*Med Center*
**Inagua**

Inagua quietly stepped out of Yelia's room, looking for Kelley.  Her 
sister was starting to get a headache again and Yechur had said he would 
stay with Lia.  Probably wise since Inagua already knew exactly where 
the healer was and Yechur would still be looking.

She turned a couple of corners and quickly side stepped to avoid running 
head on to the person she was looking for.

"Oh, Inagua," Kelley said with a smile.  "I was just coming to give your 
sister her medicine.  I take it the headaches are coming back?"

"Yes," Inagua said simply as they both started back to the room.  "Will 
they go away ever?" she blurted out after a short lull in the 
conversation.

"Yes, I believe they will go away," Kelley reassured her.  "The 
headaches will fade after a while, but I'm going to keep Yelia here 
until that happens."

The entered Yelia's room and Inagua watched as the healer skillfully 
conned her sister into taking the medication.  Within a few minutes the 
girl was asleep.  Quietly all of them left the room and Kelley motioned 
for them to follow her into a near by empty one. 

Solumnly they two sibling sat down and waited for the healer to speak.

"I want to make sure that both of you realize that Yelia will probably 
never be the same person you knew not too long ago again," Kelley said 
seriously.  "She might slowly improve intellectualy and perhaps one day, 
she may be able to take care of herself, but this is highly unlikely.  
At the moment she is a toddler trapped in a teenager's body.  Her memory 
is probably not very good, especially her long term memory, though it is 
too early to be sure.  Basically though, Yelia is going to need a lot of 
care and you should start thinking about making arrangements for it.  I 
can offer some names around the warren of people you might talk to about 
this.  And if you don't think any of those people are appropriate care 
takers for your sister, then I also know some very good people in some 
near by towns.  Of course the-"

"Wait a minute," Inagua interupted almost angrily.  "Yelia isn't going 
anywhere.  I'll get a bigger apartment and she's going to stay with me."

"Inagua, I don't think you realize how much of attention your sister is 
going to need.  With your duties as Queenrider-"

"I know perfectly well how much attention she is going to need.  I 
didn't say I wouldn't do day care and Yechur will help, but she is 
living with me and not some strangers."  Inagua glared at the healer, 
who promptly swallowed whatever she was going to say.  "All right then, 
I'll be back tomorrow and you can talk to me about daycare then."

"Whatever you say, Inagua," Kelley said and let the queenrider by.

Yechur looked at the blond woman and shrugged apologetically.  "Sorry 
about that," he said softly and rushed out after his sister.

She was already half way across the flat stretch of rock that was called 
the green, he wondered if it was some kind of joke or something, by the 
time he got out of the Med Center.

"For Gods' mercy, Inagua, wait up!" he shouted and sprinted after her.

Inagua stopped, but didn't turn around.  She was still fuming from 
Kelley's suggestion that she should give her sister over to some one 
else.  She'd been taking care of them her whole life and she wasn't 
going to stop now.. not ever.

"You shouldn't have blown up at her like that," Yechur panted as he came 
abreast of her.

"Yeah, well I'm not handing Lia over to some stranger," Inagua snapped. 

"She would be in the warren.  It's not like we wouldn't see her."

"Do you really feel comfortable having her sleep in some strangers 
house?" she snapped, then softened.  "I'm not saying I can do it all by 
myself, like I said, I don't have any problems with daycare.  But she is 
going to live with me and that is the end of it."

"Whatever you say, sis," he mumbled.

She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the head.  "Exactly, Chury.  
Come on, lets get something to eat, I'm famished."

"Yeah, ok, Iggy," he said, smiling at her.

The walked into the dining hall, grabbed some food and sat down.  As 
they ate, Inagua told him about Mya flying today, realizing that it 
probably sounded boring to him, but not really caring.  She could have 
made it more interesting by leaving in some of V'dar's less then nice 
comments, but why ruin a good meal?  Yes, she had to admit, Myacura 
wasn't the most up beat of dragons, but what right did he have to imply 
that her dragon was depressed and that it was her fault?

She was still eating when Yechur finished and she noticed he was 
watching her, nearly laughing.

"What?" she demanded, not really minding that he was making fun of her, 
but wondering why.

"You're going to get fat," he said with a giggle.

"Hmmm and the cooks here would like that very much," she said with a 
grin.  "I think they think I'm too skinny.  'Sides," she added, taking a 
bite of bread, "I haben't eaben ah bay."

"Obviously," he said with a smile, and, for his impudence, got showered 
with bread crumbs.

<...>

Inagua walked into her half of the apartment, still in a good mood, and 
barely muffled a shriek as a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind her.  

<Inagua?!> Myacura asked, suddenly waking up.

<*Shhh, dear,*> Inagua quickly reassured the queen.  <*Everything's 
fine,*>  'I hope,' she added privately as she turned around.

Her uninvited guest was a blond, burly man of average height and 
slightly less then handsome.  He smelled of a smithy and wine and he 
probably needed a bath as well.

"What do you want?" she asked with more confidence then she actually 
felt, considering that this man towered over her more then people 
usually did.

"Tiregon sends his greetings, Inagua," he said with an evil grin.  "You 
may call me Gerlin."

"Well Gerlin, what do you want?" she demanded again.

"Why nothing more then to share a bottle of wine with you," he said in a 
tone that made her hackles rise.  "Providing you dragon doesn't mind 
that is.  I would dearly hope your lovely queen wouldn't mind."

"She won't," she manged through gritted teeth.  Obviously something was 
up, but what it was, she had no clue.

<*Mya, you have to promise me to keep your mouth shut no matter what,*> 
Inagua told her dragon as she sat down across from Gerlin.

<But Naga->

<*No buts!  You tell no one nothing unless I specifically ask for help.  
Promise me!*>

<I promise,> Myacura said sullenly.

<*Love ya,*> Inagua whispered to her before turning her attention to the 
matter at hand.

She watched him casually placed two wine bottles on the center of the 
table.  She looked questioningly at him.

He grinned, "I have a red and a white.  I couldn't find any glasses 
around here so I figured we could just drink from the bottles."

She picked up a bottle, the white, read the label, and cocked an 
eyebrow, this was top of the line stuff.  Throwing caution to the winds, 
though not really since she had this feeling she was gonna drink this 
wine whether she wanted to or not, she bit down on the cork and ripped 
it out of the bottle with a practiced gesture.  She spit it out onto the 
table and took a drink, smiling with appreciation.

"This is good stuff," she said simply, handing it over.

"Nothing but the best for a queenrider," Gerlin said before taking a 
swig himself.

The bottle went around the table a few more times in silence.  She 
wondered idily what he had really come for, she didn't think it was just 
to drink expensive wine.  Inagua was about to take another drink of the 
stuff when she noticed that she didn't feel exactly right considering 
how little wine she had had so far.  Was it drugged?  But how could it 
be since Gerlin obviously was drinking and enjoying the stuff.  Still 
better safe than sorry, she still had plenty of wine in her stash and 
she wanted to be with it when he decided to tell her the real reason for 
his visit.

She was passing the bottle to him, when, like lightning, he reached over 
and grabbed her wrist.

"Drink," he said with a deceptive casualness.  "Terigon doesn't look 
kindly on people refusing his gifts.  And you will drink this wine even 
if I must pour it down your throat for you."

Inagua brought the bottle back to her half of the table, afraid and 
trying not to show it.  Deliberately cahllenging him, she didn't drink, 
merely looked at him.

He laughed at her, knowing she was afraid and confused and revelling in 
it.  "I really suggest you finish your wine, dear.  You won't like what 
will happen if you don't."  When she didn't comply immediately, he 
cracked his oversized knuckles threateningly.  "It would be a shame if 
your siblings never sang again, they really have lovely voices."

Inagua closed her eyes helplessly and took a drink and then another and 
another...  Whatever was in the wine, it probably wasn't deadly because 
she was damn sure that Gerlin had drinken a goodly amount himself.  In 
fact, now that she really thought about it, she was beginning to feel 
pretty darn good.  Everything seemed to be getting clearer, more 
defined, and she looked around with bemused eyes as she drank under 
Gerlin's watchful gaze.

He laughed softly at her blank expression, whispering "I told you, you 
would like it."

Inagua ignored him, quickly becoming fasinated with the sparkling 
crystals in the walls, mechanically emptying the bottle.  She barely 
registered the fact that the bottle was empty, frowning and putting it 
down.  Gerlin quietly got up and took it from her before she took 
another drink.  He waved a hand in front of her face and grinned when 
there was no response.

Grinning, still enjoying his mild high, he stood her up and delicately 
started removing her clothes like he would from a doll.  It's not as if 
she would notice, she was gone for a while.  And he still had a whole 
other bottle for after he'd had his fun.  Undoing his pants with one 
hand he guided her to the bed and laid her down.

Inagua drifted along somewhere in her mind, barely feeling Gerlin's 
painful thrusts.  She woudl have frowned, but the impulse faded to 
quickly along with the annoyance that the cloth kept jerking around so 
she couldn't look at it.  The sparkle of a crystal caught her eye, and 
she smiled at it's mesmerizing beauty, floating without thought.

She barely registered when rough hands sat her up.  She shuddered 
uncontrollably in the chill, though hardly noticed, swallowing 
atomatically as sickeningly sweet red wine was poured down her throat.    

Inagua didn't notice when Gerlin left after he had searched out all of 
her wine bottles, poured some yellow powder in them and replaced them; 
she was too busy watching the pretty colors.  From very far away she 
heard someone call her name, but it faded away and she forgot.  Still 
chasing imaginary rainbows, and trembling violently with the cold 
against her bare skin, she closed her eyes.  And after a time, drifted 
into a drug induced sleep.
****************************
*Late Morning*

<Inagua!  Inagua!>

She groaned, and somehow managed to crack open a grimy eye.  Gods, how 
could she feel this horrid and not be dead?  She sat up, shaking and 
noticed the fire was out, she was naked and she wasn't all the way on 
the bed.  Not to mention she hurt and the fire was out.

<*What?*> Inagua managed, slowly standing up and grimacing as her back 
protested along with her head.

<V'dar is wondering where you are.  Are you all right?> Myacura asked 
worriedly.

<*Fine,*> Inagua lied, trying to remember what the hell had happened.  
<*Tell V'dar I'll be there in a few minutes.*>

Shaking with cold, she threw on some clean clothes, splashed her face 
with water and walked outside, still feeling like absolute shit.  This, 
she had a feeling, was going to be one of those days.
*****************
NRPG: Well the girl was as high as a kite and don't remember a thing.  
She's hit rock bottom at the moment and will prolly look it, and she'll 
be more surly then usual, she didn't even get her morning swig of wine 
:)


                            .  ,   
                            . ,`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."
   
  "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing, doo wah.."
                        -Swing Kids


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