(Day of the morning after Maeve and Zert were kidnapped.)
(( the next day))

His head hurt. The inside of his mouth felt dry and cottony.  He 
tried to will his body to move, it did but slowly. His eye opened 
slowly to find he was laying in a room he didn't know.

"You'll be wanting something to drink, I'll bet," a female voice 
said from somewhere off to his right. "I've some water."

He saw her then when she moved into his line of sight. A young girl couldn't
have been that much older that he himself. There was a big 
bruise under her right eye and another on her left cheek. 

"Who ...are...you?" his throat felt soar as he forced the words out.
"Where... am ...I?"

Instead of answering him, she helped him to sit up and then placed a 
cup to his lips. "Take a small sip and hold it in your mouth for a 
minute."

Jadain did as she said and felt the water absorbing into the dry 
tissues inside his mouth. "Where .. am.. I?" he asked again.

"You're the "guest" of your... ah...father," she sneered and then 
turned her face away from him least he see her hatred for the man.

"I have no father!!" Jadain's tone was angry. He meant what he said 
too! He had heard people around the Warren talking about the man and 
he knew what 'he' had done to that young girl the night he'd left the Warren
for good. The men he had over heard talking about it had been 
angry.

Jadain had decided that if a  man could do something that bad to a 
little girl like Da'ntray had done, then he didn't want him as a 
father.

Besides there was Uncle Ja'ks and Gramp's. Gerald and Tair'n had 
been nice to him to and had never hurt him. They looked after his 
mother and him just fine!! They weren't bad men like Da'ntray.

"Look kid," the girl said in a quiet tone of voice as she took a 
quick look back over her shoulder towards the door. "Don't do 
anything to make him angry when he comes to see you. He's crazy 
and there's no telling what he might do to you."

'Or how bad he'll take it out on me later,' she thought cringing 
slightly as she remembered the humiliating things he had done to 
her body over the last few nights since he'd taken her from her 
home. Then there were the disgusting things he had forced her to 
do with him and the others. Things she did just to survive. Some 
of the other women and girls here in this place hadn't played the 
game right... and now they were gone.

Kayla didn't plan on ending up the same way the others had. No... 
she planed on still being alive to see Da'ntray dead!

"Why am I here?"

"He'll tell you in his own good time," she told him, bring the cup 
of water back up to his mouth. "Now take a few small sips. He'll be 
here in a little while to check up on you. He left late last night 
and hasn't gotten back yet, but they expect him anytime."

Jadain couldn't help but hear the hate in her voice, though she 
tried hard to hide it. Had that man done something to hurt her? 
Just like he had the girl back in the Warren? Did he put those 
bruises on her face?

"Did he do that to you?" he asked softly while bring his hand up 
to touch her cheek. 

"That's none of your concern," she snapped and pulled away from 
him.

Just then the door opened and *he* walked in still dressed in 
riding leathers as if he'd only just returned.

"Well well I see you're finally awake," he said as he came to stand 
next to the bed. "Your mother really should have had better 
protection around you, but no matter. You're here now and it's time 
I teach you how to be a man."

Jadain didn't say anything. Just sat there and glared at the man who 
had begot him.

"Maybe your mother will enjoy watching me began my lessons with 
you," he said an evil grin appearing on his lips. "Maybe we should 
ask her huh?"

"You don't stand a chance of getting close to her," Jadain jaw was 
set in a stubborn line.

"You underestimate me kid," the tall blond man laughed deep in his 
chest. "Even now your mother the esteemed Warrenlady of Daere sits 
in a cell no bigger than this one just across the hall."

"You lie!!!" Jadain shouted and came up off of the bed, only to 
have his father back hand him, causing him to fall back onto the 
bed. 

"First rule around he is *I* am in charge!!" Da'ntray growled as he 
came to stand closer to the boy. "I give the orders around here and 
you will follow unless you want me to treat you just like every other 
piece of merchandise around here. I'm sure there's someone out there 
who'd pay a pretty penny for a Warrenlady's son."

Jadain didn't need for him to interrupted that last statement. He understood.

"You'd never get away with it," he said bravely. "Mother would send 
the Warren's dragons out until they hunted you down and killed every 
last one of you."

"She has to find me first," the man sneered. "And so far those babies 
at the Warren haven't come close."

Unless you count T'van, he thought. He had almost ruined everything 
showing up when he had. It was a good thing he had been slow on the 
mark, or his men would be having to fine another place to hide out.
At least T'van hadn't been able to tell them at the Warren where 
this place was.

Keppo hadn't liked the fact that they had killed another dragon, but 
such things couldn't be helped. They had a shipment of lovelies to 
send out last night to the Lord of Faramoure. He'd already paid for 
them and was excepting delivery. One did not disappoint ones clients 
and survive in this business. 

Da'ntray's only regret in the matter was that it hadn't been Tair'n 
on the other side of the blade when it was thrown. That man would 
have to die. And when he did... he'd take great pleasure in telling 
the whore in the other room her lover was dead.

"Give up that dream boy," Da'ntray turned back to his son. "Your 
mother is here and ain't no one going to take her away from me. 
We're going to be one big happy family as long as your mother knows 
what's good for her.

Jadain didn't want to believe him. He didn't want to believe that his mother
had been brought here and would now have to suffer at the hands 
of this man. Would he treat her like that girl back in the Warren, or 
like the girl who'd been helping him this morning before *he* had come 
in?

Somehow he'd have to find a way for them to escape. He'd have to find 
a way to get the Warren dragons to come here to this place.... no.. 
that wouldn't work. He didn't know where he was so how could he show 
them the way?

((Jadain?))

What was that? 

((Jadain? You here kid?))

(Zert?) No it couldn't be!! How!! (Zert where are you. Did you come 
to find me and take me home?)

He was careful not to let anything show on his face less he give it 
away to the man before him. 

(('Fraid not kid, are you all right Jad's?))

(I'm all right but he says he has my mother.)

((Not unless they got her last night and I know she was with that 
tall man. Cause he was walking in when we were leaving the dining 
hall.))

Jadain nearly let out a sigh of reliefe. If his mother was with 
Gerald then everything was all right. Gerald would never let anyone 
hurt his mother.

But if she wasn't here... who was?

""You're going to be here for a while," Da'ntray began to speak 
again. "This talent of yours... hearing the dragons... will come 
in handy in my business. It'll help us learn when it's safe for us 
to travel and make deliveries. With the money we've been making 
there's no reason us dragonriders can't live in a style we are owed. 
Play your cards right and you could end up running this show one 
day."

He began telling the boy about the young girls they had here. Girls 
who had jumped at the chance to be searched for the Warrens only to 
end up being sold to the highest bidders. Never even coming close to 
any Warren.

"It's all been so easy," Da'ntray crowed, then there was a knock at 
the door. He turned around and walked towards it and opened it just 
a little.

"The 'Warrenlady' is awake," a voice on the other side of the door 
could be heard saying.

"Then I shouldn't keep the beautiful Jayleigh waiting any longer, 
should I?" he laughed in anticipation of the meeting to come. 
Closing the door to Jadain's room behind him and then making sure 
the door was locked firmly after him, the man started across the 
hall.

She would finally be his. Just as she had always been meant to be. 
This time there would be no one to stand in his way when he took 
her. He finally see her on her knees begging, before he was through 
with her. And her darling little boy would be there to help remind 
her of her new place in life.

(Zert?)

((I'm here Jad's.))

(He's gone. Someone came and told him the 'Warrenlady' was awake 
now and he left. I'm afraid he really has her.)

((Jad's can you try to send a thought to Troy?))

(I've been trying, but I can't hear her.)

((Than that means we must be pretty far from the Warren. Keep 
trying though, maybe someone we know will come look in this 
place.))

(I hope so. He's crazy.)

------

Finally!!  Da'ntray's smile grew more sinister as he cross the 
hall. The bitch was finally going to be his. He had her right 
where he had always longed to have her every since he found out 
she was going to become the Warrenlady. 

The tall man knew she'd fight him at first, and he was going to 
enjoy breaking her will. Oh yeah! He was going to enjoy that 
immensely . He felt no remorse for what was about to happen. It 
had been her own fault after all that it had had to come to this. 
If only she had agreed to become his mate when he had asked her.

Then he'd be sitting pretty, running his business from the comfort 
of his place back at the Warren. His place being that of the Alpha
Wingleader. ...Or would have been once the current Wingleader had 
suffered from a violent accident. He'd have good reason to leave 
the Warren from time to time with out question for his hunting 
trips into the towns for more women. 

But instead the bitch had not only turned down his offer, but then 
she'd went and shacked up with that boy loving wimp when she could 
have had a real man in her bed.

'Well, she's about to learn the difference,' he laughed as his hand 
reached for the door pull. He could feel him body growing hard at the
thought of what was about to happen once the door was shut behind him.

The blond on the bed looked up as the door opened. She didn't know 
who she had been expecting since she'd been thrown in the cell, but 
it wasn't the tall brown-headed man who walked in the door. By the 
look on his tanned face, she was equally sure she wasn't who he'd 
been expecting to find locked up here.

"Baateen!!" he tilted his head back towards the hall way and yelled 
loud enough to wake the dead. "GET THE HELL IN HERE!!"

"Da'ntray!! Why have you had me brought here and where is the man 
who was with me?" Maeve hid her fear and tried to assume the roll 
of a Queenrider.

Da'ntray's face turned red with anger when he noticed the mistake. 
He advanced into the room and reaching out, grabbed the young 
queenrider by the front of the shirt and pulled her closer to 
his body.

"Where is she?" his gray eyes bore into hers. "Jayleigh! Where 
the hell is she?"

"Back at the Warren," she spat at him. "Where's she's safe and 
you can't get to her!"

 His face took on a evil smile, his eyes began to slowly roam 
over her young curves. He felt her shutter in revulsion. 

"She may think she's safe for now..." his voice became low and 
threatening. "But I'll have her here soon. In the mean time..." 
his hand moved up to grip her chin hard. "I'll just have to enjoy 
your company till she is."

The door to the room opened just then and a dark skinned man 
entered.

"Da'ntray... we got problems," he stammered and motioned for the 
man to come outside.

the rider looked down at Maeve for a few seconds more, then threw 
her back down onto the bed. Then turned and followed the other man 
out of the door shutting it behind her.

As he left, Maeve heard him saying, "You got more than one problem. 
You got the wrong woman.!!"

"That woman,  she was where you said to go," Baateen said 
defensively. "He say she Warrenlady. Heard him call her by name."

Then Maeve could hear no more.

Outside in the hall, Da'ntray rounded on the other man. 

"She's not the one I sent you three after," his voice was low, but 
the other man felt as if the words had been yelled. "I told Tromen 
what she looked like. Told him she had Black hair. Did you notice 
the woman in there was a blond?"

"I was look out," the dark man told him. "Tromen and Peilarre they 
say they have Warrenlady. We go to dragons. I no see her. Matters 
not. She rider Queen, she bring good price to those who pay well."

Da'ntray's hand shot up, back handing the man across the face.

"It matters a hell of a lot to me!!" he bellowed, angry that his 
plans for her had been put on hold. "You will go back and this 
time you will not return until you have the right woman!! Now 
go!!"

"Maybe we all go.. " Baateen's lips curved up on one end. "Man 
who came with her... he escapes. Door to room found open.. him 
gone."

"Shit!! Find him and take care of him!!" Da'ntray yelled as he 
headed down the hall to the main room. "I want every inch of 
this placed searched until he's found, and then I want him dead!!"

-----------------

Kayla slipped out of the kids room as soon as 'he' had walked 
in. Waiting outside she could hear what was being said inside 
through the door she had left slightly ajar.

Suddenly she began to feel sorry for the kid. She'd thought at 
first to hate him, seeing that he was the mans son, but upon 
talking to him and finding out he rejected the idea of the man 
as a father, she had slowly began to change her mind.

There had to be some way she could help him get out of this place 
and away from 'HIM'. But how to do so without getting caught? The 
Woman in the next room would be of little help. Besides there was 
no way she could get close to her with someone seeing her and 
telling 'him'. He'd punish her for sure. 

Then she thought of the man who'd been brought in the same time 
as the woman. No one was watching the hall where his cell was 
located. It would be a simple thing to slip on down there, open 
his door and then show him how to get out of this place. Maybe 
once he was outside, he would be able to find help, or just stay 
out of sight until help came.

The door opened easily after she had turned the key she had found 
on a peg next to the door on the wall. But before she could push 
it open more that a foot, her wrist was grabbed in a vice like 
grip and she was pulled into the room and shoved up against a wall, 
a hand covered her mouth to keep her from crying out a warning to 
the others.

"I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth and you're going 
to tell me what's going on here and then show me a way out of here," 
his eyes bore into her. "Then you're going to show me where they are keeping
the boy and the woman I was brought in here with. Do you understand?"

Kayla nodded her head, and slowly took a deep breath as the man 
moved his hand about a inch from her lips.

"I can show you how to get out of here," she told him. "That's why 
I am here. But it would be impossible for you to get to the others. 
He had them to well guarded, and to try would only get you killed."

"I'm not leaving here without them," he hissed.

"You have too!!" she whispered firmly. "It's the only chance they 
have!! You have to go get help."

"So you say," he sneered. "How should I know if you speak the 
truth? What's to say you're not setting me up?"

"Looked you idiot!" she hissed back. "There are more people here 
needing help than some woman and a boy. He's got about twenty three 
girls and women locked up waiting to be sold to the highest bidder. 
If you don't get help they could be sold into slavery or worse. Now 
will you believe me?"

The way out didn't take much time. Zert followed the girl down the 
back hall way past some currently unused rooms until they came to 
a break in the wall. Both were just the right size to squeeze 
through, and after a minute or so she led him to an opening in 
the side of the cliff.

"If you're careful, you can make it down in one piece," she told 
him and then pointed off to the left of them. "Go that way and 
there are plenty of places you can duck under for cover if you 
see dragons approaching. Good luck."

"What do you mean...wait!" he grabbed at her arm when she had 
turned and started back the way they had come. "Aren't you going 
with me?"

"I can not," she told him bowing her head. "It will be worse for 
the boy if I am not here to ... "

Zert understood. He didn't like leaving her here, but somehow he 
knew she was right. "All right. I don't like it but, I'll bring 
help as soon as I can," he promised her and then released her 
hand. "Hang on just a little while longer."

Then she was gone.

------------------------------------------------
(nrpg: Hi Mikey :)....... it's your turn :)

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

Barbara (a.k.a.

Da'ntray & Keppo
Kayla the concubine
and the rest of the bad guys.......