[Ophelia]

Ophelia was sitting at her desk, reading the most recent letter from Trey.  
She had promised herself she wouldn't read any more of his letters, but she 
always did.  She sighed.  Twins.  His new mate was expecting twins.  So he 
was going to have 5 children now.  Memories of two miscarriages drifted 
through her mind.

He had yet to hear the news of her changed relationship to R'chein, 
miraculously, considering dragon gossip.  He deserved to find out from her.

She picked up a pen and began writing a letter, her first, to her former mate.

She had finished the letter and sealed it when Beryth spoke.  <Violet and 
Sabbith are here, very upset.  And Dalanth is here, but his rider isn't.>

<Where's his rider, and where's Dianthus,> she asked, as she headed for the 
door.

She flung it open as Kay and Danielle arrived, before Beryth had a chance to 
answer.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"The caravan got attacked, and Lyonnia got kidnapped," Danielle started to 
explain.  She related all that had gone on and then added, "The leader was a 
blond-haired man.  He called himself the Shadow."

The Shadow?  Now what did she do?

Kay began wildly signing, suddenly.

Ophelia looked at him, not knowing what he was doing.

Danielle watched his hands.  "Heard who, Kay?"

Kay's eyes went distant for a moment, then signed again.

Danielle's face went blank for a moment as she spoke to Violet.  She looked
at Kay in surprise, "You heard Lyonnia?  In your head?  She spoke to you?"

So we have another telepath... or will when we get her back.  What to do, 
what to do?

"That's great.  But, we need to think what we're going to do.  Lyonnia is 
kidnapped somewhere and we don't know where.  What was the purpose of the 
Shadow kidnapping her?"

"It was a guarantee that he and his men would get away.  He said he'd return 
her when he was sure it was safe.  But..."  Danielle shrugged, letting 
Ophelia draw her own conclusions.

"I think it's best if we let H'nry handle this for now.  If we go barging 
off, we may put her in more danger," Ophelia stated.

And so they waited.

It was a few minutes later when Dalanth contacted Beryth with the news.

******

"Damn it we have to do something!" H'nry fretted.

"H'nry, what can we do?  We don't know where she is and with the distance a
dragon can teleport, there's far too much area for us to search 
effectively," Ophelia said.  She'd gotten a ride to the scene of the 
encounter with the Shadow with R'chein on Lofflossit and was now discussing 
the situation with H'nry.

Sandor's Beta First Flight and the members of Beta Wing who hadn't had a 
regular patrol were all gathered nearby waiting for orders.

"I don't know what to do either.  All I know is that it was my 
responsibility to bring her back safely, and I failed."

"You said the Shadow promised to return her safely?"

H'nry nodded in response to Ophelia's question.

"Then we can only hope that he keeps his word."

"He's gone," M'rtin said walking up to the pair.

"Who's gone?" Ophelia asked.

"Evart, the herdsman," H'nry responded.  "I sent M'rtin off to look for him.
 I had a few questions I wanted to ask him."

"In private," M'rtin added helpfully.

"Now wait a minute," Ophelia said, "I can understand how you are feeling, 
but you don't know that Evart is anything but an innocent victim in this 
dreadful incident.  If you find him, you will not harm him in any way.  Is 
that clear?"

"Yes, it is," H'nry said defensively, "I just want to hear his side of the
story again."

"Good.  I'm glad you understand," Ophelia said before walking off.  Despite
her insistance to H'nry that searching for Lyonnia would be pointless, she
wanted to speak to Sandor about spreading his riders out a bit.  That way 
when Lyonnia contacted them, they could respond quickly.

"Well?" Sandor asked her.

"I want your riders up and scattered, so if we get a contact, we can get to 
her quickly."

Sandor nodded and began ordering pairs into the air.  Ophelia watched him, 
tense but in control until all his wing but he and his second, Myst.  Then 
he pulled her aside.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" he demanded.

"I don't know, Sandor.  It was probably a bad idea to send anyone."

"You couldn't help it.  The warren and the caravans have been demanding 
protection for the tithe.  If you'd sat back and done nothing..." he shrugged.

"I know, I know.  But if anything happens to her--"

"He won't let it, you know that.  He has his honour."

"But, Sandor, he wasn't with them the whole time.  His honour doesn't extend 
to his men."

Sandor sighed.  "I know."

******

She spent a few minutes trying to talk to the boy that had been dumped in 
Lyonnia's place.  He said nothing at all, though Ophelia could guess that he 
was completely terrified from the paleness of his face and the blank 
expression in his eyes.

Ophelia finally gave up and returned to the warren with R'chein, leaving the 
search to Sandor and his wing.  She sat staring at her paperwork, pen poised 
but unable to think to work until she heard the trumpetting of dragons.

<Dianthus's rider has returned!> Beryth informed her happily.

Ophelia stepped to the door and waited as she saw the girl surrounded by 
other riders hugging her and checking her out themselves.  Lyonnia seemed 
somewhat stunned by all the attention.  Finally, the girl was dragged toward 
the warrenlady's office.

Ophelia had her sit down and expressed her relief at her safe return, then 
prompted her to tell all her story.  Lyonnia related being snatched from her 
saddle, unceremoniously dumped among a number of bandits, who tied her, 
blindfolded her and dumped her in what smelled like a stable.  She told 
about falling asleep and waking up in the windowless cabin and her brief 
meeting with the Shadow.  She blushed slightly as she spoke of him and then 
seemed to hesitate and then told how she had been once again blindfolded, 
loaded on his dragon and left to be rescued.

When she finished, Ophelia gave her a dubious expression.  "Are you sure 
that's all?" she asked, having noted the blush and the hesitation.

"Yes ma'am."

"Okay.  Thank you Lyonnia."  Ophelia picked up her pen, fiddling with it, 
thinking, while the girl left the room.

When Lyonnia was gone, Ophelia began the letter.

<Ophelia, Preston's rider is asking after you.>

<Tell him to tell Ga'brin that I can spare a few minutes if it's important,> 
Ophelia told her dragon, as she slipped the letter into a desk drawer, next 
to the picture of a handsome man, leaning against a dragon, laughter in his 
eyes.

At her invitation, Ga'brin walked in.  "Warrenlady something has just come 
to my attention that I think you should know," he told her, taking the seat 
she offered. "It has to do with my mate, Tera and this Shadow jerk"

Shadow and Tera?  No.  Not now.  Ophelia quickly composed her face as he 
looked up from her desk and into her eyes.

"Yes, what is it that you heard?" she asked trying to sound casual, but 
concerned at the same time.

Ga'brin didn't seem to notice.  "I just had a talk with Lyonnia, the young 
rider who was snatched by the Shadow's dragon earlier," he told her then paused.

Ophelia nodded for him to go on.

"She came looking for me after talking to you when she arrived back at the 
warren, with some interesting news..." he didn't try to hide the bitterness 
in his words. "She told me the Shadow asked her about Tera. By name."

Ophelia's face paled, but she said nothing, waiting to know the whole story.

"Seems he wanted to know all about my mate," his voice was thick with 
carefully suppressed emotion, but the knuckles of each hand were white from 
the death grip he had on the side rails of the chair.

"Lyonnia told you *that*?" she asked, keeping her voice calm, even as she 
boiled with anger.

"She found me in the dining hall and asked if I knew of Tera having any 
enemies or such," he replied.  "When I told her no, that she had come here 
looking for her brother Traplin, but that she learned he had died sometime 
ago-- no enemies-- that's when she told me the Shadow had asked about her.  
And when Lyonnia accused him with ordering Tera's attack, she said he 
became angry and denied it."  He gave a humorless laugh.  "She told me she 
believed him!!  Him, a criminal, telling her he had nothing to do with it, 
and she believes him!"

A worried expression marred his handsome face, as he got up and began to 
pace around the room.  Then he turned back towards her, coming to stand 
before her desk.

"Lyonnia told me this because she cares about Tera and knows I'll do 
*anything* to keep her safe.  What I want to know is, what are you going to 
do to help catch this guy?" he spoke with a slow, calm tone of voice.  "My 
mate won't be totally safe until you do."

Ophelia studied him, seeing the anger under the surface of his calm.  She 
knew Tera and Lyonnia were very close.  Lyonnia would surely talk to Tera 
about the man.  Everything was crumbling fast.  Damn him!  What did he think 
he was doing?

"I'd like to talk to you, and your mate, and Lyonnia tomorrow morning 
concerning this.  I'll be speaking to Lyonnia momentarily.  I assume you can 
tell your mate."

Ga'brin nodded.

"Good.  We'll see what we can work out then.  Thank you for telling me, 
Ga'brin."  She nodded a curt dismissal and he turned and left.

<Beryth, tell Dianthus I need to speak to her rider right away.>

There was a pause.  <Dianthus is asleep.>

Ophelia nodded.  The poor dragon had been quite upset.  Now she was 
exhausted.  <All right, tell Mallat to have K'leth tell her.  She's probably 
at the Dining Hall.>

Ophelia waited impatiently for the girl to arrive.  When Lyonnia did, she 
looked for frightened to face Ophelia than she probably would to face the 
Shadow.

"Sit down, Lyonnia."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I've just had an interesting talk with Ga'brin.  He's very worried about 
his mate."

The girl's face paled and then reddened.

"I can't be expected to keep the people of my warren safe and happy if 
people don't tell me things that are important to the safety of others.  You 
knew of a link between the Shadow and Tera and decided your judgement on him 
was sufficient and I didn't need to know.  I don't appreciate that."  
Ophelia looked down at her desk and saw the letter from Trey sitting there.  
If the members of Alpha Wing had reported how violent he was getting, would 
he still be here today, with Laria unscathed?  "Now, is there anything else 
you've left out of your little story that might be important?  Or shall I 
just have Beryth question your dragon?"

[NRPG: Tag, Sarah.  Finish up the conversation, please.]

Ophelia finished the letter before the boy who was really a girl who looked 
like Lyonnia was led into her office.  Ophelia studied the girl.  She was no 
searcher, but trusted B'larin's assessment of the girl.

"I don't know what you've been told of dragonfolk, but we aren't going to 
harm you," she began.  "But I would like a little information, like your 
name and how you came to be here."

The girl's eyes had finally lost their blankness, and now held a strange 
contempt as she looked at Ophelia.  "Name's Kessa."

"Kessa.  Good.  Now we're getting somewhere.  Now how did you come to be here?"

Kessa shrugged.  "I got hired to go 'long with the car'van... for 
entertainment.  This asshole Evart got wind that I wasn't what I seemed and 
gave me to the bandits.  Next thing I know, this dragon comes swooping out 
of the skies, grabs me and dumps me next to 'nother one.  I don't 'member 
much after that."

Ophelia absorbed the information.  "Evart gave you to the bandits?"

"Yeah."

Ophelia nodded.  "Thank you.  You can go."

The girl looked at her in surprise.  "Go?"

"Yes.  You're free to go.  I'd like to ask that you stay here a while, as 
I'd like to discuss something with you when things have settled down, but 
you can stay in one of the ground-level apartments and eat at the Dining 
Hall until tomorrow."

The girl seemed even more confused and a little nervous.  "Okay."  She stood 
and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Kessa, I'm afraid to say the warren's probably not an easy place to 
ply your trade-- there's very little money and we're very sexually open 
here-- but you're welcome to try."

Kessa raised her eyebrows, then smiled suddenly.  "That's okay.  I been paid 
already for being with the tithe car'van."

[NRPG: I did a little bit with the whore here.  I don't quite know whose she 
is, so I'm sorry if I've stepped on any toes.  I don't particularly want to 
play Kessa, but it made sense that Ophelia would speak to her.  I've given 
her dragon affinity-- that's what the bit about B'larin was-- in case.]

[Sandor]

Sandor glanced down at the letter in his hand.  "You know the routine," she 
had said.  He hated this.

He climbed up on Dinnan and the two took to the skies.  He pictured the 
lake, reflecting the starlit sky, and the odd rock formation in shadow.  The 
darkened warren disappeared and they were over the lake.  A small fire 
flickered.  Next to it, a man sat, leaning against a dragon.  He rose as the 
two landed.

The dark green stood as well, and he and Dinnan touched noses and then 
lumbered off toward the water as soon as Sandor had slid from Dinnan's back.

"I thought I might see you tonight," the man said, his blond hair 
highlighted in reds and oranges from the small fire.

Sandor handed him the letter.  The man took it, opened it and used the fire 
to make out the words.  His eyes scanned it quickly, then dropped it into 
the flames.

"Tell her I understand."

Sandor nodded.

"You and Retala still broken up?"

"Yes.  It's for good," Sandor answered.

"Anyone new in your life?"

Sandor shook his head.

"Ah, well.  It was good to see you."

"Sorry I can't stay."  Dinnan landed behind Sandor, who mounted quickly and 
the two were off.

The man watched the Beta Wingleader of Telnor blink out and sighed as a 
feeling of loneliness swept over him, as it always did.

<I want to go back,> his dragon said.

<I know.  I do, too.  But we can't.>

******

[Morning]

Ophelia realised she was twiddling and set down the pen again.  First there 
was the whole bit with the Shadow.  Then she heard last night that Dameon 
had had another heart attack, in the Dining Hall at dinner.  R'chein was 
very worried about the young man.  Neither of them had slept well.

Tera and Ga'brin arrived a couple of minutes ahead of Lyonnia and sat in 
uncomfortable silence till the girl got there.  Sandor walked in seconds 
after Lyonnia.  The three looked at him in mystification as Ophelia greeted 
him and asked them all to sit down.

Her eyes met Sandor's and he nodded.  She took a deep breath, reached into 
the drawer and pulled the picture out, handing it to Lyonnia.

"Do you know this man?" she asked the girl.

"Why would she know Tr--"

Lyonnia interrupted Tera's question, "Yes!  This is the Shadow.  How did you 
get this picture?"

[NRPG: Tag, Barb!]

[Afternoon]

"Come in," she called at the knock on her door.

A girl a little older than Laria, with blond hair and sky blue eyes stepped 
in.  She smiled politely. "Lady Ophelia, I am here on official business for 
the DragonLady."

Ophelia nodded.  What else could go wrong?  "Yes, what is it?"

"The DragonLady is holding a Council or the Warrens tomorrow at Keldarra to
discuss the changes in the wastes."

Ophelia nodded.  She'd heard the wastes to the south were changing.  In 
fact, R'chein had had to send the last of the anti-seizure medication from 
Telnor to Marrid for Trey because the plant it was made from was no longer 
to be found.  "I'll be there."

The girls cutseyed and left.  Ophelia was saddened to think that she would 
no longer see the courier Al'dairan, who had served Christalla so 
faithfully.  To think of that smile gone forever...

Ophelia shook her head.  So many things had changed.  Christalla was now a 
mother.  She had heard that Waylene and Z'lec had split.  She had been 
floored at the news.  The Marrid warrenlady and her mate had seemed so 
inseparable.  <Like Ophelia and Tr'etram,> she thought, looking down at the 
letter to him she had yet to send.  Perhaps she would just give it to 
Waylene at the council tomorrow.

This would be the second council in her whole life as warrenlady that Trey 
had not attended.  Last time, she had brought Laria, as much trying to get 
the girl out and about a bit.  This time, she would bring Cynthia.

<Beryth, please tell Syren to tell Cynthia that there is a Council of 
Warrens tomorrow and that she will be my second.  I will need to ride Syren, 
since you're brooding right now.>

<I'll tell her.  Are you coming to see me?>

<I was just getting ready to, love.>

Ophelia put her desk in order and left to spend some time with her dragon.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Ophelia and Beryth

NRPG: Okay, all.  We need to move to the Council pretty quickly, so Cleft 
can get going.  So, get yourselves all caught up and ready for some *BIG* news.

 **********************************************************************
 * Lynette R. F. Cowper       *  Official INWO Rules NetRep & Goddess *
 * lcowper@io.com             *        Circle of Janus Secretary      *
 * lcowper@indy.net           *   VP of P.U.R.P.L.E. (People United   *
 * http://www.io.com/~lcowper/*   Respecting Purple Legal Equality)   *
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 *    I write of things which I have neither seen nor suffered nor    *
 *  learned from another, things which are not and never could have   *
 *  been, and therefore my readers should by no means believe them.   *
 *                                            --Lucian of Samosata    *
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