerably since they had arrived and Areena
reported that he was near to sleeping himself.

<He is quite cozy,> the dragon told him, and he could tell she was settling
in for a bit of a nap with the new dragon.

<Your job is not to cuddle,> Th'rin admonished her.

<It's a part of the job,> Areena insisted and Th'rin let her go on .. she
was indeed a big help in calming overwrought dragons and he couldn't fault
her that.

***

It was while he was checking on the children's ward that he felt a twinge of
jealousy as the next exciting piece of news reached him .. Oldreth was back!

Gods! Hadn't that barbarian caused enough trouble .. what was he doing back!
He could already see Xanthia and Merissa jumping for joy over his return ..
a thought that did not please him in the least. But there was no way he
could keep either of them away from him.. especially not Merissa.

He sighed heavily.  Why oh why did everything have to go wrong at the same
time!

***

>"I'm fine! I will sleep once we know what's going on!" she snapped, shaking
the test tube she held in her hand. She caught the tone herself. "Look, I'm
sorry. I'm just tired... and frustrated... So far we've not come up with
anything... Oh!" she put her hand on her belly, her eyes wide.

>"What? What is it?!?" Th'rin asked.

>"The baby is kicking," she replied with a smile. "Want to feel?"

>"Are you sure?"

>"It's all right... Put your hand right here." She placed his palm on her belly,
then turned her attention back to the test tube. "Oh my! That would  explain
it!" Xanthia gasped.

>The baby gave another kick.

>"Th'rin, look," she held up the vial, "The test is positive for mercury!"

Th'rin barely heard her as he felt the movement within her. It certainly
wasn't the first baby he'd felt move.. but somehow .. somehow this was so
much different. He knealt down in front of her placing both hands on her
abdomen as the baby kicked heartily. "Oh Xanthia .." he sighed, and then lay
his ear to her belly.

"What? It's only the baby!" Xanthia announced somewhat perplexed. Hadn't he
heard her! "The Mercury, Th'rin .. the mercury .."

Th'rin was pulled out of his joyful experience of feeling the movement of
*his* child, "What?"

"Mercury!" Xanthia shouted at him.

"Mercury?" Th'rin stood up and took the vial and examined it with the notes,
"Mercury .. but how .."

"That's the next question .. but first we have to clear it out of our
patients!"

Th'rin nodded, "You start the treatment, I've gotta start testing the
sources.. the river .. the wells .. it's gotta be somewhere, and we have to
find it."

"I can't do this by myself .. there's too many."

Th'rin nodded, "I know, I'll speak to Merissa and be right back. I'm sure
we'll be able to find someone to help out."

Xanthia nodded in agreement as Th'rin began to gather a testing kit.

***
Later that evening -

>"Yes, Th'rin... dinner does sound like a good idea... but I really don't want
to eat at the dining hall... and I'm not really up to cooking anything
tonight..."  Merissa sighed.

>"Well... hmmm...."  Th'rin thought a moment, then snapped his fingers, "I've
just the solution!"

>"What?"  Merissa's eyes brightened with curiosity.

>He chuckled, "Let me surprise you."

She sighed happily, "I could use a *good surprise*."

He nodded, "But first, I've brought you this." He placed the black leather
bag upon her desk. "Testing kit." He explained, "It'll be easy for anyone to
use, enough to send out a couple of teams.. to find the source."

Merissa nodded, "Thank you, I'll get on it right away .."

"No .." he told her pulling her hands away from the back and pulling her
toward him. "I have a surprise remember."

"But Th'rin, we can do that later, now .."

"No, not later .. now."

"What about those that are sick?" she asked. "Aren't you needed in the med
center?"

"I took care of that before I came. Everyone is on duty tonight. Those in
the med center will be feeling better before morning. Well everyone except
Xanthia.. I sent her home to rest."

"You think she will?" Merissa asked.

"She had better," he grinned. "But let not worry about her right now .. Call
Chrysthal and let's go on an adventure."

***

The warrenlady and her mate climbed on the back of her queen and were soon
soaring through the darkening sky. Areena had told Chrysthal where Th'rin
wanted to go. There was no need for directions the lavender queen knew it
well.

And it wasn't long into the trip before Merissa was smiling as well. The
high walls of the warren diminished behind them, and they lowered into
fields of corn and wheat with a small patch of brilliant color in the midst
of them. A garden .. lovingly cared for and watched over by an elderly
landbound farmer for his wheelchair bound wife.

It was on the outskirts of Marketa, and Merissa and Th'rin had been welcomed
to visit it whenever they wished. It seems Merissa had enchanted the man's
wife with her voice as well at some point or other when she was young.

Chrysthal landed in the field outside the garden, managing to not smoosh to
much of the knee high corn just beginning it's trip into full growth. Th'rin
helped Merissa off and she hugged him, "Oh Th'rin, It's been too long .."

He nodded, for it had. They had not come since the summer before. Merissa
began running through the garden wanting to see what changes the old man had
made before the light became to dim for them too see things well ..

Merissa danced about exclaiming in delight, "Oh he's brought in more of the
red .."

***

Once Merissa had seen everything there was to see they laid down near a
particularly lovely garden bed, and held each other staring up at the stars.
"Thank you for tearing me away from the warren, Th'rin .. I needed it."

"I too .." he sighed and pulled up on one elbow, "And I needed to be with
you .." He kissed her gently.

She smiled and  reached up to wrap an arm around his neck and relish in his
kisses. It had been too long. They had been so caught up in the troubles
around them, that they had not taken joy in each other.

"I love you, Merissa .." He breathed, "And I'm so sorry for .."

She shushed him with more kisses, "No, do not speak of anything .. Let there
only be you and I for a moment .."

And for a moment there was nothing but the two of them ..

When they did return to the warren, it was with a renewed vigor, and a
renewed since of their love .. neither spoke of the problems that surrounded
them, for both knew that soon enough they would once again be surrounded by
them.

***
DAY 2
Morning -

Th'rin left early the next morning to once again submerse himself in his
job. He kissed a sleeping Merissa on the forehead and quickly showered and
dressed and headed to the med center with only a cup of coffee warming his
stomach. 

The coffee soon began churning uncomfortably as he turned the corner and
found Oldreth, the blonde barbarian with his arms around Xanthia .. he would
have interrupted had he not seen Xanthia look up at him and smile. The smile
sent him ducking into a nearby room as the two turned and headed toward him.

Thankfully they had not seen him and he peeked out the cracked door after
them. Probably he was taking her to get some breakfast. Well he couldn't
complain about that.. she did have to eat. But why had they been hugging
like that. He remembered well what Oldreth had done to Xanthia before ..

The good the peaceful, loving evening before had done him was gone now, and
only anger and jealousy filled him. Damn! Why had that barbarian come back!

***
Noon -

Th'rin was finally taking a break to get some lunch when Oldreth gave him
cause for more anger. The barbarian had his hand around Tarv's through and
was flashing menacing looks at him. Without thinking, Th'rin ran out and
grabbed the queenrider's steel like arms, "Let him go! Let him go!"

Oldreth released Tarv more in surprise then in response to the healers
demands. "What in the lands do you think you are doing!" Th'rin sputtered,
glaring at Oldreth as he turned a kind arm to his lover,  who was trembling
in shock.

"I wasn't going to kill him, I promised Xanthia that." Oldreth said calmly.

Th'rin ignored him, and turned his attention to Tarv, "Are you ok? Did
Xanthia release you already?" His eyes ran over Tarv assuring himself that
there was nothing wrong with the man. Simply shaken at the attack.

Th'rin spun on Oldreth, "If you've come back to make trouble you can forget
it! I won't have you harming anyone .. and while you're at it .. Stay away
form Xanthia! She doesn't need you coming back to tear her heart out again!"

Oldreth snarled at Th'rin, "Xanthia has nothing to fear from me .. If you're
worried about her being hurt I'd suggest you look behind you."

Th'rin looked back and Tarv who was rubbing his neck, and doing all he could
to not meet Th'rin's eyes.

"Tarv wouldn't hurt her .." Th'rin faltered. Then repeated more strongly and
with a greater conviction then he felt, "He wouldn't!"

Oldreth shook his head, "Still blind to anything you don't want to see
aren't you, Th'rin." He shook his head disparagingly, "I follow my own
conscience. And I take care of those I care about .. can you say the same?"

Th'rin frowned, "Leave Xanthia and Merissa and Tarv alone .. do you
understand .." Th'rin's voice was shaking, and fear was shimmering in his
eyes, but he wasn't going to let the bully in front of him hurt those he
loved.

Regards,
Th'rin and Areena
***
NRPG: Welcome back, Rob :) Be gentle with Th'rin .. he's still .. ermmm ..
confused :)

Kris


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  |\  /^~~^\  /| 
--qqQ-\O||O/-Qpp-------------------------------------------------
       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Wingleader
                      Th'rin & Areena,Whiteriver Warren, Head Healer
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                      Saul & Fayloth, Jasra Warren, Searcher
                      Darlea & Makayla, Courier
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Dragonrider
                      Devon & Xanith, Dragonrider
                http://members.home.net/sgant/kristen/kris.htm
 --d----------b---------------------------------------------------
        ()
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