*Belarade*

Picking up a stray stick from where it lay on the ground, Bella began
tracing the shape of a heart into the soft dirt, and then furiously
scribbled it away.  She was feeling sorry for herself...incredibly sorry
for herself....and she had no reason to.

<Bel!  It's Nuns....he's been hurt!> 

<What??> Belarade jerked her head up from her contemplations and searched
the area for the firey red dragon.  

<The rogue dragons...  please Bel...hurry...he's been taken to the Med
Center...>
 
Belarade saw the spearing form of the rubescent beast diving down to swoop
her up quickly and then taking off towards the med center.

************

She leaned over the bed, her head in her hands saying  a silent prayer to
the powers that be for saving her love's life....She had thanked Nineve a
hundred times all ready as well as her assistant.

Bel's eyes stung with invisible tears....she was all cried out...and now
all she could do was sit and wait for Ce'Lot to wake up.

<You shouldn't thank Nineve or any higher powers....that little blue dragon
that we saw earlier in her mating flight saved Nuns life...> Menia spoke
softly.

Belarade lifted her red-rimmed eyes to peer outside of the window in the
room.... The smaller blue female was just outside, and she could see it
trying to peek inconspicuously in at her every few moments.  

Seeing the dragon only made her think of how selfish her thoughts had been
earlier in the day...  just hours before she had received the distressed
message from Menia concerning Ce'Lot's state, she had had images of the
mating flight and how it might be taking it's affect on her beloved.  

"Oh love..." she whispered as she leaned over closer to Ce'lot's sleeping
face, a stray tear falling onto his cheek.  "Forgive me...  I should have
been hoping for your safe return...not feeding my own silly doubts..."

Belarade planted a small kiss onto his brow and caressed the tip of a
finger over his jawline.  She had done this same gesture many nights in his
bed as he slept....and what she would give now to be in that situation than
her given one now.

"I love you....I love you....gods...I'm so glad you're going to be fine..."
her tears welled up in her eyes again as she pushed some golden locks from
his face, smoothing them back with a gentle combing of her fingers.  

*Menia*

The large red dragon sauntered over to the little blue, eyeing the other
female as it tried to peer in at her rider.

<You there...> Menia stuck her snout up and stared down at Chai'Lynn over
her nose. <You are the one to save my rider's love?>

The blue blushed slightly and nodded.  <I suppose...>

<Well...I thank you...  Belarade would have been.....devastated had Ce'Lot
not lived...> Menia glanced inside at her weeping rider.  <You have my
word, little blue....should you ever need anything...anything at all...I
will be there...assisting you in whatever way that I can...  You saved the
wingleader...and in a way...you saved my Bel...  I think that she might
have grieved herself to death her devotion to Ce'Lot is so strong..>

Menia looked at the other dragon for a moment before wrapping a wing around
her comfortingly and pulling her closer.  The huge red female would never
have dragonets of her own...but the natural maternal tug she felt towards
Chai'Lynn prompted her actions.  <Hush hush now little one...  Your mother
will return soon...  along with the others...try not to fret...>
<Tag Jeannette, Kris>
<nrpg:  I looked at the archive and I am missing some posts...  would
everyone be so kind to check their addresses and make sure that for Bella
it is tamarisk@mindspring.com Thanks!>

Respectfully Submitted,





~Tracee Schneider~
http://www.geocities.com/~_sierra_
Oh, I can smile for you and tilt my head,
And drink your rushing words with eager lips.
And paint my mouth for you a fragrant red,
And trace your brows with tutored finger-tips.
When you rehearse your list of loves to me,
Oh, I can laugh and marvel, rapturous-eyed.
And you laugh back, nor can you ever see
The thousand little deaths my heart has died.
And you believe, so well I know my part,
That I am gay as morning, light as snow,
And all the straining things within my heart
You'll never know.
"A Certain Lady" Dorothy Parker