Waylene
***

>"Well, all right then, she can stay until the hatching," he said
grudgingly, trying not to seem too eager, "But if she doesn't join, she
will have to get married as soon as she returns home."

Waylene nodded, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, won't we? Now
Lord Utha, I have things that I need to attend to. Shall I have my aide
find rooms for you? Or will you be leaving right away?"

"Tomorrow will be soon enough, Lady Waylene. After all I should spend time
with my injured daughter."

Waylene nodded, "Though perhaps that should wait until morning, after all,
she's been through an awful lot. She needs her rest, tonight."

"Of course."

Waylene bowed her head at him and headed out of the building. She headed
toward the hatching grounds to see how Carie and Fiera were doing. As she
drew nearer she could hear a commotion. She moved a bit quicker, wincing at
the pain in her side as she moved. She really was still supposed to be
taking it easy .. but when could the Warrenlady ever take it easy.

She stepped into the newly renovated hatching grounds where Fiera was
moaning softly as Carie was yelling at T'rend, Baeta and Minty. "You can't
leave them here! Can't you see how upset she is over this!"

"What is going on?" Waylene asked.

"Just look!" Carie said in exasperation as she motioned to the three
multicolored eggs. 

"Where did they come from?"

"Minty and I found them," Baeta said. "Along with an injured rogue rider.
Lakoda already took the injured rider to the med center. But these eggs
would have died. We couldn't leave them."

"There're from a wild queen," Minty explained. "The rogues killed her and
stole her eggs. For some reason these three were left."

"Probably left too quickly." Waylene said.

"Fiera can't be expected to look after these three wild eggs while she
prepares the grounds for her own." Carie protested.

Waylene sighed. She could see the metallic blue queen as she fidgeted
further and further away from the wild eggs. <Aura. I need you in the
hatching grounds.>

"Well, I agree, we can't let them die." She looked at Carie. "I know Fiera
isn't going to understand this, because neither would Aura were she
pregnant. But we need all the possible riders we can get. We can use these
eggs."

The large golden queen landed outside the hatching ground and lumbered in
calling softly to the pregnant queen. Waylene turned to her queen. <Aura,
love. We have three orphan eggs here who need a mother. Fiera's too worried
about her own eggs.>

<Orphaned eggs?> Aura asked.

<There mother was killed by rogues.>

<The poor dears,> Aura crooned, she lumbered into the hatching grounds and
turned instinctively toward the motherless eggs. <They are chilled,> she
said, taken aback. She immediately began to heat the sands around the eggs,
sending one of the dragonriders who had helped move the eggs running out of
the way.

<They are going to hatch soon, 'Lene.> said Aura excitedly, I can almost
hear the babies already. <I will watch them, so Fiera can worry about her
own babies.>

<Thank you, my love.> Waylene smiled, as she watched the large queen gather
the eggs as she wrapped her soft warm body around them.

"It'll be all right now, Carie."

Carie was looking skeptical when suddenly Fiera let out a terrifying roar.
Everyone turned to look to see the Queen preening over a large pale white egg.

"She's laying them now!" Carie squealed. Waylene nodded and watched briefly
as yet another egg made it's appearance.

<We're going to need more searchlings, Aura. No one's been searchling
lately. Z'lec's been to worried about me.> she though to her dragon.

<You'll find someone, 'Lene. You always do.>

<<NRPG: Chris, I hope you don't mind me starting the process. But I wanted
to get the eggs laid. Lyn, as soon as I know when Trey is back, Waylene may
get an idea of who to have help :}>>

***

Waylene looked around the apartment, hoping everything was perfect. She
didn't know why she was so nervous about this. After all she'd shared the
apartment with the man for years .. Of course, she'd also kicked him out ..

The rush of dragons wings brought her out of her thoughts as she headed out
of the human area and into the main room. The dazzling white Raynod was
bowed to let his rider off. Waylene smiled as Z'lec turned to look at her.
"You look beautiful," he said.

"Thanks," she said, "Come on in, dinner's almost ready."

"Good, I'm starved."

Waylene raised an eyebrow, "For my cooking?"

He chuckled, "Yes, even for your cooking." His eyes softened, "Especially
if it means I get to be in your company."

She smiled, "You always were a charmer."

"I try."

Raynod gave a quiet roar and took off. "Raynod says he's on his way to see
Aura."

"Remind him that Fiera is the really broody one."

"I can't believe you got Aura talked into watching those wild eggs."

Waylene shook her head, "That was easy. Aura's a very sensible dragon ..
when she's not pregnant or watching her eggs."

<'Lene, Ribbon's rider needs to see you. She will be at the apartment in
moment.>

<Thank you, dear.>

She looked at Z'lec. "I'm going to turn off the oven. It seems our newest
healer needs to see me."

"Apparently she needs to see both of us."

<It's about the unjoined murderess ..> Aura told her when she asked.

Waylene frowned, then headed into the kitchen. She'd been trying to forget
about Amblee.

*** 

>"You said everything?" Waylene asked. "Even about..."

>"Yes.. even about how she caused you to keep losing your babies and then
about finally deciding she had to ..."

>"...Kill me?" The woman snapped.

>Again Koda nodded her head.

Z'lec shook his head. "How .." The word whispered from his lips. "How could
she be so evil and hide it for so long?"

"I don't know .."

"And why did she wait so long to try and kill me .. when the others .."

"That I have an answer to. She knew how much Z'lec truly loved you. In her
mind, it made more sense to make him hate you rather then have you die with
him still in love with you. Finally something snapped and she realized he
was always going to love you. Even after you threw him out .. he still
wanted you. She finally felt she had no other choice."

Waylene looked at Z'lec, who looked down at the floor, "Gods, 'Lene, if I'd
known my love for you would lead her to do something like this .."

Waylene squeezed his hand tightly, "It's not you're fault. She's insane."

>"There's just one other thing... Koda paused, unsure how to phrase her
next words. "Normally I would not be asking the next question I'm going to
ask. But now I feel I must. As it's a rather personal, between the two of
you...but let me assure you both that what ever you tell me.. I'll keep it
to myself."

>"What could be that bad," Z'lec asked. "After everything else you've told
us.?"

>"I need to know what happened between the two of you that caused you to
break up and split apart."

Waylene suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. She quickly released Z'lec's
hand, "I don't see where that any of your...." She began, but the man
sitting beside her cut her off. 

>"Waylene please! I have a feeling Koda may know something about it
already," Z'lec told her softly. "So what's the harm in retelling it. It
might even help settle things between us."

>The healer saw the look that past between the two sitting across from her.
For a moment she thought that the woman would refuse to cooperate, but then
she seemed to sag and consented. Z'lec picked up the story leaving nothing
out. Not even to spare the feelings of the woman he loved. Koda listened
quietly, without interrupting until he was through.

Waylene sat listening to the old hurt and pain. The anger she'd felt then
was returning. And as he repeated the things he'd felt and done .. she
frowned. She still didn't see where any of this had anything to do with
Amblee. 

And even as Lakoda began to explain about the drug Amblee had used, Waylene
fought the idea.

>"What does this have to do with out breaking up and Z'lec's dreams of
making.. oh!!.. with Diana?" the Warrenlady wanted to know... then it hit
her. "Amblee? This was *her* doing?!? But how...?"

>"She once told me that there was more than one way to make someone fall in
love with you," Koda said explaining herself. "At the time she said it I
didn't understand and couldn't get her to say anything more about it.
Except that 'the other one' walked in before she could and ruined
everything... I think she was talking about Diana and I believe she had
given you Z'lec, a dose of the Quimeite drug then planted a suggestion in
you mind about the next woman you saw. She didn't know Diana was on her way
to see you or would get there first... so in affect it was Diana you had
dreams about... and not Amblee herself like she had planned."

Waylene shook her head in disbelief. "What are we going to do with her,
Z'lec."

"She can't stay here .. Perhaps the prisons in Lendenval."

"Maybe .." Waylene shook her head. "I can't think about this now. I have a
headache."

Lakoda nodded, "I'll leave you two alone."

Z'lec nodded, "Thanks, Koda."

The healer nodded graciously, and left the two alone.

Regards,
Waylene & Aura

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       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Darlea & Makayla, Keldarra Warren, Courier
                      Waylene & Aura, Marrid Warren, Warrenlady
                      Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Dragonrider
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Telnor Warren, Dragonrider
                      Saul & Fayloth, Whiteriver Warren, Searcher
                      Merybelle Barmen, City of Ralengarde, Innkeeper
                http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm
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