[Day 5 - Evening]

Cynthia waited in her apartment for the return of the group that
returned to the caves.  She tried hard to remain calm, but found it
impossible.  She would sit for a few minutes, and then get up, walk out
on Syren's ledge and scan the skies.  Seeing nothing, she would return
to her half of the apartment and sit back down.

The cycle repeated itself a few times before Syren saw her approach and
thought, <Please stop.  You're making me dizzy.>

Cynthia looked at the platinum queen and thought, *I'm sorry, for some
reason I just can't sit still in there.*

<Then stay out here.  Bring out the chair if you'd like.  Just stop
wandering in and out like that.>

*Ok,* Cynthia said sitting down and leaning against Syren, *anything to
pacify you, dearest.*

<Thank you.>

They sat together and waited as the sun began to sink in the west.  They
heard the watch dragon roar his customary challenge and they both looked
toward where he was perched on the highest point in Cleft Warren.

<They are back,> Syren informed Cynthia.

*Are they all ok?*

<C'aranth is injured,> Syren said and then her tone became darker,
<although, perhaps he deserves worse.>

*What happened?* Cynthia asked.

<I don't want to dignify it by even describing the event.>

Cynthia tunrned toward Syren and regarded her for a long moment.  Then
she shrugged and thought, *Then I'll go see Dan'yar and find out what
happened.*

***
[Upper green]

S'lomon slid the unconcoius C'aranth rather unceremoniously to the
ground with and audible thump.  He knelt down by the wounded man and
checked his pulse.

He then looked up at Trevor, who was dismounting, and said, "I trust you
tried to keep him out of trouble?"

"We tried," Trevor replied, "but he was much too intent on getting into
trouble for us to stop him."

S'lomon quickly examined C'aranth, mentally cataloging the wounds the
man had suffered.  "If these don't get infected, then he'll probably
live.  At least until the next time."

"Is he going to keep doing things like this?" Trevor asked.

"I'm afraid so.  I can keep putting his body back together, but I can't
do much about his mind."

Another healer came over with a canvas stretcher.  It was placed on the
ground next to C'aranth, and he was pulled on to it.  In a moment
C'aranth was whisked away to the med center.

Cynthia walked up the paht to the upper green and approached the group
of riders.  Trevor exchanged a smile with her, but she walked over to
Dan'yar.

"Dan'yar, what happened?" Cynthia asked.

"We met with highly organized resistance," he replied.  Dan'yar
described the events in detail.  "In the end we saw 3 dragons with
riders and 6 wilders that were working with them.  The woman that
wounded C'aranth wasn't a nomad, and I don't think was with Roland's
Rogues."

"I'll ask H'riol about her.  Could there be a second group of rogues out
there?"  Cynthia asked.

"I think there is, and from their actions so far, they seem much more
hostile toward us than Roland's group," Dan'yar replied.

"Until we determine what is happening, I want you to increase the number
of patrols that we're sending out.  I want to reduce the chances of
another surprise."

"I understand," Dan'yar nodded.

Above them, another dragon appeared in the sky over Cleft.  Dotarth
decended rapidly and landed on the ground a short distance from the
group of riders.  M'yer dismounted and ran over.  "She's been
kidnapped," he said slightly out of breath.

"Who's been kidnapped?" Cynthia asked.

"Ankara," he explained, "We were looking for pigments for her to use on
her weaving.  We were at an oasis when a dragon swooped out of the sky
and carried her off.  By the time I got to Dotarth, she had already
teleported."

"What did the dragon she was carried off by look like?" Trevor asked.

"It was a light yellow color."

"Damn," Dan'yar swore, "She certainly keeps busy."

"And she could be anywhere," Cynthia said.

"Perhaps," Trevor replied walking over to Trissanna and pulling out a
map, "but I'd guess that if she was near this oasis, it was because she
was heading back home.  After the confrontation with us, she and her
dragon were probably both tired."

Cynthia ran her hand through her hair, "I don't think it's wise to fight
a pitched battle in the dark, however scouting might be easier now.  Our
scouts would be hard to spot, and camp fires would be easy to see. 
Dan'yar select three pairs of riders and have them check this out.  Make
it clear that they are to scout only, and report back anything they
find."

Dan'yar nodded, and turned to M'yer, "We'll find her."

***
[Day 6 - Morning]

<My rider, you need to see this.>

Cynthia rolled over and looked out the window at the hint of pink
lightening the sky, *What is it that I need to see right now.*

<There's something wrong with the hatching cavern.>

*It can't wait a few hours?*

<No, it can't.>

Cynthia yawned and then carefully got out of bed without disturbing
Trevor.  She pulled on some clothes and walked out into the cool morning
air.  She walked past Trissanna sleeping out on the ledge and down the
short flight of stairs to the lower green.  A few minutes later she was
standing next to Syren on the warm sands of the hatching cavern.

*What seems to be the problem?*

<That has to go,> Syren throught indicating a large rocky outcropping at
the back of the cavern.

*It's a chunk of rock.  It isn't going anywhere.*

<I don't like the way it looks.  I'm not laying my eggs until it's
gone.>

*It looks like rock.  In fact it looks like all the other rock around
here,* Cynthia thought with a hint of exasperation, *Why is that chunk
of rock a problem?*

<Because it is.>

*You can't be reasoned with, can you?*

<Probably not.>

Cynthia sighed, *I'll go see Seth and we'll see what we can do.*

NRPG:
Mike: See above.  One grumpy queen in need of Nikol's services.

John and Barb: Please provide me with some clue so I can assist you.

Lyn: Cynthia will question H'riol about the woman.  I leave it up to you
as to how cooperative he is.  Also, when will he be departing from
Cleft?  Cynthia told him that he's free to go when he's better, and he's
been in the med center a while.

Darren: I'm assuming that C'aranth doesn't talk to S'lomon until the
morning of Day 6.  Cynthia will probably go see him after she is
finished with H'riol.

Gabrielle:  We'll have to work our a rescue.  Barb and John can give you
any information on Ankara's captors that you might need.

I think that's all for now.

Respectfully submitted,
Warrenlady Cynthia - Cleft Warren
Alton Reich
-- 
			Alton & Elizabeth Reich
			  alton.reich@snet.net
"Dreams are sometimes catching / Desire goes to my head /
 Love responds to your invitation / Love responds to imagination /
 Respond, Vibrate, Feed Back, Resonate" -- Rush, Chain Lightning