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1. [DL-C] Distractions (JP)
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 17:57:20 -0400
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-C] Distractions (JP)
Day 6
Morning
Caly walked along the warren green early in the morning. She was
humming softly to herself and looked in good spirits. She smiled to
anyone she passed and paused to exchange greetings with a small group
of
riders getting ready to go on patrol. Her plan for the day was to
visit
with Cynthia and find out if there was anything the Warrenlady needed
for her to do.
She continued on with her stroll to the med center when she spotted
Eth'n. Her smile brightened and she headed over to him. Quietly she
slipped up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his
neck.
"Morning," she whispered softly.
Eth'n turned and at first he greeted her with a warm smile, but it
faded
as he thought of the last time he'd seen her at the swimming hole.
There was a distinct chill in his tone as he answered her, "Hello
Caly."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't seem happy to see me." She
smiled sweetly to him and leaned forward giving her best charming look.
"You mad at me?"
Eth'n shook his head, though he couldn't really respond in truth, as he
was a little bit mad at being played the fool, "I'm glad to see you up
and around, and... feeling better." He answered without really
answering.
She nodded and snuggled up to him. "Thanks to you, helping to keep me
happy and all." She grinned up at him. "I think I could even do that
puzzle you got me now." She offered him a wink. "Perhaps you could come
help me."
"Are you sure you want me to help you? Maybe one of your other friends
might be more amusing." Eth'n responded without thinking.
Caly blinked. What was going on here? She pulled back slightly and
studied Eth'n face. "You are mad at me. What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. I mean, I have no right to be mad, Caly. I just...
I thought there was something between us. I know I shouldn't have made
any assumptions. I'm sorry. Sure, you want to go do the puzzle, I'm
game. I don't have any plans for after breakfast. Have you eaten
yet?"
Eth'n found himself moving on quickly in the direction of the dining
hall. "I'm just hungry. Coming?"
Caly couldn't move. She just stood there staring as Eth'n walked
towards the dining hall. He had thought there was something between
them? Was there? Did she even want there to be? She blinked and then
moved quickly to catch up to him.
"What do you mean you thought there was something between us?"
"Sorry if I was mistaken," Eth'n retorted, suddenly realizing that he
had developed feelings for Caly, and it did hurt to think that she
didn't feel the same way. But, he reasoned, he had been the one that
had almost cost her her life, not to mention her arm. While she'd been
recovering, he'd been worrying.
Caly frowned and she grabbed Eth'n's arm. "Eth'n, stop walking so
fast."
She held tightly until the trainer stopped walking. Then she moved to
stand in front of him. He kept his gaze lowered. Caly reached out and
lifted his chin. "Now please explain to me what in the world is going
on, because last I knew you were in love with another woman, and we
were
just friends."
"Who? You mean Mae?" Eth'n's voice sounded strange, even to himself as
he said her name. Mae... when he tried to picture her in his mind he
couldn't focus on her face. He closed his eyes and tried again but...
his mind's eye saw... Caly. "No, she's only a memory. I can't love a
ghost."
"But I thought..." Caly began, and then stopped. She started and
stopped a few times, but her mind was such a jumble. "I didn't
realize...." she offered weakly, looking away.
"Not your fault. It's mine. Warton is always telling me that I should
be
clearer. Not a great trait in a Trainer, is it?" Eth'n tried to
laugh,
but it sounded hollow. "Look, I probably just need to eat something."
Caly studied him a moment and then nodded. She stepped aside to let
him
pass her. "We should talk later I guess." She looked as lost as she
sounded.
Eth'n turned back, hearing the tone of her voice. "Aww, Caly" She
looked so cute when she looked like that. He walked back and chucked
her under the chin. "Look, I'm just being a big, jealous jerk. Hey,
if
you want to go swim with some other guy and then go back to his
apartment... hell, it isn't any of my business! I'm sorry, Caly."
She looked up at him. Well did he care about her or didn't he? And
people said women were confusing! "So there isn't anything other than
friend****p between us?"
When he looked into her big, blue eyes his breath caught in his throat
and he found his bravado skipped a beat, "Up to you, hon. I... I'd
hoped there was more."
She nodded and a small smile came to her lips. "Go eat. We can talk
later." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek before turning
and
heading off.
He watched her go, and couldn't help but admire her shapely hips. But
he had to remind himself that he had no claims on her, and others could
do more than just admire them, as well.
He turned back to the finish his walk to the dining hall, returning the
smiles of those he passed. As he passed, he heard two nomad women
giggle behind him, and he turned around, wondering what they found so
funny. He caught them looking at him, and he realized that they were
two of the girls from the last training class.
He recalled that Andahar had always found their comments amusing and
Eth'n had finally asked Andahar what was so funny. Andahar had remarked
that the girls were discussing what they'd do with Eth'n should the
find
themselves alone with him. Eth'n grinned knowingly at the girls and
they both gasped and scampered away.
Eth'n laughed, feeling better than he had after realizing that he was
just one of several in Caly's bed. If he'd wanted, he was sure all he
had to do was make a sign and those girls would have been quite willing
to show him exactly what they'd fantasized about doing with him.
And when he reached the dining hall, he was offered quite a number of
invitations to tables where he could have dined. Deciding he didn't
want to hurt anyone's feelings, he found a table that was empty and sat
down to eat.
[TAG: Anyone want to join E'thn?]
----
Caly walked away from Eth'n and instead of going to visit Cynthia she
went back to her quarters. She went out to the ledge and settled down,
leaning back against Ale'Bela. The little dragon curled around her and
rested her head in Caly's lap.
{Is everything ok?} Ale'Bela asked.
Caly nodded a bit. {I just had a very enlightening conversation with
Eth'n.}
{Oh, Warton's rider. He likes you a lot. Warton told me how unhappy
he
was when he saw you at the water the other day.}
Caly blinked. {Why didn't you tell me?}
Ale'Bela mentally shrugged. {You did not ask. You were trying so hard
to keep him out of your mind I didn't want to be a pain.}
Caly sighed and relaxed back against her dragon. {Why is it that I am
the only person who was not aware of how Eth'n felt. Normally I am
perceptive of these things.}
{Well maybe you didn't want to see it} Ale'Bela offered. {Ooh Warton
wants to go hunting, do you mind if I leave.}
Caly smiled and patted Ale'Bela on the head. {Go, have fun.}
Ale'Bela gave Caly a lick and then lifted off the ledge. Caly sat and
watched the dragon fly off. Her mind whirled. Did she not want Eth'n
to
care about her as more than a friend? When she though about him, about
what he said. It made her stomach flutter. She sighed and lay back on
the ledge, looking up at the sky. Suddenly her life had become very
complicated.
---
After a while Calylin decided to go visit the warrenlady. She didn't
spend too long with Cynthia. She was distracted and the warrenlady
could easily see that. "Is everything ok Caly?"
Calylin blinked and then nodded to her. "Yeah, just a bit of unexpected
stuff going on."
Cynthia smiled and then glanced over towards the bassinets as the two
babies started crying at the same time. Cynthia paused and got the
far
away look in her eyes as Syren told her about the incoming dragons.
---
[SNIP -- In Daere]
Akety looked to K'nord, he nodded saying he was ready.
They both looked to Seth as he hopped up on his
dragon. They started up.
"Take care of Larka for me!" Akety yelled down at
Dante and Weya.
"Aye... we will!" Weya waved at her.
Once they were so high up they circled around once,
Akety waving, though she knew she couldn't be seen.
Then ...Blink... they were gone.
[END SNIP]
---
"Oh my. Caly could you do me a huge favor? We have new riders coming
in. Could you meet them on the green and bring them to Alania's
office?
I don't think I am going to be able to get away today."
Caly nodded and stood. "Yeah, I'd love to. It'll distract me from
my.... well distraction." She smiled weakly.
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Come back later. The babies should be
asleep in a few hours and we can talk about this distraction." She
smiled at Caly and then went off to take care of the crying babies.
Calylin headed out and off towards the green. "Oh dangit, I forgot to
ask the new riders' names," she mumbled to herself as she walked onto
the green.
The three dragons had landed on the green by the time she got out
there,
and she was a bit surprised to see that Eth'n had responded to their
arrival and was already welcoming the new riders to the warren.
She stood there a few minutes waiting for Eth'n to introduce her, but
Eth'n was busy telling them a bit about the Nadusi and thanking them
for
coming to Cleft's aid when Caly had walked up and he didn't even notice
her. It was the girl's pointedly looking in her direction that finally
clued Eth'n in that someone was standing right beside him.
He looked around and down at Caly, who had plastered a smile onto her
face, though her eyes were sparking dangerously when they met Eth'n's.
She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, let me introduce our junior queenrider... Calylin. Caly, these
are riders from Daere. This is Akety, rider of Ishtar. This is
K'nord,
rider of ****ver. Their riders breathe ice and have come to help with
fighting off the Nadusi."
Caly smiled and shook the hands of the new riders. "Thank you so much
for coming to Cleft to help us with this problem." She smiled sweetly
to
them and then glanced back at Eth'n.
"Let me take you to meet Alania. She's the quartermaster." Eth'n didn't
realize that his smile changed when he said Alania's name, but it was
quite obvious to those observing that he was fond of the quartermaster,
including Caly. "She'll assign you to some tem****ary quarters while
you
are here... but make yourselves at home."
Eth'n led the way to the quartermaster's office and was greeted by
Maria, Alania's assistant. Maria stopped Eth'n from going into
Alania's
office as she called out to him, "She's not here."
"Oh, when do you expect her to return?"
"I don't know... really. She seems to have left the warren and hasn't
been seen in a few days." Maria's eyes narrowed as she muttered, "I
heard she and that... nomad... had a fight."
Eth'n blinked in surprise. "She and Andahar had a fight...and she
left?" Then he saw Caly watching him with a curious expression, and
remembered why he'd come. "But... who can assign these new riders their
apartments?"
Maria grinned, "Well, I haven't been her assistant for nothing! Hold
on, I'll get the map and book..."
Eth'n tried a few questions to break the uncomfortable silence, asking
Akety and K'nord about events in Daere, and learning about the Wyverns
and the invasion of Triylar.
"Perhaps when you've helped us out here, we can return the favor and
send some riders to help Daere with the Wyvern problem?" Caly offered.
Both riders nodded but Caly knew they probably weren't the ones that
made those kinds of decisions. A few moments later Maria came back and
Caly and Eth'n left them in the capable hands of the Assistant
Quartermaster.
<tag to Katie>
---
Summary:
Day 6
Morning
On her way to visit with Cynthia, Caly runs into Eth'n, who is going to
the Dining Hall, and is surprised by the revelation that Eth'n has
developed feelings for her and has been feeling jealous over her
"friend****p" with Erik.
In the Dining Hall, Eth'n overhears some nomad girls talking about him,
and begins to feel better about himself.
After some time to reflect, Caly goes on with her visit to Cynthia.
Cynthia gets word that two new riders are arriving and asks Caly to go
meet them.
When Caly arrives to meet Akety and K'nord, riders from Daere, Eth'n is
already there, talking with them about the Nadusi. Eth'n offers to
escort them to Quartermaster Alania's office.
The Assistant Quartermaster, Maria, tells Eth'n that Alania and Andahar
had a fight a few days earlier and left the warren, then she assists
Akety and K'nord in finding suitable apartments.
--
Respectfully submitted by:
Arlene Jacobs
AKA
Eth'n and Warton
Andahar and Bohoc
And
Rachel Lange
AKA
Calylin and Ale'bela
Maria* (assistant Quartermaster)
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