There are 4 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re:
From: "Kgischer" <kgischer@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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2. [DL-C] The Past Comes Back to Haunt - JP
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
3. Re: Hello
From: "Kgischer" <kgischer@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
4. Murder Most Foul...
From: Bianca Payne <biancaknox@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 2004 22:13:44 -0800
From: "Kgischer" <kgischer@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: Re:
[This message is not in displayable format]
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2004 01:32:16 -0500
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-C] The Past Comes Back to Haunt - JP
During the Time Jump
Last "Practice" Patrol
Morning
Andahar groaned as soon as he heard from Bohoc who the other rider was
going to be on patrol with him. He didn't want to tell Rowan that
this
was a mistake, because this was supposed to be an exercise with
trainees. He would have to put on a brave face and just ignore
anything
that Saleh threw his way -- up to a point. He would not let her
undermine his authority.
He arrived on the green before the light gray dragon or the other two
that belonged to the trainees. The two young dragons, one bright
yellow
and the other rust colored, also arrived before Mystarria.
Andahar felt his jaw tightening. She was already showing her disdain
by
arriving late. But he greeted Memnon and Tatewin as they dismounted
from their dragons and came to join Andahar. They were used to
listening to him as a voice of the trainer, but today he was their
patrol partner, so he greeted them more as equals.
Tatewin smiled shyly at the young chieftain. She was glad to see him
in
his tribal leathers, and she was secretly proud at how well they fit
him. She heard the greeting and both her and Memnon answered him in
the
tribal way and then both stood their ground, awaiting further
instruction.
Andahar waited a few more minutes before asking Bohoc to bespeak
Mystarria and ask her to hurry her rider along. When Saleh had
arrived
she looked as beautiful as always. It was hard to imagine that a year
ago she had given birth to twins. But of course she reminded him
right
away of her sons as she launched into an excuse as to why she was
late,
of course blaming it on the boys.
Andahar turned an icy stare on her and she stopped mid sentence. Then
he
looked at the two trainees and began to speak as if Saleh wasn't even
there. "More destruction has been reported by patrols over plains to
west. The land is dry and turned to dust. All animal are gone.
Nomad
tribe that should be there is not."
Tatewin stole a glance at the beautiful woman who had joined them and
noticed the hint of displeasure from them both. She listened to all
that Andahar had to say and she wanted to ask a question, and started,
but stopped and held her council.
What if... she just had to ask. She looked over at Memnon and wondered
if he had any family in that region of the plains.
"Gone as gone? Or moved on like in traveling season?" she blurted out
and hoped she would not be too chastised for her boldness.
"Good question," Andahar answered, "but for one I have no answer and
for
that reason we go there today."
Tatewin nodded and waited for the command to mount up and begin the
patrol. She had not been on a patrol with the young chieftain, and
not
that she did not like him, but rather she was wary of him. She knew
that
what she had thought and meant as a simple gift and showing of honor
for
a chief had turned into something else.
She glanced again towards Memnon and wondered what he thought. He was
always so distant, and he too seemed like one who stood back and
studied
what went on around him.
One thing was for sure, she was sure glad none of those other girls
had
been assigned to this patrol. She always felt so different and out of
place when they were near.
Saleh in some respects reminded Tatewin of them, especially in the way
she had arrived, chattering and full of her own self-importance, but
she
didn't know this woman very well. Yet, it was obvious in the way that
Andahar had reacted to her arrival, that the young chief did not
respect
her.
Andahar had been careful to explain to the trainees about their
mission,
allowing Saleh to pick up what she could from overhearing the
conversation. They would make contact with any Nomad clans that they
found in the area and ask them what they had heard or seen. It didn't
seem very difficult.
[TAG: Simon. Any thoughts or questions from Memnon?]
Andahar could see Rowan's wisdom in choosing four nomads from
different
tribes, for no matter which tribe they met one of them would likely
have
some connection, if they did not respect the amnesty with dragonriding
nomads.
The four mounted their dragons and were soon airborne. As they had
been
trained, the two younger dragons fell in behind the older ones in
formation. Bohoc sent the image and they concentrated on it before
teleporting to the NomadLands.
Tatewin hated this part, although it was not as bad as it had been the
first time. She no longer got sick to her stomach. Now if felt as
though she took a punch and it knocked the wind out of her. It faded
fast and soon she was soaring behind the 2 patrol leaders and enjoying
the beauty of her plains. She had forgotten how wonderful they were
and
just how much she missed them.
Memories of her times learning to hunt, to track and so live off the
harsh land. With those thoughts, she went back to the purpose to why
they were here. Perhaps she could use what her Ahte' had taught her
and
she could help others with her gift and skill.
With that bit of resolve settled, she took to explaining what she was
looking for to Tatezi and together they would be the scouts and find
the
clues they were looking for.
The golden grasses stretched out below them. At this time of year
there
should be herds of beasts grazing on the grain and getting fat before
the cold and dryness of the winter came. But the grasses grew
thickly,
unbroken by the trails of animals or mown low by the mouths of hungry
animals.
No cooking fires could be spotted as they approached the still green
area that marked the springs where the nomads of long ago had dug out
a
watering hole and painstakingly brought rock down from the mountain
year
after year to line the shallow pool so as to retain as much water as
possible.
The dragons landed at the oasis and their riders dismounted to get a
better look.
"Too quiet," Saleh stated, "I do not like this place. We should
leave."
"We need to look around more," Andahar stated, as he examined the
water
level in the pool.
"Why? There is nothing here to see!" Saleh retorted.
Andahar glared at her, "Nothing? Perhaps you have forgotten all that
Daoud tried to teach you. Or did he only teach you how to seduce men."
Saleh's eyes flashed, "My father is true nomad, with many women,
unlike
fake chief in clothes made by woman too ashamed to admit she made them
for him."
Andahar stepped toward her swiftly and looked as if he would strike
Saleh, and though she flinched away, he did not raise his hand.
"Woman
who made such fine clothing does not need praise of man to know her
work
is well done. Though I do not know who she is, she must be true
nomad,
with humble spirit, unlike this unworthy woman who doesn't even know
how
to look at cooking fire and tell it is only two days old!"
Tatewin heard the quarrelsome words and the disdain behind them as the
woman lashed her irritation out. Tatewin heard her words and felt
embarrassed and slipped away before she heard more, and began to
search
and track the edge of the camp for any clues that she could come
across.
<*I do not like the feeling here my sister heart*> Tatezi spoke
gently.
<*I know we search for what happened here, but it is not safe*> she
prodded.
*I feel it as well* Tatewin agreed with her bond mate. She continued
to
work her way out from the camp and then noticed strange patterns in
the
dust.
"Andahar!" she called out. "Come look!"
Tatewin's sharp cry stopped any further ugly words between Andahar and
Saleh as the young chief hurried to Tatewin's side. Memnon was
already
there, bending over the odd tracks on the ground.
Andahar had seen marks like those before and inhaled sharply, "Giant
snake! But... here?" He looked all around him. There weren't any
mountains or caves for the giant snake to have come from.
Tatewin's eyes wide and she nodded. She remembered the tales from the
elders of the days that they lived in terror of such beasts.
"Nadusi!" she gasped and looked to Andahar.
He raised a hand to silence her, his eyes flashed as he scanned the
horizon again, before returning to gaze at they young woman who had
found the tracks. "Do not summon evil spirit by saying name too
loudly,"
he cautioned.
Saleh, who had come closer to see what had caught the other's
attention,
scoffed, "It is only mark of dead beast being dragged to camp!"
[TAG: Simon... is it or isn't it? Your call!]
----
NRPG: I'm assuming that reports will come in, so the wing leaders
know
there is something to worry about, but no sightings by draongriders
until after the time jump.
----
Summary:
Morning
During the time jump
As the trainees near "graduation", they begin to patrol. Andahar and
Saleh take Tatewin and Memnon on their last patrol before they join
their wings. They are to search out a location that appears to have
been deserted. While checking out an abandoned nomad camp, Tatewin
spots some odd marks on the ground, which Andahar thinks belong to a
giant snake like he'd encountered before near the mountains. Saleh
thinks it's only the mark of a dead beast being dragged into camp.
---
Respectfully submitted by:
Carys Murray
AKA
Tatewin rider of Tatezi
And
Arlene Jacobs
AKA
Andahar, Alpha Wing Second, rider of Bohoc
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:02:21 -0800
From: "Kgischer" <kgischer@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: Re: Hello
[This message is not in displayable format]
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2004 08:58:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Bianca Payne <biancaknox@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: Murder Most Foul...
Midnight
Gardens of Norwall
Sometime Early Last Fall
The shovel caved in the back of Belinda's skull with a wet crunch and
the young woman's body dropped to it's knees as the blue eyes glazed
over with death and fell forward to the ground. Her sack was still
clutched in her hand.
The killer left her there for now. Luck was with him. They were
planting autumn bulbs nearby and the sod had been cut up and the
ground recently tilled near the green house. Using the same shovel he
started digging a shallow grave in the fresh turned soil. He had it
almost completed when he heard someone approach.
[...]
Everette crept through the small orchard towards the greenhouse, his
eyes searching the dark night for signs of Belinda. He'd promised to
meet her, knowing she planned for them to run away together. He'd
come to tell her it was over. He wasn't going to leave his wife.
The sight that met his eyes was not Belinda's beautiful hopeful face.
In the faint light he saw Belinda lying on the ground in front of the
greenhouse. Her face was turned towards him and he could see her eyes
were open. Creeping closer he knelt down and touched her shoulder but
she didn't move. Something dark stained and matted her honey blond
hair. His heart caught in his throat as he realized it was blood.
He heard rustling and realized that if he were found with her body,
they would think he murdered her. Everett stood quickly and looked
around for cover but he was too late as the tall heavy figure came
around the corner and stopped. The two men started at each and
Everett recognized the other man, even in the dark. He'd seen him
often enough around his father's house.
"What are you doing here, Kenrick."
"Everett. You shouldn't be here, boy. Go home." The taller man
pushed Everett out of the way and bent down to grab the body by the
wrists. He started to drag her back towards the hole he'd dug.
"You did this. You killed her." Everett was still in shock as his
mind made the connection.
"Shut your mouth, boy. I'm doing a favor for your father....and for
you. He doesn't want you ruining your future over this little
thieving whore. Just go home and keep your mouth shut. You tell
anyone you saw this and I'll make sure you hang for her murder.
Everett opened his mouth to protest and saw the cold way Kenrick
looked at him. He didn't doubt the man would make good on his word.
The younger man shivered in the dark and slowly started backing away.
Kenrick started dragging the body away into the dark shadows.
Everett, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, shivered and fled.
He stopped to get his horse from the stables and hurried out the front
gate of Norwall Warren.
Respectfully submitted by
Kenrick of Fairlight
Everett Gorn of Fairlight
aka Bianca Payne
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