Kikira

Focus, balance, serenity... Even in the middle of a room full of screaming infants, Kikira was in control. Kikira closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Upon the reopening of her eyes, Kikira opened her mouth and began to sing a soothing lullaby. Kikira picked up the nearest child and rocked him over to the changing table. A dirty diaper is enough to make any infant cranky, and changing it was one of the easiest things to do.

A few moments later, the boychild was comforable - and quiet. Two more diapers and a half dozen bottles, and the nursery was quiet. Kikira finished a second repetition of the rather lengthy lullaby and took a deep breath. The nursery stayed quiet, so Kikira sat down in the oversized rocking chair and breathed deeply.

She reveled in the silence, and smiled as three slightly older women entered the room and walked over to her. "How was it?" the first asked in a low voice.

"Easy as pie." Kikira said, rising.

The second looked perturbed, and the third smiled. "You're a good kid, Kikira." The third said.

Kikira smiled gently, not sure exactly what to do with the unexpected praise. It would take a lot more than manning a nursery alone to crack this 17 year old girl. She was more mature than others her age, and the adults of the Caer were trying to find her limit. Kikira stood 6' tall, and had skin and hair the color of bittersweet Catena chocolate. Her eyes were darker yet, but seemed to have no end. She was thin and wiry, but stronger than she looked, and far wiser than her silent exterior let on.

"Thank you, Kikira." The first said. "You may go."

Kikira's eyes twinkled, and she left the nursery, humming quietly to herself. Once outside the thick door, Kikira afforded herself a long high reaching stretch before she jogged down the hallway. She saw Dektol out of the corner of her eye, but didn't stop to talk. She'd heard of his destination before her stint in the nursery, and had already wished safe travel on him. No need to interrupt his solitude now.

Kikira continued down the hall until she reached a plain doorway, where she stopped and stooped ever so slightly to take off her soft-soled indoor shoes. Kikira entered the large high-ceilinged room barefoot, and wakled directly to the middle of the room where fifteen other youths stood uneasily on a large mat - firm, yet yielding underfoot. An older man enterd from a side door, and approached. The sixteen snapped to attention, still in their four by four formation. He had not as much as stopped walking when the students bent at the waist, bowing to him.

With a straight face, the wizened man bowed in return. Whatever he said to them was lost to the passerby, but the call of "Yes Sensei!" was not.

The art of Karate has been taught ot those willing to learn since the day Belrin Isle was just an island on the vast windy planet of Alskyr. Sometimes the interest skipped a generation, but the Sensei didn't mind. The young were much easier to teach.

Though Kikira's gangly height put her at a disadvantage against the shorter teacher, the greater range of motion she possessed by not being as stocky as her fellow classmates made her a definite challenge. When Kikira "won" too much when sparring, the Sensei would step in and bring her back level with the others.

After class, Kikra left the dojo, tired, sweaty, but calm and collected. She stepped into her soft shoes and moved down the hallway, stepping hight ot keep the bloodmoving. The foremost thing on her mind was a shower, and the quickest path to that was past the upper entrance to the dunes and then down the stairs and past the storerooms.

She'd barely even reached the lower door to the dunes when the cream watching over her eggs called out to her. "Who's there?"

Kikira stopped momentarily, and put her hand on the doorframe. "Just Kikira, Jeth." She said.

The cream looked relieved. "Come here, Kikira, and watch my eggs while I stretch my wings." Jeth said, rising. Kikira did as she was asked, walking quickly over the warm sands. A tripod chair rested near the divot where Jeth had lain, but it was empty. 'It must be very hard to watch eggs bondless...' Kikira thought, settling into the well-worn chair and putting her feet up on the attatched footstool. It was more comfortable tos tay a time in the dunes when one didn't have to touch the incubating sands.

Kikira gazed at the five egg-mounds. Jeth had arranged them in a pentagon, and it seemed as though every grain of sand had been meticulously ordered, so that Jeth could tell if she'd been near the eggs. Kikira knew better than to tamper with the dunes. One boy had nearly been bitten when a brooding purple had returned to find him touching her precious eggs.

Kikira dozed in the warm, dry heat until a voice disturbed the peace. "Jeth?"

Kikira recognized the voice instantly, and replied. "She's gone for a stretch, Dektol."

The young man walked in tentatively. "Hi Kikira." He said.

"Hey." Was Kikra's reply.

"I just stopped by to make sure Jeth remembered what she promised."

Kikira nodded. "I'm sure she can remember what you talked about this morning Dektol. Stop worrying so much."

Dektol sighed. "I'm just sortof nervous, Kikira. I'm sure you know how I feel..."

Kikira shrugged. "Actually Dektol, I don't. I've never been tapped as a bonder, let alone been off Belrin Isle..." Kikira said.

A wild flapping of wings prevented Dektol from responding. Jeth dropped to the sand. "That," said the cream dragon "can be arranged."

Kikira was so startled the chair collapsed and landed her square on her rear in the sand. The expression on Dektol's face was a mix of smugness and surprise.

"But how, Jeth?" Kikira finally managed to ask.

The cream laughed and settled down near her eggs, having given them a cursory glance. "Ever since those seadragons tapped Meghana, the Lady and Lord have been contacting all the Caers to see if they'd like to set up a bonder exchange."

Dektol's eyes twinkled. "If you're interested, Kikira, you should leap at this."

"You've been selected, Kikira, to represent Caer Yslen at Catena." Jth said. "However, it's further away than Caer Tol-eressëa, and Caer Talor Cliff, so you'll have to wait until one of the traders heads for Catena Isle."

Kikira was frozen to the spot where she'd landed, even though the dunes were quite warm. "Catena Isle? Caer Catena? Oh Jeth, you've got ot be kidding!" Kikira found herself crying.

"No child, it's true. It's all true." Jeth said. "Caerlady Kitta just asked me to inquire if you were interested."

Kikira was still amazed. "I am interested, Jeth. I'll go."

"You'll have to get off of the sand first." Dektol said.

Kikira blushed, though it wasn't visible under her chocolate-toned skin, and got up, brushing the sand from her trous.

"Go and talk to Kitta, and your family, and make arrangements." Jeth prompted the astonished girl. Who would believe it? Caer Catena! Kikira was pleased, and excited.

* * *

Red Vixth had the honor of bringing Kikira to Vallen cove where the traders waited. Kikira soon found that she did not like sea travel, and only the sheer strength of will she possessed kept her from becoming seasick. She was so glad when the voyage came to an end and she was back on solid ground. If a dragon didn't choose her, she vowed to stay at Catena so she wouldn't have to brave a return trip.

Her bond would fly home to Yslen with her...