NRPG -- Okay, I'm not putting the days on these, because I'm not
entirely sure when they happen.  Yes, I've read the timeline, but
y'all are probably more familiar with the where's-n-when's.  Morgie,
I'll get to Katla being informed about what happened to Xanthia and
what she'll do about it in a bit.  Promise. :)

[Katla -- the night Raine is brought in.]

The Alpha WingSecond sat quietly in bed, a small, gleaming dagger
tumbling between her fingers.  She could feel her mate watching as she
stared into the nothingness, feel his sympathy with her pain, it was
all she could do to blank her mind and try to find enough space to
pack away the emotional agony.

Physical pain wasn't a problem for her anymore.  Why did it seem that
this was so much more difficult to do?

Kel had raped a woman.

Despite the violence that had led to her brother's banishment from
Vaddon, Katla couldn't quite grasp -- understand or believe -- that
her brother could have committed such a crime.  Kel, who had more than
once ordered terrible punishments for men who had abused women on the
Vaddon estate.  Kel who had always protected her and Derry and Allin.

Kel -- the older brother that she had loved, the one who had suggested
that she be taught to ride -- Kel was dead.

What had taken his place was a monster.

Kel was dead.  Katla wrapped her mind around that concept as tightly
as she could.  Kel was dead.  His body just didn't know it yet.


-----
[Meeting in Trinale's office, day whichever]

"Not by Saul's hand she didn't," Kanler insisted again. "You're
talking about a man who gave everything he had to this Warren and then
some. You're talking about a man who has saved your life more times
them you can remember. Yes he was angry at the bitch. Who wouldn't
have been... but no one will ever convince me that Saul changed so
much that he could have so cold bloodedly have killed a woman did the
things to her that were done... and then go off to live a normal life
with his mate and children. I just won't believe it. Not Saul!!"

Katla stared numbly at L'rian, horrified by the suggestion but unable
to make counter-argument.  How could she judge?  She would never have
believed her brother able to do such a hideous thing, but...  Saul...?

"No."  Derry's voice echoed through the room firmly.  "Saul had reason
to want her dead -- but despite all of the ugly little tricks she
played, Saul constantly minimized either her involvement or what her
punishment should be --"

Katla made a rude noise.  "He couldn't believe it of her."

"True.  But even with Owlean -- you or I would have had her
executed --"  brother and sister ignored the pool of slightly shocked
silence that caused, but Katla understood her brother.  They had both
served as judges for their father, and they both were connected to it
deeper down than the new veneer of the Warren, "-- but Saul didn't
even consider it particularly seriously.  Hell, the closest he came
was with K'leev... and I think he'd have been satisfied if he'd
managed to beat the snot out of the bastard."

"Not that he managed that," mumbled Kanler, and Katla managed a weak
smile at her mate.

"So no -- I don't believe that Saul could do it.  In any case, Saul
would never kill a dragon.  Even if he could have killed Gwyna, he
never would have used her dragon to do it.  Ever."

Katla nodded.  "And if it had been me -- though I would never
deliberately harm a dragon -- if I had been aware that Gwyna had lost
hers, I would cheerfully have let her live.  Even forced her to."

Kanler stared at her, and she stared back at him, unapologetic.
"Death is often too easy a punishment.  A lifetime without her
dragon... Well, that's just about enough to pay for what she did to my
family.  But that's vengeance, not justice."

"I was wondering if you knew the difference," Trinale remarked,
staring at her mate and his sister.

"Of course," Katla said, surprised.  "Justice contains the element of
mercy, sister.  Vengeance doesn't.  That's why I would never sit as
primary judge for Gwyna, though I'd be happy enough to prosecute -- my
feelings are too strong given the issue.  But the question becomes...
who stood to benefit from killing her and making it look like the cult
did it?"

<...>

"I think the question is, is how are we going to prove Pheran Calarais
and Kel Vaddon are part of this cult," Kanler spoke up after listing
to what the others were saying. "I don't mean any disrespect toward
Lady Raine.. but all we have is her word for what happened to her."

"If she said that's what happened then you can be assured that *that*
was what happened," Merissa spoke up in defense of her friend. "I've
known her nearly all my life from the times we visited their estate
and Raine and I got to know each other rather well."

"Point taken," he smiled at the red-head. "Still.. it's her word
against theirs and somehow we're going to have to prove she's telling
the truth."

"I could go see Kel," Derry said quietly. "I mean they can't have had
time yet to hear about Jason being found out.... What if I just sort
of bump into him in town and..."

Katla shook her head.  "He would never believe it.  It's been more
than a year, Derry, and not once have either of us tried to visit him
or accidentally run into him.  It'd be a little too coincidental if
you did it now, when..." she took a breath, "...his victim just
successfully ran away."

"But..."

Chance just shook her head.  "It won't work.  But we do need
information, directly from him.  Something reliable --" she held up
her hand in apology to Raine, "-- and with witnesses."

"Well think about it tonight," Trinale told them. "And tomorrow we'll
try to decide how to put our plan into action."

-----
[Next day... I think.]

"I don't have a life any longer," Raine's words were hollow. Almost
wooden.  "They took that away from me the day they raped me. But I
*need* to do this.  To help bring them to justice. Can't you see? It's
the only way I can ever get back some of what they took from me! If I
lose my life knowing that I helped to save so many others then to me
it will have been worth it. Let me help?"

The men went silent and Katla studied her.  "Of course."

Several heads turned toward her, gape-mouthed, and Katla shrugged.
"But if you think I'm staying out of it, you're wrong.  Raine, I'm not
just money and good intentions.  I know what they can do to me, and I
know how to avoid it.  I'm not going anywhere near Keltian or
Pheran -- but you need me in order to set up your contacts.  Telven
isn't going to simply go along with whatever we want if I'm not
there."

"We've got the funds..." Derry objected.

"Derric Vaddon!"  The words were sharp enough to draw blood and her
brother leaned back, surprised.  "Do you think that Telven works with
me *just* because of the money?  He works with me because he knows
that even if *he* isn't entirely trustworthy, I am.  And while I could
give you a letter of reference, Telven would be surprised if I didn't
involve myself personally."

"But Chance..."

"Do you know the sanctions that I would take against him if betrayed?
Do you know any of the drop locations or passwords?"

"No."

"Then shut up and let me do my work.  And let Raine do hers."  She
looked at the other woman.  "Raine, you know what they will do.  If
what they did was terrible before, you know it will be many times
worse when they get their hands back on you.  More than that, they
will undoubtedly do more to damage your reputation, both here and in
the capitol.  Even if we can prove your family and my brother are part
of this organization, even if we utterly destroy them, you know that
people will never quite believe that you aren't the... creature they
paint you.  You will probably never be able to live in that society
again, and I guarantee that with only a couple of possible exceptions,
no honorable man will have you.  Not after the stories they've been
telling."

"I know."

"Can't you do something about that?" Trinale asked, eyes wide.

The curve of Derry's lips had little to do with amusement.  "No one
has enough money to fix what they've set wrong with their tales.
Remember that society will believe a man over a woman, and once he
calls her a whore who plays with the lowest classes of scum and who is
so depraved she would actively try and seduce her brother...  Even
though the accusations are ridiculous, it's a dark stain and it'll
never wash out.  I'm sorry that my brother has done this to you,
Raine.  I wish I could say that we could fix it."

"I know."  Raine's voice was soft and Katla closed her eyes against
the pain she saw in her brother.  It was their creed, in a way.  If
one of us broke it, one of us will fix it.  The impotence against the
opinions of a rigid society were one thing that the Vaddon name
couldn't fix.  Socially, they didn't have the power -- they were
Warren supporters and had remarkably lenient views toward women.  Even
though Lord Calarais had to be furious to be tarred with having a
daughter that such accusations were made against, undoubtedly the
theme of her being one of 'Saul of Whiteriver's Whores' was a
mitigating factor in his mind.

As it probably was in several other people's minds as well.

"So, what do we do?"

Katla shrugged.  "We go back to Marketa...  Let me think for a bit.  I
think I know how we can do this..."

<... Later ...>

"I want to send someone in with Lady Raine."  Merissa announced,
pulling N'lin in with her.  Katla smiled at her ex-partner, happy to
see him looking so much better than he had when the whole debacle of
Cricket's mating flight had occurred.  Derry, on the other hand,
winced.  He furtively looked at his sister, remembering the instant
he'd knocked her out in the attempt to beat the hell out of her
partner.

"Good," Katla grinned slightly.  "I was going to suggest that we do
something like that.  N'lin's face isn't well known and he'll do
nicely.  N'lin, how do you feel about becoming a minor aristocrat who
doesn't particularly like dragonriders?"

[Tag, Bridget]

"So let me get this straight," Derry said.  "You want to go to
Ralengarde and spend a small fortune on clothes for N'lin -- who is
going to need another name, by the way -- and have him... 'stumble'
across Raine, who is currently in one of Telven's whorehouses
entertaining guests.  He recognizes her for the girl that our brother
is looking for and takes her back to him."

"Yup."  Katla nodded.  "Once N'lin convinces them that he thinks
dragonriders and their... women... are worth less than manure, I
suspect that he'll get an entree into Kel's house... or at least will
make contact.  If Raine is right, and Kel and Pheran would take her to
the next meeting as part of the... entertainment...  And N'lin manages
to wangle an invitation..."

"You're devious."  Katla wasn't sure who said it, but there was a
quiet kind of awe.  She grinned, a big
'what-the-hell-we've-got-a-chance' grin, and laughed for the first
time in what seemed like days.

"When you can't walk, you have to find other forms of entertainment."
Katla gave a feral little smile.  "All we need is to catch them all in
one place.  Raine, you can't quite give us that -- not directly -- but
with a dragonrider posing as an aristocrat..."

[Tag back everyone]

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Katla, Derry, et. al.
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*


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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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