< Sarilyn....at the Warren. >

  Sarilyn woke up, blinking at the slightly strange surroundings...then
laughed happily as she remembered.  She had her own apartment now!
Jumping from the bed, she ran, dressed only in her robe, to where Lunath
lay curled with one eye whirling happily at her.

  Throwing her arms as far as she could around her dear dragon's neck, she
giggled.  "Took me a minute to remember we weren't in the barracks any
more, love.  I miss H'lie though.  I mean, sure we see him every now and
then, but...we're equals now, sort of, and I miss our chats."

  She did a little spin, and let out a whoop.  "I have a great idea!"

  Lunath, by now infected with the exhuberent attitude of her rider,
wriggled with excitement.  << What?  What?  You want me to swoop down and
grab him for a day of fun and frolic? >>

  Sarilyn fell over against Lunath in a gigglefit that she was sure those
below could hear.  "Oh my no!  I really like H'lie, but goodness, he
wouldn't ever see anything in me, love.  I'm just a kid to him.  A rider,
but still a young girl.  No..I'm thinking of going on a shopping trip, and
I'm going to get him a gift."

  Tossing her robe up in the air, Sarilyn ran to rummage through her
clothes...remembering back to when she had a maid to lay out her clothes,
and sat with a flop.  She'd come a long way since then...and learned a lot
of hard lessons.  Most due to H'lie and those delightful twins.  She found
herself thinking of Billy, and Ilara, and wondered if they might want to
go too?

  << I already asked, dear.  Both are interested, and Ilara seems to need
a break from paperwork or something. >>

  "Oh damn!  I forgot that I was to help her with Warren stuff.  I bet
she's mad."

  She tugged on a pair of black pants and a soft white blouse with puffy
sleeves and embroidcery at the V-shaped neck and ruffled cuffs.  Then she
bent over to tug on her boots, and grimaced.  "Woah...I think I need to go
see the tailor about some new pants.  These are about to split!  I didn't
know I'd grown so much!"

  Turning to look at herself in the mirror...she grinned...those pants
hugged her like a second skin, and the blouse accented her breasts too.
Hopping to get her other boot on, she grinned.  

  "Mother would laugh seeing me in this.  I wonder if I can stop by for a
visit?  I haven't heard from her in a bit."

  She ran a brush through her hair till it bounced and shone, then grabbed
a jacket.  "Let's go down to see if Billy wants to come, and see if Ilara
is finished!"

  As she went to saddle Lunath, she stopped, grabbing her belt knife, and
made sure it was snug against her hip.  Then she checked the harness, and
straps, and gave them all a good tug, seeing that they were tight, but
slipped a finger between harness and hide..and smiled.  "Snug, but not
constricting, I remembered!"

  Hauling up, she settled in the saddle, and Lunath moved to the ledge,
before arching off in a nice spiral down to the green below.

  "Billy!  Chai!  Over here!"  Sarilyn waved as she pulled what everyone
was starting to think of as her own original move, and turned to slide
down Lu's tail and land on her feet.  "I'm heading into town to do some
shopping, you want to join me?  I'm going to get a gift for H'lie."

  Billy nodded, ever ready for an excuse to get away and get into mischief
or anything else.  "Let me grab my jacket, and double check Chai's
harness...and we'll head off.  Anyone else coming?"

  "I'm hoping that Ilara will come too...last I heard, she was sort of
busy...oh here she comes now!  Ilara, hey!"

  Ilara hurried over, jacket in hand.  "Sarilyn, am I ever glad to hear
from you.  I need a break!"  She gave the other girl a hug, a bit longer
than usual, and both sighed as it stopped.  "I'll be back in a
second...let me get Irk ready."

  Sarilyn nodded, and re-mounted Lunath...waiting until her friends got
back, and then all three launched into the air.

[NRPG:  Can't remember if we can teleport yet...so...just think we went
straight or something...and pick a good town where there would be people
looking for Warren people...more specifically anyone to do with Nambrill.]

  < In town >

  The three got a bit of attention as they landed in the clearing near the
main street of town.  They waved and dismounted, immediately heading for
the various shops.  Sarilyn headed for an old book store, and Ilara
spotted a nice shop with jewelry and bracelets.  She wanted to get Sarilyn
something nice.  Billy followed along with Sarilyn, and blinked as she
grabbed a book that was covered in dust, and that looked really old.

  "What's that?  I'm about to *achoo* sneeze!"  He shrugged, and gave a
sheepish grin, as Sarilyn giggled and dusted the book off, looking happy.

  "Look, Billy!  It's a really old book on wraith-fighting tactics and
stuff.  I bet it once belonged to a really old rider...maybe before
H'lie's time, even!  I'm going to get him this and let him compare it to
what we do now...just to see how old it really is!"

  Billy shook his head, and sneezed again.  Women...they bought the
silliest stuff!  He watched as she paid for the book, and headed back to
place it in her saddlebags.  Then she looked around, and spotted a store
at the end of an alley.  "Hey, that store sells tea!  I'm going to get
Rhia some of that tea she likes so much. Want to come with me?"

  Shaking his head, Billy grinned.  "Nope...I'm going to look around a
bit.  I'll meet you back here.  You sure are getting a lot of attention,
though."

  Sarilyn arched a brow, and grinned. "I know..you haven't stopped looking
at me since.."

  "No, not me..them."  And Billy pointed to a couple of men that were
openly eying Sarilyn, looking her up and down.

  "Oh, those two?  Billy...I'm a rider, and a female...men always look at
women dragonriders.  Besides...I'm fine.  I'm still a kid, really...they
are more interested in grown women, after all."

  Ilara hurried up, and packed a couple of things in Erk's saddlebags, and
looked where Billy and Sarilyn were gazing.  "Trouble, or what?"

  Sarilyn gave Ilara a hug, and shook her head.  "Nope...just getting
stared at.  I'm not worried.  I'm going to get some of that tea Rhia likes
so much from that shop in the alley...I'll be right back.  I want to go
for a fast visit to see my Mother before we go back.  I'd love for you to
meet her too....both of you."

  She gave Lunath a fast hug.  << I'll be right back, love..then we can
fly some more! >>

  Lunath settled down, content to wait, and enjoy the sunshine...and the
brisk breezes.  And Sarilyn headed down the alley...turning into the tiny
shop.

  "You know, Ilara...I'm not one to be suspicious or anything, but I'd
swear that those two guys were following us...or more specifically,
Sarilyn."

  Ilara turned, and shrugged her shoulders.  "Don't think so,
Billy...they're gone now.  I can't see them anywhere."  She headed in the
direction of another shop.  "Come on...I'm hungry...Lunath can tell
Sarilyn where we went!"

  Lunath offered a soft croon, and settled her head on her forelegs...as
the other two went off to eat.  "Ilara....I'm really getting a bad
feeling...."  They disappeared from view, and Lunath fell asleep.

  < In the alley >

  Sarilyn had made her purchases...and stepped from the shop into the
alley, making her way back to the main street area.  Suddenly she was face
to face with those two men that Billy had spotted earlier.  She smiled and
moved to one side to let them pass...and they moved with her, blocking her
way.

  << Lu, Billy was right...I'm being followed. >>
    
  "Excuse me...I need to pass, please."  She moved to the other side, and
looked quite determined.  Suprisingly, the men moved to let her move
between them.

  As she passed them both, and relaxed, seeing the main street ahead...she
heard a strange noise, and quickly dropped..rolling as something went
flying past her head.  << Lu!  Help! >>

  She jumped to her feet and started to run, only to be brought up short
by a firm hand wrapped in her hair...and pulling her backwards.

  Lunath woke with a start, and *roared* with anger as she started towards
the alley...causing both Erk and Chai to bugle with suprise and start to
follow.

  Sarilyn kicked as she tried to scream...only to see stars in front of
her eyes as something hit her beside the head.

  Lunath stopped short, warbling in alarm, and trying to force her way
down the alley. << My rider!  I can't hear my rider! >>

  Billy and Ilara ran towards the upset dragons, and couldn't see past a
very distraught Lunath as she screamed in upset and alarm.

  << Somewhere else... >>

  Sarilyn cracked one eye, and looked around.  She was in a bed...but
where?!  She was still clothed, that offered her some relief...but when
she tried to reach for her knife..she couldn't!  She tried to sit up, and
groaned as she realized that she was bound both hand and foot!

  "Ahhh...so our guest awakes, well..we can't have that.  We don't want
you to get in touch with that dragon of yours, now do we?"

  << Lu!!  Lunath!! >>

  A hand grabbed her hair, and yanked her head up...forcing her to drink
something vile...and she weakly struggled as she felt darkness overcome
her again.

[Tag:  Sam, James! ]

--------------------

Jeanette
Sarilyn/Lunath * Xylian Warren