Time: After Beta Wing returns from Battle

	Christalla met the returning Wing on the Warren Green to 
congratulate them.  There had been a lot of wounded, but it was a 
victory, and she wanted to give them some support.  Usually there was a 
celebration after a victory over wraiths, but all the Dragons were 
greiving, and it was impossible to force a festive mood.  Christalla 
merely congratulated everyone and let them go comfort their Dragons.  

	But seeing M'ressan wrenched her heart.  His face was grey and 
strained, his green eyes seeming almost luminescent against bloodshot 
red.  He looked almost undead.  

	She took him by the arm and led him away from the group.  "What's 
wrong, dear?" she whispered.

	M'ressan shook his head, looking haunted.  Christalla was alarmed,
but held herself.  < Kaeryth, would you take the two of us to the
apartment?>  she asked sweetly.  < I think Alanth's had enough for one day.> 

	< I'd like to be with Alanth,>  Kaeryth replied, < but I'll fly you 
home first if I have to.> 

	M'ressan mounted Kaeryth mechanically, and they flew up to their
apartment.  Kaeryth left them there to keen with Alanth alone.

	Gradually M'ressan began to pour himself out to Christalla... the
sound of hundreds of Dragons, keening death in his mind... the agony of
having to stay there in battle, feeling the hurt of 4 Warrens worth of
Dragons. It had nearly driven David insane, and M'ressan himself had
almost been crushed. 

	Christalla simply held him, and let his tears fall when they 
finally did, and not once did she flinch at the mention of telepathy.

**********
Time: Second day after the Battle, Council Day

	M'ressan woke up to the sounds of violent rustling and muffled
breathing.  He rolled to consciousness to find his mate standing in front
of the mirror, trying to fasten her blue blue formal gown.  Tears were
rolling down her face. 

	"Christalla, dear?"  He forced himself out of bed and nearly
tripped and fell on the cast-off formalwear that lay all over the floor. 

	She turned to him, her face flushed and filled with dispair and
frustration.  "Nothing fits!"  

	M'ressan hurried to her and tried to pull her into his arms, but
she pushed him away violently.  "Don't try to comfort me!" she shot.  "I
have to appear in front of the Council today, and here I am-- pregnant!" 
Then she broke down into sobs. 

	He pushed back her guard and hugged her anyway, and eventually 
her crying lessened.  Now was not to ask why, he'd already learned.  He 
just had to accept that this was hard on her and be as supportive as he 
could.  At last, she choked, "What am I going to do?"

	M'ressan stroked her hair.  "Well, first we're going to bathe and
get cleaned up," he said soothingly, "and then we're going to find
something informal you CAN wear and take you down to Aylin to get a few
things altered.  Does that sound OK?"

	Christalla looked up at him.  Her face was a mixture of emotions
he couldn't read, and not all of them pleasant.  A few thoughts were
thrown at him through the contact... he was right, and she resented it. 
"All right.  We'll make it quick.  The Council begins in the morning, and 
we don't have unlimited time."

	M'ressan spent the time she was bathing going through the
formalwear on the floor and finding the dresses that looked the easiest to
let out.  He didn't know all that much about clothing, but he could make
some good guesses.  Then he went through her wardrobe and found a dressing
gown that was cinched at the ribcage and had some room in it.  That 
should do for getting her out of the apartment.

	He was finishing putting away the rest of what she'd cast of 
when she returned, looking cleaner and a bit calmer.  "I laid everything 
out for you, dear," he said.  "Just let me clean up quick and we can 
go."  

	"This?" Christalla exclaimed, pulling out the dressing gown.
"How can I be seen by other Warrenfolk in *this*?"

	"It's just to get you to Aylin," M'ressan assured her.  "No one 
else will see you."  Then he hurried out of the room to take his bath.  
Sometimes being supportive was wearing.

	When he returned, Christalla had indeed dressed in what he'd laid
out, and was finishing with her hair for the Council.  He gathered up the
dresses to be altered and took them with him to Alanth, and Christalla
followed to the Dragons' den.  

	In the aftermath of the battle of Marrid, Alanth and Kaeryth still
harbored sadness, but they were beginning to recover now that the dying
had stopped.  They accepted the caressed of their Humans and rumbled
gently, and even moaned in pleasure at the morning's oiling. 

	They flew down as inconspicuously as possible to Aylin's home, a
building a bit removed from the Warren proper.  It was fairly early
morning, so there were few people about, but Christalla glared at him
every time she saw someone glance in her direction.  M'ressan didn't 
react, forced himself to take it.  She wasn't going to be pregnant 
forever. 

	< She's like Kaeryth,>  Alanth observed, his thoughts tinged with 
amusement.  < Consider yourself lucky.  I have to deal with this twice a 
year.>   M'ressan smiled and patted his Dragon's neck, pleased to see the 
beginnings of the playful Alanth returning.

	< Yes, but I have *nine* months to cope this time,>  he pointed out
ruefully. 

	< You have a point,>  Alanth agreed. 

	Aylin went through the clothes gleefully.  "Oh!  You should have 
come to me before," she pointed out.  "Now you have nothing to wear.  But 
just give me an hour, and I'll have you looking fit for a Council."

	"An *hour*?" Christalla moaned.  "How can I wait an hour?"

	M'ressan patted her arm.  "I'll bring you breakfast here.  
Everything will be fine."

	"All right," she sighed.  "I'll settle here and wait.  I can't 
have my people seeing me like this.  Oh, and M'ressan, there's one more 
thing.  I would like to ask for volunteers to to transfer to Marrid.  Do 
you think you could...?"

	"I'll ask the Dragons," M'ressan agreed.  She hadn't asked him 
for a telepathic favor in a long time.

	M'ressan kissed her in farewell and wandered to the Warren Green,
where he concentrated on a broad-send to the Dragons of Keldarra. 

	< Your work has been valiant, all of you, and the DragonLady hasn't
forgotten.  But Marrid Warren has a long haul ahead of it, and we would
like to offer all the help we can.  We won't require anything more than
you've already given, but if any of you and your Humans would like to
transfer and help Marrid rebuild, I'm certain Warrenlady Waylene will be
forever grateful.  The Dragonlady will be available in her office during
the recess of the Council if anyone would like to offer this help.> 

	M'ressan looked around to find a few Dragon eyes looking at him.  
He nodded to them and headed in to the dining hall to get something to 
eat. 

**********

	Evelle and Waylene greeted the Warrenladies as they arrived from
the other 5 Warrens that midmorning.  Z'lec stood second to Waylene, and
Wynn stood second to Evelle.  M'ressan had expressed his gratitude that
Keldarra finally had a Wingleader who wasn't completely bored by political
maneuverings.  Aleta, M'ressan, and now Carie certainly were.

	Ophelia of Telnor and Jaquel of Norwall arrived in short order
with their seconds, offering carefully worded consolations to Waylene and
Z'lec for their losses.  Two more straggled in later, and Falagand was the
last to arrive.  Christalla still was not there.

	Evelle and Waylene met each other's eyes, not entirely certain 
what to do if the DragonLady could not be found.  

	"We can't wait any longer," Waylene said at last.  "We have to go 
face them."

	"I'll do something to handle it," Evelle said firmly.  "I'm sure 
Christalla will get here when she can."

	The four of them turned and entered the Great Hall together, and 
were met by the questioning eyes of the Council.  Evelle took a deep 
breath and stepped forward.  "The Dragonlady is momentarily occupied at 
the moment," she began, "and I will be mediating in her place until such 
a time as--"

	"That won't be necessary," Christalla said from behind them.  

	Waylene and Evelle turned to see her smiling.  She was
beautiful... dressed in blue, her figure showing off her pregnancy
artfully.  She looked every bit both mother and diplomat. "I'm terribly
sorry for the delay," Christalla raised her voice.  "Some complications 
kept me away for entirely too long.  I think we can begin now."  She 
gestured to Waylene, Evelle, Z'lec, and Wynn, who quickly moved to take 
their seats.  Christalla stood at the base of the U table to give her 
opening speech.

	"All of you know why you've been called here," she began, her 
strong voice filling the huge stone chamber.  "Most of you were there to 
help Marrid in her time of need.  But the wraith attack that devastated 
our smallest Warren has left a huge legacy for us to deal with.

	"Marrid needs our help now as much as when the wraiths first 
came, and her young Queenrider's life was taken.  Now we need to offer 
support, and rebuild.

	"I'm opening up the floor to entertain what support we can offer, 
both in the form of material aid and transferred Dragons. I hope we've 
all come here with the intent of being as generous as possible."  She 
closed her mouth, looked around at the attentive faces, and sat in the 
large, velvet-lined Dragonlady's chair.


Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Rati
Administrator, DragonLands

NRPG: Well, that takes us to the Council.  All of you who are going to be
transferring, you'll certainly need to RP that.  M'ressan sent that
message to ALL Keldarran Dragons, so all the riders should get it.  There
will be at least one recess of the Council, so if you want to, you can 
write your characters seeking out Christalla in her office then.

Bets: Intro A'rillia whenever/however you see fit.