FicWad

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belong to Saban and whoever else, not to me. Sigh. Still,
that doesn't keep me from having fun with the characters -- in a totally non-profit way, of course.
:) That said, I should probably admit that the original concept for this story also isn't mine, but
filched from a twenty-year-old Star Trek fanfic, featuring Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. (Yes, I'm
old enough to remember that far back!) Unfortunately, I have forgotten the author's name, or I'd
credit her here. However, the idea was so intriguing to me that I couldn't help trying to adapt it
to another pair of heroes ...because I'd always wondered just how Jason and Tommy
became such close friends almost instantly. Oh, and the dialogue in the opening is directly quoted
from the appropriate scene in "Green With Evil V". What is mine are the emotions and thoughts
I assigned to the characters. Thanks to Hellfire for the idea to write the epilogue. Rating: PG-13,
to be on the safe side. Comments, as always, will be eagerly waited for.:) May/June 1999,
DB.


In The Blink of an Eye
by
Dagmar Buse


Jason was panting hard with exertion. The fight against the Green Ranger had taken a lot
out of him, but he could and would end it - right here, right now. He drew his Blade
Blaster and took careful aim. Tommy was already recovering, lifting himself up from the
sand and reaching for the Sword of Darkness. Before he could touch it, however, the beam
from the Red Ranger's energy weapon bathed the curved blade in a flash of red light, and it
dissolved. Green mist seemed to rise from the tall figure as he was force-demorphed, and
the spell that had held Tommy in its grasp dispersed in the slight breeze wafting over the
beach.

Tommy shook his head to clear it. For the first time in days, his thoughts were no longer
overshadowed by green flames. He felt it all the way down to his innards - his mind was
finally his own again. With that, realization set in. He'd been captured by Rita Repulsa on
his way home from school; it had been his fighting abilities that had drawn her attention, and
she'd made him into a Power Ranger -- only to fight for the side of Evil. Tommy shuddered
as he remembered all too vividly what he had done under the sorceress's command.

As he collected himself, he heard a gruff command to demorph. /Jason/; he'd
recognize that deep voice anywhere. Then, he felt the Red Ranger crouch next to him and a
warm hand on his back, helping him up.

"You okay, Tommy?"

He sneaked a glance to his right and caught a flash of red clothing.

"What's happening to me?" Tommy asked dazedly, still light-headed from his forced
demorph and inwardly shrinking back from the helping hands. He heard Jason speak, and
knew he answered after a fashion, but nothing really registered.

"What have I done?!"

"What you did, you did under Rita's influence." There was a slight pause before Jason
continued. "You own the Power now. Fight by our side, and we can defeat Rita."

Could it really be that easy? The long-haired boy didn't dare believe.

"After everything that happened?"

"Tommy, we need you." The Red Ranger was quietly insistent.

The others rushed up to stand at either side of Jason and Tommy as the two looked at each
other appraisingly. Tommy saw Kimberly smile at him, and the Blue Ranger -
/Billy?/-- nod shyly. It gave him back some much-needed confidence. But Jason
drew his attention once more with his next words.

"It's where you belong."

The calm, low voice was compelling, as was the look from the dark eyes. He held out his
hand to the most dangerous adversary the Rangers had known so far, barring Rita Repulsa
herself.

"Will you join us, Tommy?"

The Green Ranger looked at the strong hand, then into serious dark eyes that glowed with a
strange, burning intensity. Drawn into that glow almost against his will, Tommy reached out
with his own hand and grasped the calloused fingers. They closed around his own,
spreading warmth and acceptance into every corner of his being. Almost instinctively, he
smiled, and Jason's face lit up as well as they both shook, sealing themselves to each
other. Tommy barely felt Kimberly touch his back and only vaguely registered the
expressions of joy and relief his new teammates were giving. His eyes were drawn once
more to Jason's midnight pools, and as they gazed at each other, hands still joined,
something unexpected and quite extraordinary happened.

At the Command Center, Alpha and Zordon watched the scene in awe. While the little
android saw only that the Rangers had gained their greatest victory so far, the ancient
Morphin' Master sensed something more. A ripple in the space/time continuum ... the gates
between past and present opening for just an instant ... deeply-buried memories surging
forward and retreating again almost immediately as the leader of Zordon's Chosen
connected with the one being that had been - was - would be forever the other half of his
soul. Through the Viewing Globe, the Eltarean detected a slight stiffening in both Jason and
Tommy, and in that instant knew that both young men remembered as the Karmic
Veil lifted for just a heartbeat ...



@@@@@@@@@@



Their names were Iason and Timon; they were soldiers in Alexander's army. Even now, people began
to talk of him as being 'the Great'. They followed the Macedonian King across the known world,
conquering, fighting, sharing ...

They tried to follow their commander in everything - his indomitable spirit, his courage, his neverending
quest for new experiences ... they even followed him into love. For as truly as Alexander loved
Hephaistion, his brother-in-arms and closest friend, so did they love each other, sharing everything:
horses, weapons, shelter, food, women - even each other's bodies. Iason had befriended Timon from
the day he joined the Macedonian army, a new recruit from one of the conquered city states in Greece.
Quickly, the two young warriors had found themselves to be equals, fierce fighters and tender lovers, the
best of friends. The rest of the army marvelled at their teamwork; everyone knew or quickly learned that
for all their friendly rivalry on and off the battlefield, the two were friends and almost unbeatable
together. Nothing and no-one could stand against them, and they rose within the ranks together at an
uncanny speed. Their superior officers acknowledged the close bond they shared, and they were always
paired up for every venture that demanded intelligence, speed, strength and cunning. They always were
victorious.

Not always. For one day, deep in a lush jungle far from home, an arrow from a hidden enemy
struck Iason in the back while they were on patrol. Timon caught his fallen friend and cradled him in his
arms. Wiping the sweat off Iason's brow, he felt the icy hand of fear clutch at his heart. He did not want
to believe, but the dark eyes of his friend looked into his, and he /knew/. The arrow had been
poisoned, and Iason was dying. Pain contorted the handsome face, and strong muscles spasmed in
agony as Timon held his friend and lover, oblivious to the shadowy figures creeping up on them and their
men.

"Don't leave me, Iason," he pleaded, his voice breaking. "I need you too much!"

"I have no choice, Timon," Iason answered as new waves of agony wracked his powerful frame. "I do
not want to leave you, but I must."

"What will I do without you?" the young man asked raggedly as tears began to fill his brown eyes.

"Fight on until this enemy too is vanquished, and serve Alexander as before, to the end," Iason answered
as he felt a cold numbness seep into his limbs from his wound, paralyzing him. He knew his life force was
ebbing away with every fresh spurt of blood, with every beat of his heart. "But I promise you one thing:
Wherever you are, I will be with you. Whatever you do, I will be at your side. And if the Gods grant me
one wish, we will meet again - on the Elysian Fields or in Tartarus, or if they are especially
gracious, even in life. We are one, you and I, for all eternity."

"Yes." Timon sobbed once, uncaring of others' eyes.

"And I promise you the same; should we ever meet again - I will always love you, always be
your friend."

"I know," the dying warrior said, his once-strong hand clasping his friend's. "We are one, in life and in
death."

Dark eyes held lighter ones as Iason became too weak to speak. Oblivious to the others of their
company fighting around them, avenging their fallen comrade, the two men - not quite as young
anymore, but still in their manly prime - were absorbed in each other, until a last shudder shook Iason's
body. The light in those dark eyes dimmed, but the firm lips moved once more. Timon bent down to
hear his friend's dying words.

"Remember me ... and we will meet again someday."

"I will," Timon promised brokenly, cradling the dark head against his chest. He felt the soft breath
against his skin for another moment, then the strong body arched up one last time and collapsed. Iason
was gone.



@@@@@@@@@@



Iain faced the conquerors across the fire. The Roman Emperor's soldiers had swept over Britain like a
tidal wave, strong and unstoppable. Only their Pictish cousins to the North had put up enough of a fight
to stall them, aided by inclement weather, their greater knowledge of the land and their fierce
independence. The young chieftain by now refused to believe that the Ancient Ones were helping the
Britons any longer. The Romans, with their military might, endless supply of soldiers and weapons, and
their strict discipline, had won.

However, Iain was determined that his small clan would not perish, like so many others. They might have
to adapt to the Pax Romana, but that didn't mean they had to lose all of their heritage. It all
depended on how reasonable the legion commander turned out to be.

Hoofbeats clattered through the darkness, and the flickering lights from torches and braziers gleamed on
breastplates and helmets. A centurion barked orders, and the foreign soldiers snapped to attention. Iain
straightened slowly. He was quaking inside, but didn't let it show. His dark eyes were unreadable as he
idly fingered the chieftain's torc around his neck, standing casually but alert as he waited for his
adversary. The soldiers' ranks parted. A tall, lean, muscular figure strode towards the fire, his red cloak
snapping in the night breeze. The commander stopped just within the circle of firelight, and looked
straight at Iain.

Dark eyes met brown ones as the two men looked at each other measuringly. They were close in age
and height, with the Roman maybe a bit taller. They had fought each other earlier, on the battlefield, their
swords clashing until they were swept apart again, and already knew the other to be equally skilled in a
fight. Now it remained to be seen if they could coexist in the newest Roman province without tearing
each other and their peoples apart. Iain cautiously drew a deep breath. His wounds ached, but he
refused to let himself be tended until he had learned about his tribe's fate.This was it - the moment of
truth. Warriors on both sides stood warily; if their leaders could not find common ground and an
honorable truce for the Britons, there would be death for many of them in the morning. The very air
crackled with tension. Then, the Roman extended his right arm, the polished arm guard catching the light.

"My name is Titus Olivius."

"Iain Mac Lescot", came the deep-voiced answer. Hesitantly, the clan chief copied the Roman's
gesture, and the two clasped wrists and elbows, aligning their forearms. A small spark, almost of
recognition, passed between the two men, and unconsciously, they relaxed. Wine and bread were
brought, and the two commanders began to negotiate, helped by skilled translators, since neither knew
more than a few phrases of the other's language. Soon, the atmosphere around the campfires began to
ease, reflecting the growing understanding that sprang up between conqueror and vanquished.


*


Iain stood, supported by his youngest grandson, watching the Romans break camp. It had been over
thirty years ago that Titus had come here, establishing an outpost halfway to the Pictish border, and now
the new Emperor called his troops home, to Rome. He was sorry to see his friend go, but Titus' loyalty
to Rome was too deep; much as he would have liked to stay, duty compelled him to return.

They were both old men now; their relationship had not been without its up and downs, but the
connection both had felt on their first meeting so long ago had persevered. Together, they had created an
enclave where Britons and Romans coexisted peacefully and in prosperity, setting an example that others
throughout the land had tried vainly to emulate.

Iain watched as Titus fastened his shield to his saddle, then turned and strode towards him. The two
friends looked at each other dry-eyed; there was no more time for tears. Those had been shed the night
before, at their private farewell. Besides, they were linked by ties of blood. Titus had married Iain's
younger sister, and his son would stay with his adopted people, carrying on the legacy of his father and
uncle. The prefect's niece was betrothed to one of Iain's sons; she would journey north across the Alps
to join her promised husband the following spring. However, the two seasoned soldiers knew that for
them this was the final goodbye.

"I will miss you, my friend," said Titus, his voice hoarse with more than having issued innumerable orders
over the last few, hectic days.

"So will I," Iain replied. He had learned Latin quickly, out of necessity and of inclination; he did not want
to use the services of a translator when conversing with the man who had grown to become his closest
friend. Titus had tried to return the favour, but had no talent for languages; the harsh Celtic tongue had
proved nearly impossible for him to master apart from a few necessary phrases to deal with the locals.
The prefect looked at his former enemy with barely-concealed emotion. Only his stern discipline
stopped him from hugging his friend in full view of both their troops. Instead, he reached for the eagle-
shaped fibula holding his cloak together.

"Take this to remember me by," he requested, pressing the gilded ornament into Iain's hand.

"I don't need a memento," was his answer. "But ... just in case ..." he grinned, for a moment looking like
the young man he had been so long ago. "You might need this to remember /me/." The
prefect's leaky memory had been the cause for many a friendly jibe among both Romans and Britons.
Iain also reached for his left shoulder. A brooch engraved with a dragon's head gleamed in the sun. He
pinned it to the red soldier's cloak himself, then fastened the eagle pin to his saffron-coloured plaid,
outward sign of his leadership.

!I don't think I can ever forget you," Titus Olivius murmured, but made no protest. "I wish things could
be different, but ..."

"I understand." Their eyes met once more. A look of perfect communication passed between them as
they clasped forearms one last time. They knew they would never see each other again. For an instant,
time seemed to stand still, then both stepped back.

"Safe journey, Titus Olivius. And may the Gods watch over you."

"And over you, Iain Mac Lescot, and yours," the Roman agreed. Before he could lose his composure,
the soldier turned and mounted his white stallion. Saluting his friend one last time, he gave the command
and in orderly lines, the Roman legions marched off, leaving only memories behind.



@@@@@@@@@@@@



Thomas d' Olivare, youngest son of the Sherrif of York, rode wearily into the little hamlet of Annweiler,
at the foot of the Trifels - the strong castle/fortress where Duke Leopold V of Austria kept his King
prisoner. He had heard the news at his father's table many months ago, that Richard Coeur de
Lion had been taken captive on his return from the Holy Land, where he and all Knights of
Christendom had valiantly fought Sultan Saladin and his Saracens for possession of the City of
Jerusalem, sacred to both their faiths.

The young man had been enraged; how could the Duke ask ransom for a sovereign King of another
nation? But he was made even more furious by the older generation's inactivity; too, Prince John, the
King's brother, was loathe to give up the throne and power which Richard had left in trust to him.
Although the Prince's position was deteriorating - his constant demands for more, new and higher taxes
angered the Barons, the Church and the peasantry alike - he still was too strong to be easily
overthrown, and to Thomas' mind, his father and his friends were clinging too much to their fleshpots of
position and privilege to take action. He himself had not even been knighted yet, although he had little
doubt that he would be - if and when he succeeded in his self-imposed mission: to free his beloved King
and Sovereign.

To that end, Thomas had saddled his charger, taken his armour with its dragon device, summoned his
squire and crept out of his father's keep in the middle of the night, to make his way down south to the
coast, where he took ship at Rye and sailed across the Dover Straits to the continent. It had taken him
weeks to reach the area of Germany which would later be called the Palatinate; it was actually a quite
lovely place, with gently rolling hills covered in wheatfields and vineyards. Thomas had not tasted the fine
wines grown here very often - the Sherrif of York wasn't rich, despite his position, and more often than
not the drink of choice at his table was English ale rather than German or even French wine. He didn't
mind; like his other friends, Thomas was more concerned about honing his battle skills and excelling at
knightly virtues than food or drink. As long as it was filling, tasty and plentiful, he was fine.

He settled at the shabby inn, the only one available, and rested for a day, trying to formulate a plan. The
castle lay high atop the rocky hill with its three peaks that gave it the name of Trifels - meaning literally
"three rocks" - with only one road leading up to its gates. His best bet would be a stealthy approach, so
he took off on the next night, without his armour and squire. Riding up the path as far as he dared, and
leaving his horse behind, he crept through the underbrush until he reached the castle wall. Thomas
listened intently into the darkness, his heart beating in his throat. He made his way around the perimeter,
trying to discern where Richard would be held and simultaneously watching his steps - the waning moon
cast only a very dim light through the trees -- when suddenly a noise behind him made him whirl around.
Before he could do more than reach for his sword, something dark was thrown over his head, a spear
shaft came down on his forehead with a sickening thud, and he knew no more.

The dungeon door clanged open, and Joffrey Le Scot lifted his head wearily. Through sleep-fogged
eyes, he saw a body thrown into his cell; the guards laughed raucously, and the iron-banded door
slammed shut again. Still sore from the latest beating administered by the guards, the yound Saxon lifted
himself painfully to his feet and turned the new arrival over. In the dim light, he could make out longish
dark hair, tanned skin...and while he checked the young man for injuries, he noted the hardened muscles
of a trained fighter. That and his clothes, which were of a familiar cut and style, showed Joffrey that his
new companion was of the nobility. Snorting in contempt, he settled next to the other, having found no
worse injuries than a few bruises and a nasty bump on the forehead, which would probably hurt like hell
once the newcomer awoke.

Joffrey's wait was over when the patch of sky visible through the tiny barred window high up on the wall
lightened and the first birds started singing outside. The unconscious young man stirred and a pained
moan escaped him as his head began to throb violently.

"Oh... my head!" A deep groan followed as he tried to sit up. Joffrey helped him lean against the damp
wall. "Where ... what happened?"

"I imagine you were caught by the Duke's castle guards, as was I," Joffrey said drily as he sat back.

Thomas opened bleary eyes. Once he could focus, he saw a young man his own age, with dark short
hair, broad shoulders and dark eyes that sparkled with humour despite their unfortunate circumstances.
His clothing was dirty and coarse, but of a sturdy cut; he'd seen tunics like that every day of his life,
back home in the north of England. Thomas shook his head in an attempt to clear it and winced;
not one of his brighter ideas.

"I wouldn't," his cellmate advised him with a slight smirk.

"Believe me, I won't," he mumbled, trying to orient himself. He obviously had been captured and been
thrown into the Castle's dungeon; so much for his grandiose plans to rescue his King. "What are
you doing here?"

"I'd think the same as you, Norman," Joffrey grinned. "Trying to free Richard." He shifted on the none-
too-clean straw, easing his muscular legs into a more comfortable position.

"But ... but you're Saxon!" It had taken Thomas this long to realize that they were conversing in the
same language - Norman French - but that his companion's speech was overlaid by an accent that the
servants in his father's hall displayed as well.

"So? Do you think me - us - incapable of the same loyalty towards our rightful King that you claim to
have?"

"I ... I never thought about it," the young noble admitted, after a moment's thought. His head was
clearing slowly, and he looked at Joffrey curiously.

"Richard is our King, for better or worse, and I do not like to see John usurp his throne," the young
Saxon added seriously, with more than a hint of challenge in his deep voice.

"My father gave his oath of fealty to Richard at York when he was appointed Master Mason of the
Craftsmen's Guild, and as his son and heir, I am just as bound by it. And since none of the great nobles
of the land seem to be willing or able to do what was right, I came myself to see if I might not succeed."
Here, Joffrey paused, eyeing his companion speculatively. Liking what he read in the nut-brown eyes,
but without being able to tell why that was so, he confessed what still brought a flush of anger and shame
to his cheeks.

"Only, I got careless; while I was scouting around the castle walls, looking for signs of His Majesty, the
guards came upon me from behind, and captured me."

"That's what happened to me, too," Thomas admitted, at once unwilling and relieved to do so. He, too,
felt an unexpected ease with the young man next to him. Both fell silent, thinking about their predicament.
After a while, though, Thomas turned once more to his fellow prisoner.

"Where are you from?"

The curiosity in the Norman's question drew a sharp look from Joffrey, but he relented when he saw
only a genuine desire to know in the lean face.

"Ripon, originally, but we moved to York when my father got involved in the building of the Great
Church everybody says will one day stand there. You?"

"York. My father is Sherrif there." Thomas felt a pleasant surprise at learning that his fellow prisoner was
another Yorkshireman.

"You're the Sherrif's son? What, in all the Saints' names, has brought you here on your own? That is, I
assume that you're alone?" The hint of incredulous laughter in Joffrey's voice brought an embarrassed
flush to Thomas' cheeks.

"Alone save for my squire; I left him at the inn down in the village." He spoke almost defiantly. "And as
you surmised, I came here to free Richard, if I could. For I feel as you do." Thomas inhaled deeply.
Then, he burst forth.

"I don't understand my father and his friends! They should be doing everything in their might to pry the
King away from Duke Leopold's clutches, and instead, all they do is sit, drink and talk. Grand words
are bandied about, of how they will seek revenge on the Austrian, but they never do anything!"

"So you went off by yourself, huh? Hail, fellow fool - well met!"

Thomas was all set to protest this appellation, when the import of what Joffrey had said so sarcastically
registered. A rueful grin began to play about his mouth.

"You, too?"

Joffrey met his amused gaze a bit defiantly, but nodded. The two regarded each other warily, until first
one, then the other could no longer control his twitching lips. Grins turned to chortles, then into guffaws
until both young men dissolved into helpless laughter that brought them relief from anger and secret fears.
When they had to hold their aching sides (and the guards had yelled at them to control their unholy mirth
or face the consequences), they reluctantly subsided and settled back against the thick stone wall of their
prison. Joffrey was the first to regain his composure.

"I am Joffrey Le Scot." He held out a grubby hand. Thomas took it without hesitation and closed his
fingers around the other's in a firm grip. Though his friends would have scoffed at the notion, the young
Norman sensed something inherently right about this moment - almost as if it was meant to be.

"Thomas d'Olivare."

"Be welcome here, Thomas," the young Saxon grinned facetiously, gesturing grandiosely around the
narrow cell. "Since I dwell here longer than you, let me be your host since Duke Leopold will not do the
honours."

Thomas grinned back. Despite the ... unfortunate ... circumstances of their meeting, he could not help but
like this young man. He somehow felt closer to this Saxon than to most of his other, more nobly born
friends. He leaned back negligently and affected a courtly drawl.

"I would have thought that, as my host, you would provide me with drink and sustenance, my dear
Joffrey." He chuckled at the snort of laughter his jest provoked.

"I would already have done so, but the servants in this keep are ill-trained, and not at all suited to wait
upon two heroes such as us," Joffrey replied, with the same languorous air. "Instead, they are wont to
make us wait for such simple fare as lumpy oatmeal, stale bread and tepid water, served ungraciously
and often with a side dish of kicks and blows, if we should happen to displease them somehow. Which,
I might add, our simple presence seems sufficient to do."

The two laughed, continuing the game, but Thomas could not fail to understand the warning Joffrey gave
him while he proceeded to play the gracious host. Resignedly, he signalled his comprehension and was
rewarded by a wolfish grin. Their charade, which at first had drawn suspicious looks from the guards
outside, soon turned into an easy exchange of information about each other, their goals and ambitions,
and both young men, much to their surprise, found a kindred spirit in the other. Together, they quickly
united against the rarely mild and oftentimes harsh torments their jailers devised for them, supporting
each other through beatings and deprivations as days turned into weeks.


*


One day, the two young men having become fast friends through shared misery and common interests,
were unceremoiniously yanked out of a heavy sleep and forcefully marched through dark corridors and
up twisted stairwells. In their dungeon, they had known only darkness and some kind of dim half-light,
and they had to shield their eyes against a bright afternoon sun as the guards thrust them into a well-lit
hall, where the Castle's Guardian, a minor German noble with a sadistic streak, was talking to an older,
richly-dressed man who was very familiar to Thomas.

"Father!"

He earned a spear-butt in his back at his exclamation, and Joffrey quickly supported his friend, shaking
his head in mute warning. Thomas swallowed a wince of pain and straightened. His father spared him
only a single look, then continued to converse quietly with the boys' jailer. Thomas and Joffrey waited;
they had no idea what was in store for them, or even what the presence of the Sherrif of York meant. It
became all too clear, though, when at last William d'Olivare signalled one of his retainers and the liveried
man presented an open chest to the German baron. The glint of coins and jewellery could only mean one
thing - Thomas was being ransomed.

Joffrey swallowed, and felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach. In the course of their imprisonment, he and
Thomas had been forced to divulge their names and origins, the reason for which was now made clear.
He knew all too well that there would be no ransom paid for him; his father was a respected member of
the Guilds, a leader of the citizenry of York even, and they lacked for nothing in their lives, but they
simply had no means to accumulate wealth save what their hands' labour could bring them. He stood as
straight as possible as the Sherrif turned and summoned his son to his side with a single glance Thomas
dared not disobey. Left alone in front of the guards, Joffrey met his captor's eyes unflinchingly. He
would not show his fear to this man.

"Well, young Le Scot," the Baron said unctuously. "I wrote to your father at the same time I sent my
message to Sir William here. It seems as if you are not worth as much to him as your friend is to
his father."

"If you asked for a ransom for me, Sir Baron, you will needs be disappointed," Joffrey said calmly. He
was not ashamed to own his humble origins. "My father is not a rich man. He loves me dearly, I know,
but I also know that he simply cannot buy my freedom from you."

"But surely your family will help out?" The greedy light in the man's eyes had not yet faded. "After all,
you bear a proud and noble name."

"That may be, Sir Baron, but the Le Scot family does not claim us. We owe the name to a Knight in the
Conqueror's army who fell in love with a Saxon maid and stayed behind, but his kin disowned him for
that. My father is Master Mason of York's Guild - not a noble. I will have to pay the price of my
behaviour myself."

"Ah."

The single syllable conveyed contempt and disappointment; now that it was obvious that no prize would
be forthcoming for this prisoner, the German lost interest. Joffrey flushed angrily at the veiled insult, but
held his tongue. There was nothing to be gained by losing his temper.

"Well, in that case, I think King Philippe of France will be thankful to gain a new crewmember for one of
his galleys. The price you'll bring will most adequately cover the cost of feeding and housing you all these
weeks. Unless -" here, the man stepped closer and put a clammy hand on the broad shoulder and
leaned closer, leering suggestively into a face that was handsome and strong under the accumulated
grime, "- unless you should choose to serve me for a while and ... earn ... your freedom?"
His meaning was obvious, and with an expression of disgust, Joffrey stepped back from the lecher as far
as the guards at his back would allow. Pale with anger and contempt, he could only utter one word, but
it was more than enough.

"Never!"

The baron flushed at the disdain he heard in the low voice. He did not like to reveal his vices and be
refused, and vowed privately to make the young man pay for denying him.

"As you wish," was all he said out loud, however. "Then it'll be the galleys for you, after all. Take him
away!"

Joffrey was roughly manhandled out of the room, and only the iron grip his father had on his wrist stayed
Thomas from crying out his fury or following his friend back to the dungeon. He turned despairing eyes
on his father, but the older man would not meet his eyes. Instead, he coldly took his leave of the baron
and shepherded his son and retainers out of the castle. Once they were on the winding path down the
Trifels, Thomas pleaded with his sire to help his friend.

"Father, Joffrey saved me more than once! Without him, I would surely have perished in there! I can't
just leave him - he's my friend!"

"I would like to help you, but Michael Le Scot came to me with that toad's letter; the ransom asked for
Joffrey is as high as yours, and I do not have any more to give. This was hard enough for me to scrape
together as it was, and even so I had to borrow part of it."

Thomas was close to tears. This couldn't be happening!

"Father, please! Joffrey is the truest friend I could ever wish for - this isn't /right/! Without him, I
would have suffered far worse than hunger and beatings!"

The older D'Olivare looked compassionately at his son. He had made inquiries, and had liked what he'd
been told of young Joffrey. He also heartily approved of Thomas finding friends among the Saxons; he
meant his family to stay in England, and knew it was essential to let go of old resentments between
conquerors and conquered.

"Thomas, it is of no use. I applaud the sentiment which brought the two of you here, and that made you
friends, but it was ill-conceived from the start. I am afraid your friend will have to pay the price
for his folly. All we can do is pray for him, and God willing, Joffrey Le Scot will survive the galleys and
return home one day." The Sherrif's tone made it very clear that for him, the matter was closed.
Unhappily, Thomas subsided, his heart heavy with grief as he often turned in the saddle to look back at
the castle where his friend awaited a horrible fate. Following his father's retinue downhill, he desperately
sought for a way how he might help Joffrey after all.


*


Joffrey lay back against the dirty straw of his cell, alone with his thoughts and aching in every bone.
Now that they knew there would be no ransom, the guards had taken turns at beating him until he almost
lost consciousness, not once, but several times each day since Thomas had been bought free. It had
been almost a week, and Joffrey was genuinely glad for his newfound friend; his only regret was that he
hadn't been able to say goodbye. For he was fairly sure that they would never meet again; his fate on the
galleys, which his guards had gleefully informed him of only this morning, was sealed, and it might as well
have been a death sentence. Only very few survived the rigours of that, and as for getting free ... Joffrey
sighed.

He settled himself more comfortably in his recently acquired bonds, for once reasonably sure that he
would not have to serve as sport for the guards, since it was the last evening before Lent began, and
they had talked about the feast they had planned in the Guard Captain's quarters. Tomorrow would be
another story; they would most likely take out the agony of their hangovers on his back and limbs.

The young man was well on his way to dozing off, when the muted clang of bolts being carefully thrown
back roused him. Resignedly, he sat up to await his nocturnal torturer with as much dignity as he could
muster. However, the slender figure slipping into his cell did not belong to any of the burly guards.
Joffrey was about to address the stranger, when a warm hand clamped over his mouth and a very
familiar voice whispered into his ear.

"Shhh! Come with me!"

"I can't," he whispered back, his heart leaping joyfully as he recognized Thomas. "They've chained me."
Thomas - for it was him - cursed under his breath.

"Where are the keys?" He looked at the heavy chains circling Joffrey's ankle disgustedly. Much to his
surprise, his friend grinned at him.

"Over by the door, on a peg in the upper left-hand corner. Just out of my reach, of course."

"Trying to be clever, were they?" The two young men shared wolfish grins as Thomas speedily retrieved
the key and freed his friend.

Disregarding his bruised ribs, Joffrey followed Thomas into the dank corridor and both crept as silently
as possible towards the small gate where Thomas had entered. There was a tense moment just before
they reached the wall, because a couple of guards chose to step outside to relieve themselves just as
they were about to open the stout oak door, but they remained undetected and fled into the forest just
outside the castle wall. Stealthily, they made haste to where Thomas had hobbled his horse. Both
mounted the charger, and rode away into the darkness.

They rested in a small clump of trees once daylight was about to break. Only now they spoke again. The
first words uttered between them were Joffrey's.

"Thank you." The deep voice was quiet, and he would not say more, but the grip of his hand and the
look in the dark eyes was everything Thomas needed. He returned the look just as frankly and with as
much affection.

"I could not leave you there. Not to that fate."

"Neither could I have."

"I know."

The short exchange expressed more than either cared to admit out loud, but their eyes spoke eloquently.
Joffrey stiffly made his way over to the small brook they had found and began to wash away the
dungeon's dirt. He didn't care that the priest back home thought washing oneself a dubious, if not
dangerous pursuit; he just knew that he needed to get rid of the filth he had acquired while being held
prisoner. Besides, he'd noticed that Thomas, too, had cleansed himself and was wearing fresh clothes.
Gratefully accepting the simple but clean tunic his friend handed him, he almost casually asked a question
that he sensed the answer for.

"How did you get in? And ... does your father know?"

Thomas answered as he'd expected.

"I bribed one of the scullery boys. And no, my father does not know I came back for you. I stole away
in the night once more, sold my sword for a tidy sum and came to get you."

"Sold your sword! But - but you told me it was a family heirloom! How could you ..."

"When all is said and done, it's only a piece of cold steel. I'd much rather have warm friendship." The
young Norman looked steadily into the Saxon's dark eyes. "My father will probably flay me alive once
he learns of this, but I don't care. You are my friend as much as I am yours, and that is worth more than
anything to me."

This time, it was Thomas who held out his hand to Joffrey. There was no hesitation in the warm grip as
their hands joined again, to seal their friendship in freedom as it had begun long weeks ago in captivity.
Both knew it would last a lifetime. Wordlessly, they let go of each other and curled up together under a
blanket, heedless of the brightening sky as they slept long into the new day.



@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@




Mhari Scott sat on a bench in front of her house, watching indulgently as her two-year-old son Jonathan
piled wooden blocks into high structures, only to laugh with childish glee when they collapsed and he got
to do them all over again. She had brought the brightly-painted shapes with her from Scotland five years
ago, when Robert Scott had married her and taken her across the Ocean to this wild and wonderful land
that was America. The building blocks had been carved, whittled and painted by her sickly younger
brother, and they were little Jonathan's most prized possession. Not a single one of his circle of tiny
friends was allowed to touch them, or he would throw a fit of temper that was astonishing to witness in a
child this young.

The young matron lifted her eyes from her needlework as she became aware of a commotion at the
Fort's gate. Her heart began to beat faster, and automatically her hands smoothed over apron and
bonnet, for that could only mean that her Robert and the other men had returned from an exploratory
mission into the mountains. They had spotted smoke above the trees two days ago, and had gone to
investigate. For the only thing that spoiled the majesty of the land were the unrelenting hostilities between
the French and the Iroquois on one side, and the English and their allies, the Mohicans, on the other.
Mhari prayed that everyone would be allright.

Her heart gave a tiny lurch of happiness and relief as the broad-shouldered form of her husband
separated from the cluster of men and strode towards her, a cloth-wrapped bundle held awkwardly in
his arms.

"Robert!" She offered him a warm smile and her smooth cheek for a chaste kiss, all the outward
affection they permitted themselves outside the walls of their home.

The stocky man greeted his pretty wife as heartily as he dared under the curious eyes of their
neighbours, then settled on the bench as well and scooped his small son up, ruffling his dark hair as the
equally dark eyes shone with joy that "Da" was back home again.

"Look, my little man - Papa has brought you a present!" Robert sat his son between himself and Mhari
and once more took up the bundle he had laid carefully on the seat beside him. He drew a corner of the
concealing cloth aside, and Mhari gasped in shock and compassion - for draped in the faded scrap of
flannel lay a child about the same age as Jonathan. It was a scrawny little thing, nothing like her sturdy
little boy, and one thin cheek was marred by a wicked, only half-healed cut, as if made by a knife - or a
saber's thrust. The young woman lifted questioning eyes to her husband.

"This is the son of one of the French traders over at the river bend - his, and an Indian maiden's. Their
hut was attacked by I don't know who; that was the smoke we saw. The parents are both dead, and the
old man who sheltered him until we came won't live through the week; he told us what little he knew
about this poor child. His name is Thierry Olivier, and according to the old man, his parents were
married right and proper by one of those itinerant priests."

Jonathan looked at the sleeping little boy with great interest, noticing but not understanding the slight
convulsions the tot couldn't suppress even in sleep. He could not care less about what his parents were
saying. Curious, he reached out a none-too-clean small paw to the nasty cut. His touch on the raw flesh
snapped the child's eyes open, and little Thierry began to whimper with pain and fright. Jonathan looked
for a moment as if he might want to start crying himself, but then he seemed to reconsider. Before either
of the adults could react, he bent and picked up a bright cube, the sides of which were painted in red,
green and white, and held it out to the scared orphan. A moment's hesitation, then a tentative smile lifted
the corners of the small mouth, the nut-brown eyes warmed, and a small, feeble hand reached for the
toy.

Mhari and Robert exchanged a glance, and she shook her head in fond exasperation. She knew her
husband; he had the kindest, biggest heart in the New World, and she knew very well what he hoped
for. Well, it was all one with her; Jonathan's little face beamed like a ray of sunlight as he babbled at his
newfound friend, and to her amazement, he tugged at the flannel until Robert carefully sat the injured
child on the grassy carpet. Soon, the two little boys were happily building enormous towers with the
prized toys Jonathan had never shared before, and pain was forgotten as they communicated quite well
in a mixture of French, English and an unknown Indian tongue. Thus simply, Thierry Olivier found a new
home and a brother.


*


Terry Olivier looked at the happily dancing couples. His lean face still bore the marks of the wound he
had received as a baby, but the scar made him appear only more dashing. At least that was the opinion
of quite a number of young damsels at the Fort. He was lean where Jonathan was burly, moody where
he was cheerful, silent when the other sang, but nonetheless they were the best of friends. They had
shared everything as they grew up, scrapes and praise, success and failure, and they were both
accomplished woodsmen, fully capable of earning their way as scouts and guides to the British Army
which was slowly but surely beating the French back into Canada.

Today, Jonathan was getting married. Terry - his name had been Anglicized first by his foster brother,
then by everybody else - heartily approved of the match; the lovely blonde Elizabeth was the ideal wife
for his friend and brother. Only because he wanted to see them wed had Terry curbed his unrest and
desire to leave. He had already spoken to his foster parents, and both Mhari and Robert understood
why he had to leave, even though they regretted deeply to see him go.

The young man, all of twenty years, did not want to desert the only home he'd ever known, but a year
or so ago he'd gotten word that people of his Mother's tribe had been seen further south and to the
east; apparently she had not been Iroquois, but of a different tribe altogether. Some very few mementoes
of his parents had survived the looting and killing, and they had given him his first clues to what he
needed to do. His affairs were in order; he had discharged himself of all duties and obligations; now all
that was left for Terry was one last task.

Saying goodbye to Jonathan.

Terry dreaded the moment which he knew had to come soon now, but there was that within him that
needed to find his roots; for all the love the Scotts had given him, he'd always known he didn't truly
belong. He sighed wearily. Carefully wending his way through the revellers, he went outside to look at
the stars. The glittering points of light in the sky usually brought him comfort, but not tonight. Not when
he knew that he would hurt Jon - his friend, his brother - deeply. The lean young man was lost in his
thoughts, trying to find the words he had to say to Jonathan, so he almost didn't hear soft footsteps
approaching. His trapper's instinct, however, warned him just in time to recognize the gentle swish of
skirts, and thus he refrained from drawing his knife that never left his side. Turning slowly instead of
whirling around, he came face to face with the petite form of Margaret Sanders, the Sergeant's daughter
and Elizabeth's closest friend.

"You should have brought a wrap," he spoke gently into the darkness. Margaret, while by no means
meek, was such a gentle person that nobody ever spoke harshly to her. She was the one folks called
when they needed nursing, the one children turned to when they scraped themselves up or had gotten
into a fix, and everybody confided his or her worries and secrets to her, certain to find if not help, then at
least a sympathetic ear.

Margaret looked up into the handsome scarred face; Thierry - she was the only one who ever
called him by his true name - always was so considerate of her that she was not in the least astounded
that these should be the first words he said to her. Neither was she surprised that he'd heard her
approach; both Jonathan and Thierry were famous for their instincts which made them so good at their
jobs.

"I am not cold. - Have you told him yet?" she asked. Although only a year younger than him, she knew
what he was about to do, having come upon him accidentally two weeks ago as he was dealing with his
affairs.

"No."

"You will hurt Jonathan; he loves you so." Margaret did not show that her heart was breaking as well;
she had given hers to Terry the day he'd saved her from a badly leaking boat that was threatening to
sink right under her while crossing the river. Only Elizabeth knew that she loved her husband's friend,
and she was sworn to secrecy.

"It cannot be helped; it's not easy for me, either, but something I feel I have to do." Terry
spoke slowly, as was his habit. For some strange reason, the clear grey eyes of Miss Margaret seemed
mysterious like the small pond he had once found in a clearing deep in the forest - silvery and bottomless
pools a man would drown in if he weren't careful.

"Oh Thierry, I know that - but surely you know that we will all miss you dreadfully!" The
earnest little face was lifted up towards him, and it was as if Terry saw it - and the girl whom it belonged
to - for the first time. Margaret wasn't really pretty, but sweet; her gentle nature was apparent in every
expression and gesture, and as always it softened Terry's disposition. Something, he knew not what,
made him tease her a little bit.

"All of you? Surely not everybody!"

"Oh yes, yes! How can you ask?" Margaret looked at him artlessly.

"Even you, Miss Maggie?" he joked, using her childhood name as he stepped closer. To his surprise,
she flushed deeply. Her eyes never wavered from his, though, as the combination of starlight, soft strains
of music from the party, and his impending departure on the morrow made her confess her secret.

"Especially me."

Terry now stood very near to her. He looked deeply into the honest eyes, and something he hadn't
known he possessed slowly worked itself loose in his heart. Slowly, carefully, he reached out with both
arms and drew her against his chest.

"What would you be willing to do then, to make me stay?" came his husky question, almost against his
will. Her answer bound him to the Fort as nothing else could have done. Bold as never before or after in
her life, Margaret touched trembling fingers to his scar, cupping the lean cheek in her soft palm.

"This," she whispered, just before she touched her lips to his mouth in the gentlest caress.


*


They were married within the month, and Jonathan and Elizabeth were ecstatic. Mhari and Robert
welcomed the news that their beloved foster son would stay after all with heartfelt joy, and for a few
happy years, all went well. Then, disaster struck. A trader brought typhoid fever to the remote Fort, and
after four weeks, when the disease had run its course, less than half of its occupants had survived. Both
Mhari and Robert were now gone, as was Jonathan's small daughter. Elizabeth, still weak from her own
fight against the raging fever, clung desperately to four-year-old Timothy, submerging her grief in caring
for the newly motherless little boy.

Thierry - Margaret's habit of using his true name had gradually changed the others' mode of addressing
her husband back to its original form - stood at Jonathan's door, all ready to leave. His brown eyes
were hard and dry, but they softened as he looked at his friends and his son one last time.

"It's time."

"How can you go?" Jonathan asked his best friend. The low voice was hoarse with barely-suppressed
emotion.

"I have to," was his answer. "If it hadn't been for Margaret, I would have left the day after your
wedding." Thierry recalled that night with a rush of pain so intense, he had to close his eyes.

"Jon ... brother, I don't want to leave. Not you, and not Timothy. But the road I'll need to
travel is a long and hard one, full of danger. I don't know what I will find, or if I'll find what I'm
searching for. It's no place for a child. Besides, having him to care for will help Elizabeth to get over the
loss of little Susannah."

Jonathan Scott looked over his shoulder where his wife and godson clung to each other. Then, he turned
back to his best friend of so many years.

"Does finding your mother's people mean more to you than we?" he couldn't help asking. He saw the
brief flash of hurt in Thierry's eyes and was ashamed. "I'm sorry, I ..."

"Don't be. The answer is yes, and no. No, because I love all of you ... as much as I ever loved
Margaret. You know that, don't you?" Thierry didn't need the confirming nod. "If I hadn't lost her ... but
she's gone." Thierry swallowed hard. "And yes, because although you and yours have shown me nothing
but kindness and love, I need to find out who I am, what and where my roots are. I need to,
Jon - or I'll never find any peace. Margaret could give me that peace, but ..."

Jonathan nodded resignedly. They'd been over this so often, ever since Thierry had announced his
intention of going away, and he knew that in this he couldn't change his mind.

"We'll take good care of Timothy for you," he promised.

"I know you will. And God willing, you'll have a son of your own one day - when it doesn't hurt as
much any more."

Thierry turned towards Elizabeth with a few swift strides. He embraced her and kissed her pale cheeks,
over which silent tears began to flow. Then, he bent towards his son. Tilting the small face up to his own,
he brushed a stubborn lock of brown hair out of the child's eyes.

"Be good for Auntie Eliza and Uncle Jon, Timothy."

"I promise, Papa," the boy said solemnly.

"Very well. And remember, son - Papa loves you, no matter what. Even though I won't be here, you
will always be my brave boy. Don't let anyone tell you differently." He hugged the child carefully, then
got up. His eyes locked with Jonathan's, and both men had a hard time holding back their tears.

"Will you come back?"

"If I can."

Both men knew it was highly unlikely. Their paths would go in different directions from now. Mutely,
they embraced, saying goodbye through looks and desperate grips. At last, Thierry Olivier tore himself
away from his best friend and mounted his horse, to begin the long journey towards his mother's people.
He rode out of the gate without looking back while Jonathan stood with little Timothy's hand clasped in
his own, looking after his friend until the forest hid him from view.



@@@@@@@@@@@@




"The baby's coming."

Running Doe's voice was so soft, White Falcon almost didn't hear her. He stopped and turned towards
his woman.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She didn't need to say more. He put an arm around his small mate and supported her while he adapted
his long strides to her shorter legs. He didn't like this; the two of them had fled from the large contingent
of Cherokee and their uniformed guards under cover of night only four days ago, taking advantage of a
disturbance among the soldiers' horses. They'd rested by day and walked at night ever since then, but
Running Doe's swollen belly made fast progress almost impossible. They had been lucky so far to find
water; armed only with his hunting knife, White Falcon hadn't been able to snare so much as a single
prairie turkey or hare, and hunger was gradually weakening them. Not that they'd had that much food on
their long trek, anyway.

The Chief Soldier, an older man who had told them that he was only following his orders, was a hard
and unforgiving man, driving the Cherokee from their mountain home for many months. They had been
separated into two groups at random, and White Falcon had seen his family herded onto large river
boats like so much cattle. He knew not of their fate; he was just glad that Running Doe was still at his
side. Many of those riding in and walking behind the hundreds of wagons had already died, from
exhaustion, little food and diseases they were too weak to fight off. Not that this man Scott would have
granted permission to tend for them anyway, the young Cherokee thought bitterly. He cast about him for
a place where Running Doe could give birth undisturbed.

"Uhhhh!"

The soft exclamation of pain did not go unheard; time was running out on them. Whte Falcon sighed and
guided his woman into a thicket of bushes that afforded them at least some protection. As he eased her
to the ground and helped her shed her leggings, she looked up at her tall mate with frightened but trusting
eyes.

"Isn't this too close to /that/?" Her head inclined towards the small log cabin just visible against
the night sky. It was dark, but both could recognize the signs that people lived there.

"We can only hope it is not," he answered with a reassuring smile. "But don't fear; it is the
middle of the night, and white men usually sleep deeply. If you can keep quiet, they won't even know
we've been here."

He had done everything he could for his woman, and rose from his crouch.

"Will you be allright?" It was their custom to leave matters of birth to their women.

"I think so," Running Doe panted around another contraction. "What will you do?"

"Try and see if there's any food to be found." He touched her cheek gently one last time. He'd counted
himself the luckiest man in their valley when Running Doe and her father agreed to his courtship, and
ever since he had found nothing in their union to change his opinion. White Falcon moved carefully out of
the concealing bushes and crept towards the silent farmhouse. At the back, he saw a well-tended garden
with vegetables and late-summer fruit, and filled a pouch at his belt with a variety of things. He didn't
recognize all of them, but he knew that they could eat them; besides, his innards were churning so much
with hunger, that he didn't care anymore whether something tasted good or not. He looked around once
more. There was a small structure at the far end of the well-kept yard; he recognized the smell, and his
mouth watered. Some kind of bird was being kept there.

White Falcon hesitated only briefly. The white people would not miss one or two birds so much, and
Running Doe would be in need of the energy fresh meat could give her. Stealthily, he moved towards the
hut.


*


Jared Scott folded the letter his mother had sent in the spring. It was late summer now, but they lived too
far off the regular post routes to get mail very often. Only a supply run to Fayetteville had given him the
opportunity to get news about his and Rachel's families whom they had left behind in Boston. They liked
living in this small corner of Arkansas; the White River bordering their farm carried enough water most of
the year, and their homestead was prospering. Of course, things were a bit strained right now; the birth
of their baby daughter at the beginning of summer had taken more out of Rachel than either of the boys
had done, and consequently their larder was not as well-stocked as usual, but a bit of frugal living should
see them through this winter, as well.

"Anything important?" Rachel asked as she bathed the baby. She believed a great deal in cleanliness,
and although the boys protested loudly, she insisted on washing them each night and full body baths at
least once a month. Jared didn't mind indulging her peculiar whim; it didn't harm them, and he rather
liked the fact that their home never took on the stifling odour so many of their neighbours lived with. Not
that they had any close neighbours; the Cranston farm was ten or so miles away, on the other
side of the river to boot, and they only got together at harvest time when the men helped each other out
with their crops. Then, the Hoags came from inland as well, although they were more concerned with
getting more people into this small corner of Arkansas, now that it was a State. Jared smiled as he heard
little Bethany squeal with joy, and some mighty loud splashing by one so tiny.

"Nothing, really. Just the usual gossip of friends, neighbours, the city ... Mother doesn't understand that
I'm just not interested in that. Oh, Uncle Winfield has been given another command." He grimaced with
distaste. His father's cousin was not Jared's favourite person in the world.

"Oh?" Rachel looked at Jared as she diapered and dressed Bethany in her nightgown. As soon as the
baby was happily drowsing in her crib, she snagged four-year-old Ethan and pulled his shirt over his
head. "Hold still, Ethan!" She reached for soap and washcloth.

"Yes; he is in charge of removing the entire Cherokee Tribe from their home in the Smoky Mountains."

"The whole tribe? But that must be thousands of people!"

"I know. For some reason, people want their land, and the Government is deporting them to the new
Territories west of here - Oklahoma or Kansas, I think."

"Oh my." Rachel's soft heart went out to those unfortunates. "It was bad enough for us to move west,
and we did it at our own pace and because we wanted to. To be forced to leave their
homes ..."

Jared nodded.

"Add to that transplanting Mountain-bred Indians to the Plains ... not counting the fact that these are the
hunting grounds of other tribes; a few farmers like us here and there don't make that much of a
difference. But to bring literally thousands of people here all at once ... And knowing my dear
Uncle, he will not give them any leeway for getting weak, or sick, or exhausted. The only thing he'll care
about is getting the job done 'efficiently'."

The young farmer pulled a face. General Winfield Scott had pressured his nephew hard to join the Army
a few years ago, but Jared had had no mind for it. He'd been a clerk in a bank before he'd decided to
take Rachel, their oldest son Jeffrey and baby Ethan and move west. They had found a home here on
the prairie; while it was not an easy life, they were content on their little farm.

The boys were ready for bed now, and soon after, Jared and Rachel settled in their comfortable alcove
and fell asleep as well.


*


It must have been past midnight as Jared woke with a start. Inside the cosy log cabin, only the even
breaths of the three children could be heard, and Rachel was stirring sleepily next to him. He strained his
ears. Something ... no, some/one/ was outside. Slipping out from under the covers, Jared
wormed into his pants and boots. As he reached for his gun, Rachel Scott turned frightened eyes on him,
still half-asleep.

"Jared?" She knew better than to speak any louder than in a whisper.

"Someone's outside - at the chicken coop, I think," he breathed back. Sure enough, the faint creak of
the door could be heard. "I'm going to take a look."

"Be careful," she implored. "Your life is worth more than a few chickens."

"I know," he grinned fleetingly. "I love you, too!"

Kissing her quickly, he eased out of the door and turned towards the far corner of the yard. Making his
way carefully over, he checked the coop, but everything seemed okay; what was it he had
heard, then? Jared looked around. There - a few feet away, a single feather gleamed whitely on the
ground. Another one lay a bit further. Following the barely visible trail, Jared walked away from the
cabin, towards a thicket of bushes a few hundred yards from the house where his sons liked to play
hide-and-seek. There was a small hollow right beneath one of the gorse bushes that would make a
perfect hiding place for bigger people than two small boys. Just as the young man reached the edge of
the thicket, he heard a barely-suppressed moan, as if someone was in a great deal of pain. Another
voice seemed to caution whoever was hurt in there, but in a language he didn't understand. Jared
cocked his gun. The small click shattered the nighttime silence like a gunshot, and a kind of hold-your-
breath stillness seemed to descend. Casting further caution to the wind, he hefted his gun higher and
called out.

"Who goes there?"

He didn't get an answer, but then, he hadn't really expected one. Moving closer, he parted the thorny
branches with one arm until he could look into the hollow. There, right in front of him, were two people,
one lying on the ground, the other a long-haired man who was crouching low, but ready to pounce at a
moment's notice, a wicked-looking knife grasped firmly in one hand. Jared froze. Neither seemed to
know what do do, then Jared's dark eyes fastened on the prone figure. To his amazement, he saw a
very pregnant young woman lying at his feet, her distended belly rippling with yet another
contraction. She bit into her already bloody lip to suppress her screams. The young farmer didn't think,
he just reacted. Clicking on the safety, he dropped his gun and knelt down next to the young woman. Up
close, he could make out even in the dim light that his nighttime visitors were Indians. It didn't matter, as
did the two chicken carcasses and the filled pouch he could see at the brave's feet. He reached out a
gentle hand to the sweat-streaked face of the birthing woman.

"How long has she been in labour?" Belatedly, he realized that the man might not understand him and
lifted questioning eyes towards the lean face.

White Falcon was poised to strike with his knife as the broad-shouldered man found them, but gradually
relaxed as the gun was dropped. For a brief moment, he entertained the notion of making a grab for the
weapon, but the white man's next action stopped him. For he reached out towards Running Doe before
White Falcon could interfere, but it was not with intent to hurt. The large hand was gentle as he wiped
the sweat off her brow and turned his eyes towards him.

Something passed between the two men as their eyes met. Both released breaths they hadn't been
aware of holding, and coiled muscles relaxed. White Falcon did not understand what the white man had
asked, but could guess at his meaning. Searching for words in the strange tongue he had begun to learn
on the trail, he answered as best he could.

"This ... sundown. Bad ... when moon come."

She went into labour at dusk and it got worse during the night, Jared translated for
himself. Another look at the pain-filled face and the helpless expression in the man's eyes decided him.
They were out of their depths here, but Rachel would know what to do. Trusting the feeling of
rightness he had, Jared slipped an arm under the trembling shoulders, lifting the girl up.
"Come on. Let's get her to the house." A jerk of his head towards the cabin conveyed his meaning.
White Falcon hesitated for a few heartbeats, but a pleading look from Running Doe and another stifled
moan clinched the matter. He assisted her up. Jared slung his gun over his shoulder, and together the two
men half-carried Running Doe towards the house.


*


Rachel Scott had waited with bated breath for Jared's return. Her eyes widened as she saw him come
back with two strangers, but she soon understood what he was doing as she took in the large belly of
the person the two men were carrying. Hurriedly, she lit a few lamps and set water to boil on the stove.
She opened the door without question and just directed the men towards the large table she had
covered with a clean sheet. Throwing on a dress over her nightgown, she then shooed both men out
again, with directions to Jared to feed the father-to-be. Rather bemusedly, he obeyed, sharing a rueful
grin with the other man who seemed to understand his feelings right now perfectly - two strong,
powerful males against one small, gentle woman bent on helping a sister in pain. They never stood a
chance.

A bit dazed at the speed with which Rachel had taken charge, but trusting his wife's skill and healing
talent, Jared led White Falcon to the porch step, got some bread and cheese from the pantry and set it
before the man.

"Go ahead, eat," he told his unexpected guest. After a moment's hesitation, White Falcon did just that.
While he stilled his hunger, Jared asked questions and he answered; it wasn't always easy, but somehow
the two made themselves understood. It often took hands, feet and any other body part they could think
of, but Jared pieced together a pretty grim picture of what the young couple had been through before
they ended up on his farm this early autumn night. White Falcon lifted the pitcher with cool, clear water
to his lips a second time when he suddenly stopped all motion. His companion looked at him curiously.
"What is it?" A thin, wailing sound came from within the cabin, and answered his question. A broad grin
spread over Jared's face.

"You're a father! Congratulations!"

White Falcon looked at the white man with amazement. He had expected to be run off and hunted,
should he be caught; instead, here he was, eating the white man's food, drinking his water, while the
white woman was helping Running Doe giving birth to his first child. He didn't understand this, but ... he
was deeply grateful. Tentatively, he smiled back in a rare gesture.

Just then, Rachel opened the door and came out, elated but clearly exhausted. Snuggling into Jared's
arm, she smiled tiredly at the tall stranger.

"You have a son. Both he and your wife are fine." She noted the anxious looks the Indian was casting
towards the cabin. "Go ahead and look for yourself; just don't wake anyone."

Somehow, her meaning was all too clear, although he didn't understand most of the woman's words.
Hastily, White Falcon made his way inside.

Rachel looked sleepily into Jared's eyes.

"Have you been able to get anything out of him?"

"Oh yes; it gave him quite a start when I told him my name, though. Remember what I told you about
Uncle Winfield earlier? They met him; and it was not a happy experience. Anyway, looks like
White Falcon and Running Doe ..."

"Are those their names? How fitting! She really has doe eyes, and he does seem a bit hawk-like, doesn't
he? With his lean build, and everything?"

"If you say so. Anyway, they're both Cherokee from the Carolinas; he doesn't speak English too well,
but from what I've gathered, they were part of a group that was transported overland from the Smoky
Mountains to here. The trek must have been pure, unmitigated hell. Small wonder, actually, with my
uncle in charge ... can you imagine that they've been on the march for over four months? I don't blame
him for escaping the trail and taking his chances. And with a pregnant wife to boot ..." Jared needn't go
on. Rachel had been pregnant three times, and it had been hard enough leading an ordinary, everyday
life, both in the city and on the farm. She shuddered to think what Running Doe must have gone through.
"Dear Uncle Win didn't make it any easier with his insistence on strict discipline from
/everybody/; not only his soldiers, but also the women, children and elderly. There wasn't a
single day that somebody didn't die."

"The poor things! Jared ... Running Doe has lost a lot of blood, and she's totally exhausted; do you think
we can trust them enough not to harm us if we let them stay here until they can move on?"

Jared thought long and hard about that question; his instincts told him yes, but he couldn't risk the lives
of his loved ones on a ... a /hunch/. Still, there had been that moment in the bushes, when he had
first looked into White Falcon's brown eyes ...

"I ... yes. Yes, I think so. But we needn't make a decision right now; it's late, and the sun will be up
again in only a few hours. I believe we're safe for tonight, anyway, if she's as weak as you think. I'll talk
to him tomorrow."


*


Jared awoke the next morning later than usual, to find his wife and children still asleep and Running Doe
contentedly nursing her baby. She smiled hesitantly as he went past her, and he nodded a greeting.
Before he opened the door, his hand automatically went to the gun rack next to the doorway ... and
came up empty. Jared stared, then yanked open the door. No trace of White Falcon, and his best
plough horse was gone, too. Jared's shoulders slumped with a disappointment that was almost crushing
him. He'd thought that he could trust his feelings about the Indian; to have him turn out to be nothing
more than a common thief, who had left his wife and newborn with perfect strangers into the bargain,
was nothing short of devastating.

The young man went to work with a heavy heart. Inside the cabin, he heard Rachel and the kids stir, and
she introduced them to Running Doe while he fed the chickens, their two hogs and the single cow. Just
as he prepared to take the other horse to his fields, he became aware of the steady clip-clop of hooves.
Jared whirled into that direction, suddenly knowing exactly what he would see. He grinned in genuine
pleasure as White Falcon rode closer, dragging a bison calf behind the borrowed horse. Dismounting, he
held out the gun to Jared.

"This ... yours. I take to ... shoot buffalo. For you."

The words were spoken with great dignity, and the look accompanying them was full of gratitude. Jared
had never dealt much with Indians before, but some things transcended culture and race. Taking his gun
back with a small, formal bow, he accepted the almost priceless gift in the spirit in which it was given.

"Thank you."


*


White Falcon and Running Doe ended up staying with the Scotts through the fall and winter; Running
Doe suffered an infection, and it took all of Rachel's nursing skills to pull her through. When she finally
recovered, frost had already settled in, and it was an easy decision on all parts for the young family to
stay. They all learned from each other; during that winter, Jared and Rachel taught them English until
both White Falcon and Running Doe could make themselves understood quite well. Rachel learned the
Cherokee way of weaving beautiful baskets while White Falcon endeavoured to make a better hunter
out of Jared and to find food even when the weather was not favourable. When spring came at last, the
Scotts were sorry to see their newfound friends go, although it had been a cramped time spent in the
small log cabin. Despite their best efforts, feeding four adults and four children adequately had become a
problem lately.

"Have a safe journey, my friend," Jared told White Falcon as he shouldered the large pack of provisions
and useful things he had either made or been given. He would not take the horse Jared offered him,
though; he had seen how much the animals were needed on the farm. He helped Running Doe shoulder
her own pack and adjust the colourful shawl she used to carry their son in - as yet unnamed, as was
their custom. Neither one commented on the disapproving stares they received from Roland Hoag, the
Scotts' neighbours inland, away from the river. He'd burst right into their farewells, and didn't hesitate to
make his disdain for the Cherokee family known, until Jared threatened to throw him off his land. Now
he just sat on the far fence, watching.

"Thank you. For everything."

The two men exchanged handshakes while Rachel tearfully embraced Running Doe. She had enjoyed
having another woman's company. All walked to the gate, and Rachel touched the dark shock of hair of
the baby boy she had helped bring into the world one last time.

"I will miss you," she said softly, meaning all three.

"We all will." Never had Jared's deep voice sounded more sincere. White Falcon exchanged a look
with his woman. She nodded encouragingly, and he turned towards this unexpectedly found friend.
"We must go; must find our families. But ... maybe ... we come back? Not soon, but ..."

"You would?!?" The dark eyes lit up with pleasure. It was enough for White Falcon, who gave his friend
one of his rare smiles.

"We come back. One day; I promise."

It took three years, but White Falcon did come back. He and Jared picked up their friendship
as if it had been three weeks since they'd seen each other last, and it stayed that way through infrequent
visits until they'd seen their children grow up and more and more settlers came out west after the War. It
became increasingly uncomfortable for the Scotts, who had to live daily with their far less tolerant and
accepting neighbours. Not that either Jared or Rachel cared; they continued their visits back and forth
until one day, as White Falcon and Running Doe, who had come with her husband this time, were
packing up their things, the Indian spoke very calmly to his friends.

"We will not come again."

"White Falcon ..." Jared looked at his friend with stricken eyes. He knew where that decision had come
from.

"It is not good, but better. For you."

"I don't give a damn about the Hoags and their ilk - those bigoted idiots! If they can't see decency in a
person through their own prejudices, it's their loss - I won't have it be mine!" Jared raged, but felt in his
heart that it was futile. White Falcon's next words confirmed it.

"I do not understand your words. You and Rachel ... you are True People. Good people. But you live
with not-good people. We cannot come again." It was final, and all knew it.

Rachel looked from her husband's grief-stricken face to the solemn expression in White Falcon's eyes,
then turned towards Running Doe. Unmindful of her own tears overflowing, she embraced her friend.
Inwardly, she was as angry as Jared, but she knew better than him about the taunts her children and
grandchildren had endured from others at the school they'd finally had built. Not even in the privacy of
her own mind would she repeat those vile epithets, of which "Injun-lover" was only the mildest.

"Goodbye, my friend," she sobbed, unable to hold back her tears any longer.

Jared closed his eyes for a long moment, choking back his own grief. When he opened them again, he
saw that, although outwardly unperturbed, his friend was just as unhappy as himself about the necessity
of this decision. And to tell the brutal truth, they were all getting too old to be journeying back and forth
for days to visit each other, no matter how pleasant those visits might be. He started to reach for White
Falcon's hand to shake goodbye, when his friend surprised him one last time. A rare twinkle of mischief
in his still-keen eyes, White Falcon drew him into a brief hug. After only an instant's surprise, Jared
hugged back. Releasing each other, both stepped back, solemn once more.

"Goodbye Rachel, Woman-Who-Heals." Rachel nodded her acceptance of the name the transplanted
Cherokee had given her years ago. She had taught Running Doe and her two daughters how to treat
quite a few illnesses and injuries they had been unfamiliar with, plus basic hygiene, which took care of a
lot of ailments in itself.

"Goodbye Jared -- He-Who-Teaches." Even more than his wife, Jared had taught his friend and his
family about farming, but more importantly about tolerance and acceptance by living what he preached.
Truth be told, however, they had all learned together and from each other - united in spirit, although
separate by circumstance of birth.

"Goodbye, friend."

Nothing more needed to be said. As Jared held Rachel close to his side and watched White Falcon and
Running Doe walk away from their farm and out of their lives, he had the same feeling as in the night they
had first met - almost as if he'd experienced this before.





@@@@@@@@@@@@@






Memories. Images of other times, other places. They surged and tumbled over each other,
leaving behind a kaleidoscopic jumble of images too scattered to comprehend. The two
young minds into which these images poured were too inexperienced to understand what
had just happened, had had too little training in the matter of Spirit and Consciousness to
grasp the significance of the Event that had allowed the Veil of Life and Time to be lifted for
just a heartbeat.

Jason and Tommy shared a delighted smile as they shook hands on the beach, the
momentary clouding of their vision already forgotten. Their ancient Mentor felt a surge of
sadness that they would not, could not know the full extent of what they had shared
with each other so often in the past. Zordon sighed inaudibly as he felt the space/time
continuum settle down again through the Morphin' Grid. Maybe it was for the best. After all,
in the long centuries he had spent in his timewarp on Earth, he'd been an impartial witness
to a lot of things that the Red and Green Rangers had lived through in their various
incarnations. What astounded the Eltarean was the fact that practically from the dawn of
time - the Wheel had begun to spin much sooner than Ancient Greece - both boys' spirits
had invariably been able to find each other. And always, always had they been
friends, brothers or more.

Zordon smiled. If the pattern held true, now that both Jason and Tommy were Rangers on
the side of Good, there would be no need to fear for his team of Rangers, young and largely
still inexperienced though they might be. He watched as the other Rangers welcomed
Tommy with smiles, touches and kind words. Alpha chose this moment to comment on what
they were seeing.

"Oooh! Look, Zordon! Ooch..."

"We are watching History in the making, Alpha," Zordon replied, still distracted by what he
was seeing. "Finally the Prophecy has been fulfilled; the Green Ranger is now one of us."

The ancient sage suppressed a smile at Alpha's exuberant "Hooray!" On the beach, Jason
briefly touched Tommy's back, then stepped forward while reaching for his Morpher.

"All right then - it's Morphin' Time!"

For the first time, Tommy called Dragonzord to the side of Good. The others followed suit
until they were all morphed. Instinctively, Zordon's Rangers stanced and issued the ages-
old challenge from Ranger Team to Monarch of Evil, falling into the ancient patterns with
ease and their own inimitable style. Zordon noted approvingly that both Tommy and Jason
executed the almost balletic movements with speed and grace -- and in perfect
synchronisation. He couldn't help himself; instead of letting the team find out on their own,
for once the Eltarean showed them the newest addition to their arsenal. Dragonzord in
Fighting Mode brought awed exclamations from the six teens, and his voice rang with pride
as Zordon addressed his warriors.

"The safety of the Universe is once again in your hands, Power Rangers!"


*


When the Rangers assembled again at the Command Center, Zordon swore Tommy in on the Ranger
Code; as he had known he would, Tommy responded with conviction: "Count on me, Zordon - one
hundred percent!"

As Billy handed the newest Ranger his communicator, Jason stepped forward once more.
Offering his hand to his erstwhile enemy a second time, the Red Ranger gazed deeply into
the brown eyes.

"You're one of us now. Welcome aboard."

Tommy grasped the strong warm hand, and again something indefinable passed between
the two boys. Zordon sensed it as well, and opened his senses to the ripple that passed
through the Morphin' Grid. As the now complete team piled their hands on each other in a
symbolic group gesture, the Morphin' Master sent them off with a last admonition.

"A new chapter has begun, Rangers. Let the Power protect you!"



*


The six teleported out to the Youth Center and Jason hung back slightly, wanting to have a
few words with Tommy. As the slightly taller boy fell into step beside him, he once more put
his hand on the muscular shoulder. Jason frowned; he wasn't the huggy-feely type, but for
some reason, the gesture felt completely natural. He left his hand where it was; the smile on
Timon's -/*Tommy's! Where the heck did that come from?*/ face
seemed to welcome his touch, as a matter of fact.

"Are you okay with this, bro?"

"Yeah; I don't know why, but this" - Tommy's gesture encompassed the whole group, but
somehow singled out Jason - "feels absolutely right."

"Yeah."

Both teens fell silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable; rather, it was the silence shared between
really close friends. Neither questioned it as they shared yet another look. Just before they
entered their favourite hangout, Jason terminated the physical contact between him and
Tommy. Ignoring the sudden feeling of emptiness, he grinned devilishly at his new friend.

"If you promise not to zap me into any more creepy places, how 'bout that workout I
promised you?"

Tommy was taken aback by the gentle teasing, but recovered fast enough. Matching
Jason's grin with one of his own, he opened the door and stepped into the cool hallway.

"If you think you're still up to it - you're on!"


*


Zordon watched his charges relax after their latest ordeal and smiled serenely to himself;
those two would have some adjustments to make until they could get past their underlying
rivalry, but he had every confidence they would succeed - eventually. Their past ties were
too strong to permit anything else, but in the meantime, watching the bonding process
would most certainly be ... /interesting/.

The ancient sage once more turned his attention inward. That ripple he had felt in the
Morphin' Grid ... it had been unlike the brief flashbacks he had experienced with and
through the Red and Green Rangers. It was not a reflection of the past and earlier
incarnations of Jason and Tommy; no, this had been more in the character of ... a
/vision/? Zordon opened his senses to the metaphysical plane again, and immersed
himself once more in the flow of Time and Destiny...




@@@@@@@@@@@@@@




Trey of Triforia was an old man; even though his lifespan was many times that of a Human, it was not
indefinite. He had long ago handed his duties over to his son and grandson; one was Lord of Triforia,
while the other had recently taken on the responsibilities of a Gold Ranger.

Even though The Sacrifice had rid the Universe of all Evil for a while, the Forces of Darkness had not
been completely defeated; nor would they ever be. Indeed, they were a necessary counterweight so that
Good could triumph. The Rangers were still very much needed in the Universe, and to that effect, the
Morphin' Masters had chosen to alter their approach. Instead of selecting the Ranger Teams on each
planet under attack at random, it had become common practice to train and school Power Rangers at
the Collegium on Eltare, in honour of Zordon who had given his life for all of them. The need for secrecy
had been abolished; as a result, the Collegium could screen the populace of the Council Worlds for
likely candidates. It was considered the highest honour for a young man or woman to be selected thusly.
Trey had been instrumental in bringing about these changes, and even though he was long retired, he still
had a word of advice for everyone, should it be needed or desired. Right now Treon, his grandson and
currently Gold Ranger, had come to him for help.

"Grandfather, I don't know what to do!" The young man stormed into the sunny study where Trey was
reading. He looked up from his valued book of Phaedosian poetry and laid it aside. Grinning a bit
sardonically (and appearing suddenly very young, despite his silvery hair), he tried to calm Treon down.
"What's the matter, boy?" Trey asked gruffly, knowing full well that Treon hated being called
that. The young Gold Ranger scowled momentarily, but was too distracted by his problem to pay it
much mind.

"It's the Guardian Teams. I have a Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green and Red Ranger for each, but I simply
can't find two Black Rangers."

Now that was serious. The Guardian Teams were the élite among the Rangers, working
directly with the half-dozen Gold Rangers in existence, and Black was the most prestigious colour. The
Black Rangers were a Gold Ranger's Second-in-Command; as such they were hand-picked and had to
have not only amazing fighting skills, but also exceptional leadership qualities. Trey sat down at his desk,
momentarily at a loss. Finally, he asked a few questions of Treon, only to learn that of those Ranger
Trainees he liked, two were incapable of working together, one was in the first stages of pregnancy,
another had been severely injured, and a couple were great leaders, but of no use in the field; their
abilities were better employed behind the scenes. The other likely candidates had already been chosen
by the others.

"Is there no one else?"

"Well, theoretically I could wait for the new batch of recruits to be processed; it's true that we're doing
things differently now here at the Collegium, but in a pinch they could learn on the job and train
simultaneously, like they used to do it in the old times. It'll be hard on them, but ..."

"If they have what it takes to be Black Guardians, they will be able to make it."

"I guess you're right, Grandfather," sighed Treon. "But that still doesn't help me right now."

"So impatient!" Trey chided Treon gently. "Settle down, drink a mug of tera and let me have a
look at those lists of recruits."

With a sheepish smile, the Gold Ranger obeyed. He ordered a whole pitcher of /tera/, though;
knowing his grandfather, he deposited a mug of the slightly bitter stimulant next to his elbow and grinned
to himself as the gnarled but still strong hand absently reached for the beverage. Trey sipped at his hot
drink while he scrolled through the long lists of names. Suddenly, he stopped. Backspacing, he stared at
the ident highlighted on the monitor.

Can it really be? One of them? Hmmm.... Following a hunch, Trey of Triforia
marked the name he'd found for future reference and read on. Only a few lines down, he found himself
staring at a second ident that sent his heartbeat soaring.

"I think I've found your Black Guardians," he announced to his grandson, who sat up from his
comfortable sprawl to look at his grandfather with astonishment.

"You have? Who? Where?"

"Among the first-year students; you'll get them already better qualified and trained than you'd thought."

Treon looked at the screen, then at Trey. Shaking his head incredulously, he asked for confirmation.

"An Earth Human and a New Kerovan? Are you serious?"

"I'm perfectly serious," Trey said. "Just look at their lineage."

Treon took a closer look, then whistled through his teeth. Glancing up again, he grinned at his
Grandfather.

"You're a genius! Now, if only the Trainee Master will confirm their suitability ..."

"I have no doubt that she will," Trey said calmly, but inwardly as elated as Treon. It had taken over four
centuries, but here finally was his chance to return the favour he had received on Earth so long ago from
two courageous, noble young men. "After all, it's in their blood, isn't it?"

"I hope so, Grandfather; because if you're right, I'll have the best team there ever was!" Whistling again,
Treon took off to present his selections for Black Guardians to the Collegium's Ruling Board.


*


Jayce Scott poked his head through the partially-open door of Apartment 6C.

"Hello?" There was no answer, so he stepped inside.

Nobody was in the main living space, but he could hear faint rumblings from one of the two bedrooms.
Apparently, his new roommate was already unpacking. He picked up his luggage and hauled it to the
second room; it fell to him by default since he was a bit late, but he didn't mind. The view towards the
capital was just as breathtaking as the one over the Lythand Sea, and if he was not mistaken, he
wouldn't get any morning sun in here, either.

That's fine by me, anyway; that way, I can sleep longer! he thought gleefully to himself.
But first things first! Opening a small pouch tucked into his larger bag, he took out a
memory cube and inserted it into the 'play' slot of the music center in the living room. As the first strains
of a centuries-old song began to fill the silence, he cheerfully started to make himself at home.

Tomar didn't notice the music at first; it was as familiar as breathing to him after all, but gradually he
became aware of what he was listening to. Curiously, he left his unpacking and went into the living room
of the small apartment. True enough, the second room was now in the process of being buried under
heaps of clothes, books and other personal items. The only things stowed away properly were the two
black-and-silver Ranger uniforms, the chest shields gleaming brightly in the afternoon sun. Tomar
understood that far too well; it was exactly the same way he had handled his own unpacking. While he
was still busily looking around, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Whirling towards the door, Tomar
found himself face to face with a dark-haired young man with broad shoulders, tanned skin, sparkling
almost-black eyes and a friendly grin. A cold soda was being offered to him, and instinctively he took it.

"Hi. I guess you're my new roommate, right? Sorry about the mess. I'm Jayce Scott."

He held out a large warm hand. Tomar put his own into it.

"Tomar. It's okay; my room looked almost exactly like this earlier."

Their fingers closed around each other, and as they shook hands, something seemed to pass
between them. Tomar frowned.

"Have we met before?"

Jayce shrugged, but didn't release the other's hand. He scrutinized the longish brown locks, hawk-like
features and medium-brown eyes intently; he'd had that same feeling of /recognition/, but was
pretty sure he'd never seen the other young man before in his life.

"I don't think so; maybe we've seen each other across campus, or something. I'm from Earth; you?"

"Yeah, maybe." Tomar was not convinced, but let it slide for now. "I was born on Earth, but raised on
New Kerova."

"Cool!"

Tomar grinned back at the delighted tone; his re-formed home planet still was something of an exotic
novelty to a lot of people. Then, he remembered what had brought him out of his room.

"The music ... is it yours?"

"Yeah; an old family tradition. No one in my family goes anywhere without at least one of these
recordings. The singers are ..."

"...Sloane and Taylor, I know. Actually, I have quite a collection of their songs with me as well. I
practically grew up on their music."

"Me, too." Jayce grinned once more. "Say, you wouldn't by any chance be interested in Martial Arts?
Beyond what we need as Rangers, I mean." His voice was cautiously hopeful.

Tomar's heart began to beat faster. Could it be that his new colleague and roommate shared his own
favourite pastime?

"As a matter of fact, I am. I have a third degree sash in Aquitian /rrelo'ak/, plus the usual stuff."

"Aquitian? Great! You can teach me, and I'll teach you Edenite staff fighting!"

The two young men looked at each other with delighted eyes. They had been honoured at being chosen
for the Guardian Teams; they had good people skills, or they would not be destined to become Black
Guardians. But both had hardly dared hope to find anything more than professional companionship. The
possibility that it might be different was an added bonus that was as welcome as it was unexpected.
Jayce was the first to find his voice. Smiling from ear to ear, he looked deeply into the strangely familiar
brown eyes, and declared emphatically, "I don't care!"

"Huh? Don't care about what?"

"That it's old, trite and incredibly clichéd. I just have to say it this once, okay?"

Tomar felt his own smile almost split his face. Without having to ask, he knew what Jayce was
going to say, and opened his mouth just in time to speak in perfect unison with the other.

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

The End.