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1. [DL-J] Another Unexpected Joining
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:58:04 -0500
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-J] Another Unexpected Joining
Day 2
Afternoon
Shoreline
The soldiers were lounging in the shallows, enjoying unexpected leisure
following what had been one of the nastiest fights these youngsters had
ever seen. They were used to patrolling the cities of the Empire, and
rarely had to do more than threaten a civilian who was out of line.
Killing, while something that they had been trained to do, was not
something they'd seriously contemplated doing for real, and even if
they
were only humans, it had been upsetting for some to say the least.
So, time to relax in the seaweed beds off the shore near Jasra was
welcomed by many of the young Kataani soldiers. They poked around the
coral reefs, chased a few pesky dolphins away, and explored some of the
underwater caves along the shore.
It was in one of these caves where a rather unpleasant discovery was
made. A seadragon female had clutched and was lazily guarding her
eggs,
that was until a group of Kataani soldiers stumbled upon her. Upset,
she charged them, driving them away from her eggs, which were close to
hatching. Only she hadn't realized just how many of these little
creatures there were, and she suddenly found herself surrounded by them
and they all had sharp pointy things that stuck at her in a most
annoying, and frighteningly painful way. She realized, belatedly, that
they might actually be a danger.
Swimming now for her own life, she headed for the beach, assuming that
they were like other sea-dwelling creatures and wouldn't follow her up
onto land. But here again, she was mistaken.
Catching the wild seadragon had now become a game for the soldiers, and
one they did know how to play.
"Let's surround that beast and kill it!" One of the soldiers yelled.
They had just emerged on the other side of the seadragon and were
driving it down the beach when they noticed, to their dismay, that
there
was a human walking along the beach. She would be trampled by the
fleeing seadragon! And that wouldn't look good for the negotiations
going on with the humans of Jasra and the Emperor.
The Kataani yelled directions as they attempted to catch up with the
dragon before it caught up with the human. The dragon's roar finally
alerted the human of her danger, but much to the Kataani's surprise,
she
didn't flee, she turned to fight, with bow in hand.
"Foolish human!" Shomashi exclaimed as he tried to position himself in
the way of the seadragon and the girl. His eyes widened as he looked
at
the human, or what he had taken for a human.
He was drawn to the girl, and approached her slowly, "Who are you? Are
you Kataani?" But he spoke in his native language and she replied in
hers.
[SNIP]
"Wh...what are you?" Nyna asked him.
He told her that he was Kataani, then telling her that she had
some of the Kataani features.
[END SNIP]
The seadragon could sense the distress of her offspring in their eggs.
<My young ones, stay were you are! These creatures here will only harm
you!>
[No, mother, I believe that there is one here who would understand me.
I can tell her to tell the others to leave you alone.] SeaLandia
exclaimed.
<*As do I, mother! Yes, he can understand me. I feel it.*> Sazerac
insisted, as he pushed his way out of his shell.
<Do not talk to them!> The seadragon dam warned. But it was already
too
late.
[SNIP]
While they spoke, an egg had hatched and a bluish-purple dragon
had
hobbled towards her.
The Kataani looked down, as the hatchling began nudging her head
against Nyna's leg. His attitude changed to one of feeling sorry for
her.
Nyna heard a small, squeaky voice. [I'm SeaLandia]
Nyna looked down, somehow knowing the words came from the
hatchling. *I'm Nynaeva, Nyna for short* she told her.
Just then, Nyna heard the wings of another dragon as it landed
behind her. Raising her bow again, as she turned around, but then
lowered it when she spotted a Dragonrider, dismounting.
"Now you'll be stuck with one of 'those creatures', forever", the
Kataani said, as he turned to leave.
[END SNIP]
As Shomashi turned with disgust he came face to face with a small green
dragon with shiny orange eyes. The dragon cocked his head to the side.
<*You make it sound like a bad thing.*> Sazerac looked at Shomashi.
The Kataani stared at the dragon and spoke aloud, "Did you just... say
something?"
<*Yes, I'm Sazerac.*> The green seadragon hatchling replied, <*Why are
your friends attacking my mother? Tell them to stop!*> Sazerac's fear
and pain emanated across their newly formed bond.
"WHAT?" Shomashi gasped. He turned to his fellow Kataani and began to
yell at them to stop.
It was then that other dragonriders arrived. They also were not very
pleased with the Kataani attacking the seadragon. They blocked the
Kataani from the seadragon, and she quickly slipped back into the ocean
to gather her remaining hatchlings, fleeing with them into deeper
water,
mourning the loss of SeaLandia and Sazerac who would now stay behind,
joined to riders.
---
Summary:
Day 2
Afternoon
Bored Kataani soldiers begin exploring the shoreline where they are
taking their leisure. They come across a seadragon female with a
clutch
of nearly hatching eggs. The seadragon attempts to chase them away,
but
finding she is suddenly greatly outnumbered, she attempts to lead them
away from the eggs.
One of the Kataani soldiers notices a human girl on the beach and tries
to warn her. He notices that she does not look completely human, and
might be part Kataani.
In the meanwhile the eggs hatch, and two of the hatchlings, trying to
help their mother, join with the girl and the Kataani soldier, and ask
them to tell the soldiers not to attack their mother.
Dragonriders arrive and end the standoff between seadragon and Kataani.
The seadragon returns to the sea with her remaining hatchlings, leaving
SeaLandia and Sazerac behind, now joined with Nyna and Shomashi.
---
Respectfully submitted by:
Arlene Jacobs
AKA
Shomashi & Sazerac
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