**Inagua**

"So, there's the queen rider. I suppose you're a little more relaxed, 
now?" V'dar asked.

Inagua looked at him, surprised.  What the hell did he mean by that?  
She also noticed he was in her way, and it looked to be a deliberate 
placement on his part.  Her eyes narrowed with annoyance and she pushed 
past him.

"I can't deal with this now, V'dar. I need to see Phaedra."  She had to 
make sure she could never fail them again..

"Fat chance," he said, grabbing her arm. "Phaedra's a little busy.
Bridgett's forces are practically at our doorstep. Now is not the time."

Inagua stared at his hand around her arm, momentarily stunned, before it 
was all she could do not to boil over.

"And you are not the one to tell me where to go," Inagua snapped. "I'll 
talk to you later. Maybe."

"No."

"What? How dare you?!" Inagua ripped her arm out of his grasp.

"I dare, because I know what shape you're in. You won't get anywhere
with bruises on your face and liquor on your breath. She won't take you 
seriously."

"What do you mean?" Under her fury, she felt a little flutter that was 
the beginning of fear; it made her all the angrier.

"Don't act coy with me. I've been drunk enough times to know the signs."

"It's none of your business- I told you that last night."  

Inside, behind the rage she let him see, a little frightened voice 
chanted to the storm 'Leave me alone, leave me alone...'

"Maybe not, but I'm making it my business, today. I've had it up to here 
with your attitude, your secrets, your angst...I want to know just what 
in the hell you've been up to. What is this damned secret that you've 
been keeping from the rest of the world? Your eyes show it even if your 
mouth denies it.  You drink yourself to distraction to run away from 
it-"

How dare he say such to her!  He had no right... no right!  Inagua 
hardly knew what she was doing until her hand connected with his face, 
her fingers and palm tingling with the impact.  A vice locked around her 
wrist, his hand, squeezing until she gasped with pain 

"I don't need a brat attitude, either. I'm not your father, or your 
confessor, or even family. I'm simply responsible for you, and I have no 
desire to see a queen rider destroy herself and her dragon. I'll have 
the truth, and I won't quit. Now, shall I hear it from you, or should I 
go into town and see what trouble you've caused?"

Anger, fear, indignation and emotions she couldn't put a name to whirled 
around in her like some mad tornado that took her thoughts with it.  

"You're hurting me," she whispered tremulously, starting to feel ill.

<Mya, make him stop!> Inagua pleaded, just wanting to get away from him.

<Naga, I don't think he means to hurt you.  I doubt Tekelote could do 
anything-> Myaucura started to say, trying to beg off the request.

<Mya!>

<I really don't want to upset Tekelote for nothing but... wait a 
moment.>

<Mya! Mya?>

<We're all supposed to hide for Lord Bridgett's arrival.>

<Wha->

Inagua didn't have time to finish her question as V'dar started walking 
towards his apartment with her in tow.  

"Hey!" she protested, trying, unsuccesfully, to plant her feet and 
reclaim her wrist.

"We are going to continue our little discussion at my place... without 
the brandy this time," he said, giving her a glare and a tug.

Inagua swallowed and let herself be led.  She was trully frightened now 
and didn't have anyone around who could get her out of this, certainly 
not her dragon anyway.  Inagua wasn't sure whether her dragon was a 
nonconfrontationalist or just a timid, push over, but which ever, she 
was not happy with her queen.

They walked into V'dar's apartment and he kicked the door shut, 
propelling her to the center of the room near an all to familiar chair.

He glanced down at her captured hand and she followed his gaze.  She 
vaguely realized that she was the one shaking, not the rest of the 
world.  Her body couldn't seem to make up its mind whether it wanted to 
faint or throw up...  It was just too many shocks in one day, her sister 
and now this...

She felt her breakfast rise into her throat and jerked her hand free of 
his graps heading through what thankfully turned out to be the bathroom.  
Losing her breakfast didn't take very long at all, but her stomach 
wouldn't relent.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder, but shook it off.  She didn't need 
his help, she wasn't sure she'd take it if she did.

After an eternity of misery, her gut decided it had enough fun for one 
day and stopped blantantly misbehaving, though she still felt decidedly 
queasy.  She cleaned up, throwing some water on her face and trying to 
collect her thoughts.  She looked in the mirror and saw him standing in 
the doorway, watching her.

Inagua's chin went up a little higher of its own accord, she was not 
going to let him see her like that again today.. or any other time if 
she could help it.

She strode past him, her hands clenched to hide their trembling.  Inagua 
took a seat in her chair and waited for V'dar.  He sat down across from 
her, as he passed giving her a look she couldn't quite interpret, guilt 
perhaps?

Inagua had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to get an all out lie 
past him, and total denial wouldn't work either, not with the fading 
bruises on her face.

V'dar made to say something but she beat him to the punch.

"I did nothing wrong in Greymist," she stated, proud that her voice 
didn't quaver.  

And it was the truth, Inagua had done nothing wrong in Greymist, she had 
done it all in Nerlik.  

"Then why did you look half dead when I found you there?" V'dar asked 
shrewdly.

Inagua scowled indignantly at him. "How I persue my pleasure is my own 
business," she said coolly.  

Let him interpret that how he would; any way he did, it would be wrong, 
but he, hopefully, wouldn't know that if she played her cards right.
**************************
NRPG: Tag Allen :)

Submitted by,
Bridget Olson
Inagua and Myacura
                            .  ,   
                            . ,`o--Y  
    ____.....------.'      .,' ,,~''   `,------.....____   
''''`    `---.:: ,':       ; ,'         ;`. ;;.---'    '```` 
            `   `:__`-._   `.`.,    _,-'__;'   '         
                 `  `---`---'`'`---'---'  ' 
      ____________________ \`--'/`____________________
       Bridget Olson aka  ```  '''  badei@hotmail.com 
       Dyanisa & Sienra             Daere Warren
       Inagua & Myacura          "  Geode Warren
       N'lin &Trefoil           ''  Whiteriver Warren
       Chelea & Nebavri         ''  Xylian Warren
       N'dovra Leriamtiq       ' '  Ralengarde City
       Lt. <jg> Sirosa Badei   ' '  USS FARADAY
      __________________________' '____________________
                                 -
   "The limits of life are the limits of your imagination."
   
               I am the God of my own universe          
                     What is moral or not             
                           I decide                         
                     What is to be or not             
                           I decide                             
                       What was or not
                           I decide
                  Your are your own God too
                   Make your own descisions
                              -me


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