Date:  Wed Feb 13, 2002  1:38
pm


Late morning, Day 8



"Excuse me, milady," Tonio bowed to Xanthia, "But I have need to 

speak privately with Latnem."



"Oh..." Xanthia said, crestfallen. Secretly she'd hoped, albeit with 

the romanticism of a young and adventurous heart, that he'd come to 

see her, to sweep her away into a life such as she'd only read about 

in books.  



"Well, Alina needs me anyhow," she sighed as Alina squalled in the 

next room. "Feeding, nothing Corra can help with..." she muttered, 

shuffling off with her head hung low.



"Is anthing the matter?" 'Tonio asked the mind healer.



It was Latnem's turn to shrug, "She seemed fine earlier. So, what 

can I do to help you, my friend?"



'Tonio put his arm around the mind healer's shoulders, "How would 

you like to leave the warren today for a bit of adventure? I may 

need your counsel with regard to a certain situation...



Xanthia's ears perked up at the mention of adventure. Her baby 

clutched to her breast, she peered out the doorway of her bedroom 

into the living room and listened intently.



"Xanthia!" Corra scolded in hushed tones, looking up from her 

knitting, "Don't eavesdrop! It's rude!" 



Still Xanthia maintained her post, leaning against the doorframe, 

until the baby fell asleep. She watched as the two men headed out to 

the dragon's ledge, her brow furrowed with curiousity. She gently 

set Alina down in her cradle.



"Watch Alina for me. I need to go out for a bit."



"Xanthia..." Corra began with a warning tone, concluding with a sigh 

of resignation as Xanthia tied her cloak about her and hurried out 

of the room. 



"Just be careful, girl." Corra warned to a now empty room. She 

looked at the sleeping infant and shook her head, muttering under 

her breath as she picked up a dropped stitch and resumed her 

knitting.



***



The red-headed healer felt a sense of renewed freedom as she and 

Maxima followed DeMarco's flight. She watched as the landed, and had 

Maxima land a short bit away from them, then moved closer to the 

pair on foot. 



The two men crouched in the brush, watching and listening as miners 

nervously brought out their loads, unaware of the young woman who 

was watching every bit with them, just a couple bushes away. Every 

fourth coal car was filled with a bright colored orange-red ore 

instead of the dull black coal which was normally mined.



"What is that?" Latnem asked, his brow furrowed.



"Cinnabar!" Xanthia gasped in recognition, forgetting about her 

concealment. She remembered Janet, the school teacher, telling her 

how it was primarily made up of Mercury sulfide. She'd suggested 

that if one found the cinnabar, one would find the source of the 

mercury poisoning.



Latnem turned to her voice, his eyes wide, then turned to 'Tonio in 

a panic. "What's she doing here?" he whispered.



Xanthia crawled forward, "It's primarily found where there is 

marcasite, pyrite, stibnite, near volcanic rock. It used to be used 

in stage make up, and also in certain types of lacquer and paint..." 

She paused as her mind started turning, "Like artists use... You 

don't think Tarv..."



'Tonio shushed her and pointed as the men with the supply of 

cinnabar were approached by another. "That must be Snake."



Xanthia cocked her head to the side as she watched and tried to 

listen to the conversation. There was something disturbingly 

familiar about this Snake. 



"Cor..." Xanthia mused. But she didn't have time to finish the name 

when her eyes flew open wide at the next sensation she felt.



"Oh goddess!" Xanthia cried out, "The ground is shaking!"





*******



NRPG: Tag Chris! Anyone else? I have no idea where this came from or 

what where it's going, so have fun.