[The Tellari Warren]
Sherri nearly passed out under the emotional turmoil that Innel felt at   
the death of her children, but was caught by the firm grip of Aelxirn.
"Are you alright Sherri?" he asked, Sherri was almost shocked by the   
touch of concern in Aelxirns voice.
"Xylian just killed my children." said Sherri burying her head in   
Aelxirns shoulder. Aelxirn unsure of what to do, patted her on her   
shoulders and held her tight.
"They'll pay for that, by the gods they'll pay!" swore Sherri her   
distress blossoming into a heart felt anger.

"M'lady troops are entering the cavern, we are outnumbered!" said a   
guard.
"Protect the eggs at all costs!" ordered Sherri. "Take those searchlings   
who didn't join as hostages, they might be all that will get us out of   
this alive. Form a barricade at the main entrance."

<Innel, how many of the hatchlings have joined?>
<All, I'll not let Xylian kill any more of my children!> roared Innel   
smashing the wall with her powerful tail, bits of rock flew across the   
room and those nearby had to duck to miss being hit by bits of shrapnel.

"Is there a way out from here?" asked Aelxirn urgently taking hold of   
Sherri's shoulders.
"Yes, but not for Innel, we're trapped." said Sherri "You can leave, I   
can spare a couple of guards to escort you. You should be able to take a   
horse, I would imagine that Xylian are to busy to notice a lone horse   
rider fleeing."

The sound of fighting in the tunnels drew closer and closer. Until the   
enemy broke into the hatching cavern. Sherri cast a fleeting glance round   
the cavern, tears threatened to overwhelm her at the sight of the   
metallic form of a young queen dragon. If only she could make enough time   
to let the hatchlings escape.
"Aelxirn," whispered Sherri urgently, "Innel can't fit down the back   
entrance, but the hatchlings can, lead them to safety I beg you. I can't   
let Xylian kill them as well. Tem and Quentil are still alive, they'll   
find you and look after my warren. You can wash your hands of this sorry   
affair, but the queen dragon must live!" Aelxirn looked at the three   
hatchlings and at Sherri, who looked up at him with her dark pleading   
eyes but before he could answer a strong male voice broke the frantic   
noises of the cavern.

"Give it up, Lady Tellari, there is no place for you to go."

"Innel will kill you all..."

"I think not, my Lady..."  Dozens of bows appeared, half of them
trained on Sherri.  "Innel will die with you, Lady Tellari.  Even a
LandBorn fool knows that...  And even a dragon will be hurt by a
longbow at this range.  Give it up."

"I think you have misjudged me, fool." shouted Sherri indicating at the   
searchling who were being used as human shields. "I am *Lady* Sherri   
Tellari, former dragon rider of Xylian, warren lady of Tellari warren.   
This is *my* estate, *my* warren that you trespass on.

At the first sign of trouble these innocents will die and *their blood*   
will be on *your* hands! How many of your troops do you want to loose in   
Innels last dying breath? Remove yourselves from the cavern and we can   
end this quietly before any innocents get hurt!"

Ethear Mahen looked around and studied the cavern. It was a stand off,   
there was nothing he could do without harming or killing the innocent   
children. He'd pull back and starve them out.
"Damn that woman!" he swore. "Fall back to the entrance!" he ordered. The   
troops started to retreat from the cavern. The bows remaining locked onto   
Sherri and her dragon.

Once the troops had left the hatching cavern Sherri turned to Aelxirn.
"Now's your chance, I'll divert attention from you."
"How do you plan on doing that?" asked Aelxirn.
"I'll give them something better to think about." answered Sherri her jaw   
set as hard as steel.

[Tag: Jeanette, Jill]

[Sarilyn and Billy]
  Sarilyn's joyful closeness with Billy was shattered as she heard the
screams of wounded dragons, and looked up to scream in terror.

  "Billy!  They're killing dragons!  Dragons are killing dragons!"

  She buried her head in Billy's shoulder, and sobbed...never having
thought to see the day that dragons would kill their own.  And their
riders...her head snapped up...the riders would die too!  This was
entirely too much, and she slumped against Billy, quite shaken by her
'rescue' that had gone so horribly wrong.

Billy shared Sarilyns grief at the death of the dragons and their rider.   
He held Sarilyns naked body tightly as they lay there on the grass their   
garments flung around them.

Troops started to stream past them into the cave the sound of fighting   
emerged briefly and then there was silence.
"Lets get dressed." stammered Billy in the cold. Sarilyn nodded numb with   
the cold and grief. They pulled on their garments. They clothed   
themselves and started to move away from the cave.

[Tag Jeanette]


[Lunath and Quentil]
The two dragons lay close together on the far side of the estate.   
Blissfully asleep and unaware of what had happend at the 'warren'.   
Quentil woke suddenly, his powerful muscular body quivering in rage.
<Brothers!!!!!> he roared <They killed my brothers!>
Lunath was startled and backed off slightly.
<Whats happened?> she ventured.
<My brothers have been burned to death protecting the eggs in the cavern   
below! I must go and help my mother!>
<There is nothing you can do! Where is you rider? Is he in the caverns   
with the eggs?>
<Now, he's at the.... wait I can't feel my rider, he's not at the manor.   
No, I can, I can just feel him he is miles away, so far I can hardly   
sense him. I must find....>

<Quentil, my child! Among all this death and bloodshed, there is joy for   
us. A baby queen has hatched and joined! You must protect when I am   
gone!> ordered Innel.
<But my rider....>
<I understand, but you have a greater allegiance, you can seek your rider   
once your newly hatched brothers and sister are safely away from here.   
Stay low for a while, and then hunt for Aelxirn he is guiding your new   
warren.>

Quentil turned towards Lunath.
<My warren is dead, a few hatchlings are being led away to safety. I need   
to look after my brothers and sisters, but I can't if your warren finds   
me. My rider has also been taken from, as your was from you. As one   
dragon to another I beg you to let me go. I swear upon the life of my   
rider that I will not work against your warren *if* you let me go.>

[Tag Jeanette]

[Tellari Warren]
Sherri clambered onto the back of Innel and started to move towards the   
passage which led towards the open.
"M'lady what about the hostages, what do you want us to do?" asked the   
guard.
"Do what ever you want, your friends deserted me, and left me stranded.   
You can burn alive for all I care, you can give yourselves up to the   
duchess forces, or you can fight. My advice is to go with Aelxirn and   
follow him. I'm sure that Tem can find you a job with him at the 'new   
warren', after all you're one of the few mercenaries who remained loyal."   
Sherri nudged Innel on and left the mercenary standing in her wake.

"So sir, I'm to follow you it seems. I hope my service to you is longer   
than to lady Tellari." said the guard to Alexirn.

Innel crawled up the corridor it was a tight fit fo a dragon of her size.
<Never like the warren anyway, it was always damp and cramped!> moaned   
Innel. Sherri chuckled despite the situation she was in. They finally   
made it to the mouth of the cave an Innel shot forth a huge burst of   
flame, quickly followed by another.
<That should make those archers keep their distance.> said Innel with and   
evil rumble in her throat. Innel pushed forwards and upwards taking to   
the air with and easy bound. She saw high and ducked and dived until out   
of range of the archers below.

The sight of the blackened bodies of her children caused her to rear in   
tormented hatred and grief.
<There's the queen, we have a chance to really hurt the warren!> said   
Sherri in an ice cold even tone.
<Why don't we escape?>
<We have to let your children escape Innel, if we threaten the queen,   
Xylian won't notice the children and Aelxirn as they make their way to   
freedom.> Innel roared a challenge to Querri and her honour guard as they   
moved to intercept her.

Innel dodged nimbly as a few bouts of flame were shot at her. She sent   
forth a few of her own singing the tail of one of the dragons.

Almost to late Innel managed to dodge the breath of a dirty white dragon   
and his rider as they intercepted Innel, a claw raked the thigh of Innels   
right hind leg. Innel hit the side of the dirty white dragon with her   
powerful tail. The opponents cicled round each other. Roaring and hissing   
in a deadly challenge.

Sherri Studdied her opponent, she didn't recognise him but he was young   
and obviously a good rider or else he wouldn't be a wing leader. Good it   
had been a long time since she'd had what she called a challenge. It felt   
good to be in the air once more in combat while her warren escaped to   
safety. Sherri reached for the knife at her side.

The two dragons were so close together that the other Xylian dragons   
couldn't use their flaming breaths in case of hitting the Alpha   
Wingleader. All eye remained fixed on the fight before them.

[Tag Kris, Jeanette and anyone watching the fight]

NRPG
Well I got a post out. I think I've covered everything but whats happened   
to Tem. I had to stop as I ran out of steam! (Hmmm  its hard work all   
this writing!!!!!)

Kris - Looks like you've got a fight on your hands. *grin* Lets see where   
it takes us!

Jill - I'll respond to Tem later. Hope you didn't mind the troops   
withdrawing, but I didn't see any other way, Sherri did have quite a few   
hostages and I wanted a fight with Ce'lot! *grin*

Lisa - I got you young queen rider to safety, we'll have to see how far   
they get! Billy and Sarilyn could do with a lift if you're offering.   
Frelan might well be being used as a human shield in the caverns - up to   
you.

Jeanette - Well it's up to you what Aelxirn and Lunath do.