**Warning**
Rated NC-17 for adult content.  If you don't want to read that, skip
from Keltian to the end.
***********

[Day 15 -- Morning]

"That's it from Alderdale --" said R'han and Derry nodded.

"Good, then we..."

A knock came to the door.

"Come in!"  The door opened slowly, revealing a very shy looking
Lisha.  "Lisha!  What can I do for you?"

She glanced up at him and then at R'han, paling slightly as the
flustered dragonrider's gaze swept down her, garbled nonsense flowing
out of his mouth as he attempted to break land-speed records to get
out of the office.

"Lisha?" Derry asked gently.

"Um... I need to talk to you... about a new partner. You know, since
Shawnee's gone." Lisha stammered, still looking at the ground.


Derry studied her for a moment, frowning slightly at the way the
formerly forthright girl effaced herself.

"No."

Lisha's head snapped up, and Derry met her gaze steadily.

"Lish, you just had major surgery.  I haven't gotten a report from
Th'rin yet, but even if he had cleared you for duty, I wouldn't assign
you a new partner."  He held a hand up as tears filled her eyes.
"Lisha -- no, it's not whatever you're thinking.  You're an excellent
rider, and I want you on patrol.  But I want *you,* the confident
young woman I know, not the shy, self-effacing person who came in
today."  He saw her bite her lip, and he tried to smile encouragingly,
but he wasn't sure it got through to her.

"Lisha."  She glanced up for a moment and looked away.  "Lisha, you're
a beautiful young woman.  That hasn't changed.  And I should know, I'm
rather a connoisseur of lovely ladies, or I was before a certain young
WarrenLady caught me..."   A small giggle escaped Lisha and he laughed
too.  "But believe me, you're *still* beautiful and anyone who doesn't
think so isn't worth your time, okay?  But until *I* know that you
believe yourself competent and worthy -- yes, *worthy* Lish -- I'm not
putting you on patrol.  I want to know that you're not going to let
anything happen to you because you don't think you're worth it.
Okay?"

[Tag back, Morgie]

-----
[Katla]

"I don't *want* them!"

Katla winced slightly at Xanthia's raised voice.

"I know you don't."  She said it flatly, with little sympathy.  The
tone seemed to break through Xanthia's tantrum for a moment.  Pity was
something that Xanthia didn't need.  She walled off the memory of when
Keltian had done this for her, when she was so small.  "But you need
them.  Accept it and move *on,* Xanthia."

"But...  It's not fair!"

"No buts, Xanthia."  Katla cocked her head to one side, dark eyes
serious.  "I know it isn't fair.  None of this is fair.  *LIFE* isn't
fair.  I know, better than anyone, how much this hurts.  You will
never run again, or dance, or turn cartwheels on the green.  People
will always look at you with a kind of distrust, as though having legs
that don't work properly mean you can't think or feel or understand.
It isn't fair.  But neither is what happened to Cricket's clutch.  Or
Cill.  Or that little girl.  Or you."

Xanthia flinched, but Katla held her eyes, determined.  "It's only
your legs, Xanthia.  This isn't about your heart, or soul or ability.
This is about you being able to walk again.  Treat patients again.
So, maybe you'll never run or dance or turn cartwheels, but you can
*fly* Xanthia.  And if you want, I can teach you to ride.  But first,
*first* you have to walk.  Think about it."

[With many apologies to Morgie for the lateness of this.
Unfortunately, this is not as cool as the one the computer ate.
*sighs*]

-----
[Keltian]

Kel almost laughed to see Raine's expression as Pheran explained the
facts of life to her.  Horror and disgust and misery.

Just what she should feel, spreading her legs for dragonriders.

"What do you say, Drezak?  Do you want to come?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

"It's just a small party.  Some drinking, cards, that sort of thing.
I say, I have an idea for a game we might play..."  He smiled down at
Raine, and she flinched into her brother's cold grip.  "Yes, bring the
party favor along.  This should be fun..."

Pheran ordered the coach around, and Keltian walked over to Rain,
running his hands lightly over her.  A gentle touch, different from
the blows she had so richly deserved, but her eyes -- oh, the shame
and self knowledge in those blue, blue eyes.

"Pheran, come look at this..."  His hand parted her thighs, and Raine
trembled, hips undulating as he played, moans becoming more
pronounced.  Her head shook in denial, but the arch of her back, the
flushed and swollen breasts.

"What are you doing?" His friend looked intrigued.  "It's not as
though she deserves --"

"Look at her eyes..."

Ah, yes -- self-loathing, even as words began to form on her lips.
Words like 'yes' and 'please' and 'more.'

Pheran laughed.  "Oh, Keltian, you are devious."

He picked her up, and she didn't fight -- perhaps she couldn't.  Her
disappointment was clear, but that was all right.  The whine of her
voice, asking for what she had been denied... oh, it was sweet indeed.

The went a few blocks away, to Lord Zantrick's house, to be met by a
number of their friends.

Zantrick's son, Wellin, laughed when he saw Raine's face, flushed with
arousal and Pheran's fingers dancing along her skin.

"What's this, then?"

"Party favor."  Keltian smiled.  "You've all said you've had her --
and I'm sure at least *some* of you were lying, but you won't be by
the end of tonight.  We all know she's a dragonwhore, but she has been
objecting to her new profession as a whore for *real* people.  So, I
thought we'd remind her how much she really enjoys the life she's
chosen.  I propose a little game.  Any man who can make her come can
fuck her.  Any man who can make her *beg* for him to take her can ask
for *any* act, no matter how depraved -- and she'll do it.  Won't you
Raine?"

She was shaking her head, no, but all of them could hear her clearly,
wanting something she wouldn't name.  Pheran leaned down and whispered

in her ear, telling her the words that would gain her release and
Keltian almost laughed.

"ohgodsohplease,Pheran,pleasepleaseplease,yes,fuckmefuckmefuck..."

And there, before all of their friends, Pheran obliged.

There were several volunteers after that.


------
[Day 16, Late Morning]

[Pheran]

For a moment, Pheran wondered whether he would ever tire of the wet,
squelching noises that indicated that his sister was doing her job.
He heard the ping of a copper hitting the side of the bowl next to the
cot she was tied to, and her quiet sobs even as feet shuffled and the
next customer made his -- or her -- request for Raine's services.

He smiled.  No, it was too much fun to watch her degradation.  He
turned his chair slightly, moving his breakfast plate so that he could
actually watch.  This time it was two of the workmen who had been
hired to fix the roof.  They were about as clean as a pigsty, and
smelled twice as sweet, but Gods it was fun to watch her revulsion as
they explained their needs in graphic detail.

"Has she made enough to buy breakfast yet?" Drezak asked casually.

"Perhaps.  I don't think she's had a chance to count her earnings
yet."  Pheran smiled cruelly.  "But as there's quite a line, it'll be
a while before she can.  I hope you slept well?"

"Like a baby."

"Oh?" asked Keltian, walking in dressed in his morning robe.  "You
woke up hungry every couple of hours?"

Drezak laughed, shaking his head.  "No, I slept well, I assure you."

"Good.  As soon as Raine is finished servicing her customers, we've a
trip to take.  There are some people I think you should meet, Drezak."

"Oh?"

"Mmmmm.  Yes..."

There was a slight knock on the door and Pheran looked up.  Keltian
rolled his eyes.  "Come."

"My lords, Lord Jason, son of Lord Fowler, is here and requests an
audience."

"We know who Jason is," Kel said rather indulgently.  "He's a good
kid -- you'll like him, Drezak.  Why don't you send him in?"

[Tag Arlene, Barb, Bridget]

-----
NRPG --
Okie, more later -- Kris, can I beg for an updated timeline?

For those of you who skipped to the end, well... nothing important
happened but Jason showing up.  :)

*hugs*

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Derry, Katla, Pheran and Kel
Whiteriver Warren
DragonLands

             X-FILES                         DRAGONLANDS
Director, X-Files Division           Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
Sterling Kincaid, TL, ECHO           Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
Damien Cunningham, Forensics         Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
Xan X. Xavier, Trainer               Zera and Mazel       *Norwall*

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                         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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