Denaris opened his mouth for another carefully aimed insult, then thought better of it. He would have to keep the dragon intrigued. Besides, it wouldn't help his reputation if he told the truth about the first-year apprentice's awry teleport spell. Placing himself victim to the antics of the dimwitted youth had been utterly embarassing.

He hesitated, as though reluctant. He had done enough lying in his lifetime to be especially good at it. "The Council of Pnen'adr sent me," he said, then paused again. "The Archmage had an... idea about your lair."

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Ladeos inspected the dark elf as he poured the drink down his throat and didn`t move his eyes from him, he knew that this elf was trecherous and not to be trusted at any circumstances. He sighed as the elf said that the achmage was behind it, the greatest mages could defeat him with a battle, but the archmage was a mystery to him as a well as a direct threat. Ladeos slammed the glass broke onto the table and leaned on the counter rubbing the palm on his hand with his fingers with a pondering look on his face.

"Well if that is the case then you won`t be seeing me again... or unless you weren`t lying to me perhaps? If you were then I guess that the archamage never sent you, but the thing was a that since you were brave enough to practicly challenge me and then trying to take my treasure knowing what would await for you in the cave...

You are far more poweful that you let me undrestand elf? Because otherwise you can`t even scrath me and you are just crazy, which doesn`t seem to be the case with your arrogance... so why don`t you cut the chase and get to the point?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Rhan watched them with intresset, then stood up, and walked towards them. "I think sirs, you should calm down a little. If you are indeed, who you say you are, youd cause much damage by having a 'little' fight."

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. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

"To calm down?!"

Daleos hissed at the elf with a slighthering in his voice and spat on the counter.

"This dark elf here tried to take what is mine... of course it was mine after I had killed their previous owners, but that doesn`t change the fact that he was after my treasure..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

She stood her ground "Arnt you old enough to forgive people?"

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos hmped and rolled his eyes.

"Do you think that a 1 153 years old dragon is old?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Rhan clicked her fingers "Thats it! I knew it was something like that! No I dont think thats old for a dragon." she lowered her voice "I am a dragonrider, but in training, so dont speak so roughly with me."

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. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos laughed at the elf.

"And you think I would just let you ride me or what? If you are going to want to ride one then go ask a silver or a golden one... but I doubt that any black with self respect would just burn you for your insolence, but of course you never asked anything..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"Hush your mouth!" Rhan snapped "I didnt say anything of the sort. And for your mind you overgrown lizard, he is silver and named CAyo! A prince under the dragons! You are more arrogant than I first thought!"

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. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos shrugged with an innocent look on his face.

"Complain to my mother with your silver prince elf and you`ll realise that I was raised in a harsh place where I could have been killed by my siblings, if I hadn`t been talented in magic... all tough that doesn`t mean I am physically weak..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ooops. I forgot to add that Nauriel's weapons are a glaive and a long bow, plus her ability to change into other animals.

Nauriel slid quietly through the forest as her two legger self. Suddenly Tirza, her small hawk friend, came swooping down. She landed on Nauriel's thickly padded shoulder. Nauriel knew what was happening. Quickly she stripped off her lose outer garments to reveal tight fiting clothes. These were the only clothes that stayed with her when she changed to animal form. She quickly stuffed the extra clothes onto a pack on Kalil's back. She also stapped on her weapons, a bow and quiver, plus her glaive.
" Why do i have to carry all this?" Kalil complained. "I don't like it."
"Deal with it!" Nauriel laughed quietly. Then to Tirza she said "Fly. Go now. Come back when I'm"
Quietly she changed to her favorite form, a wolf. The weight difference was not much, so fshe didn't have to spend much concentration on gaining or losing weight. With long years of prctice, she became a wolf. Nauriel's coat was silver, streaked with black. She quickly dodged into a thicket, and conceled herself.
"Do your thing" Nauriel whispered to Kalil.
Kalil stood there, on the path. He hung his head low, and pretended to gasp for breath. Not long after a caravan appered, coming down the trail. Nauriel growled softly. These people made movey by showing of animals. Animals that should be roaming free, in stead of trapped in cages.
The leader of the caravan looked at Kalil in surprise. He walked over, prepeared to take the riens if he didn't spot the owner.
"there are more of them then I thought" She said in a worried tone. "I'll have to do a bear change." She quicklt slipped out of the thicket, out of site, and changed to a bear. She tried to make herself as big as possible. By the time she was done, she could hear the caravan leaving.
"Nauriel, hurry up!" Kalil called in her mind.
Nauriel burst out of the thicket, and called to all the animals, in cages and those that were tied, to fight. She charged the caravan. She had the element of surprise, and things were going well. "Try not to hurt humans, if possible!" Nauriel called.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a man with a bow, ready to shoot. But before he could lose the arroe, Tirza swiftly plucked it from his hands. It was all over in a matter of minutes. The animals were freed, and she ambled of quickly to a place where she would be safe, leaving the caravan confused for a few moments. She had succeded again.

Rhan raised an eyebrow "Oh you poor hard done by little thing! Remind me to cry later will you?" she said sarcasticly, angered at having her dragon insulted.

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. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos smirked.

"Ever heard of irony elf? But anyway... are you here for a chat or why did you take particular interest in me earlier?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"I reconised you. Your diguise has gone down hill. That, and Cayo talked of you."The dragonrider held her head proud, and stared at him chalengingly "He is nearby."
Cayo?
What do you want? came the snappy answer of her soulmate I am hunting. But how can I help? she could almost see his scaly face, jaws open in what he liked to call a laugh.

I found the one you talked of.
Good. Where are you? Rhan sent him a picture of the inn, and severed the connection.

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos`s eyes narrowed with a threating message in them and his voice was careful.

"And what do you want of me, if speak the truth elf?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Denaris leaned back on his chair to watch the show, seeing the perfect opportunity to change the subject.

"To challenge a dragonrider... you must be powerful, my lord," he said in a respect completely uncharacteristic of him. "You must be confident of defeating him, then." Here was the chance to learn the scope of the dragon's strength.

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