>>As she spun to a stop, she careened into a  passing rider, who barely 
caught her before they both went sprawling.  Looking up into his handsome 
face, she obeyed the sudden impulse and flung both arms around his neck, her 
lips meeting his.

>>At that moment, Tara and Jerram returned from Ismene. Tara unstrapped 
herself and climbed down as soon as the queen had landed.  Jerram did 
likewise, and they stood for just a moment to take a look around before 
starting to unpack the dragons."Well, we're home!" Tara said. Then her eyes, 
settling on the couple embracing on the green, widened instantly in surprise. 
 "Kay?" she queried in confusion.  What was he doing kissing Lainie?

     Shaking her head, she stalked over to where the two of them lay.  
Lainie's back was to her, but the look that Kalewyn gave the Warrenlady was 
one of pure confusion.  "Dalaine!" she said, her tone signaling that she 
meant business.  "May I ask just *what* you are doing?"

     Startled, Lainie turned her head.  Her eyes went wide when she saw Tara 
and Jerram standing there.  "I was....ah...I mean..." she stuttered, clearly 
at a loss for words.

     Tara put her hands on her hips and stared at the young rider.  "Dalaine, 
if my memory is correct, you just came out of the med center, didn't you?"

     Dalaine nodded.

     "And don't you think that this sort of...of *activity* is just a bit 
much for you at the moment?" she inquired.  "Look, I know that dragonriders 
have a certain reputation for such things, and I've no doubt that you're 
anxious to get fully involved in your new role in life - but even for 
dragonriders, there's are certain...proprieties...that should be observed.  
The green is *not* the place for such things, you know!  Especially now, with 
the ground still wet from the storm!"

     "Well, yes, I know that, of course," Lainie stammered.  "But you see..."

     "And furthermore, have you forgotten how your sister and Gus fished you 
out of the water when you were on the point of drowning?  What would they 
think if they saw you out here, risking your health by overstraining yourself 
and maybe even bringing on a relapse?"

     "I didn't think..." Lainie began.

     "No, you didn't," Tara agreed.  "And what about your dragon?"  As if by 
magic, Selene suddenly ambled up beside Tara, peering curiously at the 
warrenlady.  Tara looped an arm around the dragon's neck, while Selene did 
her best to look the picture of innocence.  "Just imagine what this poor, 
sweet dragon of yours will have to endure if you overexert yourself and make 
yourself sick again - or give yourself pneumonia from lying out here on the 
wet ground."

     Selene, who was getting a running translation of Tara's words from the 
nearby queen, quickly put on the most mournful expression that was possible 
for a dragon.  "See how worried she is about you?" Tara asked.  "I think you 
should go and do something very nice for her, to make her feel better - 
something that's not too strenuous, mind you!"

(Tag Dana/Kris)

*********************************
(Shortly afterward, Tara's office)

     Shawnee had come to see her just after she got back, bringing two other 
women with her whom she introduced as Cill and Racine, both of whom had come 
from her own former warren of Whiteriver.  They had chatted for awhile, 
during which time Tara had assured them that they could make Jasra their 
permanent home if they wished.  The warren was always in need of new 
warrenfolk, and Tara was sure that these two would fit in quite well.

     No sooner had they departed than someone knocked on her door.  "Come 
in," she said.  

>>But the young woman behind the desk was unfamiliar to him."Whereās Evelle?"
The woman raised an eyebrow at him, but answered politely.  "Iām afraid Evelle
died a few weeks ago.  I am the new warrenlady, perhaps I can help you?"

>>"Died?"  His face fell.  The death of a queen was never good and she hadnāt
been that old, what could have happened?  Sharply bringing his mind back to
business he continued, "I am Dolfis Seathief.  Weāve brought our tithes. 
Where would you like them put?"

     Tara looked at the man, confused.  "Tithes?" she asked.  "I'm afraid I 
don't understand."

     "What don't you understand?" he asked.  "We bring the tithes in support 
of the warren." 

     "But...what lord are you representing?" she asked.  "We just got our 
tithe from Cabral, and I didn't think that any others were due this month..."

     Dolfis sighed.  "You are new here, aren't you?  I owe allegiance to no 
landbound Lord and so I bring my own tithes to the warren.  I am certain I am 
not the only  sea captain to do so."
 
     "Oh..." said Tara. She hadn't realized that individual captains paid 
tithes, but on second thought, it made a certain amount of sense.  Jasra, 
unlike any other warren, had to protect ships at sea, and perhaps because of 
this either Evelle or Bithena had worked out a system under which the 
mariners themselves helped support the warren.  

     "I understand...I think," Tara told him.  "You're the captain of a 
trading vessel, then?"  She made a note to ask one of the longtime residents 
here about just what arrangements had been made between the warren and the 
ship captains.

     At this question, Dolfis threw back his head and laughed. "No, ma'am.  
There's no real *trading* involved in what I do, since I don't normally give 
anything back in return for what I take on board.  I thought you'd have 
grasped that from the name.  I'm a pirate captain." 

     Tara's eyes went wide.  "You're a *what??*" she demanded, sitting down 
heavily in her chair.

     Dolfis just shrugged.  "A pirate captain," he said matter-of-factly.
 
     Tara shook her head.  "Um, okay, look...there's obviously something here 
that I don't understand.  "When I think of a pirate, I think of someone 
who....well, someone who boards and robs other ships at sea.  Obviously, that 
can't be what you are."

    "No, ma'am that is exactly what I are."  His lips twitched in a big, 
friendly smile.  "Hence the name Seathief." 

     Tara got up from her chair and went over to where her wine decanter sat, 
deciding all of a sudden that she needed a drink.  "Would you like some?" she 
asked.  She was *certain* there was something here she wasn't grasping, and 
suspected that it might take awhile for her to fathom it.

     "Why, thank you, ma'am," the pirate replied.
 
     Tara poured drinks for both of them, and handed one glass to Dolfis.  
"Captain....you say that you...you rob other ships...and yet you tithe to the 
warren?  Pardon me for saying so, but doesn't that sound just a bit....odd?"

     "Odd?"  He swirled the liquid around in his glass pensively.  "I suppose 
it might be, but the warren protects us - as well as those we rob, so we owe 
them that tithe." 

     Tara blinked.  "The warren protects pirates?"  Even as she spoke the 
words, she realized that it made a certain perverse sense.  The warren 
protected all landbound - or mariners - regardless of their political 
orientation.  If a pirate vessel was menaced by wraiths, the dragonriders 
would fight to defend it as quickly as any other vessel.  But still, it 
seemed very strange.

     "All right....I think I understand....sort of.  But do you mean, then, 
that all the...pirates...tithe to the warren?"

     Dolfis smiled.  "Not that I'm aware of.  Most of the independent sea 
captains, do." 
He lifted his glass in a silent toast.  "I may be a pirate, ma'am, but I am 
not so lost to honor as to forget what we all owe the warrens. Other pirates 
may not."  He shrugged. "I'm not other pirates." 

     Tara hesitantly reached forward and peered into the bag that Dolfis had 
brought in.  It was a diverse mixture...exotic spices, some foodstuffs that 
she recognized as exotic delicacies, and others that she didn't recognize at 
all...not to mention some gold coins!

     "We've three chestsfull like this," Dolfis told her.
 
     "Amazing," she said, shaking her head again.  Well, if he was *bringing* 
things in, it suggested that he didn't intend to try staging a raid to *take* 
anything - or anyone - while he was here.  Still, the idea of a pirate 
sitting across from her was disconcerting, to say the least.  "Well....thank 
you, Captain Dolfis," she said.  "So, now that you've left your tithe, do you 
and your...ah, crew...plan to stay for dinner?"  He seemed nice enough, but 
still...  She had no idea of what the protocol was for dealing with pirates.

     "That's most gracious of you, ma'am," he said, bowing.

     Tara had to admit that Dolfis was not at all what she would have 
expected of a pirate.  Of course, she'd never actually *met* a pirate, her 
only experience with that sort being what she'd read in books.    But all the 
pirates she'd read about seemed to have wooden legs, eye-patches, and walked 
about with parrots on their shoulders...not to mention prefacing every 
statement with a gutteral-sounding "Arrrr."  That didn't at all describe the 
man sitting across the desk from her.

     "Actually," said Dolfis, "I do have a favor to beg of you, if I may?" 

     "What sort of favor?" she asked warily.

     "My ship was damaged in the storm," he told her.  "I need supplies and 
help to repair it."  He waited for her answer, apparently completely at ease 
in her office.
 
     Tara was so surprised by his request that she couldn't answer for a 
moment.  Protecting pirates from wraiths was one thing, but this 
request....she thought furiously for a moment.  "Captain, I must think on 
this for awhile.  The warren performs specific duties with regard to the 
landbound, such as protection from wraiths and wild dragons.  We also help 
out as needed, and as possible...as when we assisted the landbound during the 
hurricane.  Your case, however, is...difficult."

      He inclined his head in a seated bow. "Of course.  Is there anything I 
could do that would..." he flailed one hand, grasping for the words he 
sought, "lessen your difficulties?" 

     "Captain, I will think on the matter and give you my decision tomorrow," 
she said.

     He rose smoothly to his feet.  "Thank you, Warrenlady.  Where shall we 
put the tithes?"
 
     "Have the tithes placed on the green, Captain," she said.  "I'll have 
them moved from there."

     He bowed again and left.

     Tara sighed.  *Varaenna, tell Doshayne to pass a message along to her 
rider.  Tell her that I'd like that man watched, and his ship as well.*   

     [I just told Doshy.  She said she's passed the message along to her 
rider.]

     *Good.  Now, I'd like you to speak to Loki and Syngnath.  I'd like to 
see their riders in my office right away.*  Before she could make any sort of 
decision here, she needed to know as much as possible about Dolfis...and if 
anyone at Jasra had ever heard of this pirate, it was likely to be one of 
those two.

     Moments later, both Gus and Corwin arrived.  They both looked as though 
they'd rushed directly over from training.  "Thank you both for coming," she 
said.  "I have a problem, which one or both of you might be able to help me 
solve."

     "What's that?" Gus asked.

     "A vessel arrived offshore awhile ago," Tara told them.  "I've just 
spoken to her captain.  He says his vessel was damaged in the hurricane, and 
asks that the warren help him to make repairs so he can be on his way."

     "Seems reasonable," Corwin ventured.  "Next to Cabral, this is the most 
likely place for a damaged ship to put in.  You *will* help him, won't you?"

     "It's not that simple," Tara told them.  "The decision I have to make is 
whether or not to extend aid to a pirate vessel.  Have either of you ever 
heard of Dolfis Seathief?  And if so, what can you tell me about him?"

(Tag Arlene/Kate)

(NRPG: Thanks to Kate for her help in writing Dolfis in this post!)

Submitted by:

John

Warrenlady Tara & Varaenna
Jasra Warren

Trevor & Trissana, Cleft Warren
T'rell & Flerrion, Daere Warren
Martyn & Havelok, Marrid Warren