Mc'Key
********

The dining hall was filling up with the morning breakfast rush, but the tall
blond took little notice. His mind was still on the news he'd received
yesterday by the sweep riders he'd sent out to look for Bridgett's group. 

The riders had caught sight of the group as he knew they would, about a
day's and a half's worth of riding. It wasn't a large group, only about 50
men on horse back. But what did they have planed for when they got here
Bridgett had to have known word of his trying to kidnap Ghost would have
come out by now. Mc'key tried to put his mind into that of the enemies. 

Yes enemy.

For the man and his men were just that after the things he had heard about
them. Ghost wasn't the only one to have suffered at the mad man's hands. No
a whole family had been betrayed and wiped out in this one man's lust for
power. 

His thoughts turned to Norik and the story he had told yesterday in
Phaedra's office. About the promise he had made to his family and hers, to
see to it that justice was fulfilled in the name of Lord Did he really think
he had any chance of going up against the man and winning?

Mc'key remembered how sure he had sounded when he had offered his help to
the Warrenlady. As if he knew something the rest of them didn't. Something
that might change the tide of events to follow.

Maybe he'd try and have a talk with Norik later to see what he could find
out. The tall blond had long ago found out that those who *listen* to what
men really said were the ones who learned the things that would one day save
them from making stupid mistakes.

In the mean time his thoughts turned back to the advancing party. He
estimated their arrival at the Warren gates sometime between a late lunch
and a very early dinner. That was taking into accounts of Bridgett stopping
and giving his beasts a few short breaks as any good leader would know to do
so his horses weren't tired out form their long journey.   

That didn't leave the Warren much time to plan on a defense. Not that they
were worried about Bridgett's men over running the place. No, the dragons as
a last resort would see that that didn't happen, but Phaedra would never let
it go that far. 

The Landbound nobles would have a cow for sure if the dragons' for any
reason harmed one of their own. No matter the provocation. Or the scum involved.

Still maybe the Warrenlady would let Vas send just a little flame is way to
make up for the horror he'd put Ghost and her mother through. Nice woman...
the mother.

He let out a laugh and looked around the room as if someone could tell what
he'd been thinking just by looking at him. 

Stupid thoughts. Of course it would never go that far an it was up to him
and his Wing to make sure. Beta had long been set up to protect the lands
nearest to the Warren while the others protected the outlands around it.

As *Acting* Wingleader, Mc'key knew it was up to him to make sure the Warren
was kept out of danger. That meant inside as well as out. He meant to do
just that. 

But how? How did he keep things from going to far once Bridgett's men were
inside the Warren? How indeed. He had a few idea's but thought he had better
talk them over with someone who had had more experience at things like this
then he.

<<Vasleth would you ask Nony if is rider is awake yet and could meet with
me?>> he thought about it for a moment then asked Vas to also ask Retick for
his rider, H'nin to join them. With the council of both Wingleaders they
were sure to come up with something. Or to keep him from going over board
with his plans.

He would not be caught unaware by the Lord and his men. 

Not like the old Lord, Brequest and his family had.

The three of them met and Mc'key outlined his plan, then sat back waiting
for the other two men to think it over. It was simple really, and could help
to keep this thing from being blown out of proportion.

"After all,' his grin turned almost evil. "We've all seen how people respond
when they've forgotten how big dragon's really are up close....." 

H'nin looked across the table at C'rin, a twinkle appearing in his eyes. 

"You know... it just might work at that," he chuckled.  

Ghost
********

ghost had spent the early part of the morning talking with her mother and
Norik de Verguan. Last night the three of them had met in Dellanie's
apartment and they had tried to explain the past to her but the girl was so
overwhelmed by what she was hearing that they decided to try again in the
morning when she'd had a chance to get over some of the shock.

Dellanie ad wanted Bashie to stay with her, but the girl told her she needed
sometime to herself.

"It doesn't mean I love you any less, because no matter what you will always
be my mother...it's just that..." Ghost couldn't find the words to explain
how she was feeling at the moment.

But Dellanie understood and let her go.

The next morning as soon as she had seen to her dragon, Ghost went by her
mothers apartment and asked to speak to both her an Norik. 

It was time she learned just who she was.

By the time they had finished explaining everything to her, she was livid.
Somehow she promised Bridgett would pay for his betrayal of her family. 

"You say there is a way to prove who I am, and that I have the right to take
back the lands from him right?" she asked her mother and then turned her
eyes on the man sitting across from them.

"There is a way and we do have loyal men to back up your claim," Norik
confirmed. "All we need is your word to proceed." 

Dellanie looked at the girl she had raised with concern in her eyes. Did she
know what she was getting into? Did she understand what all it initialed? 

"I want sometime to think about this," Ghost told them and when Norik would
have spoken she held up her hand. "I have a training lesson with Mc'key and
S'mil in a little while. I'll let you know what I've decided after that."

She left then and called Kikeane to come get her. 

S'mil was already waiting on the practice green when she arrived. Mc'key
arrived soon after and started them to work. Ghost could see him looking at
her every once in a while, but was thankful when he didn't say anything. 

He went over the first steps of training rather quickly just to be sure both
riders were comfortable with the procedures. Then he moved on to wing drills
until both riders could take off and fly in formation then land at the same
time. 

Next he had them teleport to different locations around the Warren, then
around the area before finally calling it a day. 

"We'll do a little more work with a few other riders tomorrow," he told them
before releasing them. "After that I'll be placing you in the wing with the
rest of your group and have you start training with them."

"Thank you Mc'key," S'mil grinned. "You don't know how much that means to me."

"Well just remember to listen to the others when they tell you to do
something. They've been in a fighting wing a little longer. It'll come to be
second nature to you soon enough, but because of the time you weren't flying
in a wing it'll take you a little longer to become  accustom to flying with
them."

"I understand," the man grinned again and then turned to Ghost. "I was
meaning to ask you how yesterday went. You're okay aren't you?"

"I'm fine S'mil," she smiled as she met his eyes. "I also wanted to thank
you for coming after me yesterday. It was a brave thing to do."

"It was my job to keep you safe and I almost failed."

"No... you did what you had to do when the time came," she told him and
Mc'key agreed. "None of us could have guessed Go'wayn would have been brave
enough to have tried to sneak back here so soon."

"But still..." he frowned.

"Still nothing!" Mc'key spoke up cutting him off. "If you hadn't of been
there watching her there's no telling what could have happened."

<<Tag: Max if you want to write anything during the training or the talk
afterwards ;) >>

They watched the young rider walk away and then Key turned back to Ghost.

"You want to go get something to eat?" he asked.

"No...not right now," she shook her blond head. "I have someone I need to
talk to first."

"Okay maybe later," he asked.

"Sure.. maybe later."

Several minutes later she was knocking on the door of the Warrenlady's
office. When Phaedra called out for her to enter, she poked her head in
around the door and asked if she had a minute.

"Come on in Bashie."

"I don't know what to do," Ghost told her after taking a seat and sitting
there quietly for a few minutes. "this has all been a shock to me."

"I can imagine," Phaedra said. "So tell me what you're feeling?"

"Mixed up. Confused." She snorted. "In the course of one day I find out that
my mother isn't really my mother and the life I've been living is one big
lie controlled by people and things I know nothing about."

She paused and took a deep breath before going on.

"Yesterday I was the daughter of a slave who just happen to join with a
dragon, but then today I'm the heir to a whole damn township. The *only*
blood heir to the whole damn township! With a deranged Uncle who not only
wants to have me submit to his perverted ways, but also wants to use me to
keep control of that which he killed to get. And while I don't want him to
reap from his betrayal, I don't know what else to do. I'm a dragonrider! I
belong here in the Warren, but I have all these people waiting for me to
give some word and they will go to war with Bridgett and take back *my* lands."

She took another deep breath and rolled her head back until she was looking
at the marks on the ceiling. 

"All my life," she started slowly. "I've had other people telling me what to
do... and what not to do. Don't go here, don't go there. Stay out of sight
we wouldn't want them to see you! I had to be careful of who I talked to or
where I went, and then when Bridgett's men came and took mama the first time
and we were forced to live in fear on his lands.... You know the rest of
that story."

"That's where you came in," the woman nodded. "Or rather were found near
yonder tree with no claim to any memory."

Ghost blushed. She hadn't wanted to lie to the woman, but at the time it
seamed the only way to go.

"So what do you want to do now?"

"That's just it," the small girl frowned and then her face filled with
anger. "Once again, I don't seem to have to much choice in the matter. I
know I don't want *him* to have what he killed my family to get... but I
don't want it either. I like my life here. I've made a home here with
friends who care about me but don't try to stifle me, I belong with Kikeane,
just as any other dragonrider belongs in the Warren when they have joined."

Her eyes finally quit avoiding the woman sitting on the other side of the desk. 

"I want to stay here," she told her, her voice not quiet steady. "I want to
be a part of this life and forget the other even exists. But how can I when
there are those who suffered while trying to protect me and keep me alive
until the day I was old enough to take back what was mine by right of birth?"

They talked for a while longer then Ghost came up with an idea. She
explained it to Phaedra to see what she thought about it.

"Well the final decision will be yours Bashie," she said. "But I'll back you
up if you're sure that's what you want to do."

"It is."

Dellanie
*********

With nothing less to do but worry while she waited for Ghost to come to her,
Dellanie decided to run by the medical center and have a look in on the
young girl brought in days ago.

So far the girl had still not come out of her coma and she knew the healers
were starting to worry.

Dellanie couldn't have imagined the sight tht greeted her when she walked in.

"Inagua?" the woman cried, confused concern evident in her voice.

"Get a healer," Inagua said, her self control returning, but only be a
finger hold.  

She took a quick glance around the room and saw the open eyes of the child
and turned to find Kelly.

"Kelly!" she yelled when she saw the woman at the other end of the hall.
"Come quick. The child is awake."




Kelley came in, took one look at her sobbing patient, and rushed out again.
Before Inagua could voice a protest, the healer had returned, this time
armed with a syringe.

Moments later, Yelia was no longer crying, though she did have a nasty case
of the hiccups.

"What happened?" Kelley asked as Dellanie stuck her head in once more.

Inagua shrugged as she pried her bruised hand from her sister's relaxed
grip. "She woke up and said her head hurt.  She was frightened and didn't
want us to leave.  Then Dellanie came in."

She said no more, as if speaking the words would some how keep it from being
real.

"Could you please leave us alone with her now?" she asked on impulse. 

"So tell me Kelly... something was wrong wasn't it?"

"I'm not sure," the healer hedged. "I'll have to examine her better before I
can make that decision."

Dellanie knew she wouldn't get anymore of an answer than that so she kept
quiet. She stood just out side the door and waited for a little while for
someone to come out. She didn't want to disturb them, but she didn't want to
leave either.

When Inagua came flying out of the door a few minutes later, tears falling
from her yes and looking near hysteric's, Dellanie ran after her and found
her slumped  
down on the ground next to her Queen.

"Dear Gods Child," she cried softly and moved to kneel beside her, taking
her in her arms and held her while she cried. For once the proud girl
accepted the comfort and didn't try to pull away.

"It's not fair!!" Inagua cried. "It's just not fair!!"

"Tell me about it child," the older woman said gently as er hand moved to
stoke the younger girls hair. "I want to help."

Bridgett
**********

The outriders had just reported back to the band. 
The Warren was just over an hours hard ride.

The Lord was smiling in anticipation of the coming event. 

Never once did he allow himself to think about anything going wrong. Such
was his conceit that he never dreamed that anything would go wrong with his
plan.

Just enter the Warren and demand the immediate return of the girl and then
he would leave and his future would be insured. He'd not only have the girl
but the lands would be his as well. After a time when he was tired of her,
the girl would suffer an accident and then there would be no one to
challenge his right to rule.

Lord Bridgett would soon learn his mistake.

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

Barbara (a.k.a. 

Ghost & Kikeane
Dellanie
Norik de Verguan
Mc'key & Vasleth 
Geode Warren