(Lonnie)

"Nelar, you okay?" Lonnie asked. He'd seen her land just ahead of 
him and Meritanth, saw her all but stumble as she dismounted form 
her dragon, Novara, but it wasn't until he drew beside her that he 
noticed the tears falling from her eyes. That was when he reached 
out to her.

He felt her start to pull away from him, but he held on and turned 
her around and gathered her in him arms. "Go on... let it out," he 
said softly as his hand started to gently stroke her hair. "It's 
all right Nelar."

"Oh Lonnie," she cried. "That little girl... her mother was killed 
by those who flamed the encampment. What's going to happen to her?"

"The others will look after her, I'm sure," he told her trying to 
sound convincing enough to calm her worries.

"But what if they don't?" she sounded almost angry. "There were so 
many people there who'd been hurt. What if no one has the time to 
look after her needs?"

"The warren will send people to help them," he reminded her. "Maybe, 
you can ask if you can go with them and check up on her."

Nelar's head came up, her eyes meeting his. "Do you really think I 
could?"

"I don't see why not," he grinned.

"Oh Lonnie, thank you," she stood up on tip toes and gave him a 
quick kiss on the cheek, then back away quickly, embarrassed by 
what she had done.

If the kiss shocked the tall rider, he was smart enough not to let 
it show, but took it as a sign of her friendship and trust.

"Why you're more than welcome Nel,"

"Maybe when I do back, I can check out those other dragons that 
Novara told me about."

Lonnie felt himself stiffen. "What other dragons?" he asked his 
voice going suddenly cold.

********
(Dan'yar)

<<Shinner please inform Syren that we are back and to please tell 
her rider that I require a few moments of her time in which to 
make my report. Also Please ask Shaithos to ask his rider to join 
us.>> Dan'yar told the copper-green dragon the minute they landed 
back at Cleft Warren. The Warrenlady and Alpha Wingleader would 
need to know the things he had found out and quickly if they were 
going to be able to do anything about it.

<Would you also like for me to let Tymor's rider that we are 
home?> came the dragon's reply, causing Dan'yar to smile briefly, 
for he had just about to ask that very thing.

<<Reading my mind again, Copper-top?>>

<Don't have to, my human. I know you to well.>

Cynthia and J'errid were both waiting in the Warrenlady's office 
by the time he arrived there, and it didn't take him long to tell 
them the things he had found out about the rouge dragonriders and 
how they had been the ones responsible for flaming the Nomad's 
encampment.

"This isn't the first time," he told them heatedly. "That was the 
reason they came here and kidnapped Brisse and the others. The 
Nomads thought we were the ones stealing their people and cattle. 
So they came here to try to get them back or take revenge for them 
if they couldn't."

Cynthia looked shaken and the Wingleader's face was red with rage.
"How did you find this out?" The Warrenlady asked.

"There was a girl there who spoke as we do," he then went on to 
tell them about the small child who had come up to the new girl in 
his flight, Nelar and how the other woman had stepped forward. "I 
left her with Farr'in when we had to come back and left him with 
orders to make sure she's not harmed in anyway."

"No Warren Rider would harm the girl!" J'errid stormed at him, 
upset that he would even think it possible.

"I'm not talking about our riders," Dan'yar said calmly, as he 
noticed the door opening and saw his love, Brisse stepping into 
the room. "But I had no idea how the others there would react when 
they saw the girl talking to us. I just wanted to keep her safe, 
in case we needed her to answer any more questions. She may know 
where the rouge riders and their dragon are."

He saw the look Cynthia gave him when she noticed the young 
queenrider, and had Shinner tell Syren to pass along to her rider 
that Dan'yar thought Brisse needed to hear this. She needed to 
know why she had been kidnapped and why the other things had 
happened to her. Maybe then she could start to heal inside.

The Warrenlady's expression softened after she received the message 
and then she asked, "Were there many hurt?"

"To many," he informed her. "More than half of the village was 
killed, most of the others all have some kind of injury or another. 
The most serious were brought back here. We may need that rider 
from Keldarra to speak to them when they come to. It might make 
it easier for them to adjust to being here."

"I'll ask him," Cynthia said. "Now is there anything else you need 
to tell us before I send you on home for some rest?" She smiled 
sweetly and Dan'yar knew she meant rest. "I'll be needing you back 
here in the morning," she turned to confirm this with the Alpha 
Wingleader. " To go back over what you've told us so we can try to 
come up with a plan for doing something about it."

"I'll be here," he promised and then offered Brisse his hand, 
wanting her to go with him. Needing to just be with her. At a nod 
from the Warrenlady, Brisse placed her hand in his and the two of 
them left the room.

"Was it bad?" the younger girl asked as they walked away.

"Bad enough," he said not really wanting to tell her about it, 
wanting to spare her that, but he knew she wouldn't thank him if 
he did. So he began to tell her about the scorch marks they had 
seen on the ground. 

"It looked as if some of the dragons were chasing after people on 
the ground trying to run away from them. Using them for some kind 
of sick target practice or something," He frowned as he went on. 
"There were so many lying there injured and bleeding. To tired to 
even run from us when we had landed. It was almost as if they had 
given up, and were accepting that they were about to die."

"But surely when the riders started to help put the fires out they 
had to have known we were friendly," she asked.

"No..." he sighed. "Even then they were wary of us. To much damage 
had been done by then by the rouges, and I don't just mean the fire, 
love. It's going to take a lot of time and work to bring them around 
to trusting us. And even that my not be enough."

He turned to her then, taking both of her hands in his, "Would you 
stay with me tonight," he asked softly and saw the flinch that she 
tried to hide from him. "I just need to hold you, to be able to 
reach out and know that you are there with me. I can wait as long 
as you need for anything else, I'd just like to hold you."

(nrpg: Well Lyn ?)

********

(Farr'in)

Farr'in sat across the small campfire from Sarina. She was stirring 
a pot of stew over the fire and regarded him warily,  Finally he 
looked up at her.

"Sarinia...What can you tell me about the renegades?" He asked 
gently, trying to put her at ease. He knew that she was as scared 
of them as the rest of them were, but she hid it well.

"Come from north.  Raid many villages.  They destroy, steal and 
kill. Very bad."  She replied, deciding to trust him.

"How is it that you know of the renegades and speak the language 
of the raidah?" He asked quietly, looking her in the eye.

She sat quietly for a minute, "Few months ago, renegades take me 
from village.  They kill many in village but take me for slave.  
I learn speak raidah so I not die.  I escape.  Hanan find me."  
She said simply.

"Can you tell me anything about the leader?" He asked, hoping for 
a clue, anything that might tell them who they were dealing with. 
Maybe some rider who'd been kicked out of the Warrens for some 
reason. Or maybe wilders who'd been denied the safety of the 
Warren. There were any possible reason and it would help if they 
had some idea of what they were going up against.

"Leader, very bad.  Want revenge on raidahs." Sarina replied 
thinking back.

"Revenge?  Revenge for what?" Farr'in asked confused. Revenge 
against Cleft Warren? Or one of the other Warrens?

"Know not.  Just know Leader very angry with."

Farr'in sat quietly for a few minutes as he pondered this 
information. Could it be that these renegades think that the 
Dragon Riders have inflicted some wrong against them?  There 
were just too many questions and not enough answers.

"Sarina, can you tell me anything else about the renegades."  
Farr'in asked, hoping to get more information.

"There are many." She answered.

Oh great he thought.  A whole bunch of angry, revenge-seeking
renegades.  Just what we need. "More than we had with us today?"
He asked, not knowing how well she understood number concepts. 

"Not so many... but many," she answered him and then a woman came 
up to the fire with a young child beside her. Both held bowls in 
their hands and in a loud almost angry voice the other woman 
seemed to be ordering the girl to fill their bowls. Sarina did 
so without protest. 

When they were gone and she turned back to him again he said, 
"You don't have to be a slave anymore."

"I have no place to go... here I slave... if I want live," she 
ducked her head and started to turn away from him, ashamed.

He reached out and caught her arm, stopping her turn. "You don't 
have to be a slave. You can come back to the Warren with me ... 
where Raidahs live." he told her. 

"As your slave..." she said bitterly.

"No!" he said heatedly. "You'll be free there. No more serving 
others and jumping when they call. You'll be able to do what you 
want to do, but no more slave."

The wary look was back in her eyes as she looked him over. "You 
speak truth? ... No lie? I be free?"

"You'll be free," he told her. "Think about it, and you can tell 
me want you want to do later before my flight leaves to go back 
to the warren."

"I think," the girl said and then turned back to her pot of stew.

*********
(Lenna)

Lenna was so exhausted by the time Blanchie and Rook dropped her 
and B'rand off on the ledge of her apartment that she didn't even 
try to fight off the arm B'rand threw around her waist to help her 
inside.

He led her back to the bathing room and as he set the water to fill 
the big tub, she began to peel off the soot and ash covered leather 
riding outfit she had on. By the time she was finished and the 
red-head helped her into the tub, she was nearly asleep. 

"Can't rest yet, love," he said as he joined her in the warm water 
and began to run a wet wash cloth over her skin. "We got to get you 
clean first and then I'll tuck you into that nice big bed in the 
other room."

"Only if you're going to join me," she yawned, and tried to help 
him by lifting her arm. "I'll need someone to cuddle up to, to keep 
me warm tonight."

"Oh I don't think I'd say no to that," he chuckled. "Just as long 
as I'm the only one you want to cuddle up to."

"It'd have to be you," she sighed. "Don't love no one else the way 
I love you, so don't want no one else in my bed with me."

"You don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that," he told her 
as he began to rub the shampoo into her hair. "Cause I sort of feel 
the same way."

"Ah!! but will you feel the same way after I beat you in our sword 
fight?" she giggled. "Will you still love me then?"

"Boy you think a lot of yourself, don't you?" he laughed. "Why by 
next week you'll be my slave for the week doing all of those lovely 
things I've been thinking of having you do for me. I tell you what, 
I'm really looking forward to beating you. I've never had a slave 
of my own before."

"Keep on dreaming handsome," she grinned as he tilted her head back 
and poured clean water over her head to rinse off the soap. "I think 
I'll have you start by giving me a back rub. Always did like those."

"Like this?" he asked and she felt his strong figures began to dig 
into the sore muscles of her back and shoulders. His touch was like 
magic, knowing just where to touch her to ease the soreness caused 
by all the hard work she'd had to do today. "How's that feel?' 

"Ask me again in two hours and by then I may still be awake enough 
to tell you," she all but purred. Then she nearly jumped out of her 
skin when she felt a cascade of cold water being poured over the top 
of her head.

"What??? B'rand!!" she sputtered trying to get up out of the tub. 
"That's mean!!" She said turning around in the tub to face him. He 
reach up and caught her arms, pulling her on top of him. 

"Yes if was..." his emerald eyes sparkled with mischief. "But now 
you're awake enough so that I won't have to carry you to bed." 

Their lips met and it didn't take Lenna long to start warming up. 
Until the water drained away around her and her backside cooled off 
real fast.

"Time for sleep beautiful," B'rand said softly, giving her one final 
kiss before rising up out of the tub and picking up two big fluffy 
towels to use in drying them off. "We can play when we wake up in the morning."

"As long as there isn't some kind of an alert," she groaned.

Moments later, they were both under the covers, Lenna's warm body 
pressing tightly against his as he held her. She was already asleep.

*******

(My'kel)

The young man was outside the hatchling barracks, just getting back 
from having been forced into working on the southern gate, when he 
looked up and saw his Uncle Dan'yar coming out of the Warrenlady's 
off. He was about to go up to him and ask about the things he had 
seen in the Nomad encampment, when he happened to see Brisse exit 
the building after him. 

No way now was he going to talk to the man. Not with *her* there 
too. It was bad enough that his mother had yelled at him earlier 
for missing dinner with the family, but there was no way he was 
going to sit there at the table and watch the woman he lo... 
wanted to know better, making eyes at his uncle.

Couldn't she see that he was only using her. Every since Aunt 
Layla had died, the man hadn't even looked at another woman, much 
less slept with one. So why did he have to suddenly remember what 
he was missing with Brisse. If he was getting horny from lack of 
sex, why couldn't he have picked an older woman to do it to.  

Worse yet!! Why was she falling for him lines. My'kel had thought 
her smarted than that. But seeing them together just went to prove 
how wrong he had been about the girl. 

So why couldn't he get her out of his mind? Why was she there 
haunting *his* dreams at night, making sweet love to him? Wasn't 
there anything he could do, tell her that would make her believe 
she was being used? Somehow he would have to come up with 
something. He would do everything he could to see that she didn't 
get hurt when his Uncle was finished with her and dumped her for 
someone new.

Yes that's what he'd do first thing in the morning when he saw her 
at training. Somehow he would make her believe him. Even if his 
Uncle never spoke to him again. That wouldn't matter just as long 
as Brisse didn't get hurt.

And if she did...Well he'd be there to help her over it.

------------------

(Nrpg: Okay I think that catches everyone up for the night... 
Tomorrow Dan'yar and the others parents will be moving to stay 
at Cleft with the rest of the family. All their jobs at Telnor 
are caught up and their going to be setting up shop to take 
orders for saddles for the new riders. They'll even custom 
design them for those of you who have special requirements.... 
Saddle bags... weapon holders....what ever. They'll even show 
you how to take care of you equipment to keep it in good working 
order....

******Submitted by: *******

Barbara (a.k.a.

Dan'yar & Shinner
Lenna & Blanchie
Lonnie & Meritanth
Farr'in & Tergath
My'kel & Voger

Cleft Warren