Owlean
*********

"So you see, that's why I've come here," the woman told the man as they laid
naked in the middle of the bed hours later. "She left with them and I never
saw them again. No one could tell me where she had taken them until I happen
to over hear two men talking about seeing a pretty blond whore he knew
living all high and mighty in the Warren and when he mentioned the color of
her eyes I just knew it had to be my daughter. So I got on a coach and came
here."

The woman had gotten dressed a little earlier and had gone over to the
dinning hall to pick up a picnic lunch for the two of them. The man had
offered to go, but Owlean could tell the man didn't really want to go
outside her room. 

Was he hiding from someone? Did he have a woman already that he didn't want
to know where he had spent the night? So she had offered to get their meal
and told him she wanted to find him naked and ready for her when she got back.

"Certain foods always get me excited," she lied, but figured she'd better
keep him happy if she wanted his help. "So you stay her and wait for me
lover, and when I get back Owlean's gonna show you just how exiting food can be.

It was sometime later after she had pleased the man for the foreth time in
as many hours that he agreed to help her get her children back. When he had
found out who the girl she was looking for was, a strange look came over his
face.

"Oh I know just who you're looking for," he grinned. "Don't worry your
pretty little head over it any longer. We'll get your kids back and show the
Warren what she's really like."

"And I'll show Saul what a fool he's been over the little whore,' the man
was looking forward to that.


Shawnee
********
Admirering the beautiful day as she made her way towards where Doshayne told
her Fayloth said Saul and them kid were, Shawnee wondered if her life could
get any better. 

Her sibling's had blossomed under the care and love they were receiving from
the people who lived here in the Warren, and they had all been accepted
within in the Warren's ranks. No one here had made them feel like outsiders,
no instead they were made to feel as if they were part of the family. And
now that she had joined with the little teal hatchling... she was. It was
almost as if her past life had never happened.

They were there, just where the beautiful blue, Fayloth had told Doshayne
they'd be. See could see the two boys laughing as they worked and little
Fawna off to the side sitting next to Meri....

So far the woman had done nothing to make Shawnee believe she wanted Saul
back and for that she was relieved. Trading insults with Lady Timma last
night had been distasteful to her but she had gotten her point acrossed to
the woman that the handsome dragonrider belonged to her and that she wasn't
about to let him go. 

Not until he wanted to leave. And saying a silent prayer, Shawnee hoped that
wouldn't happen for a very long time to come.

She watched him as she approached and was pleased to see how well he was
getting along with ...his son. Byrin seemed like a good kid and Fawna was
crazy about him. She wondered if her siblings would feel the same way about
the boy once they knew he was really Saul's son?

Shawnee was worried the most about her brother. Ojean had taken a real
strong liking to the dragonrider. He was more than the boy's hero. He was
like the father the boy had never had. 

Suddenly she heard and excited Fawna shouting out her name.

"Shawnee!!" And held her arms open as the little Angel came running towards
her. The little girl looked around and over her older sister's shoulder and
then frowned. "Where is Doshy?"

"She very tired after training and is napping. But I wanted to have lunch
with you my darling." Shawnee told her. "But later on before I have to go to
work maybe we can go see her and you can give her some smooches and tell her
how beautiful she is."

That caused the little girl to giggle.

Shawnee looked up just then to see Saul coming towards her and without
thinking she tilted her cheek up to receive his kiss of greeting.

"Doshayne asleep?" He asked taking Fawna from her and settling her on his
hip before they walked over to where the boys were standing next to Meri.

Shawnee turned and smiled at them. "So Byrin, how did you like oiling a
dragon for the first time?"

"It was fun," the boy grinned. "I can't wait until I tell my friends about
it when I get home."

As if the word 'home' reminded him that he would be leaving soon, the boys
grin wavered a bit, until he saw his mother watching him.

"They'll go bonker's with it when they learn," he went on trying to hide his
sadness, but Shawnee wasn't fooled and suspected neither was his mother.

"So!!! Who's hungry?" she asked and heard Saul and the boys groan. "What?
What did I say?" she looked from one face to the other. All three of the
males turned and looked at eachother as if sharing a joke.

Then Ojean turned his blue eyes up to look to her. "Saul told us that you
would say that."

"He did huh?" She asked and raised her eyes to meet the deep blue eyes of
her loves. "And why did he say that?"

"Because that was all you were going to be hearing from Doshy for the next
week and it would be the first thing on your mind morning, noon, and night."
the boy repeated as if by rote.

When asked if Meri and Byrin were going to join them for lunch, Meri spoke
up before her son could agree and told them that they still had a few things
to pack before they were scheduled to leave the Warren on the afternoon coach.

So they said their good-byes their on the green and Shawnee took Fawna back
from Saul so the Dragonrider could have a moment alone with the boy. She had
seen Saul look over at Meri as if asking if it was all right and then stood
there as he placed his hand on the boys shoulder and moved him a few feet away.

Setting Fawna down, Shawnee turned to her brother and asked if he would take
his sister and run on ahead of them to the dining hall and save them a table
for lunch. For a moment she watched after them, Ojean slowing his pace so
that Fawna could keep up with him..

"You're in love with him. Aren't you?" she hear the woman beside her ask and
nodded her head, before turning to face her.

"With all my heart," Shawnee told her, meeting the woman's eyes. She could
read concern there, but none of the malice she had felt from the woman the
first time their eyes had met across the dining hall.

Merybelle looked away first, but didn't say anything as her eyes went back
to watch her son. A sad smile crossed the woman's lips as she watched the
man and boy shake hands and then after a moments hesitation, Saul reached
out and hugged the boy to him. 

"So..?" Shawnee asked when they had started walking towards the dining hall
to meet the kids. "Was it as bad as you thought it would be?... Meeting the
boy?"

"No... not really," he tilted his head to the side and met her eyes. "I
guess it was pretty silly of me being afraid of a 14 yr. Huh?"

"Oh I don't know..." she grinned mischievously. "I think you were just
afraid that if he were as handsome as you he'd be stealing all your women
from you, and you couldn't have that... now could you? The great heart throb
of Whiteriver looked over for another charmer." 

Her hand came out to swat his backside and then she took off running. Saul
came after her and caught her around the waist, pulling her back against his
warmth. His fingers moved to her ribcage and began to tickle her unmercifully.

"You just think you know it all," he played along with her teasing and did a
bit of it himself. His lips came down to nuzzle her neck while she laughed
and squirmed in his arms. "At least I wouldn't have to worry about you
leaving me for another pretty face... would I?"

She turned in his embrace, her arms moved up to wrap themselves around his
neck. 

"Never!!" she sighed in earnest. All teasing gone as her eyes met his and
she let him see all the love she felt for him. 

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

Barry was a little surprised to see her after lunch.

"I didn't except you to come in today," the older man said when she walked
in and waved to him before heading back to her work room.

"Why not?" she asked. "Surely you didn't think I was just going to quit on
you and leave you high and dry?"

"Well you're a dragonrider now child. I wasn't sure if you'd have the time
to help out any longer. I was afraid I was going to lose the best helper
I've ever had," he grinned. "And the prettiest."

"Oh you!!" the blond laughed. "I couldn't do that to you. Surely by now you
know how we all feel about you? You're family Grandpa Barry!"

She told him about her first day of training and then they both got down to
work. Sometime later Shawnee heard someone out in the main show room and
went out there to find Aradia standing there looking longingly at a slinky
little number, before putting it back on the rack.

"You made it?" Shawnee smiled at the girl when she turned to face her.

Aradia smiled, "I'm glad you are here! Do you have time to do the
measurements now?"

"Sure do," the tailor's helper said. "Why don't we go on back to my work
room so we can take our time. If we stay out here we might be interrupted."

"Now I think this one would look beautiful on you and still make you look
slender," Shawnee told the girl sometime later, as she held up a pattern for
a nice little jumper. "You see here how it will fold over your stomach when
it starts to grows and still flare out over your hips without binding you or
being to snug?"

"Oh I like that," Aradia beamed. "And with this opener, it'll still be easy
to take off just in case I have to ... ah.. "

"Yup, it sure will," Shawnee gave a little laugh and agreed. "We can make
you up a couple of these and I can trim them all differently so they'll all
look different."

"Oh could you?"

"Easily done."

They looked over a few more patterns that Shawnee had come up with and
decided on two others. One for a pair of pants that the waist could be
expanded easily as the baby grew. 

Next they argued over colors. Aradia tended to pick out the very lightest of
bland colors and Shawnee kept trying to get her to pick a few bold colors
that would show off her features to their fullest. 

The girl had  exquisite features, but she just didn't know how to dress to
show then off. Shawnee had a hard time trying to convince her to try
something new. But in the end she had gotten the girl to agree to try it her
way.

They talked about their dragons as the blond started working on the first of
the outfits. One they had found on the racks out front but needing a few
small alterations. 

Then finally it was time from dinner.

Dinner Time
***********

Shawnee was running a little bit late by the time she arrived home from the
shop and changed to meet Saul for dinner. The two women had been having a
fine fun time going through the patterns Shawnee had found for the maternity
clothes and it had taken them a while to find just the right ones to suits
Aradia's personality.

He was waiting for her just inside the door of the hall and reached out to
pull her into his arms for a quick kiss when a voice interrupted them. 

"Oh aren't they cute," a familiar sounding voice smirked. "But don't you
think it would be more appropriate to find a bedroom for that instead of
forcing the whole Warren to witness it?" 

Shawnee went cold. Her body stiffened in Saul's arms as she tore her lips
from his and turn around and face the woman standing there. Oh Gods!! Her
heart cried out in fear and disbelief. It can't be!! Not here. Not now, she
prayed.

But her prayer's weren't answered. There standing before her with a knowing
smile plastered to her still beautiful face, was the woman who had given
birth to herself and her siblings. The woman who had abandon her three
children and walked away with out a care as to how they would get by.
Standing next to the woman was the one man in the Warren Shawnee neither
liked or trusted. 

K'leev.

What was he doing here. And with her!! Shawnee was suddenly very afraid.
Owlean never did anything without having a reason. Shawnee knew there was no
good reason for the woman to show up here... not unless she was after something.

"Well you could at least tell me you're happy to see me," the woman smiled
sweetly as Shawnee just stood there staring at her with hatred in her aqua
eyes that were so much like the woman's. 

"You have got to be kidding!" Shawnee's voice was dripping with contempt.
"You've got some nerve showing up here."

She felt Saul's hands on her shoulder, and allowed herself to lean against
him for support. "The next coach out of here leaves right after dinner. I
think you should make a point of being on it. Go back to what ever hole you
climbed out of mother. You are NOT wanted here. Not by anyone."

Saul didn't have to ask who the woman was. There was no denying the
relationship between these two women. Not when they both had the same
white-blond hair and beautiful aqua eyes. While Shawnee's eyes were young
and fresh, the older woman's were cold and hard from the things she'd seen
in life.

"But I'm afraid I can't do that just yet daughter," the woman said as if
knowing she had the upper hand. "You see I've come to collect my children.
You remember them don't you? You should. After all  you stole them from me
and took them away so I couldn't find them."

"That's a lie!!" the younger girl snapped. "You left us! Left the three of
us alone in that disgusting town to fend for ourselves while you took off
with the latest man in your life..."

"Is that what you told these nice people?" Owlean did a good imitation of
looking shocked by her daughters angry words. "What other lies have you told
them about me?"

"Watch your mouth girlie," K'leev snapped at her, even as his eyes raked
over her body. "Show your mother a little respect. You're just lucky she
doesn't want to have you arrested for what you did to her. Now go get her
children. Don't you think you've hurt her long enough?"

"K'leev!!! That'll be enough.!" Saul's angry voice cut across the others.

"Saul please do something!" Shawnee begged tuning to meet his eyes. 
"You can't let her take them away from me!! You saw the way we had to live
after she left us. Fawna almost died because of her. You can't let that
happen again!!"

The other man gave a short laugh and sneered back at Saul. 
"You're a fool Saul for falling for the little tramps lies. I though better
of you... Maybe if you hadn't been so hot to get in her pants, you would
have seen her for what she was. Was it worth it? Huh Saul... was she that
good in the sack?"

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

(Nrpg: Okay Kris... Shawnee is scared right now... she has no idea what her
right's are or what she can do to stop this woman from taking Fawna and
Ojean away from her....

She's also going to want to hide the kids for the night just in case Owlean
can talk someone.... into going and forcing Barry to give them up... he's an
old man after all...

I left lunch and most of the afternoon open for you if you want to see
Ash... or after dinner.... if Shawnee will let go of Saul long enough... :)


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

Barbara (a.k.a. 

Shawnee & Doshayne
& her Siblings;
Fawna & Ojean
Owlean (the Tramp.....