David and S'an sat on Kaylin, waiting on how they were going to handle
this threat.  Luckily, the army along the cliff's backs were turned, and
they had not yet seen the wing teleport in.

"Minty es in there." David said, "She couldn't leave because
o'te'pregnancy.  I hope she's all right."

"I'm sure she is.  They couldn't have reached the apartments." S'an said,
and put a hand on David's shoulder.  "We'll get though this."

*David, I can't stay aloft for very much longer.  My wing...* Kaylin
thought.

'We'll land soon Kaylin.  Hang in there.' the thought back, sending
feelings of encouragement.

Finally, a message was being sent through the ranks, and riders began to
get into position.

*Sir, Traknor has requested that the wing divide. The first group will
distract the cliff archers while the second will come in from behind and 
dispurse them. We are to land nearby and await orders because of the
harness.* Joell said, and S'an shook his head.

'I can't do the Joell.  I've got to make sure Yasmine and Serraphine are
ok.' He replied.

*Traknor is not going to like you arguing with him sir.* Joell thought,
and S'an shrugged.

'He doesn't have to know.  We'll slip into the warren during the
distraction.'

*Yes sir.* Joell said, and S'an turned to David.  "I need you to let me
off."

David nodded.  "I got the orders.  Sorry."

"Can't be helped." S'an said, and Kaylin decended to the ground.  Once
there, they saw the wing teleport to begin the maneuver.  David dismounted
and began to look at Kaylin's wing.

"David, I need to use your saddle." S'an said.

"Why?"

"So I can go back.  I need to make sure Yasmine and Serraphine are ok."

"You're going to disobey Trak's orders?" David said, and S'an nodded.

The dragonrider nodded back, and began to take off the harness from
Kaylin. "I'll give it up on one condition, that you take me with you.  I
can't leave Minty there alone..."

"Deal!" S'an said...

******* Back at the Warren *******

> "No answer, M'lady. You see Lady Yasmine. Do you see what you gave up to
> be a dragonrider? Now you live with a group of leaches and cowards! Do
> you wish that same fate for my daughter?" He turned back to Waylene.
> "Surrender now, Lady. Surrender or I will bring the walls of this warren
> down around your feet."

Larguad crossed his arms smugly, and looked up to where his daughter was.
"Serraphine, you are returning to Larguad with me!  You will not be a
dragonrider, affinity or no!"

"NO!" She shouted, and the lord's anger grew into an inferno, and he
looked up at the cliffs.

"Then you all die!" The lord shouted, and gave the signal.

*******

The first group of dragons teleported to the front of the warren, flying
high enough not to get hit by arrows, low enough to be seen.  Smoke
billowed up from the fires that raged inside the warren, and all could see
the massed army both on the ground and ledge.  L'cas gave the signal, and
they began their fly-by.

"Let's give em something to look at!" He shouted as the dragons decended.

*******

Darris saw the signal, "Archers, ready!" He shouted, and the streach of
bow strings followed down the ranks.  Suddenly, and large mass appeared
infront of them, and dove towards the warren.  "The wing...." Darris said,
and quickly gave counter commands.

"Dragons!  Draw and fire!" He shouted, the archers refocuing their
targets, and ballistas being cranked back.  "Fire, damn you all!" He
shouted, only then noticing the dark shadow looming over him from
behind...

*******

Larguad, after giving the signal, noticed a scuffle up on the cliffs, and
looked behind him.  In the air was a group of dragons diving straight
towards them.  "Defend the flanks!" He shouted, and ran to his horse,
drawing another sword.

Cholet reigned in next to him, "There are dragons comming in from the
south! We waited too long!" He said, and lowered his sword towards
the lords. "I'm stopping this madness right now!  We ride back to
Larguad!"

The Lord Baron snarled, and then the warren shook with a tremendous
explosion, knocking both nobles to the ground.

**********

"Attack!" Traknor yelled as the rest of the wing dove towards the archers
on the cliffs, catching them by surprise.  Fire roared along the ledges,
the dragons sweeping in, dispursing troops, destroying supply carts.  Mass
chaos reigned.

Darris opened his eyes, and crawled out from under the smoking heap that
was a supply wagon.  'How did I end up there?' He wondered, and picked up
a bow and quiver from a dead soldier.  He looked up, and noticed the
special supply cart was buring.  "Heaven help us!" He cried, and sounded
the retreat.

"Everyone, get back.  Get off the cliff!" He shouted, grabbing soldiers
and pusing them along the paths down the mountain.  There were dragons
everywhere, living bellows spouting death.  Drawing a special arrow, he
lit a part of it from a burning shrub.

Aiming it at a grounded dragon, he fired.  "Die beast!" He yelled, the
shaft streaking through the air.

S'ral looked around grinning, hearing the sounds of retreat from the
troops.  They had won!  He then saw something fly at Driel from an
officer, something on fire.

'Driel, look out!' He thought at his dragon, but it was too late.

Driel looked around just as the fiery shaft impaled his side...

S'ral was thown back, the side of his dragon exploding in a mass of blood
and fire, Driel falling from the ledge with the force of
impact.  "NO!" S'ral cried out, feeling the death of his dragon inside his
mind.  He got up, looking around for the officer that had killed his
dragon.  He would die... suddenly, everything turned white.

Darris dove for cover behind a rock formation, urging his troops to keep
running.  Suddenly, a bright light rose from the cliffs, followed by what
sounded like the very earth tearing itself apart.  "The supply wagon!" He
shouted, and was thrown back with the blast impact, rolling down the path
along with others, the ground trembling with the blast.

*********

Serraphine turned towards Yasmine and the other rider, "He won't listen to
me." She said, "Why is he doing this?"  Just then, the warren heaved, and
she lost her balance.

"Yasmine!" She cried out as she fell over the ledge.

*********

S'an and David flew through the warren just as the confusion started,
Joell dodging arrows and debris.  "They have got to be here somewhere!"
S'an shouted, and David nodded, and then grabbed S'an shoulder.

"They're over there!" He said, pointing to a small ledge.  Then the cliffs
erupted in a fireball, and Joell turned away, avoiding the falling shape
of a dragon.  "That was Driel." S'an said to himself, and heard a shriek.
Serraphine was falling from the ledge.

'Joell, get her!' He thought, and the dragon dove.  David reached out from
the back, grabbing hold of the baroness as they decended.  "I've got her!"
He shouted, and Joell banked, trying to avoid hitting the ground.

Half a dozen arrows reigned down on them, impaling the thin fabric of
Joell's wing. causing it to rip with the air pressure beneath it.  Letting
out a roar of pain, he impacted with the ground.  S'an, David, and
Serraphine fell off in the crash, rolling along the ground about ten feet
away.

S'an looked up towards Joell.  "Joell!" He shouted, and ran towards his
dragon just as a group of soldiers broke away to attack them.

David helped Serraphine to her feet, and faced the soldiers.  "Go to S'an!
I'll hold them off..." He said, and drew his two swords.

Serraphine ran towards S'an.  The rider was crouched down beside Joell's
head, stroking it gently.  "You'll be all right.  Don't worry." He said,
and the baronet put a hand on his shoulder.

"Is he going to be all right?" She asked, and S'an put a hand over hers.

"Yeah.  He's probably got a concussion, but other that that he's had
worse." He said with a week smile.

Serraphine nodded and hugged S'an tightly. "Thank you for saving me." She
said, S'an surprised at her affection.

"I was hoping Yasmine and you were ok." He said, returning the hug.

"She's up on the ledge." Serraphine said, pointing to where she had fallen
from.  S'an looked up and saw Yasmine waving towards them.

He waved back.  She seemed to be trying to tell him something.

"Get your hands off my daughter, wretch!" A voice said, and S'an turned
around to a fist in the face.  He fell to the ground, white spots flashing
across his vision.

"Father, don't hurt him!" He heard Serraphine say, and he rubbed his jaw.
Looking up, he saw the baron slap his daughter.

"Be quiet!" He shouted, "I'll not have you be some dragonrider's whore."

S'an got up and clentched his fists.  "Lay your hands off her." He said,
and the man turned around, his eyes blazing fury.

"You did this to her, didn't you?" He said, and drew his sword.  S'an
stepped back, unarmed.  

Suddenly, a man called out.  "Rider, my sword!"  A sword flew through the
air and drove itself into the ground a few feet from S'an.

"Cholet!" Larguad shouted, and S'an drew the sword.  Cholet lay about
thirty feet away, holding his side, blood dripping through his fingers.

"Stop this madness boy!" The lord shouted back, and fell to the ground.

S'an gripped the sword with two hands and faced Serraphine's father.
"Leave my home alone." He growled, and steel flashed through the air.

************ SUBMITTED BY **********

Justin