There are 3 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. [DL-N] Lawrence Returns
From: "Chris Weeda" <weeda@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
2. [DL-W] Awakenings
From: Morgan Allgood <elfwench@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
3. [DL-C/J] Palm Trees and Moonlight
From: trissana@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
1
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 21:00:27 -0000
From: "Chris Weeda" <weeda@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-N] Lawrence Returns
Day 4 - time unknown
Lawrence swept up his young daughter into his arms, laughing
as he planted a fatherly kiss on her cheek, "Now you be careful
outside while you play, Kindra."
Setting her down, he watched her scamper outside of the house
and into the village. As she left, his eyes lost their playfulness
becoming hard as nails as he thought about those who threatened their
welfare - the dragonriders. Before he had only thought those with
mindgifts were dangerous. Looking down at his fingers he was
reminded that riders were nothing more than mindless savages who
acted without thinking, careless butchering without bothering to
consider those they were acting against. He walked out of the house
and continued out of the village, his watchful eyes ensuring that
nobody followed.
Walking through the brush, taking a different path before so
that he didn't leave clear evidence as to where he was going, he
stewed over his current plans. This plan was of his own devising.
The first step was already in motion.
He broke into a clearing where another man stood, looking
around as though expecting a dragon to eat him. Lawrence growled at
him, "Did they do as I asked?"
The man nodded, "Yes. They're holding her. We're sure the
riders will come to the rescue."
The large man nodded, a small smile spreading across his
face, "Good. Did anyone follow you?"
"No."
Lawrence moved closer to him, his arm reaching behind his
back, "Good."
In a single fluid motion, his arm shot out and grabbed the
man by the throat while his other arm whipped around from behind his
back holding a wicked curved knife. Lawrence looked into the man's
eyes and saw the fear in them as he came to realize that by being the
sole contact between his men and Lawrence, he was now expendable.
The knife slashed deeply across his stomach, a thin red line
appearing where the cut was made, one that spilled the man's bright
red blood onto the ground below. As quickly as the first cut
appeared a second one appeared starting just below the throat and
ending at the navel. The man writhed in pain and feebly tried to
break from Lawrence's grip, but could not do so as his life began
seeping away.
As the man began to fall, Lawrence laid him out on his back,
releasing his hand from his throat before sla****ng it wide open.
Lawrence stood over him, staring into his former contact's eyes
watching the shock disappear from his eyes and becoming a horrifying
stare of the dead. Bending down to the two incisions he had made in
the man's torso, he peeled back the sections, opening up his insides
for public view. Normally he would have done this while the man was
alive, but as he was not mindgifted, nor a rider, he had spared him
that much.
Smiling over his handiwork, Lawrence walked away. The
clearing was remote enough that nobody would find this man until long
after the scavengers had gotten to it, already he could hear the
rustlings of animals coming to gnaw at the fresh kill. It was now a
matter of gathering information, and he would succeed at that. Then
it would be time to strike, to take vengeance, to ensure that his
family, his village, would never have to worry about riders again.
Submitted by
Lawrence
AKA Chris Weeda
NRPG: Yes, welcome to the world of Lawrence. A smart, vicious
killer with an agenda. If anybody has any questions about him, lemme
know.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 17:34:29 -0500
From: Morgan Allgood <elfwench@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-W] Awakenings
Mid-evening, Day 9
She could hear the cries of the dragons through the warren, and the
whispers in her head. Xanthia groggily propped up on her elbows and a
soothing voice greeted her.
"Easy, Miss Xanthia. Just lay on back and sleep now."
Xanthia looked over at the older woman who was addressing her. "Miss
Meri,"
she said in recognition.
"Yes, child. I've been here watching over you and Miss Alina while
your
Dru'Kar went out with the boy. The dragons are restless this eve."
"My baby," Xanthia said softly as a tear silently made its way down
her
cheek "They mourn my baby."
<<TAG Carys, if you wish.>>
***
Day 10 - Mid morning
Xanthia awoke to the smell of eggs, sausage, and sweet syrup. Looking
about, she found herself alone in the room. Carefully she eased her
way out
of the bed, surprised to find that somewhere along the line, someone
had
put fresh sheets on the bed and dressed her in a fresh nightgown as
she
slept. On the bedside table was a vase of roses. Xanthia pulled one
of the
roses out of the vase and sniffed it.
<My heart, you are awake!> Maxima rejoiced.
<Yes, Maxi, I am awake.>
The black and red flooded Xanthia with emotions of many variety: love,
sorrow, relief, and more, all intertwined with one another, filling
her in
on the events of the night before. <Areena says her rider is still
asking
after you.>
<I'm not sure I'm ready for that,> Xanthia confessed, sniffing the
rose in
her hand as she exited her room.
***
She yawned sleepily as she brushed the hair off her face and made her
way
out to the kitchen where she could hear Alina happily giggling and
prattling, answered by a gentle female voice.
"Good Morning Miss Xanthia," Miss Meri said, smiling warmly as she
stood in
front of the stove. "I was just making breakfast. It will be ready
soon."
Xanthia nodded, then walked over to her daughter, who was sitting in
her
high chair looking at her uncertainly. She kissed the small girl on
the
head, counting her as a the blessing she was as she did so.
"Good morning, sweetling," Xanthia greeted her daughter, her voice
catching
in her throat slightly despite her best efforts to sound cheery, "I
love you."
She turned then to the older woman who had been tending to her child,
"Where's Dru'Kar?"
Miss Meri gestured toward the ledge, "He's with his dragon, Miss."
"Thank you," Xanthia said in reply.
***
She walked out to the ledge and knelt down on the ground beside the
nomad,
paying no mind to the fact that she was still wearing her nightgown.
Ursa
looked up at Xanthia and sighed in the way only a dragon can sigh,
cocking
her head to one side.
<Good morning Ursa,> Xanthia greeted the blue hatchling who bore the
mark
of a bear paw upon her chest.
<Good morning, Ya****na. Daddy and Oberon had what they called a pyre
last
night.>
<Maxima told me,> Xanthia confirmed, her lip quivering.
<Daddy is very sad.>
<So am I, Ursa, so am I...> Xanthia looked into the face of the giant
sleeping man, her heart welling not just with the sadness of her loss
but
also with gratitude and love for the man lying beside her. <Love?!?>
she
thought, her own emotion catching her off guard.
<Love?> Ursa returned. Xanthia had not realized that she'd projected
her
thought that loudly. <You love Daddy?>
"Miss Xanthia," Meriwen said, peeking around the corner, "Breakfast is
ready."
"Thank you, Miss Meri," Xanthia said, "I'll be there in a minute."
"Right. I'll be feeding the lassie then." Meriwen smiled softly and
then
disappeared from sight.
<You love Daddy?> Ursa prompted again.
Xanthia twirled the rose about in her fingers, sniffing it deeply. As
she
did, her thoughts drifted to Dru'Kar, how good it felt to sleep in his
arms, or just merely being in his presence. She could barely take her
eyes
off his face as he slept and the warm feelings in her heart grew
deeper still.
<Yes, Ursa> Xanthia replied, <I do indeed.>
With that, she took the rose on her hand and reached out to lay it
gently
upon his chest. But she barely touched it to his bare skin when his
eyes
flew open and his hand shot up and closed tightly about her wrist.
"It's me, Ya****na! It's only a rose - for you!" Xanthia quickly
explained,
instantly realizing the error of her actions.
<<TAG Keeper! What'cha gonna do, home brew? ;> >>
NRPG: I'll write more for Xanthia later once I know what Keeper is
going to
have Dru'Kar do here. She'll probably be up for visitors by afternoon,
though, if anyone wants. Meanwhile, I'll have to give some thought as
to a
Faylen post.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUMMARY:
Day 9, Mid-evening
Xanthia awakes to the keening/howling of the dragons and finds Miss
Meri
there with her and Alina. Xanthia explains sleepily that the dragons
are
mourning her baby.
Day 10, Mid-morning
Xanthia awakens fully at last and realizes that some time while she
was in
her drugged sleep she was put in a clean nightgown and clean sheets
put on
the bed. There is a vase of roses beside the bed. She takes a rose
from the
vase and talks with Maxima before going out to investigate the smells
coming from the kitchen. In the kitchen she finds Meriwen cooking
breakfast
and watching over Alina. When Meriwen tells her that Dru'Kar is on the
ledge with Ursa, Xanthia goes out there and has a heart to heart with
Ursa
while watching Dru'Kar sleep. Just before going to breakfast, she
decides
to lay the rose on his chest. Dru'Kar awakens with a start, clutching
Xanthia's wrist in his hand while she hastily reassures him that it's
just her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Respectfully Submitted by:
Morgan Allgood
AKA
Xanthia and Maxima, Oberon, et al
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2004 00:47:53 EDT
From: trissana@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[DL-C/J] Palm Trees and Moonlight
Trevor
Evening, Day 4
Trevor gazed out over the calm, moonlit ocean, and as he did so he
felt a
longing come over him. He knew that tomorrow they would be going back
home,
to Cleft Warren and leaving all of this behind. He sighed, shaking
his head
slowly. He felt the warmth of another hand slipping into his, and he
turned to
gaze into his mate's beautiful grey eyes.
"You're looking pensive," Cynthia observed with a faint smile.
"Shall I
take a guess as to why?"
He returned her smile. "I wanted us to have at least one
romantic,
moonlit walk out on this beach," he said. "Maybe it just seems too
good to be true
that there are no dolphins trying to splash us, or nosy dragons asking
if
they can watch what we're doing."
"Well, the Wingleader is right about Triss following you around,"
Cynthia smiled. "Luckily she seems to be busy tonight. Perhaps we
should be busy
too."
"We *are* busy," Trevor said softly. "Busy with our romantic walk
in the
moonlight."
Cynthia drew in a deep breath of the cool seabreeze. "I could
take this
sort of 'busy' any day over being cramped into an office all the
time."
"Perhaps we should move here," Trevor told her, more than half
joking.
Cynthia laughed softly. "Forget it, the Warrenlady here spends
her days
the same way as I do, hunched over a desk...and Tara's office is
smaller than
mine."
Trevor nodded thoughtfully as he gave Cynthia's hand an
affectionate
squeeze. "You're right, this place isn't dusty enough to seem like
home."
"Don't laugh, Andahar would say that in all seriousness," Cynthia
told
him. "I'm surprised that sea-girl ever got him into the water!"
"I just wish..." Trevor began, then fell silent. Cynthia looked
at him
curiously, waiting for him to continue.
He sighed. "I wish I could do as my grandmother could do if she
were
here," he said. "She could capture all of this..." He gestured out
over the
ocean and the beach. "...All of this on canvas or paper. Me...well,
I could
make a nice topographical map, but somehow that falls a bit...short."
Cynthia put her arms around him. "The best pictures are those we
keep
in our memory," she told him. "And when we're back home, all you need
to do is
close your eyes and think of this night...and you'll see it again,
just like
you were here."
"I think...that what I will remember is how your hair sparkles in
the
moonlight reflecting off the water," he said. "And of how beautiful
you look out
here on the beach."
"Well, then you won't need to remember that much," she teased.
"You'll
have the same moon overhead, and the same Queenrider to walk with.
All we need
is the water."
"That's right, the same moon is everywhere," he agreed, sitting
down at
the base of a large palm tree and gently pulling her down beside him.
"Do you
suppose that's why, no matter where you go, people have romance?"
"Syren says that it's because of dragons that there's romance
wherever
we go," she said with a slight smirk as they started to walk down the
beach.
"No, that's why they have ***** everywhere a person goes," he
reminded
her.
"Ah, silly me," she laughed. "I guess there's just a bit of
difference,
isn't there?"
"I think so," he agreed. "Last night was ***...what we're having
now is
romance."
"But we can still have the *** later," she reminded him.
"That too," he agreed, smiling. But then he stopped and drew her
close
to him. "I just wanted to say something first," he told her the tone
of his
voice changing in such a way that it told her that he was suddenly
being
serious. She just nodded and listened.
"You've meant everything to me," he told her softly. "You've
been
everything to me...and since the day we met, even when we've been
apart, I've
always carried you right here." He pointed a finger at his heart. "I
have loved
you more than I would have ever imagined a person could." He stopped
and
half-turned from her, wi****ng he could express himself better. He was
not a poet,
after all, just a simple mapmaker.
Cynthia looked into his eyes. "You sound almost as if...things
are
about to change," she said in an equally soft voice.
"They are," he said, laying a gentle hand on her stomach. "Soon
we'll
be three instead of two."
She laid her hand over his. "Change is frightening," he agreed.
"But
some changes are good. I know this one will be."
"I know, but it will be...different," he said.
"Things do change," she said. "But that doesn't mean *we* do."
"No, I suppose not," he said. "At least, not for tonight.
Speaking of
which, did we get to finish what we started last night around this
time?"
"No, because we are *never* finished with that!" she told him,
and
pulled him down onto her with a smile that made Trevor forget about
the world and
all its troubles.
* * * * * * * *
Day 5
Late Morning
Trevor was glad to be getting back to Cleft, but he also had some
mixed
feelings. Jasra was a beautiful place with its sandy beaches and blue
ocean, but
it wasn't home. He had a few moments to just look around, since the
warrenfolk
of Jasra were taking care of getting the dragons saddled and loaded
for them.
Nearby, he saw the Jasra Warrenlady, Tara, speaking to Cynthia and to
Cleft's
new Queenrider Calylin.
"I wish you the best, Caly," Tara was saying. "I know you will
do well
in your new home. But I hope you will remember this place fondly, and
let us
know from time to time how you are making out."
"Thank you," Caly said, and she and Tara shared a quick embrace.
"We'll take good care of her," Cynthia promised, and she and Tara
shook
hands.
"I know you will," Tara said. "And I'm sure she'll be an asset to
your
warren!" She turned back to Caly. "I think your little queen is
going to
require some coaxing into that basket, so perhaps you'd better go and
help."
Trevor watched Caly run over to assist her queen, then felt a
*bump* on
his back. He turned around to see that Trissana was saddled and ready
to go.
He also noticed that she was holding something clenched lightly in her
front
teeth.
*A coconut?* he asked, surprised.
Triss popped the morsel into her mouth and bit down, then chewed
with a
loud crunching nose that made Trevor wince. [They taste good,] she
told him.
*I don't think you're supposed to eat the husk!* he told her.
[But that's the best part!] she told him, surprised that he
should think
anything else. Trevor shook his head and then noticed something
else...two
things, actually. One was a large sack, which from the look of it was
filled
with coconuts. The other looked at first to be a wooden pole, but
then he
noticed it was covered in bark and had a round, burlap-covered ball of
dirt and
sand at one end. Long, green fronds adorned the other end.
*A palm tree?* he asked dubiously.
[Just a little sapling,] she said. [I wanted a souvenir to take
back to
Cleft...]
*A palm tree??* he repeated, putting his hand on his hips and
regarding
her sternly.
[Um, well, they said they were going to uproot it anyway, that it
was
growing in a bad place, so I sort of figure, um that our warren might
be a better
place...]
*A PALM TREE?* he repeated a third time. *And just who is going
to
plant it back at Cleft, and water it, and do all the other things that
will need
to be done. You, I suppose?*
[Wellll....] she hedged.
Trevor rolled his eyes. *Uh-huh, I thought so. I get to do the
'human
stuff,' planting it and carrying water up to it, and all that stuff.*
The
thought a moment and nodded her pearly head.
*And what will be YOUR part in this little enterprise?* he wanted
to know.
[Um...I'll lie in its shade when it gets big?]
Trevor was just glad that Gus the Wingleader wasn't able to hear
this
exchange. However, when he turned around he was surprised to see her
standing
behind him.
"Nice tree," she said, nodding her head. "So, ya gonna plant it
for her,
an' water it every day so's she can curl up under it tell ya t'bring
her
blankie for her...?"
Trevor cleared his throat. "I'll have you know that it was *my*
idea to
bring the tree!" he told Gus.
The Jasra Wingleader chuckled. "Oh, right. Jeez, why didn' I
think a'
that? Y'know, if a guy was lookin' for trinkets t' take back, I'da
thought a
nice shell necklace fer the Warrenlady woulda..."
"Not so loud, I *did* get her one of those!" Trevor whispered,
then
resumed his normal voice. "It just so happens that someone back at
Cleft asked if
we could bring back any interesting plant specimens for study."
Gus just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yer hopeless!" she said.
"Probably so," he agreed, as he swung himself up into Trissana's
saddle.
*And just for the record, young lady...I will plant the tree for
you,
but *you* will be responsible for seeing that it gets watered!*
Triss had some doubts about that, but decided she'd worry about
that
problem when the time came. But there was no time to think of that
now, because
the others had mounted and Syren was calling for them to take off.
One by one
the dragons launched themselves skyward over Jasra.
*Tell Syren that her rider and I are coming back here one day,*
he told
Triss. *For a nice, long vacation!*
[I don't need to,] Triss responded. [Syren just told me to give
you the
same message from *her* rider!]
* * * * * * * *
Tanami stood on a high ledge atop the warren, watching as the
Cleft
dragons spiraled upward over Jasra. She'd wanted to see Andahar and
tell him
good-bye this morning, but just couldn't bring herself to. She knew
that if she
did, she wouldn't have been able to do it....and would have dishonored
herself
by pleading with Andahar to stay.
"Farewell, my proud Nomad," she said in a soft voice as she
strained her
eyes to see the man who sat on the small, hunter-green dragon's
saddle. "May
the sea winds always find you and guide you, even in your deep
plains."
She watched until the dragons were no more than tiny, indistinct
shapes
in the distance, and their human riders were all but invisible. And
yet, she
felt she could see Andahar looking back at her. And then, suddenly,
they
tele****ted and were gone.
Tanami stood motionless for several minutes, staring after him
into the
empty sky. Then she turned and made her way down the narrow
switchback stairs
until she reached the base of the warren's seaward wall. From there
it was
only a short walk to the beach and when she reached it, she sat down
on the
sand and stared out over the ocean.
It was where she came from, her element...but it would forever be
a sad
and empty place without Andahar of Anavasha to brighten it for her.
Submitted by:
John
Trevor & Trissana, Cleft Warren
Tanami & Kethriss, Jasra Warren
Warrenlady Tara & Varaenna, Jasra Warren
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