[Day 3 Morning - Ilara thinks, after Sarilyn dashes out]

Ilara sighed as she watched Sarilyn leave, and blew her at straying
hair.  <Erk, you awake?> she reached out, pushing sleep from her mind.

<I am now, beloved.>  Erkvinen snorted loudly and stretched in
wakefulness.  <Why so down, 'lara?>

She frowned and shook her head.  <It's just.... Sarilyn's gone, and I'm
alone again.>  It seemed that she was forever being left to her own
devices.  <Who else is up at this hour?> she followed on.

<Everyone.... well nearly.>

Ilara slipped out of bed slowly and crossed the apartment to the shower.
<Good.  I've got a lot of people to see and things to do today, and the
half of it I don't know about yet.  Ha!  Oh, Erk, what was I saying
before?>

<You're alone again, if you don't count me that is,> Erkvinen put in.

<I'm sorry!> Ilara smiled as she felt the spray cleansing her body.
<What I mean, is.... when this little hatchling of mine comes into the
world, I'm still going to be needed by the warren, and Sarilyn can't be
here all the time.>

<So you want someone else to help out?> Erkvinen asked, remembering how
her hatchlings had needed her almost constantly up to hatching, and even
now reached out for support and guidance as they matured.

<Not just anyone.  I was thinking about B'Lin, since he seems so keen to
take an interest.  Why not?>

<Well, he might not have the time, for one.  Other than that, I'd have
to ask.>

Ilara jumped with alarm.  <Whoa!  No, that's alright.  I'll ask him
later, when I have a moment.>

<Suit yourself, love.  I just thought that maybe you'd want to know what
you're getting yourself in for.>

Ilara shook off the water and stepped out, her teeth chattering for a
moment with the cold.  <When I was little, Erk, I had a mother and a
father and a brother and sister....>  She trailed off, thinking of hazy
childhood times.  <It just seems like the right way to do things, love.>


[Morning - Ce'lot talks to Dema]

"Wraiths aren't like anything else we ever have to fight," Dema began,
looking downwards to see if there were anything he could draw with.
"Your average rogue dragon respects what flame can do to them, and will
turn back.  Wraiths like to swarm you into oblivion; they don't care
about their own destruction," he contrasted.

"So how does this change how we should fight them?" Ce'lot asked.

Dema pondered the question, his sword coming to a stop in the ground.
"When you have one in your sights, and your dragon is flaming it, always
finish it off.  That much is obvious, but it isn't always done.  Another
thing.... when attacking in formation, breaking out is very bad.  You
can't defend so well as one rider and dragon in the middle of battle."

"And these wraiths like to go for vulnerable targets," the wingleader
observed, following the idea.

"Exactly," Dema nodded.  "You're MORE effective when you're defending
your wingmates AND, if you do pick up a wraith, you should be able to
rely on them to help you out."

He studied the diagram on the ground.  "Four, maybe five combat dragons
for each flight," he shrugged indifferently.  "How they form up....
isn't as important as them sticking together," he emphasised.  "And
that's down to you, as Wingleader, to sort out."


[Afternoon - after Ilara finishes with Lecia for the day]

Ilara breathed a sigh of relief as Lecia departed.  It had taken long
enough to get the new queenrider to understand what it _meant_ to be a
queenrider.... and once she'd realised her advantage, couldn't be
brought down to earth for a minute.

<Was I ever like that, Erk?  Or.... is it just that I was never really
keen on all this paperwork?> she wondered.

<If it's such a hassle, why invent it to begin with?>

<Oh.... strange as it may seem, it can cut through red tape.  Or
something,> Ilara mused.  <And I suppose I wouldn't like to have to
remember all this stuff later on,> she added in afterthought.

<Well there you are, my love.  It can't be all that bad if it actually
DOES something,> Erkvinen reasoned.

She stood up and looked out onto the green, remembering that just last
year it had been her out there being taught.  And now she was the one
having to do the teaching!

Rhia seemed to trust that she would be able to keep the warren running,
even if only for a few days.  But Ilara didn't think much on it; it just
seemed to be the way of things.  Even Lecia hadn't been far off the mark
in asking: what if something happened to the warrenlady?  The answer was
simple.... one of the junior queenriders would take over.  It was the
most natural contingency plan, built into the lifestyle of the warren.
As long as there was still a queen, there would always be new hatchlings
and riders to Join with them.


[Just after the wraith alert]

Dema yelled over to Neryssa, "Stay here in case Ry'mer shows up.  I'll
go back with Beta Wing."  He was tingling with shock, not even starting
to believe what he'd seen.  And now he was going back into the thick of
it, into this nightmare that seemed to haunt him throughout his years as
a dragonrider.  <Come on Pesa, let's go,> he urged his dragon as he
spotted the wing of dragons.

They formed up, knowing all too well where they were going....


[Just before Lecia has to be rescued]

<'lara, are you okay?>

Ilara grimaced, feeling strained.  <No, but it'll have to do.  Are we
ready?>

<Yes love.... wait, Glimmer's rider wants to know if they'll be flying
with us.>

<I think we can use the numbers, can't we?  Just as long as they know
what they're getting into.  Hell, I don't even know what we're getting
into, Erk.>

<We're going to fight our mortal enemy, 'lara,> Erk reminded her with a
faint hint of smile.  <Be back real soon.>

<You better, love.>  Ilara laid her hands on the bright red skin of her
dragon before she took to the air.

She turned to H'lie.  "I hope Beta gets back here soon.... hey H'lie,
wasn't Lecia with you?"

[..]

Dema didn't flinch as the order to 'port back to the warren came in.  He
_knew_ what he'd seen, and this wasn't it.  It proved again that they
were up against one hell of an adversary.  The unexpected negated any
hint of preparedness that defence might've had.

He didn't catch sight of Ry'mer or his dragon anywhere, not even on the
ground, which might be a good thing.

As the image of the warren flashed through their heads, he remembered
something he'd been told about 'porting too often; but it was too late,
they were already on their way.

The pain that flared behind his eyes was sharp, but he didn't really
feel it, it was like this was happening to someone else and he was
watching this diffused reality slowly pass by him.

<Dema!  Dema, there's wraiths everywhere!>

<Can't....>  He struggled to think through the searing numbness that
threatened to swallow him up.  <Med-centre.>  He wanted to sleep, sleep
through this, wake up when he was better.

Pesa cleared the way ahead, but couldn't spot the wraith that closed on
his tail.  That was one reason why dragons were better in the air with
their riders - one set of eyes to concentrate on the flying and another
to keep watch all round.

Aisse popped in from nowhere, tumbling towards the very same wraith.
<Pesa, you've got one on you!  Try and shake him off, I'm on it!>

Smoke billowed from the gray dragon's mouth, but no flame as Pesamine
veered sharply to the right.  <Wrong flavour of coal again?> Ry'mer
asked.

<Just you try breathing fire on an empty stomach.>  Pesa still couldn't
see the wraith that tailed him, but writhed evasively in the air like he
hadn't been oiled in a year.

Aisse tried, very hard, because he knew what it felt like to have a
wraith burn into his flesh, and wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

Hot blue flame burst forth, spearing through and shunting away the
killer cloud.  Then it flickered out, Aisse spluttered acrid smoke again
and climbed for fresh air.  <You're clear.>

<Looks like we didn't miss the party,> Ry'mer sighed, just wishing they
could've teleported back a little quicker.... though actually they were
lucky to be in one piece after 'porting blind twice-ish in one day.
Once on panic.


[Med-centre, after the wraith attack is defeated]

Ilara looked about at the wounded, her expression deeply troubled.  "Who
am I going to send to Eos?" she asked of H'lie, who'd been nearby for
most of the battle.  "We need to get a message to Rhia 'bout what's
happened here.... we've got people hurt, even dead.... and she's not
even been gone a day."  She sighed despairingly, coming to a stop.

"I'm sure we can spare someone to take the message," he reassured her.
"Don't blame yourself for this.  You did pretty well for yourself today,
'lara."

"Today isn't over yet," she said, blinking away her tears and putting
aside the aches and bitterness, so they could keep going.  The warren
needed her to be strong for a little while longer.

[Tag anyone in the Med-centre!]

+o-<NRPG>-o+
I want to thank everyone who's been keeping things moving without my
input ('specially Kris who filled in very well for Ilara!) and wish a
belated happy New Year to everyone :)  Fingers crossed, this one will
turn out better.... well, actually I'm going to do something to that
effect instead of hoping *shrug*.

I'll have to wrap up there because I'm catching up, but if anyone wants
to volunteer to take the message, be my guest *grin*.  Also, I now have
all the Xylian posts, so I think I know what's going on.  You can go
ahead and hit me with tags :)

Taylor: Wasn't sure when would be a good time for Ilara's little talk
with B'lin.... mainly I was thinking that she wouldn't dream of giving
up her baby, but that she wouldn't object to him having an involvement.
Over to you on what he thinks about that *grin*....

Jill: Onelist isn't sending to this address - when I checked my
mailbox(es) last, it was going to Hotmail.  Well, you know what to do
better than I *grin*.  *HUGS*.

    Demastar A. Mulder  -o+o-  Dema@positronix.demon.co.uk
    Ilara & Erkvinen           [Xylian Warren DL]
    Genesis Cave <-- http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/6307/
    So unsafe practice every run negates or varies analysis

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