**Morning**

Lyonnia heard the summons early that morning to come to Ophelia's office
once again.  Confused and somewhat fearful, she complied, and was soon at
the warrenlady's office.

When she got there, she saw that both Tera and Gab'rin were there also.  She
also noticed that Gab'rin didn't seem too well; there were rings about his
eyes, and he didn't seem to be in a good mood either.

She was surprised, though, when another man came into the room.  She
recognized the newcomer as Sandor, someone she had seen rarely and knew
little of.  She tried not to stare, wondering what he had to do with anything.  

The warrenlady didn't seem too comfortable either.  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, her eyes unreadable.  Lyonnia carefully
took the picture, glancing at it, then doing a double-take.

"Why would she know Tr--"

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

****Barb's post****


Lyonnia tore out of the office, not wanting to face her best friend.  How
could I be so callous? she asked herself.  She knew she was being
irrational, but the look on her friend's face had torn her heart out.  She
had, pretty much, just told Tera her brother was a notorious thief!  All she
wanted to do now was just go to her apartment and be by herself.

Faintly, she heard her named called, but didn't slow down.  When she heard
it again though, it penetrated her muddled brain and she slowed down,
allowing the caller to catch up with her.

"I heard about what happened."  Lyonnia recognized Ben'sar's voice and
turned to him.  He was wearing a concerned look.  "I know you and I don't
know each other all that well yet, but I'm a good listener, and if you want
to go talk somewhere, I'm willing to listen."

Lyonnia smiled sadly, nodding.  "I need to go up to my room.  Want to come
along?"

Ben'sar seemed slightly taken aback by the request but agreed.  Lyonnia led
the way to her apartment, and they were soon there.  She opened the door,
holding it open for Ben'sar, and shut it after them.

"Nice apartment," he commented, looking around.

"Thanks.  Tera helped me do it.  She's good with those kind of things."  And
I'm not, she thought, remembering her original plans.  Oooh, but Tera had
hated those, she thought, smiling.

"Glad to see a real smile out of you," she heard Ben'sar say, and she forced
her mind back to the present.  "So," he continued, "what exactly do you want
to talk about?"

"I don't know," she said, wondering herself.  Seeing he was still standing,
she offered him a chair, taking one herself as he sat down.  "I don't quite
know what to talk about."

"Why don't you talk to me about your kidnapping?"

Lyonnia smiled and said, "I've told just about everyone about that at least
a hundred times!  But," she shrugged, "why not once more?"  So, once again,
she told her story, editing out the part about the kiss.  It wasn't that she
hated that part because it was so horrible; she didn't like it because she
had LIKED it.  She didn't think that others would understand her feelings;
she didn't know if she herself did!

Ben'sar did exactly what he said he would: listen.  She was grateful for
that; she had kind of gotten sick of people always asking her questions
about this and that in her story.  She had enjoyed his almost flirtatousness
at Tera's dinner party, and now she was seeing another side to Tera's
brother-in-law that she liked.

When she finished, he sat thinking for a while.  "So," he said slowly,
"you're sure that he wasn't the one who hurt Tera?"

"Well, I'm not Absolutely positive, but, yes, I don't believe he did it."

Ben'sar was quiet for a little longer, then he asked, "How did you feel?"

The question threw Lyonnia off.  She hadn't been asked that before: most of
the people wanted the facts, not the feelings.  "Well," she started, "I was
kind of scared at first.  Alright," she said, smiling, "I was *very* scared.
But the fear left sometime. Probably when...."  She cut herself off, almost
telling about the kiss.

Ben'sar wasn't about to be put off though.  "Probably when what?" he asked,
staring penetratingly at her.

Fighting down the urge to blush, she frantically searched for a possible
answer and found one.  "When I got mad at him," she lied smoothly.  "I
stopped being scared when he mentioned Tera, and I got angry at him."

She was about to say more when she heard Dianthus' voice in her head.
<Lyonnia, Dalanth wanted me to tell you that H'nry wants to make a social call.>

*Social call?* 

<He wants to talk to you, to see how you are.>

*Oh!  By all means.  Tell him I'll be waiting.*

"What is it?" Ben'sar asked.  He knew that face; his brother and other
dragonriders got it often when they spoke to their dragons.

"Oh, H'nry wants to drop by," she answered.  "Probably to tell me that the
whole incident was his fault."  She smiled ruefully.  "He's been saying that
a lot but it's not true."

"Oh.  Well, I have to go anyway."  Ben'sar stood up, Lyonnia following suit.
"I hope to be seeing you around?" he asked, smiling at her.

She smiled back, noticing once again how handsome he was, especially when he
smiled.  "I'd love that," she answered.

He tipped a mock hat to her and departed.  She watched him leave, then
started tidying up the place, wishing someone like that would like her.  No
nice guys will like me though, she thought sadly.  I have red hair that
frizzes out into a bush and eyes that are a stupid dark green.  What kind of
guy likes those things?  

<You know, you're really ignorant when it comes to men.>

She jumped a bit, then smiled and replied *I am, am I?*

But Dianthus was serious.  <Really.  I've heard from a few of the dragons
that many men like red hair.  And a lot of people like your eyes.>

*Really?  You're not just saying this to make me feel better.*  Lyonnia
thought her dragon was just trying to be nice.  Just because the
Shadow....no, she thought, Trap.... seemed to like her hair didn't make
everyone like it.

<You know, ever time you think about him, you get all warm and tingly inside.>

*I do not!* she thought, blushing furiously.

<Yes you do, and don't deny it.  Comeon, what happened!?>

*Nothing, I tell you!*  She strode outside, looking for H'nry.

<You shouldn't lie to me!>  Dianthus sounded truly hurt.  <I thought I was
your friend.>

Before Lyonnia could answer though, she saw Dalanth arrive on her ledge,
H'nry on his back.

>"Good evening H'nry," she said.
>
>"Good evening Lyonnia," he replied, "Look, I just wanted to apologize for what
>happened today.  I made a tactical error, and you suffered the consequences."
>
>"It wasn't that big a deal."
>
>"Yes, it was.  Next time I might not bring you home."
>
>"You won't let it happen again, I know."

"But it might."  H'nry sighed, then stated, "I acted irresponsibly that day.
I put you and the whole patrol team in danger.  If I hadn't---"

Seeing no other way, Lyonnia walked swiftly up to her partner and clamped a
hand over his mouth.  His eyes widened in surprise, but, standing face to
face with him, she said, "H'nry, it was *not* your fault. You did exactly as
you should have.  It took everyone by surprise when the Shadow pulled that
little stunt, me included.  You did nothing wrong."

She stepped back then, taking her hand away from his mouth, somewhat
surprised at herself.  She didn't do that too much.  H'nry seemed surprised
as well and before he could get a word out, Lyonnia told him, "It wasn't
your fault.  I still trust you."  She smiled up at him. "You're my partner,
remember?"

If he had been going to say anything, it was never said.  There was the flap
of wings and they turned to see Tarlith land on the ledge.  M'rtin didn't
bother to dismount, "He's coming."
>
>"Who's coming?" H'nry asked.
>
>"Evart.  He's still with the caravan.  Thought you'd want to know."
>
>"You thought right," H'nry replied.

Lyonnia watched the two as they mounted and left, forgotten.  She sighed and
went back inside her apartment, intending to spend a quiet afternoon alone.

Suddenly the silence was broken by a roar.  Lyonnia jumped to her feet and
raced outside, not knowing what was going on.

<The queen Syren flies to mate!> she heard Dianthus tell her.  As if on cue,
she saw a large queen deposit her rider onto the ground and take off, a
multicolored ribbon of males taking off after the queen.  Lyonnia stared at
the retreating dragons for a moment, then looked down at the ground.  She
could see the male dragonriders grouping around a lone female, who was
dancing in an erotic way with the many men around her.  Lyonnia watched in
wonder, never having experienced this before; she saw men start to drift
away and knew that their corresponding dragons were landing as well.  She
looked around the courtyard; she saw Tera down there but couldn't see her
face.  She seemed to be looking at the men circled around the woman, so
Lyonnia looked into the thinning group of men surrounding the queen's rider.

She sucked in a gasp; Gab'rin was with the woman!  She looked up at the
twirling dragons, and saw Preston among the males persuing the queen.  And
just as she was looking, she saw Preston grab the queen's tail and hold on,
wrapping himself around the female and holding on.  They fell for a little
distance, then the queen visibly acquiesed and they flew off together
towards the woods.

Lyonnia didn't want to look down at the scene below, already knowing what it
would look like, but glanced down anyway.  Her heart sank as she saw Gab'rin
and the unknown queenrider walk off together.  She saw Tera turn away,
heading for the landing Sundee and take off.

*Dianthus, meet me at my ledge please.*  She needed to go see her friend.  I
can't imagine how she feels, she thought miserably, pausing.  How would I
help her?

<Just be a friend> Dianthus told her.  <And I'm coming now.>

Lyonnia opened the door to her ledge and was greeted with a surprise; the
dragon on her ledge wasn't Dianthus' pale blue, but was instead a pale
yellow.  On it was an older man, obviously the dragonrider, and behind him
was....her mother?

"I need you to come with me," the man told her.  "There's been a little
incident..."

Lyonnia stared incredulously at the dragonrider, then noticed her mother's
face. Their eyes met, and green eyes met wet, red eyes. 

"It's your father," her mother sniffed out.  "He's had a heart attack."


NRPG:  Okay, so I threw a personal tradegy in there too.  Anyway, sorry I
didn't write most of this week.  I haven't had the time to at all; school is
quite hectic! (And parents are a little strict.)  I hope I got this right; I
got kind of confused on the timeline of the stories.  BTW:  Alton, I didn't
get that mating post you sent out.  Barb forwarded it to me, so I now have
it, but am I on your Telnor mailing list?  Just checking.


Respectfully submitted

Sarah
Lyonnia/Dianthus *Telnor*