Warning:  The following contains strong themes and references to sexual
abuse.  If you don't want to deal with that, skip the first section dealing
with Haedin...  What can I say?  He's not a nice man...


[Haedin Meradh, the day Rhia collapses]

Returning to Daorith was always a pleasure.  Though the Warren was well run
-- a grudging allowance that Haedin felt he had to give the blind wench in
charge -- it did not have all the creature comforts of home.  He'd found
one or two... willing... companions among the servants of the visiting
nobility, who would not complain to their Lords and Ladies of his
attentions if they valued their jobs...  Young women generally too stupid
to consider that they could take their complaints to Rhiannon.  He smiled
slowly.  One had been a virgin...  a delightful creature that he had
considered bringing back with him... Those wide, terrified eyes had been
such a wonderful stimulant, but her employer knew of him and would never
have parted with the girl voluntarily.

Haedin made a note to have the girl kidnapped from her employer's estate...
and given up for dead.  She really was too valuable a commodity to leave in
the hands of her current mistress.  Once she was trained, he had no doubt
that Barracks A, which had been without a plaything  since they'd killed
the last one, would find her as... entertaining... as he had.  The men got
restless when denied their toys.

Dismissing the matter from his mind, he noted that his chamberlain had
anticipated his every desire.  Wine and food, a few new serving girls,
several so stiff and clumsy that they would be in need of chastisement,
should he feel the need for someone to use or abuse.  His correspondence
was laid out, along with the Manor books to be double-checked.  Haedin
gestured to one of the girls to pour him a glass of wine and sat down.

"So what is the news of the world, Gellasch?"

"We have heard that your sister has been asserting her authority.  The vast
majority of the council stands behind her decision, though there are
whispers of discontent that she did not consult them at the time.  Aelxirn
had pushed the Compact past the breaking point, and most are merely content
that Rhiannon Landress did not take action because of it."

Haedin nodded.  "What of Lotherra?"

"A mixed bag of news there, m'lord.  Josua rode three horses to death
bringing us news of Lotherra's fall.  Many of the inhabitants of the manor
and the city got out in time.  I imagine that Gerard is having difficulties
with finding good servants... most of those escaped, and those that are
left are so frightened that they cannot serve without dropping plates."

A bowl clattered further down the table, and the girl who had been holding
it snatched it up again.  Haedin frowned.

"A new girl, though not as valuable as most."  Gellasch waved to three of
the guards who grabbed the young woman and took her out of the room. 
Haedin shrugged as Gellasch looked back at him.  The girl cried out
suddenly, terror sharp in her voice.

"I imagine she knew the penalty."  The girl's screams were abruptly choked
off.  "Who's in need of a new girl?"

"Barracks A, but they're so hard on their toys I'd prefer to send several
at once.  Barracks C on the other hand..."

Haedin nodded.  "It's probably a good thing that she's getting the practice
now.  Send her there when the guards are done."

The newer servants stood mute for a moment as they realized what was
happening.  The older ones worked on, apparently oblivious to the noises
coming from the next room.  Haedin smiled slightly and turned back to his
chamberlain.

"Any other news?"

"None, my lord."

Haedin smiled.  "Ah.  I will be taking a trip to the Tellari estates,
Gellasch.  Small entourage, but my core guards I think."

"Aye my lord."

<...>

The day dawned bright, and Haedin smiled.  Dawn was not his usual time of
day, but it would take two to three days to get to Tellari, and he was
curious about the woman who had taken the estate.  Signaling his guards and
the few toys that had been brought along to keep them entertained, he rode
out.

-----
[H'lie]

"Excuse me, Sir...but riding techniques?  All you do is get on, tell
your dragon where you want to go, and then you go, right?  What's so hard
about that?" Sarilyn asked.  Giggles sprang up and H'lie fought down a
smile.  Sarilyn looked like she wanted to snap at something and then she
laughed too.  "Well??  It may be a silly question, but sheesh...what's so
hard about flying?  You just go...right?"

"Not quite, Sarilyn...not *quite*."  He waved a hand for silence.  "When
you get your saddles -- and that won't be for a couple more days, my
friends.  We've measured you lot, but your lovelies here will have to be
closer to full growth before we measure them.  In some ways it's a lot like
riding a horse -- for those of you who have done that -- but in many ways
it's different.  You've got to think in three dimensions when you're
flying, and that's one of the hardest things for people to master.  We're
all used to left-right-forward-back, but then you have to think about up
and down too -- not to mention left-down-forward or right-up-backward. 
Your dragons know all of these things instinctively...  We, however, don't,
and when we get into Wraith combat, what you don't know can -- and will --
kill you and your dragon.  That's why we talk about it some before you get
into the air."

H'lie stared hard at each of them in turn, eyes deadly serious.  "Some of
you may not normally ride with the combat wing, but even those who don't --
like S'dan -- have to know these things.  When you work as a courier -- or
Searcher, if you've the talent -- you may find yourself surrounded by
wraiths, or may be in a position to eliminate a few to save some of the
people of the Plateau.  Things happen."

"Um... sir?"  Iralyn spoke up.  "If it's so hard, how do we --"

The girl stumbled to a stop, biting her lip.

H'lie smiled, and the tension relaxed.  "It's not quite as bad as all that,
friends.  You will have daily practice with the wing, which will do more
than anything to help you with it, but there are some simple things that
you can learn now to make riding with the wing that much easier... for now,
we'll start with knowing which way is up..."

<...>

At the end of the session, H'lie handed out books on wraith-fighting
tactics.  They were mostly pictorial, though not completely, and those who
didn't know how to read were assigned evening class to learn the skill.

Several of the younger riders complained but H'lie refused to listen.

"Rhiannon insists that we all learn the skill.  It's a useful thing to
have.  Which reminds me -- we have a few master-level teachers from the
university in Eos here who teach classes on all manner of things.  Feel
free to take advantage of the chance to learn.  Their schedules are posted
outside the schoolrooms...  I want all of you to have read the first
chapter by tomorrow...  No excuses!  Now take the rest of the afternoon off
and have some fun!"

----
[Lady Wylla, Lotherra, Afternoon]

Gods, what a depressing place.  She'd been here several times, working with
the jeweler's guild on making sure that their needs were met.  Lotherra had
been a rough-and-tumble town with some distressing rumors, but Lothar had
never -- quite -- gone over the line where she'd been able to see.

They walked slowly, given Bella's leg, and both were silent as they went
through the streets.

"Let's walk over this way.." Wylla reached for her arm gently and guided
her
towards the center of the city.

Bella nodded again dazedly.  "I ran all through these streets...with my
brother and sister..."

Wylla kept a firm grasp on her arm and glanced over at her, not saying
anything.  It would do no good, for this place was silent as a tomb.  Bella
suddenly stopped, ripping free of Wylla's hold.

"Mom....Dad...." she yelled out as she tripped over some broken pieces of
furniture on the floor while trying to make her way into the other parts of
the house.

Wylla ran after her, pulling the suddenly silent girl into her arms. 
"There's no need to fear yet, my dear..."

Footsteps suddenly echoed through the streets and Wylla turned.  "Damn."

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

It was a guard... one of Gerard's, by the livery.  Drunken and smiling
viciously, he moved toward them.

"Who might you be?  A lovely pair of spies?"

Wylla waved a hand imperiously.  "I am Lady Wylla Tremele, Lady-in-Waiting
to her Grace, Glynweith, Duchess of Eos.  This is my assistant.  Her Grace
has asked us to survey the... damage... done here."

Another guard, then another came out from down the street.

"I doubt that.  Why would she entrust a pair of *women* to do a man's job? 
I think you're a pair of Lothar's spies...  We keep findin' em, all over
the city.  It ain't often that they're as pretty as you two though..."  He
smiled nastily, reaching out with a grubby hand.

"Lady Wylla..."  Bella's voice was soft and trembling as Wylla pulled back,
wrinkling her nose at the rancid stench coming from the man.  She turned,
looking around, suddenly realizing that they were surrounded by Gerard's
men.  Damn it all...

"Oh, dear."

[Tag Taylor, Kris]

-----
NRPG -- I'll deal with Glynweith later.

Kris -- What's Darrin up to now?  Is he up to rescuing ladies in distress?

Sam -- Ilara should be with S'dan and Rhia that the point in the day that
H'lie is discussing flying.  Rhia and S'dan will do that, among other
things :)  I just need to see what happened with the rest of the day before
:)

Everyone -- Please send me'n'Kris updated versions of your BIOs.  I'll send
out a new BIO list.  Also, send me copies of your NPCs and such so I can
reconstruct the NPC lists too :)

*hugs* everyone

Jill
Haedin, H'lie, and Wylla
Xylian


Assistant Director, X-Files                Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
Sterling A. Kincaid, TL, ECHO, X-Files     Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA, X-Files       Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
Xan X. Xavier, T1, X-Files                 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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