Waylene
***
<<Day 7 - Evening >>

Waylene was still reeling from the news of Shella's pregnancy.  She found
herself faced with the possibility of having another queen on her hands.
But unfortunately this possible queen's rider looked to be as big an
handful as Carie had been when she first arrived. Actually none of the
queenriders had been anything like what she'd wanted.

She sighed knowing she really shouldn't expect all queenriders to be like
Keanne. Gods, had it been nearly three years ago already since that villain
Malk Bromitz had viscously slain that sweet child.

<Waylene, we have a couple of problems ..> Aura told her gently.

<Only a couple, love .. must be a good day ..> Waylene joked half-heartedly.

<They are both related, so I suppose you could consider it one big problem
rather than two little ones.>

<Aura, please, just tell me.> Waylene sighed, feeling her head begin to pound.

<Your former mate is no longer being held in the med center ..>

<What!?>

<.. he is with Ainu's rider, helping to search for the Storm's rider.>

Waylene groaned as her eyes rolled in frustration.

<Prisma says they have found more 'bugs' infesting our Warren.> Aura
relayed, then clarified. <I think she means human's .. not bugs.>

<Yes .. I'm sure she does,> Waylene said with a frown.

Z'lec
****

>"After all that Ailill did for you, after all that she is trying to do for
>you, I believe this is your second chance. So I suggest you don't screw
>up."

>With a mocking glare Z'lec looked away. Only to see the guards rush away
>from the caravan. Some commotion has startled them.

>"What's going on." Z'lec peaks out from under the cover.

>"I don't know, I can't see from here."

>"Lets move in and get a better look."

Z'lec nodded and the two moved in as quickly as they could without alerting
anyone to their presence. Suddenly Kendal stopped and grabbed Z'lec's arm
to get  him to stop as well. He did and looked to see why the man had
brought them to a halt.

A tall leather clad woman moved into the room and strode purposely toward
the room, clearly ordering the other two with her. Kendal nodded to Z'lec
and mouthed, 'Neres'. Z'lec agreed. There was little doubt as to who was in
charge there.

The two were not discovered as the trio of bandit's passed by and pushed
into  one of the rooms .. the exact rooms the two guards had run out of not
so long ago. Z'lec's face darkened and he pulled the sword Kendal had given
him. "That's where Ailill is," he hissed.

Kendal nodded and pulled his own sword. The two stalked down to the room,
one moving to stand on either side of the door. Their eyes met and they
silently counted to three and then charged into the room

***

>The medic, Tina and Ailill looked at Neres. "Ok I'll have to let you go.
>I'll give you a stretcher and some people to carry him." said Neres pissed
>off that she'd have to move camp somewhere else in the maze of caves.

"Let Ailill go!" Z'lec roared as he charged into the room, grabbing the
leather clad leader around the waist and holding the sword tip to her
throat.

Everyone froze, including the medic who had been carefully wrapping Sam for
transport.

"Ailill *IS* going, you idiot!" Neres hissed.

"I don't believe you!" Z'lec shot back. "Release her or you die!"

"Z'lec . " Ailill, who had been transfixed as the rest of them for a
moment, her eyes focused for a moment on the returned Kendal, finally was
able to say gently as she moved to his side, "Please .. Let her go."

Z'lec frowned and looked at the young woman, "But .." His eyes began to
take in the rest of the situation. The badly injured Samuel. The medic,
pale with fear Kendal facing the third bandit with a menacing stance ..
Tina .. and Ailill ..

He faltered and Neres took her chance, elbowing him in the ribs. He groaned
in pain and dropped the sword. She expertly grabbed it and spun on him.
Turning his own sword on him.

"NO!" Ailill shouted.

"For this I should kill you!" Neres spat.

"He was only worried about me. You can't fault him that." She pushed Neres'
sword away, "Don't hurt him .. He's been hurt enough."

"I don't need her sympathy!" Z'lec spat and gulped as Neres glared at him,
moving the sword back into position to run him through.

"Stop it!" Ailill shouted at both of them. "Sam needs help! Please." She
turned her eyes to Z'lec, "Please .."

"She's right," Neres said, "One of your dragonriders is going to die if we
stay here and fight. I don't have time to kill you." She moved in closer to
Z'lec, completely oblivious to his dark glaring eyes, "If you make one
sideways move, I'll change my mind!"

"He won't," Ailill promised, moving to stand in front of him as the sword
was moved away. She hugged, "You were very brave for coming to rescue me
.." she told him, loud enough for Kendal to hear.

Z'lec melted and hugged her tightly. "I'd do anything for you .."

"Let's get him out of here!" Neres ordered and the medic went back to work.
Kendal allowed the man he'd been holding off to help the medic and soon
they wee on their way out of the caves.

Waylene
***

<Waylene! Something's happening!> Aura shouted to her only seconds before
Samuel's dragon shot into the air and began to keen mournfully.

Waylene held her breath waiting for the dragon voice to stop and the others
to pick it up. But Fenton continued to circle, crying plaintively. Waylene
breathed in relief, that meant Sam was still alive. But it really had her
worried about the cave splunkers now.

<Aura find out from Storm and Shella what's going on. Ask Ainu to, maybe he
knows.>

It didn't take long for Aura to get the word from the younger dragons,
which she then relayed to her rider.

Waylene quickly left her apartment, where the two children and her mate
were already sleeping and raced toward the med center. Traknor had been
more tired then usual lately and had crashed early, right after the
children. Waylene had to admit to being worried about him, though he
assured her, he was fine. He didn't seem to be recovering very quickly from
the injuries he'd received at Z'lec's hand.

In a way, she was relieved that he would not be the one running to the med
center right now. She'd heard from Aura that Z'lec was with them. She
wasn't ready for Z'lec and Trak to meet again yet.

***

By the time she made it clear across the warren, she was out of breath, and
those with Sam were waiting for her. "What happened?" she asked pointedly
at the three dragonriders waiting there.

Neres and one of her men were sitting not so patiently off to the side,
being glared at by a dark Z'lec. The woman was effectively ignoring his
dark gaze and when she saw Waylene step in she stood and moved quickly to
her. "Warrenlady Waylene. I am Neres, and I do apologize for what's
happened."

Waylene looked at the woman, wondering who she was.

Ailill and Tina quickly filled her in on the events of the last two nights.

Waylene frowned as she listened. She glared at Neres, not liking that fact
that her Warren seemed to be being used as a center of operations for a
smuggling ring.

"Well you all weren't using the caves .." was the woman's only explanation.

"How long?"

"Almost five years," Neres gloated.

Waylene tried to control her anger, "I want you all out." She ordered, "Or
I will send an entire wing of dragon riders into the caves with
flame-throwers and burn you out!"

Neres shrugged, "We can't work out of a place you know about anyway. I have
no choice. Preparations for the move have already begun. I'll have my
people all out within a week."

Waylene nodded, "I'll be sending a couple of dragon riders with you to be
sure you do."

"That isn't necessary. I told you we were packing up."

"*I* feel it's necessary." Waylene said. "I'll not have murdering bandits
infesting my warren."

"*MY* people murdered no one." Neres said. Then she looked over at Z'lec,
"I think you need to watch your own 'loose canons' for the murders."

Ailill frowned, "Z'lec didn't kill anyone!"

Neres shrugged, and Waylene had to admit that the former wingleader of
Marrid had indeed been a suspect .. though now with proof of the bandits,
it collaborated the children's story about where their brother had been
going. And it also gave enough doubt that it *could* have been someone
else, that she would not press the issue of Z'lec's guilt.

"She won't believe you," Z'lec growled, "She believes everything that mate
stealing, back-stabbing son-of-a-bitch tells her."

"Stop it!" Waylene warned him. "I'm angry enough at you as it is!"

"As if I CARED!" he roared.

Ailill moved to him and rested an arm over his shoulders, "Z'lec, please,
relax .." her voice was soft and soothing, and Waylene watched in wonder as
the angry man responded and indeed relax, and calmed at her voice.

Waylene cast a glance at Kendal who was doing everything in his power not
to look at Ailill as she catered to Z'lec. But it was clear it bothered
him.. He caught her looking at him and quickly washed the heart ache from
his face, "I'm sorry I went against your wishes and released Z'lec from
custody. But I needed help .. I accept whatever punishment you choose to
give."

Waylene sighed, "We'll discuss that later. For now will you please get him
back to his room."

Kendal nodded.

"I'll take him," Ailill piped up, "No need to bother Kendal." She pulled
Z'lec to his feet and pushed past them all, leading Z'lec back to his room.

Kendal looked gloomy and Waylene rested a hand on his arm. "I'll talk to
you in the morning, okay?"

He nodded and slipped out of the med center, going the opposite direction
as Ailill.

Waylene turned back to Neres, "Two riders will be here momentarily to
escort you to an apartment for the night for you and your men. Tomorrow
they will escort you into the cave and help see to the removal of your
people."

"Very well," Neres conceded.

Waylene then turned to Tina, who had been strangely quiet, her eyes focused
on the operating room where'd they'd taken Sam. "Tina .." Waylene said
gently, "You and I need to have a chat."

The girl looked up at the warrenlady. "I didn't know they were there .. Sam
and I .. we were just going to map some of the caves .."

"I know, but we need to talk about Shella."

The girl looked at her for a moment, her face lined with confusion, "Shella?"

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
***
NRPG: So ends the Night of Day Seven.

Norman, I'll be interested to see how Kendal's taking Ailill's attentions
toward Z'lec <G>
Barb, I'll let you decide Sam's fate.
James, There will be more for Tina and Shella in Part three of my post.

Kate, I need to know what you would like me to do with Ailill? I did
remember that you'll be going to London for a while, I just didn't remember
when to when. So if you could let me know, I'd appreciate it. That is if
you haven't left already <G> If I don't hear from you, I'll officially move
Ailill to lurker status and you can pick her up again when you return.

Kristen
------------------------------------
Kristen & Scott Gant
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/gant.htm