>"Good luck!" Koda snorted as she turned to mount her dragon. "The man's
a jerk."

David looked back at the small healer, and tilted his head slightly.
>"And what'ca mean by t'at Healer," David asked eyeing her strangely.

>"Oh I'm sure you'll find out when you get there... If he'll see you,"
she
>said not elaborating overly much. "Just be warned not to agree with any
>deals he may put on the table without telling him that you'll need to
speak
>to Waylene about them first....and always LISTEN to how he phrases the
>wording of his offers...You two have fun today."

David shurgged, and scratched his head.  Some women were just too
wierd...
"As I was saying, we should start at te'manor." He mentioned as they
headed back to their dragons.

>"No problem, In fact this is your show, I'm just the backup." Kendal
said.

>"What do ya mean?" David inquired.  Backup?

>"David?" Lakoda called out his name, stopping him when the other two had
turned
>away. 

>"Healer?" He said, a tinge of annoyment running through his head.  If
she was going to keep him here all day....

>"I have a small favor to ask.. one you can say no to if you don't have
>time.. or would rather not do.. but I need to find someone to... ah...
work
>out with to refresh my hand to hand skills and was wondering if
maybe...."

"I would help ye." David finished for her, grinning.  "Of coarse I would
help ye.  Meet me after dinner tonight, around eight o'clock, at the
south end of the lake, and wear loose clothing."

With that, he and Kendal continued towards their dragons, not waiting for
a reply from the already pissed off helaer.
	
>"Well I'm still new to these parts, I don't have a clue as to who this
Lord Reignald is.  Not to >mention I'm not big on royalty."  Kendal gave
David a wry grin.

>"Alright.  Just follow me."  David said, shrugging.  "This shouldn't be
too long."

Mounting their dragons, they took off into the sky, Ainu following Kaylin
as David told his dragon the directions.  Suddenly, David wondered
something very important....

'Kaylin, ask Ainu t'ask Kendal how much combat training they've had.'
David asked his dragon, and after he was finished wondered why that felt
so strange to be saying.

After a few seconds, the reply came.  

*Ainu says they can manage.* Kaylin thought, and snorted in disgust.  *He
is pretty scrawny, I hope he can hold up...*

'Who, Kendal?' Daivd asked.

*No, Ainu.  I am much stronger than he is....*

'I wonder why dragons boast s'much about themselves.' Daivd teased.

*I'm just stating a fact.* Kaylin said, and David laughed out loud.  This
was going to be some day.  Looking back to see if Kendal was all right,
David's tongue caught in his throat as he saw Kendal jump off the back of
the dragon.

"What te'hell!" David cursed, and then saw the young man rise up on some
sort of board.  "Well I'll be damned." David remarked, and leaned back in
his saddle.  There were some things that men were not supposed to do, and
his partner just did one of them.

'Kaylin, tell Kendal not to kill himself.' Daivd thought, and then
wondered about what was happening in Larguad.

****************

>"Enough talk out here." Reignald said, and motioned for Baron Cholet and
Winstone to >make their way inside the castle.  "We will talk inside,
without listening ears.  If any action >is to be taken, it is to be a
secret."

Cholet nodded, and went inside the castle, followed by Reignald with
Winstone taking up the rear with Jarvis.  The sneaky little man looked
the advisor up and down.

"Have the dragonriders sent word of the baronet yet?" He asked casually,
looking at the fine tapestries that lined the walls.

Jarvis nodded slowly.  "Master Reignald told the rider to leave, and when
I gave him the letter the man brought, he tore it up."

"Good." Winstone said softly to himself.

"Why is that?" Jarvis asked, his ears used to hearing softly spoken
words.

The man looked at him in a measuring way, and smiled.  "Dragonriders are
skilled at writing letters and such, trying to hide their true actions. 
I fear...." He started, and then shook his head.  "No, I would not worry
your master so."

Jarvis scowled.  "What?!  Speak your words..."

"Of coarse, sir." The man said, and his face darkened.  "I just fear that
the riders may have already bonded the young baronet, and perhaps other
things...."

"They wouldn't dare!" Jarvis said, his voice louder than he wanted it to
be.

"Who know with the likes of them?" Winstone mentioned.  "Ah!  We are at
the study.  We wound not want to keep our masters waiting?"

Jarvis looked up at the beckoning hand of Lord Reignald, and nodded with
a bow.  "Of coarse." He said, still pondering about where Winstone came
from.

Inside the study, the barons took their seats at a large table covered
with maps and charts.  Jarvis stood my his masters side, looking casual
as we watched Winstone carefully.  He did not trust the man one bit. 
There was just something about him.

"I have a battle plan set up already.  I just need to know wheather you
are going to back us up in this." Reignald said, tracing his finger along
a mountain route, on the backside of the warren.  Cholet looked over the
map, and then at a roster of Lord Reignald's military strength.

"We are only going to retrieve the baronet, am I correct m'lord?" He
asked, nervous about this strategy.  To fight men was one thing, to figth
dragons a whole other.

"You are correct, but if they do not hand her over, we will attack.  I
will send catapult and archer forces along the back route, with a special
surprise as well, so as to take them from behind and above.  The rest of
our forces will rally along the normal route in the front of the warren. 
If they refuse, a signal will be made by myself, and we will attack."

"But only as last resort." Cholet said, mopping his brow with his sleeve.
 Suddenly it had become very stuffy in the room.

"As last resort." The lord baron affirmed.  "If they will not hand
Serraphine over, we will lay siege on them, retreiving her.  And then
showing the rest of the nation that the dragonriders can be beaten!" He
slammed his fist to the table, and took a long swallow of a glass of
mead.  "Are you with me Cholet?" He asked, a dangerous glint in his eye.

Cholet swallowed, and looked towards Winstone.  The man nodded,
whispering in his masters ear.
"It would be a wise move, m'lord.  Reignald is powerful, and his plan
good.  Also, what about your son.  He will surly fight for his love and
honor?"

The Baron nodded, and looked at Reignald as he finished his own glass. 
"It shall be done.  The flanking forces shall use our mining routes, a
few lead right to the back end of the warren."

Reignald took out his belt knife, and made a shallow cut along his
forearm.  "To seal the pact."  The other lord did the same, the two
holding their arms together.

"It is done." Winstone said softly.

****************************

David spotted the landbound castle that was a part of Larguad.  It was
smaller town, but still wealthy in its own right.  Too bad there was no
guild there, or perhaps they could retrieve more information about what
was happening.  Kendal had slipped back into his saddle, and the two
landed outside the town walls.

"I d'not want t'start a panic." David said to Kendal, dismounting his
dragon and checking to see that everything was in place.  It does not
hurt to be prepared.

"From the look of the guards, we may have all ready." Kendal said,
pointing to the guards at the town gates.  The two men held their pole
arms shakily, eyeing the giant beasts that sat right before them.

David sighed, and shook his head.  It was going to be one of those days. 
Two two riders walked toward the gates, and David smiled widely.

"My name es David, and this is Kendal.  We have come t'talk with Lord
Baron Larguad about his daughter." He said, and the two guards looked at
eachother.

"We were told not to admit any dragonriders into the town, under any
circumstances." One said, and the other nodded.
"You had better leave now, rider."

David opened his mouth to say something, but Kendal pulled on his sleeve.
 Looking back, Kendal pointed up.  David followed his finger until he saw
four sentries holding crossbows aimed at them from the ramparts.  "I
see." David said, and bowed slightly.  "Perhaps one of you would like to
carry a message for the lord?"

"I will carry your message." A voice said, and a skinny man walked out
from the shadows behind the gates.

"Advisor Jarvis, lord Reignald told us to..." A guard started, and the
advisor cut him off with a gesture of his hand.

"I will worry about the lord myself." He said, and turned towards David
and Kendal.
"I will walk with you back to your dragons."

David nodded, and they headed back toward Ainu and Kaylin.

"What is your message son?" Jarvis asked.

"We have come to ask why our messanger was sent away yesterday, and to
also to tell the Lord Baron that we have his daughter, that she is all
right, and when she is better we will return her." David said.

"What had happened?" Jarvis said, and Kendal explained to him about the
brigands and the rouge dragonrider.

"I see.  Well, perhaps I can get m'lord to listen to reason.  Thank you
for your message." He said after Kendal was finished.

David nodded, "Of coarse.  We will expect a reply in a few days." 

"Of coarse." Jarvis said.  "It is dangerous for you to be around now. 
Good journey." And with that, the man turned and headed back to the
gates, leaving David and Kendal wondering what was happening around here.

[NRPG:  Ok Norman, what does Kendal think about all of this?]

************************

Jarvis watched the dragons take off, and shook his head.  Something was
very wrong here.  Though he did not hold any love for the riders, he like
war even less.  He had to tell the baron what had happened.  Turning to
go, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck, and everything went
dark.......

Winstone slowly removed a long, thin needle from the back of Jarvis's
skull where it had punctured his brain and spinal cord.  There was no
blood.  

Jarivs was alive though, but he would not be able to move or talk ever
again.  And such is the price of war.  He looked towards the sky,
following the slowly diminishing forms that were dragons.  Everything was
slowly coming together.
"Guards!!!!  Help, something is wrong with the advisor!!!" He cried out,
and soon heard footfalls on the ground.  It was a good day.  "Someone
help!"

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

Justin

aka.  David and Kaylin
         S'an and Joell

NRPG:  Ok..... now what?  *vbeg* 
               I have a drunk baronet on my hands *thank you Carolyn :P *
               A mate about to give birth....  *thank you Les  :P*
               And a war about to happen....  *thanks to myself!  :P*

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