Gryphons
Chapter Fourteen

Ratings: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Dahli is finally home, but things are not quite the same.
Notes:...

They pulled up before Dahli's house at about mid morning, soaked through. The seats of Mars' con were wet as well, and there were puddles beneath their feet. They had both spent a fair amount of time in and out of the channel.

"Well, you're home." said Draephus, looking up at the little house.

"Yeah, I guess I am." said Dahli. She still felt some nervous tension within her stomach, but now she was at least ready to be there. She smiled at Draephus. "Thanks for the ride home."

He grinned at her, broken front tooth in full view. "Anytime," he said quietly.

The two sat together for a time in silence, then Dahli said; "Do you think I'll see you sometime?"

"Oh could be," he said casually. "Maybe you could give me a call sometime."

"Maybe," she said. She got out of the air-con, pausing to look back at him. "See you," she said softly.

He gave her a wave, and the door closed. Dahli stepped onto the sidewalk and watched the air-con lift, then fly down the street until it was out of sight.

Dahli walked slowly and quietly up the steps of her house, feeling almost as though she didn't belong there. Setting down the quinticord, she carefully opened the door and stepped inside. It was quiet in the little house. Music played softly within the kitchen, and she could hear Atterick and Teirra talking. Dahli placed her bag and quinticord down in the hall an advanced slowly down the hall.

She was a mere few feet from the door when she decided to change her approach and silently left the house once more, making her way down the steps. She stood at the bottom of them for a moment, then ran up them as hard as she could, bashing the door open and thundering across the floor to the kitchen. She leapt into the room, dirty and wet, with the rooster feathers on her hat askew.

"Heia people," she said, grinning.

Atterick and Teirra stared at her for a long moment, faces blank with amazement. Suddenly they both leapt on her with a vengeance, hugging her and demanding to know where she'd been and how she'd gotten home and how she was.

"I'm fine," she said, hugging Teirra. "I've been hiding with a crazy old man in a cabin full of chickens."

"Dahli we were so worried about you. We've been hearing so many horrible things about the place you were in..."

"Yeah well they're all true. I'm hungry."

"Dahli... did..."

"I don't want to talk about it. Any of it. I'm home, I want to stuff my face, call up some friends, and enjoy myself. I'd rather not think about anything right now." Dahli lit a cigarette and flopped down into a chair with a wet squelching noise. She giggled.

"Wow, home is so normal it's scary." She looked at Teirra and Atterick, cigarette smouldering between her lips. "I really missed both of you. I can't tell you how often I have wanted to be back in this house, in this kitchen."

Teirra smiled. "We missed you too."

Atterick stood up. "You're hungry, huh? Well that sounds like you." He opened the coldbox. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything, and lots of it." Then as an afterthought, Dahli said, "No chicken."

***---***

Draephus went home after dropping Dahli off, shedding wet clothes as he walked down the hall to his bedroom. He had called J'Vanni to make sure he was all right, and was relieved to learn Stratavarus had dug up someone to watch him. Pleased with this turn of events, Draephus poured himself a large belt of mushroom distillation and carried it up into his bedroom. Wearing nothing, holding the glass of liquor, he walked into his bedroom and dropped down onto his bed. Delaes still hadn't come home, but at least Dahli had, and Vesper seemed to be holding up well. Draephus felt some of the knots in his stomach melt away. He rolled onto his stomach luxuriously, like a large feline, and waved a hand in the general direction of the stereo ball. It glowed silently into life, and the towering amp-plants arced expectantly.

"Select Imperial Chant number 33," he said, and a moment later the soothing, rich music filled the room. Draephus closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. He smiled as he thought of Dahli. He liked her, genuinely liked her. Not very many people had been granted that honour. He suddenly rolled onto his stomach, reaching for the telcom, and, without thinking about it, called her number. Dahli snatched up the ‘com before it had finished ringing once.

"I'm home I'm home I'm home!" This statement was followed by rolls of demonic laughter. Draephus grinned.

"I know, I'm the one who brought you there."

"Oh heia!" said Dahli brightly. "Wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon."

"Yeah well I was just thinking of you."

"Yeah well there's coincidence, I was just thinking of you. Why did you let me go over the wall when you were only a few feet away, and had in fact come to get me?"

"Let you! I didn't let you do clart, Fearless. Why were you so inconsiderate as to wait for me to show up before you did it?"

"MAYBE I WAS GETTING YOU BACK FOR THE LITTLE JOKE WITH J'VANNI DEI SYNCOPIUS!"

Draephus laughed rustily. "Yeah all right, I'll accept that." He grinned fondly. "Welcome home."

***---***

Dahli talked on the com with Draephus for quite a while, finally hanging up after the mushroom he was drinking began to go to his head. Dahli came away from the telcom bouncing.

"I'm home I'm home I'm home!" she chanted. She bounced in circles around Atterick. "When does school start?"

"Last week," he said, watching her a little worriedly.

"So I can go tomorrow? My life can go back to normal?"

"Yes and yes. Who was on the telcom?"

"Draephus. He's my friend. He likes me. He thinks I'm fun. So does J'Vanni Dei Syncopius." Dahli was punctuating every statement with a bounce. Atterick was getting a headache watching her.

"Where did you meet J'Vanni Dei Syncopius?"

"At his house. Last night. We had supper there."

"STOP BOUNCING! You had supper with him? The man no one has ever seen?"

"I've seen him, he's beautiful. He's tall and very regal, and he has these looonnng legs that make you just want to... any way, yes I met him."

Atterick stared at her sourly. “Great. I’m the musician, and you know Draephus and J’Vanni.”

“Well what can I say, Atterick, maybe you just need to hang around more bathrooms.”

***---***

Dahli awoke the next morning, flung back the covers and bounced out of bed. She was home, everything was fine, life was just the way it had been before. With the possible exception being that she was actually looking forward to going to school. She dressed and came downstairs, tail feathers on her hat waving. Teirra looked up in surprise as Dahli came prancing into the kitchen.

"I was just about ready to go wake you."

"No need," said Dahli. She thumped down at the table and poured herself a glass of almaniki juice. Teirra smiled at her fondly.

"I'm glad to see you back."

"I'm glad to be back, I can't tell you how glad I am to be back." Dahli drank her juice, then got up and walked over to Teirra, leaning over her shoulder. "What's for breakfast?"

Dahli ate her breakfast, then left the house, heading down the road to where Diza lived. She reached Diza's house, heading up the steps to the front door. She knocked on it, and smiled as she heard the sound of Diza's father approaching. The door opened, and the man stood before her. Dahli opened her mouth to ask if Diza was coming to school, and he slammed the door in her face. As Dahli stared at the door in complete shock, she heard the man yelling through the house at Diza.

"I told you I don't want you hanging around with any of that group! That Sandiniti girl is back and I don't want her around, she's trouble."

Dahli stood on the steps for a time, then turned and walked away, heading once more towards the school, although with a lot of the bounce taken out of her. She walked down the sidewalk, feeling hurt and confused. She hadn't counted on this, but decided it was probably to be expected. She wondered who else had forsaken her.

Dahli turned the corner and stopped. Before her stood Randish and Czamkiar. The three stood and blinked at each other for a moment, then all three screamed in delight. Czamkiar's books went flying as he leapt on her, planting a gluey kiss on her face. He hadn't started wearing his make-up any thinner.

"Well good to see you two are still talking to me. I just got thrown out of Diza's place," said Dahli. She threw her arms around Randish's huge neck. She could have sworn he had grown a foot and gained one hundred pounds since she had seen him last.

"Oh none of us are allowed to talk to Diza anymore," said Czamkiar, picking up his books. He rose to his feet and stood carefully in his high heel boots, tossing back his white hair. He grinned at her broadly. "That's why we wait for her here in the mornings."

No sooner had he said this when they heard the sound of shoes racing up the pavement behind them. Diza charged around the corner.

"Is Dahli here? Oh Dahli!" Diza's books were the next ones to become air-borne, and she threw her arms around her neck. "I am so glad you're back! I'm sorry about my dad, he's decided that I can't talk to anybody fun anymore. When did you get back?"

"Yesterday. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well I'm surprised." Diza grabbed her around the neck once more.

The four walked down the sidewalk towards the school. Dahli smoked and talked, answering questions that her friends asked. They strolled along casually, but not so slowly they would be late. Diza couldn't chance her father finding out she was still hanging with the same crowd.

When they reached the school Diza gave Randish a kiss, and the huge Siriusian went off on business of his own. Then Diza went to class, while Czamkiar walked with Dahli to the school office to sign her back in. Dahli had tossed her cigarette away, but not before almost walking into the school with it. She decided she was a little too used to doing things her own way. It wouldn't do to come back to school behaving like a wild animal.

There was dead silence in the office as Dahli stepped into the room. Several pairs of eyes stared at her questioningly, but nobody moved to help her at first. Finally one person stood up and walked over. "Yes?"

"I want to come back to school," said Dahli. Then, a little more loudly, said; "Or don't you accept criminals?"

There was a sudden scurrying of activity about the room as everyone tried to look busy. Dahli and Czamkiar exchanged glances, shaking their heads.

A short time later Dahli was walking down the hall to class. She felt a little nervous, and she paused outside the door. She listened to the sounds within for a time, then stepped into the room, picking a seat. Unfortunately the only person in the room she knew was Atania Nightwing. But even Atania seemed a little reluctant to incite anything. Dahli leaned back in her seat and hoped the Duone wouldn't be too long.

The class door opened, and into the room stepped Duone Bathers. He walked cheerfully into the room, dropping his papers onto the desk. He greeted the class and began droning on about nothing in particular. That was one of Duone Bather's more outstanding traits. He would talk for hours about nothing. Dahli said nothing, just watching. Atania glanced from Dahli, to Bathers, and back. Dahli sat back in her seat and said nothing.

Approximately half of the class had gone by before he turned around and squinted at the girl in the third row with the feathered hat on, and when he saw who it was, he froze. For a time all he could do was open and close his mouth.

"You're back!" he finally said.

"You say that like you're surprised."

"Well..." he sputtered, "Well, delighted, actually." He grinned at her jovially.

'Yeah right,' thought Dahli, noticing the sweat breaking out on his face. What was wrong with everyone? She decided she would ask Diza later if there was anything she should know.

Lunch time arrived, and Dahli met Diza and Czamkiar on the front steps of the school. She sat down between them.

"Half this school is terrified of me," said Dahli. "What is with these people?"

Diza and Czamkiar exchanged glances. "Well they're probably worried about the stuff they've heard on the Visual about you." said Czamkiar.

"WHAT stuff?"

"Haven't you seen the papers?" said Diza.

"No," said Dahli. "I've been too busy hiding with crazy chicken men. What's in the papers?"

"Well the riot for one thing," said Diza. "You did shoot that boy, didn't you? Then there was that councillor found dead in his apartment. Some idiot bashed his brains in with an oven door, then wrote a suicide note to leave on the table."

"Well I didn't do that!" said Dahli in surprise. She fell silent, becoming thoughtful. "I wonder who did?"

Diza shrugged. "A lot of people seem to think you did. They're saying some strange things about you, Dahli. They're saying that the Emperor had the rest of your sentence forgiven because you have links to bands of ex-revolutionaries."

Dahli uttered a noise of exasperation. "The only 'band' I have any links to is the Gryphons."

Diza nodded. "And what were the Gryphons before the Revolution ended?"

"Oh and I'm supposed to believe that Draephus knocked off my councillor. That's just too silly. I get into some trouble and now everyone has lost their mind. What have you got for lunch? Teirra gave me sliced ocrish and I hate the stuff."

Dahli and Diza traded sandwiches and ate them on the steps, enjoying the warm, late summer day.

***---***

Draephus pulled up in his grey conni and stopped before the front gates of Gryphon Studios. He waited for them to open, then drove through and parked near the huge building. He turned off the engine and sat in the conni, lighting a cigarette. He tossed the lighter onto the dashboard, getting out of the conni and shutting the door behind himself. The air was becoming cool, and he pulled his trademark long battered coat about himself. Lowering his head, he walked towards the studio.

He entered the large, brightly lit building, making his way to the studio to find the other four members of the band sitting around waiting for him. Draephus broke into a grin when he saw them.

"Heia people."

"Where have you been?" said Raski. "Clart, man."

"Shut up, Raski," chirped Khandid. Yuri hung back behind him, trying to look inconspicuous and failing miserably.

"Can we all act like adults?" said Mars tiredly. He glanced about at the group, then consulted a piece of paper. "Now before we get to work..."

"Mars, Khandid poked me," said Raski.

"I would just like to say that we should try very hard to remember we are friends. No matter how bad we think each other's ideas are, we should try to be diplomatic. Draephus, this means you. If you do get angry, and must throw something, please make certain it's not too expensive. Last year you tossed a several thousand trinta laser keybarr through the studio window in an attempt to brain Khandid. We'll have no more of that."

"Yeah," said Khandid.

"Khandid," said Mars, "you are under no circumstances to reprogram Raski's sepulchord so that it only makes barnyard noises. Let's try to be professional, shall we? Raski, you are not allowed to pick on the technicians, the last five we had quit. The ones we have now used to work for Bad Influence, so we seem tame in comparison, but there is still no need to traumatize them."

"Why isn’t Bad Influence using them?" asked Khandid. "Delaes usually goes into the studio the minute he finds out we are."

Mars shrugged. "Don't know. Has anyone seen Delaes lately?"

"I wish," mumbled Draephus.

"Anyway," said Mars, "shall we begin?"

***---***

They took a break several hours later, and Draephus took advantage of the lull to wander down the hall and call Dahli. He punched the code into the telcom, then waited. A moment later Dahli answered.

"Heia?"

"Heia."

"Draephus!" she said, and Draephus smiled at the way her voice warmed. "Where are you?"

"Playing with the kids," he said. "We just stopped for a minute to grab a bite, then we're going back to work."

"How is it going?"

"Oh not bad. No fights yet."

"You people fight? You all seem so close."

"We are. We're family, we love each other. It's just that after being jammed in a studio for hours on end we happen to think that each other is a no-talent clartblossom who couldn't write lyrics to save the Empire." In the background there was a terrific crash. "Oop," said Draephus. "Sounds like someone is annoyed. This wouldn't be so bad if we didn't insist on doing things to each other. Once Khandid stashed feralyke dung on a plate in the coldbox just to see what would happen."

"And?"

"Let's just say I don't think Mars ever fully recovered. Anyway, what are you doing now?"

"Not a lot, why?"

"Want to come down and watch? I mean, it won't be real terribly exciting..." There was another crash.

"Or maybe it will be," she said "I'll see you in a bit."

"All right," he said, and hung up. Pleased with himself, he turned and headed towards the commissary.

***---***

Dahli arrived on Atterick's bicon, parking it next to Draephus' grey conni. She took a few moments to look at the other connis before going into the huge and not terribly attractive building. A sense of nervousness and being someplace she shouldn’t came over her as the uniformed security man let her in, and she walked past the enormous statue of a gryphon in the lobby. She was in unfamiliar territory, Draephus' home turf. She wondered about what the other Gryphons would think of her being there, and almost turned and left. If it hadn't been for the security man next to her lending some moral support she would have.

He led her into the green room, where she could grab herself something to drink before going into the studio, then left her there. Dahli was about to pour herself some tea, when she noticed a bottle of Silver sitting on the counter. She poured herself a glass of that and took a sip. It burned all the way down, then hit her stomach and ignited. Dahli shook her head, deciding not to take such a large swallow next time. Then she walked over to the coldbox and began going through it.

Raski stopped in the doorway and considered the back end he saw in the cold box. He was fairly sure it was not a familiar back end, and it appeared to be female. Therefore, he assumed, the front end that was now stuffing itself probably was as well. He entered the room, curious, and peered over the girl's shoulder. She was grazing her way through various munchies and delicacies, apparently unaware anyone was there. Raski watched for a time, then reached past her to get something for himself.

Dahli watched the hand come into the coldbox. It was a dark-skinned hand, long and beautifully formed. There was a ring on it, as well as a delicate chain about the wrist. Both looked very expensive. The hand grabbed a plate of smoked fish and brought it out. Dahli followed the hand with her eyes, turning to see its owner standing beside her. His black hair flopped over his eerie blue eyes as he stared back at her.

"The fish is good," he said.

"Heia Raski. I hadn't worked my way over to it yet," said Dahli. "Draephus asked me to come watch him play."

“Watch him play? No no no no… he is the drummer. He does not play. He is the guy who hangs around musicians.” He cocked his head and looked at her. “You know I would have sworn you were older.”

"Yeah?" said Dahli, picking up her drink. "I guess I will be eventually. Sooner or later I'll even be as old as you." Then she left. Raski had to think about the statement for a moment before he realized he'd been insulted. Then he followed after her, doing what he did best – being a nuisance. He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"So what are you doing tonight?"

"I have to be in bed early, I have school in the morning."

"Ah. Well, that puts me in my place. How about tomorrow night?"

"Go away," said Dahli.

He followed her to the studio, staying right behind her as she entered the room. Draephus looked up from a tape he was listening to and motioned her over.

"Heia" he said. Pointing at Raski, he asked, "Is he bothering you?"

"Yes."

"Oh good, I was worried he might have learned to behave in my absence."

Raski feigned hurt and walked away. Dahli sat down on a stool next to Draephus where she could observe without being in the way.

"He caught me with my face in the coldbox," said Dahli, watching Raski go. "He's pretty, isn't he?"

"Oh yeah," said Draephus, glancing after his friend. "Yeah, he's very pretty." Then he leaned close and said "You should see him without his clothes."

"Get me some pictures," said Dahli. "I know at least twenty people I can sell them to."

Draephus grinned, ejecting a thin cylinder from the almost featureless black board. Then he yelled over at an unseen figure, "This one's not bad, we may even be able to pass ourselves off as musicians. If you listen real hard you can even hear the words to the song." He set the cylinder down and stood up. "Well nothing to be done about it. We'll just have to get the engineers to fix it and start all over again. Great day I picked to have you show up and watch."

"Problems?" she asked.

"Oh, well, yeah." said Draephus. "The engineers should have it cleared up before too long. Technical break down of the sort you'd have to ask them about. In the meantime all the music we had stored in the memory board sounds like a group of guys who can't play stuck in a sandstorm. Want me to show you around?"

"You don't sound too angry," said Dahli as they left the room.

"I was an hour ago." said Draephus. "I would have gladly eaten someone's brains for lunch. Here, let's go down this way... oh there’s Khandi. Khandi!”

He turned to look at Draephus, blue eyes shaded by pink glasses. “Did my solo survive?”

“Well the technician says it can be restored, so… yes.”

Khandi sagged with relief. “Thank whatever gods that used to watch us before the Kyphisians shot them.” He turned to Dahli. “Heia! I'm Khandid. What are you doing hanging around this aging clart? You know rumour has it he's a dirty old man. I should know, I made it up myself."

"Khandid," said Draephus. "Don't you have something to do?"

"I did, but I'm finished now." Khandid turned his attention back to Dahli. "So where do you go to school?"

Draephus straightened, his eyes narrowing. For a moment he simply glared at the smaller man, then spoke very softly. "Khandid, go find something to do."

Khandid was miffed but hardly daunted. He turned his attention back to Dahli. "Nice meeting you. Come by sometime without the big ugly one." Then he left.

"Insufferable pink nuisance," said Draephus. "He gets on my nerves sometimes. Which of course is exactly what he is trying to do."

Dahli smiled. "He's pretty bold, isn't he? You wouldn't lose him in a crowd."

"We try," said Draephus. "Come on, I'll show you the control room. Oh and there’s Mars, well well well.”

"I'm being checked out, aren't I?" Dahli said. “It’s not really surprising, girls are kinda rare animals.”

"Yeah, I guess you are," said Draephus. “But Mars is at least too polite to be obvious about it.”

"So can I assume the next person after Mars will be Yuri?”

Draephus grinned. “I doubt it. Yuri doesn’t meet people if he can meet it. I have no idea what he is doing in a band, other than he’s brilliant and he’s half the reason we’re as popular as we are. But the man does not like to meet people. Oh, there he is. Watch. Looks around, spies me… spies you… note the body language. Do I stay and make nice, or do I try to creep away?.” He grinned. “Poor Yuri. Heia Yuri, come say heia. This is Dahli.”

Yuri clearly would have rather been anywhere else other than meeting Dahli. He towered above her, balanced delicately on long legs and five inch heels. He extended his hand towards her, a slow, formal gesture. She took his hand in hers. It was well formed, and very long. It wrapped about hers, gently engulfing and hiding it. It was his left hand, and she found his sixth finger almost as unnerving as his distant, muddy green eyes and slow, cautious movements.

"Pleased to meet you," he said, then he withdrew his hand and backed up a pace. He looked extremely uncomfortable, not knowing how to extract himself from this situation. Draephus was the one who saved him.

"If you're looking for Khandid, he's with the technicians."

"Oh, thank you, I was just looking for him." He nodded at Dahli. "Nice meeting you." Then he stepped carefully around the both of them, disappearing down the hall. He had just stepped out of sight when at the opposite end of the hall they herd Raski yell.

"Hey old man, are you here to play or to stand in the hall and look good?"

"I thought the board was bust."

"We unbusted it."

Draephus offered his arm to Dahli, and she took it. Together the two followed Raski into the main recording chamber.

***---***

The next morning was dark and rainy when she awoke and Dahli lay in her warm bed staring at it. The telcom next to her bed rang, and she rolled over to pick it up.

"Heia?" she said groggily.

"I'm in my warm, soft bed," said a roughish, teasing voice. "I have a nice fire going, and when I crawl out of it in, oh, say, two or three hours, I'm going to have a bath and a large, unhurried breakfast." Then he taunted, "And you have to go to school."

"May your drums be stolen by South Continent rebels and may Vortex beat you on the charts."

Draephus laughed, and Dahli heard him hang up. She hung up the telcom as well and kicked off the covers, sitting up on her bed.

She went through her full morning routine, dressing and eating breakfast before rushing out the door in order to catch up with Diza and Czamkiar. Randish was not there; they rarely saw him on days that were too cold and wet. He was for the most part confined indoors on colder days. His entire system had been designed to breathe the furnace-hot air of his planet, and the damp cool air of Sferkkaa settled in his lungs and caused bronchial problems. Diza frequently went over to visit him, but he would rarely be on the corner now that fall was settling in.

They walked to school, then parted ways for their separate classes. Dahli had language studies that day, which meant several hours with Duone Alsayers, a tall man fond of surveying students from his superior height and intellect. Dahli had never much cared for him as a person, but always regarded him as good at his job. He did, however, have days when he could make life hard for chosen students. Dahli knew the moment she walked into the class room that today was her day.

"We're going to do something simple today," Alsayers said as the class assembled, and somehow Dahli knew that it was going to be something she did not want to deal with. "Since the summer respite had not been over long, I want you to demonstrate your budding vocabularies by writing about what you did."

Mumbles arose from the class. Dahli put up her hand.

"Yes Dahli?"

"Can we use newspaper clippings?"

"Only for reference. I know the newspeople can write, I want to see if you can."

"I can't write," said Dahli, "I broke both my hands."

"Oh? And when was this?"

"As soon as I can find a big rock."

Duone Alsayers smiled patiently. "Good to see your time in the Detention Centre hasn't dampened your sense of humour any. The assignment is due in three days, we'll read them in class and critique them."

`Fun,' thought Dahli, and opened her book. Picking up a pen, she began to write.

WHAT I DID THIS SUMMER, BY DAHLI SANDINITI.

This summer I stole a dead body. It was neat. It smelled real bad and I had to carry it out of the school and bury it all by my self. Then I told everyone and I got sent to this camp for kids who do stuff like that. However some of the other kids there didn't like the place, even though it had lots of fun activities, like scraping moss off of the walls and washing floors. So they tried to take the place apart from the inside. I ran into them while looking for an exit. I asked if I could go and they said no and I said I had to because I left the water on in my room and they said sit down and shut up. So we did this for a few days and then some men showed up to tell us that it was time to go back to our rooms or else they would put large holes in us. After that the place became such a pain that I left, even though they did not want me to. I lived in the woods for awhile, then a spaceship came down and took me to another planet so I would not have to write this stupid assignment. Duone Alsayers is a Kyphisian Militant and should not be allowed to teach. I think he houses small groups of revolutionaries in his basement and bleaches his hair.

THE END.

Dahli crumpled the paper up and stuffed it into her jacket pocket. She didn't want to write about the summer, she wanted to bury it. It wasn't something she wanted made the topic of conversation, any more than it already was. Then an idea came to mind, and she began writing furiously.

She had written quite a lot by lunchtime. When she heard the bell announcing that class was over she snatched up her books and left the room in a black mood. She dropped her books off at her locker, then set off in search of Diza and Czamki.

The day had dried up and become warm, and she found her friends sitting on the school steps. She sat down next to them with a thump and opened her lunch. Reaching in, she pulled out an enormous sandwich. Saying nothing, she took a huge bite, cramming her mouth full to the point where she could hardly chew.

"Hungry?" said Diza.

Dahli shook her head. "Angry," she said, when she was able to.

"Why?"

Dahli swallowed the rest of her mouthful, turning her green eyes to Diza. "Duone Alsayers wants us to write about our summer respite."

"Oh wonderful," said Diza. "And will you?"

"Sure," said Dahli. "He didn't say what summer it had to be, or even if it had to be the truth." She stuffed her mouth with food once more.

A tall figure came from behind them and stood on the steps before the small group. Duone Bathers watched Dahli eat, an amused smile on his face. Dahli noticed him and stared back with predatory intent.

"What?" she finally said.

"I just thought I'd congratulate you on your return to school."

"Uh-huh."

"So did you learn anything in jail?" he asked, the amused smile still on his face.

"Yeah," said Dahli. "That if you wear rubber gloves you can climb an electric fence, and that not all slime falls off a gastropod's hind end, some of it councils the young and teaches science."

Duone Bathers studied Dahli, she ignoring him and seeming unconcerned with what he may be thinking. By this time a few of the students had gathered near her, some curious, some sneering. All backed up when she stood up abruptly and stalked off, her two friends following after her.

The rest of the day went quietly enough. Dahli was just putting her books away before heading home when she felt a presence behind her. Turning, she was mildly shocked to see Randish standing looming over her.

"Hi there," she said. "And what are you doing skulking about these halls?"

"Diza sent me in here to find you and drag you forcibly to the Contempo."

"She did, huh." Dahli closed her locker. "Well maybe I'll just drag you out, big guy." She reached up and caught hold of the alien's coarse ridge of hair on the back of his heavy neck, and pulled him along after her. Randish followed compliantly.

"Oh sure," said Diza as she saw the pair come out of the school. "I send him in there to beat you up and you drag him out by his fur."

"Give it up, Diza," said Dahli. "You couldn't set him on a deranged killer."

"That's for sure," said Randish.

"You made his hair all sweaty," said Diza, smoothing it down. "Are you up to coming with us? You didn't look like you were having a good day earlier, but I didn't want to just go without asking."

"Yeah I'll come," said Dahli. "That's about the best offer I've had all day."

The air was cool and fragrant as they walked down the sidewalk away from the school. They crossed the street and continued on their way at a leisurely speed. Randish ambled along next to Diza, a mountain of muscle and hair. Dahli could hear a faint wheeze in his breathing, and it worried her a little. He should have been at home, where it was warm, not out wandering the streets. But there he was, a veritable giant being led along by a girl half his size. He seemed content with life, if mountains can be content.

They reached the Contempo, walking into it and over to their favourite table. There were a lot of other people their own age, as well as the usual small collection of ex-revolutionaries. Randish sat next to Diza and rested his great head on her shoulder, black corded hair hanging over his face. As a server poured them each a mug of tea, Czamkiar sat next to Dahli and picked up the food list.

"What will we have to eat?" he asked.

"I have the biggest craving for shaumaus," said Diza. She looked at Randish. "What do you want?"

He passed her a laminated sheet of paper, and Diza cast him a sidelong glance. "I ought to teach you to read."

“I’d about kill for some spicy hrabaccaus,” said Dahli.

The server pouring the tea raised an eyebrow. “Not many people up here even know how to say that, let alone ask for it.”

“Can I get some? I know it’s only served at certain events, and I already had my coming of age party…”

“I can make some. And what would Donselle like to go with her hrabaccaus?”

“Tree Frog. I definitely want a Tree Frog.”

The man paused, as if he was not certain he had heard her correctly. “I beg your pardon?”

“Tree Frog. Yri Babbi.”

The man smiled in a pleasantly condescending manner. “Perhaps Donselle would like to choose something a little more…?”

Dahli rolled her eyes. Draephus and Raski had taught her how to deal with this situation. “Look don’t šukat with me, groutnoll, I want a Tree Frog. Make sure the Silver comes from the Western coast of J’Halta, not the Eastern, and make sure it’s cold enough to snap when it’s going in. Layer it with the Green, don’t stir it, and that frog better be dead when I hit bottom.”

The man was clearly impressed. “Right away, Donselle.”

The man left, returning shortly with a chilled glass, two bottles of liquor and a round green candy. He dropped the candy into the glass then poured in a layer of something that looked like mercury, swirled with clouds of grey. The moment it touched the small green ball it broke open, sending up wafting tendrils of something that smelled like flowers. As it hit the glass a faint crackling sound could be heard, and tiny fingers of what looked to be frost appeared. Next he poured in liquor the colour of darkest jade, then more silver, then more green. He next pulled out a lime and prepared to cut it, but Dahli waved it off. The man bowed and took a step back, waiting anxiously for Dahli to sample the concoction. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she now had the full attention of virtually every ex-revolutionary in the place. She picked up the drink and downed it the way Draephus had taught her; slow, in a continuous draught, catching the remains of the candy in her teeth to crunch.

Diza, Randish and Czamkiar looked around nervously as the place erupted in applause. Dahli set the glass down and laughed.

“And was it to Donselle’s taste?” asked the server.

“Wonderful, the best I have had yet.”

“Then let me make you another.”

“Please do.”

Diza leaned forward. “Dahli where did you learn to drink like that?”

“The guys taught me.”

“The guys?!” said Diza. “Since when are The Mortified Gryphons “the guys”?”

“Diza they’re just people.”

Diza drew a breath, putting her hand over her heart. “Blasphemy!”

Dahli snorted and giggled. “Draephus taught me. He said after what I have been through I had earned the right to drink them, and he taught me how to order one. Oh, and the lime is very important. You only need to bite the lime if the Silver is the cheap stuff to cut the bitterness. Very insulting to ask for a wedge of lime after you have already asked for the Western Silver, because it implies the bartender is cheating you.”

She looked around at the decorations on the wall, seeing them with new eyes, smiling as she recognized the insignias, and understood now their meaning.

“Look, see the dragonfly with the burning wings? That is the emblem of the ‘Arastins’. They were a fire fighting unit sent in to stop the jungle fires caused by Kyphisian bombers to drive ground troops into the open. And that there, that bleeding flower? That is the emblem of the ‘Nocturnos’, stealth troops, assassins mostly, they would infiltrate enemy compounds and go in and kill their fighters.”

“Since when do you care about stuff like that?” asked Diza, a look of disbelief on her face.

“It’s fascinating!” said Dahli, accepting her drink. “You have no idea how incredibly amazing it is to learn all this stuff! I spent three days with people who fought in these battles and wanted to share with me what they did. I wished I’d had something to record it with, I could have written a book. It’s like someone has opened my eyes and poured new colours into them.”

“Mushroom distillate will do that,” said Czamkiar, warily watching her down her second drink.

Dahli caught the candy and cracked it, savouring the sweetness of it. She set her glass down, and looked at her friends, blinking as she saw the way they were looking at her. As if they didn’t know her.

“Come on guys, it’s… it’s our history. We walk daily through ruins of a war that only ended five years ago, live among people who gave everything they had of themselves to make a future for us, and… what? That’s the thanks they get? People who can’t be bothered to find out what they did?”

“That’s not what we’re saying at all,” said Diza. “It’s just… you’ve kinda changed.”

“Oh chicken poo, I have not. I’m still failing math. And science. Mostly because Duone Bathers hates me.”

Diza smiled, but seemed uncertain, even a little intimidated. “I guess.” She picked up Dahli’s glass, meaning to taste the small amount left behind, but the server deftly plucked it from her hand.

“This is for warriors. Not children. I will bring you tea.”

Diza stared, affronted and speechless as the man left. Randish leaned forward to face Dahli.

“So what did you do to qualify as a warrior, according to Draephus?”

She shrugged. “I met the three traditional challenges. I completed a task in stealth and was not caught, at least not until I blabbed it all over the place but apparently it doesn’t count as being caught if you blab. I undertook a great journey in which I found knowledge, that would have been Harli, and I fire-walked. Of course I would have left that one out if I had known how to get around Avalair instead of heading through it.”

A man at a nearby table stood up and walked over to her. He moved with a pronounced limp, and part of his face was hidden behind a leather mask. He spoke with a soft Eastern accent.

“Excuse me, Donselle. Did you say you fire-walked through Avalair?”

Dahli nodded, recognizing the crossed night-stalker guns on his old uniform jacket. This man would have been a warrior in Avalair.

“What is your name?” he asked.

“Dahli Sandiniti.”

He laughed. “Fearless!”

“Yeah I’ve heard that name before. It’s not strictly accurate,” said Dahli.

“I beg to differ; if you walked through Avalair I say it is not nearly accurate enough!” He turned to call something to the server, and the entire place seemed to erupt in noise. Diza’s eyes darted nervously.

“What are they doing?”

Dahli looked around. “They seem to be throwing me the traditional warrior’s drunken bash.”

“And what does that entail?” asked Diza.

“Mostly it entails the four of us being fed food and booze.”

“I can handle that,” said Diza, pulling out her mobile ‘com. “I better tell Dad where I am.”

It was not long before the drinking had turned to dancing, singing and music playing. Dahli ended up being taught the words to a song in a language she did not speak. There was the exchanging of tales, and at one point Dahli was required to have some sort of flaming pale grey liquid poured down her throat as she knelt on a South Continent prayer rug. She didn’t know how, but she managed to neither spill a drop nor be burned by the softly flickering flames, which seemed miraculously to stay just far enough away to avoid reaching her. As she finished she was raised to her feet, and a very large man with a heavy accent and slapped her heartily on the back.

“There! Now you are a man!”

She laughed, then peered down her shirt. “Then I think I had better do it again, I don’t think it quite worked!”

“Give it time,” said a soft, rough voice.

“Draephus!” Dahli screeched, and fell on him, hugging him tightly. She looked up at him, clearly intoxicated. “How did you get here?”

“Well a couple of friends called me and said you were having your victory party. I had to be here. Look who I brought.”

Dahli peered around Draephus, and screeched again. “Straif! C’mere you adorable little hunk of man-meat.”

He laughed and hugged her back. “You, my friend, are baked.”

“Only a little,” she said, and hugged him again. Oh she could get used to hugging Straif. She liked hugging Draephus, too, but hugging Straif just brought up sooooo many more thoughts and ideas…

Draephus gently pried Dahli off Straif. “Hey show me how well you learned what I taught you.”

“Absolutely!” She gestured to the server, who began making her another Tree Frog. It was then Dahli noticed Diza, Randish and Czamkiar were preparing to leave. “Hey guys, where are you going?”

Diza snorted. “Duh. We’re going home.”

Dahli sensed anger and resentment in her friend’s voice. She walked over to her, and was astounded when Diza turned and walked away. Hurt and confused, Dahli followed her outside.

“Diza? Diza what’s the matter?”

“You are!” said Diza, clearly angry. “I don’t know who you are anymore! You’re acting like you’re one of them!”

Dahli blinked. “But… this is just fun! We’re just having fun! Why are you so angry?”

“Because I don’t know who you are anymore!”

“I’m me!”

Diza began turning away, but Dahli caught her by her arm and turned her towards her once more.

“Diza I’m just me! I’m still Dahli! I’m still the same person you listen to music with and do your homework with. I mean… we’re still on for tomorrow, aren’t we?”

Diza shook her head. “Look I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

Dahli’s jaw dropped, and her green eyes became huge, filling with tears. “But… Diza…”

“Forget it, Dahli. All this talk about change and revolution and Faylans. And look at who you’re hanging out with! Most of these people are twice your age! If I keep hanging out with you then eventually I’ll end up in the Detention Centre and I don’t want to.” Diza motioned to Czamkia and Randish. “C’mon guys. SOME of us have school tomorrow. We can’t be out all night getting drunk with ex-revolutionaries. After all we’re just children, not warriors.”

Dahli stared as she watched Diza, Randish and Czamkiar walk away, feeling her eyes well with tears. She gazed after them, feeling people walk up behind her. Draephus came to stand at her left side, Straif at her right. She felt her heart break as her friends disappeared from view without so much as a backwards glance.

“Diza,” she whimpered as Draephus put an arm around her.

“Let them go,” said Draephus softly.

She shook her head. “I don’t understand! She’s my best friend!”

“She’s angry,” said Draephus.

“But why?! I wanted her with me! I wanted her to see what I see, I wanted to share with her every detail!” She began to shiver. “She says I’m not me anymore. Who am I?”

“You are who you always were,” said Draephus. “You simply moved down your path more quickly than she.”

“But I thought she was coming with me.”

It was Straif who answered her, speaking softly. She turned to look at him, this boy who was not much older than she, but who had already done so much.

“Dahli, in life you are either the leaf or the wind. If you are a leaf then you go where the wind takes you, unthinking, affecting little, just blowing through the lives of others. If you are the wind, then you determine the destiny for others. You can affect where they end up in life, and to many people that is frightening. You both live on the same planet but in completely different worlds. Diza wants to be a leaf. You have chosen to be the wind. You have chosen to create changes. She fears where you may carry her.”

“But… but I love her! And Czamki, and Randish. I thought...”

“You would be together forever?”

She nodded. Draephus gave her a gentle squeeze, lowering his head to kiss her hair.

“I’m sorry.”

Dahli swallowed. “I just lost my best friend.”

Draephus sighed quietly, and nodded. “If it is any consolation, I know just how you feel. Come on, let’s get back to your party. You earned it. You deserve it.”

“Will she ever come back?”

“I don’t know. But the choice is hers. She could have rejoiced in what you accomplished, but she has chosen to remain a child instead. Likely a jealous one.”

Dahli sniffed and looked up at Draephus. “Jealous? Of what?”

“She helped you to steal the Faylan, did she not? Perhaps now she regrets not stepping forward with you, and resents missing out on what she sees as glamour and fame. Because she did not travel the road with you, she has no understanding of what you went through to earn it.”

Dahli took his hand. “It doesn’t feel like I gained anything. It just feels like loss on top of loss.”

He squeezed her small hand gently. “I know. It feels that way right now.”

“Perhaps not a total loss,” said Straif.

Dahli looked up just in time to be pounced on by a white form wearing too much make-up. She embraced Czamkiar tightly.

“Czamki I’m so glad you came back…”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know what climbed up Diza’s butt and died, but… you’ve always been my friend and I couldn’t just walk away.”

“I’m glad.” She kissed his face. “Come on. Let’s have fun. Maybe Diza we’ll calm down and we can talk to her tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Together, the four friends went into the café.

Disclaimer:

All original fiction and the characters, places and situations with them are copyright Alyx Shaw, and may not be published, copied, distributed or archived without the author's prior written consent.

The characters, places and situations described in these stories are fictional unless otherwise stated in the story headings.

(C) 2008 Alyx Shaw