From: hutch@ibeam.intel.com (Steve Hutchison)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [DQ] Week 13 Valgar - Tale as Old as Time
Message-ID: <BxE1pA.9Hn@ibeam.intel.com>
Date: 8 Nov 92 08:17:33 GMT

[ADMIN]  This is a synthetic Valgar posting, from a sketch provided
by Ray Rich.  Ray, you're working too hard.

----

<Valgar was in a gossamer daydream spun of steel and crystal>

Taryn kissed his eyelids, waking him.  Her beauty in this intimate setting
was even more delicate and etherial than in her usual elegant court attire.
Her blue eyes met his brown eyes, and she stroked his shock of early-gray
hair.  "Valerius, you were having that nightmare again."

He shook his head.  "The Beast dream?"

"Yes, beloved.  Please, take the potion again, it will help you forget."

"I don't want to forget, Taryn love.  There's got to be a clue to the
mystery, and Kane is still at large."

"You know that when Frederik was killed, that the priests found you there,
fighting with the thing that killed him.  I don't know why they identified
it as Kane, but you did manage to injure it, and you saved me."

Valerius sat up, the sunlight splashing over his smooth unscarred body,
hardened by years of soldiering, yet still youthful.  His wrists ached,
too much writing of late, and she began to massage his forearms, admiring
their smooth muscularity, unblemished by the scars and injuries that the
usual soldier picked up in combat.  He had been extraordinarily lucky,
and she was very glad of it.

"Valerius, you did save me."

"I need to know, Taryn.  I need to know so I can protect you, protect our
kingdom, protect our sons."

"Beloved, you still feel guilty."  She smoothed his brow, and he returned
the gesture with a kiss.

"Yes."

"But Frederick sent me to you, he chose you to father the children that
he could not.  He declared you his adopted heir, even before he knew that he
was dying from the lethis-bough drug."

"I know.  But it still feels like betrayal."

"Oh, but he took such pleasure in knowing we were happy together."

"True."  He took her in his arms, kissed her deeply.  They fell back
together on the bed, and their passion grew hot.

...

Taryn kissed his eyelids, waking him...