One down two more Cleft posts in the works.....
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Out Of The Mouth Of Babe's

Reain
******

Her arm hurt. The pain was worse then the beatings she used to get when her
old master was upset over something that had happened and he'd found her
near by.

<Bohoc says we are to go to the med center to have your arm looked at.>
Sylois told her after they were once again flying in a relatively clear space.

<<I'm amazed he cares,>> Reain muttered under her breath, for the man had
been ignoring her every since the day she took his honor from him in front
of the crowd in the dining hall.

Besides she didn't want to leave the fight. Her arm hurt yes.. but there
were so many of the ugly things in the air and she knew every last dragon
was needed to fight them.

<Why do you say that?> the dragon asked her puzzled. <Did he not just save
our lives? I think that proves he cares.>

<<Maybe he just didn't want to lose a good slave until he decides what to do
with me. They don't have to many in the Warren.>> she was still hurting over
his ignoring her. She wished he'd just tell her what her punishment was
going to be and ....

And she didn't know what... She knew she cared for him. a lot. Andahar was
the first man she'd ever thought of like *that* of her own free choice. And
then she had to go and mess everything up because she didn't want him to be
hurt.

<Are we going to the med center?> Sylois asked when her rider had made no
move in that direction.

<<No.. tell him.. tell him I'm fine and wish to stay here with the wing.>>

Sylois thought her rider was being just plain stubborn. Even she could feel
the pain from the wraith burn her rider was feeling and thought she should
go have it dealt with. 

<Bohoc... tell your rider that mind won't go. She wants to stay here and
fight even though she is about to pass out from the pain. Can he not help to
convince her she should go?>

*I will tell him.* the male dragon told the smaller female. Then seconds
later came back and gave her his riders reply.

Which Sylois past on to her rider while thinking the male human smart.

<Bohoc said his rider said to tell you that it is his wish for you to go.

Reain heard her dragons words and dared to look around until she found Bohoc
and his rider. She noticed the hard set of Andahar's face, then his hand
came up and pointed back the way they had come.

His message was clear.

Reain looked away from him and bowed her head submissively then though she
didn't want to, gave the order to Sylois to take them back to the Warren. To
defy him now would be a second blow to his honor and make her even less a
woman in his eyes.

To anger him now would surely make whatever punishment he might decide on
worse for her in the end. For until his honor was restored, she was his to
do with as he chose.

<<Take us to the med center.>>

[Back in Cleft later]

"I don't think it would be a very good idea for me to come to dinner tonight
if Andahar is going to be there," Reain told her friend after the invitation
had been offered. 

"And why not? Andorra asked frowning slightly. She knew this friend of hers
cared for her cousin and knew he cared for her even if he wouldn't admit to
it. she figured having them spend some time together might just be what it
took to make them both realize those feelings.

"He's still not happy with me," Reain said sadly as her hand came up to
touch the white bandage circling her arm. "He hasn't even come to see me
since we got back from the battle to find out how I was."

"But it's Andahar's wish that you be there," Andorra lied skillfully. "It
was he himself who requested that I ask you and your daughter to dine with
us. Did I not tell you that?"

"No... you did not," the girl's breath caught, her heart jumped wondering
for what reason he asked for her.

She turned away so that her friend would not see the fear, mixed with the
excitement she knew she'd never be able to hide.

"Then you will come?"

"If he wishes for me to be there then I must," she replied slowly. 

"Very well we will see you later.

......

"You must be on your best behavior," Reain was telling her daughter later on
as they were making their way to the dinner. "I want you to be a good girl
and mind you manners."

"I will be good mommy," Jaliase promised. She liked the man and wanted him
for a daddy so she would behave and show him she could be good so he would
want her as his daughter.

"I know you will my flower," Reain told her and bent down to make sure her
dress was clean before knocking on the door.

Reain was glad her daughter would be with her this evening, for surely if
Andahar had chosen this night to tell her what he had decided for her
punishment... He wouldn't do anything in front of the child.

Then a fearful thought when through her.

What if he did? What if he chose to  punish her in front of the girl just to
make sure she learned her lesson?

No... Andahar, despite what she had done to him the day in the dining hall,
would never shame her in front of Jaliase. Others yes, she thought he might.
But not in front of her daughter.

Andorra answered the door and ushered them inside, and Reain's heart sank
when the man did little more then nod a greeting to them, though his lips
soften into a smile when his eyes caught sight of her daughter. 

"Please come sit down," Andorra told them. "Dinner is ready."

They sat on the floor as Andorra swiftly and efficiently served up a
sumptuous meal. Andahar again admired her cooking, making a small approving
sound.

Andorra served Andahar first, and they all waited as he tasted his food.
Approving again, he nodded and Andorra quickly served up the other 3 dishes,
first to Reain, then to the little girl, and then for herself. 

The women ate in silence, even Jaliase who wondered if something was wrong
with her mommy. She sure had a funny look on her face when ever she looked
at the man, and she always talked to her during dinners. 

Jaliase liked the man. He had taken her to see the new baby dragons and then
had taken them for a treat. He had even carried her home when her legs got
to tired to walk themselves. She thought he would make a good daddy. She
wanted a daddy. She wanted him.

But mommy wasn't being much help. Jaliase knew her mommy liked him, and she
could see by the looks he was giving mommy that maybe he liked her too. He
kept getting that same funny look on his face that her mommy did.

Maybe she just needed to help them out. Maybe is she asked the man to be her
daddy he would. She'd never had a real daddy. Not like her new friends Demee
and those girls who looked the same did. They had real daddy's so why
shouldn't she find herself one too?

Then the man cleared his throat, "Very good meal, Andorra."

"Yes... the way you spiced it up makes the food taste wonderful," Jaliase
heard her mommy say then figured it was okay for her to talk too since
everyone else was. Maybe now would be a good time to ask her question.

It might be the only way she'd ever get a daddy of her own.

She turned to look at the man and asked, "Are you and my Mommy going to be
mates?"

Silence.

The tension in the air was so thick one could have swam through it. Jaliase
looked from the shocked expression on the mans face, back to her mommy, who
was bowing her head and looking a lot more funny now then before. 

Sort of like she herself did when she was about to get sick.

Was her mommy getting sick?

Reain could have died. She was mortified and wished the grown to open up and
swallow her whole.

She dared to sneak a look at Andahar and wanted to weep when she saw the
thunderous expression on his handsome face.

"Please, I beg you to forgive this child of mine," she said in a soft voice,
her head still bowed because she didn't dare look at him a second time. "She
is young still and doesn't always think before she speaks her mind."

"Sometimes it's the words spoken from the mouths of babe's that are more
honest then those of the older and supposedly wiser adults."

Reain looked up then to caught the headed look Andahar shot at his cousin,
but by the time he looked at her, she had looked away.

She couldn't believe her daughter had asked that question. Not after seeing
the look that had resulted from it in his eyes. 

Why had he wanted her here then if he cared so little for her? Had she been
right in thinking he had meant to tell her of his decision? Was he using
this to show her just how little she meant to him.

"Don't you like my mommy and me?" Jaliase asked him, her big eyes starting
to tear up in rejection. "Or don't you want to be my daddy."

"Jaliase shanat!" /Reain said a little to harshly as she called her daughter
to task. "You mustn't ask questions like that."

"But why mommy?" the little girl didn't know why she was so upset. But her
mommy rarely talked to her in that tone.

"Because..." Reain started to say at the same time Andorra spoke up.

"Because... Adults sometimes act sillier then children and don't always say
what is on their minds," Andorra chided the two of them.

"Silence!" Andahar snapped, shooting his cousin another of his heated looks.

"I'm sorry... I'll take Jaliase home now so she won't disturb..."

"I said *silence* " he snapped a second time. This time his glaze focusing
on Reain. Then his features soften as he turned his eyes to take in the
little girl who looked about ready to cry.

"Come here Jaliase," he called softy and placed her in his lap when she came
around to stand before him.

"I do not know if I am ready to be a father just yet," he told the little
girl. "But if I were I would want a little girl just as sweet as you."

"Really?" Jaliase's tears stopped as she looked up into his kind eyes. 

"Really," he agreed. "But in the mean time I do not see why we can be
friends you and I. Would you like that?"

Jaliase thought abut it for a moment then her lips curved up into a shy
smile. It wouldn't be as good as having a daddy, but maybe if she was really
good then he might want to be her daddy later on.

"Okay," she said at last and wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick
hugs a planted a sloppy kiss on is cheek.

Reain wanted to cry.

Though he hadn't been looking at her when he made the offer to her daughter,
she knew he might as well have been. The daughter he would accept... but he
didn't want her.

She was quiet for the rest of the evening until they finally left to go
home. Andorra tried to get Andahar to walk with them, but Reain had refused
the offer, saying they didn't have far to go.

Andahar didn't say anything, though she kept hoping he would.

She tried not to feel hurt when she laid in her bed after putting Jaliase to
sleep, but she couldn't help it. Visions of the man kept dancing through her
mind. He was so handsome. So strong, and she wanted him like she had never
before wanted any other man.

And she would never have him. He'd made that clear by his words tonight. Oh
why had she stepped between them when they had fought? Why did she have to
forget everything she had been taught while growing up.

If she could just go back to that moment and do it all over again, maybe he
wouldn't be so angry with her? Maybe they would be together right now.

And maybe he would have died on the blade.

No better that she had interfered that day for he was still alive. And where
there was life there was still hope. Somehow she would make him understand
why she had done what she had. Maybe he would even understand. She just had
to find a way to get through to him.

Tomorrow.

=============================  

Nrpg: ... If Andahar was to shy to talk to her or respond to Jaliase's
question... Reain would have taken it that he was still upset with her.. or
just didn't care about her the same way she was being to care for him.

Ain't miscommunication wonderful:)

============================= 

[the day of the mating flight]

Reain was excited.

She'd been hearing all morning about the new band of nomad's who had been
seen coming towards the Warren and in her heart she had hopes that somewhere
in the crown of people she would find one person she might know.

It had been years since she'd been taken in a raid and given to the tribe
leader as a slave, and in all that time she had never given up hope that
someone else from her village had survived.

Despite a few beatings just after she'd been taken, and less in the passing
years. Reain knew she had been lucky with her chosen master. He had treated
her well, and she never went without food or clothing like so many others
who had been unable to adjust to their new lives.

Reain had been such a person, until she found out she was going to have a
baby. then her whole life seemed to change. She was happy for the first time
in her life knowing that she would soon have someone to love. She did what
she was told and became the perfect slave when her master ordered her to do
things. She even willing spread herself beneath him, all in hopes of being
allowed to keep her child.

She even believed he had come to cared something for her so allowed her to
keep the baby girl even after Jaliase was no longer depended on her mother
for the lives food she gave.

But through it all, Reain had never given up the hope that she would one day
find her family. Maybe today would be the day. One could never give up hoping.

With Jaliase clean and in school, Reain went to take care of Sylois. Giving
her dragon a good scrubbing and oiling before she left her to lazy about on
the warm ledge outside of their apartment. then she headed over to the
leather shop to put in a few hours work, while she waited on word of the
caravan's arrival.

She heard the commotion outside and didn't even go to look when her dragon
happily told her abut the mating flight taking place, so she didn't learn
until later who had been involved.

  School was just letting out at the same time she received word that the
Nomad's had arrived and were setting up camp outside the Warren gates.

Reain was in a query wondering what to do. On one hand she knew her daughter
should go with her to meet people of her own kind, but she didn't want the
girl exposed to the treatment she herself might receive once it was learned
that she was a rider of a dragon.

It was then she saw Dan'yar's family. The twins and their older cousin with
small Demee following the older boy out of the school's class room.

It didn't take long to inquire if they would mind watching Jaliase for a
little while and then satisfied that her daughter would be well looked
after, Reain took a deep breath and started towards the gate that hid the
visitors from her view.

She couldn't help but notice the stares from people as she walked among
them, but she didn't let her emotions show. She was getting disappointed
because none of the faces looked even the slightest bit familiar.

Up ahead she saw people gathering around in a circle and wondered why, so
she headed in that direction. When she got closer she could hear a voice
calling out orders and saw several people move away from the circle as if to
do complete the orders they had been given.

That's when she saw him.

It had been years but she would never forget the man.

Inside she felt nervous. Her feet refused to move forward when she told them
too. She was suddenly afraid that he would reject her and send her away.
Fear rooted her to the spot. She couldn't even turn and flee... and that's
when he saw her. 

Rainen had given an order to a young man and when the man didn't immediately
leave to do his bidding, he looked up and then followed the young mans eyes
to see what he was looking at when his eyes fell on the young woman standing
all alone while everyone was rushing past her.

At first he thought his old eyes were playing tricks on him. then slowly
without realizing his body had moved, he found himself standing in front of
her. 

"Is it true? Can this old mans fondest wish finally have come true?", he
whispered softly and saw her nod her head even as his arms moved to pull her
close.

"Dearest niece I had thought you were dead with the rest of them!" her uncle
muttered as he pulled her closer.

Later they were sitting inside his tent. Reain had long since told him of
the events that had taken place up to that point and he had frowned slightly
when she told him that she now lived in the Warren.

"No Uncle. I am not a slave to the dragonriders here," she told him then
went on to explain that she too was a rider of a dragon. "I am free to come
and go as I wish, and to even take my daughter if I chose. I am happy here,"
she told him, not telling him about Andahar.

"A young woman like you needs a man to look after her," he told her. "And I
know of several good men around here who will make you a fine mate."

Reain wanted to argue with him. She wanted to tell him she had already found
a mate, but she knew she would be lying to him and didn't want to do so this
early in their new relationship. There was still time to tell him later on.

It was getting late and she knew she would have to leave soon to get her
daughter and worry about feeding her, but she was loathed to leave her Uncle
now that she had found him again.

But sometimes even the best of intentions get over looked by the unexpected. 

====================== 

Tag Arlene if you want too..... and I promise.. no cracks about sleeping at
the foot of his bed... :)

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

Reain & Sylois
Jaliase
Cleft Warren

aka
Barbara