It was less than ten minutes after Shawnee had left that Trinale heard
another knock on the door.

"Come in" she cried out wearily.

A woman whom Trinale immediately recognized as Shawnee's mother stepped
through the door. The look on her face was astonishment, which she covered
quickly.

"You're the warrenlady?" she asked and couldn't control the wonderment out
of her tone of voice.

Trinale had to force her lips into a smile, especially when she saw the
disdain and shock in the other woman's face.

Trinale stood up and introduced herself. "I am Warrenlady Trinale. How may
I help you?"

"Well for starters you can tell that daughter of mine to bring my babies to
me," Owlean said with some heat in her voice. "I'm their mother and have a
right to have them with me."

"I'm...sorry," Trinale decided that she would play the older woman's
games. "Maybe if you explain to me what you're talking about I might be
able to help you. I don't know what children you think we might have here,
but I can assure you the ones I know of are all accounted for."

"I'm talking about my children," she snapped. "Ojean and Fawna. That's their
names unless she changed that too when she stole them away from me."

"Oh you must mean Shawnee's brother and sister," Trinale raised a
questioning eyebrow. "I had heard that their mother had run off and left
them alone."

"Well as you can plainly see I did no such things," she informed the girl.
"She stole them away in the night and I've been searching for them all this
time. And now I want them back!! And since you are the one supposedly in
charge here, I want you to tell her to give them back to me."

"I am sorry, I can't do that" Trinale said. "Even if Shawnee left the
warren, she couldn't take them with her. This warren has declared
Searching law." Trinale had seen the aura in Ojean...surely it was present
in Fawna too, just hadn't shown itself yet. And this woman didn't have to
know that.

"What?" Owlean almost screamed. "But they are my children!"

"You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish, but the children are a
part of the warren now." Trinale smiled at her. "I am sure we can find
someway for you to earn your way here in the warren."

"Earn my way?" the woman was outraged.

"Yes, everyone in the warren earns their way" Trinale said, her smile
widening at the womans discomfort. "Now if you will excuse me..."
Trinale led the woman to the door.

"But...." Owlean continued to protest.

"Please come see me again if you decide to stay. I will see where we can
assign you based on your abilities." Trinale smiled "I am sure if nothing
else you can help in the kitchen, doing dishes or scrubbing floors. You
can do those things, right?" Trinale didn't wait for an answer. "Good. Now
I have other business to attend to."

Trinale shut the door and leaned against it, her whole body shaking with
laughter. She had enjoyed that immensely!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

*A short while later*

Trinale's stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had only eaten a muffin
for breakfast that morning and it had been a long time ago. She frowned.
She didn't want to have to answer a lot of questions about K'leev until
she had talked to him. And she knew she would be bombarded if people saw
her. The tunnels! She had forgotten the set of tunnels that connected
different parts of the warren. She would go through those to the dining
hall.

She had soon transversed the tunnels into the kitchen. there Glynda met
her with a hug and a tray of warm food and pastries. She knew how Trinale
liked sweets. "eat" she said.

Trinale grinned and perched on a stool, not wanting to head back to her
office just yet. The sweet smells of baking filled the kitchen.

Trinale cleaned her plate completely and before leaving the kitchen
grabbed an apple. "Thanks Glynda!" she hugged the cook gratefully.

She was making her way back through the tunnels, munching on her apple
when a voice from behind stopped her.

"Lady Trinale!"

Trinale inwardly cringed but turned to see who had caught her. Racine....

"Yes?" she said.

"I .. I don't mean to bother you when you're busy .. but .." Racine began,
"Please .. Please don't banish K'leev."

As the words were spoken, her tears began. She fought against them .. but
couldn't stop them.

Trinale sighed. This whole affair was going to be a disaster. She stood
there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"Racine, I ahven't made any decisions yet. I haven't even talked to
K'leev." Trinale said quietly "Do you know where he is?"

"No, ma'am" Racine said, sniffing softly.

"Well, I am not making any hasty decisions, but if the charges against him
are true, there is a possibility that that may occur." Trinale had to be
honest with her.

"No..." Racine whispered, her fist going to her mouth, biting it softly.

"Racine, you and the children will still be welcome here even if it
happens." Trinale said softly. Then seeing tears come to the womans eyes
again she quickly added. "I have not made any decisions yet. I wish to
talk to K'leev first. If he comes home will you please have him come see
me?"

Racine nodded.

"I need to go now, Racine" Trinale said "But please  don't worry."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

*A short while later*

Trinale was fuming. K'leev still had not appeared and she was about to ask
Cricket if they were back yet when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she called out, irritation in her voice.

Daalin and K'leev stepped into her office, and Daalin moved to the
Warrenlady's desk. "K'leev and I want to discuss the trouble with Shawnee."

"As would I," Trinale said tightly.

"K'leev has asked me to speak on his behalf, as this is very upsetting to
him." Daalin began

"I'll bet." Trinale remarked. "Go ahead." Trinale was keeping tight
control on her anger.

"What happened last night was not attempted rape however, it was a young
woman getting scared and backing out when she was discovered."

Trinale frowned, "What are you trying to say? That Shawnee is lying? When I
have testimony from T'jellan that she's telling the truth?" What were they
trying to get away with?

"It more a misunderstanding." Daalin said. "A misunderstanding which began
with a queen's mating flight."

Trinale colored a bit, but didn't speak. Daalin continued. "The fact of the
matter is Shawnee was upset that Saul's Fayloth won the queen and that Saul
was off having sex with you, m'lady. She is landborn and as much as she
wanted to understand she didn't."

Bull, Trinale wanted to say, but kept her mouth shut.

Daalin motioned to K'leev, "This is where K'leev comes in. He's made no
attempt to hide the fact that he finds Shawnee attractive. And when he came
upon her crying an upset because her love was with another women, what
could he do but comfort her.

"His only mistake was to try and help. He kissed her and she accepted his
kiss .. in fact she welcomed his kiss. Until she began to feel guilty over
the lust in her heart. She teased K'leev making promises of a passionate
night. She led him on .. then she began to feel guilty and got scared
someone would find out .. she even frightened her very young dragon. Too
young to understand what was truly going on here."

"What about what T'jellan saw?" Trinale trusted her wingleader, and knew
he wouldn't misinterpret or lie.

Daalin chuckled, "T'jellan? You are joking aren't you, m'lady. After all,
it is common knowledge that T'jellan wants Shawnee himself. He simply
overreacted when he saw K'leev getting what he himself wanted."

"T'jellan wouldn't lie." Trinale said tightly, "And I don't believe Shawnee
would either!"

"I don't think this is a case of lying. It's a case of misunderstanding.
Shawnee is feeling guilty over falling into K'leev's arms. And she's
blinded herself to what really happened, and is persecuting K'leev in the
meantime." Daalin motioned to K'leev. "K'leev may not be the most gentle
man, nor even the most understanding. But he certainly is not a rapist.
He's been in the warren all his life. And never once been accused of such a
thing .. until know."

Daalin shrugged, "Surely you can see this is all a misunderstanding."

"And the bruise on her face?" Trinale asked.

"Simply an accident in the confusion of the moment."

Trinale blew! "I don't believe you!" She turned to K'leev "You have
already attempted to accost Shawnee once before, and this time you went
too far! Daalin, leave....I wish to talk to K'leev alone."

Daalin hesitated but when Trinale drew herself up to her full heighth and
said "Do you defy your Warrenlady, Daalin?" in a deathly quiet voice, he
knew he had no choice.

He turned and left. Trinale then turned to K'leev. "Now, K'leev, you
obviously have those here in the warren who care for you. Racine and even
Thorin have been in to plead for you. Now, tell me your side of the
story....and tell me the truth."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NRPG: Finally!





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                        Kat Harris: catwoman@indy.net


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