< Aelxirn, at the Tellari estate >

> "Please make yourselves welcome. Lord Lothar and Aelxirn I believe you   
> know one another." said Sherri inwardly smiling, knowing that their   
> presence unnerve each other. "Aelxirn I have invited you here to be my   
> house guest until we can resolve your situation.

  Aelxirn scowled at this 'Lady', and wondered just how she was going to
resolve *his* situation.  He'd gotten himself into this mess, and he
hadn't asked for help from anyone to get out of it.  If he was going to do
anything, it would be his choice.

  But he at least was going to listen.  After all..he'd never been one to
turn his back on possible enemies, or others that might be useful in some
way.
 
> "Why are you willing to help me, us." asked Lothar.
> "I assure you Lord Lothar that my *aid* is not freely given." Sherri   
> raised a hand when it looked like both Lothar and Aelxirn were going to   
> interrupt. " Neither of you have anything to fear, what I propose is a   
> mutual arrangement to help each of us achieve certain goals. Before we   
> talk details there is one other guest due to arrive, I am aware that he   
> is on his way, but first refreshments."

  < snip..lunch >
 
> They said little to each other. Eventually Aelxirn broke the silence.
> "So Lothar, what do you know about our mysterious hostess?"
> "Yes Lothar *dear* what do you know about her?" asked Coneta.
> "Well not much. I received an offer of aid to reclaim my lands, and as no   
> one else seemed willing to help I came as soon as I could." squirmed   
> Lothar.
> "Strange that's exactly what happened to me. I came across a messenger   
> who told me that Lady Tellari was offering a helping hand." mused Aelxirn
> 
> Coneta laughed out loud.
> "Well, it seems no one knows anything about this lady, but she obviously   
> knows something about all of us."
> "It's intolerable - we should demand the truth from her. We are should be   
> treated with the respect we deserve!"
> 
> "Respect you deserve Aelxirn?" sneered a voice from the direction of the   
> house. Coneta, Lothar and Aelxirn turned towards the house. Standing   
> there was Lord Haedin. "I see Sherri keeps 'interesting' company. Yes,   
> quite the little nest of vipers."

  Aelxirn almost growled.  "Wonderful.  And the king snake arrives.  So
what happens now, Haedin?  You arrive, and suddenly archers arrive to cut
us all to the quick, leaving anything we have or might have had free for
*Lady* Tellari's taking?"
 
  "I would almost guess that you side with her.  She's your type,
certainly."
 
> Haedin strode over and sat at the table, pouring himself a goblet of   
> wine. Coneta was the first to speak.
> "I presume, Lord Haedin, that you received a similar message as we did?"
> "So it would seem."
> "Do you know of this Tellari woman then?" asked Lothar.
> 
> "Yes I know 'this Tellari woman' as you call her. She seem scharming   
> enough for appearences sake, though be warned she's murdered her way   
> through several husbands." smiled Haedin coldly.
> 
> "When did you arrive?" asked Aelxirn suddenly.
> "Just now, it seems that Sherri isn't about the house. Her servants were   
> most perturbed when I arrived."
> 
> There was an uneasy silence round the table as everyone sat deep in   
> thought. Time passed, and the servants appeared to clear away the remains   
> of the lunch.

  [Tag: Billy, Jill, Kris]
 
> ***********
> [Xylian - after lunch]

  < Sarilyn .. at the Warren. >

> "I am bored Sarilyn. H'lie just bores me to tears! Well it's not just   
> H'lie, but most teachers! Gee he even gave us 'homework' I hate reading."   
> complained Billy to Sarilyn.
> "What did you do when you went to lessons?" asked Sarilyn. Billy looked   
> uncomfortable;.
> "Well to tell you the truth, I didn't go to lessons much," Billy paused   
> and grinned "and whenever I did I made so much trouble the Teachers asked   
> why I bothered!" Sarilyn playfully punched Billy on the arm.

  "Billy!  You'll never be the best rider at the Warren if you don't
study!  And I offered to help you.  Why won't you see that learning can be
fun too?"
 
> Something caught Sarilyns eye.
> "I've got to go, I'll meet you in the dinning hall for later!" said   
> Sarilyn. Hastily getting up and running across the green.
> <Bugger!> though Billy not quite to himself. Chai giggled.
> <Cheer up, Sarilyns got things to do.> encouraged Chai.
> <Like what?>
> <Help Illara and study and things that *you* should be doing!>
> 
> Billy noticed that Sarilyn had run up to H'lie.
> <I wonder what she's up to?>

  Sarilyn had indeed run up to H'lie.  She really did want to talk to him.
And it seems that they were always missing each other for whatever
reasons.

  "H'lie, Sir?  Please, if you have just a few moments of time, can I talk
with you?  It's important...but...well.."  She stubbed her toe into the
dirt, and suddenly looked nervous.  "If you're busy, I can try again
another time..."

  Her voice trailed off, and she looked decidedly uncomfortable about
something.  She was also blushing furiously.

[Tag: Jill!]

> *********

  < Aelxirn...Tellari Estate >

> "Ah I see that you have arrived Haedin!" said Sherri as she stepped   
> through the door into the main lounge. "I hope the servants have treated   
> you well?" Haedin nodded in response.
> 
> "Well now that we are all here we can get down to business." began Sherri
> "About time too, you've kept us all waiting for long enough!" snorted   
> Lothar.
> Sherri frowned but chose to ignore his outburst.

  Aelxirn settled back, sipping chilled wine, and listened.  This, if
nothing else, was going to prove interesting.  He was anxious to see just
what those sitting around the table had in common.
 
> "Each of us has a goal that we cannot accomplish on our own. Aelxirn's   
> and Lothars I am sure are to reclaim their birthrights and to return to   
> their estates.

  A slight nod from Aelxirn was all that met that statement.  He waited
for Sherri to continue.
 
> It's no secret that you Haedin seek more power, and destroy your sister.   
> Before you ask my goal is simple, I wish to destroy warren Xylian." sated   
> Sherri. the lords looked at her stunned. Aelxirn was the first to speak   
> and he simply laughed.

  Aelxirn blinked, just once, then burst into disbelieving laughter.  This
woman was even worse than he was!
 
> "You wish to destroy the warren? You're as mad as I was. That is what I   
> worked for and looked what happened to me. I have better things to do   
> than sit here and listen to this nonsense." Aelxirn stood to his feet and   
> turned as if to leave.

  He stopped, however, to hear what Sherri had to say.  Mad thoughts were
whirling in his head.  He may not have liked the Warren...and still didn't
if the truth be known, but he *didn't* have to sit and listen to mad
ravings that would almost certainly get her in the same fix he himself was
now in.  He'd listen, *then* leave.
 
> "Wait Aelxirn, I might be unbalanced certainly. I am not mad however. As   
> I said we each have something to offer the other. Lothar his troops."   
> there was a look of shock from Lothar."
> 
> "Yes I know about your hidden troops Lothar, you will find out how later.   
> Haedin you have the political might and the know how of how to hurt the   
> warren and the duchess the most.
> 
> Aelxirn, you have the one thing we all lack - an informant on the   
> inside."

  At hearing his name mentioned, Aelxirn snapped from his thoughts on the
possibility of Sherri being mad, and his mind all but exploded as he took
those thoughts one step further.  She wasn't just mad, she was totally and
completely *deranged*!
 
> Realisation dawned on Aelxirn.
> "I will not use Sarilyn this way! If she's hurt you'll answer with your   
> life!" shouted Aelxirn his temper getting the better of him.
> "She doesn't even have to know she is supplying you with information. I   
> do not want to hurt your daughter - just punish the warren."
> 
> "Why?" asked Haedin pointedly.
> "Why, because they hurt me in the past. They made me an outcast, they   
> destroyed my life and now I want revenge." said Sherri. Everyone n the   
> room could hear the venom with which she spat outthe words.

  Aelxirn fought to calm down, even just a little, and glared at Sherri.
"Listen...*you* might think that Sarilyn may be of use to you, and this
mad scheme of yours, but you fail to remember one simple thing.  *I* no
longer have contact with her.  She is at Xylian, I am not.  And I cannot
go back there.  I wouldn't if I could...not to even think of having her
help with this madness.  And I don't advise you trying to enlist her aid
behind my back either."

  Before he could say anything else, Lady Coneta spoke up.
 
> "So what do you have to offer?" asked Coneta who had up until then sat   
> quietly.
> "Ah for that you had best follow me." said Sherri standing up.
> 
> She led the lords out of the house and into the courtyard. Here there   
> were horses already saddled for the lords and ladies to ride. They   
> mounted the horses and rode out of the courtyard into the open   
> countryside beyond.
 
  *More* riding!  Aelxirn huffed.  Honestly, didn't the woman have
anything better to do than take them all over who knew where just to
convince them she was insane?  That should have been obvious already.

> An hour or so later Sherri called a halt at a cluster of trees. On foot   
> the entered the trees. A short while later they came across a large cave.
> 
> "Now lords and ladies, please do everything I say without hesitation."   
> said Sherri as she entered.
> 
> The cave was dry and dark. The floor was sandy and showed signs of recent   
> use. The cave opened out at the back. As they entered the cave there was   
> deafening  roar that shook the walls.

  Aelxirn wasn't too comfortable entering the cave.  Who knew what trap
could be waiting?  Hidden assassins, archers....WHAT?!?  The roar that
assailed his ears made him stop and almost grab for the wall.
 
> Lying in the centre of the floor lay a huge crimson dragon. Staring   
> straight at the floors. Coneta let out a squeak of a scream.
> 
> <Quiet Innel! I told you they would be coming.>
> <Yes my darling you did, but I do not trust them.>
> 
> "This will be my contribution to our efforts friends." said Sherri   
> gesturing at Innel, the red dragon. "Innel is my dragon, we are joined   
> and she has managed to lay two eggs. They will hatch soon enough and I   
> will need to find people to join with the hatchlings."
> 
> There was a cold chilling laugh from Haedin. While Aelxirn and Lothar   
> looked decidedly nervous.
> 
> "I have two other dragons currently. They scout out the land and tell me   
> generally what is happening. I believe you have both met Tem," said   
> Sherri looking at Aelxirn and Lothar "he is a dragon rider himself."
> 
> "Well," said Haedin "what do you propose we do?"
> "That Haedin, is for us to decide." said Sherri.
 
  Aelxirn looked at the huge dragon, then blinked as Sherri told them that
Tem was a dragonrider.  Lovely.  That meant that he could conceviably get
to Sarilyn.  Damn, but this was a fine mess!

  He glanced between the others standing in the cave, and then back at
that huge dragon.  He didn't like this one bit, nope, not at all.  And he
made a decision.  The thing was, he had to find a way to get his plan into
action without being caught at it.

  No one was going to place his daughter in any kind of danger.  NO ONE!
They'd made their peace, and he'd given his word to be there if she ever
needed him.  It looked as if she did, and she didn't even know it.

[Tag Jill, Kris, Billy!]
----------------------------------

Jeanette
Aelxirn/??
Sarilyn/Lunath * Xylian