Date:  Tue Oct 16, 2001  10:59
pm

Day 5, morning



<Are you ever going to get up? I’m hungry and we need to go back to the

warren.>



Eleanora groaned softly.  Even the soft mindvoice of her dragon was too

much for her battered head.  She pried one eyelid open, but the room was

dark – thankfully so – and she couldn’t make out many details.  Wait a

second, if Cara wanted to go back to the warren, where WAS she?



In answer to her question, what she had assumed to simply be a mound of

bedclothes next to her stirred and then a tousled mop of dark hair

emerged from within.  Horror-struck, Eleanora could only watch through

wide eyes as her bedmate slowly sat up and looked around with an air of

confusion that seemed to match her own.



“Um, good morning…,” he offered slowly, frowning for a moment but

failing to come up with a name.



Eleanora smiled sheepishly.  “Well, morning anyway,” she murmured

softly.  Blushing fiercely, she continued.  “Um… I’m afraid I never did

get your name.”



Her blush was matched on the face next to her.  “Its Mahti.  I didn’t

get yours either.”



Eleanora was about to answer when Mahti’s face suddenly paled as he

heard pounding on the door, followed by an all too familiar – and

entirely unwelcome voice.



“Oi, Mahti!  Out of bed, laggard.  You’re already late for the

assembly.  I figured you hefted a few too many and came to get you

before you got into any trouble.”   Leonidas waited a bare second for

his friend to respond before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

“Come on, man, you’re going to….” Leo’s voice trailed off as he took in

the scene before him.



“ELEANORA?!”



Oblivious to her brother’s shout, Eleanora stared uncomprehendingly at

Mahti’s worried face then slowly turned her head to see what had upset

him, just in time to see her brother drag him bodily from the bed.  Head

aching, stomach churning and thoroughly ashamed, she still had time to

think that she’d at least had good taste before the reality of the

situation sank in.



“LEO! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”



***

Merissa sat up with a start at the loud male voice yelling out her

courier's name.  "Who?"



Beside her, Reolden sprang from the bed, his hand going for the sword

belt hung on the bedpost.



"Reolden?"  Merissa asked fuzzily, but was answered by Eleanora's

frightened voice.



Each grabbed a sheet and tumbled out into the hallway.



****

“What the hell am I doing?  I should be asking him – or you, but its

perfectly obvious.” His disgusted look took in the disheveled bed – and

the state of undress.  Leo spun on his heel to glare at his erstwhile

friend. “This lout was taking advantage of you.” When Mahti scrambled

awkwardly backwards, Leo turned back to his sister.  “And does Ben’sar

know you’re here or didn’t you care?”



Eleanora gasped with the shock and pain.  For a moment, either the

drinking, the hangover…or the, um…other had taken her mind off her

grief, but her brother’s cruel words had brought it all back.  Choking

back a sob, she spat at him, “Ben is dead.”



Merissa recognized Eleanora's brother, as she came to the open door.

She gasped as Leo's unintentional yet cruel words cut Eleanora and

rushed towards her friend.



Reolden however, had only focused on the fact that there was an extra

man standing in the middle of the room threatening the bard and the

courier.  His sword hissed into position as he called out a challenge.



Leo blinked bemusedly.  Too much to process in too little time.  For his

own self-respect, his mind decided to focus – instead of how he’d just

hurt his sister – on the naked and angry swordsman in front of him.  No,

make that the naked, angry and ROYAL swordsman.  “Um, your Highness?”



Eleanora took the opportunity to wrap the sheet tightly around herself

as tears rolled down her face.  “Find my clothes and FAST,” she

whispered urgently to Merissa.



"Finding!"  Merissa mouthed back, as she swiftly searched around the bed

and then under it.  Locating the distraught young woman's clothes she

passed them to her as she witnessed an amazing if embarrassing sight.



Reolden's bedsheet had slipped off and had puddled around his ankles,

while his sword stood erect and aimed towards Leo's neck.  The Prince

stared back at the man who had disturbed them, finally recognizing the

Bard as Eleanora's brother.   "Leonidas?  What are you doing here?  What

is going on!"  He looked from Leo to Mahti and then over to Eleanora and

Merissa in confusion.



“This, this….,” Leo faltered, unsure of what to say.  “My sister is

grieving and this bastard took advantage of that.”  Leo flushed

slightly, but kept his eyes firmly fixed on a point slightly above and

beyond the Prince’s left ear.  It was damned hard to hold onto his anger

– righteous or not – when trying not to notice …anything.



Eleanora slipped from the bed and slipped rapidly into the clothes as

Merissa found them.  The pain in her head made the tears flow that much

faster.  She felt as though her grief and shame would swallow her – and

rather wished they would.  Only one thought was truly clear – she had to

get out of here NOW.



Reolden shook his head, trying to recall the events of the previous

evening, but somehow unable to remember anything clearly passed showing

up at the bar.  However, he did sense that Mahti was completely

bewildered by Leo's statement, and that Eleanora seemed quite capable of

deciding with whom she wished to sleep.  "You, sir, are out of line!

Though she is your sister, you have no right to barge in here,

threatening that... gentleman!"



While the men argued, Merissa tactfully pulled Eleanora out into the

hallway and into her own room.  "I think we need to head home, don't

you?"  She smiled gently at her friend.



“He’s no gentleman, to take advantage of my sister,” Leo protested.



From his distinctly uncomfortable position on the floor, Mahti muttered,

“She asked me to.”



Leo opened his mouth to contradict the other bard, but Reolden wagged

his sword just slightly in a universal “tsk, tsk, tsk” motion and he

subsided.



While the men argued, Merissa tactfully pulled Eleanora out into the

hallway and into her own room.  "I think we need to head home, don't

you?"  She smiled gently at her friend.



Eleanora, meanwhile, nodded vigorously at her friend, swearing softly as

the pain tripled at the motion.  “Yes, let’s go.”



<*Chrysthal!  Can you and Cara meet us in the square outside the

tavern?*>  Merissa asked her soulmate while she pulled on what she could

find of her clothes from the previous night.



The two women tiptoed passed the still open door where the men were

heatedly arguing and slipped down the stairs.  They met no one on their

journey to the front door, and blinking against the rising sun, they

scurried across the cobblestones to their waiting dragons.



<Lovely morning, isn't it?>  Chrysthal grinned and stretched.  Her voice

in Merissa's head echoed dully causing her to wince.



<*Just take me home... please!*>



Cara said nothing as she presented herself for Eleanora to mount up –

but her disapproving silence was deafening.  Moving slowly and

carefully, the tawny haired rider climbed into the saddle.



<I know, I know. Take us home now, you can scold me later.>



Acknowledging her victory, Cara lifted off – with care, for the state of

her rider – and ported home.







_________



Submitted by:



Arlene aka Merissa, Chrysthal and the Prince



and



Katrina aka Eleanora, Cara, Mahti and Leo