Kanler
*******

[Day 16 morning]

"There's been no word yet from N'lin?" Kanler asked his mate after coming
out of the shower and sitting down to the breakfast she'd prepared.

"None and That scares me even more," she sighed slipping into the seat
across from him. "I would have thought he'd had something for us by now.
even if it was just to let us know how he made out with Kel and Pheran."

Kanler nodded feeling the same way. "Well look at it this way. Maybe the
fact that he hasn't contacted us means that everything is okay so far."

"I hope that's true," she commented and bit into the strip of bacon she'd
picked up off her plate. 

He reached over and his hand covered the one she had on the table. "I'm sure
she's all right. But if things don't turn out you are not to feel guilty
about it. Raine wouldn't want that and she knew how things might go if she
went back. I say she's a pretty gusty person."

Katla grinned weakly. "She's always been a gusty person. Why the tales I
could tell you about her...But I think Merissa could do a better job of it.
She and Raine were friends while I only really knew her from parties and such."

"Well Rain is lucky to have the both of you looking out for her and I'm sure
she knows it. Now... Who do you have set up to go with us when the word
comes in that we're needed?"

They took a while longer discussing it, then Katla got up to dress for going
into her office. Kanler, went to look for J'red to see if the other rider
could spare him some time. 

He had a trip to make and knowing he couldn't go by himself.. Fine thing
when the Wingseconds partner broke the rules... 

He found the man in the dining hall just sitting down to start in on the
food plied on the plate before him. 

"You got anything to do for the next few hours?" he asked reaching over to
steal a crispy slice of bacon off the mans plate.

"What's you got in mind?" J'red asked.

"I need to make a trip home to see my father and wanted someone to go along
with me who knows about what's going on. I need to fill him in on what's
been happening around here and see how much help he might be able to give
when the time comes." 

"Sure. No problem as long as we're back before I have to leave for my patrol."

"So.." Kanler grinned. "How's your patrol partner getting along since we
brought her back?"

[huh? Arle?]

They landed on the green sweeping lawn in front of Kanler's family home a
half an hour later. And while the home wasn't as big as the Vaddon Estate it
was a rather nice place and Kanler had loved growing up there. 

A male servant had the door open by the time they had dismounted and walked
up the big set of stairs leading up to the front door. 

"Lord Kanler how good to see you sir," the elderly man bowed slightly to
them. "And you also Lord J'red... You father will be pleased for the visit."

"He's up then already?" Kanler asked as they entered the main hall. He was
teasing because they both knew his father was up every morning before the
sun began to shine. 

"In his office going over the books," came the servants reply and he led
them that way. 

"Why Kanler what do I owe this visit?" his father said once he saw who had
entered the room. That the two of them were close was easy to see as the
older man came around his desk to shake his sons hand. 

"It's not a happy time father," the rider said once the three of them were
seated. "We've come to fill you in what's happening at the Warren right now
and what we've found out about the people causing the trouble."

The smile left Lord Kanen's face as he gestured his son to go on. He drug a
hand through the dark blonde hair that nearly was a match for his son's.
then sat back to listen. It hadn't been a easy thing for the older man to
know that men he had known for a long time could be mixed up in something so
demented as the killing of Dragonriders. 

Between them, Kanler and J'red told his father what all they had learned and
answered as many questions as they could. Holding nothing back from the man.

"So how are you going to find out when the best time to go after them will
be?" Kanen asked, looking from one rider to the other. 

Kanler took a quick look at J'red who shrugged his shoulders. "We've someone
inside right now who will let us know how things are going."

"A Spy?"

"Yes sir. Someone close enough who wants them caught and punished more then
we do."

"Who is he? Or would you rather not say?" Kanen asked, knowing there were
just some things his son might not be able to talk about. 

"It's not a he father... It's Lady Raine Calarais."

"Lady Raine.... the girl who they say has the morals of a ...? the older man
frowned. 

"Father.. Those were rumors spread by her brother and Keltian Vaddon to
cover their own brutal crimes. THEY are the ones with no morals. Lady Raine
has suffered greatly at their hands and I feel a certain respect towards her
for what she has offered to do after the abuse she suffered at their hands."

Kanler felt sick to his stomach as he unfolded the rest of the story for his
father. J'red nodded in agreement when the whole entire sick story of the
rape had come out. 

"Whatever I or my people can do to help is yours for the asking," Lord Kanen
swore heatedly when they were through. "You've only to let me know what we
may do when the time comes."

"I was hoping you'd say that father," Kanler grinned roguishly. "Lord Vaddon
and Lord Fowler have offered the same thing. We would just prefer that you
not talk about this to anyone before time."

"No, no... certainly not. Never know who might be in the pay of these
bastards and don't want them warning them before we can strike."

They stayed for a few minutes more then as promised, Kanler got J'red back
to Whiteriver in time to meet up with Elissa. 

Before parting, he thanked the rider for going with him, then as he was
remounting Sariss to go home, noticed a dry patch on the dragons skin, and
felt bad.

<<I've been forgetting about you my friend,>>

<You've had a few other things on your mind my rider which I felt more
important.> his dragon told him.

<<Besides my mate, nothing is more important to me then you. without the two
of you in my life.. it's not worth living... But right now I think we'd
better give you a good oiling. Before these dry patches cause you more
problems.>> 

<That would be nice,> the dragon sighed in pleasure. 

[day 16 still :)Early afternoon]

It was early afternoon by the time they were finished to Kanler's
satisfaction. Still no word had come in from N'lin. He was beginning to
worry now more then ever. Surely by now they would have heard something?

He was just sitting down to a meal when the alert came to him via his
dragon. At first he thought it was the call they had all been waiting for,
but then Sariss told him the warning was over a banished rider and sinse the
young friend of Ojean's was involved, the dragon had figured that his rider
would want to know.

<<Cill? She 's in trouble?>> he asked even as he was getting up out of his
chair and racing towards the door and his dragon. <<Take me there!!>>

When he arrived and saw the dark headed rider being restrained by other
riders, he had a bad feeling about what had just taken place, and knew
Racine would be badly frighten by even the thought of that man near by.

Neril was screaming unhappily as Th'rin picked him up and moved toward Cill.
Cill, now that her rush of adrenaline was beginning to wear off, started to
shake.

"Cill!" Racine called running up to the girl. She looked at Neril still
crying as Th'rin looked him over. "Neril!"

"He'll be okay," Th'rin assured her, then handed him over to her. She
cuddled him closely as Th'rin turned his attention on Cill, "Cill? Are you
okay?"

"What happened?" her mother question.

"He .. he .. was gonna take him .." she sputtered.

"Oh Mama .." They heard Mara whisper as she moved slowly beside them The
adult both looked up at her to see her facing the stranger the two
dragonriders held.

They followed her gaze and froze as the dark stranger faced them with a
defiant gaze. Many feelings could be named to tell how each of them felt at
the face that looked at them .. happiness was definitely not one of them ..

"Take him away from here and lock him up. The Warrenlady will decide what to
do with him later! " Kanler snapped, coming up to the two riders who were
holding on to the offender. "The very sight of him offends us all!"

He watched just long enough as the two hulled struggling K'leev off. Then
turned back to look at Cill and her mother, ignoring the venom and threats
the banished rider was yelling back over his shoulder. He hated the sadness
and fear he saw on both females faces and moved closer to offer what help he
could. 

Cill saw him and he was pleased when she moved into the arms he held open
for her. 

"I was so scared," she told him. "But I couldn't let him take him."

"I'm sure you were sweetie, and I know everyone is proud of you for saving
your brothers life." He assured her in as calm a tone as he could manage. He
could sense something else in her tone. Something she wasn't putting into
words, but thought now was not the time to try and get her to talk about it. 

Cill nodded as she looked up at him, then he hugged her to him and over the
top of her head Kanler's eyes met Racine's and he could see the relief and
thanks she sent back to him. 

He also saw something else in her eyes that hadn't been there when he had
seen her last. Fear.

"Th'rin.. Why don't you take the kids over to the dining hall and get them
something tooth decaying to eat while I walk Racine home," he said thinking
the woman needed someone to talk to now that the crisis was over. 

He saw the healer look at his step-mother saw her nod her head that it would
be okay with her, then Kanler bent down to speak with Cill. 

"I need to talk to your mom for a bit, so would you be okay going with
Th'rin and the others to the dining hall for a little while? You're safe
now. He can't hurt you again since he's locked up in a cell."

"Okay. will you be okay mama?" Cill agreed when she saw her mother's head
nod, and turned to walk slowly towards her older brother. 

"You don't have to do this Kanler," the woman said as they began to walk
back to her home.

"Racine.. I care about your family. Let me help okay?"

She grinned shyly and nodded her head. They were silent for the rest of the
way home. Once there she excused herself and went to fit a pot of the tea
she knew the rider liked while she thought over what she would say to him. 

Then when she came back into the living area and handed him a cup of the
warm brew, he could see she had reached some sort of decision. 

"For the last 15, maybe 16 years this Warren has been my home, and while I
haven't always had the best of times, I'd felt safe here. After today..
seeing ..him.. I can no longer say that. As long as he is alive I will live
in fear for my children's safety," she told him with a bitter laugh. 

"So what do you want to do?" he asked, watching her closely over the top of
the cup he'd brought to his lips. 

"I can't see that there is anything I can do but leave Whiteriver and take
them all somewhere where I'll feel safe again," she told him. "Somewhere
where he'll never find us."

Kanler nodded his head. He understood how she could be feeling that way. But
to move her family away from everything they knew and loved?

He was thinking over how to phrase the question he wanted to ask when a
knock sounded at the door. When he saw the fear leap into her eyes, he got up. 

"I'll see who it is. You just stay there and rest."

He opened the door and wasn't all that surprised to see the two riders who
had been K'leev's escorts to the holding cell. But when he saw the
embarrassed look on both of their faces he they weren't here to tell him
everything was now okay. 

Looking back to make sure Racine hadn't followed him to see who it was, he
stepped outside and silently closed the door behind him. 

"Okay what happened?"  he asked, his tone demanding a quick answer. As he
looked at the second rider he saw the swelling under the mans left eye that
was already beginning to turn colors. 

"We never made it to the holding cells," the first man told him. "We had him
but no one remembered that *he* also had a dragon and the damn thing
surprised us before we could do anything and grabbed K'leev. They teleported
away before we could get to our own dragons."

"Shit!" Kanler swore softly. 

"Man we're sorry as hell, but there wasn't anything we could do once the
black showed up," the second rider said. 

"Not you fault. Mine. I should have remembered about Bruteth. Stupid!," he
cursed himself, wondering what he was going to say to the woman inside
waiting for him. 

"We could form up a wing and go look for him to make sure he didn't stick
around for a second try," the first rider offered, even though he knew
K'leev was to smart for that.

"No.. but go by the warren offices and fill in Trinale and Merissa about
what happened. I'll be here if anyone needs me for a while." He turned
quickly, fist up and ready to hit something, but stopped it an inch from the
door frame. Breaking his hand not wouldn't solve anything.

"I want a guard put on this family," he ordered, never minding that he
didn't have the right to do so, except for his ties the Wingleaders family. 

That seemed to be good enough however for the riders who agreed to see to
it. then they left and Kanler was left with telling Racine. Something he
would have given anything not to have to do.

He didn't have to tell her. She could see it in the expression on his face
when he re-entered the room. 

"I can't stay here. what if he comes back...He knows he has a son now and
nothing will stop him from trying to get to him." she cried looking up to
see the sadness in his face. 

He felt as if he had failed her in some way. 

"We're not safe here any longer but where will we go?"

A thought came to him. 

"What about Jasra Warren?" he said slowly. "I know Shawnee and Saul would
welcome you and Cill will be happy to be near Ojean again. You'd be safe
there and K'leev wouldn't find out where you are if we don't tell anyone
you're leaving."

Hope flared in her eyes. She was already making plans. "But how would we get
there?"

Kanler laughed and held open his arms. 

"Your transport will be ready when ever you are my Lady. Sariss and I offer
our services."

=================================== 

Well Kris.. she gonna take him up on the offer?

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

Kanler & Sariss
Whiteriver Warren

aka 
Barbara