Waylene
***

>Waylene took his hand. "Z'lec..." Her voice faltered as he shifted his
>dark glare towards her. "Z'lec, I'm gla..." She broke off once again when
>Z'lec turned his eyes from her and continued to gaze, coldly, at Ailill.

Her heart ached as he looked away. He wasn't the same .. She'd known that
was a possibility. Actually she'd known that was a certainty. During the
battle of Marrid there had been a couple of riders who had lost their
dragons. One had gone into a coma much like Z'lec's and never come out. The
other was Touth. And he most certainly was not the same. She could remember
the lively older gentleman who had a smile for everyone.

Even his joining with Yenal .. no not joining .. for it wasn't really a
joining. She wasn't sure what one could call it. But even now that he had a
dragon companion, he was still not the same man. When he stopped in to see
her, he was somber and .. well just different.

But this was Z'lec .. This was the man she'd loved and lived with for so
many year ..

>"Warrenlady, I'm tired, and hungry. I think I'd like to go get something
>to eat."

She was pulled from her thoughts by the tired girl who'd brought Z'lec out
of his coma. She quickly realized the girl was leaving to try and give her
sometime alone with him. She smiled, nodding gratefully.

>Rising she walked Ailill to the door. Stopping her just before she walked
>out. "Thank you Ailill. I'm not sure what you did, but thank you."

Ailill grinned weakly, "I'm not sure what I did either, and I'm not sure
you should be thanking me just yet." She closed the door quietly behind
her, leaving the Warrenlady alone with her mate.

Waylene moved back to where Z'lec lay in the bed staring at the wall.
"Z'lec .."

"Go away."

She was shocked at the venom in his voice. She continued on her path, "I
can't do that .."

"GO AWAY!"

"No. I don't want you to be alone."

His head swung back around, his eyes moving to look into hers, "Alone?" he
asked, a coldness in his voice. "How can I be anything but .." He turned
back to stare at the wall, ".. alone .."

She knew he was right .. and it wasn't something she could easily
understand. Not really anyway. Still she wasn't about to make him sit here
completely alone. She would be there for him whether he wanted her there or
not.

***

Nothing had changed when Ailill and Sina reappeared a few hours later.
Z'lec had ignored her most of the time. She was heartbroken and didn't know
what to do.

Sina pushed past Ailill to check on Z'lec's vital's quickly. He looked at
her, but only for a moment before turning back to face the wall, not
helping her, but also not hindering her.

When she finished a few moments later she turned to Waylene, "Lady
Waylene..." Sina began, "I have a few things I would like to discuss with
you. I wonder if you wouldn't mind coming with me."

>Waylene sighed deeply, giving Z'lec one last look she rose and followed
>the healer.

They stepped into Sina's office and the woman motioned her into a chair.
"I'm worried about him."

Waylene nodded, the raised her eyes fearfully, "He's all right physically
isn't he?"

Sina nodded, "For the moment. But that can still deteriorate if he doesn't
want to get better. He's already been lying there for several days with
only a little bit to sustain him. Looking at him, I can see the thinness
growing in his cheeks .."

Waylene nodded, they'd had to practically beg Touth to eat after the loss
of his dragon. She still wasn't completely sure what brought him out of it
.. Maybe it was Yenal .. maybe it was because he saw he was needed. But how
could they prove to Z'lec he was needed?

"What can I do?"

"Be patient. Though .." she said hesitantly, "I'm not sure you're sitting
with him will help."

"Why? We can't let him sit along.. and Ailill should be in bed."

"I know. But you're a reminder of what he no longer has. You're a dragonrider."

"So is Ailill .." Waylene protested.

Sina nodded, "Yes, she is. And I'm going to send her away also."

"Sina he shouldn't be alone."

"I'll find someone to sit with him .. someone who isn't a dragonrider."
Sina insisted. "I was thinking maybe Cook."

Waylene thought for a moment. All of Z'lec's family was gone .. His parents
had been killed shortly after he joined with Raynod and he had no brothers
or sisters .. but he did have Hanna. The head cook was a distant cousin
somehow. Z'lec had tried to explain the relationship .. but between, who
mated to who and who was whose bother, uncle or father .. the line was
confusing.

"Cook doesn't like to leave the kitchen .."

"She's already been in here several times the last couple of days to check
on him. I don't think she likes people to know how much she really cares."

Waylene nodded, "That I'm sure of .."

"But if we tell her he needs her .."

Waylene nodded again, "All right. Let's do it then. But you've got to
promise that if he asks for me .."

"Absolutely .."

Suddenly the door was pushed open and a red-faced Lakoda stood there
glaring at the both of them.

>"I thought we had a deal Warrenlady Waylene," she started in a very formal
>tone. "I thought it was understood that I was to suffer through Trak's
>ordered training as long as there were no medical emergencies here in the
>hall! That I was to be excused from said training if something happened.
>So... WHY in the hell wasn't I informed of what happened here earlier with
>Z'lec? Or did his almost dying not count as and emergency?"

"Things happened so quickly .." Waylene began, shocked by the healers attack.

"They always do here. Which is why I should be here and not out there being
tortured by that barbarian!"

"That decision has already been made, Lakoda," She said stonily. She wasn't
about to start debating the decision she'd already made on that.

"What about our bargain?"

"I apologize if you felt you should have been called in .."

"I should have been!"

"But .." Waylene continued, her voice rigid with control. "Sina was right
there.. If we had waited and called you in, he would be dead. And as
quickly as it began it was over .. and he was all right. There was no
longer any emergency."

"I still should have been called."

"Fair enough, if it happens again, I'll call you. But rather then screaming
at me about what I did wrong, you should be complimenting your staff who
did their jobs expertly when you were away." She could feel the bottled
emotions of the day threatening to break her composure, "Now if you'll
excuse me." She moved quickly past Lakoda and out the door. She didn't stop
until she was out of the medical center.

There she stopped and tried to compose herself, but she could feel the
flood of tears that had already begun. There was no way she'd make it
across the Warren. She could already feel her knees beginning to buckle.

Suddenly a flash of gold appeared in front of her and a soft, sweet voice
called, <I'm here .. >

Waylene took the few blurry steps to the dragon and leaned heavily against
her warm side. Aura wrapped her body around the Warrenlady, forming a huge
golden barrier where her rider to have peace.

As Aura's huge form blocked out the daylight, Waylene collapsed into the
comforting darkness provided by her lifemate. It was then she began to
understand just a little more how truly alone Z'lec was.

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
***
NRPG: Well, I doubt Aura's gonna let anyone near Waylene until she's a
little more composed. I figured between Z'lec's rejection of her, and
Koda's attack, not to mention Sina's grim prognosis .. she's a little
stressed.

Kris

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