>Returning his claymore to its scabbard on his back, Balefire addressed the
newly
>arrived Mea Culpa, his expression impassive and his voice tone neutral.
"Mea, allow
>me to introduce Torgath, newly arrived and, albeit a bit precipitate,
clearly quite
>adroit.  Torgath, I have the honor of introducing Mea Culpa, who is not
only as deadly
>as she is lovely, but is also a truly gifted sparring partner."
>

	Torgath bowed low, hoping that his lack of breath would be attributed to
his being winded from his fight with the dragon.  "An honor, milady," he
said, and turned to Balefire.

>With a small quirk of his lips that might almost have been the beginning
of a smile,
>the big dark elf remarked, "Nice work with the dragon...for a moment there
it didn't
>look good for you.  Had it been me, I probably would have attempted to
speak to
>the...ah...late dragon.  Might have gotten eaten for my trouble, I
suppose, but mayhap
>not.  Without a head, the question becomes academic, of course.  At the
very least,
>you have provided us with considerable entertainment, and Alduin with some
very
>interesting material for his journal.  I'll wager the bards will be
singing of Torgath
>Dragonslayer before the year is out."
>
>"Do you think," the warmage continued in his mild conversational tone,
"that you could
>satisfy my curiousity about why it was necessary that you attack the
dragon alone?  Or
>perhaps," his mild tone changed only slightly to include just a hint of
whetted steel,
>as his half-smile vanished, "you were intending to make another threat or
two?"
>

	Torgath sighed, and nervousness crept back into him.  "I'm afraid, my good
man, that a full explanation can not be given as of yet.  All I can tell
you is that the life of everyone I hold dear depended on that dragon's head
being taken, and taken by me alone.  Perhaps when the whole situation is
over, I can explain more.  I apologize for my harsh words, but if my family
died, I would have tried my best to kill you."  He looked up into the
giant's eyes.  "Lucky for me, I didn't have to."
Jeff Cauwels
cauwels@hnet.net