[piosenniel]

Satisfied at her assignments, she pushed the paper from her and sat back, heels resting on the table edge. The plans and preparations were finally coming together. Barring any problems with the upcoming rescue mission by the hobbits, Kali, and Bird, all should proceed on smoothly to the final rescue. She closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her face.

Her heels hit deck with a sharp thud, pushed off their perch with a sudden impact. She opened her eyes to find Angara sitting on the table, her tail lashing in an angry manner, and one claw piercing the place where Pio had written her name.

'And what if I should decline to be on this ship - or any ship for that matter?!' she hissed, challenging the elf.

Pio looked at her calmly. 'Then I shall simply have to work around you, dragon. Though I am loath to lose such a valuable ally by leaving you on the Star. She bent to the diagram and made to rub out the dragon's name.

'Hold! I did not say I would not do it!' said Angara, placing her talon now against the elf's hand. 'I see your ability for negotiations did not improve in the Halls. You are as arrogant as ever in your decision making!'

Pio laughed and nodded her head in agreement. 'Yes, dear dragon. I can still meet arrogance with arrogance as need be! Now tell me, what has really put your tail in such a twist? Surely not something so simple as this?' She tapped her finger on the diagram and waited.

'I don't like how things are going of late. They seem ill-fated.'

'Things? Ill-fated?' asked the elf, her face a mask of innocence. 'The plan is going well. We are far more ready for this venture than for our ill-fated one in Gondolin. What could you possibly be thinking might go wrong this time.'

'It's not the plan, you thick-headed elf! It's you! You've become addle-brained!' The dragon's tail twitched in irritation.

'Me! Addle-brained!' She could not contain her laughter at this characterization. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she inquired, 'Whatever has brought you to this conclusion?'

The dragon put her face close to Pio's. Small wisps of smoke escaped her nostrils, causing the elf to cough and back away. 'An Elf . . . and a Man! It's unnatural! The mer-man was bad enough, but that only seemed a harmless flirtation on your part. What are you thinking?'

Pio brought her face dangerously close to the dragon, her demeanor quite serious now. 'My thoughts are my own on that subject, Old One! I thank you for your concern, my friend. And I hope that in time it may change. For now, though, I will not be swayed by it.' She sat back and eyed Angara levelly.

A moment passed, the dragon put her claw where her name still stood. 'Alright, I have decided I shall be here!' She hopped off the table, heading for the galley, muttering all the while.

'If he does you ill, I shall simply have to put an end to him!' came to the elf's ears quite distinctly.

Pio watched the retreating tail of the dragon as it disappeared down the steps.

'Unfortunately she probably really means that!', she thought to herself, then put it from her mind.