Waylene
***

Waylene stood out of the way as C'tain and A'Rillia did their job and got
the spasming man into the medical center. She saw that Diana was in the
good hands of Minty, and knowing there wasn't much she could do at the
moment she headed to the dining hall to get some tea, to relax her nerves.
Hopefully when she came back she would be able to get some word. 

She couldn't help the guilt that flooded her over having let him go on
patrol after that letter from Ophelia. Maybe she should have hung onto it a
bit longer. After his patrol would have been a better time .. She should
have known!

Z'lec
***

After making sure Aura was alright and that there was a dragon and rider at
the cave in case she should need anything, Z'lec and Raynod made their way
back to the Warren to check on Trey. As much a Z'lec disliked the man he
didn't want anything bad to happen to him. Especially for Diana's sake. 

He watched from a distance as Diana began to slump into tears. He moved
toward her immediately.

>Diana just dropped her head in her hands and began to cry. She then felt a
light touch on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Z'lec.

>"Oh, Z'lec.... I couldn't bear it if anything happened to him! I love him
so much!" Diana started sobbing, her face in her hands again.

>Z'lec did the only thing that made sense to him at the time. He knelt in
front of the chair where Diana was sitting and gathered her in his arms.
"There there..." he stroked her hair "I am sure he will be fine. Everything
will be fine...."

Not once while he was holding her, comforting her did his mind stray to the
dreams that had plagued him before. He was simply a friend helping out
another friend. It all seemed very natural .. until he looked up and saw
Waylene looking at him. He instantly became aware of the woman in his arms
and the thoughts that must be going through her head. He wanted to jump up
and release Diana but she had clutched onto him tightly as she sobbed, not
noticing the icy stare from the Warrenlady.

Z'lec sighed as she turned away. This was not going well. At this rate he'd
never get her to forgive him. He was well aware of her ability to hold a
grudge .. after all she'd not spoken to her own father in twelve years.

Waylene
****

Waylene frowned slightly, but said nothing as she spotted Z'lec holding
Diana clutched tightly in his arms. She quickly walked out of his line of
sight and leaned against a wall. Of course it was probably innocent, at
least on Diana's part, but with what had happened with Z'lec not so long
ago, she just couldn't be sure of his motives. 

She spotted D'ssarian and moved over to get a report on Trey's condition.

"He'll be alright with some rest. He dislocated his shoulder in the fall,
but luckily nothing was broken. He should be up and around tomorrow, though
I'm going to need him to be careful."

Waylene nodded, "Do you know why he had the seizure?"

"It's hard to tell. Could be any number of things, though most likely some
kind of stress reaction."

"I see," said Waylene, feeling the guilt well up inside her again. "What
about Shard? How is he doing?"

"Little change," said the older man sadly. "It could take a while. It might
be worth transferring him up to Tinobal, where the Guild of Healers is
located."

"Do you think it's that serious?" Waylene asked.

"I don't know yet. I'll give it a little time before I make up my mind."

"Just keep me informed."

****
(That night)

Z'lec stood in front of her desk, "Just let me explain .."

"There's nothing to explain. Let's just go, I want to get back to Aura."
Waylene said not raising her eyes to the Wingleader.

"Waylene .." her persisted.

"Z'lec, take me back to Aura, now, or I'll find someone else to do it."

The man sighed and headed out to where his large white dragon was waiting
to return to Aura's Cave.

<Not going well, huh?> said the dragon.

<Not at all, my friend.>

<Don't give up hope. Aura says her rider has missed you.>

Z'lec frowned, <That was before this afternoon, Ray. Now I'm not sure
she'll ever forgive me.>

****
(The next morning)

Waylene woke and dressed in her best gown. She'd picked it out the night
before and had it taken to the cave so that it would be ready for her this
morning. She expected her father sometime today and she was going to make
sure she was as formal as possible.

When she finished dressing, she stepped out into the main cave where Aura
was fussing over her eggs. Both she and Raynod were once again warming the
sands around them, as Aura was not satisfied it was warm enough. She
chuckled lightly. Raynod had always had a way with the queen. He knew how
to calm her when very little else would.

She spotted Z'lec looking at her appraisingly. "You look incredible," he
said quietly.

She smiled lightly, "Thank you, I'm expecting the Lord of Lendenval
sometime today."

Z'lec looked at her in surprise, "Your father! You're going to see him?"
She nodded. "Well, that's a change. You've never even sent him messages
directly, Waylene, what's going on?"

"I promised to seek his help for Cleft." She said, "He's always tried to
bribe my affections with offers of more tithe then are necessary, so now
I'm going to ask him to show me that he really meant it by sending the
extra to Lady Cynthia."

"Well, someone ought to use it. We could've right after the wraith attack.
Yet you refused. I didn't agree with then. I'm glad to see you're coming
around a bit."

Waylene met his gaze with a disgruntled look. "This doesn't mean that
everything is okay with Lord Godred, Z'lec. I've done what I needed to over
the years to maintain a semblance of a relationship between the Warren and
Lendenval for the good of Marrid. That doesn't mean that I have to
acknowledge that he's my father, nor does it mean I've forgiven him." She
walked over to Aura and gently caressed the dragons large head.

<I have to go again, love.>

<I know,> moaned Aura, <will you return early this evening?>

<I'll try, I really will.>

Then she stood and faced Z'lec again, "Let's go, I want to be there when he
arrives."

She slid into her spot in front of the Wingleader and strapped herself into
the saddle. She waved at Barte on Tonn who was there to begin his patrol of
Aura's cave. She heard Tonn trumpet his greeting to Aura as the dragon flew
by.

***

The arrived to trumpets which were heralding the arrival of the Lord of
Lendenval. Waylene rolled her eyes, at the ceremony of it all. But then she
reminded herself that the more ceremony the less personal it would be. She
would have liked to have both A'Rillia and Carie with her for this meeting,
but Carie was still tending to her depressed queen and A'Rillia was helping
in the medical center, with Shard. 

So Z'lec went with her to greet the arriving party. Waylene watched as a
much older version of the man she used to call father, stepped down out of
the front carriage. In his eyes was clearly a hopeful look. Waylene tried
to temper that look by remaining aloof. "Welcome, Lord Godred. Thank you
for responding so quickly."

She watched as his eyes showed a little disappointment before being
replaced by a diplomatic demeanor. "You know I would do anything for you,
m'lady Waylene." The large man bowed.

"This is Z'lec, Marrid's Wingleader."

The two men nodded as each eyed the other. Godred was not unaware of Warren
gossip. While not as fast as Dragon vine, word did spread to the landbound
nation of the comings and goings of the Warrenlady and Wingleader of Marrid.

"This is Neland," said Godred as he motioned to the small thin man beside
him, "My advisor."

"If you'll follow me, we can talk in my office."

Godred nodded and Waylene turned and briskly headed to her office with the
two men close behind followed by Neland after them, struggling to keep up.
The Lord's advisor was out of breath by time they reached the Warrenlady's
office.

As they all took a seat, Waylene watched her father. She wasn't about to
give an inch when it came to meeting with the man. She maintained a cold
demeanor and kept the conversation very formal. "Lord Godred, in the past
you have been more then generous in fulfilling your tithes to the Warren,
and I want you to know how much we appreciate it."

"I'm more then willing to do my part."

Waylene nodded, "I know. I also know that in the past we have refused all
extra help which you have offered .. even in our own time of need. However,
now, I would like to personally ask if I could request that extra help you
offered not so long ago."

"I've already told you that Lendenval will do anything to help out it's
Warren." Godred said.

"I do not ask this for Marrid. I am sure you are aware of the recent
Council of Warrens which was called just recently. It has been discovered
that the wastes to the south of us are moving. The Warren have decided to
help the people whose lands used to lay on the other side of the waste as
now their people are being decimated by wraiths. A new Warren is being
formed to help them. However, until they become established they will need
our help." Waylene looked directly in the Lord's dark eyes, which were so
like hers, "I ask for your additional tithes to go to the newly formed
Cleft Warren."

Godred was silent as he contemplated her request. "I was not expecting this
.." He felt his advisor's hand on his arm signaling him to hold off on any
decisions. "I will have to take it under advisement."

"Of course," Waylene said, "You are all welcome to stay the night. I can
have quarters arranged for your men, though I can not promise anything very
comfortable. We are having a bit of a housing shortage due to the recent
earthquakes."

Godred nodded, "I understand."

"I will have my aide see to this right away. And if you need me, you can
speak to him and he can find me."

Godred knew a dismissal when he heard one and he felt his heart dropping.
There were to be no quiet talks or chances to ask for forgiveness, if
Waylene had anything to say about it. But he wasn't about to go quietly.
"Lady Waylene, I would like to speak to you in private."

"I don't think there is any need .."

"You have asked a great deal of me, at least offer me this little bit in
return."

Waylene frowned, then nodded, "Very well. You can have a moment in private."

Z'lec and Neland stood and headed toward the door. Z'lec looked back at
Waylene before leaving, but she would not meet his eye, so he shut the door
behind him on his way out.

When they were alone, Godred moved to take a chair closer to his daughter.
"Waylene, look at me." She raised her eyes and looked at him, an icy gaze
meeting his. He sighed, "I suppose I'm crazy to even think that you will
listen to me."

"If you're here to try and make amends, you're right. I have no reason to
listen to you."

"I know I've made mistakes, I acknowledge that. I've begged for your
forgiveness in letter too numerous to count as you refused to even see me."

"And if it were not for the need of Cleft, I would continue to refuse. You
turned your back on me. You disowned me." Her voice was losing it's cold
quality as the hurt she had felt so long ago was felt anew.

"I was foolish and full of pride. But I've learned. I've changed, why can't
you give me a second chance. A chance to prove to you how much I love you."

Her eyes met his, "Because you already proved how little that means to you,
when you bared me from the only home I'd ever known."

"That was twelve years ago. I've tried and tried to make up for that
mistake. Gods, you've made me pay for it ten-fold!" He paused, "And now you
ask for my help, without giving in return."

Anger flashed in her eyes. "If you think I'm going throw myself at your
feet in order to get you to help Cleft, you're wrong."

"That's not what I meant." He fumbled, realizing that he'd probably blown it.

"No, then prove it. Help Cleft, without asking of me, what I can't give."

He sighed, "I'll let you know my decision in the morning."

****

It was almost dinner time when Waylene met Z'lec on the green to go back to
Aura's cave. She'd spent most of the day locked in her office, not wanting
to accidentally run into her father. But now she was anxious to get back to
her queen.

"Has Godred made a decision yet?" asked Z'lec.

"No, he said he'd let me know in the morning. Until then I want to spend
some time with Aura."

Z'lec nodded and help Waylene up on Raynod's back. They were just about to
take off when Raynod received the call from Yenal.

<Z'lec, Yenal says the queen is in trouble!>

<Aura?>

<No Fiera. David has sounded the battle call.>

Waylene felt Z'lec tense up behind her, she turned to look at him
questioningly.

"Carie and Fiera are in trouble." He told her.

"What!" Waylene asked her eyes widening. 

"David's got the wing under control. Let's get to Aura and make sure she's
okay."

Waylene didn't have to be told twice. She instantly was situated in the
saddle and in a hurry to get to her own queen as she prayed the wing got to
Carie and Fiera in time.

***

As they appeared in the skies over Aura's cave Waylene heard Aura's pitiful
cries. <Aura!>

<'Lene, Fiera's in trouble! What if they are coming to get my eggs! I don't
like being so far from the Warren!>

<Aura, are there any wraiths near you?> she called as Raynod moved quickly
down to the entrance of the cave.

<No but they might be here at any time!>

<Hush, love. Raynod is here, he'll keep the Wraiths away.> The large white
dragon landed to let the Warrenlady off, before headed back into the skies
to have a look around himself.

Waylene ran to her queen, <It's alright now, love..>

Suddenly the queens head shot up, <Thain!>

<What is it, Aura? What about Thain?>

<He says wraiths are attacking Margate! 'Lene that's so close!>

Waylene attempted to soothe her panicking dragon, <Shhh, Aura. Tell Raynod
.. Love, calm down and tell Raynod.>

Z'lec
***

Raynod and Z'lec began their patrol around Aura's cave. <Ray, who's
supposed to be patrolling?> He asked suddenly concerned that he didn't see
any dragons.

<Sarathain.> said Raynod. The large white dragon had not taken kindly to
the young upstart who had won Aura's last mating flight. <He's neglecting
his duty!> the dragon muttered.

<Find out where he is.>

<Why me .. He's the one not doing his job!>

<Ray, stop being jealous, and find out where he is.>

 Z'lec couldn't say he blamed the dragon for his disappointment at losing.
He hadn't been thrilled with it either. 

<Z'lec! Wraiths are attacking Margate! Sarathain went to Marrid to find the
wing ..>

<And the main wing's gone to help Fiera ..> Z'lec finished for him. <Hurry
let's get to Margate!>

The two teleported to the small farming community, expecting to find it in
complete ruins. They were surprised to see the young trainees already there
flaming wraiths. Why would the trainees be out .. where was the reserve
group that should be at the Warren?

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
***
NRPG: Glory, I didn't take it very far, but you can count Z'lec in at
Margate. I'm assuming the rest of the wing will arrive directly, as Ray
will definitely be calling for back-up. 

Les, I'll get to D'gerrit in the next post ..

Sorry this is so long, but I had a lot to cover :}

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