>      While Cynthia was finishing her preparations to leave, Trevor wandered
> out into the dragons' part of the cave.  Triss was awake, and gave him her
> usual warm greeting.  [Good morning, my rider!]
>
>      *And a good morning to you too,* he told her, sitting down on the edge
> of the huge bed that Triss and Syren were sharing.  Triss arched her neck and
> brought her head down so that the bridge of her muzzle was resting against
> Trevor's back and shoulders.  She let out a gusty sigh of pleasure as he
> reached behind him to stroke the smooth scales under her jaw.  *We're going
> back to work,* he told her.
>
>      [Work?] she asked curiously.
>
>      *Yes, the mapping flights,* he reminded her.  *Cynthia says we can start
> tomorrow.  Isn't that exciting?*
>
>       [Yes...I suppose so,] she replied, a touch of uncertainty in her
> mindvoice.
>
>      Trevor chuckled.  *You'll like it once you've tried, I promise you.
> Tell you what, I've got some time right now...how about a good oiling?*
>
>      [Oh, yes!!!] she replied happily, giving Trevor a nudge with her nose to
> get him moving.
>

Cynthia emerged from the apartment as Trevor was beginning to apply a
liberal coating of oil to Trissana.  She walked over to him and smiled,
"Getting her ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes," Trevor replied.

She kissed him, "I'll see you later."

"You be careful," he said.

"I will," she replied with a grin.

She walked around to stand in front of Triss and said, "Remember, don't
let him talk you into mapping today.  Tomorrow you can go."

Triss' eyes whirled in ammusement.

*She's laughing at me,* Cynthia sent to Syren.

{Of course,} the queen replied, {By the way, the eggs are coming.}

*Why didn't you tell me?*

{I just did.}

Cynthia sighed and hurried from the apartment.  She quickly crossed the
green and approached the entrance to the Hatching Cavern, where she
slowed.  Some queens were very sensative to quick movements in the
Cavern while their eggs were on the sand.

Cynthia was not surprised to find Madyllin in the Cavern, but she was
surprised to find Lonnie with her.  Based on the way they were dressed,
Cynthia was tempted to draw some conclusions, but refrained.  Cynthia
shuffled her feet through the soft sand, and Mady turned at the sound
behind her.

The smile on Mady's face was contagious, and she said, "I'm glad you're
here.  Aren't they wonderful?"

"They always are," Cynthia replied, "How many?"

"Twelve, I think," Madyllin responded, "She hasn't let me close enough
to count yet."

"They're always a bit over protective of the first clutch.  She'll spend
the next hour arranging them just so on the sand.  Then she'll probably
relax enough to let you count and look them over."

"It looks like a good size for a first clutch," Lonnie added, "Most
queens' first clutches are smaller."

"Now all we need to do is find candidates," Cynthia said with a grin.
She turned to leave, "I should be gone with Lady Amberylle a short
while.  Try not to let anything happen to the Warren while I'm gone this
time."

****
[Upper Green]

By the time Cynthia and Syren arrived, Meena, Lady Amber, Vonn, Katrina
and Azure were already waiting.  Several other dragons and their riders
from Beta wing were in a tight cluster near by.

"Sorry I'm late," Cynthia said with a smile as Syren landed, "I needed
to go check on some eggs."

"We're all ready if you are," Meena said.

"We are," Cynthia replied.

Meena nodded and on a command from Vonn, the dragons launched themselves
into the air.  They formed up into a wedge, with Vonn at the front, and
teleported away from the Warren.

They emerged oer the river and winged their way toward the encampment.
>From a distance they could see a great deal of activity.

*I guess they know about Vorbis,* Cynthia sent to Syren.

{It would seem that way.  Humans put too much stock in leadership, I
think.}

Cynthia laughed in response.

Meena led the dragons into a descending turn as she chose a landing site
just outside the camp.  When they were about 100 feet above the ground,
someone spotted the dragons, and shouts of alarm resounded throughout
the camp.

Several men were waiting with weapons in hand when the dragons landed,
and Amber dismounted from Vonn.

{Darren: Insert one triumphant return from the dead here.}

****
[Dining Hall]

"There has got to be a better way to lay this out," M'yer said.

"I don't think so," P'ker replied, "If that vein of quartz we found runs
all the way from the level of the upper green to the face of the Cleft
it's going to force us to excavate like this."  He tapped the sketch on
the table with his pencil.

M'yer hummed for a moment, "Nikol has a great deal of skill, but even he
would have a hard time blasting through all that quartz.  But I think
there's a better way."  He pushed the map off to one side, revealing a
blank sheet of paper below.  The map slid unnoticed off the table and
floated gently to the floor where it was found by a curious dragon.

On top of the table M'yer began sketching another layout for new
apartments.

  <Ivee, where did you go?> She said looking under the table.

M'yer felt something heavy on his shoulder.  He looked over and was
surprised to see the small head of a small dragon.  "Ivee?" he said, and
thought he saw the dragon smile in return.

 <<I'm over here looking at this map thing with the guys.>>

 <With the guys?!> Ankara looked up, her eyes meeting M'yers, Ivee was
over
by him, her head on his shoulder, and he was looking right at her..
through
her.. and she shivered.

"I'm so sorry she's disturbing you," Ankara stammered.

"She's not disturbing us.  It's not very often anyone is interested in
our planning," he replied with a smile.

"We'll go sit over there, so you can return to work."

"Actually," P'ker said standing up and gather the sketches, "I was just
about to go show these to Nikol.  We really do need his opinion before
beginning the work.  You can take my seat."

"That is not necessary."

"I insist," P'ker said stepping away from the chair and walking across
the dining hall.

{Mike: That's a pseudo tag, BTW.}

Ankara walked around the table and sat in the chair P'ker had just
vacated.  She was aware of Ivee sitting on her haunches behind them,
like a draconic chaperone.  It was slightly unsetteling.

"I want to apologize," M'yer began, but she cut him off with, "What
for?"

"Being so busy lately," M'yer said, "I haven't made the time to be with
you."

"I understand," she replied, although she wasn't sure she did.

"What did you have planned for today?" he asked.

***
[After whatever happens at the late, lamented Vorbis' camp - back at the
warren]


> Madyllin was just leaving the Med Center when she noticed Amber and Cynthia
> returning from their trip to Vorbis's camp. She headed over to make sure Amber
> hadn't overtired herself....and to give herself something else to think about
> besides wraiths.
>
> "Ah, Madyllin, good. I wanted to see you. I need to speak to the riders who went
> to the camp last night - about Vorbis's death. I'd like you to be there, as your first
> act as liason - if Cynthia can spare you?"
>

Cynthia smiled at Amber, "I think I can spare her for a while."  She
turned back to Maddy, "If you're not in the middle of something."

"Now is fine," Maddy replied.

Amber began asking Maddy a question, and Cynthia excused herself.  She
was walking in the direction of her office when Dan'yar fell in beside
her.  "I need to speak with you," he said.

"Ok, what about?"

He filled her in on Trissana's adventure, stressing several times that
all parties involved were going to be fine.  Then he told her about
Trevor's request to train with the wing.

"You're asking my permission to let him?" Cynthia asked.

"Not exactly," he replied, "I've really come to tell you that I'm going
to let him train with the wing, no matter how loud you protest."

"So I should just save my breath?"

"Something like that," Dan'yar responded with a grin.  "The fact is that
Trevor is a dragon rider.  He may have other duties that take
precedence, but and Triss have to know how to fight wraiths.  Today
proved that."

Cynthia sighed deeply, "I suppose you're right.  Add him to the wing
training roster, but don't schedule any patrols for him.  He and Triss
need to start mapping again, and they will."

"Thanks, Cynthia."

NRPG:
It's been way too long, but I think I got most of the tags I needed to
pick up.

Darren: Time to wrap up the Vorbis thing.

John: You've got a new plot line, correct?  I'm ready when you are.

Katrina and Barb: I think the Mady / Lonnie relationship will prove to
be one of the more interesting we've ever had at Cleft.

Dana: Welcome to Cleft.  You may post when ready.

Respectfully submitted,
Warrenlady Cynthia - Cleft Warren
Alton Reich
--
    Alton & Elizabeth Reich
    areich@alum.wpi.edu
"Love is born with solar flares / From two magnetic poles /
It moves toward a higher plane / Where two halves make two wholes"
-- Rush, The Speed of Love



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