“What do you mean, she’s gone?” Etherrawen demanded of Raeliyah. The summer-brown dragoness’s blue mane twirled about her face as she tried to contain her disappointment. “We just saw her come in!”

Raeliyah shrugged her rusty shoulders. “Well, she just left,” the high-flyer told her; “came in for what she wanted and poof out she goes.”

Eth sighed and flopped with a loud thump onto the nearest Common Room couch. “That blows, you know,” she sighed, crossing her forepaws over the end of the much-used affair. “I really wanted to talk to her about some things.”

Raeliyah juggled the ice pack she was carrying from paw to paw, flicking her tail impatiently. “Uhm, well, yeah, I know how you feel, Eth, but look – I really hafta go. I have to get this ice pack up to CP pronto.”

Tyr eyed the dripping bag dubiously. “What’s that for?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Oh, yes I do. Is Crys hurt or something?”

The rusty-colored gryphoness coughed and wiped one paw on her flank. “No, she’s not hurt. She just needs this, that’s all. … Look, I can’t tell you, ok? She made me promise.” With that, she beat a hasty retreat, bounding past Likeshine and Kimbo, heading straight through the back entrance and up the stairs, trailing water.

Tyr rolled her eyes and took up possession of a well-worn chair by the fire, curling her striped frame about its plush interior. Likeshine and Kimbo wandered off together, possibly for the kitchen where they might find someone willing to feed them. The Dark Empress eyed Etherrawen. “Hey, it’s no big loss, you know. She’ll be back some other time. Or, you could always zap her a message.”

“Hm?”

The gryphoness propped her chin up on the arm with one hand, the other reaching across the chair’s back. “The Tsurieths; Crys’ sister bargained us for a few more. Maly has one herself – you could always contact her that way if it’s really important.”

Eth shrugged. “Naw, I’d rather not do that, you know. I wouldn’t know what to say. Those things creep me out.”

“Suit yourself, hon.”

“Taran, hand me that volume, would you please?”

“Which one, Eclipse? The blue one or the ratty one?”

“Gah, Taran! Such words for such an historic document! I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Hear what? ‘Ratty’? Hehehe.”

The rolling ladder came whizzing around and stopped inches from the canine-gryphoness’ hind paws. The stern-looking black gryphon that perched on its rungs clung to the bars with one hand and lowered his specs at her. “Really, now. I am insulted.”

“At least you’re something, eh, Eclipse?”

The black gryphon whirled to the other side of the ladder, pinning the silver gryphoness balancing scrolls on their shelf. “How in the name of all that’s Holy did I get stuck with the two of you for library duty?”

Autumn sniggered, twirling a scroll with one deft six-taloned hand. “I don’t know, mighty one. Just lucky, I suppose. I mean, you could have Diana in here – and we all know how that’d end up.”

Eclipse bounded down and snatched the tome he needed from Taran’s stack and leapt back onto the rolling ladder, pushing off with one foot, squeaking along the track. It swished around the corner until he located the right shelf and placed the tome with reverence bordering on farce back where it belonged. Looking down at them from this height, Lux’s mate snorted. “I think I’d rather have Diana here any day – at least she respects me, unlike the two of you.”

Taran let loose a bark of laughter and wagged her tail. “Really! Ha, methinks our little chaos darling is just stringing you along. What do you say, Autumn?”

“Gah! I can’t take this!” Eclipse pushed harder and wheeled himself around to the end of the library, where he couldn’t hear the two female sniggering at him. Always the fool, he though with humor as he inspected the shelves. Not that I mind, eh. The black male occupied himself from there by whipping out a notepad and, by hooking his tail and arm around a rung, started tallying up this section’s books. You never knew when a Guilder would try and pull a fast one.

Speaking of which . . . what have we here, now? Eh?

Eclipse leaned over the edge, tucking the notepad between two leather-bound histories with gold leaf trim. “Ho there – what are you up to?” He deliberately pitched his voice so that it was merry. The Guilder below balked, ramming her rear-end into a trolley cart.

“I—I’m sorry! I—I didn’t mean to sneak around!”

Eclipse slid down the ladder expertly and landed with a four-square stance on the wooden floor. A small gryphoness with five long tails and a white-gold sheen sat amidst a pile of readers, eyes wide. Taran and Autumn came running, sluicing to a stop behind Eclipse; they craned their necks around his shoulders. The bibliophile threw up a cautionary hand, pushing his specs back up his beak. “Have I seen you around before?”

The tiny female’s huge ears swiveled of their own accord as she gulped. “Keirala – I know you. You’re Lux’s mate, Eclipse. Sorry—I’m not much of a wave-maker around here.”

Taran tipped her tan head and eyeballed the female. “Oh, I’ve seen her around, Eclipse. Not to worry.”

“Who said I’m worrying, Taran?” Eclipse bent down to Keirala’s level. “Something I can help you with, miss?”

She looked around the pile she’d created and came up with a small reader. “I—ah, this. Yes, this!”

Eclipse examined the proffered reader. “Oh, you want to take it out?” He got a nod. “Well, surely. Go right ahead. Sign it out by the door and don’t forget to return it, ok?”

The dinner plate-size eyes grew wider. “Really?”

Autumn chortled in the background, got elbowed by Taran. Eclipse nodded. “Of course!”

The three of them watched with humor as the tiny creature scrambled up and darted back to the front, clutching her prize. “Isn’t that so sweet?” Autumn cooed, grinning and meandering back to her task.

Eclipse chuckled. “Indeed. Right, ladies, let’s get a move-on.”

Malystryxx immediately knew that something was not right. She banked hard to prevent herself from slamming into the force field edge. What the hell is going on!? she screamed mentally, great black puffs of smoke rolling from her nostrils. A throaty roar burst from her throat, shaking loose rock on nearby caps to tumble in miniature avalanches.

“WHO HAS DARED TRANGRESSED MY LAIR!?”

Copyright 2002, Crystal Shekeira. All Guilders are © themselves. The Gryphon's Guild is trademarked to Tserisa Supalla. All other names, places and events are © MH. Do not alter, copy or distribute.