nrpg: I'm going to alter Sarah's post just a mite...when she does her 
wandering to the edge of the warren, assume she's actually wandering around
in the town of Greymist, about 1 mile away from the warren. The warren runs 
on an altruistic moneyless society (sorta like Smurf village, if ya want
a comparison), so actual merchants wouldn't set up shop in a warren. No 
profit. Now, the places where warrenfolk who do specialiized tasks can 
also be called 'shops' per se, so that's not a problem; just make sure to 
make the distinction. Greymist is close, the description of the land is 
right on , and B'rin teleported around that area anyway, so nothing else
really needs changed. :) 


***Cygnus***

Cygnus couldn't but help see the rather odd expression on the junior
queenrider's face. "Anything wrong?" he asked.

     "Merle has written her own death sentence.  She tends to forget that I
have no sense of humor."

     "What did she do this time?", he asked with a grin.  "Really?"

     "You have to promise not to be offended." she told him, all traces of
her smile gone.

     "I promise." He said just as solemnly.

     Kirin frowned. All of a sudden, she grabbed his arm and dragged him
out of the party. "I'm not telling you what that conspiring dragon is saying
in front of all of those people." she expained as the walked through the 
door, dragging a confused looking Cygnus behind her.

     She continued dragging the confused looking Cygnus behind her until
they were quite far away from earshot of any partygoers.

     "Merle is convinced that I'm falling in love with you.  Maybe I am. .
.I wouldn't know. I can't really remember what it is too truly in love with
someone besides your dragon, and that doesn't count.  I don't think I am,
but try telling that tiny imitation of a queen that.  She doesn't listen
to anyone. . .well maybe Melith.  But that's only bacause Melith is bigger
than she is-"

      Her sentence was abruptly cut off when Cygnus started laughing.
Kirin started laughing too, after a minute.

     "You're only laughing becauase you don't have to live with her!" she
exclaimed with a comical grimace.

        Cygnus finally managed to slow down, wiping the tears from his 
eyes. "I've heard it all, now. Never thought I would be subjected to the 
wiles of a matchmaking dragon," he chuckled. He had to admit, there was an
attraction there...why, he could remember long glances, plenty of times
when one or the other would just happen to be in the other's company, but
falling in love with him? It was hard to believe that a dragonrider, and 
a queenrider at that, would have an interest in him, a landbound harpist.
Well, there were stranger things...

        "Tell you what," he said, moving to her and grasping her arms, 
"I'll let you decide. If you decide your dragon is pushing you into 
something, by all means tell her to take a cold swim. If you decide 
otherwise, come to me and we'll talk. I won't be going anywhere soon, and 
I don't seem to remember being attached to anyone at the moment," he added
with a wink. "But please, promise me you'll think about it."

        "I promise," she said with the same gravity he had used earlier.

        Daring himself, Cygnus kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good. It 
appears you'll have plenty of time to think, if you're going on a long trip."

        "That I would," she added.

        Cygnus sighed, releasing her. "Well, anyway, I really must get 
back..."

        "Uh...yeah, me too. See you around." He watched her as she walked back
to the dining hall and the party; shaking his head and chuckling a bit, he 
trudged towards his abode at the edge of the warren...

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

***H'nin***

(early morning, day after the hatching)

Shells and shards! Where the hell was that woman? H'nin had looked 
everywhere-her office, her apartment...no one had seen anything of the
warrenlady since the hatching party. After his fruitless search had
started to become frantic, he called together C'rin, V'dar, as many
riders as he could easily find, and Kirin...now all that remained was
to find the new queen rider...

"Inagua!" he said loudly in her ear.  She sat up abruptly and smacked her
head against him.

"What," she managed to get out between clenched teeth, absently rubbing her
head.

"Phaedra's gone, so get up," he added.

"Say again," she glanced up, "H'nin.  What about Phaedra?"

"She's gone.  Disappeared.  And none of the dragons can find Melith."  He
handed her her clothes, which she slipped on after he turned his back.

"What have you done about it?" Inagua asked him as she followed him out the
door to the dining hall where every body seemed to be gathered.

"C'rin and I are sending out serach parties right now," he said as they
walked into the crowded dining hall.  It was amazing how fast the atmosphere
of a place could change in one night; celebration to emergency meeting.

"Don't bother," Inagua said as she 'found' Phaedra and Melith.  "I know
where they are."

"How do you-" H'nin started to ask.  Inagua interupted him with a raised hand.

"I just do," she absently chewed her lip, thinking the problem over, as they
approached the table where everyone was gathered.  Kirin gave her a friendly
nod and C'rin a small smile.

H'nin didn't waste any time after he had everyone's attention.  "Inagua says
she knows where Phaedra is."  For a second there was silence as they
processed that, but it didn't last long.

"How do you..." came from numerous mouthes.  Followed soon by, "Where is she?"

She held up a hand, waiting for relative quiet.  "I know where she is, but I
have to go with to find her.  If you sent out those search parties call them
back."  She paused for a moment thinking.  "I don't know, I suppose five
dragons will be enough...Just make sure a healer comes along."

She turned to H'nin and C'rin, trying to decide who should lead this little
rescue party.  Eeny meeny... Her mental finger landed on C'rin.

"C'rin will lead the team, H'nin you stay here and help Kirin in case
anything else comes up.  I think that's it..." she trailed off and looked up
in amazement at the attentive faces looking at her.  Inagua couldn't believe
these people were actually listening to her.

"You heard her," H'nin said with an encouraging smile directed towards
Inagua.  "Lets go find Phaedra."

It didn't take very long for C'rin to get a team assembled.  Inagua was just
about to grab C'rin's hand to mount the gray Nony when she remembered something.

"H'nin," Inagau shouted across the green.  "Have somebody feed Myacura if
she wakes up before I get back."

Having fun with the orders, aren't we? He thought, then smiled. It took
guts to take charge and do things, he was no stranger to *that*.

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

***Kelley***

"Now what?" she grumbled. Just started a shift and already someone's
banged their knee. The cup of coffee she had just poured sat 
just tantalizingly out of reach...but suddenly she felt that there wasn't
going to be enough coffee in all the world when she got a glimpse of
whom they were carrying in. 

"Get her over to this bed," she snapped. Already, she was catalouging 
injuries...she covered Phaedra's form with a blanket, although it looked
like shock had already set in. Her right leg was a charred mess, already
weeping from the second- and third- degree burns. She'd walk on it again,
she thought, but there was going to be a lot of scraping done today.
She shook her head as she prepared a syringe. 

"How long has she been like this?"

H'nin spoke up. "Don't know. I haven't seen her since last night."

"You let her go unescorted?!?" She immediately regretted her half-shout, 
seeing H'nin's face. Of course Phaedra had sneaked off by herself. That
stubborn, headstrong...she looked again at the extent of Phaedra's 
injuries. 

...grievously hurt...

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

(more to follow later tonight or tomorrow :)

-Allen Veazey
wolf@dbtech.net
Phaedra and Melith
H'nin and Retick
Healer Kelley