"First it's that cat or whatever it was running through my kitchen leaving
flour and egg whites scattered on everything, and then they had the nerve to
come back and track mud all over the floor of the dining hall without a
second thought!! I ask you Daughter what kind of riders did we get this time?"

"Humm... I understand how upset you must be mother," Leigh said in as a
soothing a tone as she could. She rarely ever saw her mother in a temper, so
she knew Realee was very upset with what had happened. "If you'd like I'll
call them in and give them a very good bawling out."

"Oh no you don't. Not this time. They belong to me!" Realee, the head cook
from Daere Warren, and the mother of the current Warrenlady, stared
maliciously at her daughter from her seat on the far side of the Jayleigh's
desk.

"Now you know I don't mind a little hatchling fun now and again," the older
woman went on. "Hell I've even helped out a time or two. But this is *MY*
kitchen we're talking about now and this time I want to make sure it doesn't
happen a second time."

"And just what do you propose to do about it mother?" Leigh asked, trying to
hide the amusement she was feelings as she watched her mother go on. 

It was true that Realee had helped out now and then in a good prank... but
her help didn't extend to her kitchen. Oh no... Realee was very strict and
orderly where her kitchen was concerned and *no one* (not even her or her
brother) got away with anything in there. Leigh didn't know if she should
warn the new hatchling pairs or just let her mother have her fun.

"You just let me worry about that my dear," the older woman grinned again.
"I won't kill them, but I'm going to make T'rell's exercise training look
like a trip to the beach!"

........

The office seemed to quiet after Realee had left. Leigh had been trying to
work on some contracts when her mother had barged in, and at the time had
been happy for the interruption. It kept her from thinking about what was
going on in geode and the Daere Riders that had gone to help out there.

Plus keep her mind off of the news she'd learned about from Ja'ks this
morning before they Wing had taken off. 

She'd been angry enough to hit him at the time, but he'd given her the
message from her father, and after a time had cooled off. 

Somewhat.

She still planned on having a talk with Jer'lin when she saw him next.
Imagine... her own father disobeying a direct order from her about Nefiri
leaving the Warren. 
 
Oh no.. instead he stole her away on Banta's back just so she wouldn't
suspect anything. But then he'd been caught this morning when Nefiri had
failed to show up with the rest of her Wing when the call to report had gone
out.

Jayleigh knew the girl well enough to know she would have at least tried to
go with the wing. Despite the Warren arrest order. The girl *was* a
dragonrider after all, and she'd already proven she wasn't afraid of a
little fire fight against their most hated enemy.  

Waiting was *not* something she did well. Waiting to hear back from her
father on this mysterious link between Nefiri and her father. The link that
the girl thought gave her the right to kidnap Jadain from his home and keep
him away from his own mother!!!

Waiting to hear any word on the battle going on in Geode... had it started
yet? What of this Ash`chenon. What was his part in all of this. she wondered
if he was the same man C'nis had told her about one night several weeks ago
at one of those boring dinners they'd been too.

And C'nis... He, hadn't spoken to her once since Tair'n  and Ja'ks had told
him of her pregnancy. Not that she really cared. She didn't even like the
man. Respected his word yes. But like....

..... "Why don't you admit it to yourself, Jayleigh... you find C'nis
attractive."......

R'ven's words at their last meeting before he'd left for Geode came back to
haunt her. It wasn't true... Oh there had been that one night here in her
office.. No that she liked remembering what a fool she had made of herself
that night. 

She'd all but begged him to make love to her.. and he'd turned her down. 

She'd had a lucky escape that night... Hadn't she? So what if she was
feeling lonely. There were lots of other men in Daere who would have been
glad to spend the night with her.

R'ven was wrong... wasn't he? It was only a momentary thing... why she
wouldn't even feel anything for him if he walked in the door right now!

So why then Leigh, did you send Vesta off with the Wing with orders to make
sure he was okay?

Because he left here with nothing but a note and .... And she was upset that
she meant so little to him. A *note*...

And because... Oh damn him anyway. If he hurts himself before I can yell at
him for leaving the way he did.... then I'll kill him!!

She was just concerned for him. That was it. Like any Warrenlady would be
towards a valued member of her Warren. 

Just as she was for her brother, and R'ven. For T'rell, Ar'Aman and all the
others who have gone. Yes she cared if he made it back home alive. He was
needed here. He had a roll in what went on and yes... she needed him.. his
help, that was.

Wasn't it?

Kayla
******

She was scared. More scared then she had been before R'ven and Tair'n  had
found them when she'd been a captive of that bastard Da'ntry. 

It wasn't for herself this time that she was afraid. But for Ari and R'ven.
And yes all the other brave riders who'd volunteered to go off to an unknown
Warren to fight. 

She knew Ari was a good fighter, and Darar was quick in the air. But would
it be enough? Would their skills be enough to save them and the others.

Yes she was scared. Scared that last nights love making would be the last
time she'd ever know his touch. Scared that he'd not come back and that
she'd be left with nothing to remember him by.

Oh why had they decided to wait before having children? Then at lease she
would have something of him if... 

She tried to hold back the sob as she hugged his pillow tighter. Thinking
this way did her little good. She knew she had to think positively that he
would make it back to her. He had too. He was her life. 

Kayla got up, knowing laying there like a small child and crying wasn't
doing her any good. Ar'Aman would expect better of her. She was a
dragonrider now and he had told her this might happen one day. He'd want her
to go on with her life and.... 

She had to stop thinking the worst was going to happen and have faith in him
to see them both home. A sound in the other room caught her attentions then
she heard someone, Mari maybe calling out her name.

She got up from the bed and dropped Ari's pillow before her feet carried her
into the living room.

"I hope you don't mind," Marialla told her when she saw her. "But I was a
little scared and I thought talking to you might help. I miss T'rell so much."

"As I miss Ari," Kayla reminded her friend that she did know how the girl
was feeling. "We just have to keep believing that they will all make it home."

"Have you heard from R'ven yet," Mari changed the subject, her cheeks blushing. 

"No why would I?" Kayla asked, walking into the kitchen of the apartment she
shared with her mate. She opened a cabinet and reached for the jar she kept
her coffee in, and began to make a pot.

Anything to keep herself busy. 

"Well I thought...."

"He's got to much to do right now what with trying to find out about this
guy they say is leading the Wraiths against that Warren ....Geode?"

Mari nodded her head.

"So I don't expect him home anytime soon."

"But you are worried about them. R'ven and Ari? Aren't you?"

Kayla set the jar down and bowed her head. "Yes... I am worried. I'm scared
to death that one or the other or both won't come home and then I'll be all
alone here with no family and no one to love."

<You will always have me?> Allesha's voice came into her mind. <As long as
we have eachother we will never be truly alone.>

Kayla felt waves of love caress her being and reciprocated them with her own
thoughts of love for her dragon. 

<<You're right my love. As long as we have eachother we will never be alone.>>

"I see that smile on your face," Mari laughed and shook her finger at her
friend. "And I'll bet Allesha was just talking to you and telling you, you
weren't alone. Right?"

"Right... I take it Reggie told you the same?" Kayla grinned back at her.

"Yup"

"Tell you what," Kayla said, suddenly feeling a bit cooped up in the
enclosed apartment. "Let's get out of here and see what we can do to help do
something. I'm going to go crazy if I just stay here thinking about Ari and
R'ven being so far away and doing what they're doing."

Sounds good to me," Mari told her and got up from the chair she'd taken a
seat in. "Why don't we go on over to the dining hall and see what's going on
there."

.............

"What do you mean we're to cook the evening meal?" a tall young man asked
the head cook after she'd refused them service for lunch. 

"Now I don't remember using the word *cook* when I spoke," Realee turned her
sharp eyes on the young man who spoke up. "Do you really think me daft
enough to trust any of you in my kitchens to cook? I think not.... what I
said was you *will* help out in the kitchen today."

Norin was sitting two tables over with a young good looking man she'd spent
most of the night with, her face was alit with a glow of malic as she
watched the head cook come down on all the do-gooder trainees. The very same
ones who's shunned her friendship and were nasty to her all during the
training. 

It had only been her good fortune that she's been on her way home that
morning when she had spied the guilty ones coming home and after hearing
what had happened... had gone to Realee and told her who all had been involved.

At first the cook had thought she was lying, but Norin reminded her she
didn't have to lie. Everyone knew of that fuzzy little thing Allora and her
dragon had adopted recently. 

C`nis had been right when he told her that it was what you knew that
sometimes keep you out of trouble and who you told that could bring in the
best results. And if the telling of what you knew to who should know helped
to bring on a little much deserved revenge... then that only made it twice
as Delicious.

How right he was, she chuckled as Realee went on to describe to the
unfortunate trainees what their punishment was going to be. 

"Not only was breakfast for many of the Warren's population delayed this
morning because the kitchen staff had to take the time to clean up the mess
your little friend made, but now the dishes from breakfast still are in need
of washing before we run out of dishes to serve lunch on!"

She turned her eyes to glare at everyone of the new riders sitting there at
the table. Looking longest at Allora for the sneaky little beast had been hers. 

"So... as a punishment for your little escapade this morning I have been
given permission by the Warrenlady to 
commandeer you're help in the kitchens until all of today's dishes are
washed. Dried, and put away. She has left it up to me to decide how best you
may repay my workers for the troubles you caused them this morning."

There were some mumbles of disbelief and others saying she couldn't make
them do the work. Realee just smiled in a sweet turn of her lips that would
have rivaled her daughter at her worst. 

"Oh and any of you who think I'm kidding... ask your dragons," she informed
them. "I'm sure by now they have all heard from Viktroy and will tell you
what the price is if you decide to call my bluff."

She could see by the grimaces on the young peoples face that they had
followed her advice. 

"Now... the dishes are waiting." She told them then turned and walked away.
Not bothering once to see which ones followed her back inside of the kitchen.

"Have fun y'all" Norin couldn't help herself. She did so love to see these
do-gooder's getting  what they deserved. 

Kayla and Mari entered the hall just in time to see their friends walking
inside the kitchen door. 

"Wonder why they're going in there?" Kayla asked, knowing Mari was the only
one who was even allowed to past inside of Realee's domain.

"A tour of the Warren maybe?" Mari shrugged.

"Well if you like taking tours of the dish washing area maybe," Norin
chuckled. "Seems they got themselves into a little trouble with the good
cook and she's making them pay for it. I believe I over heard her saying
that they would be in there washing pots, pans, and dishes until they were
all clean enough to suit her very picky taste."

The two friends looked at each other and then started towards the kitchen door.

"I wouldn't go in there if I was you!" Norin chuckled after them. "You two
might end up not seeing the light of day any time soon."

"We'll take out chances."

Once inside they weren't to sure. Realee didn't look to happy to see them,
nor did any of the others on the kitchen staff.

"I know you two weren't involved in the mess this morning so I don't see any
reason for you to stay here," Realee told them when she'd stopped before
them. "But if you decide to stay then you can help your friends out."

"I'll stay," Kayla spoke up. "At least if I'm here doing something them I
won't keep worrying about Ari all the time. Mari... what about you?"

========================== 

Nrpg:
Tags back to Dianne and Joan.... have fun in the kitchens girls.... oh and
don't forget to clean under the frigs and trash cans..... Realee will check
to make sure they were cleaned too before she releases them for the
night.... and she'll expect them back in the morning to do the same.... just
as a reminder :)

***Submitted (finally) by: ******

Jayleigh & Viktroy
Warrenlady, Daere Warren
Kayla & Allesha
Realee (head cook)

aka
Barbara