Christalla allowed herself to relax for a minute.  The Hatching 
was ending.  The last joined Humans and dragons were leaving the Hatching 
sands.  The dragon hatchlings were being fed.  The unjoined candidates 
were leaving, disappointed, to wait for the next hatching.  For a moment, 
there was nothing for her to do... at least, she hoped so. 

	<A problem!!> Kaeryth panicked.  <Trendal's rider is being held 
from him!!>

	Christalla was alert instantly.  Kaeryth was ready to panic at 
anything when her babies hatched, but this time it sounded like she had 
some reason to be upset.  The DragonLady took a moment to calm her Empress 
before looking around for the source of the problem.

	She cast her eyes out over the Hatching Cavern and found no 
uhappy dragons.  What could be wrong?  Then she heard a dragonet's keen 
nearby, and turned to look beside her.  She stopped and stared for a 
moment in astonishment.

	Prince Reolden!! 

	Christalla didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  King Jaldor 
Almaren of the Landbound had always been hostile to the fact that the 
warrens were independent of his rule.  The two of them had butted heads 
before, and she had never seen him give any liberty to his poor son 
Reolden.  Now Reolden was, by necessity, one of the Warrenfolk, and 
Christalla expected the relationship between her and the King to take a 
sudden, downhill turn.

	<How could I have missed the aura in him?> Christalla wondered 
as she hefted herslf out of her DragonLady's throne and made her way to 
the ornate seats nearby that were reserved for the King of the Landbound 
and his companions. 

	She stood before red-faced Jaldor and put on her most diplomatic 
smile. "King Jaldor, I see your son has been chosen to be a dragonrider.  
That's quite an honor."

 	"I'm sure it is, but he's not going to be able to take that honor."
 
 	The gall!!  Christalla held her temper in check.  "He must.  A 
dragon and his rider can't be seperated once joined, and these two have 
joined.  It's his destiny." 

	"He's my son," Jaldor countered belligerently.  He's been raised 
all his life to be the future king. That's his destiny!  He can't be the 
king if he's a DragonRider!"
 
	Christalla's eyes narrowed.  "Are you proposing a rejection of the 
contract between Warren and Landbound?" she asked, her voice filled with 
danger.  "The contract has gone unquestioned for generations.  If you 
try to tear a dragonrider from his dragon, what says that we will be 
called to your aide in the next wrait attack?"

	Jaldor reddened visibly at the threat, but he knew it wasn't made 
idly.  The contract between Warren and Landbound was fragile.  Both 
depended on each other, and neither dared challenge the contract for fear 
of falling apart.  Visibly pausing to get control of himself, Jaldor 
said, in very level tones, through almost-clenched teeth, "You're right.  
It's the law.  You haven't heard the last of this, DragonLady."

	He stood up and turned to leave.

	"Perhaps he'll find a way to be king and DragonRider.  Only the 
future will tell," Christalla added as an afterthought.  Jaldor  
acknowledged the comment with a shrug as he left.  His attendants swarmed 
behind him.

	Christalla turned to Prince Reolden, who Jaldor had left 
behind.   Someone had brought him a bucket of meat, and he was busy 
feeding the dark forest-green dragonet.  He hadn't dared say anything 
during the conflict.  The small, childlike DragonLady knelt beside 
the dragonet and smiled at Reolden.  <Not Prince any longer,> she thought 
to herself.  <Whether he could ever be king someday, he's a dragonrider 
now.>

	Reolden looked at her and smiled back shyly.  "His name is 
Trendal," he said.

	"I know," Christalla replied affectinately.  "Congratulations!  I 
know you and Trendal will be very happy here."  She beckoned to a nearby 
dragonrider.  "Al'dairan will show you to the barracks.  I know you'll 
need to sleep.  Hurry, before Trendal starts to fall asleep!"

	Reolden smiled at something the dragon told him and stood up.  He 
and the dragonet followed followed Al'dairan sluggishly.  Christalla 
smiled after them.  

	"DragonLady...Christalla, we need to talk."

	Christalla looked up and met Hedda's eyes.

[Insert Nathan's post here.]

	Christalla was visibly disturbed by Hedda's story.  Gender 
prejudice in the Warrens!!  That was a problem only the Landbound 
suffered from.  "I will call a Council of Warrens as soon as I can," she 
told Hedda gravely.  "I cannot let this go unresolved."

	Hedda nodded, gratified.  "Thank you Christalla.  I was hoping 
you'd appreciate the problem."

	Christalla nodded emphatically, looking up at the taller 
dragonrider with expressive, concerned blue eyes.  "Of course I do!  
You'll find no problems with gender prejudice here.  Though I hope you 
understand that you'll have to start at the bottom of the command 
structure here.  With the kind of skill you've shown, I have confidence 
that you'll rise quickly, even to your own Wing."

	Hedda smiled.  "I already feel that this is my home," she 
admitted. 

	"I'm so glad," Christalla beamed.  Then she stifled a yawn.  
"It's long after midnight," she admitted, embarrased.  "I hope you 
understand that I'll need to get to bed."

	"Of course," Hedda agreed.  "Um, where will I be staying 
tonight?" 

	"Oh!" Christalla gasped.  "I hadn't even thought about it!  I 
apologise.  You'll have an apartment first thing tomorrow morning.  As it 
is, I hope you don't mind sleeping in the barracks with the new 
dragonriders." 

	"No apology necessary," Hedda soothed.  "I've slept under the 
stars enough nights.  I think I'll be fine enought."

	Christalla smiled and let Hedda out of her office.  Yawning and 
stretching, she called to Kaeryth.  <You don't have to worry about your 
eggs any longer, dear one.  Come and get me so we can get to bed.>

	<Let's go!> Kaeryth replied enthusiastically.  Christalla walked 
out into the night to mount her own dragon for the first time in 2 months 
and fly up to her apartment at the top of the Keldarra cliffside.  It was 
time to rest, at last.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Rati
Administrator, DragonLands

NRPG: No, this DOESN'T move us far enough along.  Stay tuned for part 2.

     __
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