[Rhiannon -- Dinner with Gor'd]

"Perhaps one day I can escort you to visit one yourself someday. I heard a
truly amazing musician at a Warren called Whiteriver, which I'm sure you'd
enjoy." Gor'd told her, "In fact Whiteriver seemed to be the place for
frivolity when I visited. There was a traveling band of entertainers there.
They were headed west, perhaps one day they will stop here,"  he chuckled,
"Though to be sure perhaps it isn't the safest thing. I understand their
leader has an eye for beautiful Warrenladies .. and we wouldn't want him to
lose his heart to ours."

Rhia laughed, blushing lightly.  "Oh, and I'm such a femme fatale... 
Seriously, though, it amazes me that this place could exist.  I shall have
to visit some time..."

The dinner conversation remained light and cheerful and Rhia went to her
bed feeling quite lighthearted.  That the world could be filled with such
amazing things!  The thought of them took her breath away...


---
[Glynweith]

"Even then .." Darril lips turned up into a slight smile which last only a
moment, "However, I knew I'd never be allowed to return to my home as long
as he was in power. Which is why I support Gerard in his claim.  You must
understand, M'lady,  I mean no ill-will to my brother. I didn't want anyone
to be hurt. I just wanted to come home." He sat back in his chair.

"It pains me to see the devastation our return has caused. And perhaps I am
selfish .. but I am glad to be home. And someday soon, things will get
better."

"Under Gerard?"

"I have to think that m'lady. It's the only way I can sleep at night."

Glynweith nodded, and then looked him straight in the eyes.  "What about
you, Darril?  What are you planning to do with the rest of your life?"

"Your Grace?"

"You will always be caught between your brothers and Lotherra, Darril.  I
don't think that you can assume that if Gerard takes control, he'll allow
you to live as you want.  He is a cruel man."

"He's --"

Glynweith held up a hand.  "Your loyalty does you credit, but I want to be
certain that it's serving you appropriately.  Assuming that Gerard gains
total control of Lotherra, what is it that you're planning to do?"

[Tag, Kris]

<...>

After Darril left, Glynweith stayed awake, sipping at her fragrant tea from
the ostentatious, obviously expensive china that was in terribly bad taste.
 A plan formed slowly in her mind, and she smiled, almost wanting to laugh.
 She'd already told Gerard that he would have to plead his case to the
Council, but there were ways...  Darril Lothar genuinely cared for the
people of Lotherra, which Glynweith didn't believe was true of either Regil
or Gerard.  If she placed the title in abeyance until Gerard and Lothar
went to the Council...  If Darril had a chance to speak, and she asked that
they vote for the brother who was best fit to rule Lotherra...  It would
take some politicking, but *Darril* could easily end up as Lord of
Lotherra...


---
[Haedin -- Morning]

A joyful whistle echoed down the stairwell just before Lothar entered the
dining room.  Coneta, who had the air of being mildly discontented, looked
at her husband with suspicious eyes.  Haedin smiled, enjoying the
interaction.  It was well known, in certain circles, that Coneta bedded her
servants for pleasure, but that her husband might do so seemed to bother
her... interesting.  It would be more interesting if Lothar chose to make
his voiceless toy his official concubine...  Any children he got on the
girl would be as legitimate as though they'd come from Coneta's womb.

"Sleep well, Lothar?"

"Indeed I did ..thank you, Haedin."

Coneta's frown deepened and Haedin allowed his eyes to travel over her
admittedly beautiful -- if aging -- form.  He allowed them to linger long
enough to bring a flush of anger to her cheeks before he met those blue
eyes with a cool indifference to her reputed charms.  Coneta, whether she
admitted it or not, was simply property to be used or not at Lothar's will,
and he allowed her to read that in his eyes as well.  She turned her head
away, breaking eye contact, and he looked up to see Sherri Tellari standing
in the doorway.  A faint smile quirked at the corners of her lips as she
studied Coneta, and she swayed into the room, silk and velvet caressing her
with gentle hands.

"Good morning."  Her eyes traveled over all of them as Aelxirn came into
the room.  "I trust you all slept well."

Lothar gave a faint shudder and flashed Haedin a sly smile.  "Indeed I did,
Lady Tellari.  Very well."

"Tolerably well," Haedin smiled at her, running a finger lightly along the
fine crystal that held his juice.  "How about you, Aelxirn?"

[Tag, Kris, James, Sarilyn]


---
[Rhiannon]

"I'm concerned about the girl, Rhia...  She doesn't speak and doesn't hear,
and Rendel says that he's not sure that her dragon can effectively
communicate with her either."

Rhia's long-fingered hands stilled as she laid aside her awl.  "When did
we...?  Oh, yes, the girl who had been rescued from the slave camp.  She
Joined?"

S'dan coughed.  "I'm sorry, Rhia, I meant to inform you of that, but with
everything else..."

She laughed.  "You're forgiven, but what can we do for this girl?  I had a
terrible time, being blind, but at least I could understand most of the
instructions...  Even if we did have to come up with new ways for me to
detect most dragon illnesses.  She doesn't seem to understand the
instructions?"

"I don't believe so, no."

"Hmmmm."  Rhia coiled a lock of smooth, gilded-mahogany hair around one
finger as she thought.  "I imagine that you'll have to concentrate on
images to show her what needs to be done..."

She heard S'dan stand up, the fabric of his clothes rustling slightly as he
stretched.

"Perhaps that would work...  How good is Rendel with imaging, H'lie?"

"He's fairly good at it, why?"

"Well, how about cause, effect, cure images?  He could show Nebavri images
of what happens when problems are left untended, and then build an image of
Chelea doing the right things to prevent it...  Would that work?"

"I don't know.  We can try it, I suppose."

Rhia nodded, somewhat lost since she really had no point of reference. 
"So, what about the boy who came in with her?  The one you took to the Med
Center last night?"

"Nineve is wracking her brains, but so far hasn't been able to figure out
what it is.  I just hope it's not an illness that will spread to others..."

Rhia blanched at the horrible thought.  All of the hatchlings would have
been exposed, not to mention Rendel and the dragons he spent time with.

"We'll pray for that, the Gods know," said S'dan, voice serious.

A chair scraped against the floor as H'lie stood.  "Well, off to do more
paperwork...  There's far more of it now than there ever was when I was
WingLeader, you know that?"

Rhia giggled, unaware of the startled looks that passed between H'lie and
S'dan.

"Think of it as a character-building experience!"

"Oh, aye."  H'lie's laughter followed him out of her office.


---
[H'lie]


"Is something wrong?" inquired H'lie, noting the paling complexion.  Ilara
looked troubled.

It was a sense of dread, foreboding, impending trouble.  "I...  don't know.
 I was thinking about Carl, and then... oh I hope she's going to be all
right!"  Ilara wrung her hands in frustration.

The walked towards the green and emerged outside. Sure enough H'lie was   
there and standing next to him was Ilara. They were talking about   
something, but Malic proudly strode over.

"I am Malic the Raven, I have been...." started Malic.
"Hi guys this is Malic. Malic this is H'lie and this is our *new* junior   
queen rider Ilara." introduced Billy.

"Um, pleased to meet you Malic," she smiled nervously.

"H'lie, Malic needed to see you," Billy added in helpfully.

"Oh?" H'lie looked at Malic.  "What do you need Malic?"

Irritation flashed in his eyes, and H'lie sighed inwardly.  He'd hoped that
months being treated in the Med Center might have cured *Sir* Malic of the
belief that as a noble he deserved better treatment than most people.  He
didn't seem to get the idea that he was a dragonrider now and didn't need
the other embellishments.

"Nineve has pronounced me cured, and told me that I should find my own
quarters."

H'lie nodded, unsurprised.  "There's not much room in the Hatchling
Barracks, and it certainly isn't designed to deal with Solarin.  Ilara? 
Didn't you spend yesterday learning which apartments were free?"

Ilara blinked at him.  "What?"

"Well, you did help Ce'lot's mother find a new apartment.  Why don't you
help Malic find an apartment?  I haven't gotten one of the updated lists
yet."  H'lie smiled at her, encouragingly, hoping that giving the Junior
Queenrider something to do would take her mind off of her worries.

"Oh, yes!  That would be great fun!"  Billy grinned at Malic.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a certain dragonrider, I was hoping you could
help me."

They all turned as a young, blonde woman approached.  Pretty as she was,
with that hair and those eyes, she had to be Ce'lot's sister.

[Tag, Sam, Jeanette, James, Kris and Sarsif]

-----
NRPG -- There ya go, folks

*hugs*

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Rhia and all

                 X-FILES                         DRAGONLANDS

  Assistant Director                     Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
  Sterling Kincaid, Team Leader, ECHO    Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
  Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA            Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
  Xan X. Xavier, Trainer, Classroom A    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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