Waylene
***

Waylene spotted Telnor's Warrenlady as she was leaving the funeral pyre to
go into the dining hall for the wake. Ophelia was headed in the opposite
direction, out toward the green, with her young escort beside her. Waylene
wondered briefly why R'chein had not escorted her. "Lady Ophelia, are you
leaving already?" Waylene called.

"I'm afraid so. I have a funeral to attend at Telnor as well this evening."
Ophelia explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. I am curious, though, as to whether or not
you found those records we spoke of."

Ophelia frowned, "R'chein was .. unable to locate them."

"I see." Waylene said. Then she smiled lightly, "Thank you for checking."
Ophelia nodded and Waylene continued, "I met your son, B'rin this morning.
Quite a handsome lad."

"Thank you." Ophelia smiled, "I was worried about him, since he didn't
return home last night."

Waylene chuckled, "You can blame that on Diana. She picked his visit to go
into labor."

"She had the babies already?" Ophelia said surprised, knowing it was early.

"Yes, their twins were born this morning. Twin girls. They were early and
very small, but they seem to be healthy."

"I'm glad to hear that." She took note of Z'lec standing just behind
Waylene and nodded to him, "It's good to see you as well, Z'lec. I wish I
could stay, but I really must be going."

A dark orange dragon settled down on the green next to Ophelia's escort and
he held out his hand to help her up. 

The two women said their good-byes, and Waylene headed into the dining
hall. "Would you like to sit down at a table for bit?" asked Z'lec
hopefully, "I'll get you a drink."

"We should see Warrenlady Jayleigh, to pay our respects." Waylene said
quickly, avoiding his gaze.

Z'lec looked abashed. "You .. You're right. We should."

Waylene headed over to where the raven-haired woman stood. "Lady Jayleigh.
I am Waylene, Warrenlady of Marrid."

The woman smiled. "Thank you for coming, Lady Waylene."

***

After speaking to Jayleigh,  Z'lec turned to ask Waylene for a dance, but
was thwarted by R'ven, one of Velara's mates, when he stepped in and
whisked her off to the dance floor. Marrid's wingleader frowned, but knew
there wasn't much he could do abut it. After all they had all night. He
couldn't expect her to just fall into his arms, even though there was
nothing he wanted more. 

He watched with envy as he saw her smile up the older man, and then chuckle
at some amusing anecdote or other. Gods, she was beautiful.

<<snippet from a Daere post written by Lyn>>

>R'ven was dancing with Warrenlady Waylene of Marrid when Tair'n entered.
Tair'n slipped behind his mate and tapped him on the shoulder.  R'ven
turned and raised his eyebrows in question.

>"May I have this next dance?" Tair'n asked.

>"With me or with Waylene?" R'ven shot back.

>Tair'n grinned.  "With your lovely companion.  Though, do be sure to save
a dance for me, love."

>R'ven winked.  "I will."

>The song changed to a slower number and Tair'n pulled the visiting
Warrenlady close.  He noticed Z'lec, Waylene's ex-mate, if the rumors were
true, scowl slightly as Tair'n's and Waylene's body's molded together for
the dance.  She danced well, probably a result of her upbringing as a
nobleman's daughter.

>"I do hope things are going better for you at Marrid recently.  It seems
this year has been nothing but troubles for you."

>Waylene sighed.  "I wish.  It seems to have been rather a disastrous year
all 'round."

>He nodded, "While it certainly hurts, I suppose I should be grateful that
the worst we've suffered is Velara's death."

>They talked more as the dance went on.  When it was over, Tair'n turned
her over to another dance partner-- not Z'lec, much to the Marrid man's
discomfiture-- and went to the table where he grabbed a tankard and filled
it with a very bitter, very strong ale.  He swipe a few cubes of cheese and
some slices of meat so the ale wouldn't be hitting an entirely empty
stomach.  He hadn't eaten supper.

<<End Lyn's snippet>>

Waylene was enjoying herself more then she had in quite some time. She
easily ignored the disparaging looks from Z'lec as she danced with one
partner after the other. He certainly couldn't complain. He had been the
one to suggest that she come. Now she planned on enjoying herself. Velara
certainly would have had it been someone else's funeral.

Her latest partner was a handsome young noblemen with a charming smile.
Unfortunately the young man had had a little much to drink and was getting
a bit forward with his straying hand. Waylene patiently moved one hand then
a second from her backside, until she was ready to punch him. However she
didn't get the chance as Z'lec grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the
young noblemen and off the dance floor. Waylene's eyes flashed in anger,
"What are you doing?"

"I wasn't going to let him do that to you."

"It's not your concern, Z'lec," she could feel her anger rising. How dare
he pull her away from another man, like some jealous mate. She was no
longer his mate and he had no right.

"I think you should sit down for a bit." He said quietly, not wanting to
draw attention to them.

"You think? Well, I don't!" She wrenched her arm away from him. "I get to
decide, do you understand."

 Z'lec's face dropped.  "'Lene, I .. I just want .."

"I don't care what *you* want! I'm not done dancing." Waylene ignored the
stares from those around her as she turned back to the young nobleman,
"Shall we continue." It wasn't so much that she truly wanted to dance with
the man, but she wasn't about to let Z'lec play hero.

Z'lec's eyes flashed as the man sneered at him then pulled Waylene closer.
He stepped back out onto the floor and pulled her away once again, hissing,
"You are a Warrenlady, you should be acting like it."

She glared at him, "And what would you know about it?"

"I know enough to know you are acting very foolish."

"Me! Oh no, Z'lec don't even try that one. Who ran off to hide when things
got tough. Then you come back and think everything should be the same.
Well, it's not! It's not the same."

"'Lene, let's sit down and talk about this. You are getting to upset."

"I have every right to be upset," she said as a tear trickled down her
face. The music had stopped and everyone was looking at them. R'ven and
Jayleigh had made their way Waylene's side, in hopes of calming her down.
She shook them off, her voice barely above a whisper. "God's Z'lec, I'm
pregnant."

She hadn't planned on telling him that way. She really hadn't been sure she
was going to tell him at all. She'd only found out this morning and hadn't
adjusted to the idea yet. After three miscarriages, all within the first 3
months of pregnancy, she really didn't hold out much hope for this one.
Z'lec was staring at her wide-eyed as he tumbled back into a chair.
Suddenly, she realized the stir they'd caused and she felt very
self-conscious. 

"I .. I have to go." She looked at Jayleigh, "Can .. Can I get someone to
take me back please."

Z'lec recovered, "I'll take you."

She spun toward him, "No!" Then looking around the room, "I'm  .. sorry for
.. this."

"I'll take you, m'lady," a slurred voice called out. Waylene turned to see
Tair'n, Velara's young lover and mate, heading toward her. 

She nodded, "Thank you, Tair'n."

"No, 'Lene. He's drunk off his ass!"

She glared at Marrid's Wingleader, "It's my choice, not yours." She took
the young man's arm and trying to pull together as much dignity as she
could, she followed him out of the dining hall, leaving Z'lec staring after
them.

<<Another snippet from Lyn's Daere post - the next morning.>>

>Gods, he was cold.

>Someone must have bashed his head in with a hammer.  That was the only way
he could possibly hurt this much.

>The light was loud.

>His stomach roiled dangerously.

><Tair'n!>

><Ow!  Amadith, don't talk so loud.>

><Sorry.>

>He debated opening his eyes.  He was pretty certain he was laying naked on
a cold stone floor.  He couldn't remember how he'd ended the evening.
<Tell me, Amadith, did I at least have fun last night?>

><If you can't remember, does it matter?>

>There was a quiet yawn and a body snuggled up next to him.

>Dear gods, who had he slept with?  He couldn't remember.  What if he
didn't know her name?

>*Her* name?  Yes, there were definitely breasts.  That lowered the field.

><Why don't you just look?>

><I'm afraid to.  Why don't you just tell me?>

>His stomach decided at that moment to lose the battle.  With a groan, he
quickly rolled into a kneel, away from the woman, and threw up.

><I don't understand why you humans think poisoning yourselves is so much
fun,> Amadith commented as Tair'n's stomach continued to try to empty
itself when it was already empty.  Dry heaves do not make for much room to
argue with a self-righteous dragon.

>Finally, his stomach settled, sort of, and then he knelt there holding his
pounding head.

>A cool hand on his naked back almost made him yelp, but the slight flinch
sent firebrands through his head.  "Are you okay?" she asked.

>Or at least, he thought that was the question.  He was throwing up again.

>"Thanks.  I'll be fine," he said when he got his stomach back under control.

>Okay, time to see who it was.  Hopefully, he could remember her name.  Why
did he have to throw up while she was talking?  Maybe he could have figured
it out if he'd been able to pay attention to the voice.

>He pasted a smile on his face and turned.  The smile faltered a second.
"Good morning," he managed.

<<End Lyn's snippet>>

"Can I get you some tea? Maybe some toast?" Waylene said as she saw the
surprise in his eyes. She smiled lightly. She'd known he'd had a lot to
drink last night. Now it looked like he didn't remember. Well, perhaps it
was better that way.

"I .. maybe some tea."

She stood up and grabbed a light blanket, but rather then using it to cover
her own nakedness she handed it to him, "Here, you look cold."

"Thanks .." He looked over at the floor when he had emptied the contents of
his stomach, "I'm sorry .."

She smiled, "Don't worry about it. I knew what condition you were in when I
asked you stay."

"You .. asked me?"

She grinned, "I'm afraid so. And I hadn't even had anything to drink." She
padded lightly into the  kitchen and started some water to boil. Then she
grabbed some towels to clean up the mess on the floor of her apartment.

"Where are we exactly? Marrid?" he looked over to the empty sand bed, where
a dragon should be.

She nodded, "Yes, This is my apartment in the Warren. I couldn't give your
dragon directions to the hatching cave, and you really weren't in any
condition to do it. So we came here."

Waylene continued to clean up the floor as Tair'n watched miserably.  As
the teapot whistled, Waylene stood, depositing the soiled towels in a
laundry hamper in the bathroom on her way to the kitchen. Tair'n followed
her wrapped in the blanket. 

She poured him a cup of hot water and put the teabag in to steep. Then she
headed into her bedroom and came out in her robe. "You are welcome to use
my bath, before you go."

"Thank you."

Suddenly, they heard a loud voice. "'Lene! Are you here?"

"Oh dear," she sighed. "Stay here," she said to Tair'n as she headed into
the main room where Z'lec was staring at the rumbled and strewn clothes on
the floor, his face shattered. "I was worried about you when you didn't
come to the cave last night. I see you were busy," he spat.

"It not your concern, Z'lec."

"Gods 'Lene. What happened to us?" 

"Do you need me to remind you? Have you really forgotten?"

He grimaced at her biting remark, "What about .. the baby?"

"What about it?" she said looking away. "Do you really think this time is
going to be any different?"

"What about .. I mean .. Shouldn't you tell whoever .." He paused, unable
to say more.

Waylene's face went white. He thought it was someone else's baby. "Get out,
Z'lec." She said tightly.

He stood there, unable to move, until he heard another voice, "You heard
the lady, I think you should go."

Z'lec turned to see Tair'n standing there in a robe he'd found. Z'lec's
eyes burned, "You ..!" he roared rushing toward the young man, and knocking
him off his feet.

"Z'lec! Stop it!" Waylene screamed, as the two men struggled on the floor.
"Tair'n, Stop!"

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
***
NRPG: Okay, what we have here is a little creative fluid time. Without
disturbing any other stories, I've just made enough time pass for Waylene
to have discovered she was pregnant after her one night with Z'lec. I know
really in RP time there isn't enough time, but that's the way fluid time
works :}

Lyn,  Hope I did Tair'n all right. I should have had you send me his bio..
Oh well. Thanks for the use of the large snippet's of your post, and also
the use of your Daere character for the night :}

Kristen
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Kristen Gant
(AKA: Darlea & Makayla,  Waylene & Aura, Meena & Vonn, 
Kalewyn & Sabbith, Saul & Fayloth)
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm