NRPG:  Okay, here's my desperate attempt to get caught up.  ;)

RPG:
Ailill slipped her arm through Z'lec's as she led him back to his room.  
The gaurds were no longer standing at the entrance, but Ailill doubted 
it would be long before they were back.  Waylene still didn't trust 
Z'lec, still thought he was dangerous.  He wasn't, not really, not if 
you took the time to understand what he was going through.  No on else 
understood him, no one else wanted to.  They wanted to hide him away in 
the med center and forget he existed.  He reminded them of the 
ever-present threat that no dragonrider wanted to think about.  How 
fragile life is, and that their dragons, though they are powerful, 
beautiful, creatures, were mortal, and could leave them.  

They enter Z'lec's cell.  The sight of the small room angered Ailill 
even more.  It wasn't fair, they were punishing him for the death of his 
dragon.  Z'lec was no murderer, that was simply an excuse to keep him 
locked up.  Even if she did manage to prove him innocent, there was no 
way the Warrenlady would release him.  Not unless she was certain that 
he wouldn't harm anyone.  Ailill trusted Z'lec, she was sure that the 
attacks on Kendal and Traknor were cause by the shock.  He'd been 
unstable then, but he was better now.  In truth it must have been his 
own death he was seeking in those two attacks.  

She sat beside Z'lec on the only real piece of furniture in the room, 
the bed.  She turned to face him, slipping her hands into his.  "Thank 
you Z'lec."

"For what."  He said bitterly,  "You didn't need my help down there."

"That's where you're wrong, I did need your help."  She lied.  "I needed 
you to show us how to get out of the tunnels.  I needed you to watch my 
back.  You were the only person down there that I really trusted."  
Ailill lowered her voice.  "And I needed to know that you cared.  I'm 
going to repay you for that Z'lec, I'm going to get you out of here.  
Out of the Med-center... Out of the Warren, if that's what you want."  
She choked out the last words.  Dropping her gaze for fear that he would 
see the lie in her eyes.  She didn't want Z'lec to leave, she still 
needed him.

The next thing she knew he was pulling her close, his lips pressing 
against hers.  The taste of him, the feel of his hands, the warmth of 
his body clouded her thoughts.  Her heart thundered in her chest.  
Memories of the mating flight flashed through her head.  Kendal... A 
swift deep stab of guilt slid through her.  Guilt, desire, confusion, 
fear, longing, and a dozen other nameless emotions swam through her 
head.   She broke the embrace, unable to commit to what Z'lec wanted.  

"I... I need to talk to Waylene."  She avoided his eyes.  Her guilt 
increased as she moved away from him.  She knew that she was hurting him 
by leaving him, but she needed to.  "I'll come back as soon as I can, 
but I need to get you out of here.  I can't stand seeing you confined, 
you don't deserve this kind of treatment."  She kissed him gently, 
before turning and leaving the room.  She needed to separate herself 
from him, before she did something they would both regret.  

Once outside the Med Center she called to her dragon.  It didn't take 
long for Storm to reach her.

<<Where to?>>  Storm understood that Ailill needed to think.

<Home.>  Her guilt weighed on her, a dark cloak that clouded her 
thoughts.  Why was she running from Z'lec, lying to him?  Why did his 
physical closeness frighten her?  If she really cared she wouldn't feel 
this way.

Storm gave Ailill what support she could as the girl tried to sort out 
her feelings.  She didn't understand why Ailill was making her life so 
complicated.   All this trouble with Z'lec and Kendal was annoying the 
gray.  Ailill liked both of them?  What was wrong with that?  
Personally, Storm felt that Ailill was being unfair to Ainu's rider, but 
her rider wasn't willing to listen.  Storm thought Ailill was taking 
this whole thing to far, making more of it than it was.  But the girl 
was so wrapped up in the 'problem' that she hadn't even bothered to talk 
to Storm about it.

<I didn't realize you felt that way Storm·>

Storm snapped out of her musings, startled by her rider's eavesdropping.  
<<You never bothered to ask, my chosen.  You still love Ainu's rider, 
which is why you feel bad about being with·.>>  Storm broke off 
suddenly, and her words were replaced by pure emotion, pure sorrow.  
<<Fenton·.>>  Ailill's eyes shut, as she shared her dragons pain.  

After cleaning herself up Ailill headed to Waylene's office.  It had 
been her idea to restart the argument about Z'lec's innocence, but to 
her surprise Waylene informed her that the murder had been solved, 
though she wouldn't go into more detail.  However the Warrenlady still 
wouldn't allow Z'lec's release from observation, as she termed it.   She 
said that Z'lec was still unstable, and would need more time.  Ailill 
could tell that Waylene was tired, and that she was unlikely to get 
anywhere arguing with her today.  So she left it at that.

~*~*~Okay, time jump to Rainy's death/Koda's labor.  Early morning~*~*~

Ailill yawned, working the nightshift with Sina had been tough, 
especially since she still had a full day of work ahead of her.  But 
Ailill had felt obligated, since the healer had been kind enough to 
offer her services, so Ailill wouldn't miss a day of training.  Sina had 
informed Ailill that Koda would be taking the day off, if C'tain had 
anything to say about it.  Admittedly, Koda needed to take some time 
off, so Ailill hadn't minded.  Besides Ailill was far enough along now 
that she did a lot more than just watch.  Her training had focused on 
emergency care.  Getting the patient stable enough to travel.  But she 
had also learned a fair amount about long term care, diagnosis and other 
aspects of healing.  

Between her medic training, and her wing training, Ailill had little 
time to deal with her problems.  She tried to visit Z'lec daily, but 
wasn't always lucky enough.  Then there was Kendal.  She'd seen him 
around, even spoken with him briefly.  Every brief meeting brought her 
dilemma to the surface, and made her realize that she couldn't continue 
like this.  

She stopped by the dinning hall and grabbed a quick breakfast, before 
heading to her apartment to take a nap.  She only managed a few hours of 
sleep before the insistent prodding of her dragon woke her.  

<<Ribbon's rider is having her hatchling!>>

That jerked Ailill out of bed.  It was too soon, wasn't it?  Ailill was 
down on the green as quickly as Storm could carry her.  She noticed 
Kendal standing outside the Med center, watching.  She joined him, 
knowing that there would be no room for her by Koda's side right now.  
She tried to keep her voice light.  "What happened?"

Kendal glanced at her.  "Rainy and his rider died." 

Ailill felt the same shock of pain, and fear that always accompanied 
news that a rider had died.  "Why?  What happened?"

"That's what we were trying to find out.  Koda was examining the scene 
when this started."  He gestured towards the Med center.  

Ailill nodded, and idea forming in her mind.  There was nothing she 
could do for Koda right now, but·.  "Take me there."  She demanded of 
Kendal, her voice coming out a little harsher than she had intended.

"Kendal gave her a questioning look but said nothing.  He simply turned 
and headed towards Ainu.  

Storms voice filled her mind.  <<Ainu has given me the image.>>  Her 
words were laced with saddness, but she refrained from keening.   <<He 
says he'll go with us.>>

Ailill nodded she slipped into the Med center to quickly grab a test 
kit, before vaulting onto her dragon.  Maybe she could use some of what 
Koda had taught her, to find out what killed the pair.

~*~At the scene~*~

Ailill knelt in the dust beside Rainy, frowning at the corpse.  Nothing, 
there was nothing.  "I don't understand it!"  She said in frustration.  
"There are no wounds, no signs of trauma.  It could be illness, but it 
doesn't look right.  He looks like a perfectly healthy dragon, except 
he's dead!"  Kendal stood a few feet away, scanning the skies.  He'd 
only uttered a handful of words since they had arrived.  

She'd taken several specimens blood, tissue, everything she could think 
of.  Hopefully they would help shed some light on the death.

She glanced at Kendal, weariness painting her face.  "I'm finished, 
there's nothing more I can do."  She hated failing, and it came through 
in her voice.  "Unless you have any ideas·."  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NRPG:
Well at least I'm caught up, sort of.  :\  Is there anything Kendal 
wants to talk about before returning to the warren?  Ailill would be 
willing to listen.  

Yours,

Katherine Heath
AKA
Ailill and Storm, Marrid Warren Combat Medic


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