[Day 7]

[Trey]

"Come on, Sina.  I've got trainees to graduate and Searching to do.  I can
do that perfectly well without putting a strain on my stitches."

The healer sighed.  "Let me finish my rounds, and then I'll look and see
what I think, okay?"

Trey sat back.  "Okay.  I'll be patient."

<My rider, I have a message from Aura for Ribbon's rider,> Koroth said.

<Why doesn't she just tell Ribbon, then?>

<Her rider thinks it would be better coming from a human.>  Koroth
proceeded to tell Trey the news about Yasmine, which sent Trey's stomach
fluttering just thinking about it.  He sighed and slipped out of the bed.

Sina looked up as she saw him walking down the hall.  "What are you doing
out of bed?"

"I've got some bad news to tell Lakoda.  You might want to warn that
brother of yours that I may need help keeing her here."

******

Trey left Koda's room, knowing there were things to be worked out between
C'tain and Lakoda.  Sina spotted him and steered him back to his room.

"Let's take a look at you now..."

******

[Afternoon]

"All right, you've all done quite well and I believe I can pass you all
off to Traknor and David to be assigned positions in the wing.  It's been
a pleasure working with you all."

There were general cheers and then the newest trainees took their leave.
He turned and spotted Laria and R'chis watching.  "You two are still
here?"

Laria nodded.  "We've been enjoying the differences here.  It's nice being
at a small warren, isn't it?"

He smiled.  "A bit different than Telnor, that's for sure.  Have you had
lunch?"

Laria shook her head.

"Well, then, what say we head up to my place for some of your father's
home cooking?" 

******

Laria leaned back from the table, moaning slightly.  "Oh, that was so
good, but I think I overate."

"You know you're not really eating for two just yet, dear," Trey teased
his daughter.

"I just miss your cooking."

"Well, you could come and visit more often, you know."

Laria sighed.  "But I'm always so busy.  There's been all the problems
with the Hellspawn and before that, there was the whole rearrangement of
Alpha Wing, since Retala died and--"

"What!?"  Trey's face lost all colour and he hastily set down the cup he
was holding.

"You... you didn't know?"

"No!  What do you mean Retala died?  How?  When?  Why wasn't I told?"

"Oh, Papa, I'm sorry.  I thought Ash and H'nry told you when they were
here after the Landbound attack."

Trey shook his head.  First Diana and now Retala...

"She was sick.  Some kind of cancer.  When it got too bad, she and Rimanda
teleported."

"I see."  Trey sat in stunned silence for a moment and then stood.
"Excuse me a minute."

He left the room, heading for the bedroom where he sank onto the bed and
wrapped his arms around himself, trying to control the sudden shakes.  He
remembered the last time he'd seen Retala... the girls' birth... the
mating flight... making love after the mating flight... the look in her
eyes...  He realised it had been goodbye.  She had known then.

He looked up and his eyes fell on the box containing Diana's remains.
Ophelia estranged... Diana dead... Retala dead...  He curled up into a
ball, his tears falling freely as he grieved over all his lost loves.

******

"Papa?"

He wiped the tears from his eyes and sat up.  "Sorry," he murmurred.

"Oh, it's okay.  I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"I'm okay."

She sat down on the bed and hugged him.  "I'm sorry.  I thought you knew.
I feel just horrible now."

"Not your fault."

"I know, but I still feel awful."

He hugged her and then stood, smiling weakly.  "I'm being an awful host.
Come on; I fixed pie for dessert."

******

[Evening]

Trey slid off Koroth in front of the Med Center.  He'd spent the afternoon
after Laria and R'chis left in Searching the market in the small town of
Dunein.  He'd spotted a farmer's son named Medry, about fourteen years
old, though his father was uncertain of his exact age.  The affinity shown
brightly in the boy.  The father, one Owinry, asked that his son not be
taken to the warren till they had finished their pumpkin harvest, which
would be within a couple of days.  Trey had made arrangements to pick up
the boy two days hence.

Now his hip was aching.  Sina had offered to prescribe him a painkiller
that wouldn't interract with his other medications, but that morning Trey
hadn't felt the need.  Now he did.

He strode into the building, his thoughts wandering from Medry to Lakoda
to Laria to Retala to Diana.  He walked, head down, watching his boots and
didn't see the staffer till they collided.

"Sorry," he said, helping the young woman pick up the
no-longer-neatly-folded clothes from off the floor. 

"I didn't see you for the stack of clothes I was carrying," she explained.

"My fault.  I wasn't watching where I was go--"  He stopped midsentence
and stared at the piece of clothing he had just picked up.  It was a
knight's tabard in green and gold, with a rearing horse on the front.
"Where did you get this?" he demanded of the girl, holding up the article.

"That?  It's one of the patient's."

"Which one?"

The girl looked at him in mystification.  "It belongs to the head of
Larguad's forces that took over the Med Center.  That rogue, Ranon,
knocked him out and he's been in here with a concussion ever since, but he
won't tell us his name or anything else.  Waylene's tried talking to him,
but he's convinced he's a prisoner and won't give out any of his lord's
plans to the enemy," the said, making quotation marks with her hands when
she said "the enemy."

Trey stared at the tabard.  "Describe him to me."

"Um... Well, I guess he'd be maybe... mid-twenties, with reddish-brown
hair, tall.  Why?"

"His name is Gransol ap Chevane," Trey said quietly.

"What?" the staffer asked, but Trey was already headed out of the Med
Center.

Moments later, Koroth settled down on Waylene's ledge.  Waylene met him at
the door.  "Aura said Koroth said you had some information for me?" she
asked.

Trey held out the tabard.  "Your mysterious invader, his name is Gransol
ap Chevane."

Waylene looked at him confused.  "I didn't know you were familiar with
Landbound heraldry."

"I'm not," Trey answered.  "He's my brother."

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Tr'etram and Koroth

NRPG: Tag, Kris!

---

 Lynette R. F. Cowper <lcowper@indy.net>, INWO Line Editor