[Katla, late afternoon]

Katla waited on the Green, a satchel packed as she waited for the men to
come back.

<< 'Tinka? >>

< They're returning now. >

Saul, N'lin, and Derry landed and she gave each an indifferent stare.

"Any success?" she asked offhandedly.

"No," said Saul shortly.  Katla relented.  Saul was under a great deal of
pressure and it wasn't fair for her to increase his stress level.

"I had someone take a message in to Telven.  He'll be waiting for us at a
spot outside of Marketa.  He's willing to go with us and give us an
intro... one which relies heavily on a letter he's having forged today.  If
possible, he'll get us back to the kids even before the auction starts, but
there's no guarantee we'll be able to do that."

"How'd you get him to do that?"

Katla raised an eyebrow.  "Money... lots and lots of money.  Good thing
that we're doing well these days..."  She grinned.  "Actually, several of
my horses did well in racing this year... and my investments have been
doing well."

Derry snorted.

"I saw that report Papa sent.  That's putting it mildly.  I was wondering
what you were going to do with the excess."  He looked over at Saul. 
"Seriously, she was wondering what to do with the extra money, so don't
worry about it.  Money doesn't do any good if you don't use it for
something good."

Saul shook his head.

"Anyway, Saul?"

"Yes, general?"

Katla wrinkled her nose at him.  "Very funny.  I want you to go in with me.
 Cill and Ojean know you better than they know me.  I want them to know as
soon as possible that they're safe.  Derry, I want you and N'lin just
outside so that you can come in as soon as we have them...  or need you."

Derry opened his mouth and then closed it, apparently thinking better of
objecting.

"Saul you need to take some normal clothes... preferably something
reasonably fine... and menacing if you can manage it."

"Why?"

"So we match.  We're representing an unknown but very wealthy interest in
Ralengarde.  Do let's play the part."  Katla batted her eyelashes at him
and laughed again.  "Now, you'll all probably want to rest, I suppose..."

"We've been sweep riding all day, Chance."

"What, it's worse than breaking horses?" taunted Katla.

"Wench."  Derry had to laugh too.  "No, I don't suppose it is, but yes, we
should have a chance to rest."

"Okay... You've *some* time.  We're to meet Telven just before sunset, then
Saul and I will ride with him -- in a carriage -- to the farm.  Derry, you
and N'lin will have to show there after dark.  There will probably be
guards of some sort and having a bunch of dragons land would be fairly
obvious."

He nodded.  "Hey, N'lin, you interested in getting any food, before we go?"

[Tag Bridgett.]

<...>

[Just before sunset]

Katla waited in the same place as before, only wearing a rather fine gown
of black and gold.

Saul, Derry and N'lin came out from various places and she smiled at each
of them.

"Okay.  Let's get the kids, shall we?"

She mounted 'Tinka carefully and held on as the gleaming gold-and-brown
dragon launched into the air.  Carefully she built the image of where they
were going and had 'Tinka pass it to the other dragons.  They winked
out....

...reappearing over a meadow in the woods outside of Marketa.

They landed and Telven came out of the woods.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"Then let's get moving."  He looked at Derry and N'lin, who remained
mounted.  "The farm is about two miles east.  It should be well lit, so you
shouldn't be able to miss it."

Katla looked at Saul and then at Telven.  "I'll need help up."

Saul helped her mount the horse and they rode off.  Chance refused to look
back, keeping a firm hold on her fear.  She didn't really want to be doing
this...  There were no guarantees that Telven was going to do anything
other than turn them over to his "colleagues."  All she had was hope and
the belief that Telven wasn't foolish enough to challenge the dragons among
other things.

The ride went by before she could quite believe it was over.  Telven took
them to the doorway and presented their credentials.  He moved off almost
immediately and they passed through into the room.

It was all that Chance could do not to stare as they walked in.  There was,
it seemed, a party going on...

"Gods, the least he could have done was warned us," she whispered to Saul,
her voice thick with startled disgust.  "I mean... they think the *Warren*
is a den of iniquity?"

"Well... this is probably a rather select group," Saul whispered back. 
Chance nodded, hoping that it was true.  Liquor and drugs seemed to flow --
or float -- freely, and prostitutes of varying ages and genders plied their
trade with knowing, hopeless eyes.

It was a long evening -- one filled with trying to find new -- and
believable reasons why they wouldn't take the free drugs, alcohol, or sex
provided... Let alone as publicly as the other buyers seemed to be willing
to.  Telven caught her eye part way through the evening and nodded and
Chance suddenly had to control her laughter.  *This* was what a large
advance had been spent on... a way to distract them all.

"Saul...  Let's get out of the way... Telven's got things well in hand." 
The laughter in her voice caught his attention.  She pulled on his arm and
led him into one of the apparently unoccupied rooms.

"What's going on?"

She laughed.  "Telven paid for the party."

"What?"

"Telven paid for the party...  All we really have to do is wait..."

Saul stared down at her and began to chuckle himself.

By midnight, most of them had been knocked into complete somnolence... by
an hour after, they were all unconscious.  Telven and his helpers hauled
the limp forms out of the room and Katla began laughing in earnest.

"Telven -- thank you."

He nodded, for the first time in her acquaintance with him, his slimy air
completely gone.  Then he smiled a bit nastily.  "It's fairly simple, I
tell them that the supplier never bothered to show up and that you two left
in disgust...  They're so out of it they'll never know the difference... 
And they'll probably take it out on the suppliers... which will give me
some control..."

Katla rolled her eyes.  "Whatever."

<< Beloved, tell Levka and Trefoil that their humans can come in if they do
it soon.  >>

< As you wish, my rider...  Done. >

Within a couple of minutes the other two riders came in.

"Is this safe?"

"Safe enough...  The other potential buyers are sleeping."

"Sleeping?" N'lin blinked at her.  She grinned.

"Telven was kind enough to see to it that the others stay out of the way
for the rest of the night..."

They could hear hoofbeats in the distance.

"They're coming," said Saul.

Without speaking, Derry and N'lin took up positions on either side of the
door.  A knock came before the door burst and two men came in, dragging two
semi-conscious children.  The door slammed shut behind them as Katla and
Saul turned toward them.

"Hello..."  Chance smiled sweetly as her brother and her partner swooped
in, grabbing the children and moving away from the two men who almost
knocked her over just by their rather rancid scent.  "...we're reclaiming
the children that belong to us..."

"What the hell --"  The face of the man on the right turned dark and ugly
and he moved forward, swinging.  "You can't have those kids without paying
for it."

Katla moved to one side as Saul moved between her and the man.  Katla
smiled nastily.

"Then I suggest that you cut the price out of Owlean's hide.  She cheated
you...  those kids don't belong to her, and those who care about them were
more than willing to do whatever necessary to get them back...  You think
about that..."  Her last words coincided with Saul's punch, which laid the
man out flat.  Katla smiled approvingly and looked over at him.  "So why
didn't you do that when K'leev came after you?"

"Shut up!" he replied as the second man seemed to come out of his shock. 
She shut up as Derry handed one of the kids over to N'lin and got into the
fray.  It took a bit longer to subdue the second man, but neither Derry nor
Saul were injured.

Katla made her way over to N'lin and the kids, helping him tear the
shrouding blankets off and smiling.

"Thank the gods!"  Katla swept the two kids into her arms.  "Cill...
Ojee... we've been so worried!"

[Tag Bridgett, Kris]

<< We've got them!  We've got them!  >>

< You found the hatchlings?!?! >  'Tinka bugled and Katla laughed, letting
Ojean run over to Saul who caught the boy up in a bear hug.

"Gods... Let's go home... There are so many people who will want to see
you!"

The four riders exited the building and went to their dragons.  N'lin
carried Cill who seemed to be more heavily drugged than the boy.  They all
mounted up and headed to the Warren.

They winked in over the darkened Green, startled to see that so many people
were awake and dragons trumpeting.

'Tinka let her joy carry out over every other voice and Katla laughed,
listening to her dragon spreading the news at the top of her mental -- and
physical voice.

< We've found the hatchlings!  We've brought them home! >

[Tag everyone who's up for Lute's rather unexpected surprise ;)]

-----
NRPG -- Whew!  Called into work unexpectedly and I still managed to do it!

Hope I didn't mangle anyone too badly, but I wanted to get the kids back...

Barb... so how does Shawnee feel about being left out?  <eg>

*hugs all*

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Katla, Derry, Satinka, and Lev!

  Assistant Director, X-Files            Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
  Sterling A. Kincaid, TL, ECHO, X-Files Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
  Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA, X-Files   Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
  Xan X. Xavier, T1, X-Files             Zera and Mazel       *Norwall*

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			      Vasaris, the Fuzzy Dragon
       Jill E. Flansburg	    |		            vasaris@az.com
       CS HMC 1994	          |		jflansbu@muddcs.cs.hmc.edu
       History, WWU 199?          |		vasaris@divcom.umop-ap.com
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