>The door crashed open, making Rezsia jump. Looking up she saw R'ven
>storm in; his face like thunder, his black eyes flashing in fury.
>
>"It's customary to knock when entering a ladies room!"  her voice
>dangerously calm as she laid her knives on the table.
>
>Withour replying, R'ven strode over to the sofa where the the young
>woman sat. Grabing her arms and pining them to her sides, R'ven hauled
>the startled queen rider to her feet.
>
>"What the hell do you think you are playing at!? " his hands pinching
>the soft skin of her upper arms.

Keeping the pain from showing, she tried to wriggle from his grasp. "R'ven
let go of me!"

>"Not till you explain why you went out without an escort. Yea gods
>woman you could have been killed. We can't risk losing you or your
>queen."
>
>"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you, R'ven. Or
>hadn't you noticed."  As she talked, she shifted her weight just enough,
then lashed out with her leg. Incredibly, however, he was ready for her;
before she could even connect, he kicked her other foot from underneath her,
toppling the two of them to the floor.  R'ven landed on top of her, pinning
her to the floor. She struggled to get him off her, but he was too heavy.
Unbidden, memories stirred, hauntingly painful memories, but she only glared
up at him defiantly, masking her fear.

His gaze changed subtly, becoming almost softer; he was so close to her, she
was certain he was going to kiss her. Anger and fear boiled up, combining to
give her extra strength. So when his attention was momentarilary distracted,
she threw him off her and rolled away, tensed for attack as she reached for
her knives. Nothing came, however; instead, he was just standing there! 'I
don't think so' she thought furiously, launching straight toward him. She
kicked his legs out from under him and pushed him to the ground, all in one
move; he didn't even see it coming. Before he knew it, he was on the ground,
with a very angry woman with a very sharp knife above him.

>"The next time you touch me,  I'll kill you!" the pale blue eyes
>staring into his.
>
>"I'm sure you will, Rezsia, but I will make the same stance as this
>time. If you ever go out without an escort again, I'll be here when
>you get back," his voice calm. Not taking his eyes from the face of
>the angry woman he carried on, "Queen rider's are too precious to
>loose and, like it or like it not, you have a responsibility to the
>warren. T'van has already died this evening looking for Jadain, it
>could so easily have been you.  Or even worse. Remeber that child
>Da'ntray raped? He would have done the same to you!"
>
>Rezsia froze. Her face paling. Swiftly she got off R'ven, screaming at
>him, "Get out! GET OUT NOW!"
>
>How dare he remind her. How dare he!  What did he know about anything?!
>
>R'ven stared fixedly at her. Wondering if his remarks had gotten
>through her thick, but beautiful skull, of the danger she had placed
>herself and her queen in with the foolhardiness of going out alone.
>
>He left her silently fuming with her back to him.

As he closed the door behind him, she let out a mental scream and sent both
of her knives straight toward the door. Between the time it took to release
them and for them to hit the door, she prayed that perhaps he would return
to say one last thing; unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, her wish was
not granted, and she heard only cold sharp steel strike and sink into the
thick wooden door. Then the strength seemed to exit her muscles and she sank
into the nearby chair, something akin to despair washing over her.  What did
he know about anything anyway? Why did he accuse her of all that....

<Rezsia?> Jezebel's voice said.

*What?* Rezsia answered crossly.

Ignoring her rider's tone, Jezebel stated <We have a little problem....>

***Morning after kidnappings***

Rezsia really didn't feel like heading down to the Dining Hall; if it had
been up to her, she'd have stayed in her room for a lot longer. But both a
growling stomach, and a restless urge to do *something*, whatever it was,
drew her out of her apartment and back down to the world of the living.

She didn't head off to the Dining hall first, however.  She followed Jezebel
as the queen went to the feeding pens to eat.  *Sorry I never fed you
yesterday* Rezsia said as they entered the livestock area.

<Well, no matter now; I'm fine. Just got one heck of an empty belly> the
scarlet dragon replied as she began to feed.  

A thought occurred to her. *Did you tell anyone about last night? I mean,
with R'ven and all?*

The dragon's pause was so minute it wouldn't have been seen by anyone who
didn't know Jezebel. Rezsia groaned and turned around, sinking to the ground
against the wall. *Jezebel!* she thought, both embarassed and angry.

<Well, I didn't know you wanted it secret!  I only told Sprarroe, I swear!>

Who probably told another dragon, who probably told another.... Rezsia
groaned again as she realized that Ja'ks probably knew as well. He wasn't
going to be happy about it; especially if Jezebel or Sprarroe embellished a
bit, or didn't tell the whole story. And if he knew the truth, he wouldn't
be too happy with her either... She did not want an angry Ja'ks on her back
too.  She was totally unremorseful about what she did, going out to search
for Jadain, but she'd rather not have people rubbing it in her face.

*I'm going to go to breakfast* she told Jezebel, leaving the feeding dragon
to eat alone.  She approached the DIning hall tenatively, not knowing quite
what to do if she were approached.  She certainly couldn't deny she'd done
anything wrong; it was virtually against the law for a queenrider to leave
without an escort, no matter what size (although large was preferred), and
she'd broken it when she'd gone out to search alone, telling nobody.
Finally gaining the nerve, she entered the dining hall; surprisingly, it was
emptier than usual. Perhaps not so surprising, what with the warrenlady's
son and a junior queenrider missing, there was bound to be people looking
high and low for them. And Zert as well; she'd almost forgotten about the
new schoolteacher. He was so unassuming, so mild; she hoped he wasn't hurt
or anything...

"What is this I hear about you leaving the warren by yourself yesterday?" a
cold voice spoke up beside her. 

Startled, she jumped and turned to see Ja'ks eying her angrily.  She started
to say something in her defense but was cut off by Ja'ks.  "Rezsia, you know
the rule about queenriders. You're not allowed to leave the warren, ever,
without an escort of some kind."

"I know, I just wanted---"

"Especially now, with all the danger going on." He overrode her protests
with his voice, which was getting louder as he went along. Rezsia found
herself being watched and flushed, embarrassed and frustrated.  "You might
have been kidnapped, or worse: you know that! That would be perfect, losing
two queenriders in the same day! Whatever seized you to go off on your own
like that?"  He stepped towards her angrily until they were nose to nose.
"You were told when you joined Jezebel that you are vitally important to the
warren, and are not, ever, to go traipsing around---"

"Ja'ks, I was just looking for---"

"like some idiot! You could have gotten hurt, or killed; then where would we
be? Where would I be?" He ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration
but kept up with his lecture; his tone, however, softened a bit. "You know
that I care for you. We all do. You of all people know what could happen if
the wrong people got ahold of you..." Here he faltered slightly, but kept
going, "you know what awaits a beautiful young woman if she is caught,
especially a queenrider...."

Anger and hurt boiled up from inside her. How dare he just blurt her secret
out to the whole warren? How dare he!  She felt like punching him, or
kicking him where the sun don't shine, or just all out attacking him; but
she couldn't. Her love prevented it. She couldn't do anything to him to make
him not love her, yet she'd done just that. Didn't his tirade prove that?
Despair and depression washed over her, and she just stated lamely, "R'ven
already told me all this last night." Then, unable to bear the staring eyes
anymore, she pushed her way out and ran as fast as she could out of the
Hall. Faintly, she thought she heard her name called out, but she ignored
it, running straight towards the feeding pens. Tears were streaking down her
face as she raced away; could she never do *anything* right? Must everything
she do be wrong? She'd only been trying to help find her friend; what was
the harm in that? Not for the first time, she cursed that Jezebel was a
queen, with the restrictions that went along with the type. *Why couldn't
you just be a normal dragon?* Rezsia thought angrily to the dragon, who was
standing just outside the pens.

<Freak of genetics> the dragon replied dryly.

For some reason, this struck Rezsia as funny, and she began giggling
hysterically as she reached the dragon.  But those giggles quickly turned to
sobs as she mounted the huge queen and the two of them took off.  <Where to?>

*Could we go to the cove? You know, the one Maeve showed us?*

<I'm sorry> Jezebel thought sadly <we're not to leave the warren.>

Rezsia sighed. *Then can we just go home?*

Within minutes, Jezebel was at the front of the apartment, letting a
distraught Rezsia dismount.  *Don't let anyone in* Rezsia instructed,
leaving Jezebel guarding the entrance as she threw herself onto her bed and
gave into a good hard cry, the first in a long, long time.


NRPG: Leah, you got Rezsia perfect; she was rather strung out right about
then. But isn't everyone? :) Barb, I just hope you don't mind my use of
Ja'ks; he can apologize, but perhaps not at this very moment.


Submitted by
The Dragon Queen
Sarah P.