Kayla
*******

Warm. Comfortable. Safe.

Was how Kayla felt upon waking. 

She was cocooned in Ar'Aman's arms, his breath warm against the back of her
neck as they laid there in his bed. 

Their bed? Or was it to soon to hope that he would allow her to move in.
Would he want her too? Gods she prayed he did, for she wanted to be with him
more than anything else in the world.

She felt him stir. Felt his strong hand come up to cup her breast. His
fingers slowly circling one nipple until it peaked, then it moved to the other.

"I still can't believe what a passionate woman you are and how your body
responds to my touch," he murmured in her hear as his hand swept downward
over her ribs and the slight swell of her stomach to find the proof of her
desire for him.

Kayla turned so she was laying on her back and couldn't help her soft moan
as she felt him gently open her legs.

"So passionate..." he moved over her and slowly entered her.

"Only for you my love," she cried softly as she felt him moving slowly
inside of her and her hands came up to feel his warm flesh. 

It was so very sweet. So intense that she cried after words and he held her,
sharing in the feelings they had both enjoyed.

"Oh Ar'Aman.. I love you," there she said it. And then waited to hear what
he had to say about her words. Hoping and praying he felt the same way about
her. She couldn't bear it if he didn't.

"As do I you My Sweet Kayla," he raised his head up off her shoulder and
looked into her eyes as he said the words. "I know we've only known
eachother a very short time my love, but I feel that I've known you longer."

Her hands came up to softly caress the sides of his face as it lowered
towards hers. His soft kiss left her trembling by the time he pulled away. 

"Come my love," he smiled thinking how easy the endearment came to his lips
now. "As much as I would love to stay here with you in bed this morning
doing more of the same... I feel I must find something to eat first to
replenish my energies......

Kayla and Ar'Aman went for breakfast in the dining hall. They ate
ravenously, having been through a lot of physical and emotional activity. 

Kayla saw the looks she was getting from a few of the other women from the
caves and they seemed to be happy for her. She was glad they didn't seem to
upset. Not that it would really matter. Ar'Aman was all that mattered to her
right now. With his love to protect her, she felt she could face anything.

"What do you think, boy?!" she heard a man say and noticed it was the bully
from the other night. She didn't like him at all. He reminded her of...him..

"I think it's none of my business, nor yours."

"Is that right?" the man sneered, his facing distorting into a new brand of
ugliness.

"The Warrenlady is more than able to make decisions without basing them on
sex. Tair'n has won many honorable victories for the Warren. Plus, none of
us really knows what happened."

"I know. She's a little slut, just like yours sitting there."

As he rose, Kayla tried to stop him.

"Please, don't fight." She begged of him, it wasn't worth it. She didn't
care what the other man thought of her as long as Ar'Aman loved her. He knew
the truth about her and was still with her. So what others said didn't
matter to her in the lease.

"Listen to your girl there. She knows what she's talking about."

"Ari ...please... he's not worth the trouble," she said softly, her hand on
his arm holding him back. But when she saw the table clearing around her she
knew her words came to late.

As they squared up, ready for a fight, R'ven came into the dining hall too.
Seeing the trouble and the fear in Kayla's eyes, he came over.

"Good morning T'or! Lovely day."

Kayla saw that the older man had already noticed the stress in the air. She
prayed he'd do something to stop the fight about to happen.

"Push off, R'ven."

"I don't need any help," Ar'Aman said, a look of complete calm on his face.
"I've had sneezes more violent than this character."

Before she could get the words out to ask R'ven to put a stop to all this
the bigger man lunged, but woefully to slowly. With a quicker movement to
the side and a well placed foot, the large man was soon sprawling on the
floor.

"You little shit!" He looked so angry, he was almost smoking. "Don't go down
any passages at night!!"

"Care to tell me what that was about?" the dark headed man asked.

"Just a little scuffle between evolution's," he answered. "Nothing really."

"They were talking about Tair'n again," said Kayla, with a frown directed at
her love. "They wanted Ar'Aman to join in with their opinion."

"Can I take it you did not?"

"I guess I just didn't like the guy's attitude. Besides," he looked briefly
at Kayla, "I didn't want them to upset anyone. Why don't you join us, R'ven?
We've eaten, but I'd like to know any friends of Kayla."

"In that case I will. I'm a bit curious about you too."

She saw his eyes turned to meet hers, his darker ones searching hers as if
to learn her true feelings. She let him see into her heart and then saw him
nod and a slow knowing smile spread over his face before he turned away.

She felt relief at his understanding nod. His opinion meant so much to her.
Before Ar'Aman had come into her life, the tall dark-headed rider had been
the only other person in her life to treat her with some kind of respect.
She owned him more than her thanks. She owed him her very life and there
wasn't anything she wouldn't do to repay him.

So, R'ven went to get himself some food while Kayla reprimanded her new love.

"How could you fight that big ox?" she demanded. "Going down to their level!"

"I'm sorry, my love. I just hate people with those attitudes. I was saw
someone.. doesn't matter."

"What?" she asked, concerned.

She felt his pain as Kayla looked into the eyes of the man she loved. His
memories seemed so full of detail; the kind of detail only those alone can
muster.

R'ven came back with his meal, seeming happy to see them together.

Kayla could see a question in his dark eyes as he sat across from them. She
knew what he was asking and nodded her head. Yes.. she had told Ar'Aman
everything. 

R'ven gave a barely noticeable nod of his head then turned back to Ar'Aman.
"So how is it that you were lucky enough to win this young ladies love.

Kayla felt her cheeks turning red, and looked down. Part of her was afraid
to hear his answer, the other part wanted very badly for him to tell this
man that he loved her.

"Weel we're off to the shops," Ar'Aman told R'ven as the older man finished
eating. "I'm going to talk Kayla into helping me find some new things to
decotate ...my apartment."

Before they left the hall, R'ven pulled her aside.

"I have a favor to ask of you," he said and the look in his dark eyes made
her wonder what....

Vesta
******

Mounting Callyanth, the two took to the skies. First they would go to the
Healer's hall and then on to Marrid.

Things went well at the healer hall. She promised to come back by and pick
him up as soon as she completed her trip to Marrid Warren.

"I'm not sure if it'll be later tonight or early tomorrow so just be ready
to go tonight just in case.....

At Marrid she delivered the letter to Warrenlady Waylene and was glad she
didn't have to wait long for an answer. So as soon as she had Waylene's
reply in her hands she hurried back to Daere and handed it to Jayleigh, then
told her she needed to go back to the Healers hall to pick up the healer for Dy.

"He's a kind man," Vesta told Jayleigh after the Warrenlady had read the
man's letter. "I don't think we'll have any problems finding someone to
watch his little one. Do you?"

Jayleigh chuckled. She'd heard what the girl wasn't saying, and knew the man
must have left some impression on the girl she didn't want to talk about.
Jayleigh knew Vesta and the young man she'd mated herself to had recently
split up. Maybe the girl had a few hopes with the new healer. 

Not that it was any of her business, she just didn't want to girl to get
hurt when the man left again.

"Well after you return with the healer, please bring him by so I can meet
with him," she said. "But before you go I need you to make sure there is a
nice comfortable apartment available for Warrenlady Waylene to use if she
needs to while she's here."

The healer was ready and waiting when she arrived. The others all but pushed
him out of the door to the Master's office when she entered the room and
told him they needed to hurry back. 

She mounted them with him behind her and the baby in her arm's after telling
him it would be safer that way. With her able to latch the riding straps
around both her and the little girl, where she's only have the protection of
her fathers arms behind her.

Of course Vesta also enjoyed the feel of the man behind her as his arms came
around her to hold onto the little one. For the short flight back, who was
to know besides herself that she was pretending they were a family. 

Oh well, she thought... dreaming never hurt anyone.

Jayleigh
**********

The healer had just left her office with Vesta who had offered to show them
to their new apartment. Then talk had gone better than Jayleigh had hoped
and she could tell right away the man would do good with Dy. If only the
girl allowed him to help her.

She'd worry about that later. 

<<Troy love,>> she called softly to her Queen as an idea came to her.
<<Would you please ask Jadain if he'll take Dy to the dining hall for dinner
tonight. Please tell him Dy's new teacher will be meeting them there, but
he's not to tell her who he is just yet. We'll let him tell her when he
feels the time is right.>>

It was just before the early dinner hour when Her Queen informed her that
the Warrenlady from Marrid and her Queen and escort had arrived. 

<<Troy please tell the Queen that I will be out to greet the, in just a
moment,>> Jayleigh sent to her own Queen, and then raced towards the looking
glass on the wall next to her door. Her hair was in place in the combs she'd
put in this morning and her shirt was still clean... well no time to change
into anything more formal, but she hoped the woman would understand.

She made it out onto the green with just a few seconds to spare as she
watched the Queen from Marrid and her rider land. Behind her landed her
escorts and soon the woman was dismounting and Jayleigh stepped forward with
her hand out.

"M'lady Waylene you will never know how much your coming here at this time,
means to me and the people who live here," she said as she greeted the woman.

"Well after reading your letter, I couldn't bring myself to say no," the
other woman told her as they began walking towards the Warren offices,
leaving the two Queens to caught up on Warren gossip. "I can well understand
why you felt you couldn't fulfill the duties yourself."

"No... it just... wouldn't have been right," the taller of the two said. "No
one who have believed I cleared him for any other reason than because he...
shared my ..bed."

"I can see your point, but surely..."

"No it's better this way. With you here to sit in judgment there can be no
claims of me playing favorites. Now I can show you to the apartment we've
had prepared for you or if you're hungry and would care for something to
eat? My head cook does a wonderful thing with Cream Tolmay that is to die for?"

[(Kris I'll let you decide.)]

Ja'ks
*******

With evening practice out of the way and the coal incident reported to
Jayleigh, Ja'ks decided to go pay Noni a little visit. He wanted to make
sure she was doing okay this morning and has survived the after effects of
the mating flight and the trauma with Cal'an. 

He was told by the head nurse where she could be found and made his way to
the kid's room. It bothered him, what had happened. He'd spent some time
with Cal'an and Jadain over the last few days and liked the kid. That this
should have even happened... well he'd have to keep and eye on T'or and his
crowd. Maybe talk to R'ven about seeing if something could be done without
bothering Jayleigh with it. She had enough to worry about right now.

He found Noni right where he was told she would be and the two of them
wondered on down the hall to her office where she wanted to look at his
shoulder to see how it was healing....

"No, Ja`ks," Noni said. "You did what you were supposed to do, as you were
supposed to do it. It's no reflection on you if the damnable aristocrat had
his head stuck so far up his starched collar that he couldn't listen."

"Yeah," he said after a long moment had passed. "I guess you're right on
that point. But dealing with Lords like him is not what I like to do. I was
hoping I could get it settled without having to bother Jay's with it."

Noni shrugged. "Dealing with senior healers in this place can be the same way."

Ja`ks chuckled ruefully. "You're experienced with that, are you? Bet you're
not as experienced with dragon amours, are you, innocent dear?" The broad
grin on his face took all the sting out of the comment. How he loved teasing
her about it. And with her being a healer and all...

Noni whapped him on the good shoulder. "Oh, you... Get out of here, before
I..." 

The man stood, spreading his arms wide. "Before you *what*?" He chuckled.
She looked so cute when she was riled. 

"Before... Before I grab a scalpel and rip that shoulder of yours in twain!"

With a ringing laugh, Ja`ks was out the door. Oh how he loved to tease her
about her silly little fear of mating flights.

He wondered now as he had before how it could be that Ammie had never risen
to mate.

<She just isn't ready.> Sprarroe told him. <Nor does she think her rider is.
But she will know when the time is right.>

Ja'ks didn't know how he felt about that. About someone else's dragon
winning her and being the one to teach her... Now where did that come in, he
wondered?

It wasn't as though they had any romantic feelings for each other. No they
were just good friends. Someone to share each others feelings with. So why
did he find now that he didn't like the idea of someone else being with her? 

<Human's are silly,> the brown told his rider. <Guess what? I may have
something to cheer you up.>

<<Oh and what might that be buddy?>> Ja'ks asked his dragon as he made his
way home for the night.

<Ammie just told me her human's birthing day is coming up soon,> Sprarroe
told him. <Is that like the day she hatched?>

Ja'ks let out a laugh. <<Humans are birthed. They aren't hatched.>>

Her Birthday....hummm.... He wondered why she didn't tell him about it. Well
no matter... He'd have to hurry, but surely in the next few days, with his
mothers help, he could put something together.....Yes.. That's what he'd do.
Now... to plan....

--------------------------  
Nrpg: 

Well I hope this gets me caught up for now. The trial or hearing will be the
next afternoon, just after lunch. So eat early if you want a good seat ;) 

John I'll have T'rell arriving the next morning just after breakfast. I'm
sure he didn't get to eat before he... ah... left Falgand ;) And just
think.... he didn't even get to finish his Micky D's coffee either... :(

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

Barbara (a.k.a.

Warrenlady Jayleigh of Daere
  and her Queen, Viktroy
Ja'ks & Sprarroe
Kayla
Vesta & Callyanth
Daere Warren