(late morning)

***H'nin***

*I'd never have thought that I would think fondly of black, steaming rocks.*
H'nin thought as they popped into the air over the warren. 

<I would have. I missed this place. It's warm here, close to the ground.
Telnor was too cold.>

*No dragons to cuddle with?*

<I didn't say that...just not enough.>

 Within minutes, they had landed on the green, close to the quartz-lined cave
that Phaedra used as an office. H'nin entered, followed closely by his
companions. 

"We're back! You wouldn't believe where we are in relation to each other,
it's-"

"Wait, wait!" Phaedra said. "We have something to attend to first. I just
found out Ghost is missing, and Kikeane is going crazy. You have to 
organize a search!"

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

It was very tiring, flying for hours after the trip he had taken.

<H'nin->

*What!!*

<No need to snap at me.>

*I'm sorry, I'm not in a good mood at all. The last thing I expected to do 
was to be searching the ground. I don't know just exactly what happened
with Ghost, but when I find her...*

<Perhaps we ought to check out the fire.>

*What fire?*

<There's a small fire in the distance. Kind of deserted to be a human
dwelling. Kind of cold to go camping, too.>

*Let's look, then.*

As they approached, they could see a small figure waving her arms 
frantically. It wasn't long before they could make out Ghost's tiny figure
smothering the fire to produce puffs of smoke.

*That's her, but who's that with her? I don't recognize her. Quick, tell
the others where we are, they should be close by.*

<I have...they were closer then you think.>

H'nin was out of the saddle and on the ground even as Ghost ran to
Retick's huge form. The person with her, an older woman with the
look of hardship on her features, followed gingerly behind."

"Ye gods, woman, where the hell have you been off to? I've had
to search high and low for-"

"Bridgett! It was Lord Bridgett! He held us captive, and we just
escaped! Uh, H'nin," Ghost added as she realized, "this is my
mother. She's been a captive of that bastard for a long time now."

H'nin's eyes stared into the woman's before she turned her gaze
away. "We'd better go," he said. "Phaedra's going to want to
know about our esteemed Lord Bridgett."

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

(evening, Day 3) ***V'dar***

V'dar walked into the dining hall, looking more tired than even he 
normally did. It was an effort to get food and return to a relatively 
empty table. He was almost too tired to eat. It was an unpleasant
shock to find a body at the edge of his vision soon after he started
to wolf down his food.

V'dar looked up. "Phaedra," he said simply.

"Yes, it's me." Phaedra sat down heavily across from him. "Mind if 
I sit?"

"I would be very ashamed to see my hurt warrenlady standing while I 
sat here and ate," he continued. "I know why you're here. You require 
an explanation."

"I'm waiting for one," Phaedra said. She seemed almost beautiful, 
pale and aloof, like a statue of ice.

V'dar shrugged. "I had an idea, and I went with it."

"At the expense of everyone who cares for you and depends on you,"
Phaedra said. "Moreover, you were representing us, whether you like
it or not. I would have preferred that you had gone prepared."

"I needed it. I met their Dragonlady. Her...presence... was very 
intimidating. She was not unkind, though."

"I'm just glad to have you back. I'll need you to report on what
you saw, what was said."

"Of course."

"And a promise that this won't happen again." Her ice blue eyes
met his. "I have enough problems to worry about."

________________________

Tag! 
Phaedra and V'dar will be there if anyone wants to jump in. Have
fun with it!




Allen Veazey
wolf@dbtech.net
	
	"I'm not really bad, I'm just drawn that way."
			--Jessica Rabbit