This was wrong.

She had done nothing wrong!!

Nothing!!

So why was she letting everyone else run her life for her? Why was she
letting the others hateful looks make her hide her face and run at the first
sign of disapproval? She had to stop doing that. Besides every time she ran
away it only served to make her look guiltier.

With and angry gesture Shae wiped the tears away from her cheeks and squared
her shoulders. She was going to go back to the party and fun tonight if it
killed her!!

"Shae?" she heard someone calling out her name and spun around to find
Sābrogh standing not to far away. "I came out to find you. I wanted to see
if you were all right."

"Guess Iām acting pretty silly running away all the time, huh?" her lips
curved up into a weak smile. 

"Well maybe a little," he teased. "But my sister tells me girls are entitled
to do that once in a while. And to tell you the truth·  if I was going
through the same thing you are right now·I might act a little silly myself."

"Yea right!" she grinned, suddenly feeling a little better. Then sad when
she remembered he was going to be leaving the Warren.

"Iām going to miss you after you leave," she said softly.

"Hey none of that," he told her. "Iāll be back to visit and you can come see
me once in a while."

As soon as he said the words he knew they had been the wrong ones to say.
With her being restricted to the Warren until she had been cleared of the
charges against her, they both knew it might be a while before sheād be
going anywhere.

"Itāll work out Shae," he said kindly. "Theyāll find out whoās really doing
these things and prove you had nothing to do with any of it. You just have
to have faith."

"Iām trying!!" she frowned. "But it sure isnāt easy."

--------------

They were standing  in the hall talking, Shae was telling him about Dāneor
giving her and Kaaren permission to start looking for an apartment, when she
noticed his lack of attention. Sheād had to ask him the same question about
having any suggestion as to where she should look, and when he didnāt answer
she turned to look at him. The first thing she noticed was how white his
face had become. 

"Sābrogh ?" Shae frowned, and wondered what had happened that she had missed.

When he still didnāt answer, she turned to look in the direction he was
facing and saw a small redhead looking towards them. The saddest look Shae
had ever seen came over the girls face and then the next second the girl had
turned and ran out of the front door of the hall. 

But not before Shae had seen the terrible scaring down one side of the
girlās face.

<Starleannaās rider,"> Kaarenās thoughtful voice filled her mind. <She was
injured in the last wraith attack and barely made it back to the Warren to
warn the others>

Now she knew who the girl was. Briana!! The rider who had tried to take her
own life. So that was her. The scar was bad sure· but it wasnāt bad enough
to kill oneās self over, she thought. 

"Her face·.I hadnāt realized it was that bad·." She heard the pain in his
voice and knew he hadnāt meant for the words to be heard.

"Who was that?" Shae turned and placed her hand on the tall riderās arm to
get his attention.

"Someone I once asked to be my mate,"  he replied, his eyes still glued to
the spot where the girl had been standing.

"Your mate!!" Shae asked confused. Why hadnāt he ever said anything to her
about it when they had talked about the rider whoād tried to kill herself.
He had to have known then that it was Briana. What had happened to keep them
apart? And how come he had never mentioned before that he had cared enough
about the girl to ask her to be his mate?

A mean thought came to her. Had it been the girlās disfiguring injuries that
had ended their love for each other? Was that why she had run out when she
had seen him watching her? Some men were like that, she knew, but Sābrogh
hadnāt seemed the type.

Had she been wrong about him?

How could that be? Heād been so kind to her throughout her whole ordeal.
Supporting her and trying to help when others had turned their backs. 

Shae wanted to ask him what had happened between them, why they no longer
where going to be mates. But she held her tongue. He was leaving here
tomorrow so what did it matter. Maybe she was lucky she wouldnāt have to
find out. She wanted for him to leave while she had only glad thoughts about
him. For if it turned out that he was only hanging around her to keep from
having to face the redhead·. She really didnāt think she wanted to know.

When she would have spoken again, she heard a voice calling out her name and
turned to see Māressan  coming up behind them, a wide smile lit up his
handsome face.

"Iām glad to see youāve come back to the party," he told her when he was
standing beside her.

"Sābrogh had a convincing argument," she replied with a wiry grin on her
face. "He reminded me that I wasnāt guilty of the things the others are
saying that I am and that as a dragonrider of this Warren ·I had the same
right as everyone else to be here tonight·.I decided he was right. So here I
am!"

"That you do young Shaelesta," he agreed and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Itāll all work out. Just have faith."

"Sooner I hope than later," she quipped and then her face broke out into a
wide smile. The man positively loved messing up her hair that way. And only
because it reminded her of her older brother, and made her feel a little
like she was at home, she didnāt say anything to him about quitting. "But
one good thing did happen today!!"

"And what my dear was that?" the Wingleader asked.

"The Fireball and I got permission from Dāneor to start looking for an
apartment of our very own." She informed him and saw the light in his
deep-green eyes falter for just a second before he controlled it. "I talked
to Dāneor about it earlier today and he didnāt see any reason we should have
to wait...or should I have talked to you about it first?"

She was worried she had done something wrong when she saw the look on his
face. Maybe she should have talked to him about it before going to talk to
the Warrenlord. After all Māressan had been the one who had told her that
she had to stay confined inside the Warren proper. And he was her superior.

"No thatās all right Shaelesta," he said smoothly. "Though it might be a
good idea to have that Fireball of yours cheek in with the watchdragon when
you two get there and then again when you leave. I wish you luck finding a
place youāll both be happy with."

"Weāll try," her lips were forced up into a smile. Some of the good feelings
she had been feeling had evaporated with his reminder. She knew she was
still being watched at all times, but had managed to learn to ignore it most
of the time.

For a little while here tonight sheād been able to forget the rest of her
troubles as well, but turning to look back towards the door, she saw him
there standing next to the woman she recognized as the one whoād taken her
to spend the night in that tiny cell the day her gloves had been found
inside Michel and Loriās apartment.

Lori!!

Now who would have figured the girl for a murderer? Sheās always seemed so
nice and sweet. One never knew. But now Shae could see why so many people
still though, she herself guilty of the crimes charged against her.

"·So in the next few days, those from this latest hatchling group will be
assigned to the different Wings and will begin their fight training in
earnest," Māressan was saying beside her. "Ands you think I was hard on you
during training·. Just wait to see how your Wingleader will work you."

"Oh that ought to be great fun," Shae muttered under her breath. "They can
use the threat of anyone not doing well can get stuck with me as their
patrol partner."

"None of that Shaelesta," The Wingleader frowned and shook his head. "You
are doing fine in training. Donāt think itās gone unnoticed."

"But thatās been easy," she grimiest. "Youāve always been there to keep the
others from showing how they feel about being paired with the little
terrorist. Besides·Kaaren does all the work. She makes me look good."

"The dragon is nothing without his or her rider," he reminded her. "you work
as a team and you and Kaaren do well together. I wish half the others listen
to instruction as well as you two do."

Shae couldnāt help but grin. Every since the time the trainer had tore into
her about keeping the Fireball up in the air longer than he felt safe on her
first flight, she had listened well and did everything she was told. First
time. Right on.

"Listen to him Shae," Sābrogh spoke up. "Our good Wingleader here has seen
so many dragonriders come and go that he knows from what he says."

The kind words made her feel better.

Just then Māressan turned and wrapped his arms around a woman Shae
recognized as Christalla, the Warrenlady, and heard him ask her how she was
holding up.

"Iām just fine," the woman who wasnāt much shorter than Shae herself replied.

"Glad to hear it. Youāll never guess who I found hiding under a rock."

Shae wished for the floor to open up and swallow her whole as the woman
turned to face her and managed a weak smile as she felt Sābroghās hand
squeezing hers in support.

"I finally convinced her to come back," Sābrogh volunteered. 

His face wore a smile but even Shae could tell it was forced. He still
looked shaken by what  had happened earlier· seeing Lori. Every once in a
while she would catch him looking around the room as if hoping to see
someone he knew· or to make sure that person wasnāt around.

"I was just suggesting that Shae and the other newly joined from the last
hatching should be assigned to Wings soon,: Māressan volunteered. "Iām
thinking of having a Wingleader meeting tomorrow to divvy up who needs
what. Shae here has real promise.

The girl saw the Warrenlady shake her head. 

"Iām sure youāll do whatās right," she said kindly. "I donāt know much about
combat, myself. I suppose I would have if Iād known my parents, though. My
mother was a Flightleader, and my father was her Flightsecond."

Something flashed in the back of Shaeās mind. A memory of something she had
the feeling that she should have known. But it was gone just as quickly as
it had come.

"Yes," Christalla added. "They were pretty well-known in their day. Ristina
and Chainar."

Shaeās face went white with shock. She felt herself growing faint and had to
call on reserves she didnāt know she possessed to keep from finding herself
sinking to the ground. 

It couldnāt be!!

She must have heard the woman wrong. She had to have. Or was it really
possible that the Warrenlady really was the daughter of the man she had come
to find. She had to find out.

But how could she do so without anyone wondering why she was asking the
questions? Maybe it was a risk she had to take. For she had to be sure it
was the Uncle she had come here to find. 

And if it was·. Then the search had all been for nothing·.

No not nothing. For if she hadnāt of come here looking she never would have
joined with Kaaren, and that was something she wouldnāt have missed for the
world. Not even the charges against her could diminished that for her.

Without Kaaren·..

A thought came to her. There was a way she could ask her questions. A way
that shouldnāt arouse suspicion. The only thing was she needed to ask the
woman when no one else was around. Sābrogh especially, for he knew more
about why she was here than anyone and might put it together if he let
himself think about it.

Luck was with her, just then a young female rider that Shae had seen around
the Warren came up to the tall rider beside her and asked if wanted to
dance. At first he was going to refuse her but Shae smiled and told him to
go ahead. 

"You have a lot of friends around here whoād like to say their good-byes to
you," she reminded him. "Iāll be okay right her for a little while."

"Oh weāll keep an eye on young Shae for you Sābrogh," Christalla laughed in
a pleasant tone as she shooed the former Warrenladyās brother off.

"Itāll be all right Shae," Māressan told her. "No one would dare bite you
while youāre with us. Would they love?"

Shae knew she wouldnāt have much time before the dance ended so when
Māressan turned to talk to an elder rider standing behind him, Shae turned
back to face Christalla.

"Mālady. May I ask you a personal question?" she asked and then prayed the
woman wouldnāt object.

"What is it Shae?"

"Did you know who your parents were?" she asked.

"No," a look of sadness came over the woman. "They were both killed while I
was still a baby."

"So you donāt have any memories of them at all?"

"None."

"Iām sorry," Shae said and meant it. "I never knew my real father. He died
in a cave in up near Drango while my mother was still pregnant with me. But
my step-father Jenko was a good kind man and he raised and loved me as if I
was his own until he died recently."

"What of your mother Shaelesta?" The Warrenlady asked.

"She died when I was younger," the girl told her. "But she left me with
wonderful memories of the times we shared together. But even so, I still
feel her lost sometimes. Thatās why I wanted to go see my brothers. To
remind myself that Iām not totally alone in this world."

"In that you are far luckier than I was," sadness haunted her eyes.

"Then you have on other family?" the girl asked. "Your father Chanor..."

"Chainar." Christalla corrected her.

"Chainar then·" Shae grinned thinking how well her slight mispronunciation
of the name she knew as well as her own, had brought about the desired
results. Her fears had been confirmed. "Didnāt he have any brothers or
sisters. Or your mother?"

She wondered if the woman even knew about Cheelor. 

"I was told my father had a brother, but he had left the Warren over some
silly dispute between the two of them," she looked as if she was trying to
remember what all had been said about it at the time. "I do know that he
never joined with a dragon, and that no one ever heard about him again after
heād gone."

"Do you ever wonder what might have happened to him?" Shae asked needing to
hear the answer. "If he ever got married and had a family of his own?"

The Warrenlady turned her eyes up to meet Shaeās. 

"I gave up wondering about that a long time ago," she said her tone cool,
yet Shae could sense something else there. Something that made a lie out of
the womanās words. "If he had cared anything at all about this family he
would have come back to find out how we were doing."

"Maybe there were reasons he never made it back here," the younger woman
said quietly, wishing she could tell the woman standing in front of her what
they were. But knowing that she couldnāt. Maybe not ever. At least not until
her own name was cleared.

Sābrogh was just coming off the dance floor before Shae could form another
question, so she skillfully changed the subject before the rider came into
hearing range. 

However neither woman knew that their conversation had been over heard·.a
fact the would later come back to haunt Shae.

*****Submitted by: ********

Barbara (a.k.a.)

Shaelesta & Kaaren (the "Fireball")
Keldarra Warren