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1. [DL-J] With A New Life, Comes New Responsibilities
From: raemonda carris <sorceressniana@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 21:51:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: raemonda carris <sorceressniana@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-J] With A New Life, Comes New Responsibilities
[DL-J]
Day 1
Evening
Med Center
Ansel had just begun to ask Nyna about where she had come from
when he received Khamorray's urgent summons. <Ryianne and her rider
need help!> the dragon said. <They have both been injured!>
*By the soldiers?* Ansel asked, suddenly on alert. *And how
badly?? Better let Kethriss and Syngnath hear this too.*
<Okay,> said Khamorray. <Not too badly, but enough that they're
going to need help getting home. And not by the soldiers, exactly...by
one soldier, who is having a hard time coming to grips with the fact
that he's now one of us.>
*We'd better go,* he said to Khamorray. He turned to Nyna.
"Something's come up," he told her. "I need to go help Eliase. Balagon
here will..."
"Wait," said Tanami, hurrying in through the door. "Syngnath let
the other dragons hear what he was saying. What's this about a new
rider?"
Anxiously, Ansel explained what had gone on. It slowly dawned on
her that they had *two* new riders, as she saw the newly-hatched
SeaLandia sitting patiently on the floor. "Go and help, then," she
said, after a moment. "I would like to speak to Nynaeva here."
She turned to Nyna. "I am Tanami, the Wingsecond of Jasra
Warren's Maritime Wing." She looked closely at the girl. "There is
something about you...I think we need to talk."
She quickly waved Ansel away, and then asked Balagon to give them
a moment of privacy. "Nynaeva, who were your parents?"
Tanami looked carefully at Nyna and then motioned for her to sit
down. Tanami did so also, then spoke again. "I, too, believe you may
have been lied to," she said finally, then reached out and put a hand
on Nyna's arm. "I do not mean to embarrass or alarm you, but I do not
think it possible that both of your parents were dragonriders. One of
them...that is very possible. But not both."
As Nyna sat in a chair, so did Tanami.
Nyna listened politely to what the woman had to say, then gave her a
slightly confused look.
"What do you mean?" she asked, then added "If one of them had been
a Dragonrider, then surely someone knew my father or mother, whichever
one had been one, right?" she asked.
"Perhaps," Tanami said. "You see, warren society is different from
that where you grew up - or where I grew up either, for that matter.
Dragons seldom form permanent attachments with their own kind, and so
it is with their riders. So it is not unusual for male dragonriders to
have children by different mothers. It is also not unusual for female
riders to have children by different males. Did anyone ever tell you
the name of either of your parents? Or just that they were
dragonriders?"
Nyna listened. "No they did not! Only that they were Dragonriders!
But even as I was growing up I knew I was different in some way, though
I didn't know how or why, and still don't. I was also treated a bit
cruelly as I was growing up, because I was different." Nyna replied
with a shake of her head.
"I am sorry," said Tanami, again putting a comforting hand on
Nyna's arm. "I, too, was treated as being different and had to leave my
home." She sighed, not knowing any easy or gentle way to put this. "I
am of a race called the Kataani...as, were, I understand, the soldiers
who inadvertently rescued you from the seadragon queen. Do you see the
ways in my race differ from humans? And have you ever seen anyone else
like me before?"
The woman placed her hand on Nyna's arm again comfortingly, as she
spoke of her race.
Nyna listened to her, "I see...and no...I never ever heard of a
race called the Kataani. But what do they have to do with me?" Nyna
asked, looking at her clearly confused, then added.
"I came here looking for information on my parents, because I
believed that I had been lied to as I was growing up, then I find
myself joined to a dragon hatchling...a SeaDragon"
Tanami reached out and touched one of the nearly invisible slits
on the side of Nyna's neck. "Not fully developed, but they appear to be
functional," she said.
"Did you know those were there? Or did your human friends ever
notice them?" She turned a bit to the side and placed a finger to the
side of her own neck, applying a bit of pressure to reveal one of her
own gill slits. "You see, I have them too."
As Tanami reached out to touch Nyna's neck, then she showed her
own neck. Revealing the gills on her neck, just as Nyna reached up to
touch her own neck.
"No, I did not know there were there, and I have no friends,
atleast not from where I grew up at." Nyna replied as she looked at the
woman.
"Well, you certainly have a friend in this little dragon you met
and bonded with," Tanami replied. "And I am sure you will meet others
here." She looked hesitant before continuing. "You are
not...entirely...like anyone I know here, but I believe that you will
find that Jasra can be a home to you as it became for me when I was
forced to leave my own. I...do not know who your parents were, but I
can tell you something about them, I believe. I do not know if it will
please you, but it is something you must know."
Nyna looked down at the sleeping hatchling at her feet, as Tanami
spoke of her. She smiled, then looked back at Tanami, when she said
that she needed to tell her something that Nyna may or may not like.
"Yes...what's that?" she asked, giving her another confused look.
Tanami sighed. "The reason why you were thought of as 'different'
by those at Ismene is that you are only partly human. The other part is
of my race, the Kataani. Do you understand what that means? One of your
parents was a human...most likely the dragonrider, if there is any
truth to what you were told...and the other was a Kataani." She watched
Nyna closely to see her reaction.
Nyna sat there listening closely to what Tanami had to say.
She looked down at the hatchling again, trying to let it all sink in.
"I'm part Kataani?" she whispered. She wasn't sure what else to say,
then she looked back at the woman. "So who are the Kataani? I mean
where do they live?" she asked.
Tanami stood up and motioned for Nyna to follow her. She led her
to an open window overlooking the sea. "Out there," she told her. "The
Kataani have a vast empire out there underneath the waters, with great
cities and vast growing lands. In fact, the Emperor himself is here
right now...attending a peace conference between our people and the
humans." She looked at Nyna speculatively. "Your Kataani parent was
most definitely not a dragonrider, because Kataani riders are a new
thing...I was only the second to find my way here. But even the
first...her name was Wade...would not be old enough to be your mother.
Your parents must have met along these very shores. Their story must
have been fascinating. It is sad we may never know it." She felt a tear
come to her eye, remembering her own human love...Andahar, the prince
of a far-off human tribe who had come here from Cleft Warren. She knew
it was unlikely she would ever see him again, and felt a pang of regret
for what Nyna's
parents must have experienced.
Nyna followed the woman to the window and looked out as she
pointed towards the water. Explaining about the vast Empire underneath
the sea.
"Really? The Emperor is here?" she asked as she looked at Tanami.
Then she added, "I'd loved to meet him, or see this vast empire
someday!"
"I am sure you will be able to meet him," Tanami said. "Though I
will need to instruct you in the proper etiquette - he must be
addressed like a landbound lord, only more so! As to seeing the
Empire....I think that too can happen one day, but first we will need
to see how much of your Kataani parent's nature you have inherited. If
you have the ability to live underwater as we can, it would be a great
advantage to you - although SeaLandia's magic can also allow you to
function underwater with the wing, as our human riders can when riding
their dragons."
"Really? Wow! What kind of etiquette? I've never even met a
landbound lord, so I wouldn't even know how to address him either!"
Nyna replied, as she averted her eyes back out the window towards the
sea again.
She wondered what it would be like under the water, then hoped
that she had inherited enough of her Kataani parent's nature, to be of
an advantage.
"In the meantime, though, your duty will be training to become a
dragonrider with our maritime wing. That is where all seadragon-riders
- which is what you now are - are assigned. It will take much work, but
I believe you will find it rewarding. Our job is to defend the shores
here - and ships out at sea - from wraith attacks." She did not add
that, based on what was decided in the talks with the Emperor, the wing
might find itself performing other duties as well. "Do you understand
what being a dragonrider means?"
Nyna turned her head back to look at the woman as she spoke again.
Listening intently, and nodding a few times at her words.
"I think so...understand I mean! So, will someone be showing me
how to care for her?" Nyna asked as she glanced over at SeaLandia.
"Yes, that is part of the training," Tanami said. "In fact, she
must be hungry. If you would like, we can take her down to the shore so
she can feed. And, she can meet my dragon Kethriss."
Nyna watched the SeaLandia as the little hatchling started to
stir, then raise her head to look up at Nyna.
Nyna then looked back at the woman, "Sure! I'd love to meet
Kethriss." she replied then added, "Since it's obvious that I'll be
here for a while, where will I be staying? Will I be with SeaLandia?"
she asked as she went of to Sea and caressed her head.
"Yes, you will," Tanami told her, motioning for the girl to
follow her. "In fact, I will show you where new trainees for our wing
are housed." She led Nyna out of the med center and down a long series
of switchback stairs that led from the base of the warren's wall down
to the beach. At the water's edge lay a long, low building. It was
actually half in and half out of the water. "This is the trainee
barracks," said Tanami.
She led Nyna to a door on the landward side, and opened it. Inside
were rows of alcoves on either side, with sloping stone platforms that
led onto sandy shelves, and then down into the central aisle which was
flooded with seawater. "Dry areas for the riders, wet ones for the
seadragons," Tanami explained.
Nyna followed the woman out of the Med Center, and down a series
of switchback stairs. When they reached the base, finally, Nyna seen a
long low building that was partially in the water. Nyna gave the woman
a curious look, but said nothing. SeaLandia was next to her.
The woman led Nyna to a door located on the land side, she opened
the door and Nyna went inside, to look around and suddenly noticed that
SeaLandia had not followed her in.
"Where's SeaLandia? she asked the woman.
Tanami cocked her head. "Kethriss says the others are coming," she
said. "Do you want to pick your living area before we go out to meet
them? The landward side would be more convenient for you, the seaward
side more so for SeaLandia as she gets bigger. Your choice."
Nyna looked around, "Whatever is better for SeaLandia." she said
as she gave a small smile.
"It doesn't have to be convenient for me...SeaLandia is more
important." she added as she walked over to the water's edge and dipped
a hand down into it.
"SeaLandia will like this too...I think!" she said, more to herself,
than to the woman. Then she stood, gave the woman a smile, as she
walked back over to the woman.
Tanami nodded. "Very well," she agreed. "I'm sure SeaLandia will
appreciate your decision. She'll be the first one out the door every
morning to grab any fish that are unwary enough to swim up close to the
barracks. Shall we go outside to see what the dragons are up to? I
believe Ansel and your new training partner are coming too."
Nyna looked at the woman and gave another smile, "Yes...of course.
I'll follow you." Nyna replied, eager to meet Kethriss, the woman's
dragon, and meet her new training partner. Also, she was eager to find
out why SeaLandia had taken off like she did.
Though she knew she could just ask her but she wanted to go see her
instead.
The two of them walked outside, and saw Ansel approaching with the
Kataani soldier - well, now an ex-soldier - Shomashi. The hatchling
Sazerac was with them, and SeaLandia was running toward them. Kethriss
stood next to the barracks with an amused look on her face as she
watched the hatchlings. "It looks like your dragon has met new friend,"
Tanami commented.
"It seems she has." Nyna said as she watched the little
hatchling running towards a larger dragon. Nyna smiled as she watched
SeaLandia running around.
As they drew closer, Nyna looked up at the larger dragon and
smiled, "This must be Kethriss?" she asked. Then she spotted the
Kataani soldier she had met on the beach, he had a small hatchling with
him.
Nyna stopped short of the young soldier, and gave him a small
smile as she then looked down at his hatchling. "It looks as if he's
been stuck with one too." she said as she quoted part of what he had
told her.
Tanami came up to stand beside Nyna, and nodded. "Be understanding
of Shomashi's attitude," she said with a sigh. "Wild seadragons have
been a great scourge to our people for as long as we have lived in the
sea, and it is in large part because of them that we need so many
soldiers. Shomashi has been taught all his life to regard them as
enemies. I know, I had make a choice between leaving my home and giving
up Kethriss. As you can see, I chose the former. Shomashi will need
help, from all of us."
Meanwhile, Kethriss watched the two smaller dragons greet one
another as she settled down on the sand to watch them. <Sazerac said he
would like to learn to catch fish,> she told SeaLandia. <Would you like
to learn too?>
{I'd love to...how do you do it?} SeaLandia asked Kethriss as she
looked towards her rider. {Is it ok if Kethriss shows me how to catch
fish...Ny?} SeaLandia asked Nyna.
*Of course it's ok...I think she'd be better at it than I would
be. Go ahead and have fun!* Nyna told SeaLandia as she turned to Tanami
and Shomash. Her stomach gave a barely audible growl as she realized
how hungry she was.
"So...where do we go to eat at? I just realized that I'm starving...I
haven't ate since this morning." she asked Tanami.
Kethriss led the two small dragons down to the surf and waded in.
Of course, she was still not even knee-deep by the time the two small
ones were having to swim, so she crouched down in the shallow water so
she wouldn't have to look down to talk to them. <This is how you do
it,> she told them, snaking her neck down into the water and coming up
with a fish in her mouth. <Okay, Sealandia, do you want to try it?>
"We have a dining hall where everyone eats," she told them.
"Shomashi, it will be much like you are accustomed to in your barracks
- which reminds me, you will need to choose a berth in the hatchling
barracks. Nyna here has already done so."
This took a few moments, and then the three of them were headed over
to the dining hall. "Nyna, the food will probably be different from
what you are used to," she warned. "As much as possible is taken from
the sea, as this is the most available and abundant here. This is
probably not what you were used to living inland."
Nyna watched as the larger dragon waded out into the water, with
SeaLandia and Sazerac swimming close behind.
She watched long enough to see Kethriss gracefully snake her neck
down into the water and come back up with a fish in her mouth.
Nyna watched as SeaLandia mimicked the larger dragon, but came up
with nothing the first couple of times. Then on her third try she did
it, and came up with a nice fat fish in her mouth.
{I did it...finally.} SeaLandia told Kethris and then Nyna.
*That's great Sea...I'm going to go get something to eat myself
now...you'll be ok here with Kethriss.*
{Ok Ny.} SeaLandia told Nyna, as Nyna turned to walked away with
Tanami and Shomashi.
They were soon arriving at the dining hall. Tanami warned Nyna
about the food here not being what Nyna was used to.
"I'm sure it will be fine...I think I could eat about anything right
about now!" Nyna replied to Tanami.
As they entered, Nyna looked around the dining hall, it was quite
large, compared to the caravans she was used to living in, which was
barely large enough to hold to people inside.
"So where shall I sit?" she asked Tanami, giving her a small smile.
<Tag Arlene-Add what you will have Shomashi do or say.>
Respectfully submitted by:
Raemonda Carris-for Nyna and SeaLandia
and
John Pepper-for Ansel/Khamorray and Tanami/Kethriss
Summary:
[DL-J]
Day 1
Evening
Med Center
Nyna and SeaLandia was taken to the Med Center, where Ansel had
started to question her, and then was called away. Tanami replaced
Ansel, explaining to Nyna that she was part of a race of people called
the Kataani, who lived in the sea.
Tanami then took Nyna and SeaLandia to the barracks, which
SeaLandia decided to run off.
As Kethriss decided to teach SeaLandia and Sazerac how to catch
fish, Tanami led Nyna and Shomashi to the dining hall.
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