(Tair'n's Apartment) 

"I wanted to know if you'd accompany me in taking Alexis to the place of
his banishment."

Tair'n fixed Gerald with a quizzical look, then looked down at his casts.
"I don't really think I'm up to it."

"I can fix that."

"Share my pain?"

"Yes."

Tair'n fixed the no-longer-dead Gerald with his gaze.  "Why me?"

He was ready for this. "I'll tell you why. First off, I wanted to heal
you earlier, but you left too early. Second...well, I wanted to let you
know that it was really me, that I was still alive. Third, it's important
that you help me with this."

"Why?"

"You're tha Alpha wingleader. If you come with me to mete this out, it
might offset...well..."

"It might add some kind of sanction to this? Get you off the hook for
defending him?"

"That's what I was thinking."

"That's really screwed up. What makes you think that me coming along will
do anything?"

Gerald shrugged. "I just think it will, that's all. Trust me."

"Trust a guy who's come back from the dead?"

"Yes." He stared at Tair'n, and for once, Tair'n looked away first.
"All right," he answered. "What else?"

"It gives me the chance to ask you about Jayleigh. Bad enough that I 
spooked her coming back as I did, but after all this I don't think I'll
get the whole story from her. From what I understand, she's pregnant with
your child. Why are you two not together?"

(tag Lyn)

***********************

They popped into existence high in the air, then began the long spiral 
down to the green dot of the island below. They were high enough up 
that he felt Alexis shiver in front of him, but he paid it no mind. They
touched down on a lonely stretch of beach, next to the remains of a 
kill. "A boar," Gerald said. "Not long-dead, either." He pushed at the man
ahead of him, who tumbled unceremoniously to the ground. He pulled his
face out of the sand, sputtering.

"Oh, I forgot to untie you," Gerald said as Amadith settled to the beach not
far away. He slid off of Random's neck, then untied the knots in Alexis'
bonds.

"What is this place?" Alexis demanded. "I was supposed to be brought outside
the warren and let go!"

"You are. This is outside the warren. Jayleigh ruled that this was the proper
place."

"Where is this?!"

"You're on a small island in the Telnor Sea. A place that used to be kind of
a vacation spot for Jayleigh, but now it's all yours."

It took a moment to sink in. "What?! You can't leave me here! She said to 
take me outside the warren confines and-"

"She told me to take you here, Alexis." Gerald paused as if in deep thought.
"Yes, her having a dragon made a lot of difference. As you can see from this
carcass, the island is not without its dangers. There is plenty of fruit,
plenty 
of game, but you can see that there are predators, too. You will be in good 
company."

"You can't do this!" Alexis advanced towards the towering Gerald, but stopped 
at a low rumble from Random and Amadith.

"I can. You have been found guilty of rape and attempted rape. You have 
been judged. You are not fit to be around other human beings. Barring death,
this is the only place for you."

"She has no right to do this!"

"Of course she does, Alexis. It is the same argument. When you came to the 
warren, willing or not, you placed yourself at the warrenlady's disposal. You 
were quick to grab the benefits of living in a warren, weren't you? This is
something else you signed up for."

"You defended me. You can't just leave me here!"

"I defended a *principle*, Alexis. I defended the idea that a man should not
be punished twice. I told a truth that was hidden." He glared at the man.
"Here
is another truth. You raped a girl, a queenrider to boot. I detest rape."

"What am I going to do?"

Gerald looked around. "If you're smart, if you're tough, you should make it. 
I think you'd better start looking for shelter while the sun is still up."

Alexis looked at the carcass, then the treeline...then rushed Gerald. Gerald
casually blocked his swing, then grabbed the wrist and twisted his arm around.
Alexis was on his knees gasping from the pain of the wrist lock before 
Tair'n had managed to dismount.

Gerald shook his head. "It's time to stop this foolishness. Your route of
escape
is not through us. In fact, there will be no escape. The word has already gone
out; no one will visit here. I suppose you might eventually manage to sail or
row out of here, but I suspect that by the time you go through all that work
you'll be a changed man. I give you a word of warning, though." Gerald
twisted,
and Alexis cried out in pain. "If you come to the warren, if you even come
close enough to see her again, you'll be dead. Do you understand?"

"Yes." The voice was an almost-whisper. Gerald let him go. 

They mounted their dragons, minding the huddled form, but Alexis didn't 
make another move. The dragons sprayed his body with sand as they took
off, and Gerald shook his head again as the island dwindled.

<<Why did you have me do that, Gerald?>> Random asked.

*Do what?*

<<When we were checking this place out an hour ago. Why did you have
me kill that boar and put it on the beach?>>

*To let him know that he wasn't the only dangerous animal on that island.*

<<But there's not...well, maybe a few, but would he really have to worry 
about it?>>

*Maybe not, but then again, he doesn't have to know that, does he? This
banishment is not meant as a vacation spot for *him*. Tonight he's going 
to be all alone and perhaps realize that he won't have the kind of power
he sought over another human being. Quite the opposite. I think it will
be therapeutic.*

<<Humans are strange.>>

*********************
Allen Veazey
wolf@dbtech.net

"In this world without quiet corners, there can be no easy escapes
from history, from hullabaloo, from terrible, unquiet fuss."
                        ==Salman Rushdie