Date:  Tue Apr 2, 2002  2:07
am


Day 8

Afternoon

Medical Center



Merissa paced back and forth, waiting.  But her mind traveled over and over

again, the words that Corra had relayed moments earlier.  "His mother!"  She

hissed.



"Easy, my love, we knew this was bound to come up..."  Th'rin soothed.



"No!"  Merissa stamped her foot and swirled, glaring at him.  "No, not like

this... he's too young... he's... he's *my* son!"  Merissa's eyes brimmed

with tears.



"Yes, he is, and you are the only mother he knows, and I'm sure that's

exactly how our little bear..."



The door popped open and Xanthia peered around the edge of the frame.  She

smiled, tentatively at the two in the room.



"Xanthia!  Good, come in, come in... close the door? Thanks!"  Th'rin sighed

as he glanced at Merissa, who, he was thankful to see, had mastered her

emotions -- or at least masked them.



"Th'rin, Merissa!  Oh, you should see Alina when we're flying Maxima!  She's

a born dragonrider!  I'm sure she'll..."



"Xanthia!"  Merissa's voice was stronger than she'd intended, as she cut off

the enthusiastic utterings of the healer.



The red-head turned her bright blue eyes to the Warrenlady, puzzled by the

hard line to Merissa's mouth.  She wondered what had happened to have upset

her so.  "Is there something wrong?  Are you all right?"  She trailed her

gaze up and down the slight figure, critically to determine if there were

anything physically amiss.  "Are you ill?"



Merissa blinked in surprise at Xanthia's unexpected show of concern for her

well-being.  Yes, the woman was certainly a fine healer.  Yet, she was so

frustratingly unaware of her own actions and their effects on others.

Merissa sighed, "No, I am not ill, Xanthia.  Th'rin and I... we're concerned

about ... Oberon."



Xanthia's eyes snapped back to Th'rin.  Oberon was second only to Alina as

being closest to her heart.  "Oberon is recovering nicely from the

poisoning...." Xanthia saw them shake their heads.



"We're concerned about his emotional health,"  Th'rin countered.



"Xanthia, he's too young." Merissa blurted out.  "You shouldn't have told

him... not that way!"



Xanthia looked at Merissa even more confused than before.  "I did not tell

him about the poison."  She replied, defensively.



"No, not the poison!"  Merissa shook her head in frustration, "About

Aradia."



"Aradia?  His Mother?"



"I am is Mother!"  Merissa snapped, and immediately regretted her outburst,

she looked away from the stinging look of pain in Xanthia's eyes.



"Xanthia, I think what Merissa means is that... we would have explained it

all to Oberon... when he was older.  He knows, a bit... but..."  Th'rin

sighed.  "We just want him to be secure.  To know we couldn't love him any

more than if he were our own biological child."



"He knows that already.  I don't think I did anything wrong,"  Xanthia

responded, petulantly.  "And... how did you know?  You haven't even talked

to Oberon since this morning!"



"Corra came by and she..."  Merissa began.



"Corra?"  A look of betrayal crossed Xanthia's expressive face. "Corra told

on me?  But why?"



"She's concerned, as are we,"  Th'rin gave a warning look to Merissa as he

continued.  "It isn't so much that you told him about Aradia, it's more the

how.  Isn't that right, Merissa?"



Merissa looked away, her eyes again filling with tears, she only nodded.



"He wanted to know,"  Xanthia stated, matter-of-factly, "So, I showed him."



"Yes, and you know that we are trying to encourage Oberon to use spoken

communication."  Th'rin grasped onto something that Xanthia could understand

and ran with it.  "We only ask that when you and Oberon *talk* that you

please do not use telepathy?"



"Wait, You just said that you showed Oberon who Aradia was.  But... you

never saw her? So how?" Merissa queried.



"No, but Chrysthal and Areena did... and many of the other dragons.  They

were kind enough to share their memories with us."



"Xanthia, I know you weren't trying to hurt anyone, but... that was

something you should have talked to Merissa and me about before you did,"

Th'rin glanced over at his mate, trying to stay clear of the strong emotions

and keep to the logical.



Xanthia lowered her head and nodded, "But I still don't see why...."



Merissa's eyes hardened, "Because, Th'rin and I are Oberon's guardians --

the only parents he's ever known -- and it was up to us as to when, how or

even if Oberon learns about his birth parents!  Xanthia, you've overstepped

your bounds."



****

TAG: Morgie & Kris... more conversation?



****

Early Evening



"So, you weren't going to tell us... again." Merissa sighed, as she glanced

at the silvery white dragon, loaded with the few belongings that the

Barbarian valued.



"I can not stay, Merissa.  As much as our hearts want us to remain, our

nature does not allow it."  The large queenrider looked up toward the

reddening sky.  "We have to go."



"I wish I could say that I understand, but the truth is, I do not."

Merissa's sad dark eyes, met those of the large Bear Nomad.



"You ask me to look at numbers and papers and worry about tithing, when my

soul longs to ride the wind and hunt the deer.  I am sorry, Merissa.

Whiteriver will always be the home I come back to... but we cannot stay for

very long."



Merissa sniffled, "You are always welcome to come back, you know that, don't

you?"



"Yes, Merissa, we know that.  Wintermoon and I know."



She watched as the man mounted his beautiful queen.  In a moment they had

risen above the warren, and heading into the setting sun, they blinked out.

She turned and walked the short distance to her own apartment.



Th'rin was waiting for her as she shuffled into the room.  She seemed more

fragile than he had ever seen her... even after Trinale's death.  Without a

word he engulfed her in a warm embrace.  After a short while she pulled away

from him.



"He's gone... again.  Oldreth.  Didn't want to be saddled with the...

paperwork... I suppose."  Her dark eyes seemed darker, with the rings under

them.



"You need to rest, my love.  Why don't you go lie down and I'll make us

something to eat?"



"No, thanks, Th'rin... but I'm not hungry.  Though... I think I might just

go lie down,"  she flashed him a smile, though it was a sad smile all the

same.



"You'll feel better after you've rested," He assured her.



****

NRPG: Morgie's post section with Xanthia finding out about Oldreth should

fit here :)

Not sure where to fit in Tarv'renon yet.  But I'm sure it'll be at the most

in-opportune moment!



****

Respectfully Submitted by:

Arlene Jacobs

AKA

Merissa, Warrenlady, rider of Chrysthal

of Whiteriver Warren.