> [Sarilyn and Sherri]
> Sherri turned to look at the strange girl, no wait young woman, who sat   
> upon the top of a blue dragon. Was this woman challenging her? Sherri   
> lowered her sword slightly as she recognised Aelxirns daughter.
> "Stay out of this Sarilyn, I promised your father you wouldn't be hurt!"   
> shouted back Sherri. "My quarell isn't with you."
> 
> "I've had enough of this! You kidnap me, hold me hostage, threaten my   
> home and my friends. Whats your problem!" shouted Sarilyn, her anger   
> clear to see.
>
> "Listen you little whore, I was driven away from my home, the same place   
> which is your home, 12 years ago after my mate cheated on me and my   
> *son*. Everyone knew what was going on but me! They hid it from me, and   
> laughed at me behind my back! Do you know what it's like living alone,   
> without friends or family?

  Sarilyn listened, hearing familiar words from Sherri.  And waited for
her to completely finish her tirade..

> Then they drove me out of the warren, me one of their best riders! Do you   
> know what it's like to have everyone turn on you? Well I pray to the gods   
> that you never find out what it feels like!" said Sherri advancing on   
> Sarilyn, ignoring the deep threatening rumble of Lunath and the hiss of   
> smoke that trailed out of her mouth.

  Reaching a calming hand to Lunath, Sarilyn nodded...a soft sigh escaping
her as she watched the Tellari woman with a mixture of pity, and
understanding.

  "But Sherri, I do, don't you see?  Except I went through everything you
mention in my own home!  I was never really wanted...not by my father
anyhow.  I wasn't the son he so badly wanted.  I was never good enough.  I
made myself the best I could be at the things he tried to teach me...about
being a boy, but it was never enough!"

  "Sherri, listen to me.  No one was ever really a friend to me...because
I was Aelxirn's daughter!  No one ever really gave me a  chance..to be me,
to be a friend or anything.  Just the animals that I loved so much.  They
were never judgemental, never found fault with me for any reason.  Then i
was so very lucky to come here...and Join with Lunath.  She doesn't judge
me either..she is a part of me!"

  Shifting in her harness, Sarilyn watched Sherri...hoping that something
she said would trigger some sort of...well, feelings other than pure rage
in the woman.  It was true that she hadn't been harmed, and that Innel had
in her own way, befriended her, surely she could do something.

  "Sherri, I learned a lot about myself here.  And I did something
amazing.  I grew up.  Maybe you need to finally grow up, Sherri, and let
go of the hate and grudge you have been carrying all these years.  Think
of your Innel's children!  For once, put someone and something ahead of
you!"

> Billy saw the woman advancing on Sarilyn and an uncontrollable feeling of   
> protectiveness took him.
> "Why don't you leave her alone?" he said in a low voice dripping with   
> menace. "If you touch her, or harm her in anyway again I'll kill you!"
> 
> Sherri turned to look at the new voice and nearly dropped her sword in   
> shock. "You, you, look just like, like Al." she stammered.

  Sarilyn looked confused.  "Who is Al?"  Sherri's reaction to Billy
wasn't at all what Sarilyn expected.  She looked at Billy, and arched a
brow, running her hand over Lunath's soft hide, and trying to figure out
what was going on.

> "Billy don't!" said Tiera lunging for Billy.
> "You, you bitch!" hissed Sherri "Not only did you steal my mate, drive me   
> from the warren you stole my son from me!"
> "Someone had to look after him when you deserted him, Al died and poor   
> Billy was left without anyone to love him."
> "Deserted? Deserted him!? I was driven from him, not a day went past   
> without me thinking of him. I've wanted to see him, too hold him with a   
> passion that onnly his mother could feel!" said Sherri tears begining to   
> stream down her cheeks.
> 
> Billy turned in confussion towards Tiera. "My mother?"

  Sarilyn thanked her lucky stars she was holding onto Lunath.  "Your
*Mother*!?!  Billy?  What..?"  Her gaze ran between Billy and Sherri, and
her jaw slowly dropped.  Surely this was some sort of sick joke on
Sherri's part?

> [Brit and Innel]
> <Give up Innel, you won't get away from here. There is nowhere for you to   
> go if you did.>
> <Insolent little pup!> snapped back Innel waspishly. The two of them   
> cicled high above the warren now a ring of Xylians dragons had circled   
> the pair of them. <You killed my children! My lovely, dear children! They   
> were only protecting me and my eggs, but *you* killed them. I'll never   
> forgive, or forget!> said Innel diving towards Brit.
> 
> Brit dodged sideways as Innel sped past. Her claws missed his body, but   
> she lashed out with her tail thumping his injured leg. Brit roared in   
> pain and lashed out himself. His claw raked Innels side and blooded   
> quickly flowed freely.
> 
> Innel twisted and turned lashing out, the two were falling quickly unable   
> to keep their high altitude. The other dragons were once again unable to   
> help, as the two combatents were too tightly entwined.

  Lunath let out a roar, and Sarilyn quickly got her under control.  
<< No, love.  They are too closely intertwined.  Wait...just wait. >>

> Innel opened her mouth and shot fourth a stream of red hot flame. Brit   
> roared in immense agony and fell away amnageing to flap his wings and   
> land safely. The medics of Xylian ran to his side to ease his suffering.   
> Innel herself had been scolded by her flaming breath and roared in pain.
> <Sherri!!!!> she screamed to her rider. It was her final thought as the   
> rest of Xylian joined the fray, opening their mouths and flaming Innel as   
> they had her children. Her burned and charred body fell to the gorund   
> with an almighty thud.

  Lunath again tried to enter the fray, trying to join the other Warren
dragons in the flaming of Innel.  But Sarilyn held her with a supreme
effort of will.  << No!  There has been enough killing of dragons today!
I will not allow you to kill, love.  No!  Innel...oh gods... >>

  Sarilyn's eyes filled with tears as she saw the queen fall and die.
Innel had never done wrong to her, and had never harmed her.  It saddened
her to see the final destruction that Sherri had wrought...to her own
dragon.  And she buried her face in Lunath's hide.

  Suprisingly, Lunath began a soft mourning keening for the queen
dragon...probably out of respect for her being a queen, and mostly out of
her feeling what her rider felt...sadness and sorrow over the losses of so
many lives.

> Tiera came up to Billy.
> "I'm sorry Billy, I didn't want you to find out like this, I never   
> imagined....."
> "You could have told me who my mother was Tiera, everyone must have known   
> but no-one told me. Surely I had a right to know who my mother was!" said   
> Billy angrily.
> "I know Billy, but well we didn't think you should be told until you   
> turned 18. Perhaps we should have told you but we can't change what has   
> happened."
> "Just leave me alone Tiera." said Billy turning away. Tiera turned and   
> left seeing that Billy needed to be alone.

  Sarilyn knew better, and after Lunath landed, she hopped down and went
to him...tears still falling down her face.  He needed someone, and she
was it.

> Sarilyn came up to Billy and held out her arms to him. He wrapped his   
> arms around her and held her tightly.

  "Billy...I know it hurts.  I'm in a lot of pain over this.  The dragons
that died, all the little ones, even Innel.  But those hatchlings, what
will happen to them now, I wonder?"

  She pulled Billy close, and stood there rocking him, just letting him
know she was there, and that she cared.

[Tag:  James!  And everyone else!]

[NRPG:  Sorry for the delay...had to get my new machine up and going..and
had a few buggies.  :) ]
---------

Jeanette
Sarilyn/Lunath