NRPG: I decided to handle the time jump by having T'rell do some reminiscing
while in Triylar just before encountering Jason.  A bit different, but, I
think it works!

I made this a [D/C] post because of the reference to Jhezrael near the end.
Cleft-ites can just scan the first part dealing with T'rell and Jason, or omit
reading it entirely...though why you'd *want* to is beyond me! :)

 * * * * * * *

T'rell
(in Triylar - a couple of days before the end of time-jump)

    T'rell walked into the bar, stopping just inside the threshhold and
glancing about him.  He doubted that he'd find any candidates here...it had
been that sort of day.  He knew that the hatching of Viktroy's and
Kalindreth's eggs could not be far off now, and still his candidate count fell
short of the number he needed.  Oh, there had been some additions to the
trainee count, to be sure...Allora had joined the group, plus the two he and
Fae'Rhee had picked up the day of the party...he still wasn't quite sure that
Big Olaf had been such a good idea, of course...and there had been some
others, picked up here and there in ones and twos.  But not enough to make up
for Kalindreth's unexpectedly large clutch.

     He had to admit that these days, his heart really wasn't in it anymore.
Since the night of the party, when he and Marialla had...gods, it was all he
could do to face her each day!  She had never said a word of blame to him for
what had happened, of course....that just wasn't her way.  But even knowing
that he hadn't been the only one acting strangely that night, even knowing
that something in the coffee had influenced him, he still blamed himself.  He
should have been stronger.  If his beliefs, his principles, were so weak that
some contaminated coffee could cause him to push them aside so easily, then he
knew he wasn't to be trusted around a group of trainees.

     His relations with Jayleigh had remained distant since the morning
following the party.  For his own part, he really didn't know if it was
because he still blamed her for what had happened, or because he was just too
cussed stubborn to admit otherwise.  She'd said little to him since then, even
though it must have been obvious to her that his former zeal in handling the
training duties had flagged noticeably.  But what was he to do?  Hell, if he
couldn't even keep himself on the straight and narrow, who was *he* to be
telling others to do so?

     Since that night, he'd been spending more and more time flitting around
the countryside looking for candidates, and turning more and more of the
training duties over to Ar'Aman.  Ari too had clearly noticed the change in
him, but like the warrenlady had said nothing about it.  The truth was, T'rell
just found that he needed to be away from Daere whenever he could, to avoid
facing his trainees and seeing what he was sure were their accusing stares.

     He'd begun to wonder about his own future.  Clearly, it wouldn't be right
for him to keep his training duties after the upcoming hatchings were over.
Jer'lin, he was sure, didn't want the job back...maybe Ari would agree to take
over permanently.

     And meanwhile, the days and weeks had passed, and T'rell found himself
performing his duties more and more mechanically.  Like now, he realized...the
barroom could be full of candidates, but in his present state he'd likely not
even notice them!  He knew he was wasting his time here, and might as well go.

     He was just turning to head back out the door when he brushed shoulders
with a young man who was entering.   The brief contact made T'rell blink with
surprise...this one had the affinity!  Glad of suddenly having something
useful to do, he waited till the man had ordered his drink and had drained
most of it at a single pull, then walked over to sit down across the table
from him.

     "Buy you another?" he asked, and the man looked up at him in surprise.
After a moment he nodded in response to T'rell's question, and the rider
signalled the bartender to bring out a round.

     "T'rell, isn't it?" the man asked after a moment.  "What can I do for
you?"

     Just then the drinks arrived, and T'rell waited for the bartender to
leave before leaning forward to speak quietly to his new acquaintance.  "Would
you be interested in coming to the warren as a candidate for our hatching?"
  
     The man's eyebrows went up in surprise.  He was silent a moment as he
digested what he'd just heard.  "Sounds like it might be interesting," he
replied.  "But why me?  Plenty of other young people around here."

     "Only certain people have what we call an affinity for dragons," T'rell
explained.  "It's not something that everyone can see, but a few of us can and
at times like this its our task to find people like yourself and invite them
to come to the warren."  He grinned, trying to put the man at ease.  "Of
course, not all parents want their child up and leaving like that.  Speaking
of which, do you need to tell anyone you're leaving?"

     "No, no one," the man replied.  After paying for their drinks, they both
walked out into the street.

     "By the way, I didn't get your name," T'rell observed.

     "It's Jason," the other replied, as they made a quick detour to pick up
some belongings to take with him.

     T'rell nodded.  It was so much easier having a name to work with.  "And
what do you do for a living?"

     "Well...various things, I guess you could say," Jason replied.  "I'm sure
I must have some talents that would be of use to Daere Warren, even if I don't
join."

     "I'm sure you do," T'rell agreed as they reached Flerrion.  Jason and the
dragon exchanged curious stares, but T'rell was glad to see that Jason didn't
seem intimidated by Flen.

     <Of course he isn't,> Flerrion remarked.  <Why would anyone be
intimidated by the friendliest-looking dragon at the warren?>

     T'rell sighed as he gave Jason a boost up into the saddle, deciding not
to venture an answer to Flen's question.  As soon as he'd made sure both of
them were strapped in securely, the crimson dragon leaped skyward.

     "How do you like dragonriding?" he called back to his passenger.

     "Unbelievable!" Jason shouted enthusiastically.

     Despite his overall glum mood, T'rell couldn't help but smile.  It was
seeing people like Jason, Kayla, Marialla, or Allora join that still made this
worthwhile.  

     After warning Jason of his intentions, he gave the order to teleport.
Moments later, they were gliding in for a landing at Daere's green.  Once the
dragon had touched down and folded his wings, T'rell helped Jason to climb
down.   "These dragons are big!" Jason remarked.  "I almost feel like I need a
ladder to get on and off!"

     T'rell smiled as he led Jason over toward the searchling barracks.  "Oh,
Flen isn't nearly as large as some.  Remind me to show you off to Viktroy
later...she's the senior queen here, and has taken a very personal interest in
every new person we've brought into the program lately."  He sighed.  "She
counts very well, too, as she demonstrates every time we go through this."

     Jason chuckled at what appeared to be a joke, but of course it really
wasn't one.  As queens do, Troy was getting more and more demanding of him as
hatching day drew ever closer.  Is this all you brought in, she would ask?
She would, at that point, always recite the number of eggs whose inhabitants
would go riderless if he didn't get on the ball!

     He gave Jason a quick tour of Daere, ending up at the hatching barracks.
Ari was there, having just dismissed the trainees.  T'rell quickly introduced
them.  "Ar'Aman is our other trainer," T'rell explained.  "Listen, I need to
make one more flight.  Can you get Jason settled in so he can start training
with the group tomorrow?"

(Tags to Peter and Michael - have fun!)

* * * * * * * *

(Day of Da'ntray/Vascone's attack)

<< [ The Township of Triylar ]
 
 <*WILDERS ARE ATTACKING TRYLAR!!!!*> Breynath screamed as he and his rider
 Dagion, teleported back into the skies above the Warren. 
 
 Viktroy was in the process of eating the third buck Flerrion had been good
 enough to have brought her that morning, when she first heard the alert.
 Getting up quickly, she hastened to the cave entrance, followed by Kalindeth
 and both Queens began calling for the Wings to report. 

     T'rell and Flerrion were out patrolling with Gamma Wing in the vicinity
of the warren when Troy's warning came through.  *Wilders?* T'rell remarked to
his dragon.  *Been quite awhile since there's been any problem from them!*

     <Well, if they come near the warren they will have to get past *us!*>
Flerrion answered.

     Soon, however, yet another message came through from Troy...wilders were
attacking another town, and Beta Wing had gone out to respond.  That now left
Gamma as the only wing in the vicinity of the warren.  T'rell was surprised,
therefore, when Javangath sent out new instructions to the dragons of Gamma.
<My rider orders that the wing be split so that we may be certain of
intercepting any wilders before they get near the warren.>  The dragon quickly
ran down a roll call of the wings members, assigning 44 dragons and riders
each to the two newly-formed groups.  Both T'rell and Nefiri and their dragons
found themselves assigned to the second group, which would be temporarily
under the command of N'ran and his dragon Tokarith.

     <Tokarith is sending out coordinates for our teleport,> Flerrion reported
as the two groups began to separate, though T'rell could also hear what the
dragon was saying.  *Believing* it was something else.  *Tokarith, these
coordinates are out of communications distance from the warren!* he said.
*Does your rider realize this?*

     <He does,> Tokarith responded.  <The coordinates come from Javangath.
His rider has ordered that we patrol as far out from the warren as possible,
to stop any wilder incursions at the earliest possible moment.>

     T'rell didn't like this one bit.  They *might* stop any wilders farther
from the warren this way...but if worst came to worst and they were needed
back at Daere, he doubted that they'd be close enough to hear any summons.
And, as far as he knew, Javangath's last communication would have led Troy to
believe that they were still patrolling in the immediate vicinity of Daere!
Perhaps he was just being a worrier...but it was with grave misgivings that he
and Flerrion followed the others into teleport.  And it was only as they
arrived at their new patrol sector that he remembered that he, too, could have
warned the Queen of the change if he'd only thought to do it.

* * * * * * * *
(shortly afterward)

   <NO!!!!!! STAY AWAY!!!! MY EGGS!!! LEAVE MY EGGS ALONE!!!!>
 
   Flerrion caught just the barest echo of the Queen's frantic cry.
Startled, he missed a wingbeat and lost his place in formation.  <T'rell!! Did
you hear that?> Flerrion demanded.  <Troy's in danger!!>

     T'rell wasn't sure if he'd heard anything or not...he'd *thought* he
might have heard the Queen's mindvoice, but couldn't be sure.  *Could you make
out what she said?* he asked.

     <It sounded like...she was warning someone away from her eggs,> Flerrion
responded.  <It was so faint that I couldn't be sure.  We must return!>

     T'rell ordered Flen to keep position with the other dragons, though,
while he questioned Tokarith.  But neither he nor any of the others had heard
what Flerrion believed he had.  Then again, because he and the Queen were so
close, it was possible that Flerrion *might* have heard something the others
wouldn't. 

     <My rider says we are to stay in formation, and maintain our patrol in
this sector,> Tokarith told him.

    *Tell your rider that the queens may be in danger!* T'rell snapped.  *We
have to move closer to the warren so we can hear them!* T'rell retorted.

     <My rider says we have our orders from Javangath, and we must follow
them,> Tokarith said.  N'ran was one of the wing's older riders, a very much
by-the-book rider to whom disobeying direct orders - for whatever reason - was
not to be tolerated.

     <Then let *us* go back!> Flerrion pleaded.  <The queens may be in
danger!!>

     <All dragons will maintain posiition,> Tokarith said with an air of
finality.

     T'rell bit his lip with frustration, and gripped the saddle pommel so
hard that his knuckled turned white.  What the hell was N'ran thinking?  Gamma
Wing was all that stood between Daere Warren and anything that might choose to
attack it...if enemies had slipped past them, the gods only knew what might be
happening! Daere would be defenseless!

     The rider took a deep breath.  <Flerrion, are you *sure* that was Viktroy
you heard?> he asked his dragon.

     <Yes, my rider, I am!> Flerrion said resolutely.

     T'rell nodded silently, knowing he was about to take the biggest gamble
of his life.  If he was wrong, what he was about to do could open Daere up to
attack...and could see him warrenless before it was through.  But if he was
right, then Daere was *already* under attack...and there was nothing to lose!!

     *Dragons of Gamma Wing!!* he cried out in his most authoritarian voice.
*Viktroy and Kalindreth are in danger!! The eggs are in danger!!  Who will
follow me to defend them??*

     And with that, he pulled Flerrion out of formation and turned the dragon
back in the direction of Daere.

     <Get back into formation!> Tokarith ordered.  <All dragons will maintain
their position>

     For a long moment there was no reaction from the other dragons...and then
he saw Danavin also peel out of formation.  <My rider says that if the queens
and their eggs are under attack, then that is where we must be!> she called
out.

     The defection of Nefiri and Danavin to T'rell's call was all it took.
One by one the Gamma riders broke formation, lining up behind Flerrion, until
only Tokarith was left.  The dragon was frantically ordering them back into
formation when T'rell gave the coordinates to teleport back to Daere.

(Niki - add whatever you'd like! :)

* * * * * * * *  

 "VASCONE!!! We got to get out of here!! Warren dragons are here!!" a man's
 voice called out  a second time diverting their attentions for the split
 second it took for Da'ntray to find an opening. 
 
 "They'll be a next time bitch and no one will be able to help you then," he
 growled out. She tried to move out of the way of the fist coming her way,
 but her body refused to respond in time and his fist connected with her chin
 sending her to the ground and then all she knew was darkness. 
 
 Da'ntray stood looking down at the fallen women for a minute longer. He
 wanted to just pick her up and take her with him, but knew he wouldn't have
 time to haul her over to Keppo and load her on him before the Warren dragons
 cut off his escape. 
 
 So for now, he'd leave her where she laid, but soon. He'd proven he could
 get back into the Warren anytime he wanted, and the next time, she wouldn't
 be so lucky.
 
 He turned then and raced for his brown. Mounted then gave the order to
 leave. They were gone before the Daere riders could do much damage to the
 retreating Rogues and were gone with the eggs they'd come for.
 
     When Flerrion and the other dragons teleported in over Daere, it was a
scene of pure chaos that met them.  Dragons were launching themselves into the
air from in front of the hatching cavern, teleporting as soon as they had
reached a safe height.  And each of them, T'rell saw, was carrying an egg!!

     *Stop them!* he shouted, directing the warren dragons to the intercept.
But the raid was all but over, and the raiders had escaped...all but one
straggler, whose dragon was still on the ground trying to get a better grip on
a large egg.  Flerrion swooped in right over the rogue, blocking his takeoff.
T'rell undid his straps and leaped, landing on the rogue rider with such force
that he was carried right out of his saddle - he'd been trying to leave in
such a hurry that he hadn't even fastened his own straps!

     Both men staggered to their feet, dazed from the fall,  and T'rell had to
quickly sidestep the man's lunge as the rogue drew his sword and charged at
him.  T'rell drew his own sword, determined to disarm the rogue and take him
prisoner - he was, T'rell suspected, now their only link to whoever had
masterminded this.  While Flerrion continued to block the other dragon's
escape, the rogue again charged at T'rell, aiming a viscious downward slash at
him with the sword.  This time T'rell stuck his foot out and tripped the rogue
as he lurched past, and the man went down.  T'rell stood poised over him,
waiting for him to rise, when he saw the spreading pool of blood beneath the
rogue.

     Damn!  T'rell quickly dropped his sword and turned the man over - he had,
it appeared, fallen in such a way that his own sword had pierced his chest.
>From his own knowledge as a part-time healer, T'rell knew at once that the
wound was fatal.  He propped the rogue up and stared into his eyes - eyes
which were already beginning to turn glassy.

     "Who sent you here, man?" he demanded urgently.  "Where have they taken
the eggs?"

     "Da'n...tray," the man croaked, blood frothing at his lips.
"Jhez..ra...el..."

     And that was it.  The rogue went limp in his arms, accompanied by a cry
of terrible anguish from his dragon.

     *Let him go,* T'rell told Flerrion.  The crimson dragon backed off to
give the other takeoff room, and a moment later he had joined his rider in
death.

     T'rell had no time to puzzle out the man's cryptic last words.  He dashed
into the hatching cavern, Flerrion right behind.  The first sight was that of
Jayleigh lying on the ground unconscious.  T'rell rushed to her side,
whispering urgently at her.  "Jayleigh...Jayliegh!! What happened?"

     She didn't respond, and it was only then that T'rell became aware of the
full extent of the carnage.  Everywhere he looked in the cavern were broken
eggs, the bodies of half-formed dragonets lying pathetically twisted on the
sands.  Nearby, Troy was trying desperately to struggle to her feet and get to
her rider, but there seemed to be something wrong with her....her movements
were so clumsy that he wondered if she'd been drugged.

     Drugged...then he smelled it...the strange, sweet odor that permeated the
entire cavern. *Flen, help the queens out of here....now!* T'rell ordered, as
he lifted Jayleigh in his arms and carried her from the cavern.

     By that time, the other dragons and riders of his flight had landed and
were helping the wounded.  As he watched, the rest of Gamma Wing appeared in
the skies.  Apparently N'ran had reported T'rell's disobedience to
Desr'y...but he seriously doubted that Desr'y would be taking issue with him
right now.

     With the help of a couple of other riders, he managed to get the still
unconscious Jayleigh onto a stretcher and watched as she was carried off to
the med center.  Flerrion, meanwhile, had gotten Troy out of the smoke-filled
cavern and had helped her settle herself nearby.  Despite her condition, she
wouldn't allow herself to be taken far from the remaining eggs.  Flerrion
settled himself down next to the stricken queen, allowing her to lean her
weight against him as he nuzzled her cheek and did his best to comfort her.

     T'rell advised the still-circling dragons of Desr'y's flight to remain
aloft to defend the warren in case of another unexpected attack.  He doubted
that that would happen, though...they'd gotten what they came for.

     As he looked around him, wondering how he could best be of help at this
point, he saw a single dragon teleport into view.  *Who's that?* he asked
Flerrion.

     <Sinia and her rider!> Flerrion cried.  <He is very badly hurt!>

     T'rell needed no prodding.  As soon as the dragon had landed on the
green, T'rell was motioning for her to crouch down so he could get W'roan out
of the saddle.  The young rider had taken a bad scorching, and T'rell wondered
if he would live.  *Tell Ammie to get her rider over here, or one of the other
healers!* he ordered.  They quickly arrived, and bore W'roan off on a
stretcher to the med center.  His dragon, though, was so agitated that T'rell
knew he'd need help in getting her calmed down.  Fortunately, Troy had seen
what was happening even in her dazed state, and knew that at the moment
Sinia's need was as great as her own.  She gently nudged Flerrion away from
her and told him to go and help the frightened young dragon, assuring him that
she would be all right for the short time he was gone.

     After watching Flerrion get Sinia settled down near the med center, he
made his way over to the coal bins where Jer'lin had been directing the
trainees.  He found Marialla there, her face and clothing black with coal
dust...and yet even through all of that she was still beautiful, he thought.

     "T'rell...what happened?" Marialla asked, coming up to stand before him.
"How could rogues get here?  The eggs..."

     Without really thinking about it, T'rell put his arms around her to
comfort her.  "It's all right now,": he told her.  "They're gone...and we're
going to go after them!"

     "I wish I could go too!" she insisted. 

     T'rell didn't say anything, but was secretly glad that Marialla couldn't
go...he knew he'd worry too much about her.  He knew he shouldn't be here with
her, like this...but in the heat of the moment, he found that he just didn't
care and tightened his embrace.  And, for the first time, he found himself
beginning to resent the duties that forced him to keep his distance from
her...

(Tag Dianne - T'rell's not *entirely* over his self recriminations over what
happened at the party, but at least he's taken a step in the right direction -
he's about to realize that he actually *touched* Marialla, and the world
didn't come to an end! :)   

* * * * * * * *

     When Beta Wing returned to the warren, T'rell was waiting at the edge of
the green.  As soon as Ja'ks had climbed down from Sprarroe's saddle, T'rell
hurried over and filled him in on those details that the wingleader hadn't yet
gotten through his dragon.  

     "Somebody has to pay for this!" T'rell told Ja'ks through clenched teeth,
and saw by the deadly look in the other man's eyes that he was in full
agreement.

     "But who did it?" Ja'ks demanded.  "And why didn't Gamma Wing stop them
before they got in here?"

    T'rell sighed.  It wasn't his place to answer for the whereabouts of the
wing - let Desr'y do that.  But the first question he knew he could help on.
"It was Da'ntray!"

     Ja'ks eyes went wide.  "Da'ntray!" he hissed.  "Is my sister all right??
I've got to go to her...gods, Jadain!!"

     Ja'ks broke into a run, T'rell alongside him.  Damn!  Why hadn't *he*
thought to check on Jadain!  "Jayleigh's going to be all right," he said.
"But a *lot* of the eggs were destroyed...and one of Tair'n's riders is in
very bad shape in the med center."

     Ja'ks' face was a mask of fury as the two riders ran with desperate
speed.

     "Ja'ks," he panted, "does the name *Jhezrael* mean anything to you?" he
asked.

(Tag Barb!  Will Jadain be OK?)


Submitted by:

John

T'rell & Flerrion, Daere Warren