Wynn stepped towards Roland, the anger burning in him, 
and then saw the pinprick of blood on his love's throat as Roland 
warned him off.

	"We are going to get on my dragon and disappear from 
here.  You will leave us alone.  Maybe, just maybe, after I tire of 
her pleasures..." Again Rolad empahsized his words with a 
squeeze to her breast...."I might return her to you.  A little worse for 
wear, but then again, I will use her for what women are meant for.  
Lowly slaves to us men, pleasing us in every way.

	"Now back off, or she will die."

	Evelle stood motionless with Roland's arm around her neck.  
She could feel the pressure of steel against her throat.  Anguished-
filled eyes implored Wynn to save her as she cringed from the 
touch of Roland's hand on her breast.  Tears spilled over as she 
felt the intensity of Alicynth's distress and heard her dragon's roar 
of rage.

	Wynn was seething with anger.  Evelle knew that her lover 
was thinking furiously of a way he could rescue her without Roland 
slitting her throat or throwing her off the ledge.  She, too, was 
desperately trying to come up with a plan.

	If she bit his hand, hard, would that make him drop the 
knife?  It was chancy, but if nothing better occured to her, she'd 
have to take the risk.

	Roland delayed having Talthalar take them away.  He 
seemed to take perverse pleasure in taunting Wynn by using his 
free hand to explore Evelle's body.  It was that arrogance which 
would prove to be the warrenless rider's undoing.

	Alicynth appeared in the sky near the narrow ledge.  Fire 
spewed from her throat and lit up the night sky.

	*Evelle!  If you can get just a little away from him, I will flame 
him.  I ~want~ to flame him!*

	*No no, Ali.  If you flame him, Talthalar will die.  You can't do 
that.*

	*I don't care.  I will pay the price, Evelle.  For you.*

	Before the thought was even finished, the air started to 
reverberate with sound.  It began as only a small rumble but grew 
progressively louder and more ominous.  Three humans looked up, 
confused.  It was not the roar of dragons, nor was it the clap of 
thunder.  And then, the ground began to shake and the rock that 
formed caves and ledge started to tremble and split.

	Roland staggered as a piece of falling rock hit his shoulder 
and the knife tumbled from his grasp.  He screamed out curses as 
behind him, the walls split and he fell back.  He was still spitting out 
epithets as pieces of fallen rock first covered, then buried him.  
Talthalar roared out his anguish.

	Crying and trembling, Evelle reached for Wynn.  As 
outstretched fingertips touched, a fissure opened up just beneath 
her and Evelle began a plunge into oblivion.  In desperation, her 
hands grabbed onto the edge of the chasm that had just been 
formed.  White-knuckled fingers strugged to hold their death grip.  
It would be only moments before they would slip.

	"Wynn!" she cried out, then closed her eyes as she felt the 
two strong hands of her mate grip her wrists.

Evelle
Queenrider of Alicynth
WarrenLady of Keldarra