Trissana
(afternoon, day 1)

     Once Bohoc had left in response to Ayesha's call, Trissana found herself 
growing bored.  She lay on the ledge for a bit, looking out over the warren.  
Soon, her gaze rested on a spot near the feeding pens, where Bohoc had just 
brought Ayesha a runner.  Watching the queen eat, Triss sighed.  She wasn't 
hungry herself, but missed having some company here on the ledge.  Syren had 
gone to soak in the bathing pool for a bit, so the pearl dragon had the ledge 
to herself.

     [Bohoc, are you almost done down there?] she asked.  

     [Well...not quite,] he admitted.  [Ayesha's hungry, and I need to make 
sure she has enough to eat.]

     [All right...well, as soon as she's finished, *then* are you coming?]

     [Well, unless she wants to cuddle for a bit,] Bohoc said hesitantly, 
clearly torn between what he saw as two conflicting duties (or opportunities, 
depending on how one looked at it).

     [Well, *I* would like to cuddle too!] she reminded him.  

     [Um...well..] came the hesitant response.  [Since Syren's away for a 
bit, perhaps Ayesha would like to come up to your ledge with me for the time 
being.  Then we could all be together!]

     [That will do,] Triss told him graciously, knowing that Bohoc loved 
nothing better than to cuddle with more than one partner at once.  And the 
fact that his partners tended to be much larger than he was didn't seem to 
bother him a bit.

     And so, after a bit, Bohoc landed on the ledge.  Ayesha landed just a 
few wingbeats behind, then busied herself for a moment looking the place over.

     [Very nice,] she concluded when she had finished her examination.  
[Quite roomy, also...though not as elegant as the quarters we had at Keldarra 
Warren.]
She picked a sunny spot on the ledge and lay herself down.  [This ledge has 
quite a good view, though,] she conceded. 

     Bohoc, of course, lost no time in settling himself against the queen's 
side, and coaxed Triss to take up position on his other side.  [Are you happy 
now?] Bohoc asked her.

     [Very,] Triss agreed, nuzzling him fondly.  Out of habit, she pushed 
herself against him, which in turn pressed him against Ayesha.  Finding 
herself dislodged by a few inches from the precise on the ledge that she had 
chosen to sun herself, she snorted and pushed him back against Triss.  

     [Oof!] Bohoc huffed, at the familiar sensation of getting the air pushed 
out of his lungs.  [Ladies, would you mind very much not...]

     [This sort of cuddling is very enjoyable, do you not agree?] Triss 
asked, giving a bit of a push with her hips that pressed the green dragon yet 
more firmly against Ayesha's flank.

     [I do see the attraction,] Ayesha agreed.  [It's sort of....fun, isn't 
it?]  She wriggled yet more tightly against the smaller green dragon, in turn 
wedging him more tightly against Trissana.

     [Mmph...] Bohoc grunted.  [I'm glad I'm so popular, but...]

     [It is *such* a beautiful day,] Triss told Ayesha, as she and the queen 
both nuzzled Bohoc together.

     [Yes, it is,] Ayesha agreed, now getting into the spirit of the joke.  
[And this air here is so nice and dry and warm...it makes one want to take a 
deep breath and just *hold* it, does it not?]  

     [Oh, yes, I quite agree!] said Triss, as she and the queen together 
filled their lungs, pointedly ignoring Bohoc's grumbling.  

     [It would be very nice if *I* could take a deep breath too, you know!  
Or *any* breath, for that matter!] he complained.

     [And listen, the birds are singing,] Triss said, as she and Ayesha 
shared a glance, their eyes twinkling with humor.

(Arlene and/or Katrina, feel free to add! :)

* * * * * * * *
Trevor
(Evening, Day 1 - Hatching party, just before the talk with K'aben)

     After Cynthia was seated at their table, Trevor excused himself for a 
moment and asked Triss to tell Meritanth that he'd like to talk to his rider. 
 Triss responded back a moment later that Meritanth's rider was at the party, 
and would be keeping an eye out for Trevor.

     Before long, he saw Lonnie waving at him, and hurried over to where the 
other rider stood.  

    "Meri said you were looking for me," Lonnie remarked.

     "I was," Trevor agreed.  "I need to talk to you...someplace private?"

     Lonnie nodded, and the two made their way over to one of the exits.  The 
corridor outside was deserted for the moment, providing just the sort of 
privacy Trevor felt that this conversation required.  "I was talking to Lenna 
earlier," he said.  "I know that you've spent time with her too...does she 
seem all right to you?"

     Lonnie's expression turned thoughtful.  "She's been away for awhile," he 
said.  "And gone through who-knows-what?  And don't forget what she went 
through even before she disappeared?"

     "I know," Trevor agreed.  "Maybe that's all it is...maybe..."  He let 
the sentence hang, waiting to see what Lonnie would do with it.

     "We know that she was beaten almost to death by that madman at 
Jhezrael," Lonnie said.  "And, about Blanchie almost dying from being 
poisoned.  Those things in themselves would be enough to change a person."

     "But she's still Lenna," said Trevor.  "Yet...it's almost like...well, 
like she's not..."

     "Other than the fact that you still *look* like the same person who rode 
in here on that skinny nag a little over a year ago, a person who hadn't been 
around you during that time might have trouble believing that *you* were the 
same person."

     "I can't explain it," Trevor told him.  "Cynthia thought she's just 
tired, and I guess that could be it.  It's just that I get this odd feeling 
around here...like she's Lenna, and she's not.  Does that make any sense?"


(Tag Barb))

* * * * * * * *
(Later, after the party

/snip from Alton's post/

They walked past Syren, Bohoc and Trissana cuddling on the ledge.  The
three dragons watched them with brightly colored eyes standing out
against a background of scales.

Trevor led the way inside and Cynthia closed it behind them.  She leaned
against the wall and kicked off her shoes.  She walked across the room
unfastening the buttons at the neck of her dress.  Then she let it
slither down her body to lie in a soft pile on the floor.
/end snip/

     Trevor stood still, gazing at her beautiful body.  He slowly walked over 
to her, ready to take her into his arms.  And then he stopped, remembering 
what had happened last night at the Nomad encampment.  He hesitantly touched 
her shoulder, but otherwise stood there indecisive.

     Cynthia, of course, was quick to notice.  "I generally get a *little* 
more in the way of warm, masculine embraces than this," she pointed out.  
"Trevor, is something wrong?"

     "No...yes...ah, I don't know," he said, disgusted with himself for not 
knowing what to tell her.  Hard as it had been to talk with Triss about this, 
he'd at least known in her case that he was talking to someone who would 
*never* judge him for his actions.  Though Cynthia loved him, he wasn't sure 
just what sort of reaction to expect.  Hell, he still didn't know how he 
should be reacting himself!

     "What is it?" she asked softly.  "If there's something wrong, we can 
deal with it together."

     "I hope so," he told her.  "Cynthia, what would you think if you found 
out that I'd...well, that I'd been...you know, with someone else?"

     Her eyes widened.  Clearly, she hadn't been prepared for *that* 
question!  "Go on," she said.

     "I don't know how it happened," he said, feeling his face flush red.  
"The gods know, it *shouldn't* have happened!!"

     "But it did?" she asked.

     "No," he said, shaking his head vehemently.  "I came to my senses just 
in time.  But it almost happened."

     Cynthia dropped her gaze for a moment and sighed.  "Trevor, we're 
mates...but we both know that this is going to happen from time to time in a 
warren.  If nothing else, it'll happen when Syren or Trissana rise to mate."

     "And our dragons can't win each others' mating flights," he said sadly.

     "No, they can't," she agreed.  "And you were curious about how it would 
be to have...relations...with someone else, since you never had the chance 
before?"

     "That's not it at all," he assured her.  "I really can't imagine loving 
anyone other than you...and I wouldn't ever want to!"

     "Neither would I!" she said.  "But Trevor...just out of curiosity, mind 
you...who was it?"

     Trevor gulped.  "Um...who?"

     Cynthia nodded.  "Yes.  Who is she?  Someone from the warren?  One of 
the Nomads?"

     Trevor could see that, underneath her smile, Cynthia was not taking this 
*quite* as calmly as she was making it seem.  Nor would he have, in her 
position, he knew.

     "It's...well...this might come as a bit of a shock...."

     "It's all right," she assured him.  "Unless you'd really rather not tell 
me."

     "It's not that...," he hedged.  "It's...well, it's someone we both know 
and care about."

     Cynthia's eyes widened.  "Not...Lenna?"

     Trevor's eyes opened even wider.  "Cynthia, would I do that?"

     "I don't know!" she said.  "I would if you'd just tell me!"

     Trevor swallowed hard.  "Andahar."

     Cynthia opened her mouth as if to speak, but for several seconds, 
nothing came out.  "A...andahar?" she asked finally, clearly shocked.

     Trevor nodded miserably.

     The Warrenlady stood up and paced slowly back and forth.  "I don't 
understand this," she said.  "I thought you weren't...I mean, you almost gave 
up Trissana because you didn't want to...to be with another man.  And you 
only participated in her mating flight because you were afraid she'd hurt 
herself or another dragon.  Gods, you cut yourself off from *everyone,* 
including your mother, for years because of what M'del did!  And now you're 
saying that, all of a sudden, you...."

     "Yes," he said with a deep sigh. "And I can NOT explain why, so don't 
even ask!"

     "I don't understand this," she told him.

     "You think I do?" he asked, standing up and walking over to the wall to 
lean against it, facing away from her.  "I *swore* I'd never be like 
M'del...gods, if I were asked to, I'd swear it right now!  I don't feel any 
attraction to Andahar, or any other man...crossjoined or no!  But something 
happened....over there at the Nomad encampment...when I got back from 
locating Arly and Leyean, I went into the tent we were sharing, and all of a 
sudden...something hit me....and the next thing I knew, we were...kissing!"

     "So he came on to you, and you..."

     "No!!!"  Trevor cried.   "I did!!!  Gods help me, I don't know why, but 
I was the one who started it!"

     He turned to face her.  "I don't know why," he repeated.  "I wasn't 
drinking, if that's what you're thinking.  Maybe I *am* going crazy, just 
like M'del."  He clenched his fist, and slapped it into his palm.  "I want 
you, more than anything!" he told her passionately.  "Looking at you drives 
me crazy...with lust, yes, but with love too!  But...after what I did...gods, 
do I even have the right to want you?"

(Tag Alton...what does Cynthia think?)
     

* * * * * * * *
Amar
(later, same evening)

/snip from Barb's post/
Once there Lenna dismounted and walked inside the apartment, on though the
living room and into the bedroom, where she spared a brief glance at her son
to make sure he was still asleep..... then all but fell onto the bed and was
asleep before her head hit the pillow.

>*< Think they suspect anything? >*< 

<*> No but the male bares watching. He seems smarter then the rest and was
able to break through the suggestion I left in his mind. <*>

>*<Yes we will have to watch him for our plan must not fail at any cost >*<

<*> I will not fail... but your plan... is it going well? <*>

>*< The programming is almost compete. She will do what she is told to do
when the time comes. Now give me your report on all you have learned here.
And tell me why you are no closer to fulfilling your assignment then when
you first arrived... Know well our Queen does not accept failure >*<
/end snip/

     Amar acknowledged the other's warning, but was at the same time busy 
absorbing the fact that there *was* another.  The hive-queen's instructions 
had not included working with another of his own kind, nor had she warned him 
that another such as he existed.  However, as he absorbed the details from 
the other wraithspawn's mind, he began to get a clearer picture.

     The other wraithspawn...whose name was Xaxan...had been intended for the 
role Amar himself now played here at the warren.  However, Xaxan, whose 
existence predated that of Amar by some time, had been judged imperfect by 
the hive-queen and relegated to a lesser assignment.  Just what this 
assignment was, or how it interlocked with Amar's own, he did not know.  He 
assumed that, if he needed to know, he would be told.  As far as he could 
tell, Xaxan was much like himself, but had much more difficulty in changing 
hosts than did Amar himself...and it was nearly impossible for him to leave a 
host unaware of his presence once he'd departed, as Amar did so easily.  
However, unlike Amar, he was not subject to those frustrating involuntary 
transfers which had so balked his efforts to sow mischief and dissent through 
the Warrenlady and junior queenrider.

     <*> You are entrusted with carrying this information to the queen?<*> 
Amar asked.

     >*< I am >*< Xaxan replied.  >*<This human possesses a dragon, and a 
means to travel anywhere we need her to go.  This is more efficient than 
using a wraith to carry information to and from the hive, as was the original 
plan.>*<

    Amar had doubts about how Xaxan would fulfill this part of his duties.  
<*> What about this human's dragon?  You do not control the one called 
Blanchie, do you?<*>

     >*<The dragon is of no concern,>*< Xaxan replied succinctly.

     Amar was not too certain of that.  His experiences with the dragons 
Trissana and Bohoc had taught him that these creatures needed to be handled 
as carefully as did their human riders.  But, that was Xaxan's worry.  Amar 
need only worry about his own mission.  If the older, imperfect wraithspawn 
was lost, it would be of no great consequence - unless of course, the manner 
of such loss compromised his own mission.

     <*> You now know what I have learned,<*> Amar said.  <*>Convey this to 
the hive queen, and inform me if there are new instructions.<*>

(Barb, back to you!)

* * * * * * * *
Feysal
(Morning, Day 2)

     It had been a difficult morning for Feysal.  He'd wanted to go and visit 
Saleh in the med center, but had been prevented by a couple of stern-faced 
orderlies who informed him in no uncertain terms that he was not on their 
list of approved visitors.  Seething with fury, Feysal had nonetheless 
contained himself...if he'd learned one thing here at Cleft, it was that 
taking on such long odds generally tended to get one beaten up, regardless of 
the righteousness of one's position.  So he'd left without a word, trying to 
figure a way to get in and see his love.  He was *sure* she both needed and 
wanted to see him!

    His first thought had been to use the window, but it was unfortunately 
blocked by a hatchling dragon who'd showed no inclination to move, even after 
Falorin had explained to her just who Feysal was.  The dragon - Falorin said 
her name was Mystarria - had replied that her rider was sleeping, and she 
wasn't about to let just any old human in to see her...at least, not until 
Saleh awakened and said it was all right.  

     So, he'd been passing some time by giving Falorin a good oiling, while 
in the meantime having Falorin check with Mystarria every few minutes to see 
if Saleh had awakened yet.  He hadn't been at it long when suddenly Isara 
came running up.  The sight of her tear-stained face momentarily pushed his 
current problem from his mind.

     "What is it?" he demanded, leaping up and taking her into his arms.  
"What is wrong?"

     "New queenrider...Madyllin...tells me I must leave warren!  Tells me 
that...I am of no use here!"

     "Does Warrenlady Cynthia know of this?" he demanded.

     "I do not know," Isara sobbed.

     Feysal took Isara by the hand.  "We will deal with this...now!" he said. 
 No one got away with insulting a member of his tribe...queenrider or no!!

/snip from Katrina's post/
"YOU, Queenrider!"

Maddy/Amar turned in shock at being so rudely addressed. The speaker was
another one of those savages - flanked by Isara. Maddy peered at the
little man. Ah, Feysal, that was his name - another one of Khazeen's
lost. "Were you addressing me?"

"Yes. You make Isara cry.  She is queenrider.  You bitch.  You need say 
sorry."

"How DARE you, you ignorant savage? You cannot speak to me that way!" 
With all the force her right arm could muster - and despite Amar's
belated attempt to stop the action - Maddy slapped Feysal across the
face.  

They both reeled and Amar swore.
/end snip/


     Feysal/Amar put a hand to his burning cheek where Maddy had slapped him. 
 He glared at the queenrider, who looked to be having difficulty in standing 
at the moment also.  Feysal's hot Nomad blood was boiling...he was a Nomad 
Warrior...and incidentally a dragonrider..and no woman had the right to treat 
him in such a fashion, queen-rider, or no!  He clenched his fist and raised 
his arm as if to strike.

     But Amar checked his action.  The last thing the wraithspawn wanted or 
need was to have this host body locked up in a cell somewhere from which he 
could neither fulfill use the Nomad to fulfill his mission, nor conveniently 
switch to another host.  Besides, he might be able to get back to Queenrider 
Madyllin later, to work more mayhem through her...but he couldn't if she was 
confined to the med center with a broken jaw.  

     He fluidly moved through Feysal's mind, assuming a stronger degree of 
control...not enough that the young Nomad's memory would be blanked out for 
this time, but just enough to restrain his actions.  Looking neither at 
Madyllin nor at Isara, Feysal turned and strode off without a word.

     Amar was thinking fast...this host, while not having the ability to 
cause havoc in the same way that Cynthia or Madyllin could, might be just as 
useful in certain respects.  He was, if nothing else, expendable...or would 
be, as soon as the minimum amount of time had passed and Amar was able to 
leave at will.  

     Feysal/Amar grinned, as he walked past the reclining form of the dragon. 
 [Hey, aren't you going to finish oiling me?] Falorin asked.

     *Later,* Feysal told him brusquely.  *I have things to do.*

     If asked, Feysal would not have known exactly what it was that he needed 
to do.  But Amar did, of course.  And using this expendable tool, the 
wraithspawn intended to do quite a lot...

NRPG: Okay, I have a bit of planning to do, and then we'll learn what new 
mischief Falorin/Amar can get into!

Submitted by:

John

Trevor & Trissana
Kellie & Varie
Feysal & Falorin

Cleft Warren

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