Date:  Thu Feb 28, 2002  2:17
am


Day 7

Morning

The Hatching Sands



Chrysthal was already beginning to feel the weight of the eggs she was

carrying.  It would only be a few more days before they'd be ready to lay.

She wandered over to the hatching sands to take a look at their condition.

They were almost in as good a shape as they had been before... before those

evil humans had blown them up and killed so many members of the warren.

Chrysthal began to feel tense again, just from the memory.  So when she

noticed the other dragon on the sands she was feeling a bit less than

cordial.



Daetyn had also come to the hatching sands to prepare a place for her eggs,

that were due sooner than Chrysthal's.  Only this was her first visit, and

it was instinct driving her there, as she stood looking a bit bewildered as

to what to do next.



The larger purple queen stared at Daetyn, making her shift her weight from

side to side.



Chrysthal stared without blinking, <And what are you doing here?>  She found

herself snapping at the younger queen.



<My eggs...>  Daetyn looked around and then up to the top of the bowl where

they stood, avoiding the harsh stare of the senior queen.



Chrysthal immediately felt awful about snapping, <Yes, of course!  Your eggs

will be ready to be laid very soon.>  You need to prepare a place for them.>



<Prepare a place?> Daetyn asked.  <Yes, so that's why I'm here,>  She mused.



Chrysthal's attitude changed as she felt a strong urge to help the less

experienced silver queen.  <We'll be hatching fairly close together, though

yours will be first... so perhaps you'd like to have a spot closer to where

the humans will come when it is time for your eggs to hatch?  It might make

it easier if mine aren't in the way.>



Daetyn's purple eyes sparkled and she responded warmly, <That is very

thoughtful of you, Chrysthal>  She moved over toward the stand where the

humans would gather to watch the hatching, <How close to them do you think I

should be?>



Chrysthal came over and looked at the sands in front of the stand, <This is

too hard... good for human feet, but not good for eggs.  Maybe a bit further

back here?  This is good sand.  It will heat nice and evenly.>



Dae scratched at the sand, feeling it slip through her claws.  <Yes, it

feels... right.>



<You'll need to start heating it right away, by the looks of you,>

Chrysthal eyed the bulging sides of the silver queen.  <Has Abby told your

rider how many eggs she thinks you're carrying?  It looks like a good sized

clutch,>  Chrysthal assured her.



<Do you think so?  I don't believe that Abby has talked to Arri.>  The

silver queen settled down in the sand and tested a breath of warm air,

blowing it over the sand around her.



Chrysthal chuckled, <Oh, dear, you'll have to do a bit better than that!>

Chrysthal eased herself down beside Daetyn and let out a controlled jet of

flame.  She exhaled slowly, much like a singer on a long note, while

directing the flame across the selected area of sand.  The sand turned a

bright red directly under the heat of the flame as it passed across.  When

she finally stopped to inhale, a faint haze remained above the heated area.

<See, that's how you do it.... Nice and even.>  She watched as Daetyn

attempted to replicate Chrysthal's actions.



***

TAG: Betty.  How does the lesson go?  Does Dae have any other questions for

Chrys?

***

Mid Afternoon

Merissa's Apartment



<SNIP from Morgie's Post "A Tangled Web">

"Eleanora! You are just in time!" Merissa exclaimed.



"So..." Xanthia asked tentatively, "Who all is in this class?"



"You, and those who deal with you most directly." Eleanora replied.

"Latnem, Merissa, Th'rin."



"What about Oberon, and Corra? And what of Arri and 'Tonio? They should be

here, too!" Xanthia insisted.



"I don't want the class to be too big. It's hard to teach to many people,"

Eleanora explained.



"Uh!" Xanthia grunted in protest.



"Xanthia..." Th'rin warned softly.



"But! Shouldn't everyone who knows me know it?" Xanthia protested anew.



"I think I know of a way around this..." Latnem offered.



"How?" Xanthia asked.



"It's called a learning tree. The three of us can learn and then in turn

teach whomever we wish. Then they can teach others, and so on. Eventually it

would ultimately be possible for the whole warren to know sign language."



"Okay!" Xanthia acquiesced. "So let's begin! Oh, and congratulations,

Merissa!"



"Congratulations?" Merissa asked.



"About Chrysthal carrying eggs!" Xanthia exclaimed excitedly, "I'm sorry, I

meant to say it sooner, but I kept forgetting. Should be interesting with

both her and Daetyn on the hatching grounds. Daetyn should be laying soon,

shouldn't she?" Xanthia bubbled. She just loved hatchings, even more so now

that she'd had a child of her own.



<END SNIP>

Merissa stared blankly around the room at various expressions, from

Xanthia's enthusiastic smile, to Th'rin and Latnem's bewildered expressions,

to.. Eleanora's look of embarrassment, or perhaps guilt.



Th'rin stared at Merissa and couldn't help but ask, "Is there something

you've forgotten to tell me?"



Merissa shook her head and then gasped, "In Ralengarde... is that why?   And

I thought I'd just... "  Merissa's face flushed, "Chrysthal rose to mate

that night!  I thought it was a dream... or I was drunk."  She laughed

nervously, "Well, that certainly explains things!"  She smiled back at

Xanthia.



"Explains what, exactly?"  Th'rin's voice was tense, and Merissa saw

Latnem's face set in the blank, 'I'm listening' mode of a counselor.



"Well, the next morning!"  Merissa giggled again, her face still burning,

"When I woke up next to Reolden."



"The Prince?"  They all exclaimed, well, all except Eleanora, who couldn't

help but wince as she saw the expression on Th'rin's face and read the words

being uttered by his lips.



"Yes, I guess his dragon won Chrysthal's mating flight.  I'll have to send

him word.  They might like to be here for the hatching!"  Merissa turned to

Eleanora, "But enough of this, we need to be learning signs, right?  Please,

Eleanora, begin?"



***

TAG: KK... can Eleanora teach after that?  and Kris, will Th'rin and Merissa

exchange some ...words... about this later?

***

Day 8

Morning

Merissa's Office



Merissa waited patiently for the two junior queenriders to arrive.  Both

Oldreth and A'rylia had yet to take on much responsibility of the running of

the warren, and Merissa knew that had to change.



While she intended to go over some of the duties that were to be theirs,

today, however, she was more concerned about what to do with the men from

the caravan in which they'd found Lorelie.  The wing had detained about a

half dozen men in connection with that terrible event.



There was a tap at her door and Merissa called out, "Enter!"  They had

arrived together and on time, and Merissa's face broke into a warm smile of

greeting.  "Please, pull up a seat."



Oldreth towered over the two women, even seated.  His presence seemed to

fill the room, and Merissa saw Arri scoot her chair a bit away from him.

She didn't blame the woman.  Oldreth could appear very threatening.



"You know why you're here, so let's begin.  This stack of paper here is the

patrol rotations.  The two wingleaders will give you updates and changes as

they occur in the wing rotation.  This is where I record who is partnered

with whom, and what territory they are patrolling.  See here?  I have Alpha

Wing listed.. and for example Diona and Barsel are patrolling this morning

over Lord Gingle's Estates."  She saw them both nod

and she continued, "You see this stack here?  These are tithing reports.

These have to be updated as pledges are made and when they are fulfilled.

As caravans come in the drovers will provide you with an inventory, you

record that against whichever Lord has sent the items."



Merissa pulled out a rolled parchment and smoothed it down on her desk,

"This is from the caravan that arrived yesterday.... Lord Fowler is credited

with two loads of grain, one of coal, and some medical supplies, listed

here.  Is this clear?"



***

TAG: Betty or Rob.... anything else you want to add in here?  Decide who

wants to take care of what tasks?  Can you think of any more to add?



***

After answering all their questions, Merissa paused, "And this brings us to

my main concern... you know about what happened to Lorelie, Trinale's

sister?  We have several men in custody, but since Lorelie is not a

dragonrider and those men are Lord Fowler's I'm not sure if this should be a

lanbound affair or something that should be handled by the warren.  I'm also

rather concerned about J'red... he took this rather personally, since not

only was Lorelie a guest of his father's when she vanished, but it appears

that the men responsible were loyal to his family as well."



***

TAG: Again Betty and/or Rob... thoughts?



***

There conversation was suddenly interrupted by the fiery redheaded young

woman who dashed into the office.



<SNIP From Morgie's Post "And away she goes!">



"Sarah was right, they are mining *cinnabar*! A volcanic ore! It's a

natural source of mercury! They are mining it. Lots of it" Xanthia

exclaimed anew, trembling with excitement. "The earth shook... an

explosion. 'Tonio sent me to get help. Maxi's giving the image to

all the dragons. I think I know the man there. It looked a lot like

Corwyn Blackthorn, if it's not him, maybe a relative..."



Xanthia's voice trailed off pensively; but then, after a brief

pause, she continued as fervent as before, "But cinnabar is also

used by some artists to make a orange-red paint!" She gestured with

a wild lock of her own hair and pointed at the lone red strand which

graced Merissa's otherwise dark head, "This color!"



<End Snip>



Merissa looked from Xanthia to Oldreth to A'rylia and then back to Xanthia,

a puzzled look on her face, "So you think they are mining cinnabar to make

paint?  There can't be that many artists who need orange-red paint, can

there?"



"No I wouldn't think so,"  Arri answered for her.



"So there must be another reason for their mining the mineral,"  Merissa

stated.



"Perhaps they only remove the orange ore because it is in the way of the

coal?"  Oldreth suggested.



"Yes, maybe they don't know about it's toxic properties?"  Arri responded.



"Seems unlikely that miners wouldn't know that cinnabar is poisonous,"

Merissa frowned, "I mean, that's their life's work, isn't it?  Well, the

only way we'll know for certain what they're doing is to send someone to

investigate!"



"Yes!" Xanthia has managed to catch her breath, "And to rescue Latnem and

'Tonio!"



***

TAG: Morgie.

***

Late Morning

The Green



The dragons had assembled swiftly on Maxima's cry of urgency.  Chrysthal,

however, calmed her down and listened as Merissa suggested that not all

dragons needed to rush into battle, but to have Tel'thar select some riders

and got to investigate the mines.



***

TAG: James... up to you to get a team together!  You may want to ask some of

the writers which PCs or NPCs they think might like to go.



***

NRPG:  Chris/Morgie... when the wing arrive, do you have anything specific

in mind for 'Tonio/Latnem?  If so, you may want to talk to James ::smile::



***

Respectfully submitted by:

Arlene Jacobs

AKA

Warrenlady Merissa, rider of Chrysthal of Whiteriver Warren.