Z'lec
***

>When her story was over she sat down hard on the floor. "What am I going
>to do Z'lec?" She was all out of tears, she had been for the last half of
>the story. Instead she sat dry eyed and emotionally drained praying for
>some sort of consolation.

But there was no consolation. Nor was there any sympathy in his dark eyes
when she looked up to meet them. There was only rage and anger .. and
hatred.

"I'll kill him .." The man finally said and stormed away, leaving a stunned
Ailill watching after him.

Ailill had told him of the confrontation in the med center, so that was the
first place Z'lec headed. He'd show that upstart, egotistical,
back-stabbing son of a bitch a thing or two! He couldn't just steal a man's
mate .. and then break her heart.

No .. wait. This was about Ailill and Kendal, not Trak ..

His eyes narrowed as he spotted the brown headed man coming out of the
building and turned his path to intercept him.

"How dare you!" Z'lec roared and lunged at the unsuspecting rider ..

<NRPG: Norman .. have fun :) He's not really angry at Kendal.. he's more
just plain angry at the whole world! And Kendal just happens to be the one
who gets the brunt of his anger today! Kate, feel free to follow him if you
want <G> >>

Waylene
***

Waylene was sitting hunched shouldered over her desk when Aura told her
that Ribbon's rider needed to see her right away. Something about a murder.
But here in the warren? That just didn't happen.

<Love, call Mayhem's rider .. I'll need him to come and pick me up.>

She stood and headed down the hallway and out into the sunshine to wait for
Trak and Mayhem, for there was no way Aura was leaving the hatching
grounds. She would be laying her eggs any time now.

Fortunately Waylene did not have long to wait and soon she was seated on
Mayhem's back with Trak holding her tightly in his arms. Neither of them
spoke as both were concentrating on the seriousness of the matter at hand.

Mayhem landed letting the two riders off. Neither noticed the small crowd
that was gathering around one rider and the former wingleader, not to far
away. The two were to intent on finding out what was going on inside the
med center.

The spoke briefly with the upset young woman who had found the boy and then
were directed to a back hallway .. the same one where Waylene and Kendal
had made their way to the med center through the back tunnels on the day of
Larguad's attack. There they found Koda kneeling over the body of a boy.

>"Koda?" the woman's voice was soft and gentle when she called out to get
>the healers attentions. "Koda... come. Let's go into your office while the
>others look around to see if they can find anything."

>"No... I need to be here." Koda stood and wiped the tears from here eyes.
>"I need to be here to help if they need me."

>"There's nothing more you can do for him Koda," Waylene told her, and
>while Koda knew she was telling the truth, she didn't want to leave, but
>found herself following Waylene back down the hall.

While Waylene got Koda out of the hallway, Trak took over the
investigation. His eyes locked with hers, promising that he'd take care of
things. She threw him a thankful smile and led Koda away.

"Someone told me it was one of your orphans?" the Warrenlady asked as they
re-entered the newer part of the med center. She felt a pang of guilt ..
for she remembered the three quite well ..

There had been hints .. rumors of thieves. Mostly small things .. but
always valuable. Necklaces, rings .. things like that. And all the clues
had pointed to the three orphans. Not wanting to upset Lakoda, Waylene had
taken it upon herself to handle the situation.

She thought she had. She'd warned them .. more like threatened them, now
that she thought back on it .. that if she discovered anything else
missing, she would have them removed from the warren. It hadn't been an
easy thing to do. They were beautiful and charming children. Especially the
little girl. But she'd felt at that the time that she was doing the right
thing.

And things had settled down. There had been no further thefts .. until just
recently. And somehow she didn't think the children could be responsible
for stealing a side of beef! And honestly .. she'd mostly forgotten all
about them ..

>"Chalin."

>"Where are his brother and sister?"

>"I've no idea," Koda told her. "I sent someone to the nursery workers
>house where they're living to check on them, but he hasn't returned or
>sent any word yet."

"So you don't have any idea why he would be back in the old halls? Did the
children play there... or..."  She stopped not liking where her thoughts
were taking her now. She saw Koda's questioning look and quickly changed
the subject. "Don't you worry yourself about it Koda... we'll find out who
did this.... and why."

>They talked for a bit longer. Waylene asking questions, and Koda answering
>them the best that she could. Then Waylene asked her to describe the cause
>of death, and Koda.. after taking a few deep breathes to calm herself,
>related things as she had first come across them. Now to her theory about
>the cause of the knife cuts on the side of Chalin's face.

>"Someone wanted to make sure the boy wouldn't be able to tell anyone what
>had happened."

>"Well we'll just have to work at uncovering those reasons." Waylene
>replied. "We'll find his killer, Koda.. somehow."

***
<<Lunchtime - Waylene's apartment>>

She sat with her head resting on her, looking out a nearby window. The
afternoon sun was gorgeous, yet she could not enjoy any of it. Her guilt
was getting to her. Between Z'lec and now poor young Chalin .. only 10
years old. Maybe she was doing everything all wrong. Maybe she wasn't cut
out to be a Warrenlady.

She sighed unhappily, thinking that things like this had never happened to
her predecessor .. at least it never had seemed like it ..

Suddenly she felt two strong arms go around her and a deep voice whisper in
her ear, "What's wrong, lover?"

She shook her head. She wasn't ready to admit to Trak what a horrible
person she was. "What did you find out?"

He shook his head, "Almost nothing. I'm having a couple of riders check the
back tunnels for anything else they can find."

She nodded, and it was clear to the large blonde man that she was not
listening, "All right, what's bothering ye?"

"Nothing .." she said lamely.

"Don't start closing me out," he said. "I want to be there for you. No
matter what."

"I .. I've just been thinking." She turned to face him.

"Thinking what?"

"It's all my fault." She blurted out.

"What?" he asked in surprise. "The dead kid? I'd like to know how you
figure that?"

She sighed and told him the whole story about discovering the kids with
some incriminating evidence of a robbery. "I just wanted to do what was
best.. so I .. I told them that I'd have them thrown out of the warren if I
ever heard of them stealing anything again."

"So. That was the right thing to do."

"No." she  shook her head, "It wasn't. They're only children. They don't
have any family .. all the wanted was someone to care about them .."

Suddenly she stopped and her eyes widened.

"What?" Trak asked in confusion.

"That's it .. that's what I have to do."

"What??" he asked again.

She turned to look at him, "Trak, I'm going to make it up to them. We've
got to find the other two and I'm going to make it up to them."

"How .." he asked hesitantly.

"The gods saw fit to deny me my babies .. and I accepted that. But I still
have a lot of love to give. I could still be a good mother. And I'm going
to prove it. I'm gonna find those kids and love them like I was never able
to love my own .."

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
***
NRPG:  umm Mike .. TAG!

I found these bio's of the three orphans from one of Barb's old posts ..
just so you all know who we're looking for   :)

Marika, 6yrs. Blonde hair, blue eyes, looks small for her age. She has a
beautiful smile that lights up the world 70 different ways and everyone who
meets her falls in love with her. She's very friendly.

Lemek, 8yrs. Brown hair, navy blue eyes, shy but friendly with a thirst for
knowledge and loves to listen to the older riders tell stories. A very
polite kid with good manners.

*Deceased* Chalin <shalion> 10yrs. Blue eyes. Always looks sick and in need
of loving
hugs. Keeps coming down with a high fever that the healers can't find a
reason for. A quiet kid with a ready smile. He never complains.

All: I want you all to know that I have no idea who the killer or killer(s)
are. I have not plan for where this is to go.. other then for the two
children remaining alive, who are actually Barb's NPC's.  Other then that,
I want you all to have fun with this.

Take it where ever the creative urge strikes you!

Kristen
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  |\  /^~~^\  /|
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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
 --d----------b-------------------------------------------------------
        ()
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        \/