[Tevran]

"You wouldn't have to wait." She whispered, persistent in her quest
of him.  "You don't need Haedin. Not when you can have all you want
with me. What if I'd rather not help Haedin to help Regil back to
Lotherra? What if I'd rather never see Regil Lothar again .. as long
as I live?"

Tevran traced her cheek gently, threading his fingers into her long
hair and pulling her close.  "Never?"

Coneta's lips parted, moist and plump, as she rolled her hips into
his straining erection.  "Never..."

"You think you could hold it?" he whispered in her ear, tracing it
lightly with his tongue.  She unlaced his breeches, cupping him in a
talented and he smiled to himself, "...mmmm... by yourself?"

Her fingers stroked gently, bringing him to release with practiced
movements.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"...mmm..." He brushed her body with equal finesse, pushing her to
the brink but no further... and stopped.  "...I think you still need
to get that information...  Whatever made you my father cares who he
puts in power in Lotherra, pet?"

Coneta froze.  "Father..?"

Tevran gifted her with a honeyed smile.  "Really, sweet, I thought
you were smarter than that..."

"Father...?"

"Don't let it distract you, little one...  I'll take care of you." 
Tevran captured her mouth almost roughly.  "You want Lotherra, we'll
take it for you...  But Regil and Gerard both stand in your way...
Are you willing to do what it takes?"

Coneta stared at him, and he laughed darkly.

"If you want Lotherra, pet, you'll have to earn it..."  He laid out a
few accouterments, a bottle of wine, some cheese and bread and meat. 
"He's been working too hard, darling girl, he needs food... drink...
some -- entertainment...  Are you willing to provide it?"

-----
[Rhia -- hatching grounds -- day 1, evening]

"That's... so..."  The colors, the shadows, the shapes... Carlynee
would go to town on a scene like this.  "Did anyone ever tell you how
the twilight brings out the shine in your eyes?" Ilara asked, voice
distant.

Rhia started, almost violently.  Idal had said that -- though as far
as she had ever been able to tell, he'd enjoyed looking at her at any
time of day.

"Yes..." she whispered.  "Long ago...  I..."

"Rhia --"

"My husband used to tell me that."  Rhia stated softly.

"You're married?"  Ilara sounded startled.

The black hole at the center of her soul opened up, threatening to
swallow everything, and Rhia swayed.

< Rhia! >  Queri sent a surge of unconditional love and support.  <
Please, my rider... >

"Long... long ago, now...  I'm sorry, Ilara, I've got to go..."

Tears threatened, but Rhia refused to let them fall, picking her way
across the sands.  Gods...

< Rhia... my rider... it is okay... >

<< No...  It will *never* be okay...  Idal... papa... >>

< I am here, beloved.  I am here... >

<... Morning ...>

"It's what I would do, in their position.  And...  I have a bad
feeling I'm right."

Rhia nodded slowly, listening to Dema, though somewhat surprised. 
Wraiths were not smart -- but the tactics had shown some kind of
organization...  Strange...

"I think Alpha was hit the hardest," came Ce'lot's voice. "So perhaps
if we shift some riders around, a bit. It'll mean more work for
everyone. But if Dema's right and they'll be back again soon .."

"I agree, I don't think there will be too many riders that will
complain if it mean's protecting our home."

Rhia nodded, "What about the non-combat riders we have. Are there
some who could be counted on to do extra watches, extra local
patrols, so that would allow the combat riders to devote more time to
training and readying themselves."

"I think so," Ce'lot noted.

"Very well...  Ce'lot, Chalia -- I want the revised patrol lists on
my desk by this evening; route them through S'dan.  If possible, I
want an increased patrol strength over the more remote region... 
There has been an elevated PF presence in the North and East --"

"Near Klest?" asked J'res, and Rhia nodded before continuing.

"-- and it may be that there is something more to it than simply an
increase in raids over the mountains."

That brought silence.

"All right, people, get moving.  I need to send a message to Eos and
to the Knight-General."

<... still later ...>

"Oh boy..I'm doing really well, aren't I?  I meant....the outcome is
all
but guaranteed, isn't it?  She will be killed anyhow..no matter what
is
said.  This is just a formality, right?"

"A formality, but the outcome is certainly guaranteed."  Rhia leaned
back.  "Sarilyn, your father raised you to rule Nambril, did he
not...?  Hadn't you discussed holding trials and such things?"

"No... not really.  He was always so harsh..."  The girl trailed off.

"Ah..." Rhia sighed.  "My father was a stern man, who was always
willing to make these decisions, but did so out of a sense of justice
and fairness.  He told me to never decide in anger or in hate, but to
weigh the evidence and the actions, and rule as justly as possible."

"How can killing her be right?  How can doing what she did be right?"

"I don't know if it is *right,* but -- Sarilyn, do you think she
would have stopped on her own...?"

The girl was silent for a moment.

"Do you hate her?"

That startled a laugh out of Rhia, harsh and sad.  "No more than I
hate a rabid dog... and we still put them to death.  I pity her, Sari
-- more than I can say -- but I cannot allow her to be a continuing
threat to the Warren, to the lives of those here."

"But to be responsible for her death..."

"Sarilyn... you bear no responsibility for Sherri's death.  You did
not ask to be kidnapped, nor tell her to attack and kill so many of
our people.  It is her actions -- not yours -- that determined her
fate."

The girl left quietly, and Rhia sighed.  Poor child, to be so
sensitive...  The coming trip to Eos would be hard for her...

<...>

"So... drugs are going missing from the Med Center?"  Rhia frowned. 
"Are you certain of this, Nineve?"

"Yes..."  The head healer sounded very unhappy.  "And I hat to say
anything, but..."

"Yes...?"

"There are only a few people who've had a perscription for it
recently...  D'vlin, Oraila, X'tan, and Belarade.  Normally, when we
have a pilfering problem, more than one herb or tincture goes
missing... but it's just the Alnothine."

"So what do you intend to do?"

"I've locked the Alnothine in the back-office lockup -- the one where
there is always a healer or clerk on duty and you have to check the
bottle out to fill the perscription."

"That sounds good --"

"It should work well enough...  But I'm afraid, Rhia."

"Why?"

"Alnothine is an excellent pain reliever, but it should only be used
in small quantities over a short period of time...  whoever has been
stealing pills may be using them in too high a dose...  they may be
addicted... and that would be bad."

"Gods."

"Still, it should make the culprit pretty obvious, when they start to
go through withdrawal..."

Suddenly, dragons began to bugle.  Rhia sat up, startled and worried.

< The eggs are hatching! >

<< Are they? >>  Rhia smiled, full of brilliance.  << Wonderful... >>

"What is it?"

"The eggs are hatching!  Run and tell Z'ril will you...?"

Queri took her to the hatching cavern, and Rhia leaned into her
dragon as she listened to the joyous cries of hatching dragons and
newly-joined kids.

-----
[S'dan]

"What now?" the girl asked as he dropped her off in the hatching
cavern.

"What now, child...  The eggs are hatching... go find your dragon!"


-----
[Rhia]

< Erkvinen's daughter refuses to hatch... > Queri said suddenly,
puzzled.

<< What's this? >>

< She says that her human is not ready for her and she is waiting...
>

<< That's silly!  There are many humans here for her to choose
from... >>

< She has chosen her human, what can I say? >


-----
[H'lie]

"All right, children...  it's time to head down to the hatchling
barracks...  I know the little ones are hungry...  Not to worry,
there's more food when we get down there..."

[Tag, Francis... H'lie is the hatchling trainer, feel free to
interact with him :)]


-----
[Nineve]

It was wonderful to have a party!  There had been so much sadness in
the past year, and with the trial of Sherri Tellari coming up, it was
almost impossible to forget that the woman had done what she had...

A girl Nineve didn't recognize came in, wearing that slightly
shell-shocked look of the newly-joined and just stood at the entrance
to the dining hall.  Ilara -- who had managed to escape Erkvinen just
long enough to come down -- was circulating slowly around the room,
meeting the various new riders with Sarilyn and Billy at her side. 
S'dan was standing next to Rhia, his lips moving slightly, probably
giving her a running commentary about who was talking to whom as the
junior queenrider moved about.  Unfortunately, both Ilara and Rhia
were on the other side of the room and the poor child at the entrance
looked confused and uncertain.

Nineve snagged a couple of mugs of Z'ril's wonderful spiced cider,
and headed over to the young woman.

"Hi.  I'm Nineve, the head healer.  I don't think we've met before...
would you like some cider?  Z'ril has a real touch for it..."

"Umm... yes, I think."  The young woman took the cider.  "I'm
Tryllis.  What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, it's a party... You're supposed to have fun... meet people..."
 Nineve smiled.  "Come on -- let me introduce you to Ilara, the
junior queenrider..."

Chattering lightly, she led the girl over to Ilara and Sarilyn and
Billy and introduced the girl.

[Tag Jeanette, James, and Sam]


-----
NRPG -- okay, I'm sure I've missed some things... write me and say
which, and I'll get moving on it.

James -- you awake out there?  Don't wait for Cheryl to post in reply
-- there's no percentage in it.


*hugs*

Jill
             X-FILES                         DRAGONLANDS
 Director, X-Files Division           Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
 Sterling Kincaid, TL, ECHO           Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
 Damien Cunningham, Forensics         Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
 Xan X. Xavier, Trainer               Zera and Mazel       *Norwall*

                        Visit the XFRPG Web Site:
                http://www.steele.ml.org/~wiggly/xfiles/

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
			      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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