Beginning Of A Heartache 

>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?"

>"Not that you'd ever get the chance to find out," Saul growled 
moving toward the larger man. "Does Racine know where you are? Or 
are you flaunting your matehood in her face yet again!"

>K'leev face reddened and he grabbed Saul by the collar ..

Shawnee moved to beat on the man's arm, She had to do what she 
could to stop this fight from happening. She couldn't left Saul 
get hurt because of her...

>Suddenly a boisterous trumpeting startled her. She watched as 
sparkling silver dragon  shot into the air, a multitude of colored 
dragon hot on her tail. Her eyes flashed back to Saul being released 
as both men suddenly turned and headed out the door, He moved on by 
her as if forgetting she was there..

"No Saul... please no," she begged silently as she watched him walk 
towards the area where the Warrenlady was tempting her male admirers. 

"What is it?" a woman's voice was asking her and she dragged her eyes 
away from her loves for a second to find Merybelle standing next to 
her. It was to much for hr to bare and she turned her eyes away. She
couldn't stand to have this woman see her cry.

"The queen is rising to mate." she said in a voice barely above a 
whisper as her eyes once again found the found the strong body of 
her loves among the others.

"Byrin, go inside."

"But, mom .. it's only a mating flight .." Byrin protested.

"Inside!" Mery repeated. 

>A look of relief crossed Shawnee's face as someone shouted, 
"Bruteth has the lead! He's going to catch her!"

>"Not again! He won the last queen," someone complained.

"Did you see that!" someone yelled.  "Fayloth stole her out from 
under Bruteth!"

"No!!" Shawnee sobbed, tears began to fall as she stood there and 
watched the man she loved carrying off the Queen's rider. The girl 
couldn't tear her eyes away from the two locked in a passionate kiss. 

Her heart felt as if it were breaking in two. How could he do this 
to her right now when she needed him? He'd promised to be there for 
her whenever she asked. 

Well she was asking now. She desperately need him.... and he wasn't 
here to help.  

She felt an arm go around her shoulders, and Shawnee looked up to see
Merissa standing there her face showing her concern.

"Let's get out of here!"  Merissa suggested.  "I know a really nice 
quite spot...near the waterfall...."  As she guided the shaky Shawnee 
away from the crowd.

But as they moved away, a snaring, woman's voice followed after them,
"Can't keep him satisfied, eh love?" 

Shawnee shuddered, letting Cricket's rider lead her away from her 
mother, but the woman's voice followed after them. 

"You'll find most men move on as soon as they get what they want. You didn't
really think he was in love with you or something sappy like 
that did you?" Owlean laughed bitterly. "He got what he wanted and 
now he's after someone else without giving you a second thought."

"Don't listen to her," Merissa told her in a firm voice. "It's not 
true, Saul cares a lot about you. But this is a mating flight. He 
has no control over what Fayloth does at a time like this.... it 
doesn't mean he cares any less for you."

Shawnee heard the Queenriders words, but it didn't stop the doubts 
tearing her heart in two. She really didn't know how much the 
dragonrider cared about her. He never talked about it. Never told 
her his feelings. And then there was always that look that came 
into his deep blue eyes when ever she broke their silent rule and 
told him of her own love for him. Was her mother right? 

As they walked she finally noticed where their steps were leading 
them and Shawnee stopped.

"I can't go there," she sobbed. "Not there."

In her mind she was remembering the night before when Saul had 
brought her out here and made love to her before taking her back 
to 
the hatchling barracks. 

......."No, Sweet Shawnee. That was for you .. and me .. because
I'm going to miss you, keeping me warm at night...."

He did care about her... didn't he? 

...."Saul won't be happy to learn you were messing with his woman..." 
T'jellan had told K'leev. But she wasn't really his woman. Not the 
way T'jellan had meant....

T'jellan!!!!

He would help her!! He had told her if she ever needed help she had 
only to ask. Would he be willing to help her with the kids if she 
asked him too? 

Suddenly she knew, she had to act quickly before K'leev could find her
mother again. Or Owlean find the dragonrider. It was common knowledge around
the Warren that the kids were staying with the Tailor Barry! 

What if her mother got to the dragonrider and he told her where they 
were? He would tell her. If only to get back at Saul, for being the
better man ... and herself for turning him down. 

She had to do something! She had to get there first and get them 
way from there before K'leev could lead her mother there. For once 
the woman had the kids in her control, what chance would Shawnee 
have.

<<Doshy...please be awake... I need you my love,>> she sent the 
thought even as she tried to come up with a reason for leaving 
and then heading towards Barry's apartment. If only she could 
get there first.

<What is it my human?> the little hatchling thoughts were confused 
and angry. <Why are your thoughts so angry and sad?>


<<Later my love. I'll tell you later. Right now I need you to find 
Grunth and ask him to have his rider go to Barry's and get my 
siblings and take them somewhere away from here... tell him that 
they are in danger and I will tell him about it when he gets back.... 
tell him to hurry...please!!!>>

She turned to the other woman. 

"I have to go do something..." she told her. "I have to find 
T'jellan."

"Why would you need to find him?" Merissa asked concerned about 
the girls strange emotional shift. 

"I just do," she kept her eyes avoided from the other girls. "It's
important." A matter of life and death... she thought to herself.

"M'lady... thank you for getting me away from there... from her...my mother.
She's here to take the kids away from me," Shawnee told her. 
"I though Saul would be able to help me stop her...but..." she had 
to stop and take a couple of deep breaths before she could go on. 
"It looks like I'm going to have to do it on my own." 

With that said Shawnee turned and started running back the way the 
way had come. She was running towards her siblings, but also away 
from the memory of last night and the waterfall, and she didn't stop running
even though she could hear Merissa calling after her.

< Grunth's ride said the kids are somewhere safe,> Doshayne told her 
as she neared the tailor's apartment. <He does not understand why you needed
for him to do this, but he has done it.>

<<Tell them thank you and that I will explain later when I see him,>>
Shawnee sent back, hoping she would get to talk to him before he heard 
the gossip elsewhere. She didn't want the man to think she had used 
him.

"Barry!!" she called out as she entered his apartment without 
knocking. But the old man didn't answer her back. Had he gone with 
T'jellan and the kids? "Barry!! Where are you?"

She raced through the living area and on down the hallway to where 
he had set up rooms for the kids. No one was there. His room proved 
the same, so she retraced her steps and went into the kitchen.

"Barry?" 

Where could he be!

"Looking for someone?" a smug male voice asked from the door way 
causing Shawnee to jump.

When she turned around she found K'leev standing there in the door 
way. His large bulk was blocking her only way out.

"Where is he?" she asked, fear seeped into her as she watched the 
smile creep acrossed his face. "What have you done with him?"

"Oh he's all right," the man said grinning, as took a step towards 
her. "And he'll stay that way for the next little while,  while you 
and I get to know each other better."

Shawnee took a step backwards away from him for each one he took 
forward. Until finally she could go no farther as he backed her up 
against the wall.

"Stay way from me!!" she cried, realizing that he was drunk. She 
could smell the liquor from where she stood.

"Stay away from me," he mimicked her in a wimpy voice as he drew up 
in front of her and reached out to touch her cheek.

"Don't touch me!!" she shouted and pushed his hand away.

"You ought'a be nice to me little girl," he smiled knowing there was 
no where for her to go now and no one to come to her aid. His hand 
reached out to fast for her to avoid it to grab her by the hair and 
pull her towards him. "Now that your so called man has found someone 
new, you'll be needing a real man to keep you warm at night."

"Saul was more man than you could ever dream of being!! Without him, 
I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life than have you touch me," 
her told him, bring her hands up and raking his face with her nails. 
Then she pushed against him as hard as she could to try to get by him.

"You bitch!!" he screamed, his face on fire where she attacked him. 
Turning he went after her and caught up with her before she could 
reached the door. As he reached her, his foot hit the edge of the 
couch, tripping him up and sending them both fly. Shawnee's cheek 
hitting the floor hard, stunning her for a few seconds. That was all 
he needed.

Before she could regain her footing, he was on her. His larger body 
pinning her's beneath him on the floor. She tried to push him off of 
her, her fist pounding his head and shoulders until finally he caught
 her by the wrist and raised them both over her head and held them 
there, trapped in the circle of his fingers.

That's it bitch, fight me," he laughed knowing she couldn't stop him 
when he lowered his head towards hers. His lips came down hard crushing hers
with punishing force. His free hand moved up to fondle her right breast and
she could feel his hardening member pressing against her. 
He had wanted her for so long. Every since he had first seen her with 
Saul in the dining hall the first night he had brought her here. And 
now he meant to have her. He was going to have her.

<<Doshy!!!! >> She screamed in her mind. She couldn't believe this was
happening to her. Gods.. Please no... she begged when she felt his 
fingers move to the buttons of her shirt, slipping them open until 
he could slip his hand inside.

She wanted to throw up from the feel of his flesh touching her, and 
just before she thought she would, the man was yanked away from her 
and the next thing she knew he was sent flying acrossed the room.

"You son of a bitch!" a deep male voice shouted, as he moved between 
them, and reached for the man, his fist connecting with the man's 
face a second time before bring his hand back for another punch. 

"T'jellan NO!!....Just make him go away!!" she cried out, wanting 
it all to just be over with. Her body began to shake uncontrollably,
thinking about what had almost just happen.

K'leev was quick to make his escape when the big red-heads attention 
turned towards the girl. He was out the door and on his dragon before
T'jellan could stop him.

The big man went to the girl and gently so as not to spook her 
anymore, he offered her his large hand and when she took it he 
helped her up and then over to the couch.

He was at a lost as to what to do, but when she moved her body 
against his he wrapped his arms around her and just held her and 
let her cry.

It was sometime later that he noticed she had fallen asleep. No 
wonder he thought, after the things she'd been through tonight. 
He knew about the mating flight and figured she hadn't taken it 
well when Saul's Fayloth had won. Her being landbound and all. 
But then to have to go though what she had at the hands of that 
damned drunken K'leev. Well he would see that something was done 
about the man.

He would tell Saul himself of the man's constant harassment of his 
woman. Shawnee might get angry at him over it, but it would be 
better than having the man try something like this again. Then 
next time she might not be so lucky as to have someone show up 
and stop him before he.... Well he would let Saul handle the man.

It was nearly morning when he heard someone calling out the girls 
name. The voice sounded as if the torments of hell were after them. 
The door burst open and Saul was framed in the doorway. The bearded 
rider's face was creased with worry.

His deep blue eyes narrowed when he saw Shawnee still asleep and 
wrapped in the Wingleaders arms.

T'jellan motioned for him to remain quiet until he could disengage 
himself from the sleeping girl, then replacing the throw rug he'd 
been using, he moved into the kitchen and motioned Saul to follow 
him.

"While you were out having fun with Trinale last night, K'leev 
tried a little to hard to press his unwanted charms on your woman," 
the red-head said. "I got here before he could do anything to her, 
but he shook her up pretty good."

Saul's deep blue eyes turned almost black with his rage. "Where is 
that son of a bitch," he wanted to know.

"Forget about him right now. He's not going any where, the big man 
snapped. "It's your mate that you should be worrying about."

"She's not my mate," Saul frowned taking a deep breath and running 
his fingers through his wavy brown hair. "But you're right, K'leev 
isn't going anywhere. He can't be allowed to get away with this kind 
of action with any of the women living here."

"Is that all I  am to you Saul," they heard a voice saying from the 
door way and turned to see Shawnee standing there, her face devoid 
of any color showing off the big bruise had formed over her left 
cheek where her face had hit the floor earlier. "Just one of the 
many women living here."

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

(Tag Kris :) he he

Arlene: Shawnee will be back around to see you... especially if word 
about K'leev gets out... but mostly because her mother Owlean isn't 
going anywhere just yet. The woman still means to try to take the 
kids, and wreck a little havoc before she does...Shawnee may find it 
easier to talk to Merissa than Trinale... because of what happened 
with Saul. :) But she knows she'll have to talk to Trinale sooner or
later... she'll just be 
real shy aound her.

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

Barbara (a.k.a.

Shawnee & Doshayne
Whiteriver Warren