[Rhia]

<< Damn it, Queri! >>

But it was too late, the Queen was gone, and without her it was
impossible to relay information through the Warren.

She and her beloved queen were going to have a long chat about this
later.

Rhia thought about it and stood, walking out the door toward the
dining hall.  As she entered, Z'ril came over and she asked him to
make sure that people were told what was going on instead of letting
the rumor mill cause problems.  On an impulse she didn't entirely
understand, she told him to see to it that the children were brought
in from the schoolrooms just as Queri's anguish hit her, sending her
reeling to her knees.  Hearing Queri's command in her mind, Rhia
began retching, only vaguely aware of it when Z'ril managed to get a
bowl under her face before she made a mess.

"Oh, gods...  No..."  She turned her face into his chest and began
weeping.


-----
[Chalia]

<! Beloved...  Innel's children... !>

<- What? ->

<! They're moving and scared...  We have to do something... !>

<- Of course, my heart...  Can you tell where they're going? ->

<! Toward a side exit, I think.  It's barely big enough for them to
get through...  Oh, hush, little ones, we're coming...  Queri says
that we should go to them... !>  A roar of rage filled the air as
Sherri and Innel vanished and Chalia paled.  <! Where are they going?
!>

<- I don't know, love... but we have a task to perform, let Britche
and Ce'lot manage... ->

<! Yes...  We're coming...  You have a new mother, little ones, one
who loves you and will not ask you to do terrible things for no
reason... !>  Chalia felt Sianna's pain from Queri's order.  But
Sianna understood the reason and did not argue... None of them had. 
The other dragons had endangered Lunath for no reason other than
human spite, had been twisted by their mother's madness...  But oh,
how it hurt Sianna and the others to kill...

They landed near a small exit, relaying a request for other riders to
the Wings so that Innel's children could be spared more violence.

[Tag Lisa, Jeanette]


-----
[Nineve -- and no, I don't mind if you borrow the head healer ;)]

Sherri.

Nineve's lips curled in an unhappy frown as the bitch was brought in.
 She, like so many of the others who had been present the day she had
attacked -- and killed -- several riders, had hoped never to see the
sorry excuse for a human being ever again.  All of this destruction
because she thought her lover was cheating on her.

Selfish bitch.

"Where do you want her?"

Nineve was tempted to tell them to take Sherri to Eos, strip her
naked, and leave her open-legged in a gutter in the slums...  She
shunted that aside.

"The back room.  I want her firmly restrained."

"Why?" asked one of the younger attendants.

"When she left the Warren she killed several good people.  She nearly
killed Britche and Ce'lot.  I want her restrained.  And if she
fights...  Don't worry about being gentle."  Nineve's anger was
formidable and sent several people backing away from her.

S'dan, apparently returned at long last, came through with a pale and
obviously shocky Rhia.

"How many dead, Nin?"  Her voice was a thready whisper and Nineve was
forcibly reminded of the girl who had come to the Warren after her
family and lands had been destroyed.  Gods...  She hadn't considered
what it would be like for the WarrenLady who took every injury and
unhappiness as a personal blow.  Rhia cared so much for her people
that she wore herself to a thread time and again, and things like
this...

Nineve snapped out of her reverie.  "We don't know yet...  At least
ten who died from their injuries out on the Green...  There are
dozens of others who have burns, and a few of those we might lose... 
But Ce'lot will live."

"I see."  Rhia pulled away from S'dan, trying to hold herself upright
without aid.  "And Sherri?"

"Restrained and sedated, for the moment.  What will you do, Rhia?"

The Warrenlady's face was cold.

"Give her what she said she wanted."  Rhia turned her face to the
fire that was burning in the hearth.  "Justice."


-----
[Rhia]

She was in her office, running her hands compulsively over the papers
on her desk, but not really reading the reports that S'dan had
compiled when she realized that it was only early evening.  Queri was
silent in the back of her mind, her grief and self-castigation harder
to bear for the fact that Rhia could not disagree with he decision
that the mercury queen had made.

The black pit of memory opened wide and spewed forth monsters...
screams and anguish and pain...  The unending, horrible pain that not
even Queri's love could quite silence.  Something wet and warm fell
on the back of her hand, and Rhia suddenly realized that she was
crying, almost shaking with it as Queri began keening softly, the two
joined in their grief.

Rhia curled into a little ball, trying to control the shudders that
wracked her body as she sobbed in silence.  A gentle hand touched her
shoulder and she flinched violently away for an instant before
bringing herself back under control.

"Are you all right, my lady?"  J'res' voice, calm and soothing.

"No."  The word slipped out before she could stop it.  "People are
dead.  Dragons are dead.  My Warren..."  Her hands fluttered
helplessly.  "How can I be all right?"

[Tag, Katherine]

-----
NRPG --
I think that catches everything major.  All I ask for our returning
heroes is that no one go beyond mid-afternoon on our next day, since
that's when Rhia is going to publicly hand down a decision.

Sam, I'll get to the new guy and mating flight later this week,
hopefully Thursday.

James, Jeanette -- if there is any visiting of Sherri intended, feel
free, just remember that she is firmly restrained and there is *no*
way Nineve is going to allow her any kind of freedom.  James, if you
want to discuss it with Rhia, remember that she wasn't around when
Sherri left and doesn't know anything...  Nineve and H'lie, on the
other hand... *grins*  Nineve and H'lie both hate Sherri and that
will definitely color any responses to questions.  Nineve will not
prevent Billy from seeing her, though.

Lisa -- Chalia and at least one other dragon (who may or may not be
Ira and Cori) are waiting for you at the cave exit...  Jeanette, what
does Aelxirn intend to do?

Taylor -- hope that Bella can deal with an unhappy/injured Ce'lot :) 
Nineve will be very solicitous ;)

Leslie -- I liked your post... What's next?

Kris -- may I beg for a timeline (you do them so well :)

Cheryl -- if at any time Carlynee wants to talk to Rhia, she's in the
dining hall for any time through the end of the dragon-fight, but
she's reacting very badly...  Will backpost any tags, promise :)

Katherine -- Sorry to stick J'res with someone in a depressive fit,
but hey...  She'll cheer up if he gets her talking... :)


*hugs* all

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Rhiannon et. al.
Xylian Warren
DragonLands
             X-FILES                         DRAGONLANDS
 Assistant Director                   Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
 Sterling Kincaid, TL, ECHO           Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
 Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA          Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
 Xan X. Xavier, Trainer,              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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