>"Yes, well I worked hard to make any accent less noticeable. I see it isn't
gone altogether." Changing the subject, she asked, "Would you like a tour of
the warren? It's still a little while until it gets dark; we can see most of
the warren now if you'd like."

Jayleigh stood by listening to the two of them talk. She had no idea what
they were talking about when Rezsia's accent was mentioned, or who the
others were she was talking about. As far as she remembered all of the
people in the queenrider's  family had been killed. So she was waiting for
the girl to answer. 

>Before the new queenrider could answer, however, a roar issued from behind
the group, and they turned in time to see a huge metallic-scarlet queen lift
off the ground, followed by a multicolored ribbon of males.  Previously
unknown urges and desires surged through Rezsia, and she left the group
without saying a word; immediately, she was surrounded by the riders of the
dragons chasing her queen.

Jayleigh stood by slightly shocked when the three Queenriders heard Jezebel
roaring out her mating challenge. It was the first time since the two had
joined together the Queen had risen to mate.

Jayleigh turned to look at the younger woman, and saw the stock terror on
the girls face. What was the queen thinking? Rezsia wasn't ready for this.
She started towards the girl, but stopped herself knowing she couldn't
interfere. When a Queen rose to mate the rider was a servant to the dragon's
needs. Nothing could stop what was about to happen.

Jayleigh only hoped as she watched the girl walk away from them to where the
males were gathering, that Rezsia would be able to deal with the after math.
Well there was nothing she could do to help the girl until it was over.
Besides... she might end up liking it!! And all that went on at a time like
this..

Danika turned to the warrenlady Jayleigh. Smiling sheepishly Danika said,
"Well, I if that offer for the tour of the warren is still good, I would
greatly appreciate it. It would seem that Rezsia is otherwise occupied
right now."

The two queenriders looked at each other, their grins widening until both of
them burst out laughing. Mating flights often came about at the most awkward
times. 

"Ah, it feels so good to laugh again, it's been too long..." Danika wiped
away a tear from her eye, a tear of joy rather than sorrow.

"Well I hope in the days to come we can make you laugh often," Jayleigh told
her.. but in the back of her mind she knew now wasn't a laughing time. No
not at all. Not with the man she loved in the med center more dead than alive.

She didn't mean that. Not the way it sounded, but to her the fact that Tai
didn't answer or seem to know her... well it just made her feel that way.
She prayed that the Headshrinker Vesta had gone after would be able to heal him.

She wanted Tai back with her. Selfish as it sounded, she had wasted so may
years loving him and not being able to tell him that, that now she  didn't
want to have him leave her...ever.

***<<sometime past dinner time>>***

"So that's pretty much the general lay out of the Warren," Jayleigh told her
newest queenrider as they finished the tour and moved towards the dinning
hall for a late dinner. The tour had taken sometime. "I suspect that it
won't take you very long to learn your own way around. Since I'll be sending
you around with Rezsia, who you've met and Maeve when she's up and around.
You already picked out an apartment to call your own so you should be all set."

When they had finished eating, the two women went back outside and began to
walk. Soon they were outside the medical hall now and Jayleigh sent a
message to her queen asking the bluish-green beast if she would find out if
Zenith's rider was awake yet. She also wanted to check up on Tair'n and
Gerald, who was suppost to have met her earlier before things started to happen.

<Zenith said his rider is awake and looking forward to your visit,> Troy
told her. <and he has not told him about his hatchling. He will let you do
the telling as you have asked.>

<<Thank you love,>> Jayleigh smiled as she opened the door and motioned the
younger girl on in ahead of her.

"My Queen Viktroy said R'ven is awake now, so I'll go on in and talk to
him," Jayleigh turn to her. "If you'll wait here for me, I hope this won't
take long."

Danika's smile was half curved at best. The girl was more than worried about
her reception from the father she had never met. Jayleigh's heart went out
to her. She couldn't really imagine what the girl was going through. Her
parents had always been there for her and her brother Ja'ks.

"It'll be all right," she told the young girl. "R'ven is a wonderful person
and a sweetheart to boot. I'm sure he'll want to see you. So don't worry.
All right?"

"I'll try not to," Danika said and her smile widened a little. "It's just
that meeting him is all I've thought about for a long time. I can't help but
be a little nervous."

"No, I'm sure you can't help it. Now let me go in and break the news to the
proud papa," The black-haired woman said and hugged the girl briefly, then
turned and started down the hall to the room she'd left hours earlier.

He was sitting up in the bed when she poked her head inside the door, and
looked a whole lot better than he had a few hours ago. 

"Hi," she said when he looked up and noticed her standing there. "Mind if a
concerned friend who loves you comes in and sees for herself that you're
going to live?"

"When have I ever been able to say no to you kitten," a half smile tugged at
the corners of his lips. 

"Oh...I seem to remember a time or two you telling me no when I thought I
knew better." she smiled in return and advanced into the room. Crossing the
space between them she reached the chair beside him and sat down.  

"And see what a better person you are because of it?" he tried to joke, but
then saw the look on her face and knew something was wrong. "Tair'n..?"

"No!!" she said emphatically. "There's no change in Tai's condition. But a
mind healer is on her way. Vesta's Callyanth just told Troy They'll be back
early in the morning with someone who's trained in dealing with this kind of
thing. So we should know something soon I pray."

She suddenly got the feeling he wasn't telling her everything, but knew
better than to ask. He loved Tair'n as much if not more than she herself
did, and knew he would never do anything to hurt him. So despite her
thoughts, she knew she'd have to let him tell her in his own time.

"But there is another reason I'm needing to talk to you, and the reason
might be kind of a shock to you, but it really can't be put off," she
frowned and wondered how she was going to tell him about his daughter. 

"Do you remember a woman rider who was here for sometime, by the name of
Danu? Her dragon was Solara," Jayleigh asked and then watched his face as
the memory of the woman came back to him.

"I remember her, pretty little thing," he told her. "Zenith won her Solara
in a mating flight just before she disappeared. Some say it was a bad
teleport. That she was tired and didn't give her dragon a proper picture. I
think that happened right around the time or just before you joined with
Troy. Why?"

"Well it seemed that she didn't die.... she somehow made it safely to one of
those new Warrens we've been hearing about. Epion... I think it was called,"
she explained to him. "But until recently when the magic changed and
shifted, she had no way of getting back to Daere."

R'ven sat up, and started to thrown back the covers over him. "She's here?
Why didn't someone tell me!?!"

"STAY PUT!!" Jayleigh all but forced the covers back into place. "I swear to
the Gods R'ven you is almost worst than my son when Jadain's sick.!!"

"That bad huh!!" he growled but let her resettle him on the bed. 

"Worse!!" Now if you will sit still so I can finish what I came here to tell
you, I'll give you a treat when I'm finished," she stood there glaring at
him until he gave in and laid back among the pillows.

"First off... no... Danu isn't here, but someone from Epion did come to see
you," she said. 

"I don't understand."

"Danu was pregnant when she left here... she didn't find out until she'd
been in Epion for sometime and with out knowing how to get back..."

"...Pregnant?..." his vice was strained with emotion. "Mine?"

Jayleigh nodded her head but said nothing, letting the news sink in.

"I have a child?"

Again she nodded her head.

"And this person who came here from this other Warren...Epion? They came
here to tell me of this child?"

This time she shook her head.

"I don't understand... if someone didn't tell you about the child then how
did you...." his eyes opened wider as the answer finally came to him. "The
child..."

"Your daughter."

"She's... here..?" he asked still finding it hard to believe. "She's the one
who came here from the other Warren..... My daughter??"

"She's waiting outside if you would like to meet her?" the woman told him.
"And You should know that she really wants to meet you and get to know you
better. Her name is Danika and she's a Queenrider. She's asked for a
transfer here to give you both the time to get to know each other and to
honor a promise she made her mother... I've excepted her transfer request...
but if you have any problems...."

"I have a daughter?" he gave a short laugh. "And she's a Queenrider."

"Ven...she wants to meet you."

"Well by all means then bring her in... this daughter of mine."

Jayleigh got up and went to the door, opening it she stepped out into the
hall and spotted the young girl looking her way. Motioning her forward with
her hand, Jayleigh smiled at her before stepping back to allow the girl to
advance into the room.

"R'ven of Daere Warren...I want you to meet your daughter, Danika, formerly
of Epion Warren."

She stepped back and pulled the younger girl forward. Then when they didn't
seem to notice her as being in the room any longer she left quietly and
started down the hall to the front entrance.

The day had finally caught up with her and she was tired. She knew others
were celebrating the return of those who'd gone missing, but she really
wasn't in the mood tonight. Her bed was sounding pretty good about now.
<<Troy love I'm going home to bed now. If anything happens or anyone comes
looking for me....unless it's important...I am not to be disturbed for
anything tonight.>>

<Rooks rider wishes to know if you would like for him to join you?> the
Queen asked.

<<Tell him yes... please. I wouldn't mind being held tonight.>

***<<Early the next morning>>***

She was up early the next morning, waking up in the comforting embrace of
her lover. In his arms last night she had been able to forget everything
that had happened in the last few days and sleep. Gerald was such a
thoughtful person, it was no surprise she loved him. Even with his own
worries, he had held on to her and given her the comfort she was needing.

Slowly so as not to disturb him she slipped out of the bed and moved to the
other room to dress. Even though it was early she wanted to go by the med
center to check up on Tair'n and R'ven before she went into her office.  

As she was walking down the hall way leading to Tair'n's room she heard
voices coming from inside his room and came to stand at the door watching
the two women inside.

"I'm sure you did.  I'm not questioning your work."  She lifted her 
patient's arm.  He left it there.  She lowered it.  She nodded.  "It looks 
like a definite case of catatonia.  I'll need to speak to your warrenlady 
before I can proceed."

"You can speak to me now," said a raven-haired woman as she stepped into the
room.  "How is he?"

Shaidin stood and extended a hand.  "I'm Shaidin Caulay of the Healer's Guild."

"I'm Warrenlady Jayleigh.  What's wrong with him?"

"That will take some explorations, warrenlady," the women said and then went
on to tell her what she would be needing to get started.

"Those can be arranged," Jayleigh answered.  "How much is your fee?"

Shaidin offered a figure.  It was higher than many guild healers, but few 
commanded the knowledge and respect that Shaidin did in this field.

"That's acceptable," Jayleigh answered. She was willing at this point to
promise almost anything if there was even the slightest chance of Tair'n
recovering. 

>Very well.  I'll also need to interview anyone who saw or spoke to him 
immediately prior to his going into this state, and all those who would be
considered significant to him-- mates, lovers, parents, siblings, children,
and so on.  I need to understand him in order to help him put the pieces of
his life back together.  I will also need someone reliable and confidential
to help me deal with his dragon.  A great deal can be learned if the dragon
is willing."

"I'll see what can be arranged." Jayleigh promised. She more than anyone
with the exception of R'ven would do anything they could to help.

"As I'm going to be working closely with whoever these people all are and
much of what I need to say will be said to all of them, I'd like to meet all
of them at one time, the sooner the better."

"I understand.  I'm sure that won't be a problem." She promised, knowing
somehow she would make it so. She knew R'ven had been keeping something from
her and if it could now help Tair'n to recover and come back to them, then
by the Gods he was going to come clean and tell whatever it was he knew!!!

Seeing R'ven asleep on the far side of the bed, got her to wondering how his
meeting with his daughter went. She'd have to tall to the girl later and
find out. Then ask R'ven what he thought.

"Vesta my courier will be put at your disposal while you are here," Jayleigh
offered and knew the girl wouldn't mind. 

"Thank you M'lady. Then I'll get started as soon as things can be arranged."

Jayleigh reached out and touched the woman on the arm when she would have
moved on by. "Thank you."


When she finally got back to her office she had Troy end out a message to
those involved in the healer Noni's rescue. <<I need for someone to tell me
what in the hell she was doing out there and what happened!!>>

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

Sarah: if you want to party now...go ahead but note that Jayleigh will not
be there... she's asleep by now....

Anyone else want to party go right ahead.....

Paula, Bridget, Niki and Mike... get your stories in order....Jayleigh wants
to know what happened......

And Tom: Alex should be ready for a visit from his father and Uncle...
I'm sure they will be coming to the Warren to find out about the things they
have heard about the missing girls...... Hope Alex is ready to face them ;)

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

Barbara (a.k.a.

Warrenlady Jayleigh of Daere Warren &
her Queen; Viktroy