<Scene> The Green at Keldarra

	The dark copper dragon and the coal black one landed 
smoothly in the middle of the Green to a cacophony of dragons 
trumpeting in joy and relief.

	"Evelle!" Christalla cried out as Alicynth landed and the 
WarrenLady swung herself down onto the grass.

	"Oh, thank God!"  Christalla ran across the Green and 
crushed the girl in a relieved embrace.

	"I'm all right, Evelle insisted, a bit breathless.

	"I believe you, Christalla replied.  "Welcome home!"

	"Home never looked quite this wonderful.  How is the baby?"

	Together they walked quickly back to where Christalla had 
lain her baby daughter in the grass.  The tiny girl was being 
watched carefully by the gathered warrenfolk.

	"Oh, she is just exquisite."

	Evelle bent down and picked up the infant she had helped 
into the world and cuddled her for a few moments before returning 
her to the arms of her mother.

	"What happened out there?" the DragonLady asked.

	Evelle explained her capture and torture at the hand of 
Roland and how, with Nature's help, they had managed to escape.  
A shudder rippled through her body as she described Roland's 
threats and what he had almost succeeded in doing to her.  Wynn's 
arm, draped around her shoulder, tightened protectively.  His dark 
eyes burned with the desire to protect his beloved mate from harm.

	"Then you don't know if Roland was killed by the collapse of 
the cave?" Christalla questioned.

	"No, I'm afraid not," Wynn replied bitterly.  "It's hard to see 
how he could have survived it, but when we left, his dragon had not 
teleported.  What happened after, we just don't know."

	"If he didn't die," Evelle continued, her tone conveying the 
seriousness of her words, "he's still a danger to us.  He's beyond 
reason now.  "You're a target, too, Christalla.  What he wants is to 
make both of us his playthings, take over Keldarra, and establish a 
new order.  You can guess what it would be."

	"Oh, yes.  The men in charge, the women as concubines, 
and Roland as the Dragon....Lord?"

	Christalla's eyes had hardened while Evelle related her 
story.  Mista, wriggled in her mother's arms, clearly uncomfortable 
as she sensed Christalla's anger, but the baby made no sound at 
all.  Tiny fingers reach up and grabbed a handful of her mother's 
hair, then yanked.

	"Ouch!"  Christalla smiled and disentangled Mista's fingers, 
stopping to give them a kiss before she continued.   "We'll have to 
stay alert," the DragonLady suggested as she rocked and stroked 
her daughter back to comfort.

	Evelle nodded her assent.  "I'll ask D'glis to keep his ears 
open for news while he makes his rounds of the cities."

	"Evelle needs to get some food and some rest," Wynn 
interrupted.  "Tomorrow will be soon enough to continue this."

	"You're right, of course, Wynn."  Christalla was contrite.  "I'll 
leave her to your tender loving care, and we'll talk more tomorrow."

	She watched as Alicynth and Malekith flew the lovers to 
their apartment.

	"Your arrival interrupted them the last time they were 
together," she whispered fondly to Mista.  "We must make sure no 
one disturbs them tonight."

<Scene> Wynn and Evelle's Apartment

	"Go relax in a nice bath, love," Wynn suggested, "while I fix 
us a nice hot meal."

	"Oh!  Would you make that wonderful stew that you brought 
down to Lake Sharrell that first evening we were together?"

	They stood smiling at each other for a moment, wrapped in 
remembrance of how he'd aroused her passion in the lake that first 
time and of his amazement that she wanted him so.

	"If that's what you want, of course, my Princess."

	A short time later, Evelle emerged into their front room, 
dressed only in a light robe, to find the requested stew simmering.  
The tempting aroma permeating the room made Evelle realize that 
she was indeed famished.  Wynn disappeared briefly for a quick 
cleanup of his own.  Upon his return, Evelle rose to serve the stew, 
but Wynn stopped her.

	"Tonight, I serve you," he insisted.  "Just sit and let me look 
at you."

	They ate in silence for a while, needing no conversation to 
disrupt the pleasure of just being together in a time of quiet peace.  
Ali and Malekith had eaten already and were cuddling happily in 
their anteroom; it was their first time together without worry about 
their riders since Wynn's imprisonment at the hands of Feldrik.  
Hungrily, the humans each finished a healthy portion of the stew, 
but when Wynn asked if she'd like another serving, Evelle shook 
her head.

	"No, thanks, not just yet.  Please, Wynn, I need to be close 
to you.  Would you make love to me now?"

	Wynn was out of his chair in a moment.  He picked Evelle 
up and carried her into the bedroom, laying her tenderly on their 
bed.

	"I've wanted to make love to you since we got back," he told 
her fervently.  "I just didn't want to rush you after.....  Roland.... He 
didn't?......"

	"No, he didn't," she assured her mate.  "But he soon would 
have if you hadn't..."  

	She broke it off, her voice quivering.  Wynn kissed her lips, 
and Evelle's mouth opened to him, wanting to taste him.  Then his 
lips touched the not yet healed cut on her throat where Roland's 
knife had drawn her blood.

	At first, he was very gentle, merely stroking her body with 
the tender touch of love.  His fingertips brushed her breast and felt 
the nipple harden instantly for him.  Eager lips replaced the hand 
that moved on and became more demanding in response to his 
lover's rising need.

	Her legs parted under his touch and he began to kiss every 
inch of her writhing body while mutual moans of pleasure grew 
louder and more frequent.  Wynn stopped for a moment to look into 
the eyes of his mate, burning with desire and pleading for 
fulfillment.  He cried out as Evelle's legs wrapped around him and 
he felt her hips thrusting against him offering their invitation.

	"Please," she begged, guiding him to her very center, 
needing desperately to have him fill her.  "Oh please, my darling 
Knight."

	Wynn could think only of how close he had come to losing 
her.  Aflame with relief, coupled with the urgent demand of the 
grinding hips beneath him, he thrust himself deep within her, 
aroused even more by Evelle's cry of desire.  Feverishly she 
matched her rhythm to Wynn's with the need to reconfirm her love 
for him and to erase the touch of the other from her mind forever.

	There was no playful teasing this first time.  Wynn matched 
the force of Evelle's need with his own powerful thrust until they 
climbed the peak and together went over its edge.  As they lay 
together afterwards, he could feel her gentle contractions still 
holding him tightly with her.

	"Thank you," she whispered.  "I love you so very much, 
Wynn darling."

	The tears that rolled down her cheeks were the result of the 
intensity of the release he had given her.  Wynn lay still, his body 
continuing to cover Evelle's, in awe again, as he was each time 
they joined, at how much this woman gave him.

	"I will love you and no other until my dying day," was the 
oath he spoke when he once again could speak at all.

	"Even though I am shamefully lazy?"

	Her teasing words with the hint of a laugh behind them 
assured Wynn that she really was all right.  He let the laughter of 
relief spill out.

	"Of course.  If you weren't, I wouldn't get to think up all those 
wonderful wake-up calls."

	"Mmmm, well my intentions toward you tonight are far from 
honorable, love," Evelle giggled.  "Do you need some more food to 
stoke the engines before I ravage you again?"

<NRPG>  Chris, feel free to expand on a theme here if the mood 
should strike you.  <G>

<RPG>  The Following Day

	Evelle spent most of the next day in her office.  Her courier, 
D'glis, was able to fill her in on the events of the last several days.  
The sheer number of them was highly unusual.  The blessing of 
Aleta's recovery, the return of M'ressan, the arrival, disappearance, 
and return of the strange young girl named Ceth with Kyven's son, 
Keev, the arrival of the even stranger Mearn, and the tangled lives 
of Almiron, Darlea, and Salinda... all these D'glis imparted to the 
WarrenLady.

	There was also the idea of a still present assassin to deal 
with.  Who had killed the guards and helped Roland make his 
escape?  No one seemed to have any information, or even 
speculation on this.  The matter was an important one, to Evelle's 
way of thinking, and she meant to discuss it with Christalla as soon 
as possible.

	The Almiron, Darlea, Salinda situation disturbed the young 
WarrenLady as well.  It seemed strange, perhaps even wrong, for 
Almiron and Salinda to become mates when they didn't love each 
other and she and Wynn did, as Evelle's parents did.  There was 
no reason a baby couldn't be properly parented by its mother and 
father with the two being mated.  The landborne, she knew, felt 
differently about such things, but it was difficult, nevertheless, for 
Evelle to comprehend.  Perhaps she should talk with one of more 
of them.  No, not unless she was asked.  It was a private matter 
and, unless it interfered with the smooth running of the warren, 
none of her business.  Darlea and Salinda certainly knew Evelle 
would be happy to talk to them if they needed her.  Almiron was 
still very much a stranger to her.

	Al'dairan's funeral service took place early that evening.  
Saying a final good-bye to one of their own was always hard, 
though the service itself was moving.  Evelle and Wynn paid their 
respects, then allowed the family to mourn privately while they 
spent sometime with Kalera and V'redan.  Evelle's parents had 
been frantic first during Wynn's capture, almost immediately 
followed by her own.  They hugged both and repeatedly thanked 
Wynn for bringing Evelle home safely.

	"You are Evelle's mate and lover, and you make her very 
happy, Wynn.  But you are also truly a son to us."

	Again Wynn marveled at his good fortune at becoming part 
of this loving family.

	It was the next morning when Kaeryth roared her challenge.  
In her office, Evelle smiled.  It meant that soon there would be a 
new clutch of dragonets sired by Alanth, out of the Empress.  After 
all the horror of the past few months, it would be nice to have 
something to celebrate.  But she froze at Alicynth's voice in her 
mind.

	*Evelle!  Malekith won.  Malekith won the Empress!*

	Malekith?  That was impossible.  Evelle knew it was a 
certainty that Wynn's dragon would one day win another dragon, 
but it was ~always~ Alanth that won Kaeryth.  Her thoughts 
touched on her lover and mate.

	*You are all right, Evelle?*

	*Of course, sweet girl.  It is a mating flight.  Wynn and 
Christalla will come together now, but it'll be fine.  Wynn loves me 
and Christalla loves M'ressan.  Only if it changed his feelings 
towards me would it make a difference.  Then, I would have to 
leave Keldarra*

	*And I would go with you, my rider.  But this will not happen.  
Malekith's rider is your mate and he loves you.  For me, I do not 
mind, you know.  Malekith will make more fine sons and daughters 
with Kaeryth, but he will come home to me to cuddle and play*

	*That he will, Ali.  I love you, my beautiful queen*

	*I love you, my rider.  Besides, I take much better to 
motherhood than my mother.  The Empress fusses and frets, when 
it is such a simple matter to produce the hatchlings*.

	Evelle laughed at the pride her copper darling was 
conveying.  Alicynth would take a back seat to no one, not even the 
Empress.

	Their mental conversation was interrupted by the arrival of 
S'brogh.  He came through the door asking the same question Ali 
had posed.

	"Are you all right, Evelle?  I know this is the first time Wynn 
has been with anyone but you."

	The WarrenLady hugged her brother, grateful that he was 
concerned enough to check on her, and assured him, as she had 
assured Ali, that she was fine.

	"Mama and Daddy set us a good example, S'brogh."

	He acknowledged the truth of her words with a nod.  Their 
parents had had many different sexual partners over the years as a 
result of mating flights.  Not once had it caused a problem between 
them, and they loved each other as truly and as passionately as 
when they had first met and mated.

	"Still, I'm glad to have you here with me.  You're a good 
brother, S'brogh."  She stopped and thought a moment.  "Be a 
good one to Wynn, too, please.  I think he may have a harder time 
with this than I do.  I'm sure I'll be able to make it all right for him, 
but please be there for him if he needs to talk it out."

	"You don't even have to ask," S'brogh assured her.  "Of 
course I will.  It'll be fine, Sis."

	  He kissed her lightly on the forehead and Evelle's smile for 
her brother was filled with affection.

	"So, if you're going to sit this one out with me, fill me in on 
what you've been doing?  Any new loves in your own life, dear?"

	Absorbed in conversation, brother and sister remained 
unaware of the second challenge and chase to occur that day.  
Only later would they learn that Zareth had won the green 
Makayla.

Evelle
Queenrider of Alicynth
WarrenLady of Keldarra