Part two

Ja'ks
*********

So far so good. No word had been sent out about the unauthorized visit to
the med center last night, so maybe the *theft* hadn't been discovered yet.

The tall Wingleader knew he and T'rell would be the first two people Noni
would suspect of the theft but unless she could prove they had been there...
they were in the clear. As he entered the dining hall. He wondered back into
the kitchen when he didn't see anyone at the family table, but knew he
wouldn't because he'd been delayed with his little talk out by the hatchling
barracks with T'rell.

"Little late this morning son," his mother commented when he slipped up
behind her and wrapped his long arms around her rounded middle. "Up a little
late last night?"

"No later than anyone else who'd been to Noni's party," he said innocently
and then reached over her to grab a sweetroll just out of the oven.

"Oh..? And I'll bet you went right on home after dropping her off."

"Well of course I did," his smile turned devilish. "Where else would I have
gone at such a late hour?"

"Then I guess you wouldn't have heard abut the med center being broken into
last night? She asked, as they walked out into the mail hall. She was eyeing
her son for his reaction.

Ja'ks didn't miss a step.

"Really? Was anything taken?" he was saying when he happen to look up and
see T'rell walk into the hall. He raised his hand up and beckoned him over.

"Mother was just telling me something terrible," Ja'ks said when T'rell
arrived. The Beta Wingleader turned his head away from Realee and quickly
winked at the trainer.  "The med center was robbed last night!!"

T'rell's eyebrows shot up.  "No! You don't say!"

Realee nodded, looking back and forth between the two of them.  "They don't
know who did it...of course!  Strange, though, very strange...nothing of
value was taken.  None of the drugs, or anything like that.  Just a paddle!"

"My, my, that *is* strange," Ja'ks commented.  "Who would want to steal
something like that?"

"That's what Healer Noni would like to know," Realee commented.  "She's
quite put out about the whole thing, I understand."

T'rell shook his head.  "How low will some people go?" he asked, making sure
to put an indignant expression on his face.

"Yes, that's exactly my thinking," Realee agreed, eyeing the two riders
carefully.  "I think that the thieves...*whoever* they are...would do well to
lay low for quite awhile until this blows over!"

T'rell and Ja'ks looked at each other, nodding.

Realee noticed the look the past between her son and the new trainer, but
didn't comment on it. They'd be getting a whole lot stiffer talk from the
healer when she finally caught up with them, then they would get from
herself, so she decided to see how they'd talk their way out of it.

Her eyes moved around the hall, noticing the huge amounts of food that
people were putting away. The male riders especially after their dragon's
had lost out in winning the female who'd risen to mate this morning.

Food was their way of drowning their sorrows since she refused to serve
spirits this early in the morning. Not after the last time when several
riders had drunk a bit to much and a fight had started that ended up in the
destruction of several of her tables and a cook in the med center when he'd
tried to break up a fight.

Her eyes caught sight of the new girl, Marialla entering the hall and waved
for her to join her.

She noticed her son and T'rell seemed to have made a hasty retreat when her
back had been turned, for neither was still standing there when she had
turned back around to face them.

"Good morning Realee," Marialla greeted her when the younger woman had
arrived beside her. 

"Good morning," she smiled warmly back. "Did you sleep all right last night?"

"After I got used to the noises I kept hearing," the girl grinned. 

"Why don't you go ahead and get something to eat while I go check on my
cooks, then we can have a little talk," the cook told her. "We can set up
some times for you to help out around here then."

A few minutes later they were both sitting at the families table. Realee
just had a cup of coffee in front of her, as she had already eaten with
Jer'lin and Jadain a little while ago and then sent them off to their days
events. 

Jadain to school, and Jer'lin to meet up with Gather for another day of
fishing. She just hoped they caught something this time, as fish would make
a nice change in the dinners diet.

"So tell me Marialla, do you have any good recipes for making something with
fish?"

The two of them talked about how to prepare several different dishes and
were about to start on desserts when Nefiri joined them.

Nefiri found some fruit, and went over to
where the two sat.

"Nefiri!"  Realee said, somewhat surprised, and pleased to see the girl.
"They let you out so soon?"

"They have sicker people to tend to," she replied.

"So I've heard," Realee said, her eyes sharp. Just the way a mother did to
one of her children she suspected of telling a little white lie, but then
she figured if the girl wanted to tell her about it she would. She looked at
the girl sitting with her.

"Nefiri, meet Marialla.  Jayleigh brought her in to stand on the sands at
the next hatching." She said to change the subject. "She'll be helping out
in the kitchens cooking for a while until the hatching."

"Well I hope it doesn't mean I'll have to stop my mid-night raids for
something to eat," the girl ginned impishly, and favored the cook with a
knowing glance. 

"As it that would stop you, you scamp," Realee snorted good naturally. 

"How's Jer'lin?" the girl asked, changing the subject again. "I heard he
went with Gather to go fishing this morning."

"And he's under orders to bring some back this time!" Marialla spoke up
joining in on the talk.

"I guess he'd know all the good spots to fish around here, since he grew up
here huh?" 

"Oh Jeri didn't grow up in Daere," Realee corrected her without thinking.
Never once thinking anything was strange with the question. "No his family
came from over near Marrid Warren. He didn't come here until he was searched
by a rider who was visiting that area one day."

"Does he get to visit them much?"

"No... There's no one left... but he does have a picture of his sister
hanging in up bedroom. She and her family were killed in an accident of some
kind years ago."

They moved on to talk about different things, Marialla telling them a little
about her own up bring, until it was time for her to head off to training,
and Nefiri decided to walk her out. 

Realee got up and went back into her kitchens to figure out what she would
need to add to the fish she hoped her mate brought home with him.... but set
aside the makings for beef stew that could be frozen and reheated another
night... just in case.

Jayleigh
**********

She was back in her office sometime later after her talk with the mind
healer. The woman had told her that her work here was almost finished and
that she would be leaving soon. 

Which meant she would be expecting her fees to be paid at the time. Fees in
which Jayleigh was no closer not to having then she was the day the woman
had arrived.

Some how, she swore she'd come up with it.

Maybe she could ask....No. 

That might not be a good idea. She knew he'd ask for something in return and
the price just might be more than she was willing to give.

Still... 

The door to her office opened and she looked up to see Danika poke her head
in to the room.

"You busy?" the young Queenrider asked. 

"Not at the moment," she pushed the unsettling thoughts from her mind and
faced the girl. "I could use a break from all this paper work."

"Have you seen my father this morning?" Danika frowned. "My Queen told me he
and Zenith are out of the Warren but didn't say where they had gone."

The smile left Jayleigh's face. 

"They went to take bodies of the healer and his daughter back to the
healer's hall," she told her. which reminded her that no sign of Dy or her
dragon had yet to be found by the searching riders. 

"Any word yet on your rider?" the girl asked softly.

"Not yet," Jayleigh shook her head. "I don't know if we'll ever learn anything."

She took a deep breath and worked up the feelings for a smile. "So how is
you Queen settling in on the hatching sands?"

[Tag Morgie :) ]

Ja'ks 
********

They made it outside before his other could stop them, but then she wouldn't
have suspected them of ducking out the back door of the kitchen.

"Oh man... I've a feeling we're in deep with this," he turned to his friend
and grinned. "Do you think she knows?"

"Oh I'm sure she *suspects* we had something to do with it," T'rell
chuckled. "But without proof... what can she do?"

"If you have to ask that then I can tell you don't know Noni as well as you
might think you do." Ja'ks smirked. "Just hope you won't be needing a healer
anytime soon."

"That means no eating any dinners that you sister offers to make for me?"
T'rell dared to joke.

"Buddy, a meal at my sisters would be a treat compared to what Noni will do
if she learns we took *it* ."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." The rider sighed and slumped back
against the wall of the kitchen. 
"So what are we going to do?

"Pray she never finds *it*." Ja'ks grinned and pulled the man away from the
wall. "Now you have to go on to training... and try to act like you know
nothing about it if anyone asks."

"About what?" T'rell's face light up in a innocent, yet impish grin. "I was
home all night with Flerrion and he'll tell them that if anyone should ask ."

"You better hope so."
--------------------  

[Tag back at you Niki :) Dianne please!! Feel free to add something to their
talk ')]

John... T'rell sees Kayla when he gets to the training field....


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

Barbara (a.k.a.

Warrenlady Jayleigh & Viktroy
Ja'ks & Sprarroe
Realee (head cook) 
Daere Warren