Dan'yar and Lenna had taken their leave of Lonnie and Maddy after a few
heart wrenching moments and were on their way to the Warren offices now to
see Cynthia. Dan'yar had told Lena he thought it was best that they inform
the Warrenlady now that she was back among them, instead of letting her hear
about it from someone else.

"She is part of the family after all and it would be the only right thing to
do," Dan'yar told her after she had asked him where hey were going.

"Yes... but she's gonna be mad at me," Lenna commented softly. "I was gone
for so long."

"She won't be honey," he stopped and placing his hands on her shoulders
turned her to face him. "She'll be as happy as the rest of us are knowing
that you are live and have returned to us. I promise."

They continued on inside and when they were passing the store rooms a smile
came over Dan'yar's lips.

"Wait here and I'll go get her," he said and saw Lenna's look of confusion.

"If we keep going down the hallway someone will see you and might let out
the news before we can tell Cynthia... this way I can bring her to you and
no one else will be the wiser until after she sees you. Besides..." he
pointed at her son strapped once again in the pack resting on her chest.
"All these new people might scare him until he gets used to them."

"Okay we'll wait," she agreed.

He was back in a few minutes to let her know that the woman they had come to
look for wasn't in her office.

"But Shinner informs me she's in the dining hall so wait here and I'll bring
her back here to see you."

Moments later Dan'yar was in the dining hall and having located the woman
took long strides that brought him to her table where he heard her muttering
to herself. He knew she was worried about Trevor being gone for so long but
maybe this news would ease some of the worry and get her mind on other
things. He stepped inside.

"Even though you're being selfish, do you have a moment?"

Cynthia looked up and saw Dan'yar standing across the table from her. "For
what?"

"I need you to help me discipline a rider for failure to perform her
duties," he replied with a easy shrug of powerful shoulders.

"Something you're not capable of?" she asked suspiciously.

"In this particular case I'm finding it difficult to ... generate the
necessary annoyance." He said in a crypt tone that he knew would arouse her
curiosity, and left it hanging there.

Cynthia sighed and pushed her chair back, "Ok, let's go."

Dan'yar led her across the dining hall and out the door.  He turned and
headed back to the office, but instead of leading her to her office like she
had thought, he led her down a corridor toward the store rooms.

Cynthia began to get suspicious, "Where are we headed?"

"She's right around the corner," he assured her.

Cynthia rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks.  Her eyes widened and
she gasped, "Lenna!"

Lenna's face broke into a rusty smile. Something she hadn't done much of in
a long time. "That's what they tell me."

Cynthia stepped forward and embraced Lenna.

"Remember," Dan'yar said with a huge grin, "You're supposed to
discipline her for not performing her duties for the past year."

Cynthia wiped a tear away from her eye, "Where have you been?  I hate to say
it, but we'd given up hope of ever seeing you again."

"Not all of us," Dan'yar reminded her. "Lonnie never did. He always said she
was alive and that he would know if anything happened to her. He never gave
up on you kid... Said he could feel you in here." He said and pointed at his
heart. "He always knew you'd be back one day."

"Mama..."

Cynthia leaned to the side to look behind Lenna from where the new voice had
come from and upon seeing the small child sitting on a bale of paper, looked
back at Lenna... "Who is this?"

"My son," Lenna replied moving to pick the boy up and then brought him back
so Cynthia could get a better look at the boy.  "His name is Lerand... I
call him Rand."

"But... you..." she started to say but a look from Dan'yar cut her off.
"It's nice to meet you Rand," she said instead of asking the hundreds of
questions she wanted to ask.

"Rand... This is Cynthia... she ride's a big Queen and runs this place...
She's mama's friend."

Rand looked up at the woman and smiled, his big blue eyes that had been a
legacy from his mother's family melding the Warrenlady's heart as fast as
the sun melted ice-cream.

"Mama's friend..." he said and then looked over at Dan'yar. "Who he?"

"He's your Uncle Dan'yar," Cynthia said before Lenna could.

"Unk Danr... Danr!" the boy giggled now that the tension in the room had
fled. He lifted his arms up, indicating that he wanted to go to his Uncle
and after Lenna release him, she and Cynthia found themselves sort of alone
for Dan'yar had taken the boy to the other side of the room to look out the
window at the dragons laying in the sun.

"So are you going to tell me where you've been?" Cynthia asked.

Lenna looked away. She wasn't ready for this yet. Not now, and maybe never. 

"Maybe later," she told her friend, her eyes begging the woman not to ask
about it any more. "Right now I'm tired and want to get my son settled
in..... Does B`rand... Did he find..."

"B`rand is still alone Lenna," Cynthia told her. "He loved you so much he
never even looked at another woman while you were gone. He too believed you
would be home one day... He never gave up. He's not here now..."

"I know... the woman with Lonnie earlier said he had taken my parents to
Telnor for a visit." Lenna told her.

"Then you've met Maddy already," Cynthia smiled. "She's been a jewel since
coming here from Keldarra."

"Yes I met her... I was a bit concerned at first when they told me she was a
Queenrider... I'd thought something had happened to you," the girl said
softly, but with a sad smile.

Cynthia laughed. "I'm not that wild my dear... I leave that kind of trouble
up to you."

"So what's up with her and Lonnie... are they a pair?" Lenna asked, and them
wondered if the girl was good enough for her brother if they were.

"Well we're still waiting to find out that for ourselves," Cynthia told her.
"They seemed to be getting alone right now but... as you know yourself...
things happen."

"She means that there hasn't been any reason to start ducking lately,"
Dan'yar quipped coming back to stand with them. "So far their
relationship... if you want to call it that has been moving along the same
lines as yours and B`rand's did at the start."

"Meaning?" Lenna turned to give her brother a dirty look.

"Meaning that one minute Lonnie wants to kill her and them next the looks he
gives her reminds me of a sick cow in love."

Lena grinned. "Then I'd say my twin has finally fallen in love. I hope she
feels the same way about him."

"Oh I believe she does even if she doesn't know it yet," Dan'yar said.

"Or is willing to admit to it," Cynthia added, then the smile was gone from
her face to be replaced by a look of anticipation, like something in the air
had changed.

"What is it?" Lenna asked, noticing the change as she took her son back from
her brother.

"There's something..." Cynthia frowned for a moment. "I don't know what it
was or is... but I'm getting the feeling like something is about to happen."

"What?" Dan'yar asked, always the Wingleader ready in case of trouble.

Cynthia shook her head clearing it. "It's gone, and I don't for the life of
me know what it was... Maybe nothing. Maybe just the excitement of having
you home Lenna. It is so nice to have you back with us my friend. but you go
on now and get the two of you settled. I'm sure you'll be needing the rest
now before everyone knows you're home and wants to pay a visit."

They embraced again and Dan'yar took her by the arm and led her back down
the hall to the door leading outside on the green.

"Here let me carry him for a while," he said as they came to the door. "It's
been a long while since I've gotten to hold a baby this small."

"Speaking of baby's," Lenna said handing her son to his Uncle. "How are the
twins? I'll bet they've grown."

"A bit to fast I'd say," Dan'yar quipped remembering the rescue from the
other night. "I may as well tell you now since you'll find out soon enough
anyway. I took the girl's with me to Keldarra a few months ago for their
birthday... they wanted to see Brisse..."

"And how is she doing?" Lenna asked, knowing her brother had hated letting
the woman he loved go on to a new life far away from here.

"Okay from what I've seen..." he let it go at that, not wanting to talk
about it just then. "But while we were three... there was a hatching... and
the girls..."

"Their JOINED!!" Lenna nearly shouted, glad she wasn't holding her son at
the moment or she might have dropped him in the excitement.

Dan'yar nodded. "To two twin dragons that are about as hard to tell apart as
the girls are themselves."

"That's wonderful!" Lenna cried and saw her brother frown. "Isn't it?"

"It's frightening!" he told her. "They're only 13 years old!"

"Oh poor Dani!" she chuckled. "It'll be okay... you'll see... you'll live."

"So you say," he grunted and pushed open the door leading onto the green.

"You always did go for the theatrics sis.... But couldn't a day or two have
worked as well to punish us if you were mad at us all... Did you have to
stay away a whole year?" a voice quipped softly and Lenna looked up to see
her brother Farr'in standing there looking to all the world the same strong
stocky man she had known before she'd went... away. Their eyes met. 

"I'll keep that in mind the next time," her voice barley above a whisper was
filled with emotion as she stood there looking at her eldest brother, her
tone carried none of the usual *bite* Lenna had been known for. 

Seconds went by with neither of them moving, not sure what to do, then
finally Farr'in couldn't take it any longer and reached out, took a hold of
her arm and pulled her into his embrace.

"Damn it's good to have you home."

"It's good to *be* home... I've missed you all so much!" For the third time
that day her tears soaked the shirt of a one of her brothers. 

"Only Turner is left," she quipped and pulled away from him.

"Left for what?" Farr'in asked and chuckled when she made a vague wave
towards the wet spot on his shirt. "I'm sure he won't mind any more then the
rest of us."

"Demee told you she was here?" Dan'yar asked, remembering his nephew had
been there when Lenna arrived.

Farr'in nodded with a warm grin meant for his son. "Came home telling us all
about the nice pretty new purple dragon he had met on the green. I knew it
couldn't be anyone else."

His eyes then went to the boy staring back at him from his perch in his
uncle's arms. As he took in the mop of curly red hair and big blue eyes,
questions formed in his mind, but Dan'yar with a quick wave of his head,
stopped what questions Farr'in would have asked, but Lenna saw him eyeing
her son.

"His name is Rand," she told him and moved to stand beside the boy, but
didn't try to take him from his Uncle. "Rand honey... this is Farr'in...
He's another Uncle."

The boy gave the new man a sweet smile as he ducked his head closer to the
chest of the man holding him. 

"Hello Rand," Farr'in said softly. "I see you've already met your cousin
Demee... he's told me about you and can't wait until you're old enough to
play with him."

"Demee?" Lenna looked from one brother to the other. "You mean that little
boy I met when Blanchie and I arrived?"

"He's my son now," Farr'in nodded. "His mother and I are mates with a new
daughter born recently."

"Melenna... The boy said his new sister's name was Melenna," she muttered in
a dazed shock. "You named her..."

"After you yes," he told her. "It was my mate's idea because she knew how
much we were all missing you. Meana is a wonderful person Lenna... I was
very lucky the day she and Demee came into my life. I love them both very much."

"I can't wait to meet the woman who finally captured my big brothers heart,"
Lenna told him with complete sincerity. "She must be one very special woman.
A dragonrider?"

"She's the Beta Wingleader, so you'd better be nice to her when you return
to duty," Dan'yar informed her. "And a very special woman. The whole family
adores them both."

Lenna swayed a bit just then. So much had changed since she'd been gone and
so many new people had come into the lives of those she had loved. It was
all a bit much for her to take in just then.

"Lenna?" Both brothers moved to steady her.

"I'm okay... I really am... it's just that..." she shook her head.

"It's a all a bit to much to take on your first day back..." Dan'yar asked.

She nodded again. "It's not that I'm not glad to see you all so happy... I
really am... but next you'll be telling me that Turner also has a mete and..."

"You remember Kellie? Trevor's mother..." Farr'in started slowly, grinning
when he saw the shocked look come into her eyes.

"Turner and Kellie?" she asked in surprise.

"Yup and besides my daughter, your son will have another cousin to play with
soon after Kellie has her baby."

Before Lenna could make any replies, a oar filled the air and the bowl
around them began to fill up.

"The eggs," Dan'yar remarked and took hold of his sisters arm to begin lead
in her towards the hatching cave. "Their about to hatch."

She let them lead her to the hatching cave, but once there fear filled her
when they started to go inside. To many people. Rand would hate it right
now. He just wasn't used to being around so many people in an enclosed area.

"You two go on inside and find a seat," Farr'in told them when they'd
arrived. "I'm going to go get Meana so she doesn't miss the hatching... you
know how you Wingleader's are about things like this," he grinned knowingly
at his brother, the Alpha Wingleader and took off to collect his mate and
family.

Dan'yar took three steps before he realized that Lenna wasn't beside him.
"Coming?" he asked when he saw she had remained where she was.

She shook her head. "You go on... Rand and I will stay here so he's not
frighten by all the people inside."

"Lenna... you'll be with family..." Dan'yar reminded her holding out his
hand for her to take. She didn't.

"No... I'm not ready yet... She told him. "You go on... I know how you hate
to miss these things... Rand and I will stay right here and watch then go on
home and rest... we'll see you later Dani..... Please!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure... Please just go on... We'll be fine until later," she assured
hi, wanting him to go before the panic brewing inside her erupted. If only
he would leave so she could take her son to a quiet place and regroup her
thinking.

"Okay... But Shinner will be listening for Blanchie if you need anything,"
he finally agreed seeing how distressed she was becoming. "You'll call
promise if you need me."

"I promise, she said moving aside so others wanting to enter the grounds
could get inside. Then she motioned the way inside to her brother. "Go on...
we'll be fine. I'm going to take my son home as soon as it's over so you can
come check up on me there when you're through."

Reluctantly Dan'yar agreed and turned to go inside. Lenna waiting until she
was sure he wouldn't turn back around, then turned herself and headed
outside. While she hated to miss a hatching, just then she hated being
around so many people who she used to know more. She knew if she stayed and
someone saw her, they would feel the need to talk to her and right then the
hatching was more important then a rider who had presumably returned from
the dead.

She's go home, but only after a quick meal. Surely the dining hall would be
open and someone would be cooking food. She'd get a quick bite and then
knowing her mate B`rand the way she did, she'd stop by the stores and lay in
some fresh supplies.

...........  

Dan'yar did stop by after the hatching was over and the newly joined riders
were settled into what was going to be their new homes for the next few days.

"Turner has asked me to ask you," he grinned remembering the many games of
*he said* *she said* games they had played growing up. "If you weren't to
tired, you could come over to his place so he can see that Lonnie, Farr'in
and I weren't hallucinating on some new drug and just dreamed you up. He'd
come up here to see you, but Kellie just got out of the med center not to
long ago and he doesn't want her moving around to much just yet."

Lenna looked up worried, Kellie hurt? She had always liked the woman, even
if she did find it strange that her third brother had formed an attachment
with the older woman. Bu then love was something one didn't question when it
hit. You just went along with it or ended up miserable.

"Was Kellie hurt bad?" she asked moving to get her son ready for the trip.

"It was touch and go for a few days but she came through like a trooper...
though I don't know what Turner or Trevor would have done if things turned
out differently."

"How's Trevor taking their attachment?" she asked with a grin, remembering
the map maker fondly, and wondering if he'd ever gotten his horse back.

"He's all for it," Dan'yar told her as they started moving towards the
dragons ledge. "He's happy that his mom is happy if you know what I mean and
Turner and him get along fine. You ready now?"

"Ready," she murmured. "The things I do for my family... but I'd hate to
have Turner thinking you three were all suffering from the same drug craze.
Let's go."

The flight to the apartment Turner shared with Kellie, rider of Varie went
quickly. Rand never fussed once, but then being accustom to riding a dragon
back since he was old enough to make his first trip, Lenna hadn't been to
worried.

Turner himself was waiting there on the ledge for them when the
copper-green, and purple dragons landed. They embraced quickly and Lenna
laughed when she saw the damp spot on the front of his shirt when they
finally released each other. 

"Now I got to all of you," she quipped more to herself then to the others.
"It's so good to see you bro! I've missed you all."

"Then why'd you stay away so long?" Turner asked and saw Lenna flinch.

"Why don't we all go inside," Dan'yar cut in before Turner could ask another
question. "I'm sure Kellie is waiting to see Lenna just as much as the rest
of us were."

Turner seeing the look his brother shot him stood back and waved them
inside. "Yes she'll likely come out here by herself to see what's taking us
so long if we're much longer."

He led them inside and Lenna saw Kellie sitting up on the long couch in the
living room, but a glance around the room told her the woman wasn't there alone.

A voice confirmed it.

"Hello Lenna....."

[[ Tag John..... anything to say?]]

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

Lenna & Blanchie
Dan'yar & Shinner
Farr'in & Tergath
Turner (Master Smith)
Cleft Warren

Aka
Barbara