"Anyone you'd like to have come along?"

His question nearly stopped her in her tracks, but she recovered quickly.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. I think it would do both Ojean and Darlea a lot
of good if they can learn where some of the pockets of magic are located.
They would need to know if they're to take messages around for this warren on 
official duty.  Me as well," she admitted. 

"That's a good idea," he conceded grudgingly. "I'll have Hesperus round them
up, too."

Once they had all convened, Ed'wen set about directing the next phase of the
search.

"We'll be venturing farther afield with this search." Ed'wen took out his
map again.  It was now covered with Xs to show which areas had already been
explored. "I'm hopeful that since there are more of us now, we'll have more
success. Gillem and R'wlan, you two start in this area here.  Darlea, you go
with them.  L'mak and B'rdzil, you'll cover this region and take Ojean with
you.  Shawnee and I," he struggled not to grimace, "will head toward the
edges of the wastes. Hopefully, the queenrider will be found before
nightfall."  

Ed'wen felt Shawnee's eyes boring into him. He turned toward her, quirking
his brows in a challenging manner. "Did you have anything to add?"

"Just this..... if any of you happen to find her before we do," she turned
to look at each of the men and women riders standing there before them.
"Have your dragon get word to  either Doshy or Hesperus before you approach
the Queen and her rider. One of us will make the first contact with her in
the name of this Warren."

She saw the others nod. They seem to take her giving orders as part of the
every day running around Jasra, but there were one or two of the older
riders who she saw glance quickly at Ed'wen before nodding in agreement.
Well for now that couldn't be helped.

"One more thing before we all leave," she spoke up quickly. "I have an
announcement to make."

"Shawnee we really don't have the time," Ed'wen frowned impatiently as he
turned to her.

"One minute won't make that big of a difference," she responded quickly and
again wondered what had been going around in her head when she had made him
her offer. 

She turned back towards the riders now. "As of ten minutes ago I appointed
Ed'wen as Wingsecond to this Wing...." There were cheers as the news made
it's way among the crowd. "I'm sure you'll all give him the same respect and
acceptance for his new rank as you would give anyone in the same
position..... If not then you'll have to deal with Doshayne and me!
Understood!!"

"UNDERSTOOD!!" came the cry from the crowd. 

"Good now lets get this show on the road," she grinned back at them then
turned to face Ed'wen, showing those riders assembled that he had her full
support. "Your first order Second?"

He frowned, but she thought she could detect a slight feeling of surprise
and pleasure from her little show. "Mount up and let's find the Queenrider!"

"You didn't have to do that," he muttered as the two of them turned back to
mount their own dragons. "They would have found out soon enough."

"No I didn't," she commented as she easily swung up into the saddle. "But I
wanted your new position understood as soon as possible. Save worries later on."

........... 

They had just arrived at their third location when Doshy informed her that
she was receiving a faint message from Teewith. 

<<He says that they have found the Queen and her rider and that they are
keeping a watch on them until we can get there.>> the teal told her and gave
the picture of the where to her rider.

Shawnee turned to inform Ed'wen, but noticed by the look on his face that he
already knew.

<<Teewith has told Hesperus also since his rider is now your partner.>>
Doshy commented as if it was a done deal. <<Hesperus has given the picture
of where we are to go to the others and asks if you are ready to go?>>

She might once have been upset that he was taking charge without asking her,
but she did put him in charge of this operation and had made it known to the
others that she was backing him up. So she nodded her head, keeping her
pique in check and they all lifted off in the next second.

When they arrived, it was only the two of them who landed next to the Queen
and her rider. The others she noticed were there but had landed three
dragons lengths behind them.

Ed'wen she noticed had dismounted and stood there next to Hesperus, then she
noticed the slight frown on his face as if he seemed to be waiting on her to
make the first move.

Quickly she dismounted from the Teal and walked quickly up to the angry
looking woman waiting with her hands on her hips for them. A quick look
around took in the backpack and the two bottles of wine near by. One
appeared to be empty and the other nearly so.

"My lady..." Shawnee started out, not letting her disgust at the scene show.
"It seems we arrived just in time to escort you to your new home. I am
Shawnee, Doshayne's rider and Wingleader of Jasra. This is Ed'wen,
Hesperus's rider and my second. We are happy to have found you alive and...
whole in this place..... If you will mount your Queen then we can be on our
way back to Jasra and a clean bed."
  
(A bath and to sleep if off) she didn't add but wanted too. 

The woman was drunk. It didn't take the sight of her swaying on her feet to
let them all see that, but the smell of the wine fumes as the woman turned
her angry eyes on the Shawnee added to the fact.

"I'll go when I'm good and ready!" the Queenrider informed them almost as a
dare to her position. 

"We'll go now," Shawnee's voice was firm. <<Doshy ask Hesperus who is best
at tracking. Have him ask his dragon to keep a tight lock on the Queens mind
in case her rider tries anything.>>

"My Lady the Warrenlady had been very worried since your escort arrived in
Jasra without you. Tara will be relieved that we have found you and are
bring you back safely with us."

"I told you..... I am NOT ready to go back there yet," the woman repeated as
if Shawnee was a simpleton. "That prison will be waiting for me, but I want
to have fun first before I'm stuck there for good."

An idea was forming in her mind. The new riders... Ghost and Mc'key... they
had come from Geode where this Queenrider was last stationed. Maybe a brief
talk with them would enlighten Shawnee on the best way to deal with this
problem.

It might have been nice had she thought about it earlier and included them
along on the trip.

<<Doshy... can you reach the new dragons... Kikeane or Vasleth?>>

<No my rider,> the teal apologized a few seconds later. <The magic in this
area must be blocking my send.>

<<That's okay my beauty... We'll just have to go to them then. Has
Hesperus's rider told you who the best tracker is yet?>>

<Himself,> came the amused reply.

<<Well ask him to pick someone else. I need him to go back to Jasra with me
to talk with Ghost and Key.>>

<My rider he says that..... She should find someone else to talk to them
with her while I do what needs to be done here.  The success of this mission
is the most important thing now.>

Shawnee had to work hard to keep what she was feeling from showing. Why did
he have to fight her every damn time!?!

<<Please have Hesperus inform his rider that it's his council in the matter
that I need right now and that if he can't trust one of our riders to the
simple task of keeping an eye on the queenrider for a short time instead of
fighting me at every turn then fine he can..... No don't add that last
part..... Just tell him that I would prefer to have him with me when I talk
to Ghost and Key for his insight and knowledge.>>

Still not sure he agreed with Shawnee's decision, Ed'wen reluctantly
acquiesced to her request.  

<He wants to know if R'wlan and Glier will do?> Doshy asked after a brief
talk with Hesperus.

Shawnee grinned, asking Doshy to fill Glier in on what she wanted his rider
to do. Ed'wen couldn't have picked a better pair. For not only was R'wlan a
good rider with a level head on his shoulders... the man was sneaky as well
as very good looking. He'd be the perfect choice to throw the half-lit
Queenrider off track for the short time it would take to find out more about
her.

<<Tell him they would be perfect... Here's what I want them to do...>> she
had just finished outlining her idea when Glier moved up to join them. They
waited as his rider dismounted and came up to stand next to them. 

"If you'll excuse the interruption Wingleader..." R'wlan started in an
apologetic tone. "But Glier has been telling us what's been going on and I
was thinking that there really wasn't any harm in the Queenrider staying out
here for a little while longer..... I mean after all she'll soon be in Jasra
and you can't tell me that with all the work she'll soon have to be doing
that a little fun before hand would hurt all that much."

"A little fun?" Shawnee turned to the man as if he was crazy. "She's a
Queenrider R'wlan."

"Oh I know that Ma'am," he was quick to assure her. "But if me and some of
the other boys say... stay with her <he cast a quick wink at the Queenrider
in a flirtatious manor as if bring her into the joke.> We could make sure
nothing happens to her and..."

"And have a little free time to have some fun yourself?" Shawnee's left
eyebrow lifted to let him know she was on to him. She injected just enough
scorn into her tone to make the Queenrider think she was about to veto the
idea, but saw the girl move closer to R'wlan and thought her plan just might
work.

"All for the good of the Warren Ma'am." He grinned impishly, with the charm
he was known for. "I'd make sure she was safe... and she'd be better for the
time... Maybe we could call it a chance to tour the Lands. Wouldn't it be
better if she knew something about the area before she has to deal with all
that goes with it? Why we could be her tour guides and show her the area
real good."

"Sounds good to me," the girl in question slurred.

"Well..." Shawnee hesitated slightly, then, "Okay... seems it's the only
choice I have at the moment... But! You are to stay with her at all times
and if you lose her you'll be pulling the night patrol in the upper plains
for the next month. Agreed?"

.........

"Doshy says we'll find the pair in the dining hall," Shawnee told Ed'wen
when the two of them had arrived back in Jasra Warren. 

She had the dragons land near by and then waited for Ed'wen to join her
before the two of them made their way inside.

Ghost was just as Doshy had described her from the description she had
received from the pink dragon. Her raven black hair stood out in the sea of
sun bleached streaked hair of the regular riders.

She took in the tall blonde headed man with the girl as they made their way
towards them and wondered just what it was that had brought the pair here
from Geode. The remembered that Tara had vouched for them and let the
thought drift from her mind. 

"Good evening," she greeted them when they had come to stand by their table.
After making the proper introductions she said, "I hope you don't mind but
we really need to talk to you both."

"How can we be of help Wingleader?" Mc'key asked, taking his mates hand in
his as he face the two of them.

"You can start by telling us everything you know about a Queenrider named
Inagua and her Queen Myacura?" Shawnee asked and didn't miss the look of
pure dislike that came over the girl's face.

"Pure trouble!" Ghost said quickly.

"Ghost....." Mc'key started but his mate turned angrily to face him.

"Don't you *now Ghost* me Key!" she sputtered. "You know darn well that
drunken bitch is nothing but trouble. Always has been and always will be!"

Shawnee looked on in amazement, but thought she was getting the true sense
of the girl's feelings.

"She tried to kill Phaedra if you remember correctly, and would have if...!"

"Stop it Ghost!" Mc'key's tone was as firm as the grasp he used to squeeze
her hand.

Surprisingly enough she stopped.

When he was sure she would keep quiet he turned back to Shawnee and Ed'wen. 

"I guess you could say we know her and that my mate here doesn't think very
highly about her."

"That's putting it mildly," Ghost muttered, but a quelling look from Key
stopped her again. She sat there blistering in anger but kept quiet.

"So what can you tell us about her?" Ed'wen asked the man already figuring
out the woman's feelings. 

"Can I ask first why you both want to know?" Key asked, already suspecting
the worst and hoping against all odds that his suspicions wouldn't pan out.

"The Queenrider is being transferred to Jasra and there was a slight mishaps
in her getting here," Shawnee quipped and couldn't help but notice the
girl's groan.

"Damn... and I was just beginning to like it here..." Ghost muttered.

Key patted his mate's hand. "It'll be okay Ghost... You'll see."

"How can it be Key... With *her* here....."

"Why don't you tell us who don't know what you're talking about and then we
can all be in on it," Ed'wen asked frowning. 

"Yes... I'd like to know what you meant by she tried to -kill- Phaedra?"
Shawnee asked, knowing the woman had been the Warrenlady of Geode Warren
until just recently. 

Then the two of them, herself and Ed'wen sat back to listen to the two
lately of Geode inform them of what they were in for.

<<<Tag Peter..... How's Mc'key feel about Iggie coming to Jasra????>>>

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

Shawnee & Doshayne, Wingleader
Ghost & Kikeane
Jasra Warren 

Aka
Barbara