(nrpg: Susan, I changed the name of the nasty mouth man..
so please up THIS one on the archive list. Thanks :)
----------------------------------------------------

Have the decency to cover yourself up," Jayleigh snapped suddenly, 
as she hurried forward, picking up articles of Velara's clothes as 
she advanced toward them. "Others will be coming along any minute 
and I'd prefer they not see the Warrenlady this way."

Her words penetrated through his fog and he felt an immediate flash 
of anger.  "No!" he yelled, gathering Velara to himself. "You don't 
touch her."

"She's naked, Tair'n. Let's get her dressed quickly before 
someone else arrives."

"Why?  Just so people won't think she actually had the temerity 
to have sex at her age?  You're not going to make what just 
happened between us into something embarrassing and dirty. 
A warrenborn dragonrider, of all people, should understand."

His anger receded as quickly as it had begun and he was left only 
empty as Jayleigh stood speechless.  He lowered Velara's body to 
the floor and shut her glassily staring eyes, then kissed each in 
turn.

"Somewhere... I think she must be laughing right now," he said, 
looking into her still face, with just the hint of a secret smile 
on her lips.  "Do you remember, she used to always say she would 
die disgracefully and happy?"

Jayleigh could only nodded her head in agreement. How like Velara 
that sounded. If anyone could find humor in this... it would have 
been her. As Jayleigh watch a tear splashed from Tair'n's red 
rimmed eyes to fall on Velara's face. She saw him closed his eyes 
as his body was wracked with sobs.

<<Viktroy would you ask Krith's to go by the medical center and 
pick up Herin? We need the healer here.>> Jayleigh softly 
requested of her queen.

Jayleigh heard the office door open and turned to see R'ven enter 
and move to the grieving younger man. He nodded to Jayleigh as he 
laid a comforting hand on the bowed shoulder.

"Tair'n?" R'ven's voice spoke softly.

Tair'n looked up into the older man's handsome face. "She's dead, 
R'ven.  Lara's dead."

"I know," R'ven spoke, pulling him to his feet. "We'll manage."  
Tair'n melted into the arms of the man who was lover to both 
Velara and himself, R'ven kissing him lightly.  "We'll manage.  
Come on now, we need to get you dressed, at least."

Tair'n nodded his acquiescence, but didn't move to comply. So, 
R'ven pulled away, gathered his clothes and helped him to get 
dressed. A crowd had already gathered outside the late 
warrenlady's office, but Tair'n was completely unaware of their 
presence.  There was only R'ven and himself and Velara's body.

When Herin arrived, Jayleigh had everyone else removed from the 
room to give the medic and his two orderlies room to work.

She could see as Tair'n watched, crying silently, holding R'ven, 
as Velara's body was placed on a stretcher, completely covered 
with a sheet and carried away.

There were tears in R'ven's eyes as he turned to Tair'n. "Let's 
go home."

Tair'n hesitated. "I can't right now.  I... think I  need to go 
flying."

Jayleigh had been more that a little relieved when R'ven had 
arrived to comfort the younger rider. She was thankful for the 
help as there were other things that needed her attention. While 
the two men stood there arm in arm taking what comfort they could 
from each other, Jayleigh turned back towards the office door, 
knowing there were people there who would want answers.
Answers she as the new warrenlady would have to give.

A wave of doubt assaulted her as she reached for the door. How 
she wished her brother Ja'ks was here. He would know what to say 
to these people. If only she'd had more time to learn how to be 
a warrenlady.....but she didn't and for a second she cursed 
Velara and her stupid pride.

<<Tory, find Sprarroe's rider and tell him I want him here now!"
Jayleigh snapped out the order to her queen as she finally pulled 
the door open and stepped out into the hallway to meet the people 
who had gathered there for news.

The questions started as soon as appeared and it was a few moments 
before she could quiet them down enough to give out any answers to 
the questions they were throwing at her.

She was happy to note that her brother Ja'ks was already there. 
He along with another rider from his wing, were guarding the door; 
keeping the other's out.

"Father had Banta tell Sprarroe you might be needing us," he said 
by way of explanation. "We picked up Herin and his orderlies and 
brought them with us when we came, knowing you'd be calling for 
them anyway."

"You taking up mind reading, little brother?" she muttered in a 
voice so low only he could hear. Then she raised her arms asking 
for quiet. 

"People please!! " she had to raise her voice to be heard above 
the noise, then suddenly all was quiet except for the occasional 
sob or sniffle. 

"By now you've all heard from your dragon's that Jennaladar has 
teleported with the death of her rider, Warrenlady Velara," 
Jayleigh paused to let her words sink in.

"What happened?" a voice called out.

"Do you know the cause of her death?" questioned another.

"She was probably having to much fun with that boy lover of her's 
and up and died from to much pleasure,"

Jayleigh recognized the speaker of the last nasty comment as 
H'miel, Jartinth's rider "That will be enough of that kind of 
talk H'miel," her dark blue eyes flashed  a warning glance in 
the direction of the man still embittered over Tair'n's 
appointment to the position of Alpha Wingleader. A position he 
felt should have gone to himself. Truth be told, H'miel hadn't even 
been one of the rider's under consideration to fill the position. 

Tair'n, dissipate what some of the other's might think about him, 
was more than qualified to lead the wing and had the full support 
and respect of those who rode with him.

Making a mental note to herself to ask Ja'ks to keep an eye on the 
man, Jayleigh turned her attentions back to the people standing 
before her. "We won't know the exact cause of death until Herin 
finishes with his examination," she told them. "As soon as we know, 
I promise you'll all be informed. Until then, we have to go on just 
as Velara would have wanted us too."

With that said, the new warrenlady turned and reentered the office 
of the former warrenlady. R'ven was still there having waited for 
her after Tair'n and Amadith had flown off.

"Thank you," She said softly "Dispite Velara's sense of humor, I 
prefer for her to be remembered and honored as a great leader, 
someone who's hard work helped keep this place together. Not as 
some over sexed older woman."

(nrpg: Does R'ven have anything to say :)

"R'ven, the Dragonlady at Keldarra will need to be informed of 
Velara's death. I'd go myself....but with so much to do, I feel 
it would be better if I stayed here," she said slowly uncertain 
of what to do. 

"You would perhaps like for me to go?" he asked raising a 
questioning eyebrow.

"I would, since you're known to the Dragonlady already, but if 
you would prefer it, I could have Maeve and Krith or Rezsia and 
Jezebel make the trip." 

(nrpg: If he doesn't want to, I'll think of something ;}

Before he could answer the door was thrown open and both of the 
jr. queen rider's entered. Both looked as if they had been 
crying.

"I went by the med center to pick up the healer, like Krith 
asked," the blond headed one of the two started to say. "But 
when I got there, Calette told me he'd already been picked up."

"Ja'ks went by and got him," Jayleigh told the girl.

"So it's true," Rezsia, the raven haired beauty, asked. "The 
warrenlady is dead?" it was only then that she noticed the tall 
figure of R'ven, the former warrenlady's lover. " My condolences 
R'ven, she'll be missed."

She wondered at the look that came acrossed his handsome face, 
but made no other comment.
*******
(An hour later at the medical building:)

It was almost an hour later before Jayleigh finally made it by 
the medical center to check up on her son, Jadain. Though her 
father's dragon, Banta had faithfully kept Viktroy appraised of 
the boy's condition, Jayleigh knew she wouldn't be sure her son 
was all right until she saw her dark haired little monster for 
herself.  

As she made her way down the short hall to the room the evening 
nurse directed her too, Jayleigh saw that Herin, just leaving 
Jadain's room. That the man was smiling when he exited the room, 
helped to lay her fears to rest.

"He's complaining about the food," Herin smiled when he saw her. 
"He said, and I quote," I'd rather eat my mama's cooking." end 
quote." the medic repeated and Jayleigh had to laugh.

"If he's wanting my cooking, then the food here must be pretty 
bad indeed! My son tells me that the only reason I cook for him 
at all is to punish him when he's been bad." She felt herself 
smile for the fist time in the last two hours.  "Were you able 
to find out what happened to him?" she asked the medic, wanting 
to know if there was something she could do to stop it from 
happening again.

"I didn't find anything wrong with him physically," Herin told 
her. "But I've seen something like this before on a visit to 
Keldarra. I would simply call it an *over load* of dragon 
emotions." He could see the confused look in the woman's deep 
blue eyes. "It's 
a common occurrence in those like Jadain who can *hear* all 
dragon's. One or two at a time is fine and won't harm him, but 
an over load of emotion's like we had today with Jenaladar, a 
queen's death was more that the boy could handle at one time,so 
his mind just shut down on him."

"Then he'll be all right, and I can take him home now?" She 
asked hopefully.

"He's fine except that he'll have a slight headache for a few 
hours," Herin told her. "If he wants to go to bed early or 
complains about being a little tired, don't worry about it."

Jayleigh moved back a step to let one of the nurses go by with 
a dinner tray before thanking the medic and entering her son's 
room. "Hey Scamp, you ready to go home?" she asked trying to 
keep her fears out of her voice so he wouldn't hear them. "I 
stopped by the stores on my way over here and stocked up on all 
your favorites," she smiled teasingly as she ruffled his brown 
mop of hair. She'd be needing to get him a hair cut soon. Before 
Da'ntray could make some snide comment about him looking like a 
girl as well as acting like one. 

"Ah! Mom can't we go by and see if Grandma has anything left 
over from dinner?" he asked hopefully, his smile wide with 
innocence."

"Well maybe," she said slowly as if considering his request. 
"But only if you promise to help me give Troy her next bath."

Jadain rolled his eyes and laughed, "I always help you wash 
Troy."

"Then I guess we can go by and see if Grandma has a treat for 
you.

As they mounted the bluish-green queen for the short trip to 
the dining hall, Viktroy spoke quietly to her human, careful 
not to bother the young hatchling if she could help it.

<Sprarroe's rider said there is a warrenless rider and dragon 
on the green. They say he's not a wilder and is asking for 
permission to join the warren.> 

<<Did he say why they were warrenless? And where did they 
come from?>> Jayleigh asked, intrigued by this development.

<Sprarroe said the dragon Cuprus was born in a warren, but 
left after joining. I do not understand,> the queen said, 
confusion in her tone. <If he hatched in the warren, why did 
they leave?>

<<Well I guess we'll have to go meet the pair to find out.>> 
Jayleigh replied and asked Viktroy to detour by the green.
********
(nrpg:  Okay Scott you've made it to the warren and are about 
to meet the warrenlady. Be polite!!!!! I'll Post Ja'ks meeting
Kylan tomorrow.

*****Submitted by:*********************
Barbara
Voices of:
Warrenlady Jayleigh & Queen Viktory (Daere)
Tera & Sundellath (Telnor), Ga'brin & Preston (Telnor)
Dan'yar & Shinner (Cleft)
Dragonlands
(Barbara's Pern Question page)
<http://pubpages.unh.edu/~bscott/pern/questions.html>