Okay... I hope I didn't mess it up... I was about to send this post out when
I got Alton's so I had to add other things to it... hope it still works.

Barb who was glad she checked her mail first.

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


*Honor The Fallen*

"Kellie, I'm so happy for you!" said Meena, embracing her patrol partner,
after Kellie and Turner had managed to reach the edge of the area that had
been cleared as a dance floor.

"Thanks!" said Kellie, surprised by the excitement that all of this had
generated. "I'm...overwhelmed!"

Farr'in stepped up to them, and happily clapped his brother on the back.
"Congratulations, Turner," he said.  "I hope that the two will find as much
happiness as Meena and I have."

He turned back to his mate and the smile on his face shown with all the love
and respect he held for the woman who returned his love. Gods she was
lovely, and he a lucky man. 

"I'm betting we will," said Turner, grinning from ear to ear. "Actually, I
was thinking that Kellie and I would slip out right now and get started..."

Just then he looked up and over his mates shoulder he caught sight of their
parents working there way towards the group. And by the look on his mothers
face, Farr'in was sure his little brother was in for it.

This ought to be good.

"Ah-ah," said Farr'in, moving to block Turner's exit.  "Have you two
forgotten something?"

Kellie glanced around her, and then realized what Farr'in was talking about.
"Yes, Turner, we have. Your parents are making their way over here right now."

"You two weren't thinking of just slipping out without giving them a chance
to give you their best wishes, were you?" Meena asked.

Turner's eyes narrowed. He turned to see the knowing grin on his brothers
face and for some reason it reminded him of the times when they were younger
and they were all waiting to find out what kind of punishment one or the
other siblings was going to receive from their mother for something they had
done. "Kellie...did we think to tell my parents about this in advance?"

"Ah, no, we didn't," she admitted. "You think they might have something
other than best wishes to give us?  Like maybe a royal dressing-down for
forgetting to tell them...?"

Meena winced. "Don't you think that might have been a good idea?" she asked.  

"Really," agreed Farr'in, really starting to enjoy the teasing of the two.
He wasn't above rubbing it in. "Granted, they probably suspected that
something like this might be coming, but..."

"Well, I think we did talk about telling them first," Kellie said. "But he
only asked me this morning, you know...and then there was that business with
Triss..."

Turner cleared his throat, and took Kellie by the arm.  "I think it might be
better, not to mention safer, if we met them halfway," he suggested.

"I think that being your mate is going to be not only exciting," said
Kellie, as they made their way through the crowd, "but dangerous."

"Don't be silly Kellie," Meena laughed as she called after them. "After all
Danki will be happy to have yet another daughter-in-law. I'm sure you'll be
fine."

"But will I live to tell about it," Kellie muttered over her shoulder as
Turner pulled her away.

"Should we follow them and run interference?" Meena asked her mate who stood
there grinning.

"Na.. let's wait for a few minutes and let mother have some fun with them
first," his eyes sparkled with mischief. 

"Oh you," she batted his chest but stood there watching as the older woman
and her son finally met up.

Danki was thrilled. She had hoped her sons attachment to this woman would
lead to them becoming mates. She highly approved of the match as Turner had
never shown an interest in to many other women. Not that she had been
worried or anything, but a mother likes to see her children happily paired.
Just as she had been with their father.

But Turner... it was nice to know he had finally found someone who would
stand beside him and not some little dot who would depend on him to make all
the decisions. He had needed someone strong in his live and Kellie who be
there with him every step of the way.

Still, she wasn't above leading them on a bit for not telling her about it
first. It was a mothers *right* to know after all what her children were up
to. Even if they were grown up and living on their own.

As she and Yarik were making their way towards the newly mated pair she saw
their arrival had been noted and stopped. Let them come to her, she grinned
inwardly. It would make it that much more fun to see the two of them squirm.

"Ah.. mother we would have come told you but well...."
Turner started, but Danki didn't reply. She just stood there looking from
one to the other.

"We really were going to tell you but Trevor...we didn't know that wretched
son of mine was going to pull this here tonight and... well..."

"I'm sure you didn't," Danki said slowly, neither smiling or frowning to
change her look. "But I do hope that you know what you're doing agreeing to
be mates with this big lug?"

"Mother..."

"I mean he works all the time and he's never home, and you did think to go
by the med center to talk to the healer about birth control. I'm sure you
wouldn't want any surprises so soon into your *matehood*" she emphasized the
word then went on after seeing Kellie and Turner both blush. "I mean you
young couples today don't always think about things like that, but if you
had come to me first and told me what you were planning on doing then I
could have helped you with all the little things I know you young people
forget about."

"Do you think it's already to late to talk some sense into them. I mean now
that they've gone and told everyone?" Yarik looked at his mate for her
answer. "I mean we could tell everyone that they've changed their minds and
will wait the proper time to court eachother as they should have done before
coming to us and asking."

The older man turned to the blushing Kellie and took her hand. "I know you
don't have anyone here to speak up for you my dear other then your son who
is really much to young still to know what's good for you, so I will offer
to put myself at your disposal if you find you are in need of council. An
adoptive parent if you will."

"Father!" Turner's voice was strained.

"Hush you." Danki chided him and stepped in front of him giving him her back
as she closer to her new daughter-in-law. "Yes my dear. Both of us will
gladly step in and be there if this lug treats you bad. You just let us know
and we'll deal with him."

"Mother!" his tone held a growl of warning now.

"See what I mean," Danki raised her hand up to cover her heart. "See how he
treats his own mother? Not only doesn't he tell her about his plans to ask
this lovely young woman to be his mate, but he growls at me just because I'm
trying to welcome her into the family."

She looked up and saw Kellie was finally figuring out what was going on.

"You may have a point there Danki," the female rider agreed. "If a man can
treat his wonderful mother this way when she's only trying to help, then how
will he treat his mate when she tries to do the same? Hummm... Maybe I had
better rethink this over."

"Yes dear and we'll be here if you need someone to talk too," Yarik said in
a fatherly sort of voice.

Turner had had enough of the teasing. He grabbed his mates wrist and pulled
her away from his mother and father. Then turned to them his eyes flashing. 

"You two. But out! I'm taking my mate home now and ..."

"But Turner If I'm going to think this over, don't you think it would be a
good idea for me to stay....oohhss"

Before she could finish what she was saying Turner gave a swift twist of the
wrist he still held and Kellie found herself bent double and looking at the
floor as she rested on the smiths shoulder where he had thrown her. then she
felt him begin to walk quickly away from the group and call out to his
brother to kindly have Tergath inform Varie that her rider would need a
quick ride up to their apartment and to kindly be waiting outside.

"Put me down!" Kellie choked out between embarrassment and giggles. 

"Not on your live," turner replied as he exited the hall and found the
dragon waiting for them. Instead of putting her down so that she could climb
up on the beast on her own to mount, he climbed up with her still draped
over his shoulder and gave the dragon the command to lift off.

"Fine thing when a persons dragon listens to others," Kellie muttered. 

"Well maybe the dragon knows a good thing when it's offered," Turner replied
sweetly.

Varie landed and Turned dismounted. Stopped long enough to bow to the beast
and tank her for the ride then strode inside the apartment and on into the
bedroom before depositing his mate on the bed.

He joined her quickly. Pinning her under him when she would have tried to
slip off the other side and grinned down into her lovely face as she glared
back up at him.

"Now... where were we before we were interrupted."

"If you think...." she got out before his lips found hers and after a few
seconds she knew he did think... 

And she agreed.

Dan'yar.
*********

The party was lasting longer then he'd have thought and off at the table by
the door, he could see the twins sitting there trying to look as if they
were enjoying themselves.

But he knew then to well by now to be fooled.

Something was wrong and he knew he'd have to find out. 

Heading towards them, he was stopped a couple of times by members of his
wing wanting to know if the new patrol schedules had been decided upon yet.

"No.. Meena and I still have to get together and discuss how to divide the
teams and figure out who's going to pair off with the newest members of our
group. We'll post the results as soon as we know what they are."

He excused himself and this time made it to the girls who looked up when
they saw him. Arly tried to hide a yawn, but then grinning gave up.

"Let's go on home," he chuckled after a yawn of his own. "I think I'm tired
enough to sleep half the day away tomorrow."

"Me too daddy," Leyean muttered as she rose and slipped under the arm her
father held out for her. Arly slipped under the other and the three of them
headed towards the door.

As soon as they made it outside, Dan'yar started to turn towards the
Queenrider apartment where they had been living, but the girls pulled him
the other way.

Towards their first apartment.

He stopped and looked down at them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We voted," Arly told him.

"Yea, voted," her twin muttered sleepily beside her. "And we decided to move
back into our old home."

"Yea... the new place just isn't the same with out Brisse and the baby
living there with us daddy. We miss them."

"Yea daddy. We miss them."

Dan'yar felt pain squeezing his heart. He missed the two of them two and
cursed himself for being so caught up in his own grief that he had failed to
see the girls were hurting too.

He knelt and opened up his arms. Both girls stepped inside of them and the
three of them hugged. 

"I'm sorry girls," he said softly. Tears falling from his eyes as he held
them. "I should have thought.. should have known..."

"It's all right daddy," they both assured him. "We understand.. but do you
think that maybe we could go see her sometime?"

"Yea. We don't want our little brother growing up and not knowing who we
are," the second twin added and made her father laugh.

"I don't see why not," he grinned warmly, liking the idea more and more with
each passing second. It wasn't as if she was gone out of their lives
forever... But would she welcome a visit from them after the way she had left? 
Or maybe he should ask if she'd welcome him.

"Next week Daddy?" Arly who was always the first one to speak up asked.

"Yea it's our birthday and we want to see Brisse and our brother."

"Then next week it shall be," he promised. "But we had better make it the
day before your birthday or your Grandmother will never forgive any of us."

"Okay," both girls agreed looking more happy then he had seen all evening. 

Still later he found he couldn't sleep and after checking in to make sure
the girls were asleep, he went on back to the party. Maybe being around
others would help him keep his mind off of his own loneliness for a while.

He wasn't their long when long when Shinner told him that the Warrenlady was
looking for him.

<She wants to see you right away," the beast told his rider. <Something is
happening and she's upset.>

<<Okay Coppertop, tell her I'll be there just as soon as I can get through
this crowd.>>

He wondered what it could possibly be. After finding out where she was he
went in search and found her with a very muddy C'aranth. 

"You needed me?" he asked, wondering why this man was with her.

"Yes," Cynthia said, "C'aranth saw a force of about 100 armed men moving
toward the warren.  He can tell you where he was when he saw them. I want
you to double the patrols in that area. I want confirmation that they are
there, and I want to give them the impression that we know they are coming."

"Are you sure it's wise to give up the element of surprise like that?"
C'aranth asked.

"I'm hoping that they are counting on surprise.  Maybe if they realize they
can't surprise us they'll turn back."

"We shouldn't have any trouble spotting them," Dan'yar said.

C'aranth shook his head, "They are being very careful to keep from being
spotted from the air."

"Jinam and Matteen!" Cynthia exclaimed.

"What?" Dan'yar asked.

"Don't worry about it.  Just get to my office, I have all the maps that
Trevor has made there.  C'aranth will show you where to add the patrols.
Let's see if we can head this thing off."  

They got the maps and it was a work of only a few minutes before C'aranth
pointed out the location to Dan'yar as to where he saw the troops. Then as
he was about to have Shinner relay to Syren what they now knew, Trevor
walked in. 

"We're to take the maps back and meet her at Jinam's place," Dan'yar watched
as he gathered the paper up and followed behind him even as he was telling
Shinner to inform his Wing Second and Flight leaders to be ready for
something big.

<<Tell them I'll fill them in when I know more, but to be ready.>>

He felt a slight shock when he walked into the room and his eyes caught
sight of Matteen sitting there in the room with the others. 

Seeing him there made him think of Brisse and that the child she had born
had been fathered by this man. 

Brisse may have stuck up for him, but Dan'yar still hadn't gotten over the
way this man had treated his love. But for now he withheld the feelings of
hate that were growing inside him and purposely turned his back on the man
to listen the to discussion going on around him.

When they broke up he went to meet with the men and women he had called
together and explained it all to them.

"Don't confront them, but if you do see them, make sure they know they've
been spotted. Hopefully it'll make them think twice about what their up too."

He looked around the room to make sue they all understood, then gave the
command for them to go to their dragons. Only one he called back. 

He'd been meaning to talk to Katrina for a while now, but there had never
seemed to be enough time.

"You wanted me for something Dan'yar" the ex partner of his sister asked. It
pained him to think of her as being gone but somehow he thought Lenna would
have been happy with what he was going to do.

"Yes Kat.. you know that the Wing here are going to be divided into two
Wings now that we have enough dragon/rider pairs."

"I'd heard rumor of that," she said.

"We'll it's going to happen just as soon as Meena and I can sit down and
discuss it, but before we do I wanted to offer you the position as my Wing
second. I've been watching you for some time now and I think you have what
it takes. So what do you think?"

[Tag Kris B.]

[the next morning]

Dan'yar was just as exhausted as the other riders by the time the sun came
up and they were relieved from their surveillance of the war party. 

"They should if they continue on the way they are going and the Warren is
their target, arrive here sometime around dawn tomorrow, and we'll be ready
for them."

"Good. Not that I hope we have to be but..."

"Believe me I understand. You did warn the tribe camped outside our gates
didn't you?"

"Reain's Uncle's people?" Cynthia could see he hadn't know this fact. "Oh
yes her Uncle is the leader of the tribe currently outside the gates. A fact
she learned herself yesterday, and I'm sure Andahar will have spoken to the
man and let him know what's going on. Apparently this uncle, Rainen has
*given* Reain to Andahar as part of some honor thing they have.."

"He *gave* her to him? But that's..."

"Part of their laws and I have spoken to both Reain and Andahar about it and
they both accept it so what can I do. I've assured the girl that if she
wants out we will back her as she is a dragonrider... but I think she really
loves Andahar and he her.. so unless something happens..."

After his brief report to Cynthia about the progress of the band Dan'yar
excused himself and  went in search of his bed for a few hours of sleep.

Only to be woken by Farr'in and Lonnie some hours later.

"You can be sure the family and others will keep an eye on the man and them
to make sure nothing happens to them," he assured his brother. "Meena and
Demee are family and the girls would kill me if anything happens to them."

"Not to mention what mother would do to us," Lonnie piped in. He knew by the
looks he was getting from Dan'yar that his older brother hadn't been happy
when he hadn't reported in with the rest of the Wing the night before, and
was grateful that he did no more then shoot him dirty looks. 

As drunk as he had been, there had been no way Lonnie could have stayed in
the saddle much else patrol.. But he swore he'd never allow his brother to
find him in fault like that again. 

After the two of them had left Dan'yar decided it was useless to even try to
go back to sleep. As he had a meeting with Meena coming up soon to start
dividing the new Wings, but then Shinner told him that Vonn's rider would be
a little late and maybe he should go ahead and try to get some sleep. 

<You need it my rider and I will let you know when she can make it.>

<<Is she okay?>> He asked the dragon, a little concerned after Farr'in had
filled him in on what had taken place the night before. 

Farr'in had called his brothers together and told them about the meeting
Meena had with her cousin and who the lady's husband was. He wanted to make
sure that eyes he trusted would be watching and making sure his lady love
and their son were protected. 

Lady Amberylle didn't worry him much, but that husband of hers.. He was a
different story. Farr'in didn't much like the cut of his cloth and thought
he would bare some watching.

What good was it to have a large family if you couldn't use them when they
were needed?

[After Farr'in's patrol with Andahar]

<< Afternoon>>

It didn't take long for Farr'in and Andahar to report back to Cynthia what
they had seen in the camp of Lord Vorbis, and then after she told them she
would add what they had told her to the growing list she was putting
together, they bid her good day and left the office.

Once outside the two men split up after making arrangements to meet the next
day and Farr'in went on home. 

Meena was sitting on the couch in their living room when Farr'in came home.
Farr'in smiled at her, "What are you doing here? I figured you'd be plotting
with Dan'yar for when the wing splits?"

Meena stood and moved toward him, "I needed to talk to you?"

Farr'in frowned as he took in the small white bandage on her forehead, "What
happened?"

"I .. fell."

"You fell?" he asked.

She nodded, "And I think I want you to sit down to hear what I have to say."

"Why?" he asked suddenly concerned. "Is something wrong?"

He didn't know why but suddenly he felt afraid. Was she now going to tell
him that they were going to have to move again. Had something happen with
her cousin or the woman's mate while he was gone?

"Farr'in, please sit."

He bit back his concern and moved to sit in a nearby chair, "I'm sitting,
now tell me what's wrong."

"I just figured it would be best for you to be sitting when you hear that
you're going to be a father again .."

He stared back at her in shock. 

"A father?" It took him several seconds to get the words out.

She smiled and nodded.

"You... me... a baby?" he asked dumb struck with awe, never once thinking
this could be what she had wanted to talk to him about. Then as the tension
eased from his body, he felt a joy like he'd never known before and reached
for her. 

To hell with Vonn this one time. Just this one time.

<<Buddy you tell Vonn that I am going to hug her rider and she's not to
worry her scales one bit about it.
Meena just made me the happiest man alive.>>

<We're going to have a hatchling?> Tergath asked excited by the prospect.
<Just like Shinner's rider and Vonn's rider?>

<<Yup.>>

"Gods woman," he sighed deeply as he pulled her unresisting body to his.
"You scared the living day lights out of me when I first came in, But this... "

He pulled back to look at her. Wonder and something else he couldn't explain
lighted in his eyes. 

"You're happy about this...right?" he asked suddenly remembering that a baby
took two.

"Of course I'm happy about the baby you idiot," she laughed. "I was more
worried about you."

"Me huh?" emotions such has he'd never known filled him as their eyes met.
He still found it hard to believe this woman and her child were his to have
and hold now and for always. 

By the Gods how he loved them.

What a gift they were to him. One he would never be worthy of if he lived a
million years.

Then his thoughts turned more serious. He release her and settled with his
back against the sofa.

"Farr'in?"

He looked up at the sound of concern in her voice and took her and in his,
then brought it up to his lips for a brief kiss.

"You will never know how much this means to me love. To find out that you
are carrying *our* child... well it's just to much for me to believe right
now," he smiled warmly. "You have made me the happiest man living today with
this news... But I'm worried how Demee will take it."

"Why he'll be thrilled of course," she assured him. "You've heard him say
that he wanted a bother or sister of his own many times before."

"I know," he agreed. "But I wouldn't want him to think that now that you and
I are going to have a baby that it will mean I love him any less. Demee may
not be my son by birth, but in every other way there could possibly be he
*IS* my son by right of choice, and I want to make sure he understands that."

"Well I'm sure he knows that."

"I would hope so. But I'd still like to make sure he knows that, and that we
should tell him as soon as possible so he doesn't find out from the dragons.
I don't want him thinking we were holding back on telling I'm so I'm going
to have Tergath tell him to come home now."

<<Hear that Buddy?>> he sent the message to the brown. <<Will you tell Demee
that I'm home now and his mother and I have some good news to tell him. And
please... don't tell anyone the what the good news is until we have time to
tell the boy.>>

<Well I guess we can hold off that long,> Tergath replied, still excited by
his human's news. But hurry up. Gossip like this is to fun to keep quiet
about for long.>

Farr'in chuckled and caught the questioning look in his mates beautiful
eyes.  "Tergath said we had better hurry up and tell Demee cause gossip like
this is to good to hold back on for long."

Meena giggled. "They really are terrible gossips aren't they."

A little while later the twins arrived with Demee and were excited as the
told their aunt and Uncle about their trip to see Brisse.

Farr'in hadn't forgotten their birthdays and had been working on new riding
jackets for the both of them. Both had the same design on the back, but he
had been smart in making the colors a different shade, hoping this way it
might be easier to tell them apart. 

He, like most of the others in the Warren still had troubles in that field
as the girls were identical in every way. It was easier to do so when they
began to speak. Not that he could tell a difference in their voices, but he
knew Arly was almost always the first of the two to say anything and Leyean
usually followed after her.

Meena and he both wished them well on their trip and soon were left with
just Demee, who Farr'in picked up and carried back to the couch. Holding him
on his lap, Farr'in told him that they had some good news for him.

Demee, always a sensitive child, wasn't worried because he could see the
smiles on the faces of his mom and dad. 

"What is it?"

"Well..." Farr'in started when Meena looked at him and nodded for him to go
on. "How would you feel about having a new little brother or sister coming
to live with us here."

"One of my very own?" he asked wide eyed at the prospect.

"One of your very own," Meena grinned.

"Is mommy gonna have a baby?" he asked Farr'in.

"Yes she is and we're very excited about it son," he told the boy. 

"you'll still be my daddy right? Even after the baby comes," Demee asked his
grin of a moment ago fading as the news sunk in.

Farr'in had been worried about this. He picked the boy up and placed him n
his lap then wrapped his arms around his small frame.

"Demee I will always be your father. No matter how many babies your mother
has," he tried to assure him. "I want you to believe this son. You and your
mother mean everything to me and just because a new baby is going to be
living with us, my love for you is never going to change. Until you came
into my life I didn't even know I wanted to be any ones daddy.. but you
scamp changed all that and when you wanted me to be your daddy.. well it was
just as wonderful as the day I joined with Tergath."

"Really?" 

"Really. Cross my heart. Now I'm going to be counting on you to help me show
your new brother or sister how things are done. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'll be the best brodder any baby can have," the little boy promised and
then got down off of Farr'in's lap and moved closer to his mother. Looking
up at her for permission, he lowered his head down onto her lap and patted
her stomach gently with his hand.

"You don worry little one... I'm Demee and I'm going to be your brodder....

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

Dan'yar & Shinner
Farr'in & Tergath
Arly & Leyean (the twins) 
Turner (the smith and newly mate of Kellie, Varie's rider
Danki & Yarik (Parents of them all)
Cleft Warren

aka
Barbara