*Day 18- Early morning*
The purple of the early morning horizon had turned to a deep orange
when his thoughts of the night were interrupted.
<DADDY!> came the bright and chipper voice of Ursa, the nomad
guardian's dragon.
<What is it...is there something wrong?> Dru'Kar replied as he tensed
for bad news even though there was no panic in Ursa's voice.
<DADDY! THE EGGS ARE HATCHING!> came her reply.
<Hmmmm... Xanthia should probably be there... please tell Maxima to
come for Xanthia and you please come, too. We are still.....>
<I know where you are Daddy... I took you there... and I know why!>
came a giggly little girl like voice, an odd thing when thinking of
where the voice actually comes from.
Dru'Kar turned and moved to the blanket that still held the sleeping
from of his lover. He knelt down over her and leaned forward on his
hands. Lowering himself even farther he gently kissed her lips. He
could not help but smile as she smiled in her sleep.
"Come my love... time to wake up and start a new and wonderful day." he
whispered ever so quietly into her ear.
Xanthia moaned and wiggle just slightly and whispered as well "No...
the night can't be over.... I won't let it" as she smiled and snuggled
down deeper into the part of the blanket that Dru'Kar had tossed over
her.
Again in the softest whisper Dru'Kar said "But the eggs are hatching."
"WHAT!?!" Xanthia exclaimed and she threw off the blanket and started
running still not quite awake enough to realize exactly where she was.
How could she have slept so soundly that she blocked out all other
thoughts but her own, she wondered as she flung herself forward
to rush to the hatching.
Dru'Kar was thankful for the size difference in the two of them as he
was able to reach out and grab her to keep her from running of the
cliff that wasn't too far away. Pulling her back he began to speak.
"While I am sure you will keep my life from getting boring, I'd just as
soon keep you around for a while longer. And while I know I am not the
only that would love for you to walk around naked all the time... I am
also quite sure someone would object." and he began to laugh as
she blushed mightily.
He held her back to his chest as he wrapped his other arm around her
fully and buried his face in her hair and began kissing her neck.
A small shiver raced through the young woman's body. Would that there
weren't a hatching, she lamented silently. She pulled his arms from
about her and stood to turn and face him. While on his knees he was
still nearly as tall as her as she stood to her full height.
"You...you tease!" she said while smiling and then turned to put her
doeskin dress back on. She had no sooner thrown Dru'Kar's loin cloth at
him and both dragons landed nearby.
As the two finished getting the clothes on the two dragons exchanged
looks and waited with what seemed like wry grins on their faces.
Xanthia half ran the short distance between them and nearly had to jump
up to grab the huge man around the neck and pull him down for a quick
kiss.
"I gotta run!" she turned and ran towards Maxima, nearly vaulting up
onto the dragon's back. "I haven't missed a hatching yet!"
With that she smiled and waved as the black dragon kicked off and took
to the air.
Ursa turned to look at her rider <Aren't we going?> she asked.
Dru'Kar had just finished putting on his knife onto the side of his hip
and was picking up the remnants of last nights activities and putting
them back into the basket for the trip back to his apartment.
<Nope.> was his only reply.
<why not?> came Ursa's retort.
<Don't need to.> The rider said as he placed the basket (now with
enough room for the pony cask as well inside it). <I have already been
to the most important of all the hatchings.> He was saying as he was
straightening up from placing the basket down. He ran his hand up
and down between the dragon's eyes and smiled <...yours.>
***
Xanthia arrived at the hatching and made her way in to the cavern,
unceremoniously pushing her way through the throng of people until she
caught up with Merissa.
"Did I make it? The eggs haven't hatched yet?" Xanthia gasped
breathlessly as she took her seat beside the warrenlady.
Merissa regarded the young woman's attire, noting that Xanthia was
wearing the same doeskin dress she'd worn the day before. She plucked a
stray leaf from Xanthia's tousled titian tresses, and held it up
between her fingers with raised eyebrow.
"I trust you slept well?" Merissa asked.
Xanthia blushed and bashfully hid her face in her hands, but she was
hard pressed to conceal the wide grin that crossed her face. Then she
pointed excitedly as the first of the two eggs began to crack.
<<TAG Arlene! Kris, is Th'rin there? If so, TAG Kris, and anyone else
who might be sitting near.>>
***
Dru'Kar quit petting the dragon and picked up the basket again and
smiled at the dragon as he saw one very large tear forming in the
dragon's eye and heard the loudest swallow he ever heard. "Now lets go
home and get cleaned up and see if there is something else we should be
doing."
Moments later the two arrived at the apartment ledge and Dru'Kar hoped
off the dragon and placed the basket on the ground next to the door so
he can take it back to the dining hall before the party. He took a bath
and put on fresh leathers. He thought he would wear his one pair of
britches for the occasion. He was trying to pick up some of the
warren's habits if for no other reason than for special occasions such
as this...to show honor and respect for those around him. But as he
pulled them up and threaded the leather string through the front
opening and pulled it tight, he realized just why he liked his loin
cloth so much! He wondered how in the world the others could wear
britches on a daily bases.
Once dressed, he checked the other side of the now two-in-one apartment
and saw one of Xanthia's friends pacing with a cranky Alina. Helping
raise children in a nomadic tribe he could tell that Alina's was cranky
more because the young woman was really wanting to
be somewhere else. He knew that babies could sense such things and it
upset them.
"Hello," the large man said as he entered the room and inadvertently
startling the young woman, "sorry ...I didn't mean to startle you."
"Oh....um....no need to apologize...I just... uh...well..." the young
woman stammered. Zara was one of the kitchen staff, and she'd hoped
desperately to join one day, but that hope was dwindling with each
hatching. But still, there was always a chance.
"You want to be down at the hatching right?" Dru'Kar interrupted.
The woman looked at the baby then back to the man in front of her and
bit her lip and nodded.
"Well then it is simple, give Alina to me to watch and go." he said
quite simply and smiled.
After several minutes of the young woman saying she shouldn't and "are
you sure" she gave the child of Xanthia to the large man. As the woman
left the apartment she turned back and thanked Dru'Kar for watching
Alina and Argan for her and she was gone.
As her words began to sink in Dru'Kar, he heard a slight growling
behind him. He turned and saw the bear cub chewing on a piece of
rawhide. So while talking to Alina he looked around the apartment of
the warrenlady and found bottle, diapering cloths, and formula for both
Alina and the bear. He took the baby into his apartment and left the
bear in his small pen. Once in his apartment he set the baby on his bed
and stepped into the bathing chamber to wash up a bit. He dropped his
loincloth and peeked out the door at the baby who was playing quietly
with one of her toys she had in her hands when he took her from the
young woman that was watching her.
Soon his mind drifted to the night before again. The passion, the
intensity of the love making between Xanthia and himself, he had never
felt anything like it before. Even after the first time, when they sat
and talked, ate from the basket he had secretly prepared and they
drank. They drank from the small keg the inn keeper had prepared just
for them.
Dru'Kar chuckled to himself and peeked in on Alina again and then
wondered what the inn keeper put in that cask with the mead. Images
flooded his mind of the other two times they had made love in the
moonlight to which he immediately tried to think of something else as
he felt his heart begin to beat harder and faster. It would not do for
him to walk around in an aroused state all day. He knew that his nomad
tribesman would have just had a chuckle or two, hell he might have even
gotten an invite from a lady friend...or two. But here in the
"civilized world". The large man shook his head and finished washing
up. He still struggled to understand the customs here.
***
As the people began to file out of the hatching cavern, Xanthia took
Oberon by the hand and the two made their way down to congratulate the
one who was down on the sands. She had already been joined by the
junior queenrider, Faylen.
<Hello, I'm Xanthia, Rider of Maxima, who might you be pretty one?>
Xanthia asked the hatchling as she watched the hatchling and the other
two women.
<Zalyth,> the hatchling responded. <But you're not my rider... How can
you talk to me?>
<I'm special that way, as are a few other people around here,> Xanthia
explained simply before turning her attention back to the humans
present.
"Hey, Faylen? No one really told me what happens after the hatching.
What do I do now?" Xanthia heard the newly joined woman ask the young
queenrider as she fed the young Zalyth another piece of meat.
"Well, first we have to get this sleepy thing to the hatchling barracks
before she falls asleep right here..." Faylen began.
"That's where you'll stay during your and Zalyth's training," Xanthia
interjected, her ice blue eyes twinkling merrily as she spoke
excitedly. She then remembered she'd not even introduced herself.
"Hi! I'm Xanthia... or Yashina if you want to use my Bear Nomad name."
"Xanthia is one of our healers, second only to Th'rin if I'm not
mistaken," Faylen informed Navra, causing the petite redheaded healer
to blush bashfully at the compliment.
"And this young man is Oberon," Faylen added, introducing the
warrenlady's foster child and Xanthia's nephew, who looked close to
being an adolescent."
"I'm the Chieftain of the Bear Nomads! And I'm seven years old!" the
dark haired child announced proudly, his eyes glistening like twin
amethysts.
"I'm Navra, and this is...." the new rider began as she regarded the
odd little redheaded woman and the boy at her side.
"Zalyth! Yes, she told me." Xanthia finished.
"You're telepathic?" Navra blinked.
Xanthia nodded in reply, looking needlessly guilty at the admission.
"Me, too!" Oberon declared.
"There are a few people here in the warren who possess special talents
such as telepathy..." Faylen explained
"Or empathy." Xanthia added.
"Or empathy, Faylen, an empath herself, repeated.
Xanthia launched herself at Navra and embraced her in a hug.
"Congratulations on joining, Navra! I'm off to the dining hall now. See
you there in a bit!"
And with that Xanthia grabbed Oberon by the hand, leaving Navra in
Faylen's capable hands as they trotted off.
<<TAG Kara! Faylen will escort Navra and Zalyth to the hatchling
barracks where she can select a bunk and get Zalyth settled in on a bed
of straw before they head over to the dining hall.>>
****
Soon Dru'Kar was washed and had put on a clean loin cloth, strapped one
of his swords to his hip and gathered all of the baby and bear supplies
he had gotten from the warrenlady's apartment and put them in a
backpack. With that, he gathered up Alina and went to get the
bear cub. Soon he was walking in the sunlight across the green and
heading towards the dining hall, where there was always a party after a
joining. Even now he could hear the cheering from the hatching cavern.
His mind drifted to his own joining and what a surprise it had been.
<I love you Daddy... and I will net forget that day either,> came Ursa
voice to his mind.
<Nor will I my love......nor will I> Dru'Kar sent to his dragon along
with a mental chuckle, still getting used to his thoughts not always
being his own unless he is on guard for them to be strictly his.
Soon he was in the dining hall and sitting at a large table. Alina was
sitting on the table playing with her toy and with Dru'Kar's massive
hands. The bear cub was asleep....again....at his feet. Dru'Kar and
Alina laughed as they played waiting for the rest of the warren folk to
come and celebrate the joinings. Until then he would spend his time
with this precious little doll.
It wasn't too long before people started coming into the dining hall
for both breakfast and the celebration.
"DRU'KAR!!!!!" Xanthia and Oberon shouted joyfully. The tiny healer
launched herself gleefully at the large man as she entered the dining
hall. She hugged and kissed both the guardian and her young daughter
with heartfelt love while Oberon tossed himself onto the floor and
began to pet and kiss Argan.
<<TAG to anyone present who wishes to interact or react. Arlene???
Kris??? Anyone???>>
------------------
TAGS WITHIN THE POST:
Arlene, Kris, Kara, and a general tag to all in the dining hall.
------------------
SYNOPSIS
Day 17 - Evening (within flashback)
*Dru'Kar makes arrangements for the children, allowing Oberon to go to
the carnival and arranging for a sitter for Alina, and then spirits
Xanthia away for an evening rendezvous up on the top of the mountain,
now that they have declared their love.
Day 18 - Early morning -morning
*Dru'Kar reminisces over his night with Xanthia until Ursa tells him
that the eggs are hatching.
*Dru'Kar awakens Xanthia, who is sleeping so soundly she was unaware of
any thoughts but her own. Excited at the prospect of a hatching,
Xanthia launches forward to run to the hatching, forgetting where she
is and her current naked state. Dru'Kar stops her before she runs off
the edge of the cliff and reminds her to get dressed.*Once dressed,
Xanthia heads to the hatching on Maxima's back while Ursa takes Dru'Kar
home to the now two-in-one apartment (now that a connecting wall has
been knocked down). Dru'Kar relieves the sitter (Zara) of Alina and
sends her along to the hatching. After he changes clothes and gathers
some things, he, Alina, and Argan the bear cub head to the dining
hall.*Xanthia joins Merissa and others, still wearing the clothes from
the night before and her hair unkempt.
*After the hatching, Xanthia and Oberon go introduce themselves to
Navra and Zalyth. They congratulate Navra and then head to the dining
hall, leaving Faylen to show Navra to the hatchling barracks.*Arriving
at the dining hall, Xanthia and Oberon joyously cry out
Dru'Kar's name and then rush to join him.
Respectfully submitted by...
Keeper (lordkeeper@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
) for Dru'Kar and Ursa
and
Morgan (lady_elf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
) for Xanthia and Maxima, Oberon, and
Alina
|
