*You're getting too old for this*

"No, I'm not," Touth said to the Black Dragon he was astride.  After
months of searching, the two of them had not found Malk Bromitz.  Touth
wasn't sure of the Dragon's obsession with finding his former "partner",
but he had signed on to help.  They'd searched lands, the other Warrens,
seemingly everywhere.  Every sign they had found pointed to the fat taht
Malk was back in the Dragonlands.  But no sign.  The closest had been an
odd feeling in Keldarra, but with all the chaos going on there, Touth had
assumed finding him, if he were there, was like finding a Needle in a
stack of Needles, within a Giant haystack.

They'd been back in Marrid just over a week, long enough to work their way
over the fair that had come through, and were on patrol when Yenal noticed
it slightly before Touth saw it.

*There's someone down there*

"Where," Touth asked, curious.

*Just north, hold on a second*

Yenal soared down, closer to the ground, before coming to a stop before
the man he'd seen walking.  The man covered in blood.

"Dear Gods," Touth said, "C'Tain, What's going on??"

"Touth?" C'tain said, realization dawning in his eyes, "You have to get
me back to Marrid, now!"

"Ok," Touth said, helping the healer get onto Yenal as the teleported back
to the warren.


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

The Bright Blue queen flew across the skies of Marrid, Carie still had to
take it easy, after all that had happened over the last few months, but
she still didn want to be too far from Fiera.  The sensation of not being
able to talk to her Dragon was extremely disconcerting.  She didnt' want
it to happen again.

*Carie, Yenal and some of the other Dragons are talking of heading out to
a spot where another rider was caught in whatever is happening around
here*

Carie shuddered.

"We're not going, I dont' know what help we could be if we did, and I'm
not certain anyone else should go out there.""

*Minourith is still alive out there.*

Carie nodded.

"Who all has volunteered?"

*Just Touth, Yenal and C'tain.*

"Find out who else is interested, and willing to take the risk.  Have them
arrange with Yenal to go out there."

*Yenal is already out there.  He left the image with Touth.  Yenal feels
he can offer some comfort, at least a little*

"Ok, if anyone needs me, I'm going to talk to Waylene.  We have to come up
with some plans on what to do with this phenomena."

*Aura's rider says to wait a few mintues, and she can see you*

************************************************************************
[Later]

"Just over night, right?" Carie said, lookin at Waylene pleadingly.

Waylene smiled, "Of course, I promise.  Don't worry, you'll do fine.  And
if you need anything, you can always call on D'nar.  I've named him
Wingleader for while Trak's out.  I know he'll be willing to lend you a
hand should you need it.

Carie nodded.  

"You be careful, ok?  I'll start our plan, but you be very careful.  There
is too much strangeness going on around here."

Waylene nodded.  "You'll be fine.  We've already talked to Touth and some
ofthe others.  This will all work out fine"

Carie smiled.  "Get some sleep, and have a safe trip.  Tell Trak I said
hello."

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

[Day 3, just before lunch]

Carie awoke to a summons.  There was a messenger with an urgent message
for her.  She yanwed lazily and threw some clothes on.  She'd be glad when
Waylene got back today.  On the good side, most of the paperwork was
caught up.

Fiera took her to Waylene's office, where a messenger was awaiting her.

"Good morning," She said, smiling, "And what can I do for you?"

"I have a message for you from Tinobel, Lady," he said, handign her the
paper.

Carie opened it up and started reading.  As she got further into the
letter, she didn't notice her hand start to clutch the letter tighter, nor
her skin going white, her eyes wide.  She looked up at the messenger.

"When did you receive this?"

"Late last night...it took me most of the night to get here."

Carie nodded dumbly.  She walked slowly over to Waylene's desk, and
grabbed a paper to start writing a return note.  She prepped it, and
walked back over, handing it to the messenger.

"Take this back to Waylene, please."

The man, boy, Carie noted, nodded and left.

She walked over and sat down in the chair.  Her chair now..for what could
amount to a long time.

"Fiera...send for D'nar please"

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

D'nar showed up a short time later.

"Oh, D'nar!" Carie said, rushing to him as he entered the Office.  "I'm so
glad you're here.  We have got a huge problem!"

"What," He asked, his face clouding with concern.

"It's Waylene...something happened and the healers want her to stay in
Tinobel!"

"What?"

"They're afraid she's going to lose her baby.."

"Baby??" D'nar asked.

"Yes, and so she's staying in Tinobel!"

"For how long?"

"She isn't sure..but maybe until the baby comes"

D'nar stood there, frozen.

"They're both going to be gone?"

Carie nodded, feeling her strength ebbing as she went to sit down in
Waylene's chair.

"When do you plan on telling the Warren?"

"I don't know, I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet."

D'nar nodded.  "Well, let's start with telling the wings adn the Med
Center.  After that, it will spread pretty quickly."

"Yes," Carie agreed," I'll probably want to stay here for a while.  I'm
sure people will be dropping by with Questions."  She sighed, "Ok
then..let's get it over with."

D'nar turned to leave.

"D'nar?  Thanks."

"You're welcome.  Let me know if you need anything."

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

[That same day]

*So, what are we looking for Old Man?*

"Old?  Old?  Well, it appears my age may be good for something.  There was
talk, when I was the age of soem of our younger riders, there was talk of
a Warren that was being built, but was abandoned.  Turns out they didn't
need it after all.  It takes three shades of forever to build a Warren.
Now, this Warren isnt' finished, least if memory serves me it isn't.  But,
it's further north, and a far better chance of no disappearing magic."

*I still want to go be with Minourith*

"I know ya do, tell you what...we'll do our search for today, then you can
go visit her, ok?"

*Deal.  Let's see if we can find this lost Warren of yours*


[Late that Evening]

Carie walked into her Aparment, her body very tired from the day she had
just went through.  How did Waylene do it?  How did she keep everything
straight, everything organized?

She walked into her bedroom, passing by the mirror she'd bought from the
travelling group that had gone through last week.  Had it been only a
week?  

She turned and stared at it.
  "Just overnight, then I'll come back"  Carie felt her body start to
shake, and tasted her tears as they fell down her face.  She kept staring
into her right eye, as the sides of the mirror began ot fade from her
focus.  Her hands clenched.

"DAMNIT!" she yelled, as her right hand struck into the mirror, the pieces
shattering around it and falling to the floor in a loud mess, as the tears
still streamed down her face.

She felt a dull throbbing in her hand, and held it up for examination.  A
wicked laceration was visible across the knuckles of her middle three
fingers.  She sighed as the blood welled and started dripping off her
hand.

"Carie?" she heard a voice call from her doorway.

Ranon's voice.

She walked slowly out into her entryway, blood dripping from her right
hand along the way.  She saw him standing there, the wind blowing his
hair.

She smiled weakly.

"Hello Ranon....I was just heading to the Medical Center, care to join
me?"

Respectfully Submitted,
  Carie and Fiera
   And a little Touth and Yenal

AKA Chris Canary