Plotting

"Breathe easy, Noni," he said, his voice consoling and encouraging. "You can
spy perfectly well. This little scenario is only a test fitting of your skills."

Noni looked down at her feet. "There are times, my dear Wingleader, that I
do not savor the possibility of a test." She stepped forward, looked up into
Ja`ks' eyes, reached up to place a hand on either side of his face, and bent
his head toward her. As she rose onto her toes, she brought her lips to bear
on his face, and kissed him soundly on the lips. "That's hoping you don't
get yourself into any more trouble, eh?" 

Ja'ks stood there in shock for the first few seconds after her lips had left
his. He had felt shocked at by the move on her part... but *a* shock from
the contact as her lips touched his.

He stood there watching in utter amazement at the smug look that came into
her eyes, and that look gave him the power to move. He couldn't let her
think she'd gotten away with *one upping* him.

His lips curved up in a grin one she recognized for what it was, but before
she could turn away his hands were reaching for her. Pulling her close, his
lips found hers and kissed her soundly. Not the soft sweet kiss she had
given him, but the kind of kiss a man gives the woman he cares for.

She hesitated at first, but he seduced her with skill until finally she was
kissing him back. And it was all he dreamed it would be. 

Then he was letting her go with a sigh.

"That's for hoping you stay out of trouble yourself," he grinned a smug
little smile of his own and her sudden lost of speech, then turned and let
her office before anyone could say anything more.

He had to get out of there, for if he stayed, he'd want more then just a
simple kiss from her. Much more.

The idea sounded nice... but she wasn't ready... and he had other things
that he needed to be doing right now.

[later that same morning, after trainees return]

Kayla
*******

"Hello, Noni. How's work?" Kayla called out as she entered the room and
slumped into a chair in front of Noni's desk.

"Oh, you know," Noni said, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. "Work
*is*. It's not nearly as much fun as it could be... Instead of torturing and
threatening thieving dragonriders, I have to sit here and fill out journals
and reports. Not fair, I tell you."

"Ah. And who might these thieving dragonriders be?" Kayla had to laugh,
she'd seen what Ari had at home and had been working on. When he'd finished
it and gave it to the healer, Kayla wanted to be there to see the look on
her face.

Noni looked at Kayla for a minute as she assessed her confidence. "Who?
Ja`ks and T'rell, that's who."

"They? They're good people... What do you mean 'thieving'?" She couldn't
give it away now, so she pretended to be innocent of any knowledge of the
offending *paddle.* She knew exactly what the healer was talking about.

"Just that. I had a... precious article stashed here in my desk one evening,
and the next morning, I awoke to find the desk broken into and the article
gone! Only they would want to get hands on it."

"Oh, you mean the paddle," Kayla said, hiding a chuckle.

Noni blinked. "Yes, that... Anyway, T'rell and Ja`ks deserve their due."

"Hmm," Kayla mused, her face wearing a light smile. "Well, I don't know what
exactly you could do to Ja`ks straight away, but there's an opportunity to
get T'rell. His own birthday is coming up, you understand."

Noni's eyes went round. "Indeed? Ohhh, that would be absolutely perfect..."

"Yes.. it would wouldn't it," Kayla agreed. "Especially since he hasn't said
anything to anyone about it. Maybe he's afraid of what someone would do if
they knew."

"Maybe indeed," Noni laughed. "So... what *are* we going to do for our brave
crazy and thieving Hatchling trainer?" she asked the other girl. "I mean we
have to do something?"

Kayla agreed, but she didn't want to do anything that would get her into
trouble with both Ari and T'rell if they found out that she'd had any part
in it. But there had to be some way.

Suddenly she started to laugh. The idea was so funny.

Okay my friend. Let me into the joke why don't you," Noni's eye brows raised
up as she waited for the girl to enlighten her about what was so funny all
the sudden.

"We could.... just give him a regular party."

"A *regular* party?"

"Yup.. regular. No surprises. No paybacks. Just good wishes and plenty of
cake and ice-cream, lots of good music and drinks, followed by gifts."

"And just how will that be any fun?" Noni asked, frowning. "I mean I want
him to squirm the way I had too?"

"That's the whole idea," Kayla chuckled. "He'll be sitting there the whole
time wondering what we're up to and what we have planned next. He'll be
waiting for us to pull something and will be doing plenty of squirming as he
waits."

"Oh that's good... he'll be so worried that we did plan something that he
won't be able to sit right all night long waiting for it to happen," now
Noni was chuckling too. "But you know... we do need to plan something...
just so he won't be disappointed. Something like... say maybe a beautiful
lady popping out of his cake and then coming over to play up to him!"

"Oh Noni... that's evil... but I love it!!" Kayla agreed and the two of them
fell into the planning of the party with gusto now that they decided on what
they were going to do.

"Well we'll have to ask someone in the kitchen for help," Noni told her
sometime later. "I know Realee is a wonderful woman an all, but could you
see her going along with us on this?"

Kayla thought for a moment, then her smile returned. 

"She may not... not without someone on our side to plead our case... but I
know someone we might be able to convince to help us."

"And who might that be?"

"Marialla. She's not only one of the searchlings and my friend, but she
works part time in the kitchen and might be talked into helping us."

"Good then talk to her and see if you can get her to agree."

"I'll go find her right now," Kayla got up and left the room.

Realee
*******

"Well what I came for is to let you know that T'rell is planning on doing
some flight training this afternoon and I hate to ask but I need the time
off."  she said feeling bad about leaving Realee short handed.

"Oh, don't worry about it dear.  I'll manage.  If I need some help I'll see
if  Jadain can give me a hand, but I think I'll be able to manage." the
woman said with a smile and gave the young girl a hug.

"Well I'll be here first thing in the morning. I promise.  Thank you." she
said as she walked out into the settling dust.

Realee was glad when the girl had left. Though she was beginning to think of
her as sort of an adopted daughter, right now she didn't want to be around
anyone. 

Jer'lin still hadn't come home from his trip the night before and she was
starting to grow concerned. True he had warned her that his trip might last
several days and had asked her to cover for him the best she could, but
still... it his continual absence did little to settle her nerves.

"Where are you Jerry," she asked into te air. "And what are you up to?"

Kayla 
*******

Finding someone in the Warren would have been so much easier if she had a
dragon to ask help find them, but for now the girl had to rely on the age
old talent of walking.

Kayla had already been to the dining hall thinking Mari might be there, but
was told she'd already left.

So then next place on her list was the hatchling barracks where the girl was
staying. This trip proved to finally be the winner.


"Hi Kayla, I was just going looking for you.  I still need to find Norin to
let her know, would you like to walk with me.  Maybe we'd get a chance to talk."

"Oh good," Kayla agreed and fell into step beside her friend. "I was looking
for you. got a favor to ask."

"What favor?" Marialla asked distracted for the moment. 

"Well Noni and I found out that T'rell's birthday is coming up in two days
and we were wondering if you might be able to help us."

Marialla slowed her steps. "Help you? In what way?"

"I was hoping you'd ask," Kayla grinned and then went on to tell her about
the things she and Noni had discussed. By the time she was finished, she had
her friend laughing beside her.

"Oh you two are evil," the girl chuckled. "But I love it!"

"So you'll help? Get Realee to agree to let us have the party in the dining
hall and provide the food and cake?"

"Well I can try. But... are you sure you want to have this woman popping out
of the cake? And where are you going to find her?"

"Oh I know where I can find someone to do it... and yes we are sure we want
to do it. Could you imagine the look on T'rell's face when this woman steps
out of the cake and comes to sit on his lap and starts kissing him all over?"

"He'll die of embarrassment." Mari agreed. "Then he'll make us do double
duty in training to pay us back for it when he finds out we set it up."

"Second thoughts?" Kayla asked worried.

"Not a one," Mari's lips turned up in a grin. "I'll ask Realee about it
tonight, but we better get back for training right now."

"What about finding Norin?" the blonde frowned.

"Well just have to tell T'rell and Ari that we couldn't find her, and let
her deal with it herself when they find her later."

They made it back to the Green just as the other searchlings were getting
there. Ari motioned for Kayla to come over to him, which she was happy to do.

"I just wanted to let you know that you'll be going up on Darar so there
shouldn't be any surprises for you today," he told her, speaking about the
lesson about to start. 

"We'll I've ridden that sweetie enough times to know what it's going to be
like so I'm not worried," she told him knowing he was a little worried about
how she'd do. "It'll be good practice for when I have my own dragon... which
should be soon. The Queen's have moved into the hatching cave you know."

"Oh I know," Ar'Aman chuckled. "I heard abut what happened. T'rell's in his
office right now getting cleaned up. He got in the middle of it somehow and
ended up covered in sand. As did Jayleigh and Danika. It was a sight to see
I was told."

"I'll bet. I wonder how they'll be when the eggs are laid?"

"Oh I heard the Queen's came to an agreement later on, so everything should
be all right," he turned then just as T'rell was coming out of the barracks.

"Okay trainees gather around so I can tell you what we're going to do
today!" the trainer called out and ignored the few giggles he heard around him.

"Maybe go play in the sand!!" someone called out.

"Yeah... or maybe learn how to make sand cakes!!" an other voice called out
to the amusement of those around them.

T'rell looked over at Ari. "Am I going to have to deal with this all day long?"

"Only until training is over and it's *sandwich* time." Ar'Aman responded
with a straight face.

But Kayla chuckled beside him.

Somehow the training lesson got under way. They all finally settled down
while T'rell and Ar'Aman explained what they were going to be doing for the
next few hours.

It wasn't missed on Kayla that Norin's absence had been noticed. She saw
T'rell saying something to Marialla and saw the girl shake her head. But
then Ari was talking to her and she turned her attentions to listen to what
he had to say.

"Now.. Dar is going to take you up and give you a feel of what it's like to
be a riding a dragon, but you won't be able to talk to him while you're
aloft. That's one drawl back with this exercise. So you'll have to trust me
to keep you both safe."

Kayla nodded her head and listen to his word as he stood back and watched
her climb into the dragons saddle on her own.

"There's no need to be afraid," he reminded her. "You've flown on Darar with
me plenty of times in the past."

"I'm not frighten love," she leaned closer so no one would hear her
endearment. "I can't wait for him to fly us."

"That's my girl," he grinned proudly then stood back away from them and
ordered Darar into the air.

Kayla was thrilled when Darar took off with her in the saddle. The feeling
was like nothing she's ever been through before. Such freedom, and peace. 

She loved it all.

But all to soon it was over and Darar was landing. Ar'Aman was there to
greet her when they landed and held his arms up to help her dismount. 

"Oh that was WONDERFUL!! She shouted then hugged his. "When can I do it
again!?!"

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

Her question was answered the next morning when they awoke to the news that
one of the Queen's had laid her eggs during the night.

They hurried thought their morning preparations and dressed quickly so they
could get down to the hatching cave to have a quick look at the eggs before
heading over to the dining hall where they knew Realee would have something
good set out to celebrate the event.

They weren't disappointed. Just in shock over the total count of the eggs
laid. Kayla found Marialla in the crowd milling around merrily in the dining
hall and the two hugged. 

"Won't be long now!" Kayla told her. "Have you been by to see the eggs yet?"

"Earlier, before I came here," the girl's smile lit up her whole face. "And
I got a quick look at the Queen Egg before she hid it with her wing."

"A Queen? I must have missed that one. But that's Wonderful."

"Yea.." Mari's smiles dissipated a slight bit. "Unless Norin is the one the
new Queen picks."

"Oh gees..." Kayla sighed. "I hope the little thing isn't that stupid."

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

Tags go out to Dianne, John, and I say Paula.. but she's away at school for
a while... 

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

Ja'ks & Sprarroe
Kayla 
Realee (Daere's Head Cook)
Daere Warren