** At the entrance of the Library **

>"Da! What are you doing here?" Danika asked.
>
>"I could ask you the same question, kitten."

Danika felt ruffled as she realized that her father was trying to change
the subject. How typical of him, she thought, realizing at the same time
that she was learning his ways very quickly.

>"Don't think you can change the subject. Did Herin say you could
>leave?"  a frown of concern tinged with anger crossed her face.

<Zenith tells me his rider wasn't released from the med center,> Kalindeth
supplied.

Danika saw exasperation cross R'ven's face and a far off look that told her
he was conversing with his dragon. She could well identify with the
sensation of exasperation, as she felt her ire rising at Kalindeth's
announcement.

>"Kali tells me you didn't. So what are you doing here? And why aren't
>you in bed!?" fury in her voice.
>
>"Nika.. kitten..."

R'ven's tone was placating.

>"Don't you , Nika or kitten me,  you... you..." she fumbled for words,
>"rogue in dragons hide!"

<You couldn't do any better for an insult than that?> Kalindeth chuckled.

<Oh... but he's my Da!> Danika explained. She cursed the man for being so
charming and disarming, she couldn't even get mad at him right.

>R'ven raised his hand in submission, "Alright, alright I'm going!"

That was almost too, easy, Danika thought, especially after that laughingly
lame insult. Then she noticed the far off look of dragon and rider
communicating had once again taken over R'ven. She was a bit suspicious,
but nevertheless couldn't get too angry.

>"And just what are you planning with that, black snake you call a
>dragon?" she teased , seeing the grin appear on her father's face as
>he finished speaking to Zenith.
>
>His face took on an innocent look, "Me? Planning something with my
>dragon? Perish the thought! I was actually thinking about getting
>something to eat. Care to join me?" 

Danika's tummy rumbled in response.

>"Men! Why do you think us women are  so simple?"  Danika said,
>steering her father out towards the Dining Hall.
>
>***
>
>Danika was  surprised by the attention the older man was getting,  not
>only women, but men as well.
>
>R'ven was obviously well liked and respected.
>
>"You seem to have a harem of followers, Da," she smiled wiping a crumb
>from the corner of his mouth.
>
>"Hmmm?  Do I? I didn't realise that. They are people I know and work
>with. I respect others abilities and make sure that their efforts are
>recognised," he shrugged, "I'd like to think that we are friends too."

<WRAITHS!> Kalindeth called out.

Looking around the room, it was evident that every other dragon rider in
the room had received the same distressed message. 

>Everyone in the room sat for a momment in silence then organised chaos
>ensued. 
>
>Riders running out onto the green; multi coloured bands of dragons
>landing and taking off only to reland in wing formations.
>
>R'ven stood up and was about to make his way out.
>
>"Where on earth are you going?" demanded Danika
>
>"To my wing."
>
>"Not with that arm you don't!"
>
>R'ven swung round to his daughter, his dark eyes burning into hers.
>Holding her shoulders tightly he said, "I'm a dragon rider. I will not
>let you stop me from doing my duty!"

His tone was sharp. It stunned the young queenrider, not having expected
that from her father. She couldn't respond as a lump rose in her throat.

>Letting her go sharply, Danika almost stumbled.
>
>She watched as the man, who had come to mean so much to her, follow
>the other riders out. 

Danika watched in silence, rubbing at the tears that stung her eyes. If it
had been anyone but R'ven, it wouldn't have hurt. But she was scared for
the man. She knew, as a queenrider as well as a daughter, that the man
shouldn't fly into combat with an injured arm. It just wasn't safe.

***

Danika watched as her father walked toward the green where the wing was
gathering and was intercepted by the warrenlady. R'ven and Jayleigh
exchanged words as the warrenlady told R'ven that he could not fly while
injured.

The junior queenrider's heart went out to her father. his pride wounded by
being denied the opportunity to do his job, fighting wraiths.

>His anger subsided, running his hand through his hair, he walked back
>towards the dining hall. Danika  had watched the whole episode from
>the doorway and, as her father brushed past her, he growled, "Don't
>you dare say, ' I told you so!'"
>
>***

Danika followed R'ven into the dining hall. She was perplexed by his
behavior, but she could tell he was hurting.

She called out to him several times, but he went about his way, getting his
tray and sitting down to eat. Danika didn't know if he didn't hear her or
was ignoring her completely.

Sighing, Danika got a sandwich and a cup of coffee and sat down across the
table from her father who was glowering down at his plate.

>"Da?" the gentle tones of Danika offered him no comfort.
>
>"Leave me, Danika," he said broodily. Looking up to the concerned face
>of his daughter, he sighed, "I'm sorry child. I'm not good company
>right now. I suggest that you go and see Jayleigh. She will assign you
>to a task befitting your status. But for now,  just leave me."
>
>He rose hunched shouldered from the table and walked out to the med
>centre. He'd been thinking about this for most of the night and, as
>much as he hated too,  decided that there was no alternative but to
>talk to Shaidin.

Danika was perplexed as she watched him leave. She didn't know what to do
to help the man, who was hurting so gravely. She'd tried and he'd pushed
her away.

Her appetite gone, she pushed aside her meal and went to the warrenlady's
office to see what she could do, as R'ven so bluntly suggested.

******

** Later, in Jayleigh's office with the Lords Gossimor **

Danika jumped as the door opened suddenly and there stood R'ven, a haunted
look in his eyes. He looked at Jayleigh directly and soon she had a similar
look of fear.

"R'ven!?!" Jayleigh asked in a strained voice.

<Gerald's been gravely injured,> Kalindeth told Danika. Obviously this was
what brought R'ven to the office in such a state and what was distressing
Jayleigh.

>
>Rezsia could see Jayleigh wanted to bolt out of the office, so stepped in.
>"Lord Gossimor, please excuse the interruption, but we seem to be having a
>crisis here. If you'll please excuse the warrenlady, she has some personal
>business to attend to." Not knowing if she'd handled the situation right,
>and really not caring, she turned to R'ven. "R'ven," she asked in a soothing
>voice, knowing that Gerald was a friend of his too, "could you please escort
>our warrenlady to Gerald?"
>
>R'ven had regained composure, and wasn't quite as frantic looking as he'd
>been when he'd initially entered. He'd quite honestly forgotten that Lord
>Gossimor was here, and he wondered if perhaps he might have interrupted
>something important. Nevertheless, he went over to a still shocked Jayleigh
>and helped her up. Jayleigh however, ever the warrenlady, paused before she
>exitted the room. "Please forgive me Lord Gossimor. Rezsia will help you
>however you need. I really must be going..." The last couple of words seemed
>frantic, and with that the door closed, leaving Rezsia and Danika with the
>landbound Lord and the rest of his entourage.
>
>Silence reigned for the first few seconds, then Lord Matory stated quietly,
>"With you permission, ma'am, we'd like to retire for the time being. Perhaps
>later we can---"
>
>"I can't believe she just walked out on me!" Lord Gossimor raged,
>interrupting his son. "So a dragonrider was hurt; it was probably just a
>flesh wound. Happens every day!"

Danika looked quickly to Rezsia, the other junior queenrider. She had hoped
for a clue on dealing with these two, as Danika was not as familiar with
the local lords in the area. Danika wasn't prepared for the reaction she
encountered though. Rezsia's face was void of expression. Her lips were
drawn taught and her hands were twitching nervously. The young woman looked
like a loose cannon about to go off. Glancing at the visiting lords, Danika
could tell that Matory was equally concerned. It was time to do something,
say something, to diffuse the situation, quickly she turned on her best
queenrider charm.

>"Lord Gossimor," she stated in a soothing voice, "we're terribly sorry we
>have offended someone of your rank. We truly hadn't meant to offend you. It
>was for your safety that you were kept at the gates; it was so chaotic
>inside the warren here you might have been forgotten, or lost. As for the
>warrenlady's hasty departure, it's because the rider that was brought in was
>her mate. And from what his dragon is saying, it isn't merely a fleshwound."
>
>Lord Gossimor's face lost its pomposity, and he seemed genuinely contrite.
>"Please give the warrenlady my condolences," he stated to the young
>queenrider. "I had no idea..."
>
>"Perhaps for the time being it'd be best if we retired, father," Matory
>stated, flashing a thank-you look at Danika.

Danika smiled back at the younger man, blushing slightly now that the
crisis was averted.

>Lord Gossimor nodded, then bowed regally to the two women. "Ladies, I pray
>we meet again under better circumstances."
>
>Danika nodded back, noticing Rezsia did the same. Then the Lord's party
>exitted the room.
>
>Rezsia's hands had lost their desire to reach for her knives, and she turned
>to Danika. "Thank you for helping me back there." It was hard to thank the
>other queenrider; she, Rezsia, should have shown a little more discipline
>and patience. "It's just that Jayleigh's my friend, and I didn't like it
>when he talked about her like that."

Danika was pleased to see the tall woman calm down. Better late than never,
she thought. She could sense a bit of resentment as Rezsia thanked her.

>Danika just smiled slightly and waved it off. "It's okay. He's a typical
>lord; tell him what he wants to hear, that it was completely our fault that
>he is uncomfortable, and he can't accuse you of anything else. Adding a
>little guilt never hurt. I had to learn all about that when I became a
>queenrider. Epion's warrenlady was good about that; I stayed in during many
>of the meetings between the local lords."
>
>And here I'd thought she needed to learn, Rezsia thought to herself. It was
>*herself* that needed to learn. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I need to be
>going. I'd like to check up on how Jayleigh is doing."
>
>Danika noticed the note of anger that had crept into the other rider's
>voice, and wondered what she'd done to make the dark haired woman in front
>of her angry. She didn't know it was directed inwardly, not at Danika
herself.

Danika wondered what she had done to anger Rezsia so, watching the woman's
back as she left the room. She slumped into the nearest chair and rubbed
her face with her hands for a moment. It had been a long day, and a real
test of her merit as a queenrider and a daughter.

Her thoughts went to R'ven, wondering how he was doing. He'd been so upset
all day, and the look on his face when he came with the news of Gerald.

<Amadith and Zenith tell me Tair'n's awake now,> Kalindeth answered her
thoughts.

<Tair'n???> Danika thought for a moment, <Da's mate???>

<One and the same,> Kalindeth answered.

Danika jumped up and ran for the door then hesitated, uncertain whether or
not her presence would be desired.

<I think you should let them be right now,> Kalindeth advised.

<You're probably right,> Danika sighed, <I'm going to get some dinner. Have
Zenith tell Da that I love him.>
***************

NRPG: Well that should catch up Danika. Sorry it took me so long, RL's been
a mess lately. Danika will be in the dining hall for dinner if anyone wants
to interact with her.


                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                        )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood          )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                         )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      Danika/Kalindeth of Daere        )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Aradia/Futhark of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (   Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_ Yasmine/Starlin of Marrid       )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;