Rezsia entered the dining hall much later than usual. Actually, it was
almost midnight, she noticed as she went in. Surprisingly, there were still
people up; she supposed a warren this size had to have people up at all
hours of the day.

Rezsia noticed Ja'ks and Realee nearby and smiled. She was curious as to why
they were up so late, but decided to wait a bit for them to come to her.

A few moments later, Realee left the table and Ja'ks came her way. "May I
join you, ma'am?" he asked jokingly.

"Sure, I could use someone to talk to," Rezsia answered, smiling. "What are
you doing up so late?"

"Ma'bar came down with something and couldn't make his patrol tonight, so I
filled in for him," Ja'ks replied, sounding put out. But that mischievious
smile gave him away.

"I'm sure you could have gotten someone else to fill in if you had wanted
to." She smiled and shook her head. "I'll bet you just wanted to get away
for a while."

"Ah, Tiger, you got me there; I just can't keep a secret from you." He
sighed dramatically. "You know me too well."

Maybe not well enough, Rezsia thought, looking away. She had heard rumors
about how strange it was that the Beta Wingleader and the senior junior
queenrider were gone around the same times: she'd even heard that they'd
left together, heading somewhere unknown.

"So," he said after a moment. "What have you been doing all day?"

Glad for the change of subject, she eagerly answered. "Well, I went to see
the new school teacher over in the medical hall. Noni said he's doing a lot
better today and should be released soon. I heard Jayleigh went by earlier
this evening to check up on him, but that he was asleep when she got
there...." She was about to say something else when Ja'ks put her hand up to
stop her. Rezsia could tell by the unfocussed look in his gray eyes that he
was talking to Sprarroe. The look on his face just before he reached for her
hand and pulled her to her feet might have frightened her if she didn't know
him so well.

"What is it?" she asked as he dragged her out of the hall.

"Sprarroe just sent me a message from Amethyst," he threw back over his
shoulder as he pulled her toward the medical building.

Amethyst...."That's Noni's dragon," Rezsia reasoned. "What did she want?"

He kept silent until they got to the door, then turned her to face him. She
didn't like the look on his face; it was too grim.

"There's a girl in there who has been beaten up and..." he paused, then said
softly, "raped."

Rezsia went dead white and would have bolted if Ja'ks hadn't had a firm grip
on her. I don't want to do this, she thought frantically.  I'm not ready!

<Wha.....> Jezebel's voice came through her fevered mind.  <What? What's wrong?>

*I can't do this* Rezsia pleaded. *I'm not ready. I can't...*

<Can't do what?> Jezebel insisted urgently.

"Rezsia, there's a young girl no more than thirteen years of age in there
who's going to sneed someone who's been through this....someone who'll be
able to understand what she's going through, who won't just be saying words."

<What's the matter?> Jezebel demanded to know.

"I can't Ja'ks," she pleaded, near panic. "I just can't. Please, don't ask
me to go in there."

"I have to Tiger." Ja'ks pulled her into his arms, comforting her. "That
little girl in there needs you sweetheart. Think of her; would you want her
to go through the same thing you had to go through because you had no one to
tell you it wasn't your fault?"

<Rezsia!?>

*I'm here Jezzie* Rezsia thought comfortingly.

<Why didn't you answer me then?> the clearly distraut dragon retorted
angrily. <I thought you were in danger or something!>

*I was, in a way* Rezsia replied thoughtfully. *But the danger was internal,
not physical.*

<Still....>

*Jezebel, I'll tell you all about it later. I promise.*

<Okay. But remember, you promised.>

Rezsia turned and looked at Ja'ks. "Will you go with me? As far as the door,
I mean. If she's been hurt as badly as you say she has, she might get
hysterical seeing any males around." Remembering her entrance back into her
village, she added softly, "I know for the first few days I was."

"I'll be there," he promised, searching her eyes. "I'm going to be talking
to Noni to see what I can find out about what happened and see if the girl
might have known who it was that did this to her."

"He has to pay, Ja'ks," Rezsia demanded, anger seeping into her voice. She
could feel rage roiling in her stomach as she stated, "Promise me if you
find out who it is you'll see to it that he'll pay."

"Oh, you can be sure of that," Ja'ks answered as vehemently as she, and she
knew he'd do it. " Ready?" he said, his voice much softer.

NO! her mind screamed, but she just nodded, not trusting her voice, and they
went in together.

Rezsia saw Noni glance quizically at her, then look to Ja'ks for answers. "I
brought her because I thought she could help. She's got knowledge in this
area, and I'm sure she'd be willing to help the girl." He then looked to
Rezsia, giving her the unpleasant task of giving the details of what he
meant by "knowledge."

But surprisingly, it no longer bothered her. She still feared the memories,
and perhaps being forced to relive them with this girl; but the actual
sharing of that knowledge, telling others she'd been raped, no longer
disturbed her.

Well, maybe a little. "He thought I could help the girl deal with this," she
told the healer, stumbling a little; then she felt Ja'ks' hand entwine with
hers, giving her that last bit of strength needed. "You see, I too was raped
when I was younger. I had no one to talk to about it, who would take my side
and help me to deal with it. I'd like to help her...if I can."

She felt Ja'ks watching her while she was talking, pride on his face. Pride
about her, she knew.

"What's been done to help her so far?" Rezsia asked. "And did she tell you
anything about what happened?"

"She did," Noni answered, her green eyes flashing angrily. "She's been hurt
pretty bad, and the beating he gave her may take a long while to heal, but
she was able to tell me who it was that did this to her. But before I tell
you who it is...." She looked pointedly at Ja'ks and continued. "I want your
promise that something will be done about it and not swept under the rug
just because he's a dragonrider."

A dragonrider? The man who did this was here at the warren?  Looking at
Ja'ks' face, she could see this wasn't much of a revelation; he'd already
either known or had conjectured about it. Rezsia barely managed to keep an
evil grin off her face as she said, "We both promise."  Oh, I certainly
promise something will happen to him....

Noni, however, seemed to want Ja'ks' promise as well. At his nod, Noni spat
out the name. "Da'ntray. The man who raped and beat the girl was Da'ntray,
Keppo's rider."

Keeping a firm rein on her anger, Rezsia nodded then turned and opened the
door, stepping inside. Before she closed the door, however, she turned back
to Ja'ks. "Stay here, please," she asked him; she didn't want Ja'ks getting
Da'ntray just yet. Not before she'd had the chance...

"I'll be right heere," Ja'ks promised reassuringly thinking she just needed
him there. And she did; but for more than one reason, now.

She closed the door softly behind her and looked at the girl on the bed.
Wide, fearful eyes stared back at her. Seeking to reassure, Rezsia said
softly, "It's okay, I'm here to help. My name is Rezsia, and I'm going to
help you." Gently, slowly, the girl on the bed relaxed as Rezsia continued
talking.  "I have a story I want to tell you, but I'd like to hear what
exactly happened earlier today..." The girl's eyes widened in fear and
panic, and she shook her head 'no'. Rezsia understood; hadn't she felt
exactly the same earlier, not wanting to relive those memories.

She tried a different tactic. "Well, I told you my name; what's your?"

"Shawna," the girl said softly.

"Shawna, please understand, I'm trying to help. I understand exactly what
you're going through--"

"No you don't!" Shawna stated angrily, interrupting Rezsia. "That's what the
other lady said, but she doesn't understand at all. Neither do you." She
sobbed, her voice cracking as she continued. "You don't understand anything.
I hurt, inside and out. You don't know what it was like, him over me as
he....he...." She couldn't say anything more.

Please no, she pleaded in her mind as memories resurfaced, brought on by the
girl's words. Memories of the horrible things done to her, things she had
been made to do....She went to the bed and gathered the girl into her arms,
giving as much comfort as she could. Shawna just laid her head on Rezsia's
shoulder and cried into the cloth there. "You can't understand," she sobbed.

Belatedly, Rezsia noticed that while the girl had been hurt quite a bit, she
hadn't been heart nearly as badly as Rezsia herself had been. Then again,
this girl had only had to deal with one attacker, while she'd had several.
And this one hadn't had any knives...She shuddered, not wanting to remember.

"I understand, honey, I really do," she said to the girl on her lap. "You
see...the same thing happened to me. But with more than one man."

Shawna looked up, clearly surprised. Rezsia smoothed hair from the girl's
wet face and said softly, "Let me tell you my story....."

   *  *  *  *  *  *

A while later, Rezsia exitted the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Ja'ks stood up quickly from the chair he'd been sitting in and blurted, "How
did it go?"

Rezsia put her finger to her lips stiffly, shushing him, and Ja'ks blushed
in embarassment. He'd forgotten about her warning earlier, about the girl
and men.  They went a little ways away and Ja'ks repeated his question, a
little softer than before.

"She's better now. She truly thought she was alone, and I helped her realize
there were others."

"Well, while you were in there, I took the liberty of having people put out
to search for Da'ntray.  They've found nothing yet, however."

I want him! her mind screamed, but she just nodded, carefully keeping her
features composed. If they hadn't found him yet, there was still time...

Ja'ks looked at her strongly, as if measuring her up; Rezsia wondered if he
could read her thoughts. If he noticed anything, though, he said nothing.
"I'm going to help look for him now. Care to come along?"

>From the look on his face, Rezsia knew he believed she wouldn't want to see
the rapist. How wrong he was. "I'll accompany you," she said simply. He
masked his surprise with a shrug and they headed out of the hospital.  

Rezsia wondered what progress they could make in darkness; probably none.
But there was still the chance....She fingered her knives tenderly, knowing
exactly where each was. If she found him, she knew where each one would go.
She already had it mapped out perfectly.

He'd suffer for what he did to that girl. That she promised herself.

Submitted by

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~ Sarah Pearson (isolinde@cwnet.com)            ~
* Lyonnia/Dianthus *TELNOR*; Rezsia/Jezebel     *
~ *DAERE*; Tanya/Poldera *WHITERIVER*;          ~
* Cynedra/Jakob*the dog*/Louie*the ferret*      *
~ *MYSTERRA*; Leanna Vere *USS MAGELLAN*;       ~
* Marcail/Gossamer *GEODE*; Linaya *RALENGARDE  *
~ http://www.linux.sfasu.edu/xfiles/xfrpg.html  ~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Reality is the only obstacle to happiness."  -Anonymous-