Jayleigh saw Gerald just as soon as Viktroy landed on the green 
next to the dark green Random, she could tell right away that it 
probably hadn't been a good idea to come here and try to talk to 
him right at the moment. Because he clearly looked as if she was 
the last person he wanted to see.

She hadn't meant to hurt him. That was the last thing she had 
wanted to do to the tall bard. She just hoped that some day he 
could find it within himself to forgive her. Then maybe she could 
forgive herself.

"Gerald, we need to talk." Her voice soft, compassionate. All of
a sudden, the guilt surged up in him.

"I don't want to talk, not yet."

"But we have to, Gerald," she said worried about how he was 
feeling. "I have to explain."

"It's really not any of my business."

"Please, stop. Of course it's your business. You have to 
understand, I've had feelings for Tair'n for a long time, but I 
was denying them. I will always be grateful to you. You brought 
out feelings in me that I had hidden deep inside. You made me 
realize that I could love again, be a passionate woman instead of 
an emotional wreck. It just started out as me looking 
after him because he was injured so badly. I wasn't trying to go 
after him."

 "So badly'? You didn't have sex with him?"

 "No..." Not that I wouldn't have if he'd been able for it, she 
admitted silently to herself. And gloried in the feel of his hand 
and lips working their magic on my naked flesh.

 "Gods!!" Gerald clenched his fists and turned away, unable to 
bear her gaze.

 "What's wrong?"

Gerald took a deep breath, let it out slowly. "YOU don't 
understand. We have to be honest with each other. *I* have to be 
honest. I slept with someone else last night." Hearing nothing but 
silence for a moment, he turned to look at the warrenlady.

What could she say? She let herself smile, if he had someone else 
maybe it wouldn't be...

"You don't have to look so damned happy!!" Her shocked look showed
that she didn't realize she had been smiling, relieved; somehow, 
that made it worse.

 "I understand. I really do. I'm not worth your attentions. But I 
do have to be honest with you. I went to a party last night, found 
out about you and Tair'n, and got drunk. Really drunk."

 "And found another girl."

Gerald grimaced, stressed. "Yes. No. Damn it, I thought it was 
*you*. It was dark and I was drunk and I thought you had come to 
me, even after you had been with Tair'n. I thought that things had 
changed, that you wanted me. I made love to her like I have never 
made love before, and found out later what I had done."

That stopped Jayleigh for a moment. She tilted her head, 
appraising him. "Do you have feelings for me?" 

"I don't know." His voice was a strained shadow of itself. "It
doesn't matter, does it? You have Tair'n now. I would just be in 
the way. I figured you would want to break it off." A thought 
occurred to him. "Wait a minute, what about R'ven? Did you two 
leave him out as well, or are you going to do what Velara did?"

 "I...don't know yet."

"I see." His voice cold now. "So, now you're going to stop seeing 
me because of Tair'n, but he's going to continue sleeping with 
R'ven. You feel it's wrong to be with me because you love Tair'n, 
and yet they're going to be together."

 "You're jealous." She accused, hurt because his words had hit a 
little to close. She still had to tell Tair'n what she had decided. 
She owed it to him to let him know first.

Gerald shook his head. "No, I'm not jealous. I just think you're
being unfair to me. You're going out of your way to appease Tair'n 
because
you found out you love him, and cutting your own throat. I don't 
know how I feel for you, I'm almost afraid to think of it, but now 
I know I never had a chance. I feel used. And now, discarded. If 
you really felt so little for me, I think you had no business 
asking me to go with you to the lake."

"It's not like that, I told you. I didn't know until last night
how I felt for Tair'n. You're drawing conclusions-"

"If you say so, ma'am." Gerald cut her off, something he would
not dared to do before. "This is probably a stupid thing to say, 
but then I want to be honest, so I'm going to say it. Someday, 
maybe, you just might regret your choice. You may decide that I'm 
worth more than just a wild night in bed-" she cringed at that- 
"and when you do, look me up. I might just be stupid enough to fall 
for it." And that's as far as I'm going to admit my feelings to 
her, he thought. "Until then, I will be happy to serve you to the 
best of my ability- but please, not today. I need to 
be alone for a while." With that, he turned and started to walk away.

 "Gerald, wait. Where will you go?" She sounded concerned.

He didn't turn. "Don't worry, I have someone to keep me warm at 
night." He tried not to imagine her face as he walked away...

Oh Gods What had she done? He sounded so hurt and bitter as he 
stormed off. Gods she had never meant for this to happen, never 
meant for him to get hurt. But how was she to know that her 
feelings for Tair'n would finally be realized... and returned. 

She stood there on the green unmoving but feeling like the worst 
kind of a heel, as the tall bard walked away. He had been so good 
to her. So giving and caring when they had been together. Making 
sure she had been well and truly pleasured before seeking and 
finding his own gradifications when they had made love. And this 
was how she repaid him. 

She knew she would go on hurting him, but had no choice in the 
matter. As the Warrenlady she had to have someone act as escort 
when she was away from the warren, and until Tair'n was in any 
condition to go with her, she would have to impose on Gerald to 
fill the void. 

How could she ask it of him when he probably hated her right now. 
No... not hated her, that was to strong a word for what he had 
been feeling. Used...discarded... In a way that's exactly what 
she had done. And now she would have to ask for his help, knowing 
she wasn't being fair to him on a personal level, as a woman. But 
as the Warrenlady she needed his help. She couldn't leave the 
Warren unprotected, and she trusted him to protect her.

Jayleigh sighed, knowing she had no right to ask this of him, but 
knowing she would. Somehow she would have to find a way to make it 
up to him. She did care about him and if she hadn't admitted, 
finally, her feelings for the other man... maybe her and Gerald....

******

"What's wrong 'Leigh?" Tair'n asked when she arrived. He could 
tell right off when she walked in the door that she was upset 
about something.

"I guess had a talk with Gerald," she told him as she joined him 
on his bed.

"And you told him about me?" 

"I didn't have too," she said, turning to cuddle against his good 
side with her head on his shoulder. Her fingers moved to draw lazy 
circles in the soft hair on his chest. "Troy had already told 
Random that I was with you last night. He didn't take it very well."

"Because you were with me, or because you were with another man?" 
Tair'n asked as his lips kissed her forehead. "What did he think? 
That we were making love?

"We would have been, if you were able," she admitted, then went on. 
"He came after me when I left the Warren unescorted yesterday 
morning after I had run out on you when..."

"Hush...Don't think about that," his hand began to do some lazy 
searching of it's own as his fingers found the buttons going down 
the front of her shirt. 

Her breath caught as one by one he slowly slipped the little disks 
from their holes until he came to the last one. "Take your shirt 
off for me," his voice was husky as he waited for her to comply. 
"Now go on and finish what you were saying bout Gerald ... he came 
after you..." he said as his amber eyes turned almost golden as he
 watched her remove the shirt to expose herself to him for the 
first time.

"Gods 'Leigh, you're beautiful," he whispered and brought his hand 
up to cup her breast. His thumb moved slowly back and forth over 
the sensitive nipple, causing it to harden more with each pass. 
When she tried to move closer to his touch, he backed off. 

"You were telling me about Gerald."

"He saw me with Zert, the new school teacher for the older... 
kids... and he had his arms around ... me...Gerald thought that 
I... we had... that I ... Gods Tair'n... don't make me... I can't 
think ...when you..." he'd resumed his light caresses and it was 
driving her crazy. How did he expect her to... when he was doing 
that to her.

"Kiss me 'Leigh," she heard him say softly and she didn't need to 
be asked twice, but moved until her lips were pressed against his, 
opening to allow his tongue to tease her with it's wicked 
thrusting movements, making her long for another part of him to 
be trusting deep inside her. She felt a shiver go through her body 
and then felt his lips leave hers. His eyes fell to her breast and 
saw the evidence of what his caresses did to her.

"Did you enjoy making love to Gerald?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, wanting there to be no lies between them. 

"Did you think about what I asked you this morning?" he asked, and 
she knew he was talking about R'ven. "Have you decided weather or 
not you'd have a problem with R'ven and I still being lovers?

"I already told you, I wouldn't ask you to give him up," she said 
softly, knowing that wasn't what he meant. "Beyond that I really 
don't know how I'd feel. I guess I'm going to have to learn to 
deal with the possibilities of it happening at some point. But 
don't ask me to do what Velara did, Tai. I'm not her and never 
could be, I just know I need you to be my friend, my lover and 
to help me learn how to deal with things I don't how too that will 
come up around the Warren. 
But mostly I need you as my friend and my lover."

"Oh I'll be that soon enough," he grinned, amber eyes twinkling 
as he reached for her again, his hands this time going for the 
fastening of her pants, and then slipped inside to caress the 
warm skin of her belly. "Finish undressing for me 'Leigh, I want 
to lay here with you and feel your body pressing against mine, 
just for a little while, until I'm asleep."

She did as he asked, because it was what she wanted too. 

********
(Ja'ks)

(...after seeing Rezsia at the lake...)

-----------------------------------
(nrpg: Paula I had to set the time when Noni called to ask to 
see  Ja'ks, to sometime between a late lunch and an early 
dinner... so it wouldn't cross Amy and Sarah's earlier post 
with Ja'ks... also I think it would work better so they can 
share her dinner....
-----------------------------------

Ja'ks was just finishing talking over the Beta Wing patrol 
schedule with D'aivy, when Sprarroe told him that Amethyst rider 
was asking for him to come to the med center.

<<Did she say why?>> he asked.

<Her rider, healer Noni said it's about a man that showed up there 
sometime ago near death from being out in the woods all night.>

Ja'ks wondered why the healer had called for him, but dismissed 
D'aivy and told him where he was heading. Why hadn't she told 
his sister, the Warrenlady, or one of the other Queen rider's. 
That was normal procedure. Or better yet, where was Heron? He 
was after all the head of the Warren's medical staff.

-----

"Wingleader Ja'ks, I'm Noni, it was my Amethyst that called to 
your brown. Thank you for coming so quickly," he heard the woman 
say as she came towards him when he entered the hall.

"Healer Noni," Ja'ks smiled in return. "How may I be of service 
to you?"

"Well I wasn't sure who I should tell," the girl started and the dragonrider
could tell she was a little nervous. So he set about 
to put her at ease.

"Well I'm here now," he grinned, his gray eyes taking on a 
friendly light. "So why don't you go ahead and tell me what 
your problem is."

"Well it's about the man who came in here earlier," Noni said, 
and then Ja'ks saw her change from the unsure woman into the 
very sure and capable healer. "He was suffering from hypothermia 
and frost bite. Somehow he how gotten himself lost outside the 
Warren in the woods and just managed to get back to the Warren 
a few hours ago."

"How bad off was he?"

"Well I don't think he'll lose any figures or toes, but it's going 
to be close." Noni told him as they started down the hall to the 
man's room. "My main concern was to let someone know he was here, 
in case someone went looking for him and reported him missing."

"You haven't told me who he is?" the tall blond said.

"That's the problem," the healer frowned. "I don't know who he is, 
and he's in no condition to tell me. I can't even remember seeing 
him around the Warren before. And another thing that I found that 
was kind of curious. He has a wraith burn on his arm.

The Beta Wingleader's attention picked up at the mention of the 
Warren's most hated of enemies.

"A wraith burn?" he asked and saw her nodding her head to confirm 
it. "Was he able to tell you how he got it?"

The healer shook her head. "No, he was already out cold by the 
time I found it."

"I'd be intereseted in finding our how he got it when he wakes 
up."

Then she was pushing open a door and the two of them quietly 
entered the room. Ja'ks recognized the man right off. For the man 
asleep on the bed was the new school teach/ explorer than his 
sister Jayleigh had told him about. What had the man been doing 
outside the Warren proper that late at night?

"Do you know him?" Noni asked in a near whisper.

Ja'ks nodded his head, took her by the arm and led her back out 
into the hallway. "His name is Zert," he said when the door had 
closed behind them.
"He's new come to the Warren and has offered to teach some of the 
older children here in exchange for a place to live and to be free 
to come and go around the area exploring. I'm sure my sister will 
be relieved to know he's here and safe."

The girl looked relieved and started to say so when they both heard 
someone calling out her name. As one they turned to see the short 
robust Olene from the kitchens hurrying down the hall with a dinner 
tray in her hand.

"Where's Heron?" the woman asked when she didn't see the head 
healer. "I brought his dinner as well as your own. And I except 
you to eat it all this time."

"I thought I was the only one who had to suffer her sharp 
tongue," Ja'ks leaned close to the healer and whispered as they 
followed Olene into Noni's office.

"Just be happy if she doesn't stand over you and watches to make 
sure you eat every bite," Noni grinned up at him enjoying the 
joke between them and then was slightly surprised when the tall 
dragonrider followed her into her office. He didn't look to be in 
any hurry to leave.

And he wasn't, Ja'ks was enjoying talking to the shorter woman. 
He found her mixture of shy young girl and efficient Healer 
intriguing, and wondered why he hadn't noticed her before. 
Something about her reminded him of his nephew, Jadain. 

"Where's the healer," Olene asked again as she laid out two 
place servings.

"We kicked him out of here and told him not to come back until 
tomorrow morning, if he got some sleep," Noni replied with a 
twinkle in her deep green eyes as she turned to wink at Ja'ks.

Olene turned back to face them after finishing what she was doing.
"Well then *you*," and she pointed at Ja'ks. "Can just sit here 
with this nice young lady and keep her company while you both eat. 
Don't think I didn't notice that excuse you called a breakfast 
this morning young man. I could see where your appetite was... 
and I don't recall seeing you at lunch either... Dessert?" she 
asked winking at him.

Noni could see the slight blush that colored the tall blondes 
face and wondered about it but said nothing.

"Olene, I'm sure the Wingleader has something else, some other 
duty that he needs to be doing."

"No...As it happens, I don't, " Ja'ks smiled. "Not for a hour or 
two anyway. Would I be so bold as to ask to ask if you would like 
some company and ask that this poor humble rider be allowed to 
share your meal with you, healer Noni?"

"Why Dragonrider Ja'ks, I think I would enjoy that."

"Then let us partake of this lovely meal that M'lady Olene has 
prepared and make the most of it." 

"Oh!! Go on with you, you Warren whelp," Olene hit his arm as 
she walked by, a slight blush appeared in her cheeks as she 
walk towards the door. "And that food had better be all gone by 
the time I come back...

They looked at each other and when the door had firmly closed 
behind

 the kindly robust woman, they both started laughing, sharing 
the joke as they began to eat.

"So Noni," Ja'ks said after a minute, "I'm afraid I really don't 
know all that much about you." 
----------------------------------

nrpg: Paula... Care to tell your new *friend* anything about 
yourself???

Lyn: I hope I didn't mess up on Tair'n too much...feel free to 
change anything that you don't like...

******Submitted by: *******
Barbara (a.k.a.
Warrenlady Jayleigh & her Queen Viktroy
Beta Wingleader Ja'ks & Sprarroe

Daere Warren