"What?" she asked, annoyed. "Croc' asked us to hack into this system. It's just a test, Canthyi. Relax." Canthyi frowned.

"Way to boost my assurance." Canthyi looked around the Healer Hall anxiously. It had been around two Turns since she'd been in this particular one, and she was in no hurry to stay.

"It'll be fine!" Helia assured her, and continued to bang away happily at the keyboard.

"Of course," Canthyi added, glaring at the younger girl, "you're making enough noise to wake the dead!"

"You're the one talking," Helia retorted, shaking her head so her curly black hair bounced around to emphasize her words. Canthyi sulkily dropped back into silence, watching Helia work. Helia was pretty good at her craft, and the only ComputerSmith in the Reptile gang. Which was why the more cautious Canthyi - or Salamandar, depending on how well you knew her - was with her. "Sal', look at these figures. They can't be spending this much on medicines!" Helia clucked her tongue, but quickly moved to shut down the computer after printing out the sheets that were needed. Canthyi grabbed them out of the printer, and started to shuffle through them as they left the same way they had come in. Through a window. It was second nature to be cat-silent on the missions, and the voice - practically booming compared to their previous whispers - startled them both.

"That's an odd way to exit the buildling. And obviously there wouldn't be any healers up at this time if you were looking for medical attention." Canthyi was about to let "It's really been _fine_, Alli," but managed to contain herself as Helia widened her eyes innocently.

"Us, sir?" she asked, tilting her head upwards to empasize the difference between their sizes. The man snorted.

"Yes, you. There isn't anyone else crawling out of windows at this time of night." Helia and Canthyi exchanged glances, both settling into an old routine.

"Really, sir? Our friends, they do it all the time." The man didn't look convinced or even befuddled. Canthyi sighed. "Who are you, sir?" she asked, eyeing his knots - or lack thereof, really.

"S'yl, a Finder for Lantessama Island." The man shared their disbelief at the others' lack of recognition at anything the other said.

"Sir, maybe you need to go into the Hall.. they do have things for those with hallucinations," Canthyi assured him dryly, practiced eye skimming his face. He looked normal - like he was healthy.

"Canthyi, he's a dragonrider, idiot!" Helia hissed, nudging Canthyi in the side. Canthyi scowled down at her "partner."

"Helia..!" she hissed back, but making sure Helia noted her lack of resorting to physical injury. To the girls' suprise, S'yl merely smiled.

"Of course I'm a dragonrider," he said with maddening loftiness, and the girls forgot their squabble to turn to the rider. "And my dragon here, Aviath, recommends you coming to Lantessama. To Bond. Or whatever you call it here."

"Impress?" Helia offered, and S'yl shrugged.

"Whatever," he said dismissively with a wave of his hand.

"But we can't leave. Remember, Alli'?" Canthyi swatted Helia on the shoulder. "Alli', be reasonable!"

"Canthyi!" Helia whined back, tossing her head and acting just in that way that infuriated Canthyi. "Sal', you know they wouldn't mind.. not that much!"

"You're the only ComputerSmith they have, Alli'! And I'm one of the better Healers." Helia shrugged at that, and as S'yl coughed diplomatically, they turned identical glares on him.

"Who? They may be just as.. Searchable as you are, and then they can all be Searched, or whatever, and then the problem's solved." Helia and Canthyi broke in laughter, forgetting all pretense of secrecy. "What?" S'yl asked, annoyed.

"We, dragonrider, are no more than common thieves. What do you think we were doing? Getting numbweed?" Helia asked, while Canthyi brandished the printer pages at him. She pulled them out of S'yl's grasp at the last moment.

"Then Time it back or something," he suggested. "And not to mention being a dragonrider would be lots better than mucking around in the streets 'round here. Wherever here is.." he added, looking around in starlit night.

"Kelvar," Canthyi told him automatically, and shrugged. "Technically," she said thoughtfully, "we do have to go with you, as we both told you we were gangmembers, have been involved in crime and whatnot, etc., etc. So to make sure you won't tell anyone, we'd have to go with you." Helia nodded.

"It's part of the code. And it's getting to be winter now - or it will be - and it gets cold 'round here. I'm sure Lantessama will be better for me.. I do get those awful colds in winter.." Helia coughed weakly a few times, and S'yl grinned.

"Glad you accept. Aviath's this way." S'yl paused a moment. "What are your names? Helia and Canthyi?" Helia shrugged.

"That'll work. As will any variation on -" Canthyi slapped her hand on Helia's mouth, and Helia glared.

"Helia and Canthyi is fine," Canthyi said acidly, glaring right back at Helia. "We're at your service, rider S'yl."

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