*Belarade

"All right..." Nineve came in quietly and whispered.  "Visiting hours are
over..."

Belarade looked up at the doctor, pleading with her brown eyes as she
murmured softly back.  "Can't I stay?  Please...I don't want to leave
him...  I'll sleep in this chair..."

She squeezed Ce'Lot's hand as Nineve crossed her arms in front of her chest
and sighed deeply.  

"He's all ready asleep..." Bel offered.  "I promise I won't disturb
him...and if something happens in the night...I'll be right here to call
for a nurse..."

"Belarade...Belarade..." the healing woman shook her head.  "All
right...but let me bring in a cot for you to sleep on."

A few moments later a small bed was wheeled in with some blankets and a
pillow. 

"Thank you so much Nineve.." 

"Just remember...he needs rest...and he doesn't need to be upset in any
way..."  the doctor cautioned.

"I promise... " Bel nodded and then waited until the woman and the nurse
left the room before standing up and stretching.

Splashing some cool water on her face, Belarade looked up into the mirror
and saddened at the reflection of her Ce'Lot.  His usual tanned face and
golden hair were now pale from the loss of blood.  

Bel pushed a lock of her red hair back from her face and embraced herself
with her arms, warding off the chill that threatened to course through her
body.  Outside the window she could see her Menia, curled protectively
around Britche, her red tail herding the larger dragon's frame to her own
while her head lay atop his.  If only she could give that sort of comfort
now to Ce'Lot.

She slipped off her shoes and layed rolled up into a tight ball on the cot
staring at him while he slept.  He was only a few feet away, but the
distance between the two beds seemed so much wider to her.

"Bel?" a hoarse whisper startled her and she sat up some.  "Bella..."

"Hey...I'm here..." she smiled softly, propping herself up on an elbow.

"I wanted to make sure....that you were..." 

Belarade nodded.  "I wouldn't have left you...you know that love..."  

She could vaguely make out a weak smile on his face.  "I'm glad you didn't..."

Belarade quietly walked over to his bedside and smoothed back some of his
hair from his brow.  "I'm not going to leave until you're completely
better...and until I can take you home.."

"Promise?" 

She nodded again and smiled down at him, staring until his eyes fluttered
back asleep.  He needed her there...and wanted her there...  Why had she
been so insecure over the silly mating flight?  

"Belarade..." his eyes opened a bit.  

"Yes love?"

"Sleep next to me..."

"I am...I'm right over there..." she nodded towards the cot.  

"No...close to me...so I know that you're here..."

"Nineve would have my head..." Belarade whispered. 

"Please...she won't know..."

His words melted her and she knew that no matter what the consequences she
couldn't say no to him...not tonight...  Carefully she lowered a bed rail
and laid her body next to his, mindful of the wound in his side.  

"You act like I have some sort of disease..." he chuckled weakly when she
wouldn't move any closer.  

"No...I don't want to upset the bandages..." she smiled only a little
before whispering.  "Now go back to sleep..."

In only a few minutes he was dozing again and Belarade laid her head as
close to his as she could, mimicking her own dragon's behaviour just outside.

*B'Lin*

"Poor Ce'Lot...thank the gods that he's okay..." his mother fretted while
B'Lin grumbled to himself.  

"He was just trying to play  lone *hero* like he always does," he rolled
his eyes and then pulled Lecia closer to him.  "Isn't that right Lish?" 

The girl nodded and pulled his arms closer around her.  "Yes...he's always
doing foolish things.."

B'Lin smiled broadly.  Was this girl great or what?

"B'Lin hush and eat your breakfast..." his mother scolded him.

He stabbed at some bacon and chewed on it grumpily.  Why all the fuss over
Ce'Lot's stupidity?  Besides....he was okay...it was time for a new subject
in conversation...

"Bel was all worried over the mating flight..." Anadia piped in as she
reached over for the basket of bisquits.  

B'Lin snorted at that.  "I bet she was," he mumbled with a mouthful of
waffles.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, B'Lin," Eurielle snapped, giving him a
stern glare.

"Yes mother..."

"What's a mating flight?" Lecia asked.

"When a female dragon's....you know...when it's their time of the
month....like you go through...or like you used to go through...then the
males all chase her and then the one that catches her gets to mate with
her," B'Lin shrugged before shoving some more waffles in his mouth.

"Well.." Lecia wrinkled her nose.  "What's so big about that?"

"Because the two riders run off together in the woods and get naked,"
Anadia spoke up.

"Anadia!" his mother gasped and B'Lin managed to laugh.

Lecia's eyes had, meanwhile, grown quite large.  "You mean...the riders
mate as well?"

"Well, yeah...something like that..." B'Lin said dismissively.

"The eligible riders?" Lecia prodded.

"No...all of the riders..." he returned.

"Even...the married ones..." 

"Yes Lish....gods, every damn last one of them," B'Lin was quickly losing
his patience.

"B'Lin!"

"Sorry mama..." he muttered.

<B'Lin!  Hurry!  Hurry!> Glay burst forth into his mind and B'Lin suddenly
felt a heat rising up from his groins and causing his cheeks to flush.

<What is it?!!> he asked...although he knew the answer...  A mating flight...

<You know what it is...> Glay answered smugly.  <And I'm going to win...>

B'Lin rose from the table, with a lecherous grin on his face.  <Who is it?>

<The Junior Queenrider....>

<Even better...> his grin grew as he pushed his chair in.  "You'll excuse
me..."

"Where are you going??" Lecia asked, standing up herself as if she were to
go with him.

"Sit back down..." he instructed her.  "It's nothing you can go to..."

"But what is it..." she grabbed his arm as he tried to walk through the door.

"A mating flight..." B'Lin pushed her back some and then grinned again.
"Funny we were just talking about those weren't we?  Well, here it is
Lish...your first experience with one.."

And with that, he walked through the door, making his way towards the
warren where a large group of riders were all ready huddle about the junior
queenrider.

<NRPG:  I hope I got the time frame right guys!  I hope I hope....if it's
wrong...let me know...and I'll rewrite...  I lost the schedule from
Kristen... Sorry!>

Respectfully Submitted,
Belarade and Menia
B'Lin and Glay
~Tamarisk~
http://www.mindspring.com/~tamarisk

She had the same lone thoughts and wanderings,
The quest for hidden knowledge, and a mind
To comprehend the universe; nor these
Alone, but with them gentler powers than mine,
Pity, and smiles, and tears - which I had not;
And tenderness - but that I had for her;
Humility - and that I never had.
Her faults were mine - her virtues were her own...

~George Gordon, Lord Byron "Manfred"