Ok, this post is looong overdue, so I'm not sure how long it's going to 
end up being.
 
 RPG:
 
 *the night that the queen egg is discovered* 

  Hedda angerly paced the floor of her apartment.  Why couldn't she get 
rid of these dreams?  Here it was, three in the morning, and she was wide 
awake.  She walked out to the dragons chambers.  <What, come to wake me 
up since you can't sleep?>  Lannith sent

 *No.  Nothing like that.  I was just checking to see if you had awakened.*

 <With those strong emotions running through your head?  Of course I did, 
silly human that I love.>

 Hedda couldn't help but laugh at that.  The anger was still there, but 
it had lessened some.  Hedda walked into the main chamber of her 
apartment, opened a cabnet, and poured herself a little drink.  She 
downed it quickly, feeling it hit almost immediately.  She went back into 
her bedchamber and laid down again.  *Good night, love*

 <Sleep well, my human>

 Hedda grinned slightly as she drifted into the deep black waters of sleep.

***********  

 The two months passed slowly for Hedda.  She kept herself busy enough, 
drilling both with the rest of Gamma wing, and with her flight alone.  
Almiron was a great flight second, and, even though some in the wing and 
flight resented her decision, she was glad she had made it.  

 (NRPG:  I'm not going to go into detail with this...)

 She was almost glad for the break in the monotony when Lannith flew.  A 
large midnight blue dragon, Jorand, from Beta wing won her.  Hedda and 
Jorand's rider, Taarin, spent a passionate night together, but both knew 
that was all it would amount to.  Nothing more would come of that night.  

 The dreams still bothered Hedda, and some could see a problem, but no 
one asked.  She was still performing her duties well, so the lack of 
sleep seemed not to pose a problem in that way, but she was looking 
slightly pale and haggard.  

 Even so, two months passed.

**********

 The Hatching was still a wonder.  Hedda had attended many before this 
one, and each one had seemed as much a wonder as the others.  The cheers 
as dragons joined with humans, the dragons trumpeting, and the general 
sense of merriment made each hatching a new and wonderous occasion, no 
matter how many had come before.

 The day after the Hatching, bad news reached Hedda.  V'rdeen had been 
harrasing females around the Warren.  This was the sort of thing that 
could undermine a wing, or a whole Warren, especially if it was not dealt 
with.  Hedda was confident, however, that now that this was known, it 
would be dealt with swiftly.  

*********

 <Hedda!  Wraiths are attacking Marrid Warren!  They've asked for our help!>

 Hedda jumped out of the chair she had been reading in, got her flight 
gear, and was getting into it as she moved toward Lannith's sleeping 
chamber, not realizing she was speaking aloud.  "Call the flight.  Have 
them on the green ready to go."

 <I already did.  Some are down on the green already.>

 The two were on the green mere minutes after Lannith told Hedda about 
the call.  The rest of the flight was down shortly after, as well as most 
of the rest of the wing.  The wing took off then.

 After the teleport, Hedda surveyed the scene.  Wraiths were everywhere!  
The wing flew a couple of passes, then Wynn ordered Hedda to have her 
flight break off.  

 Lannith relayed the command to the rest of her flight, then checked on 
her second.  Almiron and Darshan were doing all right.  The flight drove 
straight through a clump of wraiths that were in between them and their 
objective.  However, none of the dragons were performing as well as they 
had in drills, because of all the injuries and deaths. Lannith spoke up 
then.  <There is another dragon here.  Coordinating the wraiths.>

 Hedda thought back... it couldn't be, could it?  The guy who had 
attacked Michal many months ago?  Malk, had that been his name? 

 <Yes, and his dragon is Yenel.  He want to destroy the Warren>

 Lannith continued to flame wraiths in her path, occasionally diving to 
catch a stray or two.  The tide of the battle was turning, with Gamma and 
Alpha wings from Keldarra, and the additional wing from another warren.

 <There is a Queen here.  One of ours.>

 "What???"  Hedda yelled aloud.

 <One of our Queen dragons is here.  The new one.>

 Hedda shook her head, keeping her eyes open for wraiths all the time.  
That poor girl was going to get quite a talking to from Christalla and 
Evelle.  

 Lannith continued giving updates as the death and injury toll rose.  
Hedda took a minor singeing as a dragon from the other warren flew too close 
and flamed a wraith to her right.  Lannith dove before the dragon could 
hit either Hedda or herself.  

 Lannith then sent to Hedda <The Queen is safely back at Keldarra.>

 Hedda said to Lannith, a determined look on her face,  *Relay to the 
rest of the flight.  Let's finish this.*

 Respectfully submitted,
 Hedda and Lannith,
 Keldarra Warren

 NRPG:  I think that's one of my longest yet!  <G>  Hedda is finally 
caught up, and in the thick of things again.  

 Oh, and BTW, Hedda's last comment is not meant as a comment to any of 
the writers...  I'm enjoying reading these Marrid combat posts very 
much... she's just trying to get her flight to perk up a little in the 
midst of all the death.  Keep 'em coming, guys!  <G>