Trap was looking around hoping to see her. But even as the drama unfolded on
the floor beneath him, he knew she wasn't there. 

Neither was Kay which made his already imaginative mind work over time. He
knew Danielle was better known for the hatchings she missed rather then the
ones she actually got to see, but still.. right now was not a good time for
her to be among the missing. 

He wondered how she was after his visit... for lack of a better word... in
the med center. It still burned that Abby was refusing even now to tell her
the truth, but what was he suppose to do?"

A loud shout brought him back the the events going on below him and he could
have sworn the voice was Ash's. But with the sounds of the dragons humming
filling the cavern it was hard to tell. 

Trap looked around, his instincts telling him something was wrong, but all
he saw was the searchlings moving towards the eggs. Looking further he saw
Ash arguing with two riders and then all at once the cavern grew silent and
the only sound he heard was the pitiful wail that only came when death was
in the air. 

The humming stopped. Trap turned back to see what was happening and saw one
of the searchlings fall to the floor of the cave. A feeling of disbelief
flashed across his mind as he saw the young mans face as he dropped to his
knees, loss competing with surprise on the boys face. Then saw the reason
why as a man behind him pulled away and Trap saw the knife flash in his hand. 

Instantly he reached for the his own knife in the sheath on his hips but
even as the blade in his hand was taking aim, someone else's knife struck
true and the assailant toppled over with out a sound.  

Pandemonium erupted, and Trap joined the other riders moving to protect the
Searchlings. Others he knew would move to protect the Warrenlady. His duty
now was in protecting those still on the sands and the tiny hatchlings who
still needed to be helped out of the rock like shells they were trapped in. 

Trap turned stealing a look up towards the Warrenlady's seats and saw Ash
turn towards Laria and say something. Saw her reply, though he was to far
away to hear what they were saying.

He knew the news wasn't going to be good. 

<Help the healer!>  a voice sounded in his mind. 

<<What healer?>> Trap looked around and caught sight of Abby fighting with
someone before grabbing something out of the mans hand and bending down
towards the still body of the attacker on the ground. 

<She needs help...> Diemis told him and Trap seeing other riders were nearer
to the searchlings, started to shove his way past through he crowd to Abby's
side in time here hear what the trouble was. 

"I don't care if the man is dead... he's just the host anyway but the damn
thing may still be alive inside of him and I want to make damn sure it is
before anything else can happen," she was saying as she plunged a big needle
into the inert body.

"But he's dead Abby," the man argued and would have stepped forward but Trap
stepped in his way. 

"Let her go and do what she needs to do," he warned the man who backed off
slightly. "She knows what's she's doing."

"But the man is dead?"

"Is he?" Trap asked, and stood his grown until Abby spoke up again. 

"Now you can take him away and I'll be around later to check on him." she
said just as the sound of a human screaming filled the air. 

"Someone help!! They're dying!!! Someone do something!!!

[Tag Kiddo... over to you and your evil plans... ]

[sometime later]

He gave them credit for trying. The party the would have been a sweet thing
had everything gone the way it ought to have was still happening. Trying to
lift the spirits of those who have joined but, Trap didn't feel up to being
around others pretending that everything was all right. 

Things couldn't have been any worse. Not for him with Danielle still denying
her feelings and refusing to remember, and not with the tragedy that had
taken place out on the hatching sands. 

He'd seen Kitty amongst the crown of people in the caves, and could see that
she had been crying. His fault he knew. His and his big mouth for not
stopping to think before he'd spouted off to Abby... 

He hated having hurt the young girl as she was as much a victim in all of
this as he was and didn't deserve to have heard about Kay and Danielle in
the way she had. 

He was pretty close to hating himself at the moment and knew it was his own
fault. So far in one day he'd managed to drive a knife into the hearts of
two women ... Kitty by opening his mouth when he shouldn't have.. and Tera
for not backing her up when he *knew* she was wrong. 

And she was. But still he might have been a little kinder in the way he told
her... No.. She wouldn't have believed him no matter what. But she was wrong
about Ash and somehow he would have to make her see that. 

He'd liked Ga'brin. He really had and envied them the love they shared...
But he couldn't sit back and watch as a good man was condemned for something
he didn't have any control over. Not even for his sister. 

Ash`chenon was a man of honor and if it had been any other man... including
himself in the same predicament, Trap knew there would have been more dead
riders then there ended up being. 

Surely others would see that? 

He picked up the mug in front of him. His third in the last half an hour. 

"Hey handsome," a female voice purred, and Trap looked up to see the woman
he'd left in his bed this morning. "You look like you could use some
cheering up just about now."
She said as she moved to sit beside him. 

He didn't stop her as her hand moved to settle on his thigh and then moved
upwards to the growing bulge hidden by the table top. 

Why not?

She was willing so why shouldn't he enjoy her favors. 

He grabbed her hand and stood up pulling her along after him. "Let's get out
of here and go somewhere else."

He'd had enough of the party and of the troubles in his life. A little fun
with a willing woman was just what he was needing at the moment and this one
was more then willing so why not.

He got her outside, something easily done as she didn't fight him, but when
he had them both mounted on Diemis's back and gave the order to take them up
to his apartment she had another suggestion. 

"Not there.." she purred between kisses, and rubbed her hands up and down
his chest. "Let's go somewhere away from here. I don't want to have to
listen to the sounds of the party. Not tonight."

"Sure darlin'," Trap grinned thinking he knew just the right spot. He
slipped his hand inside her shirt and cupped her breast as he gave Diemis a
picture of where he wanted to go. "The only sounds I want to hear right now
are the ones you'll be making when I slip inside of you."

"Then what's taking you so long getting us there handsome?"

<My rider I don't think this is such a good idea right now,> Diemis told
Trap even as he lifted them off of the ground. <Something isn't right.>

<<You're right there buddy, but as soon as you get us where we want to go I
plan on making it right for all of us,>> Trap crowed and bent down to ravish
the soft lips beneath his. 

The house was still standing in the clearing just as he remembered it from
his last trip though the area. As soon as the green landed Trap helped the
girl down and took her hand to lead her inside. 

After a quick tapping on the door to make sure no one was there. Trap began
to pull her inside after him, but she stopped him.

"No.. over there.. by the water," she told him and began leading him after
her as her hands began to undo the last few buttons he hadn't slipped open yet. 

He didn't fight it. The sight of her naked breast was foremost in his mind
as he thought about what he would do with them soon.

Maybe it was the brews he had fished off. Maybe the need to forget about
Danielle. Or the need to forget the pain he had caused his sister earlier
that day. 

But one moment all his attentions were focused on the lush curves of the
flirty woman before him, and the next pain exploded in the back of his head. 

The last thing he remembered was the sounds of someone  laughing and a
different voice saying, "Yes.. this one will do nicely. 

****Submitted by: *****

Traplin & Diemis
Telnor Warren

aka
Barbara