The sun was slowly setting over the mountain top when the Shadow
decided it was time to light the signal fire. He was more that 
sure he'd be getting a visitor tonight, and he wanted to let the 
man know he was here.
               
While he waited, his mind turned back to what had gone on earlier,
with the raid on the tithed cattle. Starting with the information 
he had received from his contact in the warren. The man he thought
would be coming to see him at this meeting place tonight. Had he
been set up to take the fall, or had Ophelia changed her mind at 
the last minute and his contact was unable to let him know?
               
What should have been a simple 'snatch and grab', had gone wrong
from the start. Even though the raiders got what they went after,
there had been a hefty price paid.
               
The had seen his true face.
               
H'nry had been to distracted with anger at the time to see what 
was before him. It wouldn't take long before the man would 
remember the young man who'd joined with the green, all those 
years ago. And when he did....everything Shadow had worked for 
would come unglued. Unless.......
               
He was more concerned with Danielle. Flirty as she was, she was
also very smart. How long would it be before she remembered? He
had seen the look of confusion on her lovely face, as she had 
stared at him from her vantage point next to her dragon. As if 
trying to place where she had seen him before, until H'nry had 
given the order to teleport back to the warren.
               
He smiled, as he remembered how Danielle had bristled at the
order. The little blond flirt had never liked anyone telling her 
what to do. He didn't imagined she had changed that much.
               
How would Ophelia take it when she heard about his latest caper?
Shadow knew she'd likely want his head for the dumb fool stunt
he'd pulled with the red headed rider. At the time it had seemed 
like the only way for him to escape before everything blew up 
around him. Maybe it wasn't so smart, but it might be enough for 
word to get back to the *real* leader of the raiders. The man 
Shadow had yet to meet. The man who Shadow would bring down.
               
Night had fallen by the time Diemis warned him that another dragon
was in the sky above them. So...he was right, the man did come.
               
As the small fire flickered, Shadow leaned against his dragon. 
He rose as he reconized the dark red dragon who landed beside his
green.
               
The Diemis 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," Shadow said, his blond hair 
highlighted in reds and oranges from the small fire.
               
Sandor handed him the letter.  Shadow 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." I don't have to like it he thought. But
anything that could be done to keep her safe, he was willing to do.
Even if it means her thinking her brother really is a thief....              
               
Sandor nodded.
               
"You and Retala still broken up?" he asked just to hear his old
friends voice. 
               
"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.>
               
<Will this ever be over?> the green asked, his mental tone 
leaked of sadness. 
               
<Soon Diemis I hope, soon>
               
Night was well under way when Shadow finally asked the green to
take him back to the cabin in the raiders village.
               
The swim he had taken in the cold lake after Sandor and Dinnan
had returned to the warren, had done little to cool off his 
temper. In facted the more he thought about it, the hotter his 
temper got.
               
<How could you have known the girl would leave home to follow
you?> came the thought from Diemis, from his hollow in the woods.
               
<I should have.> the man said angry at himself. <She is my sister
after all.>
*******
[Raiders Village Later That Night;]
     
The first thing Shadow did upon returning to the village was to 
have Klause and Daon brought to him. He wanted to find out just 
why they had diobeyed his orders, and explain to them what would
happened if they ever decided to try to do so again......
     
As he entered his cabin slaming the door behind him, he headed
first to the table, picked up a glass, then reached for a bottle of
brady, poured the glass full of the amber color liquid, before taking
a heathy swallow. He refilled the glass and set the bottle on the table
within easy reach as he slumped down in the chair.
          
As he turned his head to look around the room that had been his
every since he'd worked his way up to the leader of this branch of
raiders, his eyes caught sight of the pillow on his bed. Memories of
unrulely red waves spread out over it, came to mind. As did the girl,
who had laid there in peasefull slumber. So did the memory of the
kiss he had taken from her as a reminder.
          
He felt disgusted with himself. He'd all but forced himself on th
girl. Well maybe not forced, he thought, but he had given her no
choice in the matter. Though it was true she could have pulled away
from his embrace at any time, he knew he should not have gone it.
          
The kiss was had been a stupid idea, but seeing her standing there
trying to hide her fear from him, had done something to him. He'd
felt an overwelming need to reach out to her. To comfort her, and
tell her everything would work out fine, yet at the same time, he
knew he needed to keep her fear of him alive. It was the price he
had to pay for the live he chose to lead.
          
Without conceit, Shadow knew, he could have almost any woman he
want in his bed. He knew from the way the girl had responded to his
kisses, he could have laid her down and taken from her what she so
willingly offered. He'd been tempted. Oh yes he'd been tempted.
Had he been a less honorable man he might have. But he had given
his word that she would be releast unharmed. And to him that
ment with her virtue intacked.
          
"Too bad," Shadow thought as he faced his empty bed, it would
have been a welcome way to escape from the sorted life he was
living....if only for a few hours.
          
As he took a sip of the brandy, his thoughts turned to H'nry. Shadow
knew he'd made an enemy there. A frown creased his face, after
making a fool of the man, Salanth's rider wouldn't rest until
"The Shadow" had been captured......or killed. 
          
Shadow wasn't about to let that happen any time soon. At least not
until he had gotten the information he had been charged with
uncovering.
          
He refilled his glass for the third time, promising himself that it
would be the last. He needed a clear head for the meeting in the
morning. Shadow was about to revile his plans to some of the other
raider sub leaders about a raid he had been planning.
          
One he hadn't told his contact about. 
          
He'd been working on it for months now, every sinse he had heard
about the caraven. He'd worked hard getting a large number of his
men into key possissions of trust. 
          
It was one of the biggest raids the raiders had planed yet. That's 
why it would work....no one would ever believe they would attack a
caravan that large. Ophelia and her warren would be out for his 
blood. To say nothing of the Dragonlady, when she heard. For half 
the caravan was slated to go on to Keldarra Warren.
           
          
He drained the glass and set it aside. There was one more piece of
buisness he needed to talk to his man about in the morning.
          
The Dragon Rider known as Tera......was to be left strickly alone.
          
Shadow ment to put out the word, that he himself would take care
of anyone who tried to harm the girl. He'd been livid when he had
heard about the failed attack carried out on her at the warren. And
surprised to find out she had taken a mate. He knew the man. Knew
him to be capible of taking care of those he cared about. Not a man
Shadow would want to face if he could help it. He was glad the girl 
had such a protector.
          
He got up out of the chair he'd been resting in and began to undress.
Morning would come to soon, he thought as he laid his naked body
down on the cool sheets of the bed. His last thought before drifting
off to sleep....was that it was too bad he'd releast the red headed
rider.....it would have been nice to have a sweet young body like
hers to cuddle up too tonight........Soon!!!!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
          
(nrpg: well Shadow's thinking about his life......
          
Kat: So......is Danielle going to remember where she knows him
from or is it still bugging her.......
_________________________________________________
         
          
          
          
          
*****Submitted by:*********************
Barbara
Voices of:
Tera & Sundellath (Telnor)
Ga'brin & Preston (Telnor
Dan'yar & Shinner (Soon of Cleft)
"The Shadow" (parts unknown)
Dragonlands

Fatala of Kindis Weyr