Elvynia
****

[Day 6, late afternoon]

Elvynia stood on the beach looking out over the churning waves of an angry 
sea, the salty gusts whipping her wispy white-blond hair around her face and 
bringing even more color to her rosy skin.  Suddenly she felt a nudge as a 
large snout came to rest on her shoulder.

Glancing back at her beloved dragon, Iris, Elvynia still felt like pinching 
herself to ensure that this was real.  She thought back to the day they'd 
joined.  What a memorable day that had beenöand for much more than she'd 
thought it would be....


...Somehow she'd just known that this would be the hatching when she would 
join.  She'd stood with the other candidatesötheir excitement making the air 
around them almost seem to humögazing down at the clutch of eggs just about 
to release their occupants.  

[snip] 

A loud crack followed as the first egg burst open, spewing forth a dark blue, 
black striped hatchling. Cheers erupted ... as the young hatchling struggling 
out towards the gathered Searchlings.

More eggs hatched as the first Joining occurred. "Lorileth! Her name is 
Lorileth!" A jubilent young girl exclaimed, encircling her arms around the 
small dragon, tears of join streaming down her face.

[end snip]

Then the unthinkable happened.  

[snip]

She watched with panic as the Warrenlady Evelle was shot with an arrow, and 
the queen dragon rose and flew out of the cave with her human, disappearing 
into oblivion.  The small hatching 
dragons cried at the loss of thier mother and guide, as they wandered 
aimlessly through the sands.

[end snip]


The Warrenlady assassinatedöhow could such a thing have happened?öher dragon 
gone now, too, and just as Alicynth's eggs were hatching.  In the midst of 
the chaos, Varaenna had come to the aid of the hatchlings and the joinings 
had continued.  When nearly all the dragons had been joined, and Elvynia had 
almost begun to think she wouldn't be chosen this time, she found her 
attention drawn to one particular egg shaking on the sands.  The bright shell 
had split apart and from the shards had emerged an ice-blue head, sapphire 
eyes glittering as it looked around.  Sky-blue wings unfurled as the 
diminutive dragon got to its feet and took its first tentative steps in her 
direction.  And then she finally heard the sound she'd been anxiously 
awaiting.  

<My rider!> came the joyous cry within her mind. <I am Iris.>

Closing the distance between them in a heartbeat, Elvynia had enfolded Iris 
in her snug embrace.  Looking up into a small group of dragonriders at the 
edge of the sands, she spotted her family.  Their sense of pride seemed to 
reach out to her like a physical being, enveloping her in its warmth.  Her 
father stood with his arm around her mother's still-slender waist, his 
graying dark-blond head tilted close to her silver-blond one.  On her 
mother's left, her older half-brother, a dragonrider himself for eight years 
now, leaned against a wall.  And on the other side of her father, she saw her 
younger half-sister just rejoining the family, disappointment at not having 
been chosen herself, mingling with joy at her sister's good fortune, evident 
in her expression.

Elvynia had returned her attention swiftly to her new charge as the hunger 
pangs assailed them both.  "Let's see about getting you something to eat, my 
darling," she'd murmured to Iris, nuzzling her cheek against the dragon's 
sleek hide....



<I'm hungry, my rider.> 

The thought, an echo of that time just a week ago at the joining, came from 
Iris just as Elvynia's own belly began to rumble, bringing her abruptly out 
of her reverie. <<We should've eaten hours ago.  There's just been so much to 
do to prepare.  Let's go see what we can rustle up.>>

Laying aside the empty sandbags she'd been filling for what seemed like 
forever and pushing her hair back out of her blue-gray eyes again, Elvynia 
strapped several newly-filled bags on Iris's back.  They ascended into the 
rising wind and headed back toward the warren.  After depositing her load 
near the others stacked in anticipation of potential flooding, she struck off 
toward the dining hall.  It was empty, the food from the noon meal having 
long been cleared away.  She headed across the room to the kitchen, hoping to 
find the cooks already working to prepare the evening meal.  She was in luck. 
 After securing a snack for herself and Iris, she returned to the entrance to 
the dining hall where'd she left her dragon and proceeded to feed them both.  
That necessity out of the way, she decided to see how the other arrangements 
were coming in preparation for the imminent storm.  

Out of the lee of the dining hall, Elvynia became aware of just how strong 
the howling winds were growing as the sky's greenish glow darkened.  Sheets 
of rain began pelting her, and she sought shelter against Iris's side.

<<We've got to get back home, >> she relayed the thought rather 
unnecessarily. 

<Yes, my rider, I'm trying to.  The wind is very strong.>

<<There's no way we can do any more at this point.  We'll just have to trust 
that the warren is adequately shored up.>>

Heads down, nearly blinded by the wind and rain, the pair struggled through 
the storm to reach shelter.  Once indoors, Elvynia peeked in Dalaine's rooms, 
only to find them empty; her parents and brother were out, too.  Then she 
joined Iris just inside of where the dragon was perched on the ledge of their 
apartment.  Snuggled up together, they settled in to wait out the storm.  
Elvynia recalled once again that incredible moment of joining and thought, 
here they were just a week later, feeling as if there'd never been a time 
when they hadn't been as one.  Come hell or high wateröand it just might with 
this hurricane brewingöshe and Iris would now face it together.  Much as 
she'd relished her independence, it was pleasant having a partner.  And, of 
course, she did have her family, too.  She hoped they were holed up safely as 
well and not out in the ever-intensifying storm.  She wished Dalaine had 
stayed with her; then she'd know where she was.  As she sat there next to 
Iris, her concern was abruptly magnified.

<Wraith attack!> Iris informed her. 

****


Dalaine
****

[Day 1, morning]

Dalaine stood next to her father, watching as her half-sister embraced the 
newly-hatched pale-blue dragon.  Despite her disappointment at not having 
been chosen at this hatching, she couldn't help but share her older sister's 
joy.  After all, Elly had been waiting longer than she had.  Perhaps her turn 
would come next. 

Still reeling from the tragic events at the hatching, the family headed to 
change for the party after, not as much in the mood to celebrate as they 
would have been had the circumstances been otherwise.  Nevertheless, they 
wanted to share Elly's day with her, one of the most wonderful in a 
dragonrider's life.

"I'll see you there shortly," Dalaine told the others as she entered her 
room.  Opening the trunk at the foot of her bed, she unfolded her favorite 
dress, a deep green that complemented her greenish-gray eyes.  She gave her 
ash-blond hair a thorough brushing, leaving it loose to hang halfway down her 
back in soft ringlets.  After a quick, critical glance in her hand mirror, 
she headed for the gathering.

Entering the hall, she quickly spotted Elly, her vivid purple dress standing 
out in the crowd.  They sat together as Tara re-entered the dining hall and 
addressed the assembled group.

[snip of John's post]

"People of Jasra," she said, not shouting, but making sure her voice was loud 
enough to be heard throughout the hall.  "I have just received a 
communication from the Dragonlady Vignette, at Iseme Warren."  She held up 
the parchment before her, and read the first few words aloud...then stopped 
and laid it down on the table.  She wouldn't hide behind a piece of paper.  
These
people had a right to something more than that.  "What it says is that...that 
Evelle was the last hope for this warren's survival.  But now Evelle is 
dead...and Jasra is to be closed.  Vignette is coming here herself, the day 
after tomorrow...and in the meantime, she asks that everyone make their 
preference known as to...to which of the other warrens you wish to be 
transferred."

[end snip]

Elvynia and Dalaine could only look at each other in shock.  Leave the only 
home they'd ever known?  She couldn't mean it!

"We'll just have to convince the Dragonlady not to do it," came Elvynia's 
decisive response.

****

[Day 5, early evening, Valema's clutch hatching]

[snip of Katrina's post]

[They] sat in the Dining Hall, listening to the others trying to convince the 
Dragonlady to keep Jasra open....  

"The Eggs!!" someone shouted. 

"Their hatching!! Quick get the searchlings!! The Eggs are hatching!!"

[end snip] 
		
Dalaine rose hastily to her feet and joined the crowd headed for the hatching 
cavern.  Halfway there, Elvynia caught up to her and grabbed her hand.  

"It's just got to be your turn this time, Lainie."

"Oh, I really hope so!  But there are only five eggs.  My chances aren't very 
good."  She frowned at the thought.

Hand in hand, the sisters entered the cavern, its darkness illuminated by 
numerous torches. They drew close to the oscillating eggs kept under 
Varaenna's watchful eye.  Elvynia left Dalaine standing by the other 
candidates and drew back with the other spectators.  As the eggs began to 
split open, both girls observed them expectantly.  The metallic queen egg 
shattered to reveal a beautiful golden-copper dragon, her regal head rising 
out of the fragments.  She headed straight for the newly-arrived girl from 
the islands.  Then Dalaine's eyes were drawn to a sprightly golden-yellow 
hatchling, its gleaming bronze eyes darting around until they settled on her. 
 Then it launched itself in the air toward Dalaine, who reacted quickly to 
reach out her arms and catch the projectile, but the dragon's momentum 
propelled it hard enough to knock Dalaine off her feet.

"Oof!" she landed hard on her backside.

Suddenly the dragon rolled over onto its back, twisting and turning on the 
sands.

<Help me, my rider!> came the plaintive cry. <I can't reach the itch on my 
back.>

"Goodness, you're a feisty one," Dalaine told the squirming hatchling.  "I 
hope you're not going to be too much of a handful."

<And I hope you're going to feed meöand quickly!> came the impatient retort.

"Alright, alright, I'll get you some meat."

Dalaine became aware of laughter behind her and turned to see her sister and 
a scruffy boy in dirty clothes chortling over her predicament.

"Don't laugh!  I'd like to see you handle this little spitfire."  She reached 
for a pail near the boy, who was busily feeding a tiny, deep-grey dragon.  
"What's your dragon's name?" she asked him.

"Loki.  How about yours?"

"Selene.  Isn't she just the most beautiful dragon you've ever seen?" Dalaine 
asked proudly, despite the rough treatment she'd received.  She thought she 
could forgive Selene anything, even her seemingly endless appetite, as she 
got yet another pail of meat for her.

"She's all right," the boy grudgingly admitted, "but I like Loki here better. 
 Suits me."

"Yes, I think you're right," she smiled at the boy, thinking that Loki's grey 
went well with the boy's dirt.  "I don't remember seeing you around before.  
My name's Dalaine."

"I'm Gus.  Just got here from Cabral."

"Well, I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other now, what with the 
training and all."

"Yup."  He turned away as Shawnee approached him, and Dalaine looked toward 
her sister.

"Oh, Elly, it's just incredible, isn't it?  Now we're all joined."

"It is wonderful, Lainie, it certainly is."

****

[Day 6, early afternoon]

Training was cut short for the day so that everyone could pitch in with the 
preparations for the approaching storm.  Dalaine and Selene joined Elvynia 
and Iris on the beach filling sandbags.  At least that had been Dalaine's 
plan.  Selene apparently had other ideas.   She darted around on the beach, 
playing tag with the waves, several times getting churned  head over tail 
when a particularly strong wave won.  Then Dalaine would have to drop her 
sandbags and rush over to pull the sputtering hatchling from the sea.

<<You little scamp!  Are you *trying* to drown yourself?>> Dalaine scolded.  

The little dragon was only momentarily slowed by the dunkings and was soon 
back to scurrying in and out of the surf.  Dalaine couldn't help but chuckle 
at the antics, despite her concern.  And besides, it looked like so much more 
fun than filling sandbags.  

It wasn't long before there were two figures to be seen playing on the shore.

Elvynia shook her head.  Lainie sure wasn't one to turn down an opportunity 
for fun.  She smiled faintly.  She hoped her sister's capricious attitude 
wouldn't lead her into too much trouble one day.

Dalaine raced past Selene in their mad dash down the beach, then both lay 
down, panting.

<Feed me, my rider, I'm hungry again.>

<<How can you be?  I just fed you!>>

<But I *am* hungry.  I'm *always* hungry,> the hatchling whined.

<<All right, it's ok. We'll go get you more meat.  I could use something to 
eat myself, anyway.>>

With a brief wave to Elvynia, Dalaine and Selene made their way toward the 
dining hall, the still-empty sandbags forgotten. 		

****


Ed'wen
****

[Day 6, early evening]

With wraiths attacking a fleet of ships at sea, the group of dragonriders 
stood waiting for the Acting Warrenlady to come to a decision.

[snip of Barb's post]

"You're acting Wingleader," she told the Jasra Wingsecond. "Take the wing
and help those ships!"

"Yes ma'am!" the new Wingleader smiled as he began to take charge. "You, you
and you... get with your partners you're coming with me to act as the
advance scouts. We'll try and hold them off long enough for the rest stock
up on coal and to get there then we'll head back in and stock up ourselves
when they arrive."

[end snip]

Ed'wen and Hesperus took off after Liseth in an effort to intercept the 
wraiths before they destroyed the shipsöand their crews.

Winging in and out of the dense, dark clouds, they wheeled in on the wraiths, 
struggling to stay out of reach as the high winds buffeted them about.  The 
failing light and generally poor visibility, which contributed to the 
dragonriders' difficulties, was eased at intervals by the dazzling flashes of 
lightening that lit the sky.  Ed'wen was equally grateful for Hesperus's 
remarkably acute vision.

Clinging to his back, Ed'wen relayed encouragement as the dragon swooped and 
darted around and between the wraiths, flaming fiercely at every turn.  

Suddenly he spotted Liseth slumped over his dragon's back, just as Hesperus 
dodged another wraith, the abrupt change of direction in the savage wind 
threatening to send them plummeting to the raging sea below.

<He was out of flame and before he could teleport several of the wraiths got 
to him...his dragon has taken him back to the warren to be treated by the 
healers,> he learned from Hesperus.

With Shawnee and Doshayne and the rest of the second wave now here to bolster 
them, Ed'wen and Hesperus teleported back to the warren to quickly stock up 
on more coal.  They rejoined the battling dragonriders as Shawnee made the 
decision to set the ships on fire in order to create a wall of flame and kill 
off the wraiths who had followed them down. Then Hesperus's keen eyes spotted 
an odd-looking form barely clinging to the crow's nest of one of the burning 
ships.

<There's something peculiar down there on that ship, rider.  I'm going to get 
a closer look.>

<<What do you think it is, a survivor?>>

<Might be, but it doesn't look entirely human.>

The pair flew down over the dangling figure, its deafening shrieks filling 
the air.  They were now close enough to discern a human body with a reptilian 
creature clinging tenaciously to the innumerable tiny braids on her head.  At 
least they thought it was a she.  Hesperus swept in as close as he could 
while Ed'wen plucked the two off their precarious perch, then they teleported 
out as swiftly as they could.  

The look of terror on the woman's face when they arrived at the warren made 
Ed'wen regret the necessity of teleporting, but under the circumstances, 
speed had been of the essence.  And he thought it a small price for her to 
pay in exchange for her life.  Then in an instant he was fighting to keep a 
hold of the woman now squirming in his arms.

<<What in the world is she trying to do?>> 

<Fall off, it feels like to me.>

<<I know, but she could've done that as easily from the crow's nest.  Why do 
it now?>>  He grunted from the force of her elbow encountering his ribs just 
as her head butted him under his jaw and he bit his tongue painfully.

<<If you'd just hurry up and land, I'd be able to manage her easier.>>

<Well, it's not like I'm not trying.  I'd like to see you fighting this 
wind,> came the disgruntled retort. <Not to mention the fact that that 
wretched lizard is stinging me and he has a nasty, sharp tail.>

"Monster bad!!  Very bad monster no eat Bakke!!" Hesperus heard the lizard 
wail.

<I have no intention of eating you, you ingrate!  I'd just wind up with a bad 
case of indigestion.>

The moment they touched ground, Ed'wen slid from the dragon's back with the 
woman still struggling in his grasp, the lizard now clutching her neck.  She 
slammed on his foot, put another well-placed elbow in his gut, and broke 
free, the lizard already on the ground and running.  Her eyes scanned the 
ground for suitable stones as she pulled a sling out from under her torn 
poncho.  Then she stopped and whirled around abruptly when she noticed all 
the other dragons in the area.

During the brief respite, Ed'wen took a moment to rub his bruised ribs and 
observe the strange woman more closely.  She was short and heavy, her dark 
skin covered with intricate markings.  The blood from countless lacerations 
on her hands was dripping onto her poncho, long, baggy pants, and bare feet.  

"We need to get you into the Med Center."

She looked at him with a bewildered expression before a stream of 
incomprehensible syllables flowed from her lips.  Ignoring her gibberish, he 
clutched her arm and towed her quickly through the med center door.  After 
depositing her with one of the healers, he remounted Hesperus, and teleported 
back to the fray.  In short order most of the wraiths had been destroyed by 
the fires, and they were able to take out those remaining with little 
difficulty.

He arrived back at the warren exhausted as the advancing hurricane was nearly 
upon them.  Debris was swirling around the open green, battering them 
mercilessly as they labored to reach cover.  The sheets of rain plastered his 
red-blond hair to his head and half-blinded his dark blue eyes.  A sudden cry 
brought Ed'wen's head up as he looked around for its source.  

Finally he spied a disheveled figure trying to corner a small, panicked 
dragon flitting continually out of her grasp.  Coming up to her, he realized 
it was his step-sister Dalaine.  Between the two of them, they managed to 
capture the agitated hatchling and return to the warren, safely protected 
from the brunt of the tempest.

****

[Tag, Bridget - welcome to the warren, Aitzan]


****

[Day 7, morning]

Ed'wen decided his first order of business was to go see how the ship's 
survivor was doing at the med center.  He was still fuming that she'd been 
left hanging when Shawnee gave the order to burn the ships.  He just couldn't 
understand why she hadn't ordered a fly-over to be sure all the survivors had 
jumped overboard.  He thanked the gods yet again for the gift of Hesperus's 
keen vision that in this case had made up for Shawnee's oversight.  He could 
allow for a certain amount of inexperience, but as a result of Shawnee's 
negligence, the poor woman had nearly forfeited her life.  A wing leader was 
supposed to protect lives not practically flambe' them!  He'd just like to 
give her a piece of his mind!

The thought coincided with his spotting her walking along in front of the med 
center as though she were a queenrider with a clutching dragon. Well, he had 
a thing or two to say to her!  He caught up to her briskly, barely resisting 
the urge to grab her and shake her.

"I need you to see one of the injured in the Med Center.  Follow me."

He preceded her through the entrance of the building and bellowed for a 
nurse.  Lilitha came racing up to them. 

"Shush, you're disturbing the patients!"

"I'm sorry."  He made an effort to reign in his temper for the moment.  "May 
we please see the woman with the strange markings, the one with the badly cut 
hands?  I brought her in last night."

"Right this way."

With a confused Shawnee trailing behind him, he entered the dimly lit room.

"We've had to sedate her," the nurse informed them.  "She was causing quite a 
ruckus.  And no one can understand a word she says."

"But she's going to be ok?" Ed'wen asked in concern.

"She'll be fine.  Now I have other patients to see to."  She shut the door 
behind her.

Shawnee stood in astonishment, looking down at the distinctive woman lying on 
the bed.

"Who is she?"

"I don't know who she is, but she would've been toast if Hesperus and I 
hadn't rescued her!  This is all your fault!" he declared through gritted 
teeth. "If you'd just checked to make sure there were no survivors left on 
those ships, she wouldn't have nearly died.  You set those ships on fire 
while she was still onboard.  Your carelessness almost killed her!" he spat 
out, his face merely inches from hers.  "If you're going to be a wingleader, 
you'd better never make such a serious mistake again!  I just hope Hesperus 
can save my butt if Tara *is* foolish enough to make you wingleader."  His 
spittle spattered her face as he pressed her back against the wall, his fury 
almost a tangible thing.  His eyes bored into hers.


****

[Tag Barb - how is Shawnee going to react to this surprising accusation?]


****


NRPG: Many thanks to Bridget (who came up with the idea in the first place), 
Barb, and Kris for their help with Ed'wen's segment of the post and to 
Arlene, Katrina, and John for their helpful suggestions throughout.
 								

Submitted by:

Dana Zuhlke								

Elvynia (Elly) and Iris

Ro'gen and Apollo
Evlan and Athena
Ed'wen and Hesperus
Dalaine (Lainie) and Selene

Jasra Warren