NRPG:
Sorry bout the delay, Forwarding for Steph!


RPG:

Veronyca was relieved to be returning home to Xylian after her time in
Eos.  She never would be able to understand how her cousin could stand
being cooped up in that city all the time.

<~Ver,~> Glimmer said as they appeared over Xylian and began the
descent toward their warren, <~I think something is wrong...~>

<~What do you mean?~>

<~It's Jareth...I can't sense him anywhere in the Warren~>

<~Perhaps he and D'rel were sent on patrol~>

<~I don't know Ver...~>

Glimmer backwinged gracefully to land on the ledge outside of
Veronyca's rooms, allowing her rider to dismount before heading
inside.  Veronyca headed into the main living area and was almost to
the other side of it when she noticed the paper on the table.  *D'rel
must have been working on something and left it there,* she thought
before heading into the bedroom.  It was there that she noticed
something was very amiss.

The room was clean, but that was not something that would normally
alert Veronyca to a problem.  It was the empty feeling that the
cleanliness gave her.  It looked like the room hadn't been lived in
since she'd left for Eos...which could mean several things, none of
them good.

Then it hit Veronyca, the reason the room seemed so empty was that all
of D'rel's things were gone.  Panicked, she ran out of the bedroom and
began to search the other rooms.  Her frantic searching only revealed
further that nothing of D'rel's was left in any of the rooms.  Then
she remembered the paper on the table and slowly walked to pick it up.
She unfolded it with shaking hands and slowly read the letter penned
in D'rel's careful script.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  My dearest,
     You will never know what it has cost me to write
     this letter.  If you are reading this, then
     assuredly I have left.  I am sorry to cause you
     pain, but I felt you would be safer with me gone.
     I must admit that I wasn't quite truthful with you
     about my past.  Suffice it to say that something
     from that past has come back to haunt me.  I may
     never be able to return, so I can only hope and
     pray for your safety and that, in time, you will
     find someone that you can love and who will take
     better care of you than I ever could.  I never did
     deserve an angel like you.  I will love you always.

  D'rel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Veronyca sank to the floor in shock, not quite able to absorb the
contents of the letter.  She couldn't get past the part about D'rel
leaving her...couldn't believe that he was really gone.

<~Ver...I...I'm sorry~> Glimmer told her rider softly, her voice
gentle.

<~He...he's gone Glimmer...He just left...~>

<~Is there anything I can do?~>

<~No...just leave me alone please~>

Veronyca slowly made her way to the bedroom and curled up on one side
of the bed.  After a few moments she began to sob softly into the
pillow.  Some time later she fell asleep, exhausted and emotionally
drained.


[The next day]

Veronyca had woken up that morning with the full intention of spending
the day alone.  However, it seemed that fate had other plans for her.
First Glimmer had to have a bath and oiling and nothing would do for
her but to have them by the lake.  Then Veronyca was overwhelmed by
several of the Warrens youngest members, each of them demanding that
she take them over to the stables and teach them how to ride *right
now*.

It was after noon before Veronyca actually got a moment of peace and
quiet.  Then she heard dragons trumpeting and saw a large number of
them take off, chasing another.  <~What is going on?~>

<~It's a mating flight Ver...a Queen too~>

<~A queen?~>

<~Yes...a visiting one from Marrid~>

Veronyca stood there on one edge of the green and watched the flight,
one hand lightly resting on Glimmer's foreleg.


NRPG:  Well, there it is.  D'rel may be back, and then again he may
not.  Billy: I'd love to work with you on your plot idea.


Respectfully submitted:

Veronyca & Glimmer

aka:
Aurianna & Alora, Norwall Warren
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