**By Order Of The Queen**

<*> If his plan fails you know what you must do, <*> 

The Wraith Queen had left Xaxan in no doubt as to her meaning. Even knowing
it could mean the end of his own existence, he knew he would carry out her
order. When the end came he would prove to all who had thought him
defective, that they had been wrong about him from the start. 

He might not have Amar's ability to switch bodies, but he didn't need too.
To much chance for failure that way. Better to deal with only one of the
scum and know what was going to happen next. Amar's way was too sloppy.

Looking out at the crown gathered below their hiding space, Xaxan knew he
was right, for even now when the two sides should have been going at
eachother, battling until the last scum human was standing, they were just
standing there... Granted both sides had weapons drawn and one spare might
cause the stress level to rise far enough that one side or the other might
make a move to attack, but Xaxan knew the reason the fight hadn't started yet. 

Amar had failed. The two factions weren't at war. Something had gone wrong.
Just the way he had failed in his quest to kill off the human woman who led
the dragons, Amar had failed in his quest to get the two sides to attack
each other.

It would be up to him now to finish the job for his Queen. He would do what
was required and come home the hero. 

He backed away from his audience with his Queen and as soon as the human
form he was possessing entered the heat of the day outside of the cave, he
had her mount her dragon and fly back to the Warren and the trouble that
awaited them. 

He arrived just in time as the two sides on the field seem to be relaxing as
if things had become settled between them. Xaxan knew he had only moments to
do what he had to do. He ordered the human to have the dragon land but even
before they could, Xaxan could *feel* Amar was near. On the ride over Xaxan
had a few moments to think and hadn't liked what he had realized. With the
death of the Woman who stood in their way, so too would come the death of
his host and he figured that if it was his time to die then he didn't see
any reason why Amar should live. This whole mess was Amar's fault anyway.

He had the human land the beast near where Amar was hiding and might have
gloated when their skin touched and the dizziness came over them both. 

<* What in the hell are you doing!! *> the Amar entity shouted, for he had
been about to strike. <* You've ruined everything up!! *>

<** I've ruined nothing, **> Xaxan said calmly. <** Our Queen knows you have
failed in your duty to her and the hive so she issued new orders that is
all. You are to accompany my human and I to put an end to the Woman who
stands in our way. It's only a slight variance of your order. It will be
completed but a different way. Together we will kill the human bitch and our
Queen will then be victorious. **>

<* You will pay for this! *> Amar swore, knowing the outdated Wraith whom he
now shared a body with had set this up somehow. The older version never had
forgiven the fact that the Queen had lost faith in his ability to complete
the plan, thus had created himself, Amar to do what the older version could
never do. The plans failing had nothing to do with himself... Somehow Xaxan
had engineered it to work out this way in the end.

<** We'll both pay for it in the end if we do not do what we were ordered to
do, **> Xaxan mused bitterly. <** Now... before anyone notices us there...
let us finish our assignment... the woman must die if our Queen is to live
to see victory. **>

Moments later, covered as she was in the off white robe some of the
traveling nomads preferred, Lenna was able to move in close to the center of
the commotion before anyone noticed her, and by the time she was near enough
to Cynthia it was to late for anyone to stop her.

Cynthia saw her first, but it took her a moment to register what was
happening. As if in slow motion, the Warrenlady saw her old friend throw off
the Nomad robe and saw the girls hand moving towards the hilt of the sword
attached to her belt, and was just able to shout out a warning before the
sword was drawn and barely was Cynthia able to bring up her staff to ward
off the first strike.

"Lenna stop!" Cynthia tried to reason with her, bring in their past
relationship to make her see what she was doing was wrong. "Fight them
Lenna... You have to fight this thing inside of you! You can't let it win..."

"This weak human can not fight us! No more then the rest of you will be able
to once we defeat you who is the only thing standing in our way. We're to
strong!" a voice that sounded only faintly like Lenna's
called out as it advanced towards Cynthia at an alarmingly quick rate. "Once
you're dead we will take back what is rightfully ours!!" 

The Warrenlady stood her ground until she knew it was to late. Then she
moved her quarterstaff out in front of her and clamped both hands down and
the hard wood while one leg moved behind the other in a defensive stance.  

Xaxan/Amar/Lenna's (X/A/L) attack came quickly. They were done talking.
Cynthia soon discovered that no matter how good she was with her staff, it
was no good against the sword expertly weld by the hand of the other woman.
Reason had failed.

Still Cynthia held back. She only defended herself, never attacking for she
didn't want to be responsible for the death of another member of this
family. But Lenna was giving her no choice as she came on, pressing Cynthia
back with each stroke of the sword in her hand.

Like a mad woman... or one possessed...

"Lenna fight it!!" Cynthia called out, trying to get to the mind of the girl
she knew was still alive somewhere deep inside the body controlled by the
demon entity. "Fight it!! You have to be stronger then it is!!"

But Lenna came at her again and again until Cynthia finally saw and opening
and dropped down to one knee sweeping the staff and coming into contact with
the back of Lenna's legs sending the girl to her feet. Cynthia knew the blow
wouldn't stop her and knew she had to abandoned the staff before Lenna could
find her feet again, then drew her own sword... She didn't have any choice
in the matter now. 

She barely got her own sword out of it's holder in time to block the blade
arching in a wide swing towards the skin of her neck. As quick as her stroke
had been blocked, Lenna/Amar/Xaxan regrouped and sent another parry out that
was again matched. 

The crowd around them began to close in, their intent was to stop Lenna from
killing the Warrenlady or possible being killed herself, but with the speed
in which the swords were flying back and forth it was nearly impossible for
anyone to get close enough to try and stop it.

"OHOO!" a cry when up. First blood had been drawn. A rivulet of red appeared
on Lenna's left arm where a rent in her shirtsleeve showed Cynthia's sword
had met its mark. But it didn't even phase her for a moment. The hand
holding the sword came up and swept downward in a full arch that was
intended to get by the area where Cynthia had dropped her guard, but Lenna
either wasn't fast enough, or Cynthia had been shamming her in.

The stroke was easily parried and then followed up by a wild slashing attack
meant to drive Lenna backwards in defense, but somehow Lenna held her
ground. Her next strike drew blood as her blade scored a hit to the sword
hand of the Warrenlady causing Cynthia to drop her sword even as Lenna
followed it up with a vicious sweep kick that knocked Cynthia's legs out
from under her.

A loud gasp escaped from the crowd, and those around them looked on in
horror, but non could get close enough to help their Warrenlady as Lenna
moved in for the kill.

"You fought well," came the taunt from the entity even as the sword in it's
hand was being raised for the killing blow. "But now you will die." And the
sword began it's downward arch... 

"ARRGGG!!" Lenna/Xaxan/Amar cried out in pain and frustration as something
smashed against the hand guard of the sword causing their aim to falter and
fly from her hands. Her eyes were black with fury as she quickly turned to
find the figure of a tall nomad standing there as the crowd parted around him. 

"You and your kind are finished here!" Andahar shouted for all to hear. One
hand still brandished his long sword while the other one, the one he had
thrown to thaw the Hellspawns killing stroke laid on the ground not far from
Xaxan/Lenna. "We know you now. You can hurt us no longer!"

Lenna only laughed as anger, hurt and disbelief coursed through the two
inhabiting her body. 

"You are weak! Nothings! You will be the ones to die here today humans!" The
L/X/A being yelled in anger and then tried to make a run for it, but the
crown, not hampered by the sharp edge of her blade were quick to move in,
denying her escape.

Someone... raised a knife to kill the demon, but a voice called out **DON'T
KILL HER!!** as someone was pushing their way through the crowd. Seconds
later the crowd near where they were holding the struggling body of the
possessed Lenna parted to reveal a harried looking Trevor and behind him was
one of the healers carrying a small bag. 

"Let us through!" Trevor pushed aside a man standing in his way and pulled
the healer after him. "Give it to her now!" he ordered the man and with a
hand motioned for three of the men standing there to help hold the girl still.

"What the hell!" Dan'yar, who had been with his wing arrived just in time to
see the healer with a large needle in his hand kneeling beside his sister
and tried to go help her but others moved to take hold of him when Trevor
shouted out an order to keep him away. Then seconds later as others held him
back, witnessed the struggles dissipate until Lenna laid still as if sleeping.

"Damn you! If you've hurt her!!" Dan'yar's threat hung in the air as he
faced a tired looking map maker. Even Lonnie who had left his play in the
Wing to stand beside Trevor looked tired, but the eyes that met his dared
him to go further. 

"We did what we had to, to save her life Dani," Lonnie told him, praying
he'd understand. His blue eyes promised to explain things later when this
was all over.

"Instead of threatening him Dan'yar you should be thanking him for saving
her life!" Cynthia snapped as she stood there allowing on of the nomad
healers to take a look at the wound caused by Lenna's sword. Then the
Warrenlady's eyes looked around until the landed on the back of the tall
Nomad male who was talking with Chief Raiden. "Just as I intend to thank
Andahar for saving mine"

Briefly she explained what had happen while he was gone, and then Trevor and
Lonnie took turns explain what they had found when they had gone after Lenna.

"I knew I had to find her before anything happened," he explained, moving
closer to his mate who was being seen to by a nomad healing woman. "I knew
if I could get here and use the drug on her... well... We couldn't find her
until just a bit ago when Triss was finally able to get a *Ping* on her.
That's why we came back." he looked back to where others were placing the
still body of Lenna on a stretcher for transport back to the medical center.
"We'll keep her drugged until we can figure out how to help her.

As soon as her arm had been seen too, Cynthia thanked the woman then turned
back to the others. "I don't think we should rest yet... I feel more trouble
on the way... Someone or something was at work to get us all here.. and I
don't think whoever or whatever is going to just go away. Dan'yar, you and
Katrina are to keep your wings on alert for the time being... I don't like
the sound of what Lonnie and Trevor found in that cave. Who knows where the
damn things are not or how soon they'll strike."

Dan'yar nodded in agreement and then bowled slightly to her before moving
off to rejoin Shinner and the rest of Alpha Wing. As soon as he got there he
began shouting orders for a watch guard to be set up, and he could tell
Katrina was doing the same with Beta Wing.

Chief Raiden was asking Andahar to explain something as Cynthia and Trevor
approached them. 

"Has Andahar filled you in on what we think has taken place Chief Raiden?"
Cynthia asked with a brief nod to the tall Nomad who had saved her live.

"Nephew of my heart, Andahar, Chief of Anavasha, has spoken to me of cause
of trouble," Raiden said sadly. "This humble male asks forgiveness from
woman who rules Dragons... for doubting the promises made to my people for
peace between us."

"None is needed Chief Raiden," Cynthia assured him. "Our peoples too were
led astray and deceived by this entity of hate. Which is the reason our two
peoples now need to join and prepare to fight together."

Raiden looked around. Though the words spoken by the Woman who ruled the
dragonrider's made sense to him, he was not sure the other chief's of his
people would agree.

"I will speak to the others," he agreed. Then thought of the beloved niece
who was dead to him now. Was this entity then responsible for her actions as
he had been told? Could then not she be... No... the words had been spoken.
Such could not be any different once the holy men had spoken. Reain... was
still dead to him and her people. "I will make them see we need to fight
beside you so that more of our people do not have to die."

Cynthia nodded, knowing when not to press the matter any further. But
wondered if they were out of time.

Cynthia made one final suggestion. She turned back to the chief. "We need to
make sure your people are somewhere safe when the battle starts. Get your
women and children inside the stone houses and they will be... The
Dragonriders will have less to worry about if they don't have to protect the
tents you're people are in now."

Raiden began shouting orders that were barely heard above the panicky cries
of the people around them, but hearing his voice calmed many of his followers. 

"Go to the stone tents!!" he told them, searching the crowds for his wife
and daughter. "Go and you will live!! Stay and you will die!"

***********  

[an hour later.....maybe more.]

"Trevor went with Lenna to make sure she's okay for now. He'll stay long
enough to make sure they know how to keep her sleep and then get on doing
what he needs to do, so I'm ready to take my place in the Wing," Lonnie told
his older brother when the orders had all been given out and the Wing riders
were leaving to take up their assigned position around the Warren. 

Dan'yar reached out and clasp his brother on the arm, about to reply, but
before he could get a word out, a dragon appeared in the skies above them
and Shinner informed his rider that the new dragon was Seabrone from Telnor,
with his parents.

<<Tell him to land here near us,>> Dani told the copper-green dragon and
then waited for them to land, wishing their timing had been a bit better. He
didn't want to have to be the one to tell them what was going on. Nor did he
want to have to tell them of Lenna's return after all this time... Or that
she had tried to kill Cynthia because of the thing inside her.

But he knew he would have to be the one who did so.

"Lonnie... Keep an eye on things here while I speak to them," he said
softly, squeezing the arm he still clasp. "I've had Shinner inform everyone
that if they have a problem they're to ask you for now."

"I can tell them if you want," the younger man offered.

"No... I will."

"She's my twin!" Lonnie insisted.

"But I'm older and your Wingleader," Dan'yar quipped. "Think of it as an order."

"You won't be going alone," a voice said from behind them, and as one they
turned to see Farr'in standing there. "I'm older then you so don't even
think of trying to order me to stay here and wait."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Dan'yar snorted then turned to go meet the
arriving dragon. The fact that they arrived on a Telnor dragon had him
somewhat worried as they had left on Rook with B`rand. Why hadn't B`rand
come back with them?

It took only moments for Danki and Yarik to notice something was wrong. It
had started with the Telnor rider saying something about trouble coming, but
it wasn't until they were on the ground that the found out just what it was.

"So you're expecting an attack here on the Warren?" Yarik asked, his eyes
searching the face of first one son then the other.

"Yes we do," it was Dan'yar who answered him. "We just don't know when but
we've watch dragons set up all over the place. If they attack, we'll be sure
to see them coming..."

Then Dan'yar stole a sidelong glance at his older brother, who nodded.

"Where's B`rand?" he asked the pair. "How come he didn't come back with you
from Telnor?"

Danki frowned, the her expression soften. "He... met someone... and..."

"So he gave up on Lenna," Farr'in snapped.

"Son," Yarik reached out to touch his arm. "It's been over a year and B`rand
has grieved just as hard as the rest of us have. Not even Lenna would have
wanted him to be alone for the rest of his life. She would have wanted him
to find someone and be happy."

"If she had died... Yes I think she would have," Dan'yar said slowly and
both parents couldn't help but notice the look that passed between the two
brothers.

"It's been over a year son," the older man reminded them.

<<Shinner... please have Tergath tell his rider that it might be better if
we take them to the med center and show them Blanchie's rider before saying
anything.>>

He saw Farr'in's eyes come up and saw the slight nod of his head indicating
he'd received the message and agreed with it.

"Come on... Seth!! Come here would you?" Dan'yar yelled at the young dragon
rider as he was walking by with a message in his hand.

"Yes Dan'yar?" the boy said. "What can I do for you."

"If you've a few moments to spare I wonder if you'd mind taking these bags
over to my parents shop and dropping them off. We're on the way to the med
center..."

"Oh to see..." Seth started to say but Farr'in cut him off before he could
continue.

"Yes... but we're in a hurry so if you could help us out with this big
favor." The stocky rider told him, and asked Tergath to bespeak the boys
dragon and apologize for cutting him off with a short explanation.

"Sure... no problem," he said quickly, nodding in understanding. "I'll see
to it right away."

"Okay what's going on?" Danki asked her two sons. She hadn't been their
mother as long as she had without knowing when they were up to something.

Another look passed between the two riders. Another message passed silently
between their dragons, then Dan'yar reached for his mothers hand. 

"It's better if we show you. Father?" Dan'yar said to make sure the older
man would follow.

Danki became instantly worried. Her son wouldn't pull something like this
unless something had happened. 

"Nothing happened to Lonnie that you're not telling us about or the girls...
" she said quickly and was relieved somewhat by her middle sons faint smile.

"No mother," he was quick to reassure her. "You're brood is all doing fine
for now. No one's been ... injured. And hopefully if what we think is about
to happen... No one will be injured. But I won't lie to you... We may be in
for a bad time soon. Things have been happening around here... and we fear
the worst."

Between the two them, Dan'yar and Farr'in explained about the things
happening and told them what they had thought the cause was. While they did
mention the hellspawns, they left out the part about Lenna being suspected
of carrying one around inside of her.

They thought it would be best if their parents saw the girl first and
reassured themselves that she was alive.

"If there's anything we can do to help out," Yarik looked at both sons.
They'd been through this before and knew everyone would be required to help
in some way. "You know your mother and I will be only to glad to pitch in."

"We know that father and you may be called on in the case things go worse
then what we hope..." Dan'yar told them. "There's a... woman... a Nomad
woman the twins rescued named Pua..." and now he frowned and then rolled his
eyes. What *had* he gotten himself into agreeing to take responsibility of
the girl? "I won't take the time now to explain why except to tell you it's
a nomad custom... but she's living with the girls and I and I would
appreciate it if after you see what we're about to show you... you could
look after her for me and make sure she and her son are in a safe place when
things start to happen."

Danki gave him a look that said she would hold her questions for now... But
later all bets were off. There had to be a good story to go along with the
reason the woman was living with him, and she would hear it from him sooner
or later. She knew now was not the time to question him with so much else on
his mind.

They arrived at the med center and Dan'yar caught the eye of one of the
healer who had helped to bring his sister there after the fight on the
field. He asked his parents to give him a moment and went over to talk to
the man.

"How is she?" he asked in a quiet voice, not needing to mention any names.

"We've got her sedated and someone's in there keeping an eye on her," the
healer man told him, and then nodded towards his parents. "Do they know yet?"

Dan'yar shook his blond head and sighed as his lips pressed tightly
together. "No... We're taking them in to see her now. Don't be surprised if
my mother decides to stay with her. And don't even bother asking her to
leave... once that woman makes up her mind about something... there's no
changing it, and Cynthia will back her up if mother asks."

"Mothers," the healer chuckled softly, then sighed knowing the older couple
was about to get a shock. "Where would we be without them? I'll be around if
you need me."

Dan'yar clapped him on the arm then with a nod of thanks went back to join
the others. "This way," he said and took his mother by the arm, knowing the
others would follow.

Though both sons had assured her that no one in the family had been injured,
but she was glad for the support of her tall son's arms after seeing the
still body of her youngest child laying there in the bed. 

"By the Gods! How?" Yarik turned with questioning eyes, looking at first one
son then the other.

"She showed up on Blanchie a few days ago," Dan'yar told him, watching his
mother slowly move across the room to stand by the bed as if she didn't
believe what her eyes were telling her.

"Where's she been all this time?" The older man asked, is eyes now fixed on
his daughter. 

"She couldn't tell us," Farr'in replied. ""But father there's more... She
has a son... Rand she calls him... B`rand's son... and somehow where ever
she was, she was there long enough for the boy to age to a year and a bit."

<My rider you had better come quick,> Shinner broke into Dan'yar's thoughts
and the rider couldn't help but hear the urgency in his dragons tone.
<Something is happening in the skies to the east of here.>

"We've got to go father... Mother..." Dan'yar said after seeing Farr'in had
received the same message from his Tergath. "Will you make sure Pua and the
twins are somewhere safe. My place may be best..... the Twins dragons can
stand watch over the entry way if they need too, since they don't fight, but
keep the girls inside even if you have to sit on them."

After promising to see to it, Yarik watched as his sons went to hug their
mother then left the room. He was torn between doing as he had promised and
leaving his wife.

"Go... We'll be okay here inside the stone building," Danki told him.
"Dan'yar will worry less up there if he knows his girls are safe with
someone he trusts."

After a brief hug, and one last glance at his daughter laying on the bed,
Yarik left the room and made his way outside to track down the twins and
this nomad woman Pua, Dan'yar spoke of.

An hour went by with Danki sitting beside her daughters bed. She knew from
what her sons had told her that Lenna was to be allowed to sleep as much as
she could, but she was still worried that the girl didn't wake up.

She learned why when a healer entered the room to give her a shot of some
drug and Danki asked him what it was.

And nearly fainted from the news that one of those damn... things... was
living inside the girl.

"She'll be alright Danki," the healer told her. "I know of two healers who
have been able to remove the... things... and the humans they were in are
still alive and in good heath. One of them used to be from Telnor so you
might know her... Abbien? ... I hear she also heals dragons..... in fact it
was from her that Trevor got the drug we're using to keep her under until we
can ... help her."

"You're sure she'll be all right?"

"I promise..." the healer said and left the room.

Danki sat there staring at the girl for what seemed like hours. Her heart
was heavy with doubts she didn't want to think about. The healer just *had*
to be right. She didn't want to find her daughter after thinking her dead
this past year, only to lose her again.

Finally, realizing that she had yet to touch the girl once in the little
over two hours since they arrived back in the Cleft, and feeling slightly
foolish for thinking that if she did, she would wake up and find Lenna's
being here was only a dream... One of many she had had over the last year...
Danki finally reached out to stroke her daughters hair... and then felt a
dizzying sensation come over her.....

<<FINALLY!!>> exclaimed a voice inside her head and Danki started for the
door... her daughter laying on the bed asleep forgotten..... for Amar had
things to do...

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

Nrpg: Okay John... Amar is all yours again to use and abuse anyway you want
to .......




***Submitted by: *****

Dan'yar & Shinner (Alpha Wingleader)
Farr'in & Tergath
Lenna & Blanchie
Lonnie & Meritanth
Yarik 
Danki
Cleft Warren

Aka
Barbara