[Daltem and Aelxirn]

> Daltem glanced sideways at his companion who was hunched in the saddle,   
> staring ahead at the road which was barely visible.
> 
> Daltem guessed that Aelxirn two days ago would never have considered to   
> ride alone through a rainy night, but events had conspired against him,   
> and had probably changed him for the better.
> 
> Daltem let an hour, maybe more go by in silence.

  Aelxirn rode quietly, his thoughts running the entire span of emotions
from rage, all the way to hurt, and sorrow at how things had turned out in
his life.

  He worried about his daughter, Sarilyn, and what, if anything, the
upcoming meeting would do as far as her being his relation.  He wanted her
safe, and wasn't above defending her if at all possible.  He thought of
Kedrina, and how she was now running his estate...hers by way of the
Duchess, and knew deep inside that it was for the best.

  What had him upset still was the banishment.  He didn't deserve that.

  His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Daltem's attempt at initiating
conversation...

> "So Aelxirn, if we are to journey to the Tellari estates together we   
> should at least get to know one another."  There was a grunt of   
> acknowledgement from deep inside Aelxirns hood.

  Aelxirn listened in silence as Daltem talked, still trying to focus his
attention on what the man was saying.

> So, now you know a little about me. How about you?"

  Settling back a bit in his saddle, and adjusting his hood, Aelxirn
sighed, and started on a rather shortened version of his story.

  "Well...it's not much to tell, really.  I was sort of good, turned bad,
and am now paying for it."

  Then he glanced over to see the slightly confused look on Daltem's face.
Well..then there was nothing else for it but to tell more than what he
had, and hope that somehow it wasn't going to be used against him later
on.

  "My father was Lord of Nambril.  When he died, I took over, but many
wanted him still in control.  I'm not, nor can I ever be, my father.  I
tried to make Nambril better, and keep undesirables out.  I wanted it to
flourish and grow, but went about the process in the wrong way.  I ended
up driving away those that might have helped."

  "I was too stubborn to listen to reason, from my wife, or my daughter.
I wanted a son to take over when I died, and Kedrina gave me a daughter
instead.  So, I decided to make a 'man' out of her.  We trained together
just as a boy and father would..though I was far too strict, but only did
it for her own good."

  "I detested anyone that stood in the way of what I mistakenly thought
was my doing good for the villiage.  And beat any that didn't agree with
me into doing so.  But, that didn't work either, I see.  My daughter took
advantage of a Searchrider's offer, left the villiage, and is now a
dragonrider.  And my wife, well...that's another story I won't get into."

  Aelxirn's horse shied a bit at a hidden chuckhole in the road, and it
took a bit to calm him, then Aelxirn concluded his story.

  "I got exactly what I deserved.  Mostly.  I've made my peace with my
daughter, and we are at least, if not close, more friends than we once
were.  I'm proud of her, and hope she does well.  Better than me.  I hope
that my wife, sorry..ex-wife, runs the villiage better than I did.  But
the one thing that rankles me most is the banishment that was imposed upon
me.  I don't think I deserved it.  Maybe force me to live elsewhere on the
villiage grounds, but to totally exile me from it?  No!  Totally
unaccpetable!"

  Then Aelxirn shut up..and turned to stare at the road in front of him,
going back to his thoughts.

[Tag:  James]

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

Jeanette
Aelxirn/??

> It's terribly important that I know, cos Sherri has to have the right   
> amount of nibbles for everyone! (No one dislikes peanuts do they?)

  Well..Aelxirn may *eat* like an elephant, but he isn't one.  Peanuts are
fine, but something a bit more substancial would be nice.  <g>



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