Debts Of Honor

They left Andorra near her own apartment and went to find her daughter. When
the little girl saw who her mommy was with, she left her friends willingly
and ran into the arms Andahar held out to her. 

Reain wanted to cry when she saw the joy in both the eyes of her daughter
and the man who held her.

"Come Buena," Andahar told her. "We have news to tell you when we get home."

It was then the little girl noticed that they were not heading towards the
home she shared with her mommy and Sylois and commented on it.

"This is not my home," she told him. "This is where you live."

 "This is where you will be living from now on," he told her as they entered
the apartment and he took her on inside letting Reain to follow on her own. 

Raine felt left out as Andahar sat down on a pile of firs and settled the
little girl in his lap.

"Do you think you would like to come here. To live with me?" he asked her,
then finally turned back to notice Reain standing there. "I am thirsty.
There is drink in kitchen. Bring one for the both of us."

Jasi waited until her mommy went into the other room, then turned back to
Andahar.

"Do you mean it?" she asked him, her eyes round with excitement. Was she
going to get a daddy after all?

"I would not say so if it was not true," he told her. "How would you like it
if I was to become your father?"

Her answer was to wrap her hands around his neck and drop tiny kisses on his
cheek. 

"Oh I'll be the best daughter and I will love you lots and lots.!!"

"I take it this meets with your approval?" he laughed.

"Oh yes! Oh yes!"

Reain stood there in the door way between the two rooms with two glasses in
her hands. She was happy for her daughter but couldn't help feeling left
out. Again Andahar had shown her that he would accept her daughter and for
that she was grateful.

But later when he carried the sleeping girl to bed, she waited for him to
order her to follow him back to his room. to his bed. But instead he stood
there looking at her then bid them goodnight and wondered into his room alone.

Rainen
*******
[the next morning soon after breakfast]

"My Lord.. there is a woman outside who asks to see you. they say she is the
Chief of those who live inside the stone walls and rider dragons." Dojhan
told his chief then bowed low waiting for the man's answer.

Rainen knew of this woman. The young man who had taken his niece had told
him of the one who ruled here, and at first Rainen had been shocked to find
out the rumors of a woman ruling were true.

"Bid her enter," he told the young man who'd come to announce this woman
chief. "And have my woman prepare a tray so that we may refresh ourselves
while we talk."

Cynthia entered. Rainen offered her a seat on a pile of firs across from him
and he wondered if the woman knew of the honor he was bestowing on her by
allowing her to sit with him as an equal. Which he admitted being the ruler
of the Dragonriders...she was. 

Introductions were made and they began a round of small take while she asked
him about his people. Then the food was brought in and after more small take
Cynthia hesitated before bring up the rumor she had heard that morning from
her dragon.

"I have heard... that one of my riders has turned out to be your niece?" she
started slowly. 

"Yes Reain.. my own dear sisters child." He beamed proudly. "I was very
pleased to find that the child still lived. I had thought her dead these
long years."

"So glad that you have *given* her to a man as his property?"

"It is our way," he told her. "My niece, much loved as she is had broken a
law dear to us and must pay for crimes against this man. As it is she must
be dear to him if he had chosen to take her as his chunor. He would have
been within his right to beat her if he had chosen too."

Cynthia sighed. "Rainen, I greatly respect the customs of your people.
However, your niece is a resident of Cleft Warren, and a dragonrider. In our
society, one person cannot own another."

"She may live inside your stone walls, but she is a nomad woman. She
understands her place and has accepted her punishment. To us there is no
worse thing a person might do then take away a man's honor. Reain broke that
law. From her own mouth I heard her confession. I did only what I could to
restore the honor of two tribes."

"And her dragon?" Cynthia asked.  "Any decision you make for Reain affects
Sylois equally."

Rainen knew nothing about dragons. Nor the bond that developed between the
human and beast at hatching. He cared only that he had found a good match
for the girl and a father for her child. She would be taken care of now.

"Andahar of Anavasha is honorable man. He will provide well for my niece, be
good father to her child which he has claimed for his own. By accepting her
as his chunor, he brings peace between two tribes. Is this not and
acceptable reason."

Cynthia shook her head. "Rainen, have you forgotten that a price was paid by
Cleft Warren for Reain and her daughter?  She is part of our people now, and
lives under our laws...as does Andahar of Anavasha."

"I know not of this price paid," he said sadly. "She was thought to be dead
all these years since our camp was raided. But is not the price paid to
bring her here to be dragonrider, the same as price paid to give man back
his honor?"

"Not if Reain would rather make her own choice in a mate," Cynthia countered
and saw him nod his head. "No one should be forced to belong to someone for
any other reason then they want to be together."

"Maybe then you should ask them if they want this union between the two of
them," the older man's eyes twinkled with the secret he held. A Secret he
would share with this woman chief. "I believe he cares for her. Taking her
as chunor is one way to save face and claim that which he could not claim
another way. I also believe she cares for him. So should we not let them
find out what is in their hearts and all be happy?"

They talked about it a while longer then about the reason Rainen's people
came to the Warren. Cynthia told him his people were welcome inside the
stone walls to meet people and trade, but once inside they would have to
follow the laws of the dragonriders, just as her people would have to follow
the laws of the Nomads.

"Acceptable trade," Rainen nodded his head. "Now maybe you could tell about
this tribe of people who number many who have taken up camp in our lands?"



Reain
******

It was going on lunch time when Sylois told her rider that she was being
summoned to the Warrenlady's office.

<Bohoc's rider is to come with you," the beast told her and Reain wondered
what the meeting was all about.

Reain waited for Andahar to enter the  office then followed him inside and
stood behind him until he motioned her to take the second seat.

This move didn't go unnoticed by Cynthia who frowned slightly and cleared
her throat before speaking.

"It has come to my attention that.. how can I put this," she muttered, her
frown deepening. "That Reain here was *given* to you by her Uncle... to
settle a debt of Honor."

She stared at the two of them, noticing the girls head had remain bowed the
whole time and the young man's face flushed as he took a sideways glance at
the girl beside him. But neither spoke up to confirm or deny it.

"Now I know you may do things like that in your tribes but it is not the
Warren ways.. here Reain is a free woman and can decide if she wants to be
your *mate* or not.... "  

Reain looks up just as Andahar was about to respond. The woman was being
kind she knew. Just as the rider who had paid  for her and brought her here
in the first place, but they didn't understand how things where. "Oh no my
Lady... I am fine with the way things are. Andahar is a good man and I am a
very lucky woman that he wants me."

"But what of you Reain?" the woman asked, their eyes meeting and Reain was
unable to look away. "What do you want?"

"I want what I have," the girl replied and out of the corner of her eyes she
saw Andahar turn to look at her. Her eyes shifted sides ways to meet his,
and she couldn't help but notice the movement of his hands as he signed for
her to be silent.

But Cynthia wasn't finished with her yet. 

"But a joining of two people should be because it's wanted by both parties.
Not because one was given to the other to satisfy a debt. Reain you don't
have to do this if it's not want you really want."

"It is between the two of us and no one else," Andahar spoke up. "Who are
you to say that this is not 'wanted' by both of us?  What do you know of
Nomad traditions?!"

"Is it?" Cynthia asked looking at one then the other while waiting for an
answer. 

"Yes M'lady," Reain said softly. "I will do as my Uncle as ordered not just
because I have been order to do so, but because I care... for this man."

"And what of you Andahar? Do you too care for this woman you have taken on?"

Andahar glare at the warren lady darkly. "This is between me and Reain. Your
warren customs are not ours."

"But you forget," Cynthia glared back at him. "You now live in this Warren
and as Dragonriders you must abide by both laws."

"I will care for her as I need to care for her.  She is mine. But it is YOU
who forgets!  You are here in Nomad lands!  Do you abide by OUR laws?"

Reain spoke up again even though she knew Andahar would not be pleased by
her forgetting her place. 

"M'lady please.. I am happy. Please do not interfere. It is our way." She
had what she wanted. Maybe not the way she had dreamed, but she was happy
that Andahar had accepted her even after what she had done. She was very
lucky indeed.

"Andahar is a good and kind man and I could do no better for a father for my
daughter. He is kind to us both."

Andahar looked at Reain, his anger slowly turned to appreciation.  He nodded
to her, his eyes softening.

Cynthia watched them both and couldn't help see how much they truly did care
for each other. Trevor was right, But she had, had to make sure.

More softly he spoke again to Cynthia, "By our laws Reain is now part of my
tribe. She and her daughter. I will care for them as best I can."

"Very well. I will not interfere if this is what you both agree upon, but if
you should ever change your mind Reain...."

"I won't," the girl said softly, her heart filled with happiness at his words.

Andahar's eyes hardened again at Cynthia's suggestion, and couldn't help
saying, "And if Trevor wishes to leave you..."

[TAG Alton :)]

They left the office, Reain following the proper distance behind him as they
walked away. She knew he might be a little upset with her for speaking her
mind when he had signed for her to be quiet, but she couldn't seem to stop
herself. She hadn't wanted him to get into trouble with their new leader
over this. 

"Andahar...please forgive me..." she started to say, then had to stop
quickly when he did and turned to face her.

"It has been settled and we will speak no more about it," he told her. "You
will go to your old home now to finish packing. Then bring the rest of your
possession to my home. I'm sure Andorra will be happy to show you how I like
things done. I will be home later." 

She looked up at him. "Where are you going?" she asked without thinking and
forgetting her new place.

"It is not for you to question me if I decide to do something," he reminded
her, but his tone was not harsh. 

"I am sorry," she darned a small smile. "I will do better in the future to
remember my place."

He looked back at her, the left side of his mouth pulled upwards in a grin
even as he was trying for a scowl.

"Humph," was all he said before the were interrupted.

"Good morning Reain," the stocky riding partner of her new master greeted
her with a slight bow. 

Reain nodded back to him. 

"Time for our patrol buddy," Farr'in looked from one to the other not
knowing what was going on but thought better then to ask. "We need to be going."

"Was just coming to meet with you," Andahar told him. 

Without a second glance at Reain, Andahar started walking away to meet up
where the two dragons were waiting for their riders. 

Farr'in
********

There patrol led them all over the lands they were both beginning to know so
well by now. But there was one place Farr'in wanted to see.

The encampment where this Lord Vorbis and his followers were staying. Just
to check them out and see what their numbers were really like. 

Farr'in hadn't liked the things he had been hearing about the man, and
wanted to find out what he could before the man ran into Meena. 

It didn't take them long to find the camp and land. Farr'in couldn't help
notice that not many of the people around gave the dragons more then a
passing glance as they dismounted and went in search of someone who could
tell them anything.

After a while they both decided that the trip had been a waste of time, as
no one would give them any more then the tripe they had been hearing
already, and Farr'in noticed that Andahar was starting to drawl a little to
much attention from some of the on looker's. 

"Time to leave," he told his partner, who hadn't missed the attention he was
receiving.

"Why? Did we not come to learn something?" he said, not afraid of having
people stare at him. 

"We can't learn any more here today and if we stay there might be trouble,"
Farr'in told him and started walking back towards his dragon. 

"I am not afraid," Andahar bristled and saw the rider beside him grin.

"I never said you were. But sometimes even the wisest fighter knows when it
is best to withdrawal and fight another day when there is a better reason.
With nothing to prove, there is no reason to fight."

Farr'in saw the mans body relax just as they were coming up to their
dragons. They mounted and decided it was time to head back tot he Warren and
report what they had learned. Or in fact didn't learn.

Reain
******

Reain felt the happiness of a minute before slip away as he turned his back
on her and walked away without a word of farewell.
 
Her heart felt heavy as she remembered his caring words to the Warrenlady
and wondered if they were only words to fool the woman so she wouldn't
question them anymore.

Had he meant of them?

Slowly she turned and wondered back to her old apartment to begin work
cleaning it up. They didn't have that many things and most of them she had
already taken to his home the night before, but Reain stalled for time. She
just couldn't face going back there right now and wait alone until her
daughter came home from the school.

She knew it was something she was going to have to get used to, when she
wasn't required to fly her own patrols. But the thought still didn't make
her any happier.

One thing she thought of that didn't make her happy. She would have to
discuss it with him, but wondered if he would allow her to continue working
a few hours a week in the leather shop for she found that she really enjoyed
making things.

Finally she knew she could stay there no longer, and packed her few
remaining items on her dragons saddle then the two of them flew down to
there new home.

Once there she was in a query.

While Andahar had taken her as his chunor... He had still made no move to
take from her what by law was now his to take. She had slept in with Jasi
last night when he had finally told her to go to bed, and he had yet to tell
her anything different so she went ahead and unpacked her belongings in the
room she thought he meant for her to share with Jasi.

Why, she wondered did he claim her if he didn't mean to..? she blushed
looking though the door into his bedroom and seeing the big wide bed he
slept in. A bed big enough for...

For something she wouldn't learn about for he didn't want her. Maybe he had
other reasons to claim her when her uncle offered her up to him. Her Uncle
was a powerful man judging by the many people who followed him. Maybe and
alliance  bring their two tribes together was what Andahar was after and
only accepted her to...

No.. she wouldn't believe it. Not after he had been so kind to her daughter
last night. Not after he had told the girl that she was now his daughter and
then the two of them had talked for a while before Jasi had fallen asleep in
his arms. 

But he had never told her to put her things in his bedroom, so what else
could she think?

Andorra came by later and showed her around the place. Showed her how
Andahar liked his food cooked and cloths cleaned and then after her next
lesson in dragonrider tongue, the other girl left. Then it was time to pick
up her daughter from the school.

Jasi was excited when her new daddy came home. she left him alone just long
enough for him to take a shower and then sat next to him during dinner,
which Reain served and waited for his approval.

Still later she laid awake in her lonely bed after he had made no move to
stop her from following her daughter to bed. Tears filled her eyes as she
thought about how unworthy she was. She must be for him not to want her the
same way she longed for him. 

It was nearly morning when she finally slept. This after swearing that even
if he didn't want her, she would serve him well and then maybe one day.....

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

Reain & Sylois
Farr'in & Tergath
Cleft Warren

aka
Barbara