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."Maurynna?" he whispered."Maurynna-love, can you hear me?"Frightened, he touched her cheek.Her head fell slackly to one side.Fifty-seven ^ "Maurynna?" Linden whispered again.Hegathered her up, cradling her againsthis chest.She lay limply in his arms.He panicked.Then he saw her breastmove.Relief flooded him Maurynna was alive.But what if she guessed now what shewas? And how to wake her from her faint? A thought came to him.He carried her into the bathing room.The bathing pool was stillfilled with water.He stepped into it.Kneeling, he gasped as the water slid over his stomach.He hadn't thought itwould get so cold.Setting his teeth, he dunked Maurynna into the water.Her eyes flew open; she squealed in outrage and swung at him.Her fist caught him squarely on the ear.Startled, he fell backward anddropped her.She disappeared under the water.Faster than he would havebelieved possible, Maurynna surfaced again and surged to her feet, drippingand shivering, arms clutched across her breasts.Linden tore his gaze from herlong, slender thighs and looked up."Are you trying to drown me?" she yelled."Or freeze me? That water is cold, blast you! And stop looking at me like that."He grinned."Why?" he asked."You're beautiful."She blushed and looked away for a moment.Then she snapped, "And how doDragonlords ever get anyone to bed them a second time if that's what it'slike?"Linden leaned back, nearly hysterical with relief.He stopped worrying she'dtry forcing an early First Change.She had no idea of what had just happened."Stop laughing!" She kicked water at him.He dodged and stood up."Oh, love it won't be like that the next time," hesaid, catching her in his arms.After a heartbeat or two, she relaxed.He heldher, exulting in the feel of her body against his, running his fingersthrough the long black hair clinging wet and heavy to her back."Linden," she said."The water really is cold, you know.""Mmmm." He bent and dipped a hand into the water, muttering a shortspell under his breath.Moments later the water steamed gently as ifit had just come from the heating cauldrons.Maurynna gasped."Is this too hot?" he asked."No," she said, then, with only the faintest tremor in her voice, "YouPage 217 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlheat-spelled it, didn't you?""Yes; any Dragonlord can do it.When y " he began, then stopped in horror.Gods, if he couldn't watch his tongue any better than that& ! He looked fora way to distract her before she could ask the question he saw in hereyes.His gaze fell on the soap.He grabbed it."Shall I wash your back?" he asked.Maurynna smiled and took the soap."Why don't I do yours?" she said.Sheslipped behind him.Her hand on his shoulder bade him kneel.Linden sighed happily as a short time later Maurynna's strong fingerskneaded his soapy back.At long last he was one with his soultwin.For the first time in his life hefelt truly complete.As Linden ran a hand along his freshly-shaven jaw, he rememberedMaurynna's earlier words."What's this 'surprise' you mentioned before?" heasked.He sat down on the bed and pulled on clean linen stockings.Maurynna clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide.Then she jumped forthe rest of her clothes."Oh, gods I forgot all about him!" She struggledinto her tunic and pulled on her own stockings."Linden hurry! Get dressed; hemust be furious at waiting so long."Linden tossed her her breeches and slipped into his own."Who?"Maurynna swore briefly as the legs tangled.She straightened them out andsaid, "Shan!"Linden stared at her, not sure he'd heard correctly."What? He can't be!How?" He shook his head."I don't believe I said that; this is Shan.Chailenwill kill me." He shoved his feet into his boots."Come on; we'd best get tothe stables.""Who's Chailen?" Maurynna asked."Tell you later," Linden said.He scooped up a tunic, pulling it on as he ranfrom the room.As he raced down the hall, he knew he was grinning like an idiot.He didn't care.Maurynna was right; he'd been tricked the thought that he might havebetrayed his fellowDragonlords still burned but it was time to go on.And now they were Sealed to each other.He wanted to Change and trumpet hisjoy to the world.But the most he could do was pretend his happiness wascaused solely by Shan.Not that he wasn't happy to see his idiot horse.Linden whooped and jumped thelast few stairs, Maurynna laughing behind him.He threw the door open beforethe steward could get to it.Once outside, he waited for Maurynna tocatch up, then caught her hand in his.They raced toward the stableside by side."You sorry excuse for crowbait," Linden yelled."Where are you?"A stallion's ringing neigh, then the thunder of hooves and Shanburst through the open doors of the stable.Linden stopped and waited.Maurynna ducked behind him as Shan chargedheadlong.The stallion stopped just short of trampling them.For a moment Linden simply looked at Shan, realizing how much he'dmissed theLlysanyin.Then he threw his arms around Shan's neck.The stallion's bighead dropped overLinden's shoulder as Shan returned the hug.After a moment Linden noticed the odd sounds Shan was making, tinysnorts and whickers.They had a worried, almost frantic tone to them as Shansnuffled him.He pulled back enough to look the stallion in the eye."You knew, then, thatI've been ill?"Page 218 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlShan nodded.He made another queer, very unhorselike sound."Otter told him," Maurynna said from behind him, "when we ran across him inthe city.He took Shan off to one side and talked to him.Then I rode himhere."There was a catch in her voice.When Linden looked around at her, she wasstudying the woods in the distance."Ah," Linden said quietly.He scratched Shan's cheeks
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