From: Kristen Gant <kgant@interaccess.com>

Lecia
***

<Lecia, my mother is ill .. very ill>

<Ill?> Lecia asked. She'd never heard of  a dragon being sick. Not that she
was much of a dragon expert, only having been joined a short time.

<Yes, very ill .. I think .. I think she may die ..>

<Die??>  Lecia said suddenly worried, <Dragons don't just .. die?>

<They don't?>

<No ..> Lecia said, but there was uncertainty in her voice. Honestly she
didn't know. But she didn't like the idea of dragon's getting sick and
dying .. not when she'd just discovered how wonderful it was to have one.

<Her rider would like to see you, Lecia ..>

Lecia nodded .. once again not sure she really wanted to see the red-head.
At first she hadn't liked her because she had tried to steal B'Lin away,
and she was having his baby .. but then .. well she had been so nice when
she was trying to train her.

But this dread she felt was something else. She couldn't imagine the pain
the girl was going through if her dragon was sick. She knew she would be a
mess if Sadie were sick.

***

She spotted B'Lin heading the same direction she was going and frowned
slightly. She hadn't seen him since running out on him this morning and she
was afraid he would be furious with her. He paused as he spotted her and
for a moment she thought for sure he was going to yell, but then his face
softened and he turned toward her, "Lish .."

"B'Lin .." she whispered. She loved it when he spoke like that. His deep
voice purring over her nickname.

"I wanted to tell you that I was sorry about that scene this morning."

A smile moved to her lips, "You are?" He nodded and before he could say
anything else, she had jumped into his arms, "I'm so sorry to, B'Lin. I
didn't mean to upset you. It was just such a long night .. and I missed you
and .. well .." She pulled back from him. "I don't think I'm a very good
mother .."

"Oh come on, you'll be great if you just try a little bit." He flashed his
beautiful smile at her, "Things have been tough for you, I know they have,
Lish. Between having a baby, and getting married and then having all of
that interrupted by that little hatchling of yours .."

Lecia nodded. It had been a very busy time for her since R'har had been
born. She almost missed those days when she'd been stuck up in B'Lin's
apartment with nothing to do but count the cracks in the floor ..

"So you'll forgive me for being a mess lately?" she asked her eyes pleading
with his."

"Of course, because I love you." He said wrapping his arms around her and
planting a warm, wet kiss on her lips.

Lecia melted into his arms, "Thank you, B'Lin. I love you so much .."

"Hey you two!" Neryssa's voice interrupted them. "Ilara needs to see you
right now!" She grabbed B'Lin's arm and pulled him along.

"HEY!" B'Lin roared, "I was .."

"I know what you were doing, and we don't have time for that."

Lecia frowned. Neryssa was going to put him in a bad mood again. She only
hoped he wouldn't take it out on her, since it wasn't her doing this time.

***

>Ilara gave him a sharp stare and shook her head. "Lots of things," she
>said, leaning gently against Erkvinen. "But mainly.... Erkvinen is dying.
>There's nothing that will stop it. What it means is that when she d....
>when Erkvinen passes aw- oh stars...." She sighed deeply and wept, unable
>to contain it any longer. "Lecia-"

The warren's newest queenrider could feel her blood running cold. Both from
the thought of the pain Ilara must be going through and in the underlying
ramifications of what she was saying .. She knew she hadn't wanted to hear
this, and she could feel Sadennetta's sadness as the copper queen curled up
next to her mother.

She frowned. What if whatever Erkvenien had was contagious ..

"It's okay," she put in quickly, "This must be a terrible time for you. But
.."  She stopped when Ilara continued.

>Ilara nodded, appreciating the modest sympathy. "I'll teach you....
>everything about this warren, but it's going to be you that makes
>decisions."

While Lecia did feel badly for Ilara, she was far more scared for herself
.. She did not want the red queen to die .. she did not want to be left the
only junior queenrider in the Warren. She did not want to have to do all
the things she'd watched Ilara doing the past few days. And mostly she did
not what Sadie getting sick.

>She folded her arms protectively and faced B'lin. "I'm carrying your
>child, B'lin. Now, I don't know about you, but I think having two good
>parents is more im-por-tant than anything else. Me, I'm one of 'em. You
>want to be the other one.... well do you?"

Now Lecia was even more unhappy. Was Ilara making a play for B'Lin again?
She looked at B'Lin's face and relaxed for a moment as what she saw there
was certainly not love.

Lord Ramstaso
***

>"If your Grace believes that LandBound Law supercedes Warren Law, you are
>sadly mistaken. I took over stewardship for Landress because I *was* Lady
>of Landress. When Queri chose me, I tried to give it up, but there was no
>one in the bloodline who wanted the work. I made it clear -- then and now
>-- that my first priority is Xylian and that will never change. I have
>always honored the LandBound throne, but I do not have to listen to these
>insults."

>"As long as you hold the Stewardship, you are bound to my will."

>"I am more than willing to give it up to someone in the bloodline who will
>care for my people. Do you know of any?" Rhia shot back coldly.

"There is one." A voice from the far side of the room spoke. It was an
ancient voice, yet surprisingly strong. The room hushed instantly and
turned to look at the council's oldest participant. Lord Ramstaso would
only admit to 87 years, however, there were those who said he was much
older. A pruny-faced oldster with a sharp mind, Lord Ramstaso rarely spoke
anymore at such events, preferring instead to watch the head-butting of the
youngsters.

"You have a candidate in mind, Lord Ramstaso?" Glynweith said, trying to
keep the surprise out of her voice.

Ramstaso's holding of a tiny village only a short distance from Landress
was not much to speak of, but it was enough to earn him his seat here,
which he had held far longer then anyone else within the room. So long in
fact that his own children, two sons, had already passed on. Beside him sat
his own heir, Thoram, who was himself, nearing his 50th birthday.

"Indeed, I do, your grace," Ramstaso said, a smile coming to his wizened
lips. "I would name Darril Lothar."

There were gasps around the room, followed by the dull roar of emotional
whispers. But no face showed more surprise than that of Darril Lothar
himself. He only knew of Ramstaso by name. He'd certainly see no reason the
ancient should back him in such a ludicrous claim.

Glynweith waited patiently for the roar to quiet to a low din before
regarding Ramstaso, "And what basis have you for this claim."

"On the basis of who his mother is," Ramstaso said, the smile still on his
lips. It was clear he was enjoying the commotion he was causing.

Glynweith nodded and turned to look at Darril, who was staring at Ramstaso
with bewilderment up on his face. "Darril Lothar, what claim to the
Landress bloodline do you have?"

"Your grace .." he stammered, "I am honored by Lord Ramstaso's backing, but
I am afraid he is mistaken. My mother was not of Landress. She was .." he
paused, clearly not comfortable with this line of conversation. ".. she was
not nobility."

The room turned back to Lord Ramstaso, who was shaking his head unhappily.
He turned to the youngest Lothar brother, "That's where you're wrong, young
man. She was nobility, until she was driven off and murdered!"

"Murdered .." Darril's sharp intake of air told of his shock at the accusation.

"Yes murdered!"

The roar of the crowd grew once again, but Ramstaso continued, brushing off
the shushing arm of his Grandson. "Leave me be, Thoram! I have not finished
what I have to say!"

He looked around the room, "I know I can not be the only one here who
remembers! Even if it was more then 40 years ago!" he turned back to
Darril. "She was a lovely girl, even if she was a bit of a hellion. She lit
a fire in that pompous and arrogant father of yours."

"Sir!" Darril said taken aback, "My father .."

".. was an arrogant, self-centered old bastard!" Ramstaso finished for him,
"That's not all bad, you know, son. He was also one of the best Lords this
council has ever boasted! Which is probably why that young hellfire of a
mother of yours allowed the marriage in the first place."

He turned back to the others, looking pointed at a few of the older faces.
"You remember her, I know you do. Not many could forget Marita Landress."

The noise of the whispers rose up again, but Ramstaso continued, undaunted,
"Marita as many will remember was the eldest of Lord Acton's siblings." He
looked at Glynweith who was nodding. Marita Landress was indeed a name she
had seen listed among the Landress', though she had died even before her
younger brother Acton had taken over control of the holdings from their
father. But other then that little was mentioned of her.

"Why have you not spoken of this before, Lord Ramstaso?" she asked him.

"Why?" he repeated, as though it were a foolish question. "Because I was
under the impression that Darril Lothar was no better then his brothers. A
mere pawn to be used by those repulsive spawn of the Elder Lothar, who
seemed only to have passed on his negative traits to the two of them." He
looked over at Darril, who was still shaking his head, unable to follow
what was happening in front of him. "However, it is clear to me that he is
nothing like his brothers, or he would have indeed attempted to dispute his
sister-in-laws tenuous claim to Lotherra. Perhaps there is a bit of Marita
in him after all."

Finally Darril found the presence of mind to speak, "My Lord Ramstaso .. I
assure you, while my mother's name was Marita, she was no Landress. She was
a gypsy .. a traveler. And I assure you she was not murdered. She ran off,
leaving me and my father .."

Ramstaso shrugged angrily, "Go ahead, believe the lies that were told to
you by your brothers. When it was they that ran her off! And I believe,
though I can not prove it, it was they who had her murdered and her body
taken to a house of ill-repute to be found by her family in a very
unflattering position." He turned to Glynwieth. "Is it any wonder there is
little known about her, when lies were spread that would bring shame upon
the Landress name? What the records do not show is that it looked as though
young Marita had been cheating on her husband, drinking and carousing ..
and hanging out with Lothar's enemies. None of which was true."

"If that's the case," Darril asked, "Why was there no investigation to
clear her name?"

Ramstaso regarded Darril for a moment, then shook his head. "No,
investigating could only have caused more dishonor. And your father was
heartbroken, believe the falsehoods placed before him. He only wanted to
forget." He regarded Glynwieth once again, "But have no doubt, your grace,
no matter the lies or truth regarding Marita Landress .. Darril Lothar is
her son, and is entitled to the Landress holdings since Rhiannon is unable
to do so. Dig up the records, your grace and buried under the dust, you
will indeed find the truth of his parentage."

Coneta
***

Coneta listened with interest to Ramstaso's claims regarding her
brother-in-law. She didn't know if what he said was true or not, but she
did know that Regil had not been fond of Darril's mother and had taken
every opportunity to remind his youngest brother about the lack of
parentage he had.

And Regil had found a way to rid Lotherra of any who he felt stood in his
way .. in fact any who even offended him in the slightest. She spoke up,
"Your grace, I can not speak to the validity of Lord Ramstaso's claims, but
I will of course open the Records at Lotherra to investigate this claim."

"BAH!" Ramstaso spat, "That's the place you're most likely to find the
lies! You're conniving husband has for sure changed the records there! No,"
he addressed the Duchess, "Lotherra is not the place to begin the search.
Landress herself is the key."

Regards,
Lecia & Sadennetta
Lothars
***
NRPG: Jill hope this works for you and Rhia and Glynweith. If not, let me
know :)

Kristen
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       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Waylene & Aura, Marrid Warren, Warrenlady
                      Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Wingleader
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Telnor Warren, Dragonrider
                      Th'rin & Areena, Whiteriver Warren, Head Healer
                      Merybelle Barmen, City of Ralengarde, Innkeeper
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                      Saul & Fayloth, Jasra Warren, Searcher
                      Darlea & Makayla
                      Devon & Xanith
                http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm
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