Only The Truth Can Heal

Jayleigh
**********

The more she thought about what the healer had told them, the more she
agreed. There would have to be some kind of a formal hearing into the death
of Tair'n's mother and his part in it.

Surely once the truth of the events that took place that day were brought
out into the open, then maybe T'or and his crown would back off and leave
the poor man to heal. 

She thought about the meeting she'd just had with the man over his son's
involvement in Cal'an's beating yesterday morning. Both father and son had
seemed angry and at one point when the air had become so thick with tension,
Troy had let out an angry roar that seemed to remind the two males of who's
office they were in. 

Jayleigh had let a slow knowing smile spread over her dark features the
moment the man's dragon had relayed the Queens threat. But that was all she
had needed for the older of the two to pull himself together and at lease
play at some kind of respect for her.

Then her smile faded as she thought of the little boy over in the med center
fighting even now for his very life, and the look on her face when she
turned back to face the son, wasn't very happy at all. He knew he was in
trouble.

"Torne do you realize that the thoughtless actions of you and your friends
over something you do not even know the facts about have left an innocent
child in the med center in danger of losing his life?" her voice was barely
held in some sort of control as she watched the kid sneer and blow her off.

"The kid only got pushed around a little," Torne said hoping the woman
couldn't see how badly he was frighten by being called here to see her.

"Cal'an .... the kid... is in the med center right now fighting for his
life," her voice was firm and full of righteous anger as she snapped at the
boy. "The kid who you -*only* knocked around, without any reason I might
add...has a bleeding disorder that makes him unlike 
every other kid in this Warren. One little cut and it could prove to be
deadly to him if they can't get his bleeding to stop."

"So how was I to know it?"

"Weather you knew it or not doesn't matter!!" Jayleigh's voice rose making
the kid very nervous. "You should never have placed a hand on him in the
first place."

"But he's the son of a dragon killer. What does it matter if his Da is going
to be banished anyway?"

"Oh? You know this for a fact?" she asked him, her tone having done deadly
quiet now, and Torne looked quickly at his father for support. 

"Well... that's what they're saying..." he said weakly.

"That's what they're saying..." Jayleigh repeated the boys words in the same
weak tone he had used. "Well they have it wrong. Tair'n is not going to be
banished for what happened back then. And *they* would do best to keep their
thoughts to themselves and their mouths shout until they know the whole
story of what happened that day long ago. Just as you would do well to stay
the hell away from a boy who wasn't even born then and had nothing to do
with what happened. Do I make myself clear?"

"Now see here Jayleigh..." T'or spoke up. "You have no cause to be speaking
to my boy that way. Him and his friends were only..."

"No T'or...you're right," she agreed which surprised him and she could see
it in the expression on his face. "It's you I should be having this talk
with. It's you and your big mouth who is to blame for what your son did. It
never should have gotten this far in the first place, but once again you and
your crowd jumped to conclusions over something you knew nothing about and
you opened your mouth trying to make yourself look big and your child is now
sitting here in my office after having nearly killing one innocent child and
hurting another. But as I've said you are right... it's not Torne I should
be talking to ...it's you."

"Now that's not ...."

"...Fair?" she finished for him. "No... it's not fair. It's not fair at all
that Cal'an may never be the same because of something he had no control
over. Now as for you Torne, starting this afternoon you will be reporting 
to the medical center for a work assignment and will do any of the duties
Healers' Herin or Noni ask you to do. And if they tell me you are not
showing up..." she let the treat hang in the air. "Now you may go. I will
have Viktroy contact Healer Noni's Amie to make sure you are showing up on
time each day starting right now."

The boy left, but Jayleigh asked the father to stay. He didn't seem to happy
about it but she didn't care. He'd caused enough trouble with his narrow
mind and actions.

"A meeting will be held in the next day or so.. hopefully tomorrow to let
known the causes of what happened that day when Tair'n ... killed his
mother," She told him. "I trust you will be there to hear the details and
listen with an open mind to the events that led up to it's happening."

"Some of us know you're only trying to cover for him because he's your lover
and we think it's unbecoming of you," the man sneered. "We already know what
happened. He killed a dragonrider and her dragon! And now you're going to
have this trumped up meeting and then decide to let him stay anyway so why
the hell have it. Besides what else is there to know?"

"I resent your accusations T'or as to my bearing favorites because Tair'n
and I are involved," if her voice was any colder there would have been
icicles forming on the riders nose. "But as I know there will be others of
your group who think the same I will tell you now that I will not be the one
hearing his evidence or deciding if he should be brought to trial. I will be
asking another Warrenlady to come here and make the ruling in my stead. Just
to keep remarks like yours quiet."

She could see he was more than a little surprised by her admission. It was
something he hadn't expected from her.

"I will have Viktroy inform all riders when the meeting will be," she told
him, suddenly wanting to see the last of him. "I trust you will be there?"

After he had gone she sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes.... that
action brought up another thought.

Dyanisa.

What was she going to do about the girl?

It's not as if she would be any good at staying with the fighting wing. Not
with her blindness. There couldn't be anyway around that... could there?

Maybe a quick note to the Healer Hall with an explanation of what happened
could help. Well it couldn't hurt. Maybe they had someone who could help her
adjust and maybe get along by herself.

She set out to write the note to try to get her mind off of the events that
just happened and start to think of something else. But it only reminded her
that she still had the letter to write to find another Warrenlady willing to
come to Daere to acted as the hearing judge for Tair'n's hearing.

She finished the letter to the Master Healer and set it aside to think of
her other problem. 

But who? Which one could she ask? She really didn't know any of the others
all that well. There just hadn't been time for niceties since taking over
Daere after Velara had died. She'd been to busy running the place.

<Aura's rider would do well,> Troy's thought's filled her mind. <She is said
to be a fair and just woman.>

<<Aura's Rider, my love?>> Jayleigh smiled as she felt her dragon's touch.
<<Maybe you're right. I too have heard that. Maybe I will ask her.>>

<Do it now while you are thinking of it.>

<<Yes mother.>>

She pulled out a couple pieces of her office stationary and began to write.....

M'lady Waylene or Marrid Warren....

I find myself in need of asking a tremendous favor of you at this time.
Things have happened here in Daere that cause me to step down in my role as
arbitrator and seek to ask another to sit in judgment of certain things in
my absence. 

By now I and sure you have heard about the discovery of the plot led by a
Rider named Da'ntray by several dragonriders from Daere and other Warrens to....

.... as a result of this news, and my own involvement with the rider in
question, I'm sure you can see why I do not feel it right for me to
officiate at this hearing? But a hearing we must have if Tair'n is to have
any kind of chance of living here and remaining in his position as the Alpha
Wingleader. I do feel that once the facts of the case have been heard..
facts I thought it best not to write here so as not to cause you to think
one way or another until you've heard them for yourself and can rule on them
with an opened mind. 

I do hope you will be able to find the time to help Daere Warren with this
problem, for if ever help was needed, now would be that time.

Sincerely yours,

Jayleigh, Warrenlady, Daere Warren

After signing the bottom of the page, se went back over it and reread it to
make sure she had put in it everything she thought would help the woman
without giving to much away. Then she folded it in two and reached for and
envelope before asking Troy to ask Callyanth's rider to come to her office.

"You sent for me M'lady?" Vesta showed up minutes later.

"Yes. I have two letters I need for you to deliver for me," the Warrenlady
told her as her courier entered the room. "One is to go to the Healer Hall
in Tinobal. I will need you to wait there until you receive an answer," she
paused as she fingered the second of the two letters. "And this one I need
you to take to the Warrenlady at Marrid Warren. You are to give it to
Warrenlady Waylene and no one else and there too I will need you to wait for
an answer. Stay the night if you have too to give her time to think about my
request... but I want an answer before you come back."

Vesta had a feeling she knew what the letter to Marrid contained... she'd
heard the rumors same as everyone else, but she didn't like the way some of
the other's were talking. Like that T'or. Who did he think he was anyway?

She'd heard it said that with Tair'n out of the way the rider was going to
try to get appointed to run Alpha. Fat lot of good it would do him though.
Why ....she could do a better job of running the wing.... and she stood a
better chance of getting it than T'or would she thought as she mounted Cally
and gave the dragon the order to fly.

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

Kiddo.... here's your opening.... bring on the seeing eye guy :)

All: Please welcome Kris Gant to the list for a short time. She'll be
writing the part that she writes so well anyway as Waylene, Warrenlady of
Marrid. Please send all post dealing with the hearing and anything to do
with it to her also... <sgant@interaccess.com>..

Kris: WELCOME!!!! And Thank you :)

Paula and Peter.... and Lea... I'll get to Ja'ks and Kayla in my next post.....