-> 
> David held the woman, knowing that she just realised the consequences of 
> her actions.  Cradleing her head in his arms, a part of his mind 
> registered the fallen sword on the ground, and a crawling Malk heading 
> towards it.  But it was not very important, he would need this womans 
> strength to help them all get out of there.  Wiping away the tears from 
> Diana's face, David smiled at her warmly.  "Darrin would not be ashamed.  
> Right now, we need t'get out o'here, Ok?" He said, and a nod of her head 
> said she acknowledged his words.  Suddenly there was a scraping of steel 
> on rock, and David spun to see Malk holding the sword dangerously, making 
> his way to the side of the pit.

Diana started for Malk, but David gave her an almost imperceptable shake 
of the head. She stopped, wondering what he was up to.

> 
> "Stay right where you are, or die." He warned, and started to try and 
> climb the walls, broken leg or no.
> 

Diana wondered how the man was even standing, with his leg so crooked, 
she even saw what appeared to be a bone sticking out thru the pantsleg. 
He must be so insane nothing else was registering.

> David started inching forward, and the man pointed the blade at him.  
> "Always the hero, aren't you boy?" He sneered.  David backed off, 
> silently drawing the knife at his side.  He needed that sword.
> 
> "Malk, we have t'work together.  I don't want t'kill ye, but will not 
> feel remorse if I have t'."  Savid said, drawing his knife and holding 
> it, as if to throw it.  Malk saw it, and edged back down, wincing each 
> time he had to use his leg.  He knew he couldn't dodge the knife if 
> thrown.  "Now give me the sword." David said, moving forward.
> 
> "Kindly." Malk growled, and swung the blade in a deadly arc.  
> 
Diana saw malk swing the sword & started forward but she was too late. 
She saw the blade strike David & then David swung & Malk fell to the 
ground. She saw his chest still moving & it registered that he was just 
unconscious. "Damn" Diana swore softly, some part of her still wanted him 
dead. She then saw David binding his wound.
She rushed over to help David but he already had it done.

> 
> Malk started to stirr, and David tied his hands together with more strips 
> of cloth.  That should hold him, he thought, and Malk opened his eyes and 
> glared at Diana and David.  Both glared back at him, and he sighed 
> heavily and looked down at the ground.  Now it was time to get out of here...

When Malk glared at Diana, she was tempted to knock him out again but 
practicality won out. It would be easier to get him out if he was conscious.
> 
> "Hello?  It's Tr'etram.  I think the wraiths are confused right now, I 
> don't know why, but I think I can get you all out.  Who's there?" A voice 
> shouted down at the three, and David looked up to their rescuer.  
> 
> "Trey?" Malk cried out.  "Trey, it's M'cos.  Get me out of
> here, please.  I don't know how I got here.  Is Telnor Alpha here, too,
> then?" For once he actually sounded sane, almost human again.
> 
> "No, M'cos.  I no longer lead Telnor Alpha.  Who else is here and are any of
> you hurt?" Tr'etram said, a sad tone in his voice.  David wondered 
> briefly why Tr'etram would have transferred if he was a wing leader, but 
> those were questions for later.
> 
> "We're fine!" David shouted up.  "It's David and Diana.  We need a little 
> help here!"
> 
"Trey?" Diana called out "David is hurt, we need to get him out of here & 
looked at." She then added "& I am glad to say that Malk has a severely 
broken leg." Malk glared at Diana.

> A sound of something being put down and then a reaching hand was seen 
> above the edge.  Good thing the pit wasn't too deep.  Diana went first, 
> her light weight easy for Tr'etram to haul her over the edge.  David 
> lifted Malk to his feet and lifted him up to Diana and Te'tram's waiting 
> hands.  He didn't want to untie the man after he had slashed him.  It was 
> hard going, but they finaly managed to get the bound man up.  David was 
> last, gritting his teeth as his arm was pulled.  He could feel the gash 
> rip further, but the healers would be able to fix him up.  There was a 
> slight dizzy spell from loss of blood, but he managed to hold onto 
> consciousness.  

Diana looked up & realized that the man who was helping her out of the 
pit was the same man she had fought with earlier that day. She started to 
say something & then realized that now wasn't the time. They needed to 
get out of here.

(Diana, are you alright?)

(Yes, Zena, now I am...thanks to you)> 

> "Let's get out of here." Tr'etram said, and as David drew the black 
> sword, the group set out for the exit, hauling Malk between them, 
> watching him.  Tr'etram had some sort of flame devise, but he didn't 
> ask.  Another question for another time.  They saw a few wraiths, but 
> they dissappeared quickly, running from them into the darkness.  David 
> was uneasy, something about this being too simple, but soon they were 
> exiting the cave, the fading sunlight to the west warming their faces.  
> Marrid Alpha was burning up the last of the remaining wraiths who still 
> chose to fight, and the sight of so many dragons glittering in the sky 
> gave David a little more strength.
> 
> They called to their dragons, and soon all four were lined up infront of 
> them.  David put the special sword away carefully, looking at Yenal who 
> was watchng Malk sadly.  'Ye will bring him t'Marrid right away, even 
> if he protests.' David thought sternly at the dragon.  "If ye can't do 
> that, I will take him."
> 
> Yenal nodded, and they helped Malk into the saddle of his dragon.  The 
> man looked tired and worn, hollow eyes stareing straight forward.  
> Whatever he was thinking, it was closed to everyone.  David mounted 
> Kaylin with another grit of the teeth, his vision hazing again, and took 
> off.  Tr'etram and Diana took off behind him, escorting Yenal and Malk.  
> Soon all four teleported.
> 
When all of them appeared over Marrid they landed near the medical 
center. Diana got off of Zena & approached Yenal & Malk. Trey watched her 
closely as she roughly pulled Malk down from his dragon & shoved him 
ahead of her into the medical center. 

"Even scum like you get to live sometimes. If it hadn't been for your 
dragon, I would have easily killed you. Because of you, my Darrin is 
dead. But because of your dragon, I didn't kill the one part of him that 
still remains in my soul" Tears were rolling down Diana's cheeks as she 
was saying this. She shoved him towards the healers & said "Here take 
him, before I change my mind"

She turned & started to race out of the medical center but as she turned 
she ran straight into Trey. He looked at her tear stained face.

"You did right" He said.

With those words Diana just collapsed on the floor of the medical center 
& sobbed.

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

NRPG: Hope all of you don't mind me qoting a lot of Justin's post but I 
wanted to add in Diana's feelings & actions. Have fun fighting the 
wraiths til we come out! *grin*




 
       |\__/,|   (`\     Also known as:
     _.|o o  |_   ) )    
  ---(((----(((--------- Briana & Starleana of Keldarra
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Diana & Zena of Marrid
    ~  Kat Harris  ~     Karina of Amber
   ~catwoman@indy.net~   
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   http://www.indy.net/~catwoman